Review of “Urchin of the Riding Stars” (Mistmantle Chronicles)

On May 30, 2024May 30, 2024 By binzeoIn Book List3 Comments

The Mistmantle Chronicles Book 1: Urchin of the Riding Stars

A mouthful of a title, but don’t be turned off! This book is absolutely worthy of a place in your family library. If you have kids who love Redwall, The Wingfeather Saga, or The Chronicles of Narnia, they’re sure to love this thrilling introduction to the world of Mistmantle.

What is Mistmantle?

An island inhabited by talking squirrels, otters, and hedgehogs! These furry (and prickly) animals live in harmony- until some of the animals become power hungry. Betrayal, manipulation, a puppet king, and a eugenics program ensue.

But on the good side: we have courageous and lovable heroes like Padra the Otter, Crispin the squirrel, and the small but not insignificant eponymous hero of the tale, Urchin. Urchin is a young squirrel with a loyal and true heart. Found as an orphan, he is accepted and loved by the good animals on Mistmantle.

Good and Evil: the Lines are Drawn

This a straightforward black and white, good versus evil, story. The good characters in Mistmantle are heroes, both young and old. The villains are black-hearted and epitomize much of what we see wrong in our secular world: hunger for power and wealth, hatred, and disrespect for human life.

This is one of the most pro-life books I’ve read in a long time, without being didactic at all. The “bad guys” decide that any animals born with birth defects such as poor vision or misshapen claws should be “culled.” As Urchin realizes this means killing newborn baby animals, he recoils in horror and then determines to join the animal underground which hides and raises these defenseless babies.

Crispin, Padra, Urchin, and their friends decide that they must defend the helpless and restore truth and order to the island of Mistmantle.

Spiritual Evil

But what is the dark evil stirring below the castle of Mistmantle? In addition to the obvious plotting of the bad animals, Urchin encounters a spiritual evil deep under the surface of Mistmantle. The evil is awakened by a power-hungry villain, and both fuels and devours him. Who can help? Urchin realizes only the priest of Mismantle can cleanse the island by prayer and fasting. Goosebumps!

Although this is not a Catholic series per se, there are many Catholic elements such as praying to “the Heart” that protects Mistmantle, wise priests, sorcery clearly portrayed as evil, and pro-life lessons.

Sensitive Reader Warning

Now as awesome as this book was, some sensitive children will definitely be upset by the beginning: Urchin’s mother dies giving birth to him. Then later in the book, it’s upsetting to contemplate the “culling” of the newborn disabled baby animals. There’s a lot of tension about whether the bad animals will discover the hiding place of the disabled young ones. And the author does a phenomenal job describing the scary demon haunting the depths of the island. So, for context, my 9 year old who is not particularly sensitive said the beginning was sad, but overall loved this book. But with my more sensitive kids, I’d wait a couple more years. If they’ve already read Redwall, they’ll be fine with this too. The reading level is simpler than Redwall, for context there. Know your kids’ individual needs as always!

The Mistmantle Chronicles series

I’m working through the rest of the series which are fittingly awesome sequels so far. Will update when I’ve read them all.

For now, you can buy Urchin of the Riding Stars from small business publisher Purple House Press or through my Amazon affiliate link.

If you’d like to support Good Books for Catholic Kids, please check out my Patreon Page!

big ben structure near white concrete structure

“Britfield” Review

On January 20, 2023January 20, 2023 By binzeoIn Book ListLeave a comment

Britfield

When I had multiple readers write asking my opinion of Britifield in recent months, I knew I had to review this series in depth! With a super cool and interactive website and a lot of media hype, Britfield has been gaining traction in Christian book circles recently. It bills itself as “one of the most awarded books in fiction.” So what’s the hubbub all about? And is it justified?

The Pros

Britfield & the Lost Crown is the first installment in this series. Fast-paced and emotion-driven, this book features orphans Tom and Sarah rushing from one side of England to another in a wild balloon chase. Escaping an orphanage, running to the top of St. Paul’s, visiting Oxford and King’s College, touring the lake country: there’s a lot packed into the nearly 400 pages of Britfield & the Lost Crown. Kids who crave action can’t complain nothing happens in this book.

The biggest pros are that it’s clean (in the first book at least), not agenda driven, and promotes traditional values like friendship, loyalty, and kindness.

The Cons

I like the general idea of Britfield, but I’m never going to recommend these books because the writing is truly poor. It’s not just awkward at times, it’s consistently stilted. It’s stuffed with unnecessary adjectives. The diction is often unwisely selected or just plain misused.

Beyond the writing itself, I objected to the characters, who are one-dimensional and unrealistic. Their emotions flicker around the page as rapidly as the fluorescent lights in my basement on a bad day. I cringed my way through the 400 pages of this book somewhat literally. If you have kids whose typical literary fare is children’s classics, they will have a similar reaction.

Morality?

No big red flags in the first book as regards moral concerns. No swearing, only mild violence, no sexual content. Though there are no overtly religious themes, there is a general slant towards traditional values and morals.

But as in other modern series like Mysterious Benedict Society, lying is an exception to the generally traditional morals. In Britfield, the two main characters frequently lie to get out of trouble or evade punishment. Both “good” and “bad” adults also lie repeatedly. The general message seems to be that it is acceptable to lie if your intentions are good or you’re in danger.

The two protagonists are 12 year old girl and approximately 12 year old boy. I did appreciate that the author refrained from introducing any romance, though I foresee that coming later in the series. I’ll continue reading to see how that’s handled, if it does. In this first book the only grey area was the author had the 12 year olds spending the night alone on a couch and later sharing a hotel room, which is not a great example for tweens. Again though, not any hint of romance here.

Conclusions

Although there isn’t anything dreadfully wrong with Britfield, I’d opt for better written fare for my children. I have lots of recommendations on my Book Lists to point you in the direction of better quality literature.

Note that I plan to eventually read the rest of the “Britfield” trilogy and add to this review as necessary.

“The Ark” and “Rowan Farm” Review

On June 17, 2022June 17, 2022 By binzeoIn Book ListLeave a comment

Charming Post-war historical fiction about German refugees

There are so many thought-provoking and well-written historical fiction stories about World War II. I even did a list of World War II Chapter Books for Catholic Kids last year to round up all my favorites in one place. But when I discovered The Ark and Rowan Farm recently, I knew I had missed out on an important perspective! I’d read so many books from Jewish, American, English, Polish, and other allied perspectives. But I had never heard about the aftermath of World War II for the German people: the average family who found themselves penniless and homeless in an impoverished and fractured country.

Margot Benary-Isbert is uniquely qualified to write about the German refugee plight. Born in Germany in 1889, she lived through World War II with difficulty due to her failure to cooperate with the Nazis. After the war, her home was given over to the Russians and she fled to western Germany where she spent many years sharing a small apartment with two other refugee families. She wrote The Ark and Rowan Farm to provide encouragement and hope to German youth. And she succeeded!

The Ark

In The Ark, we meet Margret Lechow, a teenage war refugee. With her mother and three surviving siblings, Margret struggles to survive and find a home. Like many German families, the Lechows lost their home, money, father, and one sibling in the war. But the Lechows are special because they still have hope and a will to survive and thrive. You’ll love the positive portrayal of the frail mother who holds the family together. And your heart will be warmed by the teenage kids who don’t hesitate to take on adult responsibilities to keep their family fed and sheltered.

The Ark is a story about how small kindnesses can change lives. Whether it’s the Lechows befriending an orphan boy, a cranky old lady finding it in herself to give a little, or a generous farmer taking a risk and offering a job to a stranger, lives change for the better.

Rowan Farm

A year after the events of The Ark, sixteen year old Margret and her family are reunited at Rowan Farm where they set up house in an old boxcar. The joys and pains of reunion with their war-damaged father are dealt with gently. Margret struggles to move past her memories of losing her twin brother, again handled with discretion, though it is clear her brother was shot in front of her.

Animal lovers will enjoy the fact that Margret finds healing through caring for litters of Great Dane puppies, rehabilitating a Shetland pony, and growing her flock of chicks and sheep. As a farmer, Margot Benary-Isbert obviously understood the magic of nature, animals, and growing things to heal trauma and restore meaning to lives.

There’s a wonderful subplot about a group of schoolchildren working to build a home for returned war veterans.

In this second book, there’s a small touch of romance in the background between sixteen-year-old Margret and her employer’s son, but absoutely no content at all.

Clean and Charming

The Ark and Rowan Farm are two of the most charming and well-written books I’ve read in a while. I enjoyed them thoroughly as an adult. But, the intended audience is teens, for which I found them quite appropriate. No language, great discretion about war violence, and no sexual content. I recommend both books for middle school and older to provide a humanizing perspective on typical German families in the post-war years.

Buy both books through my Amazon Affiliate links: The Ark and Rowan Farm

“Blessed Carlo Acutis” Review

On June 10, 2022June 10, 2022 By binzeoIn Book ListLeave a comment

Blessed Carlo Acutis: The Amazing Discovery of a Teenager in Heaven

Last fall, my family “discovered” Blessed Carlo Acutis through a Holy Heroes Glory Story CD. We learned about this amazing youth who managed to accomplish so much in just fifteen short years of life. My kids were enthralled not only by how young he was but how recently he had lived and how similar his life was to theirs. He died only a few years before they were born! He wore jeans! He used a computer!

A Saint for 21st Century Kids

My kids aren’t the only ones who love Blessed Carlo and feel an instant connection to his story. This young man is inspiring kids around the world as his story spreads. Blessed Carlo Acutis: The Amazing Discovery of a Teenager in Heaven is a brand-new book by Sabrina Arena Ferrisi. Drawing on Church documents and interviews, especially personal interviews with Carlo’s mother, Ferrisi retells Carlo’s life story. Kids (and adults!) can learn about his Eucharistic devotion, charity work, favorite pets, love for computer programming and film making, and much more!

But Ferrisi also includes an explanation of the official path to a declaration of sainthood. Kids will learn about the 3 stages on the way and what is required at each stage. They’ll be even more amazed that Carlo was declared a Blessed less than 15 years after his death!

There’s also plenty of color photos of Carlo, his family, and more for kids who love visuals.

Who Will Enjoy This Book?

Target age: middle grades through high school. But younger kids will enjoy hearing parts of the book read aloud, especially if they’re already familiar with Blessed Carlo’s life from Glory Stories. I enjoyed this short book thoroughly as an adult. I was touched and inspired by Blessed Carlo’s love for both God and neighbor. This young Blessed’s life truly exemplifies the two great commandments!

You can order your copy of Blessed Carlo Acutis from publisher Holy Heroes. Enter the discount cod CARLO15 to get 15% off your purchase to celebrate this new relase!

No affiliate link here, just a really awesome saint and story I wanted to share!

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of “Blessed Carlo Acutis: The Amazing Discovery of a Teenager” in Heaven in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

For more of my favorite books for Catholic kids, check out My Book Lists!

Classic Chapter Books that are Funny!

On January 31, 2022January 31, 2022 By binzeoIn Book ListLeave a comment

My 9 year old was laughing so hard the other night over a book that he woke up his youngest sister. He just loves a laugh out loud funny book, and I bet he isn’t the only one! Depending on who you ask, laughter keeps us sane, is good medicine, and makes life worth living.

“Life is worth living as long as there’s a laugh in it.”
Lucy Maud Montgomery

It’s Robert Frost who said laughter keeps us sane by the way. And Byron says it’s cheap medicine.

Anyway, here’s a list of the funniest chapter books for 8-12 year old middle grade readers.

Homer Price captures bank robbers- with a little help from his pet skunk Aroma. He watches the donut shop for his uncle- and ends up making thousands of donuts. Robert McCloskey’s wry illustrations help make this comic classic memorable. Our world is so much more complicated, but kids still laugh about Homer Price’s small-town escapades.

Speaking of McCloskey, he also illustrated Henry Reed, Inc.. Diplomat’s kid Henry Reed speaks several languages and has traveled the world, but knows very little about America. He returns to spend the summer in suburbia at Grover’s Corner and mayhem ensues. We love all the other books in the series: Henry Reed’s Babysitting Service, Henry Reed’s Journey, Henry Reed’s Big Show, and Henry Reed’s Think Tank.

Tom Sawyer: American legend. Kids would have to read this book anyway for cultural literacy, but it’s so funny they read it voluntarily. Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer still have charm.

Life is an adventure on McBroom’s Wonderful One-Acre Farm where beanstalks grow sky high overnight. Sid Fleischman tells original American tall tales about a large family on a miraculously productive farm.

Good Old Archibald is a vintage schoolboy story of accepting differences and forging friendships through sports and pranks. Reprinted and available from Bethlehem Books.

My kids loved and laughed at Owls in the Family from about age 3 onwards. It’s got that universal appeal that makes all ages laugh out loud. Farley Mowat humorously recounts his childhood complete with a menagerie of pets including two Great Horned Owls that thought they were human.

In The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking, you get a three books in one volume! This illustrated edition of the beloved Pippi stories brings the irrepressible red-head to life for today’s kids.

Speaking of today’s kids, Adventures with Waffles is a modern day Scandinavian author’s Pippi-inspired comedy story. You can read my in-depth review here: “Adventures with Waffles” Review.

Edward Eager’s Tales of Magic series follows sibling groups on unlikely magical escapades usually with a twist. Like in Half Magic the children find a magic charm that gives them get exactly half of whatever they wish. Of course general hilarity ensues and they learn the hard way to be careful what they wish for!

The “magic” in Eager’s books is in the the Nesbit tradition: fairy-tale like magic that just happens to everyday people. The children are not trying to be witches or wizards. The magic happens through a toad that grants wishes in one book, a magic penny in another.

The Mad Scientists’ Club is vintage boys’ fiction with lots of science, pranks, and brainy kids saving the day. Overall I recommend these books for older middle grade readers with a few reservations. Things I don’t like: outsmarting domineering adults such as the Mad Scientists’ archenemy the mayor of the town is a common part of this collection of stories. There’s also some “fibbing” and disobedience to parents without real consequences.

But on the other hand, there’s a lot of positive themes about loyalty, friendship, problem-solving, and good clean fun. It’s quite funny and will inspire kids to explore and delve deep into STEM. This review from First Things captures the positives and negatives of the series well.

GIVEAWAY and Review of “Champions of the Rosary”

On November 22, 2021November 22, 2021 By binzeoIn Uncategorized11 Comments

Have you ever heard of the only approved American apparition of Our Lady?

I’d read about Fatima, Lourdes, Guadalupe with my kids. All the famous apparitions. But when it came to our own country, I knew just enough to know that there had been an American apparition in Wisconsin, but that was it. If your family is like mine, you’ll be as excited as we were to learn more about the apparitions and miracles right here in our own country! Let me tell you about Champions of the Rosary, a new historical fiction novel from author Laurie Schmitt.

In 1859, Our Lady appeared to a young girl named Adele Brise in Wisconsin.

Our Lady asked Adele to pray and teach the children in rural Wisconsin their Catechism. A convent and Chapel were eventually built to fulfil the request of Our Lady of Good Help, as this apparition was dubbed. And did she ever help the people of Wisconsin! This book recounts the miracles that occurred at the apparition site in future years such as miraculous healings.

The most stunning miracle occurred during the terrible Peshtigo Fire of 1871. As thousands of acres around burned, then-Sister Adele led the local people in a rosary procession around the grounds of the convent. Miraculously, the convent acreage was completely spared: a verdant green island in the midst of hundreds of miles of devastation on all sides.

This is a beautiful story about a family struggling through tough times and turning to Our Lady for hope and healing.

It’s also an intense story since the backdrop is the Peshtigo Fire which ravaged the countryside (I recommend for ages 10 and up). Tweens and teens will be caught up in the drama of a natural disaster unfolding while also learning about this beautiful apparition with a message of hope for our country.

If you’re as excited to read this book as my family was, I have good news: I’m giving away FREE copies of Champions of the Rosary and Laurie Schmitt’s other historical fiction novel, Lepanto’s Lady!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lepanto’s Lady is another great historical fiction novel with a Marian theme. In Lepanto’s Lady, watch the events of the momentous Battle of Lepanto unfold through the eyes of young Rosa. Learn about the origins of the October 8th feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

You can buy Champions of the Rosary through my amazon affiliate link: Champions of the Rosary

Our Lady of Good Help, Pray for Us! Our Lady of the Rosary, Pray for Us!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of “Champions of the Rosary” and “Lepanto’s Lady” from the St. Paul Center in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

National Novena to Our Lady of Good Help | The National ... — Image of Our Lady of Good Help- isn’t she beautiful?

Ancient Egypt Books

On October 11, 2021October 11, 2021 By binzeoIn Book List2 Comments

Who else is studying ancient civilizations this year? After testing out a pyramid of Egyptian picture and chapter books, I wanted to share our favorite stories. Immerse yourself in the art, legends, and culture of Ancient Egypt with these beautiful books!

Note that although many books on this list are picture books, they are not for babies! Elementary and middle school aged readers will enjoy and benefit from the wealth of detail in these beautiful books.

This newly back in print classic strikingly illustrates the building of the boat that is buried at the Great Pyramid at Giza. Learn about the Egyptian belief in the afterlife and their boatbuilding skills.

Buy it through my Amazon affiliate link: Pharaoh’s Boat

Buy it through Bookshop: Ancient Egypt Book List

Did you know the ancient Egyptians told a version of the Cinderella story? This story, recorded in the first century, is matched with jewel toned illustrations in this beautiful edition.

Buy it through my Amazon link: The Egyptian Cinderella

Buy it through bookshop: Ancient Egypt Book List

Explore hieroglyphics with this ancient Egyptian story based on hieroglpys from an ancient papyrus scroll. Each page has a replica of a section of the ancient scroll, along with a translation and gorgeous illustrations.

Buy it through my Amazon affiliate link: The Shipwrecked Sailor: An Egyptian Tale with Hieroglyphs

Graeme Base combines hieroglyphs, a riddle, and a legend into a fun Egyptian immersion experience. Expensive to buy new, but available used or at many libraries.

Buy it through my affiliate link: The Jewel Fish of Karnak

David Macaulay’s strikingly simple black and white illustrations bring to life the details of Egyptian pyramid building. I love all the detailed drawings in Macaulay’s books.

Buy it through my Amazon affiliate link: Pyramid

Buy it through my Bookshop link: Ancient Egypt Book List

Or go the graphic novel route with this eye-catching comic book style account of the building of the Great Pyramid at Giza. This one was a big hit with my 8 year old.

Buy it through my Amazon affiliate link: The Building Of The Great Pyramid

Join Will, the son of an archaeologist, on an unforgettable trip to help uncover the ruins at Giza. Will hopes to make a great discovery- like a mummy! This book has lots of cool period details about excavation and archaeology.

Buy through my Amazon affiliate link: The 5,000-Year-Old Puzzle: Solving a Mystery of Ancient Egypt

Buy through my Bookshop page: Ancient Egypt Book List

Demi’s style lends itself well to Egyptian art. This biography of Tutankhamun is quite thorough, going from birth to death. It does include details that may require parental discussion such as the fact that Tutankhamun married his half sister. There’s also an interesting account of the period of Egyptian monotheism in which they worshipped one God, Aten. Tutankhamun allowed his subjects to choose whether to worship the traditional cast of Egyptian gods or this one god, Aten.

Buy through my Amazon link: Tutankhamun

Buy it through my Bookshop page: Ancient Egypt Book List

This is a fun little series of well-illustrated books that describe daily life for a child in different cultures. Lots of interesting details about “Growing Up in Ancient Egypt.”

Buy through my Amazon affiliate link: Growing Up In Ancient Egypt

Traditional history textbook meets oral tradition in The Story of Civilization. I love that the author includes frequent “Living History” sections with tales, legends, or historical fiction accounts that bring important characters to life for young readers. We like this best as the audiobook, which is professionally dramatized.

Buy the book or audiobook through my Amazon affiliate link: The Story of Civilization: Volume I – The Ancient World

Buy through my Bookshop page: Ancient Egypt Book List

For readers aged 10 and older, Eloise McGraw’s Newberry award winning The Golden Goblet will bring Ancient Egypt to life. A classic style tale of a poor boy with a dream overcoming the odds.

Buy through my Amazon afflink: The Golden Goblet

Buy through my Bookshop page: Ancient Egypt Book List

Mara, Daughter of the Nile is Eloise McGraw’s other masterful historical fiction novel set in Ancient Egypt. Most appropriate for ages 12 and up due to a strong Romantic subplot, this exciting espionage story brings the court of Hatshepsut to life like no other!

Buy through my Amazon afflink: Mara, Daughter of the Nile

Buy through my Bookshop page: Ancient Egypt Book List

If you have a child who wants to deep-dive into the mythology of Ancient Egypt, Roger Laycelyn Green’s Tales of Ancient Egypt is the gold standard.

Buy through my Amazon afflink: Tales of Ancient Egypt

Buy through my Bookshop page: Ancient Egypt Book List

Printable List: 25 Great Books for Kids Who Love Animals

On July 5, 2021July 5, 2021 By binzeoIn Downloads, ResourcesLeave a comment

My list 25 Great Books for Children Who Love Animals is one of my most viewed posts, so I whipped up a printable version of the list to take along to your library or track your child’s reading. I even threw in a few additional titles by the same authors on the original list to give you more options to pick from. This list is a great length for a summer reading project for a kid who loves animals!

Here’s what it looks like:

To download the FREE printable pdf version, just click here:

Printable-25-greatbooksforkidswholoveanimals-right-size Download

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1. Go to my Book Lists and buy a few books for your family through my links! Your family gets new books, and I get a small affiliate fee at no additional cost to you. Win for us both!

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4. Most important, pray for my mission to continue. I love connecting Catholic families with great books in this easy, free way and hope to be able to continue to do so for many years!

Review of “The Haunted Cathedral

On June 21, 2021June 21, 2021 By binzeoIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Haunted Cathedral

The second installment in Antony Barone Kolenc’s The Hardwood Mysteries, The Haunted Cathedral picks up right where we left Xan at the end of The Shadow in the Dark. This fast-paced historical fiction trilogy set in Middle Age England follows the adventures and misadventures of young Xan, an orphaned boy trying to find his family- and God’s will. In Shadows in the Dark, Xan tries to recover his memory after a group of bandits leaves him wounded and burns his home. In this second book, The Haunted Cathedral, Xan struggles to learn how to forgive and move on. A little mystery might be just what he needs to help distract him from his hatred.

Meticulous Historical Fiction

I really appreciate the care Kolenc takes to accurately represent Middle Age England. From monasteries to towns to castles to cathedrals, Kolenc takes the reader on a tour of what life was like for an orphaned serf boy in the Middle Ages. Speaking of serfs, these books subtly explore the relationships between serfs and lords, monasteries and patrons, merchants and monks. The intricate castes of the Middle Ages get attention in this book as Xan realizes that as a serf he doesn’t have the freedom to choose a vocation or even where to live.

In keeping with the setting, there are some fundamental lifestyle differences. For example, 12 and 14 year old children are already considering courtship, which is of course strange to our modern sensibilities. Xan’s interest in the girls is handled very gently and discreetly though. Kolenc includes a section at the back of the book which outlines many of the unique traditions of the Middle Ages for readers.

An Intriguing Mystery

What are ghosts? Xan and his friends Lucy, Simon, and Christina are fascinated by tales of a ghost in the Cathedral. A wise monk and priest give the different Catholic perspectives on ghosts. In the end, Xan realizes that trying to reconnect with his parents through a ghost isn’t the wisest idea. Instead, he and his friends help solve the Cathedral mystery and restore another orphan to his parents.

A Fresh Catholic Series

It’s fun to see new Catholic historical fiction getting published. Parents will appreciate the discussion questions in the beginning and historical enrichment at the end. Best of all, this series takes on a slippery topic- the Church in the Middle Ages- with an honest and unapologetic tone. There are very good monks, and troubled monks. There are pros and cons to the power the Church and its ministers held in that time period. These are good reflections for the intended tween and teen audience to begin to consider.

You can buy The Hardwood Mysteries: The Haunted Cathedral through my Amazon affiliate link: The Haunted Cathedral

Or through my BookShop page: The Haunted Cathedral

I received a copy of The Haunted Cathedral from Loyola Press in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Around Europe in 20 Chapter Books: Printable List

On June 14, 2021June 14, 2021 By binzeoIn ResourcesLeave a comment

You all enjoyed touring Europe in Chapter Books so much I got requests for a printable version of this list!

So here it is: a short and sweet 20 book list perfect for a summer reading challenge. Travel around Europe from the comfort of your living room with these classic chapter books!

Here is a FREE printable PDF download link of the color version:

Tour-Europe-Printable-List Download

Or, if you’re like me and chronically out of color ink in your printer, here’s a tamer black and white printable version:

Tour-Europe-Printable-List-Black-and-White Download

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1. Go to my Book Lists and buy a few books for your family through my links! Your family gets new books, and I get a small affiliate fee at no additional cost to you. Win for us both!

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3. Sign up below to receive notifications of new posts. Only one a week, I promise! (And don’t worry, I never sell or share email addresses.)

4. Most important, pray for my mission to continue. I love connecting Catholic families with great books in this easy, free way and hope to be able to continue to do so for many years!