“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!

Saint Chapter Books Round Up

On September 14, 2021September 14, 2021 By binzeoIn Book ListLeave a comment

In my oft-searched list Good Catholic Books for Catholic Preschoolers and Kindergartners , I share some of my favorite saint books for little ones. Here, I’ll share my favorite chapter books about the saints for independent readers through middle schoolers.

For the 6-8 year old, just becoming independent reader stage, I love the Saints and Friendly Beasts saint book series.

In the Saints and Friendly Beasts series, young readers will enjoy the large print and wealth of pictures. At the same time, they’ll become familiar with saints who loved animals. Popular Holy Hour books with my 6 and 8 year olds. Note: the pictures in these books are all black and white.

Buy the series through my Amazon affiliate links: Saint Brigid and the Cows, Saint Martin de Porres and the Mice, Saint Germaine and the Sheep, Blessed Sebastian and the Oxen, and Saint Colum and the Crane.

Or, buy it from the publisher, Tan Books.

A recently published book that is awesome for this age is Meg Hunter-Kilmer’s Saints Around the World.

This is a saint book like no other! Meg Hunter Kilmer tells stories about many saints we’ve never heard of in a conversational style that makes these saints your kids’ new best friends. Check out my full Review of “Saints Around the World”!

Another series of saint books that’s wonderful for a 3rd grade reading level (or younger reader with help!) is the Life of a Saint series from Ignatius Press.

Learn about popular saints in these colorful, picture-rich books from reliable Ignatius Press.

Check out the biographies of St. John Mary Vianney, St. Bernadette, St. Francis, and St. Therese through my affiliate links.

Or buy them through the publisher: Ignatius Pres s

Another series of Saint Books I love but are hard to find are the Along the Path of the Gospel series.

If you can find any volumes in this series used online, snap them up! We love the beautiful pictures and simple text, perfect for 7-9 year olds!

You can find a few used on Amazon on my affiliate page: Along the Paths of the Gospel

Or Seton Press is still selling some new copies of select books: buy through Seton.

For the 8-14 year old crowd, especially reluctant readers, try getting their attention with The Saint Chronicles!

With 5 striking volumes now available, The Saint Chronicles is sure to be a hit with kids!

You can buy them through my Amazon affiliate page: The Saint Chronicles

Or support a Catholic Bookstore and buy them from Good News Book Shop:

Saints Chronicles Collection 1

Saints Chronicles Collection 2

Saints Chronicles Collection 3

Saints Chronicles Collection 4

Saints Chronicles Collection 5

For 9-12 year old readers, I recommend the Encounter the Saints series.

With 33 saints featured, this series will keep your kids reading for a long time! More information

These books are available as a set from Seton, you can buy through publisher Pauline Media, or you can buy through my Amazon affiliate page Encounter the Saints.

Mayr Fabyan Windeatt brings the saints to life for children aged 9-99.

These saint biographies are 50-100 pages and perfect for book reports or spiritual reading. My kids bring these to Holy Hour all the time. Not very many pictures, but simple and inspiring stories about a variety of saints from Hyacinth to Martin de Porres.

Buy them through my Amazon affiliate page: Mary Fabyan Windeatt Books.

Or, buy them as a set through Seton.

Or, buy them through a Catholic Bookshop: Good News Book Shop

A final awesome saint book series for the 9+ crowd is the Vision Series from Ignatius Press

Up to 24 books, the acclaimed Vision series offers inspiring saint biographies for 4th-8th graders. With longer chapters and more details, these books will satisfy kids who want to know more about their favorite saints- or maybe discover some new favorites!

Buy them through my Amazon affiliate link: Vision Saint Books

Or buy the whole set through Seton.

Or, buy them through a Catholic Bookshop: Good News Book Shop

Review of “Saints Around the World”

On June 28, 2021June 28, 2021 By binzeoIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Saints Around the World

If you haven’t heard the hype yet, the internet is buzzing about this amazing new book by Meg Hunter-Kilmer! And with good reason! This is hands down the most thorough look at saints from all around the world I’ve ever seen. From Africa to South America to Asia to the Caribbeans, there really are saints from all corners of the world featured in Saints Around the World!

Around the World and Down to Earth

Although this book features Saints from all sorts of cultures and walks of life, the emphasis is on their common humanity. You’ll hear how saints changed diapers, saints gave their grandchildren pony rides, saints did laundry. This is so important for our kids (and us) to understand: the saints were not just great preachers and theologians, they were moms and dads and kids like us!

Broken and Beautiful: The Body of Christ

This book is a celebration of the diversity of the Body of Christ. You’ll read the stories of Saints from Papua New Guineau to Iceland. You’ll learn about Saints in wheel chairs and Saints with birth defects and Saints who were blind. You’ll read about Saints with learning disabilities and speech impediments. You’ll learn about saints with big personalities and saints who were desperately shy. You’ll see Saints from various ethnicities with a great variety of skin tones.

Beautiful Watercolors

To match the beautiful souls described in Saints Around the World, Lindsey Sanders illustrated this book with beautiful watercolor pictures. Many pictures feature everyday items as symbols. This emphasizes the theme that these saints lived seemingly ordinary lives. You may spot a soccer ball, some musical instruments, horses, and more in the background of these illustrations.

You can get a preview of the gorgeous illustrations and read excerpts from the book on the launch site: https://saintsaroundtheworld.com/excerpts/

You can buy Saints Around the World through my Amazon affiliate link: Saints Around the World

Disclaimer: I received a copy of “Saints Around the World” from Emmaus Road Publishing in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Interested in more of my favorite Catholic books for Catholic Kids? Check out this list: Good Catholic Books for Catholic Preschoolers and Kindergartners

Review of “The Thief Who Stole Heaven”

On February 15, 2021February 15, 2021 By binzeoIn Uncategorized1 Comment

The Thief Who Stole Heaven: A Legend

Following up his bestselling The Spider Who Saved Christmas, Raymond Arroyo and illustrator Randy Gallegos offer another gorgeous and inspiring picture book for Catholic kids. Just in time for Lent, The Thief Who Stole Heaven tells the unforgettable story of St. Dismas

In the Spirit of Lent

The spirit of Lent can be summed up in the brief words the priest offers to each of us on Ash Wednesday: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” The legend of St. Dismas fits perfectly with this Lenten message. As you’ll read in The Thief Who Stole Heaven, Dismas lived a life of sin and violence. Nevertheless, he achieved perfect repentance and believed in Jesus as they died side by side. We’re all sinners, and we all need to repent. St. Dismas teaches us how to do this with humility and faith.

The Journey to Egypt

In addition to telling the story of St. Dismas, The Thief Who Stole Heaven tells us what might have happened after the Holy Family fled the cave and soldiers. We don’t know what adventures the Holy Family encountered as they journeyed to Egypt, bags full of treasure from the Magi. Raymond Arroyo fills in the blanks of what might have happened, weaving a meeting with a young Dismas into their journey.

Luminous Artwork

What I love most about The Thief Whole Stole Heaven is the detailed art. A clever use of light draws your attention to the infant and Mary each time they appear, mirroring the book’s message about the mesmerizing gaze of Christ.

Who Should Read It?

St. Dismas’ life was violent and sad. Smaller children may be distubed to hear about his miserable childhood and violent deeds, though Arroyo does a good job of wording the story to go over the littlest listeners’ heads. I think 6-8 year olds will enjoy this story, while less sensitive younger children could also handle the vague descriptions of violence.

Where to buy it?

If you would like to purchase this wonderful new book for your family, you can buy it at:

My BookShop affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/lists/book-review-books

My Amazon affiliate link: The Thief Who Stole Heaven

Disclaimer: I received a copy of “The Thief Who Stole Heaven” from Sophia Institute Press in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Review of “Maximilian Kolbe: The Saint of Auschwitz”

On July 27, 2020July 27, 2020 By binzeoIn Uncategorized1 Comment

St. Maximilian Kolbe is truly a saint for day modern-day Catholics to admire and emulate. From his successful media outreach work to his missionary work to his sacrificial death, St. Maximilian Kolbe lived a life of charity and love. This exciting new graphic novel from Sophia Institute Press brings St. Maximilian Koble’s story to life with high quality illustrations and photographs of the saint.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn a small fee for qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

The Whole Story

Most Catholics are familiar with St. Maximilian Kolbe’s dramatic sacrificial death as Auschwitz: so much so that he is often known as The Saint of Auschwitz. But this graphic novel delves deeper and follows the thread of Maximilian’s life from childhood to death. Through St. Maximilian’s remembrances in concentration camp, you will learn about Saint Maximilian Kolbe’s work establishing the Militia of the Immaculata, establishment of Catholic magazines and newspapers, missionary work in Japan, and more. As I read The Saint of Auschwitz, I was blown away by how much a young priest with tuberculosis accomplished in his short life.

Inspiration for Today’s Teens

This graphic novel will powerfully motivate tweens, teens, and even adults to live life with joy, charity, and a missionary zeal in the spirit of St. Maximilian Kolbe. I think most tweens will be fine with the level of intensity. St. Maximilian Kolbe’s story is sad and intense; fifteen days in a bunker waiting to die of hunger and thirst is a horrifying death. But his choice to embrace this death out of charity for a stranger and his joy in suffering is an inspiration that today’s youth will respond to with enthusiasm.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of “Maximilian Kolbe: The Saint of Auschwitz” from Sophia Institute Press in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Looking for more great graphic novels for Catholic kids? Check out my list of Graphic Novels and Comic Books!

Review of “The Day-by-Day Coloring Book of Saints”

On July 20, 2020July 20, 2020 By binzeoIn Uncategorized1 Comment

day-by-day coloring book of saints volume 2 cover image

It never ceases to amaze me what riches Catholic authors and publishers are creating to enrich our liturgical year! Author Anna Maria Mendell and illustrator Mary MacArthur recently teamed up with Sophia Institute Press to produce a truly wonderful resource. The Day-by-Day Coloring Book of Saints invites you to delve deep into the feast of inspiration that our Catholic Church offers through the liturgical year. Celebrate heroic men and women of faith every day this year as you create beauty with this coloring book!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn a small fee for qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

Day-by-Day Coloring Book of Saints Volume 1 covers January-June, and Volume 2 spans the rest of the year from July-December. Each day your child can read a one page biography of the saint complete with memorable anecdotes. And, of course, there’s a beautiful coloring page for your child. By the end of the year, your child will have learned a ton about a range of saints, ancient to modern, and created a uniquely illustrated book they can keep!

Yes, you can find coloring pages for some of these saints online these days. But you really can’t match the convenience of these coloring books! You have all the saints for the year, details about their life, and all in one place. These books make liturgical living easy!

I’m planning on using these coloring books as part of my religion program for my 1st grader, who will love coloring the pictures as I read to her about the saints. A 3rd grader or older could read the biographies independently and color as part of a personal prayer time. These coloring books would be a great addition to a religion program, a morning time basket, or family prayer time!

Coloring Contest Day by Day Coloring Book of Saints

Interested in getting The Day-By-Day Coloring Book of Saints free? Until August 8th, Sophia Institute Press is holding a Coloring Contest with prizes being copies of this coloring book set!

The Rules are simple:

1. Follow Sophia Institute Press and The Catholic Company on your favorite social media platform (Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter).

2. Print out the coloring page and color it in: SophiaInstitute.com/ColoringPage

3. Post a photo of the colored page on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and tag Sophia.

4. Open to US residents only.

Day-by-Day Coloring Book of Saints Set book cover

Disclaimer: I received a copy of “The Day-by-Day Coloring Book of Saints” from Sophia Institute Press in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

For more great resources for Catholic kids check out my book lists!

Review of “The Sword and the Serpent” Trilogy

On June 1, 2020 By binzeoIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Would you become a Christian if it meant certain persecution?

The Sword and Serpent Trilogy is an exciting series which weaves together legends of many early Christian saints and martyrs into a fascinating narrative. Dr. Taylor Marshall, a Catholic Theologian and Philosopher, draws on what we know of the lives of iconic saints such as St. George, St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Nicholas, and St. Christopher. Get to know these fourth century saints in a personal and inspiring way through these notable new novels.

“Saints aren’t born. They are forged.”

In his creative retellings, Dr. Marshall seeks to convey the humanity of great saints to the reader. By showing the journey of growth and conversion which saints like St. George and St. Christopher might have taken, Dr. Marshall makes these saints accessible and relatable to readers in a new way.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn a small fee for qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

In the first book, Sword and Serpent, Jurian (St. George) loses his home and family because of Christian persecution. Jurian’s coming of age and maturity parallels his journey in faith as he moves past anger and revenge to follow God’s gentle guidance. Along the way Jurian encounters and is helped by courageous saints like St. Nicholas, St. Blaise, and St. Christopher. The dragon Jurian meets is not quite quite the dragon you might be expecting. And he slays the dragon, but not by himself.

In the second book, The Tenth Region of the Night, female saints get more page space. St. Catherine of Alexandria, Aikaterina, jumps off the page with her prodigious intellect and insatiable thirst for truth which leads her to the One Truth eventually. Intermingled with Aikaterina’s story, Jurian’s journey continues as he works to free St. Christopher from his persecutors.

In the third book, Storm of Fire and Blood, Jurian travels into exile in the wilds of Britain, bearing the sword Excalibur back to its homeland. Meanwhile, Aikaterina rules Alexandria for her ailing father and debates with Emperors. All the Christians prepare themselves for the coming storm of Diocletian persecution.

Some Fine Storytelling

Quite independent of the religious merit, the Sword and Serpent trilogy is worth reading as a well-crafted story. The attention to historical detail is meticulous. The balance of humanizing the saints without diminishing their holiness is superbly executed. There’s a fascinating subplot about the sword Excalibur and Arthurian legends. There’s another intriguing storyline about the influence early Christian saints may have had on a young Constantine. A bit of myth, a bit of legend, a bit of historical fact combine to make a captivating and inspiring series.

Wisdom from the Past

The Sword and Serpent books superbly portray the first centuries of the Church when to be Christian was to accept persecution and eventual martyrdom. The courage and faith of these early saints during the Diocletian persecution offers an inspiration and a challenge to us all. In our post-Christian world, our children need books like these to remind them of where we came from and what heroic virtue we as Christians are capable of achieving.

Enjoyable For Teens and Adults

The Sword and Serpent series is completely clean and appropriate for teens. There is no foul language. Alcohol use is somewhat frequent, in keeping with the historical time period when beer or watered wine was commonly drank by all people with meals. No glorification of drunkenness though.

Given the backdrop of Christian persecution in the fourth century, there is some level of moderate violence. For example, some Christians are burned to death; others are fed to wild beasts. However, there are no gratuitously graphic descriptions of these acts of violence.

I wholeheartedly recommend this fine series for all teenagers and also for adults! The Sword and Serpent series is a perfect impetus to renew our sense of faith and hope and rediscover the power of the Gospel message.

Looking for more great books for Catholic teens? Check out my book lists!

Good Catholic Books for Catholic Teens

Good Books for Catholic High Schoolers Part 1 (Age 14 and up)

Good Books for Catholic High Schoolers Part 2 (Age 16 and up)

Good Romances for Catholic Teens

Review of “St. Conrad and the Wildfire”

On May 11, 2020May 11, 2020 By binzeoIn Uncategorized2 Comments

St. Conrad and the Wildfire is a brand-new children’s book by Maura McKeegan. Our family had never heard of St. Conrad of Piacenza before, but after reading this book he is one of our new favorite saints. Both adults and children can appreciate this inspiring true story about the importance of telling the truth and owning up to one’s mistakes.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn a small fee for qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

Who was St. Conrad?

St. Conrad of Piacenza was an Italian nobleman in the fourteenth century. He ordered his servants to set a fire to smoke out a stag while hunting, but the fire grew out of control and razed nearby villages and fields. At first, Conrad is ashamed to admit he caused the fire. But after an innocent man is arrested and charged with his crime, Conrad chooses to step forward and take responsibility for the fire. The process of making restitution to his victims costs Conrad nearly all his wealth. But to his surprise, Conrad feels happier as a poor but honest man than ever before in his life.

These Themes!

Already, you can see the beauty and power of this story. Without being at all didactic, the facts of this story illustrate so clearly the importance of telling the truth, owning up to one’s mistakes, having contrition, and making restitution. My 5 year old immediately compared this story to going to Confession.

Another part of this story we loved was Conrad’s sweet, loyal wife Euphrosyne. Euphrosyne stands by Conrad at his worst moment when he admits he has destroyed the village, saying, “I will stand by my husband, and we will make amends together, even if it means relinquishing all that we own.” What an awesome example of an inspiring married couple, moving towards sainthood hand in hand!

One of the Best Picture Books I’ve Read This Year

On top of being a simply fantastic story, this picture book is graced with beautiful, peaceful illustrations. I enjoyed the subtle medieval notes such as the illuminated first letter on some pages, which fit with St. Conrad’s fourteenth century life. St. Conrad and the Wildfire is one of my new favorites. It certainly deserved a place on any Catholic family’s bookshelf.

For more of my favorite Catholic picture books for Catholic children, check out this list!

Review of “Canadian Saints Kids Activity Book”

On May 4, 2020May 9, 2020 By binzeoIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. See footer for full disclosure.

I am so excited to share with you Bonnie Way’s newest resource: Canadian Saints Kids Activity Book At over 100 pages, this book is chock full of activities to get your children excited about learning from the lives of six inspiring saints. The Canadian saints studied in this book include St. Andre Bessette, St. Marie of the Incarnation, St. Kateri Tekakawitha, and more.

Bios, Prompts, Activities

The section on each saint includes a short biography, questions to prompt internalizing the virtues the saint demonstrated, mazes, word finds, crosswords, quotes, coloring pages, journaling prompts, decoding, and more. My favorite part of each section was the “Be Like” the saint page. These sections do a phenomenal job urging the reader to reflect on aspects of the saint’s life in greater depth. For example, on the “Be like Saint Marie” page some of the reflections include:

St. Marie’s choices often went against what her friends and family thought she should do. Despite what others said about her or pressured her to do, Marie knew how God saw her and that she was doing God’s will. Are you too worried about what others think of you and your actions?
St. Marie desired to enter the convent at age 14, but didn’t until she was 32. This may have seemed wasted time, but Marie calls these years of working at her husband’s and then her brother-in-law’s businesses, “my novitiate, from which I did not emerge perfect but, through the mercy of God, at least in a state to bear the turmoil and labor of Canada.” If you also desire to do something, and God seems to be saying “not yet,” look for ways you can learn and grow in the tasks He is giving you now.
Canadian Saints Kids Activity Book, Bonnie Way

A must-have resource for Catholic families

This fun and educational activity book is a valuable resource for Catholic families. This book can easily be used as part of a homeschool curriculum, as a summer unit study, or a religion supplement for a catechism class. I plan on using it this summer with my almost 8 year old. I think 8-14 is the ideal audience, though of course every child is different!

Last year, I also reviewed North American Martyrs Kids Activity Book, also from Bonnie Way and Katherine Babcock. Both of these activity books are truly fantastic and makes it so easy for Catholic parents to get their kids excited and inspired as they learn about the saints. I hope the authors continue with an entire series of Saints Activity Books. I would love to see a volume of United States of America Saints and also one of South American Saints!

Canadian Saints Kids Activity Book is available for purchase now on Amazon.

I received a copy of “Canadian Saints Kids Activity Book” from The Koala Mama in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Review of “Girl Saints for Little Ones”

On July 29, 2019 By binzeoIn Uncategorized1 Comment

If you are looking for a simple, beautiful introduction to popular female saints, check out Kimberly Fries’ Girl Saints for Little Ones and Girl Saints for Little Ones Volume 2!

Each volume features a dozen saints, mostly well-known heroines of our faith like Saint Rose of Lima, Saint Kateri, Saint Agnes, and Saint Gianna. These books do not include dates or feast days, instead focusing on details about the saints’ lives that little ones are more likely to grasp and retain, such as family relationships, feeding the poor, and miracles. This makes these books great for a cursory introduction, but if you are looking for more in-depth information about the saints, consider the Life of a Saint series from Ignatius,or other saint biographies featured inMy Book Lists.

Each saint page concludes with an inspiring quote from each saint about following Jesus and living a strongly Christian life. For example, the quote from St. Claire of Assisi is: “Totally love Him, who gave Himself totally for your love.”

What makes these books shine are the beautiful original paintings for each saint which will capture the attention of young children. Each painting contains a special symbol the child can associate with the saint. Some symbols are the traditional ones, such as the lamb of Saint Agnes. Others are original, such as green seeds to show the seeds of faith Saint Kateri sowed in the New World.

There is also a brother book, Boy Saints for Little Ones. This book features a dozen inspiring male saints such as Saint Augustine, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, and Saint Patrick.

Overall, these books make a worthwhile addition to any Catholic family’s library. For more great Catholic books about the saints, the Blessed Mother, and more, check out my list Good Catholic Books for Catholic Preschoolers and Kindergartners !