This book was a lot of fun. It took the characters we know and love and put them in a story a child's imagination could have come up with, such as DarThis book was a lot of fun. It took the characters we know and love and put them in a story a child's imagination could have come up with, such as Darth Maul's Party Town, a beach part with beach balls and sand castle, and Star Destroyers. Wonderfully illustrated and with the Lego Star Wars Characters. The story is light and fun and will entertain and spark the imagination of children either for story telling or creating with their own lego.
This book will provide hours and hours of fun. Thanks Klutz and Scholastic for coming up with such awesome products for kids. This book is full of actThis book will provide hours and hours of fun. Thanks Klutz and Scholastic for coming up with such awesome products for kids. This book is full of activities you do right in the book and all of them can then be done again and again with your own paper. Thumbprint art, thumb print games and more. With Four colors of stamp pads and a pen, it comes with everything you need. The first thing the child does is a framed thumb print of the owner of the book. Get your hands dirty and play with this book - guaranteed fun for the whole family! My daughter asks to play with this every day! The kids love this book and use it again and again.
At first I was worried that Chuggington would be a modernized version of Thomas the Train. Boy was I wrong. Both the TV show and the books are great. At first I was worried that Chuggington would be a modernized version of Thomas the Train. Boy was I wrong. Both the TV show and the books are great. In this particular book, they encounter a new dinosaur - a Photosaurus. It was part of a display for a new museum exhibit. But soon they realize the dinosaur is a great height for taking pictures. So with the help of friends and a friendly exhibit, Wilson gets his pictures for the new posters. We have only read a few of the Chugginton books but the colors are super bright and vibrant. The stories are fun and this book will get kids by having both trains and dinosaurs. Awesome story for Chuggers young and old.
I have read a number of daily devotional books by such authors as Oswald Chambers, John Eldredge, and Billy Graham, but there are not that many qualitI have read a number of daily devotional books by such authors as Oswald Chambers, John Eldredge, and Billy Graham, but there are not that many quality ones written by, or specifically for, Catholics. Of those that are, the only one I have used more than once is In Conversation with God by Francis Fernandez Carvajal, and it is 6 plus pages per day. This one will be reread each day for the next few years, maybe even longer. In the intro, the authors state that each month has a special dedication in the church. They are:
January: Holy Name of Jesus February: Holy Family March: St. Joseph April: Blessed Sacrament May: Mary June: Sacred Heart July: Precious Blood August: Immaculate Heart of Mary September: Our Lady of Sorrows October: Rosary November: Holy Souls in Purgatory December: Immaculate Conception
This book is a devotional for body, mind and spirit. Christ stated that he came that we might have life and have it abundantly. I have always believed that God wants us to be whole - of sound body, sound mind and sound spirit. I personally, after 10 years in Campus ministry as a student, volunteer and staff, found that too many people, too many ministries and too many churches only focus on the spirit or spirit and mind, and let the body slide. This book is intended to help bring about a more balanced approach to life.
Each day we have a quote from the bible and/or a Saint of the church, a reflection and an exercise. This book was amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to grown in one of those three areas and especially for those who seek balance in their life. There is much in this book we can apply to our personal life and I know that with each rereading, new things and new practices will come up and as we grow, a deeper level of devotion. Awesome book. Thanks Kevin, Shane and Peggy....more
This collection of seven short stories is all about the strange, the unusual and haunting. It is at times funny and at times frightening. From a storyThis collection of seven short stories is all about the strange, the unusual and haunting. It is at times funny and at times frightening. From a story about a cell phone that seems possessed but wants to make its owner a better person, to a box of bones that speaks to a young boy about the same age as the skeleton within, this collection is the companion to Bites Scary Stories to Sink Your Teeth Into and both are excellent reads. The contributors are:
Todd Strasser David Levithan Elizabeth C. Bunce Nina Kiriki Hoffman Richard Peck R.L. Stein Margaret Mahy
This was a fun collection to read. Much like children telling ghost stories at camp or during a sleepover, these stories are intended to stir up the imagination and they do just that. Lois Metzger does an amazing job of compiling a collection that can be read again and again.
It is interesting that this short story was released as a prequel to The 58th Keeper but while reading it, it was so engrossing, so gripping, I forgotIt is interesting that this short story was released as a prequel to The 58th Keeper but while reading it, it was so engrossing, so gripping, I forgot that I was reading a novella and when I hit the end I was desperate for more of the story. Fortunately there is a continuation and another in the works. If the others are as compelling as this one, we are in for some great reading ahead.
This story goes back to the 57th Keeper. It is the story of Alturus a man who spent his whole life scheming, stealing and plotting. Then when he is given an ancient relic with magical powers, he squanders the responsibility. But as we watch Alturus's rise and fall, the story rips along at an amazing pace. It was a great read. And like I said earlier, it left me wanting more.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More. And also an author profile and interview with R. G. Bullet....more
This is one of those books I read over and over again. I have read it probably 20 times since my first reading. Calvin Miller puts biblical stories inThis is one of those books I read over and over again. I have read it probably 20 times since my first reading. Calvin Miller puts biblical stories into narrative poems that are so well written they force you to turn the page again and again. This book is the first in the Singer Trilogy, followed by The Song and The Finale. It is a poetic retelling of three biblical books: The Singer parallels the 4 Gospels, The Song retells the story of Acts, and The Finale is Miller's version of the book of Revelation.
Miller writes explicitly Christian fantasy in these books. He is also widely known for his non-fiction AND Christian life application books.
The Singer is a powerful retelling of the life of Christ, where instead of Jesus and The Gospel you have the Singer and his song. His song, if you are open to it, can bring healing and restoration. The World-Hater, wants to destroy both the Singer and his star song. Miller's words moved me to tears the first time I encountered them. The story is so well written, it can be read over and over without losing its freshness. The book is also excellently illustrated by Chicago artist Joe DeVelasco. The drawings done in pen and Ink style add to the power of the story by transporting you into the events.
No matter how many times over I reread this book, it is always fresh and new and draws me into the story of Christ in a different way. It is truly a classic and a treasure for any bookshelf. Each time I pick these up and reread them, I find a deepening of my relationship with Christ, and of my prayer life.
Miller also has a Symphonic Trilogy that retells different stories from the book of Genesis. The two I owned were A Requiem for Love and A Symphony in Sand. As far as I can tell, there are also 2 stand-alone books by Miller in this style that are often compared to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and Lewis's Narnia. They are The Valiant Papers, an account of a guardian angel's experiences, and The Philippian Fragment, the retelling of the book of Philippians from the New Testament. I have owned most of these and lent them out to not be returned. I now have The Singer Trilogy, Valiant, and Singer Trilogy 3-in-1 hardcover. Over the next few weeks I will review those I still have, but cannot encourage you strongly enough to pick them up if you find them in a used bookstore. They are all great.
Over the next few weeks, I plan on reviewing some of the others that I still have from this author. And if I find the others again, I will review them. (It has just been too long since I lent them out and did not get them back for me to review them from memory.)...more
This is a book by an author best know for western’s however this is not a western. It is a spiritual story and a spiritual story with a major twist. IThis is a book by an author best know for western’s however this is not a western. It is a spiritual story and a spiritual story with a major twist. It is the retelling of the life story of Saint Terese Martin aka Terese de Lisieux. But this story is told in a generic religious order set in Quebec.
This book deals with many large questions: The Stigmata Faith Healing Love Science
And how these five things meet in the life of Mariette with ambiguity and how that ambiguity mirrors our own lives. The interesting thing about this book is it is about the world of women, the convent is a microcosm of the real world. The only two men in the book are Mariette’s father and the priest at the Convent.
Mariette received the stigmata while a novice at the convent, the Prioress was her older sister. This is a story of faith versus adversity even in one’s own tradition. It is the story of a girl who desires to love God with all of her heart. Yet the depth of her devotion arouses the suspicions of those around her.
A film was made of this move with many big name star’s Rutger Hauer as the priest, Geraldine O'Rawe as Mariette, Mary McDonnell as the prioress. Michael W. Higgins was the Historical consultant on the film. Though filmed in 1996 it has never been released. The studio did not like the ending and the author and producer would not change it.
Dealing with many deep questions this book leave’s the reader with more questions than answers but with a sense of hope and a desire to know more. Hansen has created a masterpiece....more
This is a bizarre little book - a book focused around Mona Lisa Figg Newton, a teenager living in the town of Pineapple with her eccentric, eclectic aThis is a bizarre little book - a book focused around Mona Lisa Figg Newton, a teenager living in the town of Pineapple with her eccentric, eclectic and somewhat esoteric family. Her family includes her tap dancing mother, Sister Figg Newton, her uncles, Truman the Human Pretzel, Romulus the Walking Book of Knowledge, Remus the Talking Adding Machine, (Romulus and Remus are of course twins) and her cousin Fido the Second. The only family member Mona gets along with is her uncle Florence, a book dealer. A main concern of the characters is Capri, the Figg family heaven, which involves a ritual passed down through the Figg family for generations. Uncle Florence's greatest wish is to find his Capri. Mona's greatest fear is that her uncle will succeed and leave her alone.
While doing a children's literature course we were informed that this book was often used along with Tuck Everlasting in grief counseling. It deals with questions about what is real, what is reality and what is dream.
It also has string elements of learning to accept self, and growing into who we are to be. Also the acceptance of what we can change and what we cannot. What it really comes down to is learning to live and learning to love. Also it shows that books can be friends and support us in our alone times.
The book will teach about learning to dream, learning to live and ultimately learning to go beyond ourselves.
(First written as Journal Reading Notes in 1999.) ...more
Kathie Shaidle is a Canadian treasure. This book will grab your heart while you travel with her in her illness. In this collection is a series of coluKathie Shaidle is a Canadian treasure. This book will grab your heart while you travel with her in her illness. In this collection is a series of columns that were written after she was diagnosed with lupus.
“’Quitting your day job’ is every artist’s dream. Mine came true in 1991, when some government arts grants let me write full time. Six weeks later, I contracted systemic lupus erthematosus, an incurable, life-threatening disease.” p.7 Now she cannot even live her dream job.
At 26 she had reached her dream. She was writing full time, and looking forward to it. Then her life crashes around her feet. The pain was to the point that she could not even write. In these 26 chapters you will journey through pain, despair, hope, faith and doubt.
Shaidle has opened her illness, her life and her faith to us with a tremendous vulnerability. She states: “I can’t help but think about the bad TV my life would make. I’m not a likeable, disease-movie-of-the-week heroine, pretty in a plain sort of way, running marathons or whatever in spite of my incurable illness.” p.23
With such chapters as ‘I’ve fallen and I can’t get up’ and ‘Confessions of a bearded lady’, the book will also uplift, encourage and make you smile and laugh.
But to find out why God rides a Yamaha you will have to read the book.
Read the review and with links to other reviews of books by the author on my blog Book Reviews and More. And also an author profile and interview with Kathy Shaidle....more
This is one of three great little books by Josemaria Escriva’s The Way, Furrow and The Forge. Each of these three volumes are collections of thoughts,This is one of three great little books by Josemaria Escriva’s The Way, Furrow and The Forge. Each of these three volumes are collections of thoughts, pense’s musings and meditations. They can be read from beginning to end or randomly opened and read just as you find them. Some of the reflections will require more thought and work then others. Some examples that particularly grabbed my attention are:
“Each day be conscious of your duty to e a saint. A saint! And that doesn’t mean doing strange things. It means a daily struggle in the interior life and in heroically fulfilling your duty right through to the end.” #60
“Make an effort to respond at each moment to what God is asking of you: have the will to love him with deeds. They may be little deeds, but do not leave any out.” #82
“To die is a good thing. How can anyone with faith be, at the same time, afraid to die? But as long as the Lord wants to keep you here on earth, it would be cowardice for you to want to die. You must live, live and suffer and work for Love: that is your task.” #1037
Each of these three little books will help you grow deeper in the Christian life. They will challenge you every time you pick them up and read. I have gotten to the point that I always carry one of them with me, and while waiting for a ride, or before class, or in any spare moment open it and read, and through that reading I pray. Through that prayer I hope to become a better Christian and a better person. ...more
This is one of three great little books by Josemaria Escriva’s The Way, Furrow and The Forge. Each of these three volumes are collections of thoughts,This is one of three great little books by Josemaria Escriva’s The Way, Furrow and The Forge. Each of these three volumes are collections of thoughts, pense’s musings and meditations. They can be read from beginning to end or randomly opened and read just as you find them. Some of the reflections will require more thought and work then others. Some examples that particularly grabbed my attention are:
“As soon as you willfully allow a dialogue with temptation to begin, the soul is robbed of its peace, just as consent to impurity destroys grace.” #836
“Prayer is the humility of the man who acknowledges his profound wretchedness and the greatness of God. He addresses and adores God as one who expects everything from Him and nothing from himself. Faith is the humility of the mind which renounces its own judgement and surrenders to the verdict and authority of the Church. Obedience is the humility of the will which subjects itself to the will of another, for God's sake. Chastity is the humility of the flesh, which subjects itself to the spirit. Exterior mortification is the humility of the senses. Penance is the humility of all the passions, immolated to the Lord. Humility is truth on the road of the ascetic struggle.” #259
“Being faithful to God demands a struggle. And it means close combat, man to man — the old man against the man of God — in one small thing after another, without giving in.” #126
Each of these three little books will help you grow deeper in the Christian life. They will challenge you every time you pick them up and read. I have gotten to the point that I always carry one of them with me, and while waiting for a ride, or before class, or in any spare moment open it and read, and through that reading I pray. Through that prayer I hope to become a better Christian and a better person. ...more
This is one of three great little books by Josemaria Escriva’s The Way, Furrow and The Forge. Each of these three volumes are collections of thoughts,This is one of three great little books by Josemaria Escriva’s The Way, Furrow and The Forge. Each of these three volumes are collections of thoughts, pense’s musings and meditations. They can be read from beginning to end or randomly opened and read just as you find them. Some of the reflections will require more thought and work then others. Some examples that particularly grabbed my attention are:
“Fight against the softness that makes you lazy and careless in your spiritual life. Remember that it might well be the beginning of tepidity … and, in the words of the scriptures, God will vomit out the lukewarm.” #325
“When I made you a present of that life of Jesus, I wrote in it this inscription: ‘May you seek Christ, may you find Christ, may you love Christ. These are three very distinct steps. Have you at least tried to live the first?” #382
“Fight against that weakness which makes you lazy and careless in your spiritual life. Remember that it might well be the beginning of lukewarmness... and, in the words of the Scripture, God will vomit the lukewarm out of his mouth.” #325
Each of these three little books will help you grow deeper in the Christian life. They will challenge you every time you pick them up and read. I have gotten to the point that I always carry one of them with me, and while waiting for a ride, or before class, or in any spare moment open it and read, and through that reading I pray. Through that prayer I hope to become a better Christian and a better person. ...more
When I started writing the reviews of this series last year, I did not think it would be that hard to write separate reviews on each book in the serieWhen I started writing the reviews of this series last year, I did not think it would be that hard to write separate reviews on each book in the series. I think the books are awesome and would benefit any Christian in their spiritual life. The volumes that deal with special feasts or Easter & Christmas were easy to write about. But the volumes covering ordinary time are much harder to write about, so see my write-up below about the series as a whole, or check out some of the specific reviews linked below. And God bless.
Scepter Press in North America has just reprinted them again last fall.
About the Complete Series:
The complete series is worth the money, time and effort. This is an amazing Catholic meditation and daily reflection series. The seven volumes have daily readings for each day of the church year, as well as volumes 6 & 7 being special Feast Days. The readings draw heavily upon the writings of Josemaria Escriva the founder of Opus Dei, Pope John Paul II, and the daily readings from the common liturgy for that day. The Sundays have three sets of readings, depending on whether we are in year A, B, or C in the church readings. These devotions are all about 6 pages long and divided into 3 sections. They can all be read as a complete section, or part in the morning, midday and evening as they each have three sections. I find that with every day there is so much meat in these devotions that I am already planning on reading them again next year.
This series was originally published in Spanish and was completed in January 1991; the English translation was completed in 1993. It has been immensely popular since they first started coming out in1988. They are published around the world, and have helped thousands of readers in enriching their spiritual lives.
There is a complete subject, and biblical reference index in volume 7; unfortunately the earlier volumes' indexes only go as far as that volume #. The indexes are subject and reference quoted by church Fathers, Popes and Saints. These books will draw anyone deeper into a faith and a life of action based upon that faith.
(I have switched to the eBook version of these books, each volume is split in two.)...more
Sometimes when I start to read a book, I know it will be so good I do not mark in it the first time I read it through. This series falls into that catSometimes when I start to read a book, I know it will be so good I do not mark in it the first time I read it through. This series falls into that category. However, this being my second time through these books, I am now underlining, making notes in the margins and reading much deeper than my first time through last year. As such, I will just state that these are awesome devotional books and deserve the time and attention of a 6 or 7 page devotion each day. They will help you grow closer to Christ, and through that, to the other people in your life.
This volume spans the time from the first Sunday of Advent till either January 12th or the Second Sunday after the Ephiphany. Thus this book has 51 devotions for this joyous Church Season. If you cannot afford the whole set, start with this volume or the Lent and Eastertide volume, then add the others over time. It is usually cheaper to buy the boxed set but sometimes that amount of money is not available up front.
Rather than going on and on in my own words, I will share a few of the quotes I underlined this year and copied into my journal. They will give you a sampling of the quality and diversity of the writing in this volume in this series:
"We are not only precursors, however; we are also witnesses to Christ. Together with the grace of Baptism and Confirmation, we have received the honourable duty of making our faith in Christ known through our words and our deeds." p.60, 61
"We have to act in such a way that others will be able to say, when they meet us: This man is a Christian, because he does not hate, because he is willing to understand, because he is not a fanatic, because he is willing to make sacrifices, because he shows that he is a man of peace, because he knows how to love." p.62
"Mastery of oneself - which is part of true meekness - is the weapon of those who are really strong; it prevents us from answering back too quickly and from speaking wounding words which afterwards we wish we had never said. Meekness knows how to wait for the right moment, and to express its judgments in a way that carries conviction." p.86
"The purpose of the examination of conscience is to get to know ourselves better, in order to become more receptive to the graces the Holy Spirit pours out upon us, and to grow to resemble Christ himself." p.107
"If we make a habit of attentively reading and meditating on the Holy Gospel every day, we shall, in a sense, take part in the life of Christ; we shall get to know him better everyday; and, perhaps without our realizing it, our life in the world will come to be a reflection of his." p.130
"As we raise up our minds and hearts in prayer, we can enquire of ourselves: Am I seeking God in my work or in my study, in my family, out in the street … in everything? Am I daring in my doing apostolate? Does Our Lord want more of me?" p.189 "We have to be attentive, because Our Lord also shows himself in the normal events of every day. May we know how to recover this interior light, which for us breaks through the monotony of days which are all the same, and find Jesus in our Ordinary life!" p.328
These are but a few of the Gems in this book that I found this year. And I am sure that next year will have just as many. Hopefully these samplings will whet your appetite for these great books.
This volume much like volume 7 contains the special feats and solemnities that occur between January and June, these are the feasts days fixed to a caThis volume much like volume 7 contains the special feats and solemnities that occur between January and June, these are the feasts days fixed to a calendar day, and some other special meditations.
There are a few great sub-collections in this book. They are The Christian Unity Octave in January, Seven Sunday's of St. Joseph in , the Corpus Christi Octave in May. Then the feast days are divided into a few categories: Saints and Angels, Jesus and Marian. And of course being of Irish and Scotch heritage I love the devotion to St. Patrick which has been added to the English edition of the book.
In this volume you will encounter meditations on: St. Francis de Sales, Timothy & Titus, St. Thomas Aquinas, St Patrick, St. Joseph, Our Lady of Montserrat and many more.
This series was originally published in Spanish and was completed in January 1991; the English translation was completed in 1993. It has been immensely popular since they first started coming out in1988. They are published around the world, and have helped thousands of readers in enriching their spiritual lives.
Some examples of the wisdom from this book are: "Friendship with Christ will teach us to have a big heart, big enough to include those many people we meet along our way. This is especially true with respect to our relatives and friends." p.29
"We should take advantage of the means of formation which are at our disposal. This would include studying Sacred Theology, making good retreats, being attentive in spiritual reading. This all comes down to acquiring a good doctrinal formation in accord with our personal circumstances. We need to know God very well so that we can better make him known to others." p.80
"Today's feast is an open invitation for us to renew our dedication to the Lord. We should offer him our entire being, our thoughts, our works, everything we are, everything we do." p.88 "We have to Christianize the world that we know in our ordinary lives. We have to bring faith and optimism to this world without becoming overwhelmed by the difficulties involved." p.109
"Today, as we thank Our Lord for the gift of faith that Saint Patrick handed on, and resolve to follow his example in our own generation." p.122-123
Scepter Press in North America has just reprinted them again last fall.About the Complete Series:
The complete series is worth the money, time and effort. This is an amazing Catholic meditation and daily reflection series. The seven volumes have daily readings for each day of the church year, as well as volumes 6 & 7 being special Feast Days. The readings draw heavily upon the writings of Josemaria Escriva the founder of Opus Dei, Pope John Paul II, and the daily readings from the common liturgy for that day. The Sundays have three sets of readings, depending on whether we are in year A, B, or C in the church readings. These devotions are all about 6 pages long and divided into 3 sections. They can all be read as a complete section, or part in the morning, midday and evening as they each have three sections. I find that with every day there is so much meat in these devotions that I am already planning on reading them again next year.
This series was originally published in Spanish and was completed in January 1991; the English translation was completed in 1993. It has been immensely popular since they first started coming out in1988. They are published around the world, and have helped thousands of readers in enriching their spiritual lives.
There is a complete subject, and biblical reference index in volume 7; unfortunately the earlier volumes' indexes only go as far as that volume #. The indexes are subject and reference quoted by church Fathers, Popes and Saints. These books will draw anyone deeper into a faith and a life of action based upon that faith.
(I have switched to the eBook versions where each volume is split in two.)...more
Sometimes when I start to read a book, I know it will be so good I do not mark in it the first time I read it through. This series falls into that catSometimes when I start to read a book, I know it will be so good I do not mark in it the first time I read it through. This series falls into that category. However, this being my second time through these books for the second year in a row, I am now underlining, making notes in the margins and reading much deeper than my first time through last year. These books are an awesome devotional series of books and deserve the time and attention of a 6 or 7 page devotion each day. They will help you grow closer to Christ, and through that, to the other people in your life. This volume spans the time from Ash Wednesday to Pentecost Sunday. Therefore this book will lead you through Lent, Easter and the 5 weeks of Easter leading up to Pentecost. If you cannot afford the whole set, start with this volume and the Advent and Christmastide volume, then add the others over time. It is usually cheaper to buy the boxed set but sometimes that amount of money is not available up front.
My review of the whole series highlights some of the aspects of the series as a whole. Here I will just give you some sample quotes:
"Each of us must draw up a specific plan of mortification to offer to God every day during this Lent." p.5
"The person who abandons mortification is inevitably ensnared by his senses and becomes incapable of any supernatural thought." p.8
"Let us make up our minds to keep close to Our Lord during these days by contemplating his most Sacred Humanity in the vivid and memorable scenes of The Way of the Cross. Let us see how, for our sakes, he wakes along the Path of Sorrows." p.18
"It is not only the person who never falls who sanctifies himself, but the person who always rises again. Having defects is not what is bad - all of us have defects - but making a pact with them and ceasing to fight. Christ then, the Physician, cures us and then helps us to struggle." p.22
"The devil exists and acts in people and society. His activity is mysterious, but real and effective." p.31
"We are all children of God, and being children, then heirs. The inheritance is the sum of incalculable good things God has prepared, and of the limitless happiness He has willed for us." p.106
"This is how we must travel along the way of self-giving: the Cross on our shoulders, a smile on our lips and light in our hearts." p.160
Hopefully those few samples will draw you in and inspire you to work your way through these books.
(I have switched to the eBook versions that each volume is split in 2.)...more
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