WWRW: One for grown-ups, one for teens.

My mother sent me a trilogy for Christmas. A trilogy I had never heard of. The first volume is Seek the Fair Land by Walter Macken.

By page twelve, I was hooked, and horrified.  This book is sad.

Very, very sad.

When I told Patrick that, he responded, "Of course it's sad.  It's IRISH!"

Yes.  One very sad, but somehow uplifting historical novel about 16th century Ireland is what I'm talking about.

Coincidentally, I saw that someone shared this article on Facebook, right when I was in the middle of the book.  The article (from CNN.com) is about the little known Irish slavery that was common in Barbados, Jamaica, and throughout the Caribbean as well as other atrocities inflicted by Cromwell and the British on the Irish.

I googled the name of the tiny town in Seek the Fair Land that gets razed, and ohmygosh, it's a real place!  Over three days in 1642, every.single.person in Drogheda was slaughtered.  History estimates that maybe 30 escaped to be sold into slavery in Barbados.

Every single person, except the four who are the main characters of this book.

Seek the Fair Land is about a young man who escapes the massacre with his two young children and an injured priest.  They spend the next several years avoiding mankind and living in the wild, eventually making their way back into civilization.  That doesn't last too long though and they find themselves on the run again.

SPOILER: This book has a happy(ish) ending.  If I had known that when I began reading it, it wouldn't have been nearly as terrifying.

WARNINGS: This book has rape, infanticide, murder, brutality, nudity, and I'm certain I'm forgetting more. None of these things is described in a glorified or particularly detailed way.

On The Other Hand, this book has great courage, great love in the face of great evil, saintliness, martyrdom, and miracles.

Seek the Fair Land is a great book, for adults, or nearly adults.  Great for Catholics, great for people of Irish descent, great for young men, or anyone who likes well-written historical fiction.

It's very sad though.  So I'm taking a break before I read the next title in the trilogy.

Unfortunately, for my next book I happened to choose a young adult novel about a Jack the Ripper copycat serial killer in London, set in modern times.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson is about Rory, a young native of Louisiana who ends up attending boarding school in London's East End when she is seventeen. The day she arrives is also the first day the "new" Jack strikes.

Killing on the same dates, in the same fashion, and in nearly the same locations, this Jack the Ripper's territory is all around Rory's new school.

The book has loads of fun and fluffy stuff about Rory adjusting to  boarding school, her light romance, snogging, field hockey, classwork etc. About halfway in, we learn something very interesting about Rory.

Due to a near death experience she had on her first day of class, she can see ghosts. And talk to them. And they can see her.

Enter the Ghostbusters, or the Shades of London rather.  The Shades are a division of the police force with the ability to see and if necessary, destroy ghosts.  Their target: New Jack.  New Jack's target: Rory.

For a YA book about a serial killer, it wasn't that bad.  I'll let my high school girls read it.  If they dare...

Don't forget the big What We're Reading Wednesday Come Back Link Up Party Next Wednesday, February 4th!  I cannot wait to read all of the e-book-reports.

Children's Books for the Upcoming Canonizations

Recently, the good folks at Ignatius Press sent me two of their newest titles to review in preparation for the upcoming canonizations of John Paul the II and John XXIII.

John Paul II: The Journey of a Saint, written by Guy Lehideux and Louis-Bernard Koch and illustrated by Dominique Bar, is a non-fiction graphic novel (sounds like an oxymoron, I know).

The graphic novel format means that it is comic-book style.  Some people love it, some people hate it.  The graphic novel format has gained respect in the literary world and is used to lure reluctant readers, especially boys.

John Paul II: The Journey of a Saint is different from a regular comic, not just in its content, but also it's size and binding.  This book is large, making it easy to read, and the hardcover binding guarantees that it will last a long time.

The story of John Paul II: The Journey of a Saint is compelling and thoughtfully told.  I found the Polish names hard to read and remember (who's who), but the pictures are a great aid in this.  Beginning before his birth, we follow Karol Wojtyla through his youth, the loss of his family members, his foray into the theater, his abrupt decision to enter the priesthood, his role in post-WWII Poland, and his papacy.

After John Paul II is elected pope, the storyline dwindles into a list of dates of prominent writings, journeys (World Youth Days are noted), and canonizations.  The book ends shortly after the canonization of St. Josemaria Escriva.

I felt that this left out an important part of the saintliness of John Paul II, namely his suffering and death.  His decline of health was a public witness to the power of suffering, which modernity would have us eschew.

Despite the omission of his end days, John Paul II: The Journey of a Saint is an excellent and attractive book for children of all ages.

Do not judge a book by its cover.

Do judge this book by it's entire title:  Our Holy Father, the Pope: The Papacy from Saint Peter to the Present.

This beautifully illustrated book by Don Caffery is NOT a biography of Pope Francis, as I had first thought, but rather a very good explanation of the papacy, how Christ began it all with St. Peter, how popes are elected, what they do, and where they live.

Our Holy Father, the Pope: The Papacy from Saint Peter to the Present is written in language geared to early readers and would make an excellent First Holy Communion gift. Especially considering that a few popes are given special focus including St. Clement, St. Leo, St. Pius X (who allowed young children to receive Holy Communion and encouraged receiving the Eucharist among all Catholics) and soon-to-be St. John Paul II.

You can order these books through Ignatius Press, or through my Amazon affiliate links.  I do get a small percentage of the proceeds from Amazon.  Ignatius did not pay me for my opinions, they only provided me with the books.  You still have time to get them for Easter if you use Amazon Prime free shipping!  You have even more time if you would like them for the canonizations on April 27th.

I'm thinking about sending these books to my godson for his first communion present.  I always struggle with boy gifts for occasions like these but these books are Catholic, geared for children, and somewhat masculine.

WWRW: Books by Bloggers, a Review from Edmund, and a Giveaway!

A Little Book about Confession for Children by Kendra Tierney of Catholic All Year has already gotten a fair share of reviews among Catholic bloggers (see here and here for a few).

I read A Little Book about Confession for Children as more of a book ABOUT "confession for children," than a book about confession FOR Children.  There are lots of chapters, Q and A, and advice for parents throughout the book. The How to Use This Book section makes it quite clear that this is not a book you hand a child and walk away.  It is meant to be experienced with the guidance of a parent.

However, it is chock full of good material FOR children, in addition to loads of advice and general information for parents and even any Catholics who need a refresher course in Confession 101.

My favorite part(s) of A Little Book about Confession for Children is the mini-biographies of saints that are included. The stories of these saints are delightful and do much to impress that confession is not just for sinners.

Kendra does a terrific job explaining the sacrament and all that goes into preparation for it, as well as explaining things I never thought to question, such as Why do children need to go to Confession?  With my children, the answer to that is very obvious.  ;)

Her examination of conscience is thorough and age-appropriate, and I appreciate her advice to parents to edit or add as necessary.  Children vary so much on the spectrum of scrupulosity, from "terrified I'm going to Hell" to "not a mortal sin, so it's not that big a deal."  I think Kendra is very thoughtful to caution parents at this point, seeing as how each child can be so different.

The end of the book scripts a typical confession experience, which is something we role-play/review before confession in our household, usually in the car on the drive there.

There are a few lines in the confession script that I have never heard in confession:

"After absolution the priest continues, Give thanks to Lord for he is good.
You answer: His mercy endures forever."

Every confession I have ever made has gone like this:

After absolution, the priest says, "Go in peace."  and I reply, as taught by Sr. Pamela all those years ago, "Thank you, Father."

That's the only thing I would add to this book, a "Thank you, Father."  though it's probably technically not part of the "script."

Sometimes there is a "You're Welcome" from my confessor, but usually I'm high-tailing it out of the box at that moment and probably miss it more often than not.

All in all, A Little Book about Confession for Children is a solid book on the topic with a wealth of information and would be a terrific teaching tool for any parent, and if you go to end of this post, YOU can enter to win your very own copy.

Finding Grace by blogger friend, Laura Pearl has been reviewed a fair amount in the Catholic blogosphere as well (you can see a couple here and here).  Finding Grace is a novel about Grace Kelly, an awkward 8th grader in upstate New York, 1972, who is nothing like Princess Grace of Monaco.  We follow Grace, and her friends and family through Grace's high school years and into college.

Despite starting with an 8th grade protagonist, I would reserve Finding Grace from high school readers and up.  In an early chapter, we read about the obelisk topped with an eagle, a landmark at the local university, and the legend that the eagle will fly away the first time a virgin graduates from the college. This was my first clue that this was not a children's book, and Laura herself says that she wrote is "geared toward the high school-aged and older crowd."

Grace decides to change her life after a deep conversation with her father.  She commits herself to the goal of sainthood.  In small ways and large, Grace attempts to be a saintly person.  Her acts of charity range from allowing her mother to choose some of her clothing, to befriending an elderly nun, to not standing in the way of her best friend's romance with Grace's one true love.

The trajectory of the finding or making of Grace is interspersed with detailed accounts of a few saints and holy people, such as Pier Giorgio Frassati.  I didn't really know anything about Pier Giorgio Frassati until I read Finding Grace, but I was compelled to purchase this biography ,Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati: Journey to the Summit (Encounter the Saints) and am reading it to Edmund.

Finding Grace hits nearly every Catholic hot button topic, except homosexuality.  Pre-marital sex, pregnancy out of wedlock, contraception, and abortion are all major plot points and are dealt with in a chaste and completely Catholic way.  Of course, Grace is not the focus of any of those events, and she largely stays true to her secret plan to become a saint.  She is not without fault and does make a mistake or two, but all in all, she is a very virtuous heroine.

Her love story is reminiscent of Anne and Gilbert's famous romance, with friendship finally followed by true love.  I would recommend Finding Grace for any high school girl or older.

I find Laura's posts about the birth of  Finding Grace, utterly fascinating.  Laura says that while Grace's story has similarities to her own, it is not the same story.  I think I would have to meet her, and her parents, and her husband to see if that is the case or not.  I do know that her husband bears a striking physical resemblance to Tom Buckley, the heartthrob in the book.

Edmund's review of the graphic novel, The Storm in the Barn:

The Storm in the Barn is an ok book.  It is not like a really awesome book.  It is about a boy that every one hates and it is during the Dust Bowl.  This boy goes to an abandoned barn and there is a ghost thing but it is the rain in a different form.  At the end of the book, he took the rain outside and the rain got sucked up into the clouds and it started a big rainy storm. Everyone loved him and his family that hated him loved him too.

After reading the editorial reviews on Amazon, I'm not entirely sure that the boy is "hated" by everyone, or if he just feels useless in a world of failing crops and financial ruin.  I am certain that Edmund's honest if lackluster opinion will inspire exactly no one to click on the affiliate link up there.  Is it any wonder that the librarian said no one had ever checked out this book before?

Now for the fun stuff!  A Giveaway!!!

I'm giving away one copy of A Little Book About Confession for Children which was provided to me by the author.  Here goes my first Rafflecopter giveaway, I kept it short and sweet.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
And a Link-Up!!!

An InLinkz Link-up

What We're Reading (Ash) Wednesday

We are still functioning at less than optimum speed here, so I'm going to fall back on an old favorite:  Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months by Maurice Sendak.

In *Chicago
it's so nice
while slipping
on the sliding ice
to sip hot chicken soup
with rice.
Sipping once
sipping twice
sipping chicken soup
with rice.

It's March, but I am still slipping on the sliding ice.  Always winter, never Christmas.  Forty days til Aslan returns!

This little book of months has been a classic in our household for many years.  

It also comes in a set of four very tiny books in an adorable boxed set, Nutshell Library: Alligators all around / Chicken Soup With Rice / One was Johnny / Pierre.  Of these, I can only speak for the adorableness of Chicken Soup with Rice and Alligators All Around.

Chicken soup with rice sounds pretty good right now, maybe I'll make some for Ash Thursday.

For my Lenten reading, I WILL finish Fulton Sheen's Life of Christ.  

My copy looks like this:

I love old books and I cannot lie.

I'm taking this approach to Lent this year.

Hit me with your link-ups!  Fire Away!  

An InLinkz Link-up

Celebrating the Other Birthday

All of you know the day on which you were born and you celebrate it as your birthday, don’t you? We all celebrate our birthday. I ask you a question, that I have already asked several times, but I’ll ask it again: who among you remembers the date of your Baptism? Raise your hands: they are few (and I am not asking the Bishops so as not to embarrass them...). Let’s do something: today, when you go home, find out what day you were baptized, look for it, because this is your second birthday. The first birthday is the day you came into life and the second birthday is the one on which you came into the Church. Will you do this? This is your homework: find out the day on which you were born to the Church, and give thanks to the Lord, because at Baptism he has opened the door of his Church to us.

-Pope Francis, General Audience, St. Peter's Square, November 13, 2013

Saturday was Edmund's second birthday.  No.  Not the second anniversary of his birth, but the eleventh anniversary of Baptism.  I remembered!  And we celebrated!

This is actually Jill's baptism.  I look terrible in Edmund's baptism picture.

We went to Patrick's brother's house and had dinner and skating (they have a rink too) and I made certain that my sister-in-law knew the occasion.  I offered to bring a cake, but she had all ready planned on one. She stunned all with a decadent flourless chocolate cake topped with whipped cream.  (I did bring an appetizer.  I'm not a total slacker.  I did not bring a camera, so I am a partial slacker.)

But I've been thinking about this Celebrate Your Baptism thing, and maybe there should be a little more to it than cake.

So I asked the internet.

First link that pops up is this suggestion for a Family Prayer Service.

Honestly, my kids would die of embarrassment if we tried it.

I could see my teens balking at the idea of making the sign of the Cross and their kid brother's head, and I can't see him keeping a straight face, or allowing it.

Thus I have come up with my own ideas for Celebrating a Baptism Anniversary, all of which abide by my KISS (keep it simple, stupid) rule of party planning and are probably completely obvious to all of you anyway.

1.  Know the dates.

I have all of my kids' sacrament dates in my Google Calendar set on "repeats annually."  But for Patrick and myself, I have to do some recon.

My mother set me up with the link to get a copy of my Baptismal certificate and I was able to do it all online, from sending a jpg of my driver's license to the $10 payment.

Hopefully, you have copies of all the baptismal certificates, or the parishes that have them aren't closed, so you will have a much easier time.

Hopefully, my mother-in-law has the pertinent information.

2.  About gifts...

Many of the other links I read suggested BUYING THINGS for a baptismal anniversary.  Small gifts or even religious items.  I don't think Pope Francis would think this is kosher.

It just seems fitting that a Spiritual Birthday would have Intangible gifts.

I personally love giving (and receiving) spiritual bouquets.

A spiritual bouquet is a gift of prayer and/or sacrifice done for the benefit of the recipient.  Novenas, holy hours, a Mass are all good things for a spiritual bouquet.  A homemade card or note letting someone know that you've been praying for them should suffice for presents.

A little gift of service is another intangible gift idea.  Like taking over a chore, making a bed, filling their car up with gas, something small but thoughtful.

3.  Decorations?

If you have the baptismal candle, you can always bust that out for a little table decor.

We didn't get a baptismal candle for Susan.  The parish had just had fancy-schmancy rust colored burlap pew coverings installed and the pastor didn't want anyone dripping wax on them.  I guess I could just order her a baptismal candle?

You can even light it...or not.  What am I saving that candle for if not to light on baptismal anniversaries?

4.  Activities

"Um, Jessica? That's a tattoo."  Yes, but it was the google image I liked best.

Say a family rosary, letting the "birthday" boy or girl lead, or even pick their favorite mysteries, or go to Mass (and then a bakery for donuts, because everyone knows donuts are spiritual goods, not material goods),  or read the story of the patron saint of the person you are celebrating.

At the very least, you can do what we do and add a "God Bless So-so!" to the end of your grace before dinner.

Pray for the godparents.  Remind your kids to pray for their godparents too.

As a godparent, I'm hoping that all of my godchildren or their parents see this one.

5.  Refreshments

Have cake.

Or a dessert.  Because in my mind, it's not a celebration unless there's some sort of celebratory food or drink involved.

Raise a glass and toast to the ongoing salvation of the birthday person!

My kids love "Kids' Wine."  Martinelli's Sparkling Cider is their vintage of choice.  Welch's makes lots of good sparkling kid-friendly wines as well:  red grape, white grape, blueberry, and cranberry.

Whelp.  There are my non-Pinterest-worthy ideas for incorporating Baptism Anniversaries in your family life.

I'm sure you probably have lots of better and more-inspiring tips to share, so use the combox to your advantage.