Looking for a book series for your sons?

Have I got a series to recommend to you! 

My 11 yo son and I both recently read Book 5: The Knights of Arrethtrae: Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor by Chuck Black.  My son and I both immediately than got Book 1 and are anxiously awaiting books 2-4!  Yes, the books are that good.  The books can be read out-of-order and are stand-alone stories so don't feel like you have to read each and every one. 

[The following review is specifically about Sir Quinlan.]

Sir Quinlan begins in a world where the Silent Warriors are in a battle with the Shadow Warriors.  In the village of Burkfield, two boys are raised together.  One, the son of the house, is an amazing teen-warrior.  The star of his academy, Tav has it all: skill, a loving family, even a local girl who likes him.  Twitch, an orphan raised as Tav's almost-brother, is not as fortunate:  not as skilled a warrior, loved but underappreciated by his adoptive family, noone to love him ... That's how the book starts, but positions quickly change when the young men each make their own choices:  Tav to stay in the village and not follow the Prince; Twitch, to give up all, go against his "family's" wishes, and fight for the Prince.  How these personal choices affect each boy and his whole life are the subject of the rest of the book.

This book has it all:  good vs evil ... scary creatures ... tough battles.  Chuck Black, the author and former F-16 pilot, brings to the story some amazing battle tactics and strategic warfare that makes the story shine.  Black also brings to the story his Christian faith -- which shouts out from each page in the classic battle between God and His people and Lucifer and his minions.  The theme of this book is the great danger of apathy and its insidiousness that allows diabolical events to occur unchecked.  At the end of the book are study questions for using this book a a teaching tool -- excellent reinforcement of the message!

Both Lego Maniac and I really liked this story; and the underlying message is one that a Christian parents wants her children to learn and take to heart.  Thank you, Chuck Black, for writing such a great series for tween/teen boys -- a group of readers that are often overlooked in deep, meaningful contemporary literature.

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Disclaimer:  I received a review copy of Sir Quinlan from WaterBrook Multnomah's "Blogging for Books" program.  The above review is my honest reaction to the book.


 

Feast Day: Pope St. Damasus I

Pope St. Damasus I fought against the Arian heresy as well as fighting succesfully to preserve the primacy of the Apostolic See.  With his suggestion and assistance, St. Jerome finished his Vulgate translation of the Bible.  St. Damasus also worked to restore the Catacombs ... still preserved to this day. 

[note:  the above image of St. Damasus is from St. Peter's Basilica, a place every Catholic should visit at least once in their lifetime!]

Pope St. Damasus, you worked tirelessly for the Truth.  Pray for me ... help me to always work for the Truth ... doing the good and avoiding the evil!  

 

Family: you know you are well-loved ...

... when a dear friend, really part of the family, makes you a lovely quilt ....

Titled "JP Pride", this amazing quilt was made for us by one of dh's fellow teachers at the high school.  Miss Ellie isn't teaching this year (well, she is subbing) as her dh is being transferred to Georgia with the military in January ... but, an even better excuse, is that she is pregnant with her first child!  We're so happy for she and her growing family ... but will miss them terribly ... but now we have a quilt (which will be well-loved, well-used and always shown off to anyone willing to see it!) to always remember Miss Ellie!

We love you, dear and WILL keep up with you and yours ....

prayers and hugs will follow you ...

 

Review: A Franciscan Christmas

A Franciscan Christmas ... a tiny book that has a BIG message:  thoughts and explanations on each of the "characters" of the Nativity with a Franciscan slant.  This is a great book by the managing editor of St. Anthony Messenger Press, Kathleen M. Carroll.  She describes and defines each part of a traditional Nativity set in light of Francis and his Order's spirituality.

Carroll covers Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, Magi, angels, villagers, musicians, animals and the Star.  Each has it's own meditation -- a chance for the reader to not just learn about Francis and his thoughts but also apply that spirituality to today's world.  Her last paragraph of each "chapter" gives a rather thought-provoking statement of how we can best live out the Christmas message.

I would have wished that Carroll would have developed more about Francis' spirituality and reasoning for having each "character" in his world-famous "live" Creche; her own thoughts, although interesting, dilute the Franciscan message.  Further, I think the publisher (St. Anthony Messenger Press) lost a great chance to make a really beautiful Christmas gift book:  by including colored prints of Franciscan artistry depicting the Nativity and Epiphany with the meditations, this book would have been an amazing Christmas heirloom for families to share each year.  As the book is published now, it makes for an interesting read but I'm not sure of its longevity as a family-read tradition.

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Disclaimer:  This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on A Franciscan Christmas . They are also a great source for first communion gifts and baptism gifts.

 

Feast Day: Feast of the Immaculate Conception

This is a BIG feast around here: the feast when we honor the fact that the Blessed Mother was conceived without the stain of original sin ... was pure from her conception ... so filled with grace that God chose her to be the mother of His son!

This is such a big feast that even dh "parties" -- on his way to work he stopped to get a sausage biscuit and coffee at McD's.  For those of you who KNOW my husband, this is really kickin' back for him.

Unfortunately my littles are sick!  String Bean has been down with a horrific cold since Friday -- she's getting better but her voice sounds like a bad impression of Lauren Bacall.  BamBam is sneezling and generally icky while poor LegoManiac has been feeling the pangs of a horrific cold that has his stomach so upset that he's been in the bathroom off and on for about 2 hours now (it's 6:00 a.m.) and generally unable to sleep.  The poor kids ... we don't even know if we'll make it to Mass today, that's how pitiful all are.

But, as the kids awaken and feel like it they'll be joining me in a new tradition: on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, we will each make our own Nativity sets as well as put up and decorate our family one.  My plan is that each year, as the children's skills improve, the Nativity sets become more and more elaborate -- something that will become an heirloom collection that they can take with them as they grow into adults. 

This year, String Bean and LegoManiac have opted to make theirs with felt, making sewn 3-d shapes and stuffing them.  BamBam wants to make his from wood -- painting a simple, thin-wood set.  I'm going to make a "bread dough" set.  We will at least finish the Baby Jesus figures today as our Pastor will bless Jesus at Sunday's Mass (which is also the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe) -- so those kids better get better!  Although, somehow when we have a school day that includes crafting, miraculous cures take effect.

Prayers that your day is blessed with the intercessions of Our Lady and that you continue to experience a holy, healthy and happy Advent season.
 

Feast Day: St. Nicholas and a big step on our Advent journey to Christmas

We love St. Nicholas' Feast Day!  This is a big step on our Advent journey toward Christmas.  This is the day that the good Saint fills children's shoes and hearts with the love and spirit of giving of the Christmas Season!

Now, this is how we do things around here [and please understand that this is what works for us and altho I enjoy your suggestions, please don't "dis" my way of doing things]:

On St. Nick's Eve (that would be last night) the family each put out a shoe (the bigger the better the younger you are) and a note to St. Nick.  The note details what the wishes are for Christmas ... and the older ones do a bit of an examination of conscience since only the good Saint will see the letter.  This is a good chance for all of us to think about how we can empty ourselves of the bad and re-fill with the good before the coming of the Christ Child. 
The next morning (that would be today) the letters are gone and the shoes are filled with some gold-covered chocolate coins (in rememberance of St. Nick's helping of the dowerless girls), a candy cane (to represent the Bishop Nicholas' crook), and a book -- either a push-the-limits reading book, an activity book, or a religious book.  This year the good Saint included:

• Pope Benedict's Church Fathers: From Clement of Rose to Augustine (for dh)
• A Japanese knitting stitch-pattern book (for me) -- yes, Japanese ... but the patterns are graphically shown so it doesn't matter that I don't read a word of Japanese!
• the first in a new excellent "boy reading" series --
  Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione (for Lego Maniac) -- I am anxiously waiting for him to finish Sir Quinlan (which is the 5th book and that's how we stumbled on this wonderful Christian lit for boys) so I can read it!
• a wonderful paper doll "primer" for String Bean -- The Black Apple's Paper Doll Primer:Activities and Amusements for the Curious Paper Artist is a brand new book that includes lots of activities, great ideas, and absolutely gorgeous paper dolls!  String Bean loves crafting with paper and still has a great affinity for dolls -- so this is perfect.  The text is also a reading stretch for my struggling reader so this is all good.
• the 2010 Guiness Book of World Records for BamBam who loves all that trivia and statistics and facts.  This will also help him with his reading skills!

St. Nicholas is WELL-LOVED around here.  He is also our Santa ... yes, we do still believe in Santa around here and would hope that all well-meaning adults and precocious children who think they know "the truth" would be sure and not tell our kids otherwise. 

See, we believe in the magic of the season ... that St. Nicholas is a model of goodness and charity and self-giving ... that St. Nicholas is the one who fulfilled the needs of the dowerless girls, the almost-lost-at-sea sailors, the nearly killed boys in the barrel ... and that he continues to bring goodness and charity at this time of year.  So yes, the family writes letters asking for Wiis or dolls or cameras or whatever ... and yes, on Christmas morning there will be surprises that engender comments like "no way, Mom and Dad got us that!"   This is all part of the Christmas Magic that I've always believed in ... and will continue to encourage in my own children. 

Now, obviously, as the kids get older, they "know" ... but they get into the spirit of the season and don't ruin it for their younger siblings.  And it truly is amazing to see the surprises that often end up under the tree ... or come during the season .... things that "no way we could afford" but would REALLY like ...

So, believe in the magic and celebrate St. Nicholas and his spirit with us from now thru the Christmas season!

BTW, we'll be making St. Nicholas Soup for dinner (thanks to Twelve Months of Monastery Soups), homemade crusty bread, and finishing off with St. Nicholas Purse Cookies and tea.  What more could you want on a blustery, early Winter evening? 

Advent 2010: Second Sunday of Advent

Prayers for a holy, healthy and happy Advent 2010 ... from our house to yours ....