The Holiday season will be soon upon us, and personally I like getting my shopping out of the way early (and online, since honestly, I have no time for stores with three littles). I also love, love, love giving and getting books for Christmas, so I thought I’d do a little post about what books our family is loving right now, in case anyone needs ideas.
The Kids
We have quite a fabulous little library in our home, thanks to our wonderful family and friends, and have built up a wonderful collection of books to build the kids’ faith. These are located throughout the house, and I try to rotate them regularly so they stay fresh, but there are some that the kids will find and ask for no matter where they are.
The Weight of a Mass by Josephine Nobisso This book is a beautiful tale of a peasant woman and a baker who find faith through their attempts to measure the weight of a mass. It is beautifully illustrated, rich in language, and just a wonderful tale.
I Went to Mass What Did I See by Kate Warner Written in the style of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, this book is charming and lyrical. Simple charcoal drawings with limited color highlight important moments and items found in the mass. It is a favorite of William’s.
Tomie dePaola’s Book of Bible Stories by Tomie de Paola Tomie dePaola is easily my favorite children’s author. I have fond memories of meeting him during author visits at school and have signed copies of some of his books. To this day, he continues to respond to letters and emails from fans both young and old, and I love that. His Bible Stories are one of my favorite picture bible versions out there. The book doesn’t contain the entirety of scripture, but the stories that are there are faithfully translated while still being accessible to the young. His illustrations, as always, are just beautiful.
Every Body is a Gift by Monica Asher This board book, the first in a series of three, are the foundation that we’ve laid for the Church’s Theology of the Body. The language is simple, forthright, and I found that it gave Mark and I a vocabulary to talk with our children about their bodies. (We’ve haven’t read the next set yet, but it’s on G’s Christmas list this year). They are a mass bag staple for our family.
Good Pictures, Bad Pictures Jr.. This book was recommended to us by a mom friend of mine, and I’m so glad we found it! It doesn’t touch directly on faith, but I’m mentioning it here because I think every mom and dad should know about it. It is a direct, simple way to talk with your kids about pornography, and in today’s world where children see “bad pictures” so young, I’m glad to have been able to give my kids the tools to talk about it and tell me.
Saintly Rhymes for Modern Times by Meghan Bausch I’ve mentioned this book before (see my post on Peg Dollspeg dolls), but I’m going to mention it again because it is that good. Fabulous rhymes teach children about modern saints. What more could you want?
Tell Me About the Catholic Faith for Small Children by Christine Pedotti This was another friend recommendation, and it did not disappoint. Containing information about the Old and New Testament as well as a kid-friendly Church history, this book is a treasure trove. Gianna loves the sections on the saints and the liturgical seasons.
Gram
Gram loves to read. She often spends much of the day reading a combination of fiction and non-fiction. Here are a few she’s enjoyed recently.
The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton Thomas Merton is a favorite of Gram’s, because he was a favorite of my Pops. This one is his autobiography, and a fabulous place to start if you’re looking for an introduction to his writing.
Rediscover Jesus by Matthew Kelly This book was given as Christmas gifts to our parish thanks to generosity of our Men’s Group. Gram has read it at least three times. It’s an easy read, but an encouraging one. It’s a book to read if your relationship with the Lord needs a bit of a jumpstart.
Mark
Mark has very little time for reading, but one of his recent faith goals is to do a little spiritual reading and journaling each day. Currently he’s reading The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. I will admit, this is one of my all-time favorite spiritual reads. It’s a tiny book, but so incredibly rich that even a page can provide food for the heart and the mind for hours.
Colleen
Okay, I love, love, love reading. I’m trying to make sure that I always have a book queued up, it fills my soul. Here are a few I’ve recently enjoyed
Catherine of Siena by Sigrid Undstet This is my favorite biography of all time (or at least of my life thus far). Sigrid Undstet, a Norwegian author and Nobel Prize Winner for Literature, does an unparalleled job of intertwining narrative and history in her works, and this is no exception. It’s not dry, like many biographies, and will make you feel like you know St. Catherine intimately.
Radical Hospitality by Lonnie Collins Pratt I first read this book ten years ago as a missionary, and loved it. I returned to it recently because I think that hospitality, as defined by Benedict, is something that our world needs more than ever, and I felt the need personally for a refresher. I love the Benedictine spirituality, and have been finding so much joy in rediscovering and reapplying it to our current stage of life.
Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Padre Pio compiled by Anthony F. Chiffolo This is my perennial favorite book of Advent and Christmas meditations. I pick it up year in and year out and always learn something new. Each day has a meditation, from Padre Pio’s writings, a prayer, and action to take, and a blessing. It’s short but full of depth.
Echoing the Mystery by Barbara Morgan Okay, here’s where I’m going to admit to you that I absolutely geek out about all things Catholic doctrine/theology. This book is practically a textbook in length and content, but its AMAZING. Barbara Morgan, who founded Franciscan’s Catechetics department, is a parishioner at our old parish in Ann Arbor. She is an incredible woman who has written an incredible book. This belongs in every family home. In it, Barbara takes each piece of Catholic doctrine and looks at it through seven lenses, she calls them keys. Her system allows for a holistic understanding of each theological point and is beyond thorough. My favorite of her keys is “teaching through beauty”. The Catholic Church has a rich history of art and song and prayer, and Barbara finds pieces for each doctrine that will help the reader/learner/listener more fully engage with the Divine. It’s a hefty tome, but well worth it. I’m only on page 300, but am finding that there is so much to pray with and journal with and learn. And I’m looking forward to having it as a resource as we educate our children in the faith.
Okay, wow, that was longer than I anticipated, but hopefully you find it helpful. I’m on the lookout for Christmas books for G, Will, and Charlotte, so if you’ve got any favorites, drop me a line!