Fiction
IN MARGO'S WORLD, IF YOU DON'T PASS YOUR SORTING AT 18 YOU ARE RECYCLED.
LITERALLY.
Margaret Verrall dreams of marrying the boy she loves and spending her life with him. But she's part of the underground network of Believers - and that carries the death penalty. And there's just one other problem. She's going to fail her Sorting. But a chance to take on the system ups the stakes beyond mere survival. Now she has to break out of the Facility - or face the worst punishment of all. Conscious Dismantlement.
"Great style - very good characters and pace. Definitely a book worth reading, like The Hunger Games." EOIN COLFER, author of Artemis Fowl
"An intelligent, well-written and enjoyable debut from a young writer with a bright future." STEWART ROSS, author of The Soterion Mission "This book invaded my dreams." SR. MARY CATHERINE BLOOM O.P
Paperback, 308 pages
The year is 1669. In French colonial Quebec, Paul Guibeau has won fame for his bravery in fighting the Iroquois, and now he hopes to turn this success into a military career. When he overhears Count Frontenac commissioning Louis Joliet to chart the location of a fabled island in Lake Superior containing a rich supply of copper, Paul is determined to achieve glory by being the first to return with news of this mineral wealth. He sets off in a race across the wilderness with his friend and ally, a Huron Indian named Red Bear, in search of this island…but he does not count on the incursions of the Miami Indians into the lands now vacated by the fierce Iroquois. An unexpected struggle for freedom and for life itself now stands between him and his dreamed-of glory...
This book is the first of a pair that follow the discoveries of Marquette and Joliet in the 17th century. In The Race for Copper Island, we find Joliet and his companions setting off westward into the upper Great Lakes, in search of rich copper deposits that had been reported by missionaries in that region. At a Jesuit Mission near Sault Sainte Marie, Joliet meets with Father Marquette, whose observations and detailed maps of the shores of Lake Superior prove invaluable to his quest. At the same time, Father Marquette tells Joliet of his great desire to explore the Great River the natives have told him of—a river they call the Mississippi—the fulfillment of which will follow in the next volume, The Marks of the Bear Claws.
5.5" x 8.5" paperback 150 pages
This is the exciting tale of the boy who would become King Richard the Fearless. After suddenly losing his father, King William of the Long Sword, a very young Richard experiences many hardships and sorrows. However, with the help of his loyal friends, Richard overcomes capture and many other obstacles in his quest to succeed his father. The Little Duke is an inspiring story for all Catholic youth, and therefore, an excellent addition to any family library. Along with Outlaws of Ravenhurst and Men of Iron, The Little Duke ranks among younger readers as one of the best ever.
Hardcover, 240 pages.
The Song at the Scaffold is an historical novella based on the gripping story of these brave heroines who offered their lives as a witness to Christ. Written for adults, this 1931 classic has been supplemented with extensive study aids that make it suitable as well for high school students, including footnotes, questions for literary analysis, a glossary, an historical timeline, and an author biography.
272 pp, paperback
WE HAVE TO REACH THE HABITAT VEHICLE-OR DIE.
After breaking into Jason's illegal rex farm to hunt for their kidnapped dad, farm-teens Darryl and Harry, along with young hunter Joshua, have taken extreme measures to escape capture by Jason. But with Darryl now lost in the dark mountains and Josh badly injured, their troubles are far from over. Yet the greatest threat to their survival may be the fears they carry within.
FEAR is the seventh quick-read in award-winning author Corinna Turner's unSPARKed series. If you like Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, and Mad Max, you'll love this pulse-pounding, futuristic, dino-dystopian series with a western twist.
Continue the adventure today!
Paperback, 128 pagesDon John of Austria accomplished an amazing array of victories for Christendom in his short life. He was an excellent strategist and leader of men, commanding forces in the Spanish Moorish rebellion, the Battle of Lepanto, and in the war in the Netherlands. Margaret Yeo tells his adventurous life story, filled with triumph and tragedy, as a poignant end to the Medieval period. Don John, obedient to his King and half-brother Philip II to the end, finally succumbed to the intrigues of court and natural illness, dying at the age of thirty-one. In the four-hundred years since his death, his story never dulls, yet continues to captivate and inspire new generations.
Paperback, 340 pages
One misty summer afternoon, Peter Staunton was wandering near the ruined castle of Carreg Cennen in the hill country of the Welsh border. He stumbles across a rusted metal gauntlet and idly slips it on his hand. This is the start of an adventure that takes him back in time to the 14th century, when his Norman ancestors held the castle.
Now, as Peter de Blois, he is plunged into a bewildering medieval world of chivalry and honor, of archery and falconry, of grand feasts and castles, but most of all, of heart pounding jousting tournaments. But all these rousing pastimes ominously give way to a rebellion among the Welsh tribes, culminating in a fierce assault on the castle fortress and its Norman defenders. Surrounded and outnumbered, the Normans must get word of the attack to the nearest castle. The only way out is down an immense cliff wall. Can Peter make the climb in time?
A finely authentic picture of life in the 14th century.
These rousing pastimes give way to ominous rebellion. Suddenly besieged in their castle, surrounded and outnumbered, these Normans are in peril. Will Peter now be the only one who can save the day?
Hardcover, 248 pages.
A horrific act of treachery. A hairbreadth escape. A decade of desperate hiding. And an encounter with Christ that changes it all!
When young Prince Cloud, grandson of the mighty King Clovis and heir to the Kingdom of Orleans, is suspiciously summoned to his uncle's castle, little does he know his world is about to implode. Hurled into a life of danger, where his royal identity must remain hidden at all costs, Cloud eventually stumbles upon the only Kingdom worth fighting for.
Nearly everyone has heard of St. Cloud, Minnesota, but few know the story of the inspiring saint whose name it bears. The time has come for Saint Cloud of Gaul to blaze forth from hiding!
by Fr Francis J. Finn
All is sunshine and roses for Clarence Esmond as he saunters down the streets of McGregor, searching for the bright-eyed goddess of adventure. Little does he know he is about to suffer one misadventure after another at her hands! But another good Lady is watching over him from heaven, and with the help of some of her most unlikely devotees, much good is brought out of evil for all involved.
Paperback, size 5.5" x 8.5", 212 pages
by Fr Francis J. Finn
'In this book, the new kid certainly livens things up at Henryton boarding academy! Again, Fr. Finn covers a host of Catholic topics and presents a great picture of the All-American boy!
Paperback, 237 pages
By Rev. Henry S. Spalding, S.J.
Paul Guibeau has spent the winter at the Mission of Saint Ignace and now is anxious to set out with Father Marquette and Sieur Joliet on their voyage of discovery. More than anything, though, he wants his friend Red Bear to accompany them—not only to help protect them, but in the hopes that by spending the months ahead with the great Missionary, Red Bear may finally consent to become a Christian. But Red Bear fears Marquette and instead heads east with his people. Who, then, is encircling the camp each night with the marks of bear claws? Mystery and danger abound on this journey into the unknown…
The story of Père Marquette and his participation in the discovery of the Mississippi River was one that was dear to Father Spalding, for he had done much of his own research on the life of this great Jesuit. He used details from Volume 59 of the Jesuit Relations (which includes the actual journals kept by Marquette during his travels) to construct this story (though of course he added fictional elements as well). The result is a riveting tale of courage and faith valuable as much for itself as for its historic significance.
Paperback, size 5.5" x 8.5", 164 pages
The beloved G.K. Chesterton presents a well-crafted and joyous work of political fantasy about a small group of rebels who rail against the government’s attempt to impose prohibition in England.
Humphrey Pump, a pub owner, accompanied by Captain Patrick Dalroy, a flamboyant giant with a tendency to burst into song, take to the road in a donkey cart with a cask of good rum, a large block of cheese, and the signpost from his pub, The Flying Inn. The two men bring good cheer to an increasingly restless populace as they attempt to evade the law. In a journey that becomes a rollicking madcap adventure, the two travel round England, encountering revolution, romance, and a cast of memorable characters.
This unique collection of Father Brown mysteries links tales by G.K. Chesterton with the Ten Commandments. The connection is often surprising, however, for the criminal is not necessarily the worst sinner in the story, nor is his crime necessarily the worst offense.
When Chesterton created the character of Father Brown, he brought a new dimension to mystery stories—the distinction between crime and sin. As the priest-detective applies his powers of observation to solve a case, he picks up clues about other offenses, such as those against the Sabbath or one's parents. Father Brown's main concern is not the laws of the State but the Commandments of God.
As Dorothy Sayers once wrote, G.K. Chesterton was "the first man of our time to introduce the great name of God into a detective story . . . to enlarge the boundaries of the detective story by making it deal with death and real wickedness and real, that is to say, divine judgment."
This edition includes footnotes not available in other versions, which help to clarify the literary and historical allusions made by Father Brown. It is based on the texts of Chesterton's original editions, for assurance of authenticity, and is set in easily readable type.
Paperback, 255 pages
by Rev Henry S. Spalding, SJ
During his months in the Everglades, Phil Reed's imagination was captured by tales of a Spaniard's lost chest of gold. Back home, he and his friends can think of nothing else but returning to search for this treasure. When Mark Green, a friend of the Reed family, plans a trip to the 'Glades to stake out territory for a future plantation, he decides to take the boys with him as his helpers, and give them the opportunity to fulfill their dreams of finding the lost gold. But there's nothing like a search for gold to bring out the best and worst in people...and the boys find themselves in greater danger than they had expected. Will they find the gold, and if so, will the dark side of human nature ruin their best intentions?
Suggested Age Range:9-12
Suggested Age Range:13-15
Paperback, size 5.5" x 8.5", 184 pages
by Fr Francis J. Finn
Michael Desmond is “That Office Boy” to Father Carney, president of St. Xavier’s School in Cincinnati. When the Young Ladies’ Sodality decides to enter a popularity contest with the local paper to win a piano, chaos ensues, and it is up to Michael and his friends to use their wits and creativity to carefully steer the boat off the shoals. Find out who wins and how!
Paperback, size 5.5" x 8.5", 214 pages
by Rev Henry S. Spalding, SJ
During his months in the Everglades, Phil Reed's imagination was captured by tales of a Spaniard's lost chest of gold. Back home, he and his friends can think of nothing else but returning to search for this treasure. When Mark Green, a friend of the Reed family, plans a trip to the 'Glades to stake out territory for a future plantation, he decides to take the boys with him as his helpers, and give them the opportunity to fulfill their dreams of finding the lost gold. But there's nothing like a search for gold to bring out the best and worst in people...and the boys find themselves in greater danger than they had expected. Will they find the gold, and if so, will the dark side of human nature ruin their best intentions?
Suggested Age Range:9-12
Suggested Age Range:13-15
Paperback, size 5.5" x 8.5", 214 pages
This classic novel plunges us into Rome of the fourth century AD. and depicts the clash between the existing pagan civilization and growing Christianity.
Fabiola is a cultured young patrician woman who admires the ideals of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. One day she discovers that her friend Sebastian, an officer in the Praetorian Guard, is a Christian. So is one of her slaves, and worse still, her beloved cousin Agnes.
As Maximian reignites the persecution of Christians in Rome, all around Fabiola heroes and traitors clash. “Whoever is not with Me is against Me”, “whoever does not gather with Me scatters”, says Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is what is at stake in this drama where the actors show us the best and the worst of what each one can become.
Paperback
Bishop Edmund Forester, looking out over his little diocese of Stamford, was distressed at what he saw. The renewal promised from the Second Vatican Council had produced… disaster. Father Sludge was putting on “Eucharists” with nuns in slacks reading porn from Beardsley and revolution from Marx. Pastors were gutting their sanctuaries and selling off church heirlooms. A cabal of modernist priests was purging diocesan schools of traditional Catholics. It was time, decided the bishop, for his Bomb: a letter to the clergy of the diocese, in which he authorizes the Old Mass to be celebrated regularly, corrects the worst abuses of the New Mass, mandates kneeling for the reception of Communion, and bans Communion in the hand. The Bomb sets off blast and counterblast—all the way to Rome. Opposing forces maneuver for the confrontation.
How the issue gets resolved provides the theme of a novel unique in the annals of Catholic literature. It takes the form of letters from the bishop himself: a tough infighter—and a saint; a man of humility and charity—with a nose for humbug and an eye for the absurd. What emerges from these remarkable letters is a bishop for the ages—not the sort we meet these days. But along with this extraordinary man we are treated to what may be the most incisive analyses of the crisis in the Catholic Church ever to see print. What duller writers take chapters and books to say, Bishop Forester declaims in a few pages. And unforgettably.
The Mass of Brother Michel
by Michael Kent
The Mass of Brother Michel, set in the tranquil countryside of southern France during the Reformation, is the story of a young man who “has it all”—until a fateful series of events leads him to a monastery. As Huguenot violence mounts, the characters of the story are pushed to extremes of hatred and love. The reader is swept along by a narrative as twisting and turbulent as a mountain stream, which culminates in a sovereign sacrifice as unforgettable as it was unforeseen. This is a story that shows with utter vividness the power of romantic love to cripple and deform, the power of suffering to undermine illusions and induce the labor of self-discovery, the power of prayer to reassemble the shards of the shattered image of God in the soul, and the power of the priest as the divine Physician’s privileged instrument.
At the center of the novel is the awesome mystery, scandal, consolation, and provocation of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. To it some of the characters are irresistibly drawn; against it, others are violently arrayed. Here is a passionately told tale of their inner struggle and outward confrontation. No reader will fail to be astonished at its outcome and touched by its inspiring and miraculous climax.
Paperback, 286 pages
Also available in Hardcover on request (additional cost)
By Rev. Henry S. Spalding, S.J.
Five boys. Five weeks camping in the pine forests of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. What could go wrong?
Walter Stanley’s eccentric bachelor uncle has offered to take him and a chosen friend on the adventure of a lifetime. Only it’s too hard to choose just one friend! So along come Ferdinand Eggert with his wireless radio, a persistent John Newell (who insists on paying his own way) and the perennially cheerful Carroll Cage…plus a newcomer to tag along as cook. But before they’ve even arrived at their destination, it becomes clear that one of the boys is a thief…how will they discover the culprit?
Paperback, size 5.5" x 8.5", 154 pages
by Rev Henry S. Spalding, SJ
Young Raymond Bolt accidentally ends up in Kentucky after hiding in a freight car, and finds himself among the Bell family near Withrose Creek during Maple Sugaring season. He, Leo and Hunter spend a season together learning many new and unexpected ways to help the Bell family farm.
Suggested Age Range:9-12
Suggested Age Range:13-15
Paperback, 188 pages
by Fr Franics J Finn
Tragedy strikes for Bobby Vernon and his mother on their journey through California, when a sudden earthquake separates them. Thanks to the kindness of strangers, each finds the assistance needed to forge ahead with their lives, but neither can truly rest until they find one another...or find what the other’s fate was. Much that is good happens along the way...but what will the future hold for them?
Paperback, size 5.5" x 8.5", 164 pages
by Fr Francis J. Finn
On Canal Street in New Orleans "Professor Thomas" finds a young boy in need of help...and embarks on an unexpected adventure in South America in the course of lending him that help. Will the forces of evil prevail against young Jose Maria? And who is this young hero who spares nothing to get him safely home?
Paperback, size 5.5" x 8.5", 196 pages
by Fr Francis J. Finn
In this sequel to Lucky Bob, Bob Ryan’s fortunes have changed this year and he is now one of the top students at St. Xavier’s School in Cincinnati. But his personality is as magnetic as it ever was, and he wisely uses his influence over others to quell petty rivalries and help those in need. But the mystery of his abandonment by his father is still unsolved, and when jealous tongues begin to wag, Bob feels it deeply. Have all his efforts been in vain? With no family and no money, what will the future hold for our friendly hero?
Paperback, size 5.5" x 8.5", 220 pages
by Fr Francis J. Finn
George Herbert leaves Campion College for a teaching job in Florida…but little does he know he is walking into a wasp’s nest of anti-Catholic bigotry. How can he help his students and their parents to learn the truth about the Catholic Church, and restore love and joy to this little town?
Paperback, size 5.5" x 8.5", 212 pages
by Fr Francis J Finn
Join Tom Playfair in meeting a new boy who has just arrived at St. Maure's: Percy Wynn. Percy has grown up in a family of 10 girls and only 1 boy—himself! His manners are formal, he talks like a book, and he has never done anything remotely athletic. Yet he has brains, courage, and high Catholic ideals. Tom and his pals at St. Maure's befriend Percy and have a lively time as they all chip in to help turn Percy into a well-rounded, all-American Catholic boy. Father Francis Finn, S.J., was an early 20th century Jesuit priest who wrote delightful children's stories about life in Jesuit boarding schools. Taken from his years of experience teaching Catholic boys, Father Finn writes about various human personalities with warmth and humor that makes for enjoyable reading for all types.
Paperback, 248 pages
by Fr Francis J. Finn
Bob Ryan has a way with animals. For that matter, he has a way with everyone! It’s hard to believe that his own father could have cruelly abandoned this boy to shift for himself. But Bob has no trouble making friends with everyone he meets, and with their help, he is able to make his way in the world quite well. Is he lucky, or have all his sufferings simply perfected love through adversity?
Paperback, size 5.5" x 8.5", 212 pages
by Fr Francis J. Finn
The story opens upon Claude Lightfoot, a reckless 12 year old boy who constantly acts first and thinks later. After being in clash with some bullies, Claude is obliged to miss his First Communion. In the course of the story, Fr. Finn manages to cover a host of topics, including smoking, drinking, the devil, Confession, Holy Communion, retaining one s Baptismal innocence, the 9 First Fridays, the priesthood, mothers and sisters, truthfulness, lying, courage, effeminacy, atheism, sacrilege, baseball, Americanism (true and false), Latin, virtue, honor, leadership, etc.
Paperback, 263 pages