Homeschooling
And How to Make It
by Dorothy Hartley
Clear and accurate in its guidance, Medieval Costume and How to Make It portrays the clothing of the 12th through the 15th centuries according to the wearer’s social class, with chapters divided to cover individual professions. So in addition to royal garments, here are the clothes of clerics, doctors, merchants, musicians, knights, artisans, farmers, and laborers — all with much helpful historical information, and richly illustrated with images from tapestries and illuminated manuscripts of the period as well as drawings and diagrams. Helpful advice covers choosing fabrics; placement of seams; draping and folding garments; how to walk, dance, and climb stairs in flowing attire; and even the best methods of storage. There are also many interesting details of accessories found in different professions and situations. Students of medieval costume design, tailors, community theater and reenactment groups — all will welcome this sumptuous guidebook to medieval costume.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 160 pages
Hardcover is also available upon request (additional cost).
Using the Methods of the Great Catholic Medieval Memory Masters
by Kevin Vost
"They laughed when I said I could name all 27 books of the New Testament . . . but after I named them all in order, plus the 46 books of the Old Testament, they begged me to show them how I did it."
Yes, I know that memorizing the Faith is no substitute for living a holy life, but even devout people can't live by truths and precepts they don't remember.
That's why, over 700 years ago, St. Thomas Aquinas perfected an easy method for his students to memorize most any information, but especially the truths taught by Christ and His Church.
As the years passed, our need for this ancient art of memorization grew, yet somehow our culture largely forgot it . . . which is why today, when you and I try to remember a list of things, we have to repeat their names over and over. Or, to remember to call the dentist, we tie a string on our finger. And we clutch at any means whatsoever to recall our passwords for ATMs, credit cards, and voicemail, our login names for Yahoo, eBay, and Amazon, and the host of other names and numbers that clog our minds and clutter our days.
Now, thanks to the delightful pages of Memorize the Faith!, you can easily keep all these in mind - and learn the Faith! - by tapping into the power of the classical memory system that helped St. Thomas become the Church's preeminent theologian, and made it easier for him to become one of its greatest saints.
Here, Catholic scholar Kevin Vost makes available again Aquinas's easy-to-learn method - the method Dr. Vost himself has used for decades to recall names, dates, phone numbers, the first dozen digits of pi (3.141592653589) and even whether, when his wife called him at work today, she asked him to bring home ice cream and toffee . . . or was it truffles and coffee?
Indeed, Dr. Vost will teach you to remember virtually anything, but he devotes most of his book to showing you how to improve your memory of Catholic truths so you can live the Faith better.
By the time you finish this book, you will have memorized dozens of key teachings of the Church, along with hundreds of precepts, traditions, theological terms, Scripture verses, and other elements of the Faith that every good Catholic needs to know by heart.
Memory is the foundation of wisdom. It makes holiness easier. To grow wiser in the Faith . . . and holier . . . turn to Memorize the Faith! today.
Note: Memorize the Faith! will teach you and your children how to remember anything, but it's particularly useful to those involved in religious education: catechists and converts, CCD teachers, RCIA members, and homeschoolers of all ages.
Here, Dr. Vost and St. Thomas Aquinas show you easy ways to memorize the following truths and precepts of our Faith, plus many more:
- The 9 Beatitudes
- The 12 Apostles
- The 7 Virtues
- The 7 Sacraments
- The 4 Last Things
- The 7 Capital Sins
- The 10 Commandments
- The 4 Marks of the Church
- The 14 Stations of the Cross
- The 5 Precepts of the Church
- The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit
- The 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit
- The 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy
- The 20 Mysteries of the Rosary
- The 7 Corporal Works of Mercy
- The 10 Holy Days of Obligation
- The 6 Sins Against the Holy Spirit
- The 5 Proofs for the Existence of God
- The 27 Books of the New Testament
- The 46 Books of the Old Testament
And anything else you want to remember, from the 14 items on your grocery list to the birthdays of your 7 nephews and nieces!
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 250 pages
Unit Self-Test Answer Key
Answer Key for the Unit tests in the Living for Holiness religion text book.
Booklet, size 11" x 8.5", 12 pages
Living for Holiness
Syllabus and Teacher's Manual
Living for Holiness Syllabus & Teacher’s Manual includes many helpful tips and teaching guides for the home schooling parent.
Living for Holiness text is sold separately. Answer key is also available.
Booklet, size 11" x 5.5", 52 pages
The first thousand years of Christian culture
by Roy Peachey
In Popes, Emperors, and Elephants, Roy Peachey takes us on a wide-ranging and sometimes surprising journey through the first thousand years of Christian culture. Starting in Athens, Rome, and Jerusalem, we travel as far as China, Ethiopia, and Iraq, meeting saints, sailors, popes, emperors, and the occasional elephant as we go.
Written in an accessible style, Popes, Emperors, and Elephants can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. It is a book that tells familiar stories in an unfamiliar way, introduces us to many forgotten aspects of Christian civilization, and brings some of the historical greats to life.
It is a book that explores intriguing questions such as “What did the past sound like?” “When did the Roman Empire really end?” and “Were the barbarians barbarians?” Whether you want to know the history of the liturgy, when Vesuvius really destroyed Pompeii, or why hair matters in history, this is a book that will provide the answers.
Also available in hardcover on request (additional cost)
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 244 pages
by G.K. Chesterton
The Ballad of the White Horse is one of the last great epic poems in the English language. On the one hand it describes King Alfred’s battle against the Danes in 878. On the other hand it is a timeless allegory about the ongoing battle between Christianity and the forces of nihilistic heathenism. Filled with colorful characters, thrilling battles and mystical visions, it is as lively as it is profound.
Chesterton incorporates brilliant imagination, atmosphere, moral concern, chronological continuity, wisdom and fancy. He makes his stanzas reverberate with sound, and hurries his readers into the heart of the battle.
This deluxe volume is the definitive edition of the poem. It exactly reproduces the 1928 edition with Robert Austin’s beautiful woodcuts, and includes a thorough introduction and wonderful endnotes by Sister Bernadette Sheridan, from her 60 years researching the poem. Illustrated.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 280 pages
by G.K. Chesterton
Edited by Dale Ahlquist
Hilaire Belloc called “Lepanto” Chesterton’s greatest poem and the greatest poem of his generation. But not only have English classes neglected this masterpiece of rhyme and meter, History classes have neglected the story of the pivotal battle upon which the poem is based.
This book brings together the poem, the historical background of the famous battle, a riveting account of the battle itself, and a discussion of its historical consequences. The poem is fully annotated, and is supplemented with two interesting essays by Chesterton himself. Well-known Chesterton expert, Dale Ahlquist, has gathered together all the insightful commentaries and explanatory notes. Here is the story behind the modern conflict between Christianity and Islam, between Protestant and Catholic Europe, and the origin of the Feast of the Holy Rosary. A fascinating blend of literature, history, religion and romance!
Paperback, size 8" x 5.2", 124 pages
Grammar, Vocabularies, and Exercises in Preparation for the Reading of the Missal and Breviary
by Cora Carroll Scanlon, AM and Charles L. Scanlon, AM
"[Latin is the] language of wondrous spiritual power, transcending the boundaries of the nations . . . from which is removed." St. Paul VI, Sacrificium Laudis
Latin is the universal patrimony of all Roman Catholics. It is one of the three holy tongues nailed to Christ's Cross, along with Hebrew and Greek. Most of all, it is the native language of the city where the holy First-Enthroned Apostle Peter and the Pre-Eminent Apostle Paul shed their blood for the Lord—that is, Holy Rome. And so, throughout the generations, Latin has become the language of the entire Western Church, and, in virtue of Rome's being the seat of Apostolic authority, the universal language of the entire Catholic Church. For over 1500 years at least, all Western liturgy was conducted in Latin. It is the language that when prayed devoutly burns the demons, "the language of the angels," "the speech of the Christian centuries," and "something of priceless worth," as St. Paul VI called it on the eve of its abandonment in the Roman Church's liturgy. Truly, the loss of Latin is the loss of the resonant reminder of the martyrs of ancient Rome. But it is making a comeback, and you can partake of this immense heritage.
Serving as a consummate course in Ecclesiastical Latin, Latin Grammar contains lessons and readings from the Missale Romanum, the Breviarium Romanum, and the Biblia Vulgata. With 195 pages of grammar and a 130-page Latin-English glossary with all the words of the Missal and Breviary, this is a fantastic introduction to Church Latin that will cover all of the bases necessary. With this textbook in hand, you will be able to acquire the skills needed to participate in the perennial heritage of the Church of Rome and all of her daughters in the West. Truly this tongue is a pearl of great price in the treasure-house of the Church; Latin Grammar will grant you access.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 346 pages
How to Write and Speak Clearly and Persuasively
by Ryan N.S. Topping
The Elements of Rhetoric offers a concise, comprehensive course in the rules for making your point stick. With copious examples from such masters of language as Cicero, Augustine, Shakespeare, Erasmus, Lincoln, Dickens, Newman, Chesterton, and Lewis, you will discover the 26 rules of persuasion and learn to apply them. Among the Elements you’ll find:
- The three modes of persuasion
- How to structure an academic essay
- How to spot and avoid logical fallacies
- How to compose with literary figures
- Practical tips for improving speed in composition
- A Study Guide with exercises
This is the essential guide to persuasive writing and speaking, in the tradition of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 105 pages
Books that Inspire a Love of Life
by Mitchell Kalpakgian
"Fairy tales clear the way for sanctity. They are the child's first morality play, clear-cut, no-nonsense black and white, good and evil, life and death—with a bit of fun thrown in to alleviate the pain." — Ethel Pochocki
The wonders found in fairy tales and myths have enriched childhoods for centuries.
In between "Once upon a time" and "happily ever after" we embark on adventures that seem an eternity away from our everyday lives, and yet through these adventures we are brought back to the innocence and beauty of the truth. In The Mysteries of Life in Children's Literature, journey through a treasury of well-known fables and folk tales, as well as others not so well known, and discover the wisdom hiding within them.
In an age that rejects moral absolutes and repudiates the whole idea of intrinsic evils, children's literature restores the meaning of good and evil, beautiful and ugly, and normal and abnormal, helping us see the nature of our world more clearly than we ever have before.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 185 pages
by Janet Erskine Stuart
"We insist on the teaching of handicrafts, training of the senses in observation, development of knowledge, taste, and skills which are useful for life, and for girls especially on things which make the home."
A century after its first publication, Mother Janet Erskine Stuart's classic The Education of Catholic Girls is back, and it is as relevant and useful as ever! Practical as it is pious, witty as it is wise, this collection of counsels not only helps educators in school or at home meet Catholic girls' special intellectual needs, it offers sage strategies for whole-person formation, showing us how to help our girls grow into virtuous Catholic women.Catholic girls among other girls, writes Mother Stuart, and Catholic women among other women, have the privilege as well as the duty of upholding what is highest.
The Education of Catholic Girls will help you teach your girls, whether through math and science, needlework, Catholic philosophy, or good manners, to uphold what is highest; it will help you train them to live a perfectly honorable and fearless life.
This centenary edition of The Education of Catholic Girls features English translations of the original's foreign phrases and quoted sources (Mother Stuart's presumption about her readers' knowledge of Latin, French, and German points to something education has lost over the years), as well as a new preface by Catholic homeschooling author and speaker Susie Lloyd.
Chapters on: Religion, Character, Realities of Life, Lessons and Play, Mathematics, Natural Science and Nature Study, English, Modern Language, History, Art, Manners, Higher Education.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 266 pages
The Art of Animal Drawing
Construction, Action Analysis, Caricature
by Ken Hultgren
The Art of Animal Drawing will help artists at all levels improve their ability to draw animals both realistically and as caricatures. Ken Hultgten, a former animator for Walt Disney Studios, offers expert advice on catching the essential movement and character of animals. The emphasis is on drawings (with over 700 illustrations), so the student is able to view the development process of the drawing by example.
Introductory chapters on the special techniques of drawing animals, the use of line, establishing mood and emotion, and conveying action are followed by instruction on drawing the skeletal and muscular structure, along with the motion of individual animal forms. The author offers details on drawing dogs, horses, deer, cats, bears, foxes, kangaroos, rabbits, squirrels, elephants, cows and bulls, giraffes, camels, gorillas, pigs, and many more. His instruction on animal caricature is especially helpful to all those interested in the subject.
Any artist — student, amateur, or professional — who is interested in drawing animals will want to own this essential guide to the subject.
Paperback, size 11" x 8.5", 134 pages
From the Baltimore Catechism
by Fr Bennet Kelly, C.P.
The New Saint Joseph First Communion Catechism contains the revised text of the official Baltimore Catechism (No. 0) in a user-friendly format and design.
Written for children in Grades 1 and 2, this book explains Catholic doctrine with the aid of many exclusive features, including many pictures to help children understand each lesson. Extensive use of Sacred Scripture demonstrates the basis of Catholic doctrine and brings it to life.
This book combines a contemporary viewpoint and language with a solid time-tested exposition of Catholic Church teachings.
Also available:
No. 1 The New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism
No. 2 The New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism
Booklet, size 8.1" x 5.3", 68 pages, Impr.
More Stories from Chesterton
by G. K. Chesterton
adapted by Nancy Carpentier Brown
Sequel to the popular Father Brown Reader: Stories from Chesterton.
Includes adaptations for young readers of four of Chesterton's Father Brown murder mysteries:
- The Invisible Man,
- The Mirror of the Magistrate,
- The Eye of Apollo, and
- The Perishing Pendragons.
In these stories, the notorious criminal Flambeau has reformed and is now a great detective. He is often aided by his friend and confidant Father Brown.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 174 pages
Stories from Chesterton
by G.K. Chesterton
adapted by Nancy Carpentier Brown
Young readers can now delight in Chesterton's wit and storytelling in these adaptations of 4 popular Father Brown stories:
- "The Blue Cross,"
- "The Strange Feet,"
- "The Flying Stars," and
- "The Absence of Mr. Glass."
In each story Chesterton includes a delightful twist and the clever sleuthing of Father Brown.
The Father Brown Reader II is also available.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 148 pages
The Fallacy Detective
Thirty-Eight Lessons on How to Recognize Bad Reasoning
by Nathaniel Bluedorn, Hans Bluedorn
A book that introduces Catholic logic and critical thinking by blowing up the tricksterism of Madison Avenue advertising, campaign sloganeering, media grandstanding, product endorsements, and billboard jingoism. Fun to use. Self-teaching, not intimidating. Starts with skills you can use right way. A fallacy is an error in logic, a place where someone has made a mistake in his thinking. These are fallacies, with more in the book to smile your way to exercising your mind and learning how to identify screwy thinking:
- A cloud is 90% water. A watermelon is 90% water. Therefore, since a plane can fly through a cloud, a plane can fly through a watermelon.
- Christianity came along in the first century, and a few hundred years after that, the Roman Empire fell, Christianity must have made it fall.
- "A low income level seems to be the greatest factor contributing to why some families, where both parents work full time, are still below the poverty line."
- "The bristlecone pine trees are said to live for thousands of years. That's why I take a capsule a day of dried bristlecone pine bark. I think it will help me live longer."
- "I've been looking into the history of wars. It seems as if, just before any war, all the countries involved build large armies. I think that the building of a large army causes war."
- Magazine ad: "Does the pain medication you use now start to work in less than one second?"
- In a commercial, a handsome man with big, bulging muscles is seen working out on the new Gutwrencher exercise machine. "Tone up your muscles in two weeks!" it says.
GET A GRIP ON ALL THE BASIC HEAD GAMES: Red herring fallacies ad hominem (against the man) attacks * genetic fallacy (attacking an argument for where it began, how it began, or who began it)* faulty appeal to authority * appeal to the people * straw man * circular reasoning * loaded question * part-to-whole * whole-to-part * either-or * making false assumptions * hasty generalizations * weak analogy post hoc ergo propter hoc (after this, therefore, because of this) * proof by lack of evidence * bandwagon * appeal to pity * repetition * propaganda * snob appeal * appeal to Tradition and Hi-tech.
Geared for junior high and older, but it would make great table talk for whatever age. Each of the 36 lessons has exercises, with an Answer Key at the back. Includes THE FALLACY DETECTIVE GAME, giving you, family, and friends an entertaining way to spot and make up your own examples of fallacies. Written specifically from a Christian worldview with practical relevancy to the crisis in media bias. Learn not just to think, but to think right.
Paperback, size 9" x 6.5", 233 pages, Illustrated, Answer Key
Thirty-Five Lessons That Will Build Your Reasoning Skills
by Nathaniel Bluedorn, Hans Bluedorn
The Thinking Toolbox has been the best selling text for teaching critical thinking skills and introduction to logic for over 15 years.
"The Bluedorns have certainly achieved their goal of creating a logic textbook that is neither boring nor distant, but rather informative, approachable, enjoyable, and valuable." - Jordan J. Ballor at the Acton Institute --Acton Institute web site
"I think the best part of The Thinking Toolbox would be the examples because they are hilarious. . . . I would highly recommend this book. It's useful and great comedy at the same time." Sarah (age 11) --student
This book is like a toolbox, full of different kinds of tools you can use for different thinking tasks. Just as you use the wrench in a regular tool box to fix the sink, so you can use the tools we give you in this book to solve thinking problems.
- When it is dumb to argue
- Using the scientific method
- Five rules of brainstorming
- Who has a reason to lie?
- How to analyze opposing viewpoints
- How to analyze evidence and sources
- How to list reasons why you believe something
- And much more
We wrote this book for children and adults who want to learn logic and critical thinking skills. The Thinking Toolbox follows the same style as The Fallacy Detective with lessons and exercises and an answer key in the back. Parents and teachers, as well as anybody who wants to learn logic, will find The Thinking Toolbox easy to use and practical.
Features:
- Fun to use not dry like a math textbook
- Can be used after The Fallacy Detective
- Introductory teaches skills you can use right away
- Self-teaching format
- For ages thirteen and older
- Over 60 cartoon illustrations by Richard LaPierre
Paperback, size 9" x 6.5", 292 pages
Catholic Family Celebrations for Every Season
by Mary Reed Newland
Celebrate the Faith with your kids all year round! For over half a century, Catholic families have treasured the practical piety and homespun wisdom of Mary Reed Newland's classic of domestic spirituality, The Year and Our Children. With this new edition, no longer will you have to search for worn, dusty copies to enjoy Newland's faithful insights, gentle lessons, and delightful stories. They're all here, and ready to be shared with your family or homeschooling group. Here, too, you'll find all the prayers, crafts, family activities, litanies, and recipes that will help make your children ever-mindful of the beautiful rhythm of the Church calendar.
Learn how to make an Advent wreath and how to make it more than just a pretty ornament. Teach your children about the real Santa (the one who was a bishop) and how to celebrate all twelve days of Christmas, giving them a holy wonder that will continue long after all the presents have been opened and the wrapping thrown away.
When Lent comes, read Newland's simple secrets to helping your kids embrace their sacrifices with enthusiasm. Then, let her show you how to make your home a place where Holy Week and Easter are duly treated as the highest, holiest days of all the year.
She'll teach you ways to reclaim All Souls' and All Saints' from the popular occultism of modern Halloween. She'll also show you why Church tradition accords special meaning to certain foods, colors, and symbols, and how these add to the incarnational character of Catholic spirituality allowing children to experience the Faith through sight, smell, touch, and taste.
Mary Reed Newland wrote numerous beloved books for Catholic families, but The Year and Our Children is her undisputed masterpiece. Read it, cherish it, share it, put it into practice and give your kids the gift of a fully lived faith, every day and in every season.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 328 pages
by Jean Henri Fabre
Great French entomologist Jean Henri Fabre (1823–1915) devoted hours of rapt attention to insects while they hunted, built nests, and fed their families. Working in Provence, in barren, sun-scorched fields inhabited by countless wasps and bees, he observed their intricate and fascinating world, recounting their activities in simple, beautifully written essays.
This volume, based on translations of Fabre's Souvenirs Entomologiques, blends folklore and mythology with factual explanation. Fabre's absorbing account of the scarab beetle's existence, for example, begins with the ancient Egyptians' symbolic view of this busy creature, eventually leading to a careful discussion of its characteristic method of rolling a carefully sculpted ball of food to its den. Elsewhere, he discusses with infectious enthusiasm the physiologic secrets behind the luminosity of fireflies, the musical talents of the locust, the comfortable home of the field cricket, and the cannibalism of the pious-looking praying mantis, among other topics.
These charmingly related stories of insect life are a rare combination of scientific study and literary classic that will delight entomologists, naturalists, and nature lovers alike.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 168 pages
Poetry and Dictation for the Classical Curriculum
by Laura M. Berquist
Contains poems chosen to foster a love of language in students of any age level, including works by Robert Louis Stevenson, Longfellow, Frost, and Yeats; and includes dictation selections to help improve writing ability, and study questions for many of the poems.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 493 pages
by Fr Bennet Kelly, C.P.
The catechism that you might have grown up with, that taught you about Jesus Christ and the doctrines of the Church in question and answer format with beautiful illustrations and wise simple teachings.
Especially designed for children, this catechism is as indispensible today as it was in all those years ago when it formed children to follow Our Lord Jesus Christ. Also suitable for adults who seek to know more of the Church or those who want a fine refresher course.
Written for Grades 3, 4, and 5.
Also available
No. 0 The New Saint Joseph First Communion Catechism
No. 2 The New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism
Paperback, size 8.2" x 5.5", 192 pages
by Fr Bennet Kelly, C.P.
The New St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism No. 2 contains the revised text of the Official Baltimore Catechism No. 2 in a user-friendly format and design.
Written for Grades 6, 7, and 8, this Baltimore Catechism explains Catholic doctrine with the aid of many exclusive features, including a large number of pictures to help children understand each lesson. Extensive use of Sacred Scripture demonstrates the basis of Catholic doctrine and brings it to life. The New St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism No. 2 combines a contemporary viewpoint and language with a solid time-tested exposition of Catholic Church teachings.
Also available
No. 0 The New Saint Joseph First Communion Catechism
No. 1 The New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism
Paperback, size 8.2" x 5.5, 264 pages
How to Think Like Aquinas
The Sure Way to Perfect Your Mental Powers
by Kevin Vost
About St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope John XXII said, “A man can derive more profit in a year from his books than from pondering all his life the teaching of others.”
And Pope Pius XI added: “We now say to all who are desirous of the truth:
‘Go to St. Thomas.’ ”
But when we do go to Thomas – when we open his massive Summa Theologica or another of his works – we’re quickly overwhelmed, even lost.
If we find him hard to read, how can we even begin to “think like Aquinas?”
Now comes Kevin Vost — the best-selling author of The One-Minute Aquinas — armed with a recently rediscovered letter St. Thomas himself wrote – a brief letter to young novice monk giving practical, sage advice about how to study, how to think, and even how to live.
In this letter written almost 800 years ago, St. Thomas reveals his unique powers of intellect and will, and explains how anyone can fathom and explain even the loftiest truths.
Vost and St. Thomas will teach you how to dissect logical fallacies, heresies, and half-truths that continue to pollute our world with muddy thinking. Best of all, you’ll find a fully-illustrated set of exercises to improve your intellectual powers of memory, understanding, logical reasoning, shrewdness, foresight, circumspection, and practical wisdom.
You’ll also learn:
- The four steps to training your memory.
- How to know your mental powers – and their limits.
- Why critical thinking alone is insufficient for reaching the truth.
- Twenty common fallacies – and how to spot them.
- The key to effectively reading any book.
- How to set your intellect free by avoiding worldly entanglements.
- How to commit key truths to memory.
Pius XI called St. Thomas Aquinas the “model” for those who want to “pursue their studies to the best advantage and with the greatest profit to themselves.” Leo XIII urged us all to “follow the example of St. Thomas.” Over the centuries, dozens of other popes have praised him.
Surely it is time to listen to these good men, time to “go to Thomas,” to learn to think like him, and, yes, even to live like him.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 256 pages
Instructional Stories for Children
by Rev. Wilfrid J. Diamond
Preaching to children is not easy. It is indeed one of the finest of fine arts. The difficulties experienced in the preparation of the instruction for the children’s Mass will be less onerous for those who use Father Diamond’s sermons. How often busy priests go in search of just such a book as this one. We shall have no excuse now if we fail to give our children an interesting and inspiring instruction at their Sunday Mass.
It seems unnecessary to add that this volume will also be useful to religious and lay catechists in parochial schools and other centers of religious instruction.
God will use this little volume for His glory as little children learn to love our Lord from it.
May we suggest the use of this book be strengthened by the frequent repetition of the powerful prayer of St. Therese of the Child Jesus. “O Jesus, I beseech Thee to cast Thy glance upon a vast number of little souls: I entreat Thee to choose in this world a legion of little victims, worthy of Thy love.”
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 112 pages, Impr 1941
by Mother Mary Francis, P.C.C.
Dramatization is an unsurpassed hands-on tool for reinforcing the Faith. Children are challenged to experience and internalize lessons which are at the very heart of our Faith: God’s Providence, vocation, joyful poverty, Mary’s motherly love, the goal of Heaven, simple humility, God’s infinite love . . . Truly each play is a mini-catechism!
This collection of plays may be read for their sheer literary delight or presented on stage as entertainment with full dramatic flair. Whether acted out or read aloud, these plays are inspirational masterpieces that deepen our awareness of God’s love. They provide an excellent dramatic tool for hands-on reinforcement of the truths of our Faith. Perfect teaching tool that entertains while it instructs.
These exceptional and highly entertaining plays will fully engage children of all ages and provide Catholic entertainment for family, neighborhood, and homeschool group. Permission is extended to families and groups to make copies of these plays for use in staging small performances where there is no admission fee charged.
Six plays in all:
- The Wolf of Gubbio: A Drama in One Act - Cast of 5 with villagers. Preschool-up.
- The Road to Emmaus: A Drama in One Act - Cast of 8. Grade 3-up.
- Christmas at Greccio: A Christmas Play in One Act - Cast of 9. Grades 3-up.
- Counted as Mine: Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe - Cast of 12 with village Indians. Grades 4-up.
- The Smallest of All: A Drama in Three Acts about St. Bernadette of Lourdes - Cast of 8 with villagers. Grades 4-up.
- Candle in Umbria: The Story of Saint Clare of Assisi - Cast of 25 with chorus. Upper elementary-up.
Features spiral binding for ease of use. Musical pieces and settings included.
Paperback, size 8.5″ x 11″, 173 pages
by Sr Mary Lelia
This is a beautifully illustrated book for teachers and parents who want to teach their children true and solid devotion to Mary.
This Marian program has but one purpose, to imbue the little ones with a genuine devotion to Mary. Therefore, it is not intended as a pious practice for May or Octoer. It is rather a copying of Mary- a way of life.
It is the De Montfort Method simplified for young minds.
Paperback, 96 pages, illustrated
Henle Latin Grammar
by Robert J. Henle
Henle Latin Grammar is designed for student use through all four years of Latin study: Part I introduces forms of nouns, adjectives, adverbs, numerals, pronouns, and verbs; Part II covers syntax.
Humanistic insight and linguistic training are the goals of the Henle Latin Series from Loyola Press, an integrated four-year Latin course. Time-tested and teacher endorsed, this comprehensive program is designed to lead the student systematically through the fundamentals of the language itself and on to an appreciation of selected classic texts.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.5, 272 pages
Henle First Year Latin
by Robert J. Henle
Thorough mastery of forms, basic syntax, and simple vocabulary are primary objectives of Henle Latin First Year that enable students to handle simple readings and translations. Henle Latin First Year includes 14 units and covers: the declensions, various conjugations, ablative and infinitive constructions, and much more.
Humanistic insight and linguistic training are the goals of the Henle Latin Series from Loyola Press, an integrated four-year Latin course. Time-tested and teacher endorsed, this comprehensive program is designed to lead the student systematically through the fundamentals of the language itself and on to an appreciation of selected classic texts.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.5", 528 pages
Preparation for the Reading of Philosophy, Theology and Canon Law
by Cora Carroll Scanlon, AM and Charles L. Scanlon, AM
"[Latin is the] language of wondrous spiritual power, transcending the boundaries of the nations . . . from which it is removed." St. Paul VI, Sacrificium Laudis
Latin is the universal patrimony of all Roman Catholics. It is one of the three holy tongues nailed to Christ's Cross, along with Hebrew and Greek. Most of all, it is the native language of the city where the holy First-Enthroned Apostle Peter and the Pre-Eminent Apostle Paul shed their blood for the Lord—that is, Holy Rome. And so, throughout the generations, Latin has become the language of the Western Church, and, in virtue of Rome's being the seat of Apostolic authority, the universal language of the entire Catholic Church. For over 1500 years at least, all Western liturgy was conducted in Latin, as well as canon law, theology, and philosophy. It is the language that when prayed devoutly burns the demons, "the language of the angels," "the speech of the Christian centuries," and "something of priceless worth," as St. Paul VI called it on the eve of its abandonment in the Roman Church's liturgy. Truly, the loss of Latin is the loss of the resonant reminder of the martyrs of ancient Rome, of all the Western Fathers, Doctors, theologians, and philosophers of the Church. But it is making a comeback, and you can partake of this immense heritage once again!
Serving as the second volume of a consummate course in Ecclesiastical Latin, Second Latin contains lessons and readings from the great works of Church history in canon law, philosophy, and theology—the vast majority of all Western Church writing. With 232 pages of vocabulary and reading and a 3000-word Latin-English glossary, this is a fantastic continuation of a course in Church Latin that will expand the horizons of any student. With this textbook in hand, you will be able to acquire the skills needed to participate in the perennial heritage of the Church of Rome and all of her daughters in the West. Truly this tongue is a pearl of great price in the treasure-house of the Church; Second Latin will take you deep into the trove.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 280 pages
by Father Francis
The Encyclinal on the Mystical Body of Christ, written by Pope Pius XII, is truley an enlightening masterpiece. In it are contained many sublime thoughts revealing God's truth about His Church.
For Many of our young people, unfortunately, it is likely to remain a hidden treasure, because the terminology and concepts used are difficult for young minds to grasp. This simplified form has been written in the hope that the ideas contained in the original might be conveyed without destroying their original meaning.
It is advisable, however, that after reading this abbreviated form, the readers will be encouraged to consult the complete Encyclical in order to appreciate its full meaning.
Ages 10+
Booklet, size 11" x 8.5", 46 pages, Illustrated
by Michael O'Brien
Master storyteller, best-selling novelist and artist Michael O'Brien - the man to whom CNN went for comment on Harry Potter - has penned the definitive work assessing the Potter phenomenon. This book is essential reading for all parents whose children have read or are considering reading the wildly popular offerings by J.K.Rowling and similar works such as Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Although this is an analytical work, the reader will be captivated from the beginning, from the must-read preface onward.
O'Brien's earlier work, A Landscape with Dragons, delineated authentic Christian fantasy literature from its counterfeits. Now in Harry Potter and the Paganization of Culture, he contrasts Potter-world with C.S. Lewis's Narnia and with Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and specifically Harry with Frodo. For those whose children have consumed Potter, O'Brien's analysis will enable parents to comprehend the messages which have been fed their children and give them the points and arguments which will hopefully be the antidote to properly reset their moral order.
The book goes beyond Potter, however, to address other bestselling series such as Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass. In addition to these and other fantasy books, O'Brien reviews the films which they spawned.
In all, O'Brien's new book teaches Christians how to discern harmless fantasy literature and film from that which is destructive to heart, mind and soul.
"The corruption of Christian civilization's symbols is a centuries-old phenomenon, yet until the modern age the mutations and inversions, along with the making of new diabolic symbologies, remained on the fringes of society in secret societies and small esoteric cults. Now the culture of the cults is visible everywhere, and with the Harry Potter series is entering (and captivating) the mainstream. Through it, the corruption of symbols has moved to a new level of influence, and it has done so on a scale that is unprecedented in the history of literature. If we lose the language of true symbolism, we lose at a basic level of consciousness our way of knowing things as they are. Symbols are not items in some storage room or attic of the psyche that we can take up and discard at will, or rearrange without consequences. To tamper with them is to destabilize the very foundations of the house. While most Christians would never knowingly exchange symbols of evil for symbols of good, many have accepted a new realm of eclectic symbology that allows a mixture of good and evil symbols to influence their thoughts and feelings. But two contradictory symbol worlds cannot long remain in a state of peaceful co-existence within us. Either one or the other will come to dominate and will eventually demand the expulsion of the other." - Michael O'Brien
Paperback, size 8" x 5.5", 278 pages
Agnes Penney, the popular author of Your Labor of Love and Your Vocation of Love, is here to help you along the way.
Your School of Love is not a homeschooling curriculum, or a how-to guide, but a spiritual companion that will help you and your children get the most out of homeschooling. Your School of Love is packed with short chapters, perfect for the always-busy homeschooling parent, offering tips and advice on a variety of topics.
Paperback, 313 pages
Educating a Child: The Art of Arts
The Stages of Education
by Fr Joseph Duhr S.J.
A must-read for all parents and educators who want to understand the essential role they must play as God’s co-operators in the education of children.
In this second volume (of two), Fr Duhr successively examines each stage of the child’s education from before birth to the point when he or she is finally ready to leave the family home. The author distinguishes four main stages in this educational journey: the awakening of the senses (1-4 years), the awakening of the mind (4-7 years), the awakening of the will (7-12 years) and the awakening of the heart (12-18 years). He insists that “the best way of preparing the child for his or her life as the man or woman of tomorrow is to allow him or her to live out as perfectly as possible these distinct lives which correspond to the different stages of their development”.
Paperback, size 8.2" x 5.8", 264 pages
Educating a Child: The Art of Arts
The Goal of Education, the Family and Authority
by Fr Joseph Duhr, S.J.
A must-read for all parents and educators who want to understand the role they must play as God’s co-operators in the education of children.
In this first volume (of two), Fr Duhr begins by laying out the goal of education, which is to gradually form the child physically, intellectually and morally, teaching him to master his instincts and passions, so that he will one day be capable of leading himself. Ultimately, it is to establish God as Master and King in this soul which was created by Him for His Greater Glory and destined to find its happiness and perfection in possessing Him.
Having laid the foundations, Father then describes the family atmosphere which is favorable to the blossoming of the child. Finally, he looks at authority, its origin and purpose, and how to use it in order to bring the child to what God wants him to be.
Like every good teacher, Fr Duhr knows how to make his subject matter palatable, while not watering it down in any way. He constantly illustrates his points with beautiful and entertaining stories from the real lives of parents and children, some famous (like Saint Augustine, George Washington, Daniel O’Connell, Frédéric Ozanam, Louis Pasteur and Anne de Guigné) and others not so famous.
This book is an indispensable tool for all parents and educators and is destined to become a classic in the English language.
Paperback, size 8.2" x 5.8", 328 pages
Latin from the Missal
by Mary Perkins
Your Catholic Language is an excellent Latin textbook for a neophyte who wishes to learn well the language of Holy Mother Church. The Latin is taken directly from the Missal and as a teaching tool this book is simple and thorough and not intimidating. Highly recommended, especially for Catholic homeschoolers or anyone new to our language.
Hardcover, size 9.25" x 6.2", 232 pages
Living in God’s Church Syllabus & Teacher’s Manual includes many helpful tips and teaching guides for the home schooling parent.
Softcover, 51 pages.
Living Through God’s Gifts Syllabus & Teacher’s Manual includes many helpful tips and teaching guides for the home schooling parent.
Softcover, 55 pages.
Pious Recreations
by St Therese of Lisieux
Over a period of about three years toward the end of her life, St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897) was asked by her Carmelite superiors to compose eight theatrical pieces for special occasions in her convent. She did not consider them mere trivial amusements. On the contrary, Therese invested herself wholeheartedly in the writing and performance of these little dramas, which provided a welcome opportunity to articulate her growing spiritual insights and share them with her religious community. Here we find echoes of her great themes, some where developed at greater length than anywhere else in her writings: Mary of Nazareth and Joan of Arc, humility and the little way, confidence and love, and so much more.
In the present volume, for the first time, all eight of her plays (or pious recreations, as they are sometimes called in the French) are published together in their entirety for English-speaking readers. They open a new window onto the message of the church's youngest Doctor. Also included is a masterful general introduction by the noted Theresian expert, Bishop Guy Gaucher, O.C.D., as well as individual introductions to each play explaining it in context and significance.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 360 pages
A Guide to Catholic Home Education
by Laura M. Berquist
Home educator Laura Berquist presents a modern curriculum based on the time-tested philosophy of the classical Trivium?grammar, logic and rhetoric. She has given homeschoolers a valuable tool for putting together a liberal arts curriculum that feeds the soul, as well as the intellect. Her approach, covering grades K - 12, is detailed and practical, and it is adaptable by parents and teachers to any situation.
This third revised edition includes a much expanded section for a high school curriculum, and an updated list of resources for all grades.
Paperback, size 9" x 6.1", 269 pages