Children/Teen Chapter Books

Double the Fun, Double the Trouble

Introducing Book #1 in The Adventures of Nick & Sam!

The end of summer means two things for the twins Nicholas and Samantha. First, pack in a lot of fun before school starts. Second, get presents for their birthday.

But this year has its share of trouble when Nick and Sam get caught sneaking peeks at their hidden presents. And that's just the start! Later, Nick turns a family hike into a stinky event. Sam discovers just how dangerous disobedience can be. And an unwise buying spree leads to more problems than Nick could imagine. 

Will the twins be able to celebrate their birthday this year?

Introducing Book #3 in The Adventures of Nick & Sam!

The Perry family's first Advent in Hope Springs is a mix of drama and comedy as Sam competes with her best friend to be in the Christmas pageant, Nick hopes to play an angel that actually flies, the search for a Christmas tree leads to danger, and family traditions take on a whole new meaning of joy.

It's a time of fun, learning, and wonder that might become the Perry family's best Advent ever.

Nicolas (Nick) and Samantha (Sam) Perry are twins. They moved with their parents, their brother Andrew, and their sister Lizzy, to the Colorado town of Hope Springs. The likeable and engaging characters reflect the sensibilities and struggles of being Catholic in the quirky small town of Hope Springs, and in the many adventures that make the teachings of the Church come alive.

In A World of Wonder, the fifth book in the Adventures of Nick and Sam series, the Perry twins take part in the Great Easter Monday Snowball Battle, learn of an amazing mystery revealed in a church fire, and become the subject of a science project. These experiences teach Nick and Sam that God, like the world he created, is mysterious and wonderful.

"Before Margaret met the Pope, she lived on the streets of Rome. She was a small cat in one of the busiest, most crowded, cities in all Europe. Rome is the capital of Italy. Rome surrounds Vatican City, the world's tiniest country, and home to the Pope, the Curia, and the Swiss Guard." So begins this fifth adventure in the lives of Margaret and the Pope.

A prequel, this episode tells of the conclave that elected the Pope who would one day meet Margaret on the Via della Conciliazone. It turns out, Margaret was somehow there, watching, in the Sistine Chapel as the votes were cast.

Children and adults alike will delight in this behind-the-scenes story about love and the Church, learning not only about what popes do, but this time, how popes are chosen.

Age Range: 8 and up

The might of Islam threatened his world.

It's the year 1570. Fourteen-year-old Guido Callatta, son of a wealthy Venetian merchant, spends his free time roaming the docks, listening to the tales of gnarled old sailors, and dreaming of adventures at sea.

But his carefree life is about to change forever. Armies of Ottoman Turks threaten Europe from all sides, conquering Christian towns and forcing their people to convert. Moslem corsairs raid the coastlines at will.

Guido even hears talk of a massive Turkish fleet preparing to sail from the East, bent on destroying Europe's forces once and for all. The Ottoman Sultan even boasts that he will set the crescent moon of Allah over the dome of St. Peter's -- a crescent stained red with the blood of Christians.

When Pope Pius V calls for the creation of a Holy League of men and ships to face down the Moslem armada, Guido vows to join the fight: for his family, for his city, for his Faith.

And although his father tells him he's too young for war, soon he's caught up in a whirlwind of knights and nobles, bloody battles and arduous journeys. Finally, Guido finds himself alongside Don John of Austria, who will lead the Holy League in its last desperate fight to save Christian Europe: the legendary Battle of Lepanto.

In this historical tale of Catholic heroism, courage, and holiness, readers of all ages will be reminded that when the Faith is threatened, extraordinary valor may be demanded of any one of us -- even the very young.

The might of Islam threatened his world.

It’s the year 1570. Fourteen-year-old Guido Callatta, son of a wealthy Venetian merchant, spends his free time roaming the docks, listening to the tales of gnarled old sailors, and dreaming of adventures at sea.

But his carefree life is about to change forever. Armies of Ottoman Turks threaten Europe from all sides, conquering Christian towns and forcing their people to convert. Moslem corsairs raid the coastlines at will.

Guido even hears talk of a massive Turkish fleet preparing to sail from the East, bent on destroying Europe’s forces once and for all. The Ottoman Sultan even boasts that he will set the crescent moon of Allah over the dome of St. Peter’s — a crescent stained red with the blood of Christians.

When Pope Pius V calls for the creation of a Holy League of men and ships to face down the Moslem armada, Guido vows to join the fight: for his family, for his city, for his Faith.

And although his father tells him he’s too young for war, soon he’s caught up in a whirlwind of knights and nobles, bloody battles and arduous journeys. Finally, Guido finds himself alongside Don John of Austria, who will lead the Holy League in its last desperate fight to save Christian Europe: the legendary Battle of Lepanto.

In this historical tale of Catholic heroism, courage, and holiness, readers of all ages will be reminded that when the Faith is threatened, extraordinary valor may be demanded of any one of us — even the very young.

Ages 8 and up.  196 pages.

Dive deeper into the world of Narnia with your family, classroom, or small group with A Catholic Guide to Narnia: Questions and Activities for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe! 

Explore the rich Christian symbolism that can be uncovered through engaging discussion questions, activities, and references to Scripture and The Catechism of the Catholic Church. To help Catholics appreciate this C.S. Lewis masterpiece, A Catholic Guide to Narnia can be used with both the book and movie versions of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Families, individuals, and small groups will not only gain a more profound understanding of the amazing world of Narnia, they will also grow in their appreciation of and love for the Catholic Faith. A Catholic Guide to Narnia: Questions and Activities for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe includes:

• 100 fun and interesting questions and answers on the story’s content

• Over 20 activities for families, small groups, or individuals

• Discussion questions to engage in the content

• Bible and Catechism references to see how it is connected to the Catholic Faith

• "For Further Exploration” sections with suggestions on how to discover more about the themes discussed

When Digory and Polly are tricked by Digory's peculiar Uncle Andrew into becoming part of an experiment, they set off on the adventure of a lifetime. What happens to the children when they touch Uncle Andrew's magic rings is far beyond anything even the old magician could have imagined.

Hurtled into the Wood between the Worlds, the children soon find that they can enter many worlds through the mysterious pools there. In one world they encounter the evil Queen Jadis, who wreaks havoc in the streets of London when she is accidentally brought back with them. When they finally manage to pull her out of London, unintentionally taking along Uncle Andrew and a coachman with his horse, they find themselves in what will come to be known as the land of Narnia.

When Shasta discovers he is not Arsheesh's son and therefore does not belong in the cruel land of Calormen, he joins forces with Bree the talking horse and flees north towards Narnia, where freedom reigns.

And so begins their hazardous journey, fraught with mystery and danger. Calormen's capital city of Tashbaan must be crossed, a harsh desert endured, the high mountains of Archenland climbed, their enemies overcome. For the young Shasta it is an adventure beyond his wildest dreams and one destined to change his life forever.

This acclaimed BBC Radio dramatization perfectly captures C.S. Lewis' magical world, inviting us to "breathe" the sweet air of Narnia once again and to join the mighty Aslan and his people in defending its most precious borders.

A full-color paperback edition of The Silver Chair, book six in the classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. This edition is complete with full-color cover and interior art by the original illustrator, Pauline Baynes.

Through dangers untold and caverns deep and dark, a noble band of friends is sent to rescue a prince held captive. But their mission to Underland brings them face-to-face with an evil more beautiful and more deadly than they ever expected.

Enter a land where enchantment rules in The Silver Chair, the sixth book in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series. For over sixty years it has been drawing readers of all ages into a magical land with unforgettable characters. This is a complete stand-alone read, but if you want to discover what happens in the final days of Narnia, read The Last Battle, the seventh and concluding book in The Chronicles of Narnia.

During the last days of Narnia, good King Tirian faces the firecest challenge to any Narnian King's rule ever. Many Narnians think they have seen the great Aslan, but he doesn't behave the way they had expected. The ugly Ape who guards this false Aslan allows him to be seen for only moments at a time, and says that all Narnians have been commanded by the Lion to work for the cruel Calormenes.

A full-color paperback edition of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, book five in the classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. This edition is complete with full-color cover and interior art by the original illustrator of Narnia, Pauline Baynes.

A king and some unexpected companions embark on a voyage that will take them beyond all known lands. As they sail farther and farther from charted waters, they discover that their quest is more than they imagined and that the world's end is only the beginning.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the fifth book in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series, which has been drawing readers of all ages into a magical land with unforgettable characters for over sixty years. This is a novel that stands on its own, but if you would like to continue to the journey, read The Silver Chair, the sixth book in The Chronicles of Narnia.

In this fifth volume of the Gospel Time Trekkers series, children ages 6-9 are taken on a journey that imaginatively retraces Jesus restoring Bartimaeus' sight and calling Zacchaeus down from the tree. When time traveling siblings arrive in Jericho and learn that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, they want to follow him. But the roads leading to Jerusalem are confusing and dangerous. Will they go anyway despite these warnings, or realize that a courageous quest can mean more than putting themselves in danger?

In this sixth volume of the Gospel Time Trekkers series, children ages 6-9 are taken on a journey that imaginatively retraces the events surrounding Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, time-traveling siblings learn that Jesus is in town! It finally seems like they will be able to meet him. But with darkness consuming the sky, soldiers stationed throughout the city, and Jesus's apostles looking worried, something is not right...

This 25th volume in the acclaimed Vision Books series of saints' lives for youth 9-15 years old is the story of the saintly Fr. Damien, who in 1872 went to the island of Molokai, where lepers had been exiled to live in miserable surroundings. Damien earned the trust of the lepers, and his appeals for help resonated throughout the world. He spent his life caring for all the needs of the outcast lepers, and even after Damien himself contracted leprosy he carried on working for his "fellow lepers" to the end. Illustrated

Born in Connecticut in 1852, Michael McGivney grew up with a dream that would prove difficult to achieve. He wanted to become a priest and devote his life to God by serving others.

After his ordination, Father McGivney's influence went far beyond his priestly ministry and parochial boundaries. His friends were in high society and on death row. A man of many talents, he directed plays and organized church fairs. Father McGivney shared his love of God by serving those around him. His concern for his flock would nurture a new dream--to serve even more people by helping them to help themselves.

In 1882, Father McGivney gathered a group of men who shared his vision, and the Knights of Columbus was born. Despite opposition and challenges, Father McGivney's new dream would succeed far beyond his expectations.

Beloved in his time for who he was, Father Michael McGivney will be forever remembered for what he accomplished. Today the Knights of Columbus is the largest Catholic fraternal organization in the world. Meet the man who started it all and still inspires people to serve God by serving others.

At the age of 24, Florence Nightingale decided to dedicate herself to the care of the sick, especially those wounded in battle. She worked for nearly a year with the nursing Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul in Alexandria, Egypt. After that, when she established a hospital to tend the wounded during the Crimean War (1854 - 1856), she welcomed the assistance of thirty-eight women, including a group of Catholic nuns. This Vision Book for youth presents the moving story of those ten heroic nuns, from the Convent of Mercy in Bermondsey, England.The conditions in military hospitals at that time were extremely primitive and often lacked even the most basic necessities for treating the wounded and dying. But these dedicated nurses, especially the devoted nuns who saw Christ in their patients, sought to give them the very best care possible. Their successful struggle to establish higher standards of sanitation and care became widely known after the war, and Florence Nightingale became famous.

Further Up & Further In: Understanding Narnia by acclaimed Catholic author Joseph Pearce invites readers to return with the eyes of an adult to C. S. Lewis's magical land entered through that most important wardrobe in literary history.

Beloved by generations of readers, The Chronicles of Narnia are thought erroneously by some to be "mere children's stories." In this volume, Pearce thoroughly debunks the error as he skillfully explains why there is nothing "mere" about such stories.

Rather, the Narnia books contain profound insights concerning the human condition. Pearce, however, goes beyond even that and illuminates the deeper riches and profound truths found therein--the highest truths, in fact: those concerning God.

Join Pearce as he explores the "grown-up" themes that are so important for a proper understanding of Lewis' magnificent creation, including the deep and profound Christian symbolism, extensive literary allusions, and the constant theme of temptation, sin, and redemption.

The author of numerous literary works and an authority on the writings of Lewis, Chesterton, and Tolkien, Pearce is uniquely qualified to examine the deeper theological, philosophical, and historical dimensions of the Chronicles.

With Pearce as your guide, "return to Narnia," and come to understand in new and profound ways that place which has so marked the imaginative landscape of so many. Rediscover your love for Narnia, because "wardrobes are for grown-ups too."

In this third volume of the Gospel Time Trekkers series, children ages 6-9 are taken on a journey that imaginatively retraces Jesus welcoming the child Rebecca into a gathering with his disciples through the experiences of three modern siblings: Hannah, Caleb, and Noah. When Caleb offers to help out with the fishing for Rebecca's family, little does he know the danger that lies ahead with only a torch lighting the way, fish wildly flapping, and gusting winds whirling through the air.

Torn from his woodland home, the orphan Waljan finds life in the city with the widow Pruitt strange and tormenting, Wally faces many trials at the hands of the widow's conniving twins, not to mention Mortinburg's shadier characters: a leering hag, the manipulative Judge Asmodeus, and a gang of lawless lawmen led by the shifty Bruce Malvo. But a mysterious wall and the society that meets beneath it hold the secret to Wally's identity. Will he find his true home . . . or will his own decisions deprive him of it?

A Lion for the Emperor is the second volume of the gripping new series for 10 yr. olds and up titled In the Shadows of Rome (5 books total).

Being a Christian in ancient Rome was very dangerous. To spread the faith and stay alive, you had to live in the shadows . . .

Maximus and Aghiles join their friend Titus on his father's expedition to capture a magnificent lion in the forests of North Africa. After surviving the dangers of the hunt, the three friends face a perilous voyage back to Rome. Their mission: present Emperor Diocletian with a priceless beast that will be used to satisfy the pagan appetite for violence during games in the Colosseum.

Follow their adventures as they forge priceless friendships--and discover the many secrets lurking in the shadows of the Rome.

Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, were the first married couple ever canonized together by the Catholic Church. This inspiring story begins in their childhoods and follows them through their joys as well as their sorrows.

Louis, the son of a French army officer, had desired to be a priest. Instead he became a watchmaker, happy to remain single in service of God and neighbor. Zélie had thought about becoming a religious sister, but she became an expert lace maker and started her own company, doubtful she would ever marry. Then one day they passed each other on a bridge . . .

The Martins married and welcomed nine children, five of whom lived to adulthood and became religious sisters. Their household was full of love, which extended, sometimes heroically, to many others outside their family, including the needy and the enemy soldiers quartered in their home during the Franco-Prussian War.

The secret to their unfailing love was their boundless faith in God. All the challenges the Martins faced, great and small, were met with a profound trust in Divine Providence.

Margaret -- The Pope's Cat -- is back! Illustrated in full color.

Bang! Slam! Boom!

Loud sounds in St. Peter's Square had been going on for nearly an hour already. Margaret was annoyed, because as you may know, cats like to sleep. A lot.

The apartment where Margaret lives with the Pope, ever since he adopted her off the streets of Rome, looks out onto St. Peter's Square. And the noises down there kept waking Margaret up.

She rolled over, covering her ears with her paws.

A few minutes later, the sounds began again, as more trucks arrived to unload even more chairs. Beep, beep, beep, beep went the trucks as they backed up to where men in yellow jackets were waiting to unload them. Then came Bang! Slam! Boom! all over again, as the men arranged the chairs in rows facing the portico of St. Peter's Basilica.

All of this was in preparation for a special event to take place the following day, Christmas.

____________

In this delightful new story from their lives, the Pope takes Margaret on a tour of St. Peter's. But when he's called away to work, Margaret gets lost in the world's largest church. She meets saints, children, tourists, and the artist Michelangelo's famous statue, The Pieta, before being reunited with the Pope as Midnight Mass is about to begin.

Being a Christian in ancient Rome was very dangerous. To spread the faith and stay alive, you had to live in the shadows...

Titus' cousin Octavia, a maiden who guards the sacred fire in the Temple of Vesta, is missing! Has she been kidnapped? Has she run away? Titus and his friends Maximus and Aghiles set out to solve the mystery. They encounter puzzling evidence and lurking danger along the way while learning important lessons about freedom, duty, and devotion.

The Mysterious Goblet is the third volume of the gripping new series for 10 yr. olds and up titled In the Shadows of Rome (6 books total).

Being a Christian in ancient Rome was very dangerous. To spread the faith and stay alive, you had to live in the shadows. . .

Maximus, his slave Aghiles, and their friend Titus are again caught up in exciting and dangerous events--this time when Titus discovers a rather ordinary goblet in his sack. Where did it come from? Who put it there and why? The plot thickens when a man is killed outside Titus'' house. The boys must decide, and quickly, what to do about the goblet before somebody else gets hurt.

Follow their adventures as they forge priceless friendships--and discover the many secrets lurking in the shadows of the Rome.