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?
It's a New School Year with New Surprises!
Introducing Book #2 in The Adventures of Nick & Sam!
Who knew the start of the school year could also be the start of so many new discoveries? In no time at all Nick and Sam are caught up in a family mystery, a dig for buried treasure and a secret about guardian angels. Faith-filled and faithful, Hidden Treasures is a collection of fun and inspiring stories about the wonder that surrounds us all.
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 Trouble with Lent, the fourth book of the Adventures of Nick and Sam, the Perry twins are celebrating Lent at school, at church, and with their family. The family discusses what they will be giving up for Lent, and Nick and Sam experience some struggles with their choices throughout the Lenten season. A new boy, Riley, comes into their class who is obsessed with Big Foot, and he and Nick get into some strange adventures seeking the famous creature. Sam enters the school spelling bee, and she struggles with temptation when someone tries to help her cheat. The kids learn about temptations, sacrifices, poverty, and the love of Jesus along the way. The chapters follow along the calendar for the season of Lent and lead right into the joy of Easter Sunday.
Ages 6 and up.
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.
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 View from the Top, the sixth book of The Adventures of Nick & Sam series, the Perry twins are looking forward to summer. As the school year comes to an end, Nick and Sam are already caught up in new beginnings. Not only are they packing for a move, but Nick begins to wonder if he's good at anything and Sam struggles to help two people she loves through their troubles. Together, the twins discover that how they deal with inflatable castles, bad throws, and difficult decisions often depends on having the right point of view. It's a lesson for everyone in this exciting and fun-filled story.
Ages 6 and up.
"Some characters become your friends for life. That's how it was for me with Betsy-Tacy."--Judy Blume
With a Foreword by Meg Cabot
Maud Hart Lovelace's beloved Betsy-Tacy series continues with the third and final books set in Betsy and Tacy's high school years, Betsy Was a Junior and Betsy and Joe, featuring the original cover illustration from Betsy Was a Junior along with a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot.
"Slipping into a Betsy book is like slipping into a favorite pair of well-worn slippers: It's always a pleasure to live in Betsy's world for a little while, to experience her simple joys, but also her (thankfully short-lived) sorrows." --Meg Cabot
"I re-read these books every year, marveling at how a world so quaint - Shirtwaists! Pompadours! Merry Widow hats! - can feature a heroine who is undeniably modern." --Laura Lippman
"There are three authors whose body of work I have re-read more than once over my adult life: Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Maud Hart Lovelace." --Anna Quindlen
readers is the triumphant tale of a boy and a wild horse. From Alec Ramsay and
the Black's first meeting on an ill-fated ship to their adventures on a desert
island and their eventual rescue, this beloved story will hold the rapt
attention of readers new and old.
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, f
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.
Age Range: 8 and up
Angel stories from the Bible -- for kids
Modern believers may be tempted to look upon angels as one of the more fanciful elements of Scripture, but this illuminating and entertaining collection of angel stories from the Bible shows that there are just too many angels for them to be metaphorical, allegorical, or unimportant.
So that children will come to know and learn to revere angels, Marigold Hunt explains what angels are (and are not!) and gathers here in one volume most of the stories of angels in the Bible, including exciting tales of:
Angel stories from the Bible — for kids
Modern believers may be tempted to look upon angels as one of the more fanciful elements of Scripture, but this illuminating and entertaining collection of angel stories from the Bible shows that there are just too many angels for them to be metaphorical, allegorical, or unimportant.
So that children will come to know and learn to revere angels, Marigold Hunt explains what angels are (and are not!) and gathers here in one volume most of the stories of angels in the Bible, including exciting tales of:
- The fallen angels, beginning with the devil himself, tempting Adam and Eve
- The angel who barred the gates of Eden so Adam and Eve could never enter again
- The angels who announced that Sara, Abraham’s aged wife, would have a baby
- The angels who tried to save Lot from destruction with the city of Sodom
- The angel who stayed Abraham’s hand as he was about to sacrifice his son Isaac
- The angels in Jacob’s dream who climbed the stairway to Heaven
- The angels who saved Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago from the fiery furnace
- The angel Raphael, who shielded Tobias from death, and protected his wife Sara
- The angels at the Ascension who chided the apostles for staring at the sky
- The angel Gabriel, who foretold the birth of Jesus and John the Baptist
- The choirs of angels who sang above Bethlehem when Jesus was born
- The angel who carried food to Daniel when he was imprisoned in the lion’s den
- The angel who freed Peter from prison, and, of course:
- The countless angels who fill the marvelous pages of the Book of Revelation
- Ages 8 and up.
- 176 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
A full-color paperback edition of The Last Battle, book seven 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.
During the last days of Narnia, the land faces its fiercest challenge--not an invader from without but an enemy from within. Lies and treachery have taken root, and only the king and a small band of loyal followers can prevent the destruction of all they hold dear in this, the magnificent ending to The Chronicles of Narnia.
The Last Battle is the seventh and final 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. A complete stand-alone read, but if you want to relive the adventures and find out how it began, pick up The Magician's Nephew, the first book in The Chronicles of Narnia.
A full-color paperback edition of Prince Caspian, book four 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.
The Pevensie siblings are back to help a prince denied his rightful throne as he gathers an army in a desperate attempt to rid his land of a false king. But in the end, it is a battle of honor between two men alone that will decide the fate of an entire world.
A battle is about to begin in Prince Caspian, the fourth book in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series, which has been enchanting readers of all ages for over sixty years. This is a stand-alone novel, but if you would like to see more of Prince Caspian's adventures, read The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the fifth book in The Chronicles of Narnia.
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.
From the famous Vision Books series of lives of saints for young people, this is the inspiring dramatic account of the colorful and courageous life and death of the martyr, St. Edmund Campion, hero of God's underground during the persecutions of the Catholics in England in the 1500s.
Campion, the most celebrated young scholar of his day, was on his way to becoming the Archbishop of Canterbury until a crisis of conscience turned him back to his Catholic faith. He fled England, became a Jesuit priest, and was sent back to be the leader of the underground ministry to the persecuted Catholics until, after a long and frustrated search, the government finally captured him and brutally executed him. His daring and brilliant underground ministry to Catholics all over England, his zeal for the faith, and his great courage and joy in the face of martyrdom are all related in this compelling story for youth.
Cover art by Chris Pelicano
From the famous Vision Books series of lives of saints for young people, this is the inspiring dramatic account of the colorful and courageous life and death of the martyr, St. Edmund Campion, "hero of God's underground" during the persecutions of the Catholics in England in the 1500s.
Campion, the most celebrated young scholar of his day, was on his way to becoming the Archbishop of Canterbury until a crisis of conscience turned him back to his Catholic faith. He fled England, became a Jesuit priest, and was sent back to be the leader of the underground ministry to the persecuted Catholics until, after a long and frustrated search, the government finally captured him and brutally executed him. His daring and brilliant underground ministry to Catholics all over England, his zeal for the faith, and his great courage and joy in the face of martyrdom are all related in this compelling story for youth. AGES 9-12
Cover art by Chris Pelicano
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
Of the few who had dared explore this immense waterway, none had lived to return and report where it emptied. If he could travel to the mouth of the "great river", Fr. Marquette hoped to obtain new lands for France and new souls for Jesus Christ. He braved the dangers of tomahawks and tortures to bring the Word of God to the Indians of the New World. Rapids, floods, Indian superstitions, tribal warfare - these are only a few of the obstacles Father Marquette and Louis Joliet encountered in trying to meet their challenge. Illustrated.
Cover art by Chris Pelicano
This Vision book for youth 9 - 15 years old tells the thrilling story of one of America's greatest missionaries who came down from Canada with explorer Louis Joliet to explore the mighty Mississippi River, the "great river" bordered by Indian tribes who killed white men on sight.
Of the few who had dared explore this immense waterway, none had lived to return and report where it emptied. If he could travel to the mouth of the "great river", Fr. Marquette hoped to obtain new lands for France and new souls for Jesus Christ. He braved the dangers of tomahawks and tortures to bring the Word of God to the Indians of the New World. Rapids, floods, Indian superstitions, tribal warfare - these are only a few of the obstacles Father Marquette and Louis Joliet encountered in trying to meet their challenge. Illustrated.
Cover art by Chris Pelicano
This book is now part of Renaissance Learning's Accelerated Reader program. Quizzes are currently available.
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 mass-market paperback edition of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, book two in the classic fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. This edition features cover art by Cliff Nielsen and interior black-and-white illustrations by the series' original illustrator, Pauline Baynes.
Four adventurous siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie—step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.
A beautiful unabridged 150th Anniversary Edition with 16 illustrations by Reginald Birch
Little Men, or Life at Plumfield with Jo's Boys, was first published in 1871. The novel reprises characters from Little Women and is considered by some the second book in an unofficial Little Women trilogy, which is completed with Alcott's 1886 novel Jo's Boys. This book tells the story of Jo Bhaer and the children at Plumfield Estate School. It was inspired by the death of Alcott's brother-in-law. It has been adapted to film and television.
Caught living in a world between fantasy and reality, Carrie, a 13-year-old homeschooled girl, struggles to make sense of loss and new beginnings, seeking comfort in a heart-shaped locket with a secret. "Themes include: family, fantasy, and grief.""
Caught living in a world between fantasy and reality, Carrie, a 13-year-old homeschooled girl, struggles to make sense of loss and new beginnings, seeking comfort in a heart-shaped locket with a secret. "Themes include: family, fantasy, and grief.""
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.
In 1946, Francesca Cabrini was canonized as the first saint of the United States. This Vision book for 9 - 15 year olds tells the exciting story of this missionary from Italy who came to America to spread the Faith. She founded a new order nuns, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, to teach the Faith and work with the poor in our country. She was a tireless missionary who crossed the ocean 37 times to expand her order across the world to France, England, Spain; in Central and South America; in the United States from coast to coast including New York, New Orleans, Denver, Seattle (where she took the oath of U.S. citizenship) and Chicago, where she died in 1917, a saint of our time.
Cover art by Chris Pelicano
Born in 1774, Elizabeth Bayley grew up in a well-to-do Protestant family and seemed destined for a tranquil life. At age 19 she married William Seton and together they had five children. Tragedy struck when William died of tuberculosis in 1803. Elizabeth learned that her family fortune was lost as well. She converted to Catholicism at a time when Catholics were the object of persecutions in the United States. Her family was shocked by this decision. Elizabeth met Bishop Carroll of Maryland, and he gave her the inspiration to found the American Sisters of Charity and the first American parochial Catholic school. In time her order of sisters flourished, and they established more schools, orphanages and hospitals across the United States. At her early death (46 years old) Mother Seton's congregation numbered twenty-one communities throughout the country. Illustrated
A series which should be found wherever there are young Catholic readers.
-Ave Maria
Parents will not have to wonder why Johnny won't read if these Vision Books are made available to their children . . . Splendid in design and format . . .
- Catholic Standard and Times
The entire series of Vision Books is recommended for solid training for youth.
- The Tablet.
Cover art by Chris Pelicano
Lee and Johnny Scott are back—and so is Old Sam—in this sequel to Old Sam, Dakota Trotter. Despite the disfiguring injury that ended Old Sam’s career as a champion thoroughbred trotter, he is still as fast—and as canny— as ever, an indispensible help for the Scott family in their new home. Then, Old Sam mysteriously goes missing. Johnny figures that any thief who dares to steal that horse will soon be sorry. With the help of Lee and their gang of friends, Johnny soon has things well in hand, finding Old Sam’s track, setting up a communication system that works with mirrors and well-placed minions—and generally running circles around his elders. And, of course, Old Sam does not let his boys down. That Johnny also encounters some sobering moments in his headlong pursuit of justice is a sad, perhaps unavoidable, consequence in a way of life still on the fringes of civilized society.
Both books about Old Sam and the Scott family are based on the author’s true-life, homesteading experiences in what is now the southeastern region of the state of North Dakota. AGES 11 and up.
Fifth grader Olivia Thomas has moved to a new school in a new state, and is eager to make friends! Her best friend quickly becomes someone she has never seen - St. Therese of Lisieux.
Follow Olivia's trials as she tries to fit in at St. Michael's School. With the help of her grandmother, she learns about the "Little Way" of serving God and how it can change everything!
This touching and heartfelt story celebrates the life of St. Therese and will inspire children to follow her example and discover how to live the Little Way for their own lives, and the blessings and even miracles that come from it.
Nancy Belanger has created a contemporary example of how to live like a saint – something children greatly need in today's culture. It will inspire and encourage young readers toward a more wholesome childhood marked by a generous and vibrant faith. Illustrated.
Nancy Carabio Belanger has loved to write ever since she was a little girl. She has a deep love for St. Therese, and believes that Therese's Little Way is a reminder to anyone who feels like he can't do enough that we can all make little sacrifices and acts of love to please God.
Who would have thought that the Blessed Mother would choose to come to Fatima, that remote farming village on a rocky slope in Portugal? No one was more surprised than Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco, the little shepherds to whom she appeared in 1917.
In this 27th volume of the acclaimed Vision Books series for youth, readers will be enthralled by the story of the village and its people, of the scornful neighbors and the puzzled parents. Above all, it is a warm story of three little ones who insisted that Our Lady had indeed come to Fatima, and from whose faith grew one of the greatest spiritual movements of our time. Illustrated.
A series which should be found wherever there are young Catholic readers.
--Ave Maria
From the bestselling author of 100 Cupboards comes the spellbinding finale of the Outlaws of Time series, perfect for fans of Armand Baltazar's Timeless: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic or Soman Chainani's School of Good and Evil series.
Alex always thought his life was boring at best. But when he learns that his favorite time-traveling heroes Sam and Glory are his real parents, Alex realizes he never needed to dream of an elsewhere. Just an elsewhen.
But when Alex sets out to find Father Tiempo, he is ambushed and transformed into the powerful villain El Terremento. Now there's not a second to waste.
Unless Sam and Glory Miracle can stop the son they didn't even know they were going to have--let alone lose--history will be unhinged, for good.
From the bestselling author of 100 Cupboards comes the second book in a one-of-a-kind middle grade time travel series that is perfect for fans of Soman Chainani's School for Good and Evil books.
Sam Miracle never thought that his future could lie in the past. But after leaping through centuries at the side of a mystical time walker, Sam and his best friend, Glory, know that the next morning's sun could belong to yesterday as easily as tomorrow.
But no day is safe. Since the Vulture escaped, Sam and Glory's greatest nemesis has left no time nor place unmarked by his path of destruction. At least Sam and Glory have Peter, the youngest version of their mentor, Father Tiempo, to help repair the sands of time... until they don't.
Determined to save their friend from the Vulture's clutches, Sam and Glory put their trust in Ghost, a creature from before time itself. But now, the sidekick must fill the legend's shoes, the hero must play backup, and the powers they have yet to discover might just hold the key to protecting every last second for eons to come.