Sweetness and Light

The Rosary: Keeping Company with Jesus and Mary

My weekend was busy, but not so much that I didn't keep picking up and reading the just released book by Karen Edmisten, The Rosary: Keeping Company with Jesus and Mary.  Karen's first book is simply delightful! From the moment I opened this tidy little tome, I knew it was going to be a permanent fixture on my nightstand :)

 Her purposeful writing has an eloquent style and an encouraging voice for anyone seeking solace and an understanding of the Rosary. Even for seasoned Catholics, this is a gentle reminder as to how important the rosary is to our faith and our spirituality.

She gives reasons for "Making it Work" and joyful applause for our perseverance in "showing up for prayer."  And the best part is that she shares her true love and fervor for Our Lord and acknowledges wholeheartedly that by learning and saying the rosary as often as possible can only lead you closer to Him.

Many congratulations Karen, your work is a true blessing for us all!!

Book Review :: Take It to The Queen

 

This book review is so long overdue, and I ask pardon on the delightful author Josephine Nobisso for her mercy and her grace, as this absolutely delicious picture book is worthy of many words and many readers! 

First we'll talk about the book and then the amazing illustrations!  I believe the very bookish Karen E. has also reviewed this lovely picture book and I hope I can also do it justice!  Just on seeing it's cover, I knew it was going to be an enchanting tale of goodness.

Take It to the Queen: A Tale of Hope is one of a kind, much like it's predecessor, The Weight of A Mass.  It became one of my children's favorite books right from the get go!  When I read Take It to the Queen, they immediately recognized it as one of Josephine's books and they settled in for a good listen!  The story is written as a creative allegory that engages the reader and the listener to discover the hidden meanings within the beautiful text.  It is indeed a tale of hope and when one reads it one will see the implications of the goodness of Our Lord and His mercy in the final pages.  There's also a very thorough catechism at the end of the book for more pondering!

Upon first hearing the story, my daughter Violet exclaimed, "I love how the author modeled the story after Jesus, Mary and Joseph."  In addition, she loves the illustrations!

Matthias and Seamus both agreed that, "It was cool how she (the author) made the water the 'peace' of the village." 

and Seamus included, "I liked everything!"  Sean-Paul just kept asking to read it again :)

The illustrations speak for themselves and I would consider this book a coffee table type picture book as it is so beautiful!  Visit Katalin Szegedi at her website for inspiration!

Whether you've just happened upon Josephine's beautiful books or have these special two on your shelf already, make sure you stop by Gingerbread Books to see all of her latest happenings, you won't be disappointed.

  Many blessings and prayers for more beautiful tales of hope and love from this special author!

Are You Lost in the Haystack?

Well, this review is long overdue as I had completely devoured Alice's book, Haystack Full of Needles: A Catholic Home Educator's Guide to Socialization, on the plane on my way home from the Family-Centered Learning Conference back in July, and now I'm on my 3rd time through the book!

What a GEM!!!  Most of my thoughts as I was reading were, "Alice honey, I wish I'd known ya back about 7 years ago" but I have already benefitted from this delightful and well-written book in so many ways, not to mention the fact that it was heaven on earth to meet the author in person, finally. 

Home education for most of us who have done it for a while is not really about the socialization issue, but no matter how long we have schooled at home, I will inevitably get the "socialization" questions. 

"But how do they meet friends?" 

"Do they ever do any activities?" 

"Aren't you sheltering them too much from the 'real world'?" 

And I politely answer, "In lots of places, yes they have many activities, and Um, no." 

This can be extremely difficult for some who may live on the outskirts of a community and not have access to much in the way of opportunities for themselves or their children.  I have had these issues for many years and know the struggles of commiting to long drives to socialize, but we have done it and it has benefitted our family greatly.  Alice touches on these thoughts many times as she too has struggled with finding opportunities for her children, even on Long Island.

My favorite element or theme that is echoed throughout the book is that most all of Alice's cherished and most treasured experiences with her children are centered around - prayer, coffee, and keeping the activity simple.  What better advice for any new mom to home schooling, or seasoned mom that wants to begin a home school group gathering!!

Prayer.

Coffee.

Keep it simple.

Come to think of it, these have always been my most successful and cherished times with friends as well.  Brilliant!!

Inviting people into your home isn't always possible or feasible, but there are so many other great ideas for gatherings that you'll just want to start them all right away, I know I do, but I'll try to restrain myself, at least until we move ;-)

This book is not to be missed, it is a MUST for any home educator's bookshelf, get a copy right now, you won't be disappointed, trust me! 

It's available through Hillside Education, happy reading!

Congratulations my dear friend, you are amazing and I'm so glad to know you!

Love,

Another Great Book!!

Great Yarns for the Close-Knit Family, Over two dozen original hand-knit designs inspired by one dozen fantastic family read-alouds By Mary C. Gildersleeve

The book will be available March 12th and Hillside Education is now accepting preorders on their website. Each preorder will receive a pair of birchwood knitting needles that can be used for some of the hand-knit projects.

Direct from Hillside:

So what are these projects and why is Hillside doing a knitting book?

Well, this book features knitting projects that accompany great works of children's literature: Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo CollodiCanadian Summer by Hilda van Stockum
The Hobbit By J.R.R. Tolkein,br>Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little House in the Highlands By Melissa Wiley
The Lost Island by Eilis Dillon
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle
Redwall by Brian Jacques
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Wheel on the School by Meindert de Jong

While your family enjoys reading aloud these great "yarns" you and/or your children can be knitting the projects. All the projects are original designs by Mary, the knitting guru. Visit the Hillside website to find out more about the preordering your book today!!

Congratulations Mary, it surely will be a Great book!!

Book Look: Casting The Gods Adrift

As promised here is a review of an Ancient History read aloud we just finished!  From the summary for Casting the Gods Adrift, by Geraldine McCuaghrean:

"Tutmose, an apprentice sculptor, and his nearly-blind brother, Ibrim, an apprentice musician, are content at the royal court of Pharaoh Akhenaten, but their father rages against Pharaoh's rejection of traditioal Egyptian gods and plots a deadly revenge."

Well, this is certainly the crux of the tale, and Geraldine McCaughrean does a masterful job at building the plot and developing her characters that you definately don't want this one to end!!  You will enjoy this one regardless of it's time or place set in history as it just begs to be read and not put down! 

The descriptions of the people and time period are vivid and engaging and the black and white drawings done by illustrator Patricia D. Ludlow add warmth and depth to this enchanting tale of Ancient Egypt!!  I hope you will enjoy this one as we did!!

The Mosaic of Our Lives

As I contemplate my plans for this next round of school lessons and how we will spend our learning time as it especially relates to our faith, I am spellbound by the beautifully and thoughfully prepared Cathoic Mosaic by Cay Gibson!! It truly emanates a richness and diversity through the liturgical year in books, a Mosaic of literature! Cay explains very eloquently how literature can enrich our lives and how one can teach using a literature rich curriculum in her book Literature Alive! and she has definately out-done herself with her wonderful new book, available through Hillside Education.

At first glance I kind of thought I could do without something like the Catholic Mosaic (I know, GASP!) but upon further research and after reading posts like this at Real Learning and this at the 4real forum, my heart was overflowing with ideas and thankfulness that someone as talented as Cay would put this all together in one place where we can return to again and again to enrich our children's and our own lives with the beauty and wonder of our litrugical year all pieced together in a beautiful Mosasic, thanks so much Cay!!

Book Look: A Fairy Went A Marketing

A Fairy Went A-Marketing!  We are totally in love with this beautiful picture book originally composed by Ruth Fyleman and illustrated by Jamichael Henterly.  I discovered this little gem about 10 years ago when Violet was just a wee one and I was selling early childhood development toys.  There were many books re-printed by the company and this one has proved to be such a lovely little treasure.  The illustrations are heavenly and a little bit like a "hidden pictures" format, there is something new to find in each picture each time the book is read.  Cover insert:  A kindly fairy uses her puchases only for a short time, then releases them for their own good or the good of others.  Fyleman, Rose (1877-1957).  The text is just delicious!

A Fairy went a-marketing, she bought a little fish;                She put it in a crystal bowl upon a silver dish.                         An hour she sat in wonderment and watched its silver gleam,  And then she gently took it up and slipped it in a stream.

A Fairy went a-marketing, she bought a colored bird;               It sang the sweetest, shrillest song that ever she had heard.  She sat besides its painted cage and listened half the day,    And then she opened wide the door and let it fly away.

A Fairy went a-marketing, she bought a winter gown,             All stitched about with gossamer and lined with thistledown. She wore it all the afternoon with prancing and delight,      Then gave it to a little frog to keep him warm at night.

A Fairy went a-marketing, she bought a gentle mouse,            To take her tiny messages, to keep her tiny house.                 All day she kept its bust feet pit-patting to and fro,             And then she kissed its silken ears, thanked it, and let it go.

"Henterly adds elaborate pictures to this simple verse taken from Fairies and Chimneys by the late Fyleman. The artist has created a fairy-world of beauty with animals, plants, reptiles and small details making each double-page spread a breathtaking scene. The fairy-girl goes to market four times; whatever she buys fish, bird, gown or mouse, she sets free or gives away. Henterly's luminous drawings reveal an eye for the many fleeting details of nature; the curve of a squirrel's tail, the peeling bark of a birch tree." (Publisher's Weekly)

There are a few used copies at amazon.com that are well worth the under $25 price for a beautiful timeless treasure!  I think it would make a wonderful copywork piece for an older child to illustrate and add their own "fairy magic" to the text! 

---

Tags:  Books, children's books , Kidlit ,  Poetry

Don't Miss This One!

Well, since everybody I know that writes and or blogs or both is in this book I thought I'd better post about it here too!!  (Alright, maybe I exaggerated a LITTLE bit there) Anyhoo!  This is a super book, I can't wait to get my hands on it as it is jam packed with wonderful accounts of home schooling in the Catholic realm.  I hope to glean from it as I have already from so many of the wonderful contributors!  Thanks for putting together such a great Homeschool Companion!