Little Leap Forward

Little Leap Forward: A Boy in Beijing

by Guo Yue and Clare Farrow

illustrated by Helen Cann

This is a beautifully written book about Little Leap Forward, a young boy in Beijing in 1966. He tells of his family, his hopes and dreams, and the ways his life is impacted by the arrival of the Red Guards and the Cultural Revolution. The author drew on his own life and experiences to create a real picture for the reader. The many illustrations are like full-page watercolor paintings.

It would be perfect as a substitute for a book in Level 1A Year 2 of Mater Amabilis, when studying Asia for People and Places. I think it's not quite as sad as Water Buffalo Days, which is a little hard to read to the end, even thought it's a wonderful book. You can read about the books listed in the syllabus in this post.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links. I checked this book out from our library.

A Maasai Shares his People: Facing the Lion

Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna

by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton with Herman Viola

This fascinating little book was written by a young man who travelled long distances in Kenya to attend school, spending long stretches of time away from his nomadic family. Eventually, he attended college in the United States and now teaches in the Washington, D.C. area, often leading groups of Americans on trips to Kenya. His is a unique voice to tell Americans what life is like for the Maasai. Late in the book is a fabulous conversation between the author and his mother, who could never really grasp his modern life of travel between Kenya and the United States.

Mater Amabilis suggests a study of Africa in Level 2 Year 2 (fifth grade), and I think this book is perfect for that age, though it's not listed in the syllabus.

It does relate a few difficult experiences. Once the author and a few other boys were tracked by poachers who definitely intended harm, but they ran for almost twelve hours straight to escape. The description of his initiation ceremony is also very clear about the process of circumcision.

The photographs provided by the author in the color insert are wonderful.

My other children did not read this book, but I'm going to assign it to Second Son next year. He reads very quickly so I think I can even add it to the books he'll already be reading without bothering him too much. You can read about some of the other books he'll read in this post.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links. I checked this book out from our library.

Kindness in the Mountains: Cloud Tea Monkeys

Cloud Tea Monkeys 

by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham

illustrated by Juan Wijngaard

This book is based on a Himalayan tale. Tashi is a young girl who tags along when her mother is working on a tea plantation has befriended a troop of monkeys. Each day she shares a bit of her meager lunch with them and laughs at their antics. When her mother falls ill, Tashi tries to work as her mother did, but is cruelly taunted by the Overseer. In her despair, she is comforted by the monkeys. To her surprise, they fill her basket with unusual tea leaves. Their kingly gift changes her life, and that of her mother, forever.

This would make a wonderful addition to Reading Around the World in Picture Books for the Himalayas. It's a little text-heavy for the youngest kids, but you could always spread the reading over a few days if the kids got tired of listening.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon are affiliate links. I checked this book out from our library.

Spiritual and Material: The Sacraments

The Sacraments: Discovering the Treasures of Divine Life

by Fr. Matthew Kauth

This book was first recommended in the Mater Amabilis Facebook group by a friend of mine. She knows Fr. Matthew Kauth, who is a priest and Rector of the college seminary at Belmont Abbey. 

This relatively short book devotes a chapter to each of the seven sacraments, along with an introduction, a conclusion, and a chapter on the definition of a sacrament. The sacraments might seem simple; after all, we introduce them to young children, but they are a convergence of the spiritual and the material and therefore an eternal source of meditation and contemplation.

Fr. Kauth's chapters are insightful, revealing mysteries of the sacraments through examples of modern life. Though short, they are rich in meaning. I read most of the chapters while praying at adoration and found much to ponder as I sat before the exposed host. Fr. Kauth doesn't just explain the sacrament featured in each chapter; he invites the reader to allow participation in the sacraments to become the center of life.

Living liturgically sanctifies the time and our lives. It allows us to move with the rest of the Body of Christ through the mysteries of Christ's life. It imparts meaning and drama. It inserts my mind into the mind of Christ and allows me to participate in his thoughts and capture the movements of his Sacred Heart. (pp. 144-145)

My son read this book in his eleventh grade year. I think high school, even later high school, is a perfect time for it. At first, I had considered this book as a replacement for The Creed in Slow Motion in ninth grade, which I've moved to middle school as our confirmation preparation. After reading The Sacraments, I've decided to keep it as a spiritual reflection book for later in high school. I believe an older student with a little more maturity will appreciate the book more.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop are affiliate links. I purchased this book.

February and March 2021 Book Reports

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; Pearl; [and] Sir Orfeo translated by J.R.R. Tolkien - link to my post (Kansas Dad's book, purchased audiobook)

Charis in the World of Wonders by Mary Youmans - link to my post (received as a gift)

The Planets by Dava Sobel - link to my post (received from a member of PaperBackSwap.com)

He Leadeth Me: An Extraordinary Testament of Faith by Walter J. Ciszek, S.J., with Daniel L. Flaherty, S.J. - link to my post (purchased copy)

Ideas Have Consequences by Richard M. Weaver - link to my post (received as a gift)

Circe: A Novel by Madeline Miller - link to my post (purchased from Audible)

God's Secret Agents: Queen Elizabeth's Forbidden Priests and the Hatching of the Gunpowder Plot by Alice Hogge - link to my post (received from a member of PaperBackSwap.com)

Is This Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld - This was a fun and easy read. If you've enjoyed Seinfeld's comedy, you'll enjoy the book. (library copy)

A Girl Called Problem by Katie Quirk - link to my post (library copy)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon, Bookshop, and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.