As my daughter entered eighth grade, Level 4, I wanted to offer her some female twentieth century saints. First Son read about Pope St. John Paul II, Servant of God Emil Kapaun, and Bl. Stanley Rother. All of these are excellent options, but this is what we do, right, always looking for the next best thing. I found a wonderful option for St. Teresa of Kolkata, but I also wanted an option for St. Edith Stein because I think First Daughter would appreciate her intelligence. Many of the books on St. Edith Stein, though, examine her philosophy in a way that's inaccessible to a young teenager. This is one that is on the list on the Mater Amabilis Level 4 page so I bought a used copy and read it myself.
It certainly includes a brief look at the philosophy of St. Edith Stein, and some of that might go over my daughter's head, but overall this is a lovely little introduction to a saint who offered herself up for her people. Part I (Ideals in Edith's Life) describes her biographical details from early life to her death. Part II (Ideal Figures in Edith's Prayer) explores St. Edith Stein's relationships to Jesus, Mary, Queen Esther, and the saints of Carmel.
Early in the book I found an anecdote that reminded me of First Daughter. Canon Schwind helped guide Edith early in her faith. She would visit him every Sunday to question him and learn.
His housekeeper and niece describes how, after one such meeting, he fell into a chair in the kitchen, writing his hands and declaring: 'Oh, this philosopher! She can ask more questions than ten learned theologians could answer.'
The book shares much of Edith's thoughts through her writing. For example, when talking about Love of the Cross:
In this essay, the words, 'joy' and 'joyous', occur almost as often as 'Cross'. How can this be? It was so because, as Edith knew, 'love of the Cross' was not love of a torture, love of a piece of wood, but love of the Person who was on the Cross. Suffering was the very place, therefore, where Edith could always find him, come closest to him, and help him to save the world.
The focus of Level 4 history on the twentieth century is a delicate balance: the horrific tragedies of the century are studied, but with enough grace and light to avoid depressing a young mind and soul. St. Edith Stein offers great insight into her time and ours. She counseled a young student in Echt.
One day, Anthony told Edith he was so concerned about world events that he could hardly concentrate on his work. Edith was adamant: he should get on with his thesis and be grateful he had the chance....it seems she was telling him something else, a message embedded in Carmelite values: to do God's will at the present moment, to carry out our daily tasks as well as we possibly can -- to walk the 'Little Way', instead of musing on 'great' actions to which we have not been called.
Part II focuses more on Edith Stein's writings and spirituality. I loved these chapters that shared her understanding of the saints of Carmel, but I have decided to tell my daughter they are optional. They may be more meaningful for a more mature reader.
I don't know much about St. Edith Stein, so I can't comment much on whether the author has correctly represented the saint, her thoughts, and her philosophy, but the book seems to be well researched. There are quotes from letters and interviews, many in German, that give a sense of intimate friendship with the saint.
There's a similar book by the same author (Edith Stein: Modern Saint and Martyr) that might actually be a slightly updated or annotated version of this one. The description and number of pages are basically the same.
I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I purchased this book used. Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links.
by Ann Weil is a book that should not be out of print. Mater Amabilis recommends this book for our 
by Lois Lowry would be an excellent book to read with younger children portraying the bravery of the Danes in aiding their Jewish friends and neighbors to escape Nazi soldiers during World War II. Though there is death and fear, the horrors of the Holocaust are not portrayed or described. I'm going to make a note of this book as an option for a read-aloud when we study World War II in a few years. (I think this book would be acceptable for First Son next year, in second grade, but it will be better for the girls when they are a bit older. He'll be better prepared for it as well.) (library copy)
by Rebecca Caudill is a lovely little story I plan to read aloud next year, mainly for the girls. Little Bonnie is a sweet four year old who tries very hard to grow up like her older brother and sisters. She's a darling and I'm happy to introduce her to my children. (purchased used at Amazon.com)
by Meindert Dejong is the story of a friendship between a stray dog and a poor little red hen who has recently lost her toes. Told from the point of view of the animals, it is an insightful look into the lives of chickens (and dogs, I suppose). This is a distinct possibility for a read-aloud for us next year, though I fear the children might not find it very exciting. It is wonderfully written, though, and I think true-to-life-chicken books are rare. (library copy)
by George MacDonald is the sequel to 
. It takes place about a year after the first book, but covers much more serious themes. The king is surrounded by disingenuous advisers who are plotting to overthrow the kingdom. Curdie is sent on a quest by the princess with a faithful servant by his side to save the kingdom. While I think First Son might enjoy this book next year, as a second grader, I believe he'd gain more from it when he's a little older. Currently, I have this on the list for third grade. (free 
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by Henry James seemed like the easiest to read of the James novels I've read, though perhaps I'm just getting used to his writing. Or maybe it's because it's quite a bit shorter. I enjoy his style quite a lot and think a novel of his may be useful for high school aged young women to read as a warning. All of his heroines seem to suffer much from poor decisions, many of which are warned against by male guardians or father figures. This book portrays a father who seeks to protect his daughter from an unworthy suitor (though not solely out of fatherly love). Catherine, who adores her father though she does not understand him, must choose between them. (free 
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by Gail Carson Levine is a retelling of many fairy tales in one (mainly Cinderella). An infant girl is given the gift of obedience by a fairy at her birth, but it's more like a curse. If someone gives an order, Ella has to follow it, even if the order is from an ogre who intends to eat her. She sets out on a quest to free herself of the curse and instead falls in love. The story was clever and seemed appropriate for readers a bit older than First Son. (It is a love story.) Though the writing isn't fantastic and God isn't mentioned at all, I think it could spark interesting discussions on the meaning of free will and why God does not demand our love or obedience. (received as a free book from Borders for their summer reading program)
by Howard Pyle is the story of Otto, who is raised by his great-uncle, the abbot of a monastery as his father, a robber baron of Germany in the time of armor and sword battles, seeks revenge for the death of his wife. Eventually, his father returns and joyfully brings him home where Otto learns much and is happy despite his father's violent lifestyle. Then, when his father is away, Otto is kidnapped and mutilated by yet another revengeful robber baron. Otto's rescue gives his father a chance to redeem himself. It's a thrilling tale, complete with sword fights, courage, sacrifice, loyalty and holiness. It's on our read-aloud list, though we may wait until First Son is in third grade because it is a little violent and both of Otto's parents suffer, in addition to poor Otto's injury. (
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by Christopher Avery, Andrew Fairbanks and Richard Zeckhauser is a well-researched look at the early application programs at several elite colleges (Early Decision and Early Admission). They say it's written for parents as well as guidance counselors and college admission officers, but I think a great many parents would find it heavy reading. (Not me, but I know I have odd tastes in reading. Also, I just skimmed over most of the statistical stuff.) If you happen to be a parent of a young adult who is interested in attending one of those "elite" colleges, you can get much from this book by reading chapter 7 in which they provide ten guidelines to help high school students really think about what they want in a college, where they truly desire to attend and if applying early would be beneficial in their particular situation. (I'm well aware my oldest is only seven years old, but I have a fascination with the college experience, how people decide to attend and where to attend and what difference those decisions make in real life, not just careers.)
by Carla Hannaford, Ph.D. is a book that starts out pretty well but then got a little...let's say unorthodox. My background is biology, so a lot of what she described (nerve cells, axons, etc.) seemed accurate, but then she'd make conclusions that just didn't seem right to me. I was not impressed with the research articles that were linked in the end notes (nothing from highly respected medical or research journals, for example) and much of her "research" seemed to be anecdotal. Much of what she encourages in the early chapters makes sense to me as a home educator -- touching students to help them focus, allowing students to move more in the classroom, drinking plenty of water, and so on -- but once I reached the brain gym exercises and her assertion that ADHD, ADD and other behavioral problems are really just caused by stress and can be cured by the brain gym exercises, I decided to stop reading. It didn't seem like the rest of the book was worth my time. (You can read more about 
by Karen Ackerman is the tale of Clara, Marta and their parents as they attempt to escape from Nazi-occupied Austria over the mountains into Switzerland. Though neighbors are attacked and the girls are taunted, this book does not explicitly discuss the horrors of the concentrations camps. This book may be a less-terrifying way to introduce the sufferings of the Jews in World War II and I will consider it for First Son's reading lessons next year.
by William Pene du Bois is the tale of the fantastic voyage and adventures of Professor Sherman who had hoped for nothing but silence and solitude. It's definitely on the list for First Son, though we'll have to see if he's ready to read it next year. We might use it as a read-aloud.
by Richard Matheson contains a novella (I Am Legend) and a bunch of short stories. When I first started reading it I thought I might have nightmares from the vampires but I persevered and after the first few scenes the attacks are not as frightening. Many of the stories were a bit more physically violent than I usually read, and certainly not appropriate for children, but they were often intelligent. The novella, by the way, is very different from the recent movie.
by Ted Lawson is the tale of his experiences as one of the pilots sent to bomb Tokyo on the Dolittle Raid after Pearl Harbor was bombed. It was enthralling and I tore through the book in two days. A young man (though one old enough to engage in conversations of the reality of war) would thoroughly enjoy this book as a part of a history study of WWII. It was written during the war, so the Japanese and Germans are identified plainly and bluntly as enemies of all Americans. The Chinese and many missionaries in China are repeatedly praised. It's been made into a movie, but I haven't seen it.
by J. D. Wyss is, of course, the story of a family shipwrecked on an island and forced to survive in relative paradise but isolation for over ten years. I was amazed at how quickly I read and how interested I was to see what would happen next because the writing itself was a bit ponderous. Though their knowledge of natural history and "modern" (early 1800s) industrial techniques vastly improves their quality of life, a good bit of it is not really accurate. It should also be noted that this is some sort of enchanted island that contains kangaroos, penguins, lions, tigers, ostriches, and elephants, among other animals. It may also be disturbing to contemporary readers that upon nearly ever encounter with a newly discovered animal, they shoot one or two.
- We actually watched this in January. It's not a objective documentary, but a movie with an agenda. I can't say whether all they claim is true. (I'd like to know what some of our friends with big commercial farms think.) If even a part of it is true, though, it should change how you think about food. We already eat very few processed foods, try to have a large garden and raise our own eggs, but this movie made me want to do even more. It's available to watch instantly at Netflix.
(the new movie) was surprisingly good. We enjoyed it immensely. Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan were fun to watch as a team. I loved some of young Smith's expressions. I have to admit I couldn't help thinking about my children facing bullies and how complicated and difficult that can be. Hopefully they'll be much older before we have to deal with it. There was also one scene where the two children kiss. (They're only twelve.) It didn't seem crucial to the plot and I think the movie would have been better without it.
- Have you seen this movie? I loved watching these babies grew up and was fascinated by what was shown. It's also not an objective documentary. In my case, it generated more questions about how other cultures raise children than it answered. I am also sure I would never let them come and film my children or my house! The babies are adorable and many of their facial expressions are universal. Even Kansas Dad seemed to enjoy the bits and pieces he saw as he was being productive around the house while I held the sick baby and watched. This one is also available to watch instantly on Netflix.
