Books of Hope and Joy, 2014

I don’t know about you, but the week between Christmas and New Year’s is a big thinking week. I dream. I plan. I hope. I get excited for all the possibilities a new year offers.

An idea popped into my head last week, a fun way to intentionally grow in virtue and faith and stories with the kids. As I kept thinking about it (probably while nursing the baby, when most of my ideas come to me), I thought about how neat it would be to choose one book a month to read as a family, do crafts or projects related to the story, or eat food similar to what a certain saint would have eaten, anything that comes to mind as a project to do as we read. Some of the books will be fictional, some will be factual. Some are picture books, some are chapter books. All will be inspiring.

Here is my tentative list, as of January 2. If you have the books, join in and share in the fun and discussion in the comments!

1-St. Thomas Aquinas, the Story of the Dumb Ox by Mary Fabyan Windeatt       St. Thomas is our patron saint for our home school, and his feast day is this month.

2-The King of the Golden City by Mather Mary Loyola       This is a great read for children preparing for First Holy Communion, and Sweet Pea is that this year. We’ll read it again as a family, like we did when Chickadee was preparing 2 years ago.

3-Angels for Kids by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle

4-Blessed John Paul II by Susan Helen Wallace, FSP     Bl. John Paul II will be canonized in April, so we’ll read this in April.

5-The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

6-A Life of Our Lord for Children by Marigold Hunt

7-The Children of Fatima by Mary Fabyan Windeatt

8-The Princess and the Kiss by Jennie Bishop       This will be specifically for the girls. There is a boys’ version, The Squire and the Scroll, which we will also read.

9-Our Holy Father, the Pope, The Papacy from Saint Peter to the Present by Don R. Caffery

10-Bernadette, the Little Girl from Lourdes by Sophie Maraval-Hutin

11-Bambinelli Sunday, A Christmas Blessing by Amy Welborn

12-Bible Stories