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Subjects
|
Historical
Fiction—More Recent Times
| From the Old
Testament era to ancient Rome to the Dark Ages--from
crusader castles to frontier settlements to Federal
era ships, these books run the gamut of history.
Tale after tale of adventure brings these various
historical epochs to life again with inspiring and
unforgettable characters. |
Ages 12 and up
Masaru
by Michael T. Cibenko
"A
must-read for anyone who appreciates Japanese
culture, lovers of history and philosophy, or
those who simply enjoy an exceptionally
well-told story."
—Jeffrey Bond, PhD
Shiro Nakagawa
comes from a family of recent converts on the
island of Kyushu. A young man of the samurai
class, Shiro studies to be a healer, but has
also heard the call to become a Catholic priest.
His plans for the future, however, are disrupted
when the Shogun in Kyoto orders all churches
closed throughout Japan. This order leads to
widespread persecution, abuse and even slaughter
of Christians throughout the islands. When the
small church of Saint Michael in Hitoyoshi is
closed, its priest Fr. Olivera arrested, and his
friend Kumiko brutally attacked, Shiro knows he
must take action. Along with his boyhood friend,
Tomi, Shiro embarks on a mission to rescue Fr.
Olivera and defend the helpless Kirishitans
of southern Kyushu. But even as the spark of
justified resistance begins to burn, Shiro and
his comrades realize that it's only a matter of
time before the Shogun’s army descends upon
Yatsushiro in full force.
Paperback ~ 272
pp. ~ $16.95 with 10% discount, $15.25 |
|
Ages 12 and up
Three Years
Behind the Guns
The True Chronicles of a
"Diddy-Box"
by John B. Tisdale
"I
can vouch for many of the facts; and the
description of the Battle of Manila Bay is one
of the best I have ever seen published."
—Admiral George Dewey, Commander at
the Battle of Manila Bay, 1898
When Commodore
George Dewey's Asiatic Squadron sailed into
Manila Bay on May 1, 1898 to defeat the Spanish
fleet, it marked a major turning point in
American history. Aboard Dewey's flagship, Olympia,
one very young sailor with a keen eye and agile
pen was writing it all down. Having run away
from home to join the navy in 1895, Jack Tisdale
hoped that he would be lucky enough to land a
berth aboard the Olympia—a modern steel
protected cruiser and flagship of the US Asiatic
Squadron. He ended up getting his wish, and a
lot more than he bargained for.
Originally published in
1908—a decade after the events described—Three
Years Behind the Guns is an amusing,
gritty look at life aboard an American
man-o'-war at a time when the United States was
on the cusp of becoming a great power.
Paperback ~ 244
pp. ~ $16.95 with 10% discount, $15.25 |
|
Ages 12 and up
Leave If You Can
by Luise Rinser
"Provided
an excellent example of someone answering God's
call to pursue the vocation He has laid before
them."
—Day By Day in Our World: One
Catholic Homeschool Family's
Journey Through Life blog
Two idealistic
girls, Angelina and Guilia, run off to join the
partisans in Italy during World War II to fight
the occupying Nazis. An ardent communist,
Angelina deplores the Catholic Church and
imagines a world where all people achieve
material salvation through social policy. The
two girls join a partisan group led by the
dashing Antonio and are soon in the fight
against the Germans. After a particularly sharp
battle, Angelina is missing and Giulia returns
to the scene to find her. To her amazement,
Angelina is living in the ruins of the abandoned
abbey of Santa Maria del Monte.
Originally written in
German in 1959, Leave If You Can is a beatiful
novella of wartime Italy that explores the
challenge of God's mystical call versus the
overpowering allure of the world.
Paperback ~ 156
pp. ~ $13.95 with 10% discount, $12.56 |
|
Ages 12 and up
The Woman in the
Trees
by Theoni Bell
"The
Woman in the Trees sets out to tell the
origin story of the Shrine of Our Lady of
Champion through the eyes of a fictional
immigrant girl from Belgium, Slainie Lafont. The
story of the Shrine is told from an oblique
angle which adds an enticing touch of mystery to
the factual elements of the tale. Servant of God
Adele Brice, the recipient of our Lady's
apparition in 1859, is not one of the central
characters of the book. Instead she flits in and
out of the story like a guardian angel, arriving
when she is most needed. Her impact on the main
characters however, particularly Slainie and her
irascible and immovably stubborn mother, is
profound....The novel entertains and informs at
the same time. Best of all, it brings the
history to life."
Paperback ~ 224
pp. ~ $19.95 with 5% discount, $18.95 |
|
Ages 9 and up
The Chestertons
and the Golden Key
by Nancy Carpentier Brown
with Regina Doman
Summer
vacation turns into an adventure for the three
Nicholl sisters when Mr. Gilbert Chesterton and
his wife Frances come to town. Eleven-year-old
Clare hopes to write a detective story.
Eight-year-old Cece wants to be a champion
roller-skater. And ten-year-old Joan just wants
to learn how to play the locked piano in the
family living room. But as they befriend the
Chestertons, skating accidents, surprising
friendships, puppet shows, and mystery-solving
ensue. Don't miss this charming children's tale
that stars one of the greatest writers of the
20th century in a truly delightful and exciting
text perfect for young kids who love to read and
learn.
Paperback ~ 134
pp. ~ $16.95 with 5% discount, $16.10 |
|
Ages 10 and up
Simon Bruté and
the Western Adventure
by Elizabeth Bartelme
This
is a reprint of a well-told story about holy
Father Simon Brute and his influence on Catholic
America. Raised in the time of the French
Revolution, Simon studied to be a doctor. But he
found his true vocation in the priesthood. He
desperately wanted to be a missionary but was
given the job of teaching at the seminary. He
finally was assigned to go to America and helped
to establish Mount St. Mary in Maryland where he
befriended St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. He was then
sent to be the first bishop in Vincennes,
Indiana on the American frontier. His dream of
being a missionary finally realized. An exciting
and inspiring story!
Paperback ~ 124
pp. ~ $12.95 with 5% discount, $12.30 |
|
Ages 12 and up
God and the
General's Daughter
by Anne Heagney
This
is based on the true story of Ethan Allen’s
daughter, Fanny! I don’t want to give away too
much in this blurb because reading the story is
so delightful. You can sort of figure out from
the title, though, that God works in wonderful
ways in Fanny’s life, and through her grows the
Church in New England. Francis Margaret Allen,
daughter of legendary Revolutionary War hero
Ethan Allen, leads a charmed life. She is
beautiful, intelligent, compassionate, and loves
the vitality of freedom in pristine Vermont.
Devoted to the “rock-bound hills” of the Green
Mountains and finding God in every blade of
grass, she doesn’t see the need for organized
religion and its needless rituals. But God has
other plans for Fanny Allen. She has but to open
her mind to the longings of her heart!
Paperback ~ 192
pp. ~ $14.95 with 5% discount, $14.20 |
|
Ages 14 and up
Flight into
Spring
by Bianca Bradbury
Opposites:
Sally Day Hammond is vivacious, tiny, coddled
and Southern; Charles Horne is silent, tall,
unbending and Northern. The American Civil War
has just ended. And a marriage is to be made
between these two? When Charles brings Sally Day
back to live with his strict New England family,
little wonder that tensions rise to the breaking
point. But Sally Day has mettle; in the
desperate honesty of this young couple’s
conflict, both young hearts may yet stretch and
truly meld. In a setting of historical depth,
skilled novelist Bianca Bradbury brings all the
resources of a heartsearching realism to the
predicaments of young married love.
Paperback ~ 184
pp. ~ $11.95 with 5% discount, $11.35 |
Out of stock
|
Ages 8 and up
Betsy's
Up-and-Down Year
by Anne Pellowski
This
is the fifth and final book in the Latsch Valley
Farm series, recounting the lives of four
generations of a Polish-American extended
family, living in neighboring homesteads in
Wisconsin. A sequel to Willow Wind Farm,
we follow Betsy Korb, now aged eight going on
nine, as she learns the lessons of sharing,
making up after quarrels, running errands and
broadening her experiences within her large and
loving family, under the firm and wise direction
of Mom and Dad and underpinned by their Catholic
faith. Told in a highly readable style, the
author, Betsy’s aunt, has carefully observed the
triumphs and disasters in the life of the
inquisitive and independent-minded Betsy as she
grapples with the ups and downs of growing up.
Paperback ~ 162
pp. ~ $14.95 with 5% discount, $14.20 |
|
Ages 8 and up
Willow Wind Farm
Betsy's
Story
by Anne Pellowski
This
is the fourth book in the popular Latsch Valley
Farm series that has so far spanned 100 years
and four generations of a Polish-American
extended family in rural Wisconsin. The story is
based on the lively experiences of Betsy Korb,
7th daughter in a family of 10 children and
niece of author Anne Pellowski. Along with
Linda, Kathy, Danny, Carol, Mona, Dorothy,
Julie, Sara and Kristine, Betsy enjoys the
fun—and disasters—that occur at “medium-sized”
Willow Wind Farm, with its cows, cattle, pigs,
chickens, cats and dogs. She partakes in all the
pleasures of a large family as well as learning
to cooperate with the necessary chores:
preparing meals, washing-up and being an alert
member of a busy, working farm. Set in the year
1967, the book describes a close and flourishing
community still connected to its European and
Catholic roots.
Paperback ~ 182
pp. ~ $14.95 with 5% discount, $14.20 |
|
Ages 8 and up
Stairstep Farm
Anna
Rose's Story
by Anne Pellowski
Wisconsin
farm life in the Latsch Valley of the 1930’s
comes alive through the eyes of imaginative Anna
Rose—a five-year-old girl who can’t wait to
catch up with her four older siblings. While
Anna Rose impatiently waits for the longed-for
start of school, her days are filled with family
work—minding geese, picking nettles, chopping
thistles, helping with the haying, minding her
three little sisters—and with family
celebrations—good food, singing, sledding, and
games of Star Light, Moonlight and Uncle
Wiggily. Based on the author’s own experiences,
this story is the third of five books which
vividly describe memorable people and events of
the Pellowski family and its Latsch Valley
descendants.
Paperback ~ 185
pp. ~ $14.95 with 5% discount, $14.20 |
|
Ages 8 and up
Winding Valley
Farm
Annie's
Story
by Anne Pellowski
Life
for six-year-old Annie Dorawa on Winding Valley
Farm—just down the road from the Pellowskis’
“first farm in the valley”—is busy and happy.
Then one day, Annie hears her father speak about
not planting that year, but instead moving into
town. Is it really possible that they might
leave their beautiful farm? What could her
father be thinking about? This new anxiety,
along with that inner imp of mischief always
threatening to get her into trouble (and which
finally does when brother John is killing
chickens at the chopping block), hover over
Annie as she works and plays with her sister and
five brothers immersed in the vigorous life of
their American-Polish community. Despite the
discovery that life is not always easy or as
she’d like it to be, Annie begins to realize
what warm security is to be found in a
hardworking family rooted in faith and love.
Paperback ~ 204
pp. ~ $14.95 with 5% discount, $14.20 |
|
Ages 8 and up
First Farm Farm
in the Valley
Anna's
Story
by Anne Pellowski
Six-year-old
Anna Pellowski’s older siblings, Jacob,
Franciszek, Barney, Mary and Pauline are exposed
to English at school, but only Polish is spoken
at home. The younger children—Anna, Julian,
Anton barely know a word of their new country’s
language, but then neither do many of their
neighbors. When the family goes to town to
celebrate the 100th birthday of the United
States, the speaker gives his speech in a mix of
German, Polish, Bohemian and Norwegian! Some
years before, in the mid 1800’s, Anna’s mother,
father and brother Baby Jacob had come from
Poland to live in a tiny sod house in Western
Wisconsin and establish the very first farm in
the entire Latsch Valley. Now the growing family
lives in a real house, with neighbors on every
side, and the world for quietly curious Anna is
filled with fascinating possibilities—as well as
lots of hard work.
Paperback ~ 194
pp. ~ $14.95 with 5% discount, $14.20 |
|
Ages 10 and up
Old Sam, Dakota
Trotter
by Don Alonzo Taylor
Homesteading
in the Dakota Territory of the 1880's would not
have been the same for 10-year-old Johnny Scott
and his younger brother, Lee, if they'd had to
do it without Old Sam. Years before, a sudden,
crippling accident had left Sam, a thoroughbred
trotter on his way to championship, in the Scott
family pasture--to die or to recover. By
default, the Scott family inherits the lamed
horse that no one else wants. But Mr. Scott soon
discovers old Sam's uncanny and invaluable
ability to do any task a larger, stronger farm
horse can do. His awkward appearance and hidden
talents proceed to cause both hilarity and
ongoing excitement for these two boys caught up
in the fast-changing world of the American
Midwest.
Paperback ~ 153
pp. ~ $14.95 with 5% discount, $14.20 |
|
Ages 10 and up
Old Sam and the
Horse Thieves
by Don Alonzo Taylor
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.
Paperback ~ 134
pp. ~ $14.95 with 5% discount, $14.20 |
|
Ages 10 and up
The Mitchells
Five for Victory
by Hilda van Stockum
The
five Mitchell children are based on the author's
own family. In the first of three books about
their adventures, Daddy has just gone off to
fight in World War II. One of his final orders
to his daughter Joan is, "No dogs!" She would
dearly love such a pet, but life is full and so
many new friends--pets as well as people--join
the Mitchells, she hardly has time to think
about dogs. The children form a club to do their
part for the war-effort--first and foremost
helping Mother, of course. Humorous and tender
incidents combine with delightful illustrations
to make the Mitchells' story truly
unforgettable.
Paperback ~ 236
pp. ~ $16.95 with 5% discount, $16.10 |
|
Ages 10 and up
Canadian Summer
by Hilda van Stockum
The
large and growing Mitchell family, transferring
their location to Montreal, can’t find a house
to buy or rent. They settle, over Mother’s
protests, for a remote, rickety summer house
deep in the woods near a lake. The dangers,
antics, quarrels, and fun which now unroll bring
each member of the family into vivid
characterization. Meanwhile we meet some
delightful French Canadians and taste the
special qualities of rural Quebec in the late
1940’s. Spiced up with van Stockum's charming
illustrations and a raft of memorable
characters, Canadian
Summer rollicking good fun and
enjoyable reading for the whole family.
Paperback ~ 181
pp. ~ $16.95 with 5% discount, $16.10 |
|
Ages 10 and up
Friendly Gables
by Hilda van Stockum
It
is two years after the events in Canadian Summer.
The Mitchells are settled in their new home,
Friendly Gables—and twins have just been added
to the family. With Mother recovering from the
births and with other changes in the household,
the children must come to terms with themselves
in new ways. Joan’s first dance; Patsy loses her
glasses; Peter’s disastrous fight; Angela’s
misadventure in the woods; Timmy’s “good news”;
and Catherine’s brush with fire--are only a few
of the incidents in the life of this busy,
growing family. With her usual humor,
compassion, and lovely illustrations, the author
brings the Mitchell “trilogy” to a satisfying
close.
Paperback ~ 165
pp. ~ $16.95 with 5% discount, $16.10 |
|
Ages 10 and up
The Cottage at
Bantry Bay
by Hilda van Stockum
This
book, written in 1938, offers a vivid picture of
an Ireland that has all but disappeared. The
O'Sullivan family invite the reader to share
their many homely adventures. Michael and Brigid
brave the wilds and gypsies on an errand for
their injured father and come home with a new
friend; twins Liam and Francie keep everyone
hopping; Mother and Father draw the family
together with story-telling, warmth and humor.
Then Michael and Brigid find a treasure which
changes the course of things for all.
Paperback ~ 239
pp. ~ $16.95 with 5% discount, $16.10 |
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Ages 10 and up
Francie on the
Run
by Hilda van Stockum
In
this sequel to The Cottage at Bantry Bay, six
year-old Francie O'Sullivan, has had a
successful operation in a Dublin hospital to
repair his club foot, but longs to return to his
beloved family in County Cork. He heads out the
hospital door, no permission asked, and boards a
train--won't any train do? Francie finds himself
making a speedy tour (in the opposite direction
from home) around the Emerald Isle, a journey
full of adventure, laughter, endearing
friendships and unforgettable characters, for
Francie and the reader. Enhanced with charming
illustrations by the author, Francie on the Run
is perfect for family read-aloud and will be
enjoyed by all ages.
Paperback ~ 293
pp. ~ $16.95 with 5% discount, $16.10 |
|
Ages 10 and up
Pegeen
by Hilda van Stockum
Young
Pegeen, one of the good friends Francie made on
his trip around the Emerald Isle in Francie on the Run,
has just lost her Grannie and is now alone in
the world. When she is told that she can't stay
on alone in the small mountain cottage, Pegeen
remembers Francie's promise to come for her
someday. With Fr. Kelly's help she writes to the
O'Sullivans, to be welcomed temporarily into
their household while she waits for word from
her uncle in America. No one, except perhaps
Francie, is quite prepared for carefree Pegeen's
knack of turning the world up on end. Her spirit
is a perfect match for his, but two such
personalities in one small cottage on Bantry Bay
have startling consequences. As with the
previous books in the series, Pegeen is enhanced
with numerous illustrations by the author and is
perfect for family read-aloud.
Paperback ~ 266
pp. ~ $16.95 with 5% discount, $16.10
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Ages 10 and up
The Winged
Watchman
by Hilda van Stockum
This
acclaimed story of World War II is rich in
suspense, characterization, plot and spiritual
truth. Every element of Nazi-occupied Holland is
united in a story of courage and hope: a hidden
Jewish child, an underdiver, a downed RAF pilot,
an imaginative, daring underground hero, and the
small things of family life which surprisingly
carry on in the midst of oppression. The
Verhagen family, who live in the old windmill
called the Winged Watchman, are a memorable set
of individuals whose lives powerfully
demonstrate the resilience of those who suffer
but do not lose faith. Includes Illustrations by
the author.
Paperback ~ 191
pp. ~ $15.95 with 5% discount, $15.15 |
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Ages 10 and up
Red Hugh, Prince
of Donegal
by Robert T. Reilly
Ireland
is oppressed by the forces of Elizabeth, the
English queen. A few strongholds in the far
northwest remain free of English domination, but
Elizabeth has her eyes on these as well. In
order to subdue Donegal, the English kidnap
prince Hugh O'Donnell, heir to his ailing
father's castle and lands, and lock him in
prison in Dublin. Red Hugh: Prince of
Donegal tells the tale of Hugh's
imprisonment, attempts to escape, and his heroic
fight against the English. Hugh was a true
champion of Irish liberty during the harsh reign
of Queen Elizabeth I in the 1580s. It is engagingly
written and is a quick and satisfying read. The
characters are very well drawn--from the brave
and long-suffering Hugh, to the indomitable
Queen Ineen Duive, Hugh's mother; from the
brawny and charming MacSweeney to the cruel
English captain Leeds. A rollicking adventure, Red
Hugh is also a great teaching tool for
Irish geography and culture.
Paperback ~ 208
pp. ~ $13.95 with 5% discount, $13.25
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Ages 8 and up
The Kitchen
Madonna
by Rumer Godden
Master
storyteller Rumer Godden deftly brings to life a
portrait of a lonely boy discovering the
creative power of love. For quiet Gregory and his sister
Janet, Marta, with her thick Ukrainian accent,
her good cooking, and her stories, is the anchor
of the house. Mother and Father, both busy
architects, are gone all day and sometimes at
night. But Marta is always there. But Marta is
unhappy and the children do not want her to go
away. When they find out that Marta desires a
“good place” in the kitchen, nine-year-old
Gregory, with precocious young Janet in tow,
sets out to find her a Ukrainian icon in busy,
modern London. Overwhelmed, frustrated and even
humiliated in the search, Gregory does not give
up nor retreat into his silence. Rather, with
each difficulty Gregory begins to draw from his
own unexpected and untapped well of faith and
resourcefulness.
Paperback ~ 208
pp. ~ $14.95 with 5% discount, $14.20 |
Out of Stock
|
Ages 9 and up
Nacar the White
Deer
A Story of Old Mexico
by Elizabeth Borton de
Treviño
A
deep friendship springs up between a boy, who
had lost his voice and his mother at the same
tragic moment, and an ailing albino deer sent
from China as a gift to the King of Spain. It is
Lalo's task to nurture the sick deer back to
health in the mountains of Mexico so that he
will be well enough for the sea voyage to Spain.
This gentle story of Mexico in 1630 follows
young Lalo on his journey back to the Mountain
of the Sleeping Lady. The journey and months the
deer and the boy spend with Lalo's goats are
full both of dangers found in a wild landscape
and of charming incidents found in a people
brimming with life and faith.
Paperback ~ 130
pp. ~ $10.95 with 5% discount, $10.40 |
Out of Stock
|
Ages 10 and up
Ship's Boy with
Magellan
by Milton Lomask
Young
Pedro, the son of a Spanish nobleman, must flee
Seville to escape his uncle who seeks to rob him
of his inheritance. On board the Trinidad,
Magellan's flagship, Pedro finds sanctuary...and
adventure. Any childhood dreams Pedro had of
life on the high seas pale in comparison to the
real perils and victories he experiences on the
first voyage to circumnavigate the globe. To
return to Spain and claim his inheritance, Pedro
must survive hostile natives and mutinous crews
in this tale of wooden ships and iron men.
Paperback ~ 176
pp. ~ $14.95 with 5% discount, $14.20 |
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Ages 10 and up
Madeleine Takes
Command
by Ethel C. Brill
Based
on a true account of colonial New France, this
book tells the tale of 14 year old Madeleine
Verchère. Madeleine is left alone with two
younger brothers and a few others to guard the
family fort when the Iroquois unexpectedly
attack. Using determined strategems, Madeleine
and her small band attempt to stave off the
assault in this harrowing tale of frontier life
in colonial Canada.
Paperback ~ 224
pp. ~ $14.95 with 5% discount, $14.20 |
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