Mama's Reading: The Awakening of Miss Prim

Yesterday, Anne Bogel wrote about books chosen for her by her family. In that post, she wrote, “Fiction is a great empathy builder, because the process of entering into a different—albeit imaginary—world forces the reader to see things from another point of view.

I’ve been thinking and thinking about that quote. I read fiction voraciously as a child, a teenager, and a college student. I inhaled it. It was the air I breathed, the force-- more than any other-- that formed me. I think I’m very empathetic. Actually, if one can be too empathetic, that’s me.

And then I stopped.

Just like that. In 1990, I stopped reading fiction altogether. As my children grew, I’d read kidlit to them or with them, but I never picked up adult fiction.  1990 was the year I had cancer.

Before cancer, I fully expected my life to unfold like a novel. There’d be some conflict, some struggle, and then there’d be resolution and happily ever after. Of course not every novel I read was so tidy, but most were. My childhood was a turmoil, so I figured that when I left home and married, that was my denouement. It would be smooth sailing from there.

As anyone who has every married and had children can attest, that was a ridiculous supposition. Married life is full of turmoil of its own. In my case though, cancer was an abrupt, rude wake up call in my happily-ever-after daydream. With it came more raw emotion than ever before (and believe me, the before was plenty packed with emotion). In the past, reading had been my escape—into other people’s carefully crafted worlds where I was safe from reality and able to engage without fearing. During and after cancer, I was so filled with my own emotions and those of my husband and son that I couldn’t take on anyone else’s—not even those of fictional people, especially since I have a heightened sense of empathy.

A few years ago, I started reading fiction again. I began to allow myself to get lost in the story, to feel with the characters, to be carried on emotion. I have no idea why this happened when it did. I have not had emotional margin in about five years. But happen it did and I'm very glad. The nice thing about neglecting fiction for 20 years or so? I have a backlog of great books to be read.

As I read, I have the impulse to share, to discuss. That never happened pre-cancer. Books were always my private world. Now, I’m aware that there are people, like me, who always have their noses in a book, who enter fully into fictional worlds and who see them as clearly as I do. That is a happy discovery!

So, let’s see if once a week or so I can share with you what I’ve been reading in the last couple years.

First up is The Awakening of Miss Prim. I adore this book! Love, love, love it.  I binge read it in an afternoon. Then, I picked it up a few months later and read it again. Now, it lives in a basket on my nightstand and I just leaf through it every now and again and read a few random pages at a time. It fills me. It's also book most likely to be Instagrammed  because, well, it's just such a pretty book;-). 

This is a beautifully written debut novel translated from Spanish. Set in the fictional town of San Ireneo de Arnois, it’s the story of Prudencia Prim, who answers an ad to care for the library of an eccentric, well educated, and (I think) utterly charming gentleman. He's a faith -filled man who lives according to principle and he's able to talk intelligently about almost every book imaginable, save Little Women (what?).

It’s a story of pride and prejudice with Austen-like characters. It’s the story of conversion with some C. S. Lewis-like dialogue. It’s the story of an idyllic town where people live their convictions that, for all its unrealistic idealism, is also somehow inspirational. There is even a packing and leaving reminiscent of The Sound of Music. To read the book is to want to bake a pie, brew tea, engage in community, talk literature, and enter into the mysteries of faith.

For an educator, there is a strong current of educational philosophy throughout the book. The town’s children have the best of all worlds: community school and home education, together harmoniously, with each person giving according to his strengths. It’s remarkably simple and yet just beyond reach for those of us outside the fictional village.

Faith, love, literature, philosophy: it’s all there—masterfully written in such a way that this book begs to be discussed. It is charming and intellectual, replete with delightful literary references and yet, at the same time, it’s the story of a soul and its simple turn towards the source of beauty.

““I have to tell you that equality has nothing to do with marriage. The basis of a good marriage, a reasonably happy marriage-don’t delude yourself, there is no such thing as an entirely happy marriage-is, precisely, inequality. It’s essential if two people are to feel mutual admiration. Listen carefully to what I’m about to tell you. You must not aspire to finding a husband who’s your equal, but one who’s absolutely and completely better than you...
[Men] must seek women who, from one or several points of view, are better than them. If you look back over history you’ll see that most great men, the truly great ones, have always chosen admirable women...
If you reflected a little more deeply you’d realize that you can only admire that which you do not possess. You do not admire in another a quality you have yourself, you admire what you don’t have and which you see shining in another in all its splendor.””

““What beauty will save the world?” she murmured.
He peered at her through the gloom inside the car.
”Dostoyevsky, Prudencia? Dostoyevsky? If I were you, I’d start worrying.”
Miss Prim, snugly wrapped in her employer’s coat, gave a happy grin, unseen in the darkness. ”

““You say you’re looking for beauty, but this isn’t the way to achieve it, my dear friend. You won’t find it while you look to yourself, as if everything revolved around you. Don’t you see? It’s exactly the other way around, precisely the other way around. You mustn’t be careful, you must get hurt. What I am trying to explain, child, is that unless you allow the beauty you seek to hurt you, to break you and knock you down, you’ll never find it.” ”

““So seek beauty, Miss Prim. Seek it in silence, in tranquillity; seek it in the middle of the night and at dawn. Pause to close doors while you seek it, and don’t be surprised if it doesn’t reside in museums or in palaces. Don’t be surprised if, in the end, you find beauty to be not in Something but Someone.” ”

My copy is dog-eared and highlighted. So many lovely lines to revisit!

I do have to admit I was disappointed with the ending. It seemed abrupt after such careful plot and character development. I wanted to know so much more about Miss Prim’s personal journey after she left San Ireneo. If I’d been Natalia Fenollera’s editor, I would have asked to see the letters that were exchanged between Miss Prim and Mrs. Thiberville during Prudencia’s time away. I’ve literally lain awake at night imagining what those letters held.

If you’ve read it, what do you think the letters said?

If you haven’t read The Awakening of Miss Prim, treat yourself. Right now. Go ahead. Indulge. You’ll be so glad.

Summer Reading

We're changing things up around here this summer. Instead of the traditional "How many books can you read this summer?" kind of challenge posed by the library and some local businesses, we're going for "How big a book can you read?"

My summer theme (come on, all your seasons have themes, too, don't they?) is Slow. I want to nurture slow. I want to practice slow. Every person in this house needs to pull over to the slow lane. We've been going so fast and so hard for so long, we've forgotten what slow feels like. To sit idle seems like some sort of sin. To face a day without a lengthy to-do list makes one feel untethered. We've forgotten how to be still and know.

There's nothing like a fat book to slow a soul into a place of rest. 

I chose some fat books for summer reading this year. For the girls, the bonus was pretty new editions of fat books. Sarah will read The Little Princess. She has heard this story read aloud and loved it as much as any little girl named Sarah who has a heart for good will love Sara Crewe. She loved it a lot. And she's over-the-moon delighted with this pretty version. There have been literal sighs of contentment coming from her direction.

Karoline is my voracious reader. She's the one who reminds me all these years later what I thought the biggest benefit to homeschooling would be: the opportunity to stay up late and binge read and not have to get up for the bus in the morning. She reads like I do-- with her whole self invested in the story. She's been burning through the Harry Potter series with a goal to read the last book before our late August beach trip in order to move on and pack Rick Riordan in her beach bag. So, she was annoyed by my suggestion that she read Little Women and Anne of Green Gables this summer. I did have a plan, though. First, she's got four chapters left of Harry Potter Book 6. She'll be finished tomorrow. Then, that only leaves Book 7. Two weeks, max. There's a whole lot of summer between the second week of June and the last week of August. ...

She'll read Little Women and Katie will read Anne and then they'll swap. Both girls have heard both books read aloud. I'm huge fan of read alouds and I dearly love Audible. I have an Audible book going for my personal reading at all times. Always. It's my sanity (and we'll talk about that tomorrow). My kids, too, have all grown up with books read aloud. It's so good for them to hear quality language all the time.

But let's talk a minute about some pitfalls. At a recent conversation in our family about a beloved book, my third child looked up with endearing big brown eyes and said, "I have absolutely no idea what you all are talking about. I have no recall about that book whatsoever." 

"Yes, you do," replied his sister with authority. "We listened to it in the car that time we drove to Florida when Karoline was baby..."

"Oh, yeah," he said. "I remember the South of the Border signs and counting the Walmarts off every exit in Georgia."

"But do you remember the story at all?" I asked.

"Nope. Not a bit. Now that she's mentioned it, I do remember a story, but I have no idea the details of it."

This is amazing to me, because I am 100% certain that story sunk in at the time. I have blog proof in the form of a little story of my own. 

So, I wanted to pursue this conversation a little further. Patrick has ADHD. There is no doubt about it. He knows it. I know it. Everyone in the athletes' study center knows it. Everyone who has sat next to him at Mass knows it. He is in perpetual motion even when sitting down and his mind wanders--big time. He also finished his undergraduate degree in three years and he'll have a Master's Degree by December. He knows his strengths and his weaknesses and how to work with both. 

As we talked about the book, the trip, and countless other books on audio in the car, he explained how he'd hear snatches of the book and then go off on rabbit trails in his own mind, asking all the questions, making up answers, detailing his own narratives, and pretty much zoning out. He's a smart kid, so he could hold his own in discussions later and he clearly wowed me with his ability to absorb the particular speech patterns of the book. But years later, he remembers almost nothing of the content of many, many books.

The conversation then included the girl who'd been his sidekick for all those stories, the one who actually did remember the book. 

"I hate audio books," she pronounced firmly. "Hate them. I want to see the words. I want to have the language in front of me. It doesn't become a part of me unless I see it. I remember the audio books, but I also remember being frustrated because I couldn't see them."

Another now-grown child, the one whose sense of story is strong, but who still fights with the printed page all these years later: "I remember every story. I can tell you where we were when we listened and whether or not I liked the narrator." And boy, does he remember the details.

Here's the thing: Every child needs to develop the ability to listen to a story. It's a necessary skill. But that means of delivery won't play to every child's strength. Some books are worth "reading" both ways. For some books, the printed language is so excellent and will so impact the child's writing that it should not be missed. For some books, the lyrical quality of the words really do beg to spoken aloud. Little Women and Anne of Green Gables fit both those categories. Plus, these are beautiful editions. And (wait, there's more!), they fit our criteria for fat summer books.

So, both it is. Karoline will easily blow through both and finish well before she wants to start the Percy Jackson series. Katie will need the summer for both.

I have no idea how I found Escape from Mr. Lemencello's Library, but I ordered it for Nick when I ordered the others. It's light and fine for summer. The publisher's description pulled me in: 

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets A Night in the Museum in this action-packed New York Times bestseller from Chris Grabenstein, coauthor of I Funny, Treasure Hunters and other bestselling series with James Patterson!

Kyle Keeley is the class clown and a huge fan of all games—board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the construction of the new town library. Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot as one of twelve kids invited for an overnight sleepover in the library, hosted by Mr. Lemoncello and riddled with lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must solve every clue and figure out every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route!
”

 We loved The Mysterious Benedict Society , all of them, (that's a fabulous price on the collection;-) and this one sounds like it could be equally lovable. But it's not fat. So, for his fat book he's going to read Nation on Kindle (with backup Whispersync audio, if necessary).

 Stephen is well-read. Period. He's read them all. All of them. (Note: that booklist is really buried and I bet no one has visited it since the blog migration two years ago. I should do something about that, because even I had to adjust the code to find it...) He loves classics. He likes to dig deep. He's actually incredibly literary in a family that's full of boys who struggle to sit still with a book. It's fun to talk shop with him. For this summer, I bought him The Brothers Karamozov. I wanted strong characters with complex psychology. I wanted a book we could discuss for hours on end. I promised to read it with him. he received the book with obvious gratitude for its weight--both physically and intellectually. Good pick.

This post is long and my people are stirring, so my summer books will have to wait until tomorrow. ...

To Create a Home {and a giveaway}

I sat in a college town coffee shop early in January, waiting out the time while Patrick was in surgery, and spent some fortifying hours reading the reviewer's copy of a gem of a book. In the past few years, I've given a lot of thought to the role of women, particularly the role of women in a family. My own motherhood has been influenced more by one woman than any other. That woman is strong believer in home and a great encourager of women to invest their hearts and their time and their talent into the creation of a lifegiving home. She has mentored me and cheered me on since I was a very young mother. Her words, her voice, and her company are treasures of my heart.

That heart is battered these days--weary, worried, wondering. Did I invest too much here at home? Is the pervasive culture the one which will prevail? Will it mock me with the lofty dreams and the careful intentions standing stark against the brokenness of our realities as children grow into young adults? All families have cracked and broken places. I think, perhaps, I thought I could craft a home that would not. 

I believe in home.

Some days, I need to be affirmed in that belief.

My lovely mentor, wise and gentle, has done that so beautifully in her new book. With this book, in carefully crafted prose, Sally Clarkson has taken all the teachings of all these years and said, Yes, I know, this is going to be rough in spots and you will even stumble and fall, but keep going. Keep keeping on. This is worth doing. This matters for eternity.  And when she tells me to keep on, I find myself fortified to tell my children to keep on.

What makes this book really special is the voices of two generations. Sally shares her mothering experiences and all the love she invested in her home, and her daughter Sarah, now grown, offers her perspective. There, in the exquisite language of Sarah's heart, we hear the fruits of Sally's labors. We hear the richness of a young woman raised in an extraordinary home of love and grace. Want to know why this all matters so much? Ask Sarah. She'll tell you. 

During my time in the coffee shop with The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming, I put ink to paper and copied quotes worth keeping so that I can read them again and again. Today, I'm sharing them with you. I think these quotes will give you a glimpse of the true treasure that is this book. Brew yourself a cup of something warm and read slowly. When you're finished, leave a comment and let me know what you're thinking. You'll be entered to win a free copy of the book. I have THREE to give away. Isn't that very kind?

SALLY SAYS:

I reach hearts by cooking meals, by washing sheets and fluffing pillows, by reading a favorite book one more time even though I have it memorized.

It is not the indoctrination of theology forced down daily that crafts a soul who believes; it is the serving and loving and giving that surround the messages where souls are reached.

Food is the universal language that eases hearts to open, tying secure knots of intimacy while satisfying bodily hunger, weaving tiny threads of kindred needs into friendship, camaraderie, and truth.  

When we choose to feast together—take the trouble to make each meal, however humble, an occasion for mindfulness and gratitude—we acknowledge God’s artistry and provision and draw closer to Him as well.

“This is why I came home. I knew you all would fill me back up…” –Sally quoting Joel

 Love can heal so many wounds, and that healing often happens best in a protected environment.

 We never allowed our less-than-perfect house to keep us from inviting people in.

 It’s never quite the way we imagine it will be.

 The lives of most people I know have become increasingly fast paced, and our habits are increasingly drawn into the trivial. We read less and use Facebook more. We spend more time inside than out. We have access to more information than we’ve ever had, and yet we understand less and less. We allow the habit of busyness to replace our habits of prayer and Scripture reading. It is only natural that in the hustle and bustle of family life, craziness easily overwhelms the calm we need so badly. In our modern, consumerist culture, sometimes it seems nearly impossible to find that center.

 Wilderness experiences leave us parched, and through them God teaches us patience, trust, and compassion for others

 The more we practice remembering the story of God’s goodness, the better we can remember that, in Him, all will eventually be well.

 Our home culture has become richer because of the people we have folded into it.

 When I focus not on performance or perfection but on joy, gratitude, and service, everything seems to fall into place.

SARAH SAYS:

The goodwill of mothers is like the goodwill of God.

Home is the shelter where the lonely find rest and the sorrowing come to be comforted.

…home isn’t a place where loneliness never happens, but a place where loneliness is transformed.

Gratitude, in its very essence, yearns to give.

Through technology we have the ever-present hurry of the unsleeping modern world, and if we do not forge strong rhythms of rest and spaces of sacred quiet, that...frenzy will invade our homes and steal the life within.

The point of home is to be a refuge for the soul, a place where beauty can be encountered, truth told, goodness touched and known.

…home is the place where love makes us welcome, a shelter from which we will not be expelled.

…the cultivation of quiet spaces allows the souls within a home to take refuge in silence.

If you want to hear God speak, you need to have quiet time with Scripture. If you want to write a song, a novel, or a poem, you need to draw away and listen to all that echoes in your soul.

… it is only in the hushed spaces that we can clearly hear all that echoes in quiet skies, in the eyes of children, in our own inner voices.

…the sharing of a story accelerates the comradeship of souls.

When people inhabit a realm of imagination together, it’s inevitable that a bit of each person’s imagination and spirit is revealed to the others who sojourn in that marvelous placeA well-stocked kitchen is life for the body, but a library stocked with stories to share is eternal nourishment for the soul.

How joyous a thing it is to then arrive on the doorstep of a home whose windows are golden with waiting light, where soup is on the stove and the cupboard is stocked against any number of unexpected storms.

God grant that my home be such a shelter, a refuge whose windows are alight in welcome, drawing the lonely and wandering in from the cold.

Imagination is the first step to creation, the instigating spark that drives the actions of a hero. 

{{And if you want some more encouragement to restore your heart and home this Lent, please join us here.}}

Monday Night Football Geography and Cuisine

One of the benefits that comes with having taken the time to archive lessons in years past is that I don't have to start from scratch when I want to begin with a child's interest and take it somewhere constructive. Below is a post from 2007 together with an update. 

~*~*~*

Next week begins Monday Night Football, noted on my calendar for the entire season as "MNF."  Why does a middle-aged mama note Monday Night Football on her calendar? I like to keep track of my husband. He won't be on the couch with a beer and a bowl of chips. He'll be at every Monday Night Football site all season long (with the exception of the double-booked nights--he can't bi-locate so when MNF is at two locations, he's only at one of them;-). As much as we love sports around here and as grateful as we are for this job, this is a very long haul through the fall.

Last year, as my younger children began to figure out the rhythm to Mike's travels, we started moving a Post-it note arrow around on a big wall map so that they could see where he was. But a flat map on the wall doesn't really do much for a child's imagination. They couldn't really picture him where he was working.  Kim introduced me to the idea of geography textboxes  and I found these wonderful picture books, and an idea was born.

Every week, on Monday, we spend the afternoon reading and writing about the state where Monday Night Football is being played. The books are packed with information and illustrations and pictures. There is a short rhyming verse on each page, perfect for the little ones. The older children spend more time with the book, reading the more involved columns on the page for detail.

The year the baby arrived four weeks into football season. I relied heavily on the idea in these free unit studies which are keyed to the books. This year, I think we are going to focus only on the information in the book during our study time. Each child is creating his or her own book. The books vary according to age and interest and I'm giving the children free reign to pull out of the alphabet books what matters most to them and then to express that in their notebooks.

On Monday evenings, we watch ESPN beginning well before the game. In all honesty, this has nothing to do with geography and everything to do with our Daddy's shows. But, the bonus to our devotion is that we see great scenic shots of the places we've just read in the books. All the way up through the pre-game show and the introduction, there are sights and sounds of the state we've studied.

Finally, as he dashes through the airport on his way home, Mike collects a few postcards from each state to add to the book. All the books we will use for Monday Night Football geography (and plenty more) are linked on the sidebar. Maybe you'd like to travel with us this fall!

LOTS more resources here.

~*~*~

Update:

Mike is no longer traveling with Monday Night Football. The child whose narration is pictured above is now a a couple months away from graduating college. What follows is from two years ago. I thought the tradition would do a slow fade this year. It hasn't. Nick isn't letting this one go--maybe ever. So, tonight, we are having bratwursts with cheese. Stephen really lobbied for Kansas BBQ, but Nick, faithful keeper of the tradition, won out.

Thoughts from 2013:

 I am ever so grateful that I recorded this study when I did, because I was reminded this morning.

Longtime readers will recognize Paddy as the boy who always had a ball at his feet. In the absence of a ball, he had wadded up newspaper, socks, pillows, whatever he could get those feet on. Paddy is playing soccer at UVa now, but the incessant sound of dribbling is still making me nuts on Monday mornings.

"Nicholas, quit kicking."

"Nicholas, keep your feet still."

Nicholas, please try to finish up that lesson."

"Good golly, child, will you PLEASE stop with the dang ball!"

All before 10:00. 

Mary Beth looked at me and said "Does this feel like Paddy all over again?" 

Indeed.

The big difference is that Paddy was never a huge football fan. He was a huge Daddy fan, but football wasn't a passion. The Monday Night Football hook for him was tracking Dad. Nicholas, on the other hand, is obsessed with all things ESPN, especially football.

"Hey Nick, who plays tonight?"

"Cincinnati and Pittsburgh."

"How about if we study them today? You read these two books and then make two main lesson pages (see Paddy's examples) and we can make football food from Cincinnati and Pittsburgh."

"Wait, you mean we can have Philly Cheesesteaks?!?!"

"NOoooo, research Pittsburgh and Cincinnati food and get back to me."

And so, tonight, we will have cabbage rolls and pierogies for dinner.

Then we'll have Buckeyes for dessert. 

He's already planning menus for the rest of the season.

And later today, he's going to treat himself to T is for Touchdown.

Katie and Karoline are joining in because that's how we roll...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Lots and Lots of Books for the Feast of St. Francis

In honor of her birthday, which happens to fall on the Feast of St. Francis, I invited Karoline to read and review a new book Amy Welborn sent to our house. We have an extensive St. Francis library, linked below Karoline's review. This new book is a breath of fresh air. I think you might want to add it to your book basket before the feast on October 4th. But don't just take my word for it; Karoline (who will turn 9 on the big day), chimes in with some persuasive enthusiasm.

“This book just is AMAZING!
It just so happens that the feast of St. Francis is my birthday: October 4th ! Since St. Francis’ feast is my birthday, reading this book when it came in the mail this week was very interesting to me. But it doesn’t have to be your birthday to be interesting for you. Now I’m going to tell you a little bit about the book, but the rest you’ll have to find out on your own.

It’s about two cousins who are named Gianna and Lorenzo and their great uncle , Brother Antonio. Lorenzo and Gianna are not happy because their parents dropped them off early that morning so that they could go visit a winery. This book feels like a true story, because I’ve been left home before so my parents can visit a winery. Brother Antonio tells them about a game where they walk in Assissi and they go where St.Francis did stuff. He asks them what Francis did there. They earn points for getting the answer right. It’s a trivia game, but they walked around. I can’t give away the ending and tell you who wins the contest.

The cousins learn lessons in the book about St. Francis and his kindness and they become friends and learn about kindness and forgiveness. You have to read the book to find out any more.

I like the way my mom’s friend, Amy Welborn, wrote a biography of St. Francis at the end, so that we could get the rest of the story that we didn’t find out in the trivia game.

The illustrations are very nice. They show a lot of details and that’s good because a lot of books leave the corners of pages white and waste space that could have art. I like all the colors that the artist used to show the countryside in Italy.

That’s all I can say without telling you too much. You should buy this book.
”

— Karoline Rose Foss

What follows is a kindness of longtime reader, Chris Scarlett, who generously shares her annotated list of picture books just in time to prepare for the Feast of St. Francis. A few of these are out of print, but please don't be discouraged. They are readily available at the library (St. Francis seems more welcome there than other saints) or used for purchase on Amazon for as little as a penny! Our family has read most of these (though I admit to adding a few new-to-us ones to our library this week), and I heartily concur with Chris' notes.

Many, many thanks to Chris:-)

The feast of St. Francis of Assisi, October 4th, will be here soon. We happen to own and have used about a week's worth of resources, but we have also borrowed some gems from the library in the past. So, I decided to check them out again, and in the process went down a rabbit trail of obtaining and reading a whole bunch of others. Many non-Catholics and other people of good will seem to relate to this holy and creation-loving saint. I am only listing the ones that seem to me to be worth your time; I returned some that just didn't seem serious enough, while retaining a selection that will work across an age span of children.

Each category is arranged from simplest to more complex. 

I strongly recommend reading any authors' notes first to see where they are coming from before sharing these with your family.

* means it is in Chris' personal library

Emphasis on Life of St. Francis:

++ The Good Man of Assisi by Mary Joslin, illustrations by Alison Wisenfeld* (a good place to start)

++  Brother Francis and the Friendly Beasts by Margaret Hodges, pictures by Ted Lewin* (two important people in children's lit)

++  Saint Francis by Brian Wildsmith* (stunning art style)

++  Song of St. Francis by Clyde Robert Bulla, illustrated by Valenti Angelo (retro with very few pictures, more of an early reader)

++  Francis, The Poor Man of Assisi by Tomie dePaola (well-researched, of course)

++  Saint Francis of Assisi by Joyce Denham, illustrated by Elena Temporin (whimsical style, includes a good sampling of episodes)

++  Brother Sun, Sister Moon, The Life and Stories of St. Francis by Margaret Mayoh, illustrated by Peter Malone (lovely biography plus legendary tales)

++  Saint Francis of Assisi, A Life of Joy by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK's adult son), illustrated by Dennis Nolan (contemporary art style)

++  St. Francis by Pelagie Doane* (1960 vintage Catholic, will be harder to locate)

++ Saint Francis Sings To Brother Sun, A Celebration of His Kinship With Nature selected and retold by Karen Pandell, illustrated by Bijou Le Tord ( a lot of material, quirky artwork)

Emphasis on St. Francis' Relationship With Animals (in which you will find a blend of history and legend):

++  Brother Wolf of Gubbio, A Legend of Saint Francis by Colony Elliott Santangelo (inks and colored pencils on bass wood)

++  Saint Francis and the Wolf by Jane Langton, illustrated by Ilse Plume (simple, sweet)

++  Saint Francis and the Animals by Leo Politi (1959 classic)

++  Francis Woke Up Early by Josephine Nobisso, illuminations by Maureen Hyde (fairy tale qualities, but by a beloved Catholic author, numerous awards)

Emphasis on the First Live Nativity Scene (great for Advent)

++  Saint Francis Celebrates Christmas retold by Mary Caswell Walsh, illustrated by Helen Caswell (brief)

++  A Gift From St. Francis, The First Creche by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Michele Lemieux* (our family's favorite in this category, we say, "pazzo, pazzo" when someone is doing something crazy)

++  The Living Nativity, The Story of Saint Francis and the Christmas Manger by David and Helen Haidle (more fictional, includes lesson-extending ideas in the back)

Three Inspired by St. Francis' "Canticle of the Sun":

(your youngest will love these, all are GORGEOUS, would make great gift books)

++ The Circle of Days by Reeve Lindbergh, illustrated by Cathie Felsted* (collage)

++  Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Saint Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures reimagined by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Pamela Dalton (amazing scissor cuttings)

++ Be Blest, A Celebration of Seasons by Mary Beth Owens* (12 months, 12 wreaths, 12 poems)

Two That Include His Friend, St. Clare of Assisi:

++ . Clare and Francis by Guido Visconti, illustrated by Bimba Landmann

++  Francis and Clare, Saints of Assisi by Helen Walker Homan, illustrations by John Lawn (190 page Vision chapter book for a read aloud, or for older readers)