Adventures of Faith, Hope, and Charity: Finding Patience by Virginia Lieto has all the elements familiar to most children: families in transition, siblings, new classmates, loneliness and puppies!
For children, waiting for anything seems endless! Faith Livingstone, age eight, would agree; she has just moved to a new town and is about to enter a new school. Faith wants so badly to make new friends and feel like she belongs in her new surroundings. It all can’t happen fast enough for Faith! The book journeys with Faith as she struggles to make new friends and learns an important lesson in the value of the virtue of patience.
Here’s an excerpt from the book:
After school, Faith ran up to her room.
Mama rushed up the stairs and knocked on the door. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
Faith sobbed, “Nobody likes me!”
“No, no,” replied Mama. “They just don’t know you yet.”
“I want to go home,” cried Faith, “to be with my friends!”
Mama took Faith in her arms and said, “Faith, this is our home. Daddy’s job is here and we all need to be together as a family.”
As the story unfolds in scenes and terms that symbolize virtues, the reader finds that love brings Faith the patience she longs for as well as the friend she needs.
Finding Patience is as beautifully written by Virginia Lieto as it is illustrated by Carole Hahn Panzner. Their unpretentious style reminds me of the early readers that helped my children transition to reading by themselves. With reluctance, I gradually gave up my place of honor reading to them, and moved into the background, looking over their shoulders to help with a word or two. Finally I was consigned to listen to them read aloud from across the family room as I fixed dinner or sorted laundry.
Those books of old did not have the precious splendor of imparting lasting spiritual values to young readers. Nor did they satisfy me that my four children were learning anything other then reading skills and a few facts now and then. Finding Patience gives us a stunning tool to instill the virtues of Faith, Hope, Charity, Love, and Patience in children through the characters that make the pages fly by. I will invite one of my grandchildren to enjoy this book with me, for it is too good not to share!
Nancy Ward
Nancy Ward, convert, journalist, author, and speaker, writes from Texas about Catholicism, conversion and Christian community at NancyHCWard.com, JOYAlive.net, and other websites and magazines. Through her Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story workshops, retreats and DVD, she shares her conversion story in Catholic parishes and at conferences, equipping others to share their stories. She contributed to the award-winning The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion, facilitates two Catholic Writers Guild critique groups, serves on the Guild’s Board, and speaks at national writers conferences.
I like thiѕ post, enjoyed this one thanks foor posting.
“The goal of revival is conformity to the image of Christ, not imitation of animals.” by Richard
F. Lovelace.
Virginia’s book makes a great gift–or one to read aloud so you get the fun of it too!
Thank you, Nancy, for this review. I am Christmas shopping for my grandkids already, and I always like to include books.
lovely review. I’m going to get a copy to share with my grands.
Yes, Deanna! They will love it!