So you’ve decided to write a book! You might attack the admittedly daunting task the way I did the first time around: I started with what I thought happened first, wrote it, then what I thought happened next, wrote it, and repeated until I got to about 300 pages. I […]
A Field Guide to the Flavia de Luce Mystery Series
Alan Bradley, born in Ontario had two older sisters. His father left the family during Alan’s early years. Alan withdrew into the world of books, often reading in a cemetery. His award-winning Flavia de Luce Mysteries, set not in Canada, but in rural England described an eleven year old girl […]
The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon: No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (14), by Alexander McCall Smith
For those who have never read any of the previous episodes of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, this is a wonderful place to start, I would think, because episode 14 reviews so much of the past. Otherwise, the faithful followers of Precious Ramotswe and Grace Makutsi will enjoy […]
A Man of Good Zeal: A Novel Based on the Life of Saint Francis de Sales, by John E. Beahn
Saint Francis de Sales, aristocrat, swordsman, lawyer, author, priest, bishop, loving evangelist, Doctor of the Church and inspiration to millions–his life and message remain particularly relevant in today’s world where discord and violence run rampant, often in the name of religion. Beahn’s novel considers the life of Francis from the […]
NaNoWriMo Approacheth!
What is NaNoWriMo? For the uninitiated, this acronym is short for National Novel Writing Month, and it has taken place every November since its inception in 1999. The idea is to crank out 50,000 words between November 1 and November 30—which works out to be 1667 words per day. Every […]
The DNA Connection: Tannenhauser’s Theory, by Joan L. Kelly
High schools and school systems that promote curriculum integration must consider Joan L. Kelly’s The DNA Connection: Tannenhauser’s Theory. The author has stirred genetics, technology, high-powered research, American history, art, social justice and ethics into the flow of this “timely” action-adventure thriller. A quick look at the book cover disclosed […]
The Chronicles of Xan III: The Fire of Eden (OakTara Publishers, 2013) by Antony Barone Kolenc
For better or worse, others have imposed major decisions and their consequences on the lives of children. Nevertheless, even young people have made decisions that affected the rest of their lives. In Chronicles of Xan III: The Fire of Eden like Adam and Eve, most of the characters in this […]
The Chronicles of Xan II: The Haunted Cathedral, by Antony Barone Kolenc (published by OakTara, 2013)
How could a story about Xan, a twelfth century English orphan possibly relate to today’s youngsters? Xan was neither caped-crusader nor superhero. Violence destroyed his neighborhood and family. He was poor, undernourished, homeless, and the victim of bullies. His relationship with his girlfriend became very complicated. Xan had no real […]
The Chronicles of Xan, Part I: Shadow in the Dark (Second Edition, OakTara Publishers 2013) by Antony Barone Kolenc
This and the next three posts address topics in juvenile and young adult fiction with an eye toward developing a list of titles that affirm Catholic values and which may serve as suggestions to those who chose books for reading programs in schools. Please feel free to add to the […]