St. Patrick's Summer: A Children's Adventure Catechism [Paperback]

Marigold Hunt (Author), Theodore Schluenderfritz (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Between catechism lessons taught by saints, the children travel back in time to witness persecuted Catholics risking their lives to attend furtive Masses in Roman days, in Reformation England, and in the Soviet Union just a few decades ago. Through words and witnessing, deeds and doctrine, adventurous Michael and Cecilia learn the central truths of our Catholic Faith and discover how important they are, even today.Author: Marigold HuntPages: 288, PaperbackPublisher: Sophia Institue PressISBN: 192883292X

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 279 pages
• Publisher: Sophia Institute Press (September 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 192883292X
• ISBN-13: 978-1928832928
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,020,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful adventure catechism, September 8, 2008

By 

Rich Leonardi (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: St. Patrick's Summer: A Children's Adventure Catechism (Paperback)

Sophia Institute Press is to be commended for bringing this wonderful "adventure catechism" back into print. "St. Patrick's Summer" is the story of Michael and Cecilia, two elementary school-aged children in England who are taken on a guided tour of the Catholic faith by various figures from salvation history, e.g., St. Patrick, Eve, Abraham.

Doctrinal points are woven into the story's narrative and presented in a clear, orthodox fashion. Especially useful are the many asides and explanations. How our eternal God sees time, for example, is likened to how an airplane pilot sees an entire river from thousands of feet above the ground. Our vantage point is correspondingly narrower since we, unlike God, exist in the "river" of time.

The book was written in the 1950s, so the chapters on the Mass describe the Roman rite as it existed before Vatican II. This is especially useful to us, as we intend to participate in the "extraordinary form" on occasion. That said, the theology of the liturgy presented here would benefit any Catholic Mass-goer.

We've gone through Baltimore Catechism I as a family several times, and are using "St. Patrick's Summer" as something of a refresher for family reading hour. Our children range in ages from 2 to 12, and this book seems to be ideal for those 8 and up. If you are interested in supplementing a standard catechism or "mixing things up" with a new resource, this is your book. Highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Catechesis and adventure all rolled into one book, December 12, 2010

By 

Karen in Mommyland (NJ) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: St. Patrick's Summer: A Children's Adventure Catechism (Paperback)

Do you have a child who likes to read stories that involve some element of adventure? If you do, and he or she is a Catholic youth, St. Patrick's Summer: A Children's Adventure Catechism is likely to please. I wasn't all that sure what to expect based on the title of the book. Was it a book just about St. Patrick or was there more to it than that?

Without spoiling the book, St. Patrick's Summer is a story about two children who are preparing to receive their first Holy Communion. The boy and girl in this story remind me an awful lot of the children in the Magic Tree House series of books, only the children in this book are older than the Magic Tree House children. The adventures the children go on with St. Patrick and the other visitors the children encounter also remind me of the Magic Tree House books. My daughter thoroughly enjoys books where the past comes alive for modern day children, and this is just the sort of book that appeals to her.

Through the adventures and encounters the children have with St. Patrick and the other visitors they receive solid catechesis in areas that many people (children and adult alike) may have trouble wrapping their mind around. For example, there is a wonderful explanation of the Blessed Trinity that will give your child a better understanding of this mystery than I've managed to find in any religious education text book.

It's worth noting that this book was originally published in 1950 and makes reference to the Mass being in Latin and not English. Because of this your child may be slightly confused, but it's something I feel is easily explained to a child who is old enough to read this book.

As far as the reading level of this book is concerned, I'd say it's best suited to children in grades 4-7. The book will easily appeal to both boys and girls. I found the book to be well written. The story line will keep young readers wanting to know what will happen to the story's main characters next while they receive solid catechesis at the same time.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher, Sophia Institute Press, in exchange for my honest review.