Erin’s Ring by Laura H. Pearl Presented in a story-within-a-story, Erin’s Ring offers an historical novel set within the story of two contemporary teen-age friends from very different kinds of families. Both stories have elements of Catholicism offered as ordinary and important parts of life. The small town setting is appealing and the characters are …

The Other Side of Freedom by Cynthia T. Toney In a southern farming community in 1925, thirteen-year-old Salvatore and his Italian immigrant father become involved against their will in a crime that results in the murder of an innocent man and family friend. Will Sal keep the secrets about that night as his father asks, …

Julia’s Gifts by Ellen Gable As a young girl, Julia began buying gifts for her future spouse, a man whose likeness and personality she has conjured up in her mind, a man she calls her “beloved.” Soon after the United States enters the Great War, Julia impulsively volunteers as a medical aid worker, with no …

Book Review – The Gate by Nancy Carabio Belanger First-place winner, Best Catholic Novel–Catholic Press Association 2014 Book Awards For smart-aleck Josh, being a Christian in the eighth grade is completely irrelevant, especially with the temptations that middle school can bring. For him, life is all about playing video games, getting money, and causing trouble. …

Book Review – A Single Bead by Stephanie Engelman On the anniversary of the plane crash that took the life of her beloved grandmother and threw her own mother into a deep depression, 16-year-old Katelyn Marie Roberts discovers a single bead from her grandmothers rosary-a rosary lost in the crash. A chance encounter with a …

Book Review – Awakening by Claudia Cangilla McAdam Fear drives me forward as I rush down a rocky path in Jerusalem, trying to sort things out even as dusk makes it harder to hurry. Am I really an American girl, cast back to the time of Jesus? Or a delusional Jewish teen, plagued with visions of …

Book Review – 7 Riddles to Nowhere by A.J. Cattapan 7 riddles. 1 fortune. Way too many competitors. All seventh grader Kameron Boyd wants to do is keep his little Catholic school from closing. It’s the only school where they’ve made life as a selective mute somewhat bearable. As the school faces financial distress, Kam …

Book Review – The Relic of Perilous Falls by Raymond Arroyo Will Wilder is a mischievous, headstrong twelve-year-old with an otherworldly gift—he alone can see the nefarious creatures encroaching on Perilous Falls. For nearly a century, a sacred relic has protected his hometown from the raging waters surrounding it. But when Will “borrows” the relic …

Book Review of The Perfect Blindside by Leslea Wahl He’s an egotistical snowboarder with a silver medal. She’s a judgmental honors student with a flair for photography. Slashed tires…. False accusations…. A coded message…. When all they can see is each other’s flaws, how can Jake and Sophie work together to figure out what’s really …

Book Review of The Destiny of Sunshine Ranch by T.M. Gaouette 10 year old Benedict has been moved from one foster home to another, and he’s hated every one. When he arrives at Sunshine Ranch, he doesn’t bother unpacking. What’s the point? But his new foster parents and siblings are very different from what he’s …