Book Resources

Tony thinks it's dumb to have a picnic in October every year. He thinks it's dumb to go all the way to Liberty Island for a birthday, too. It's too far. And it's too cold. And it's just plain embarrassing. But that's what he thinks before he helps the lady who can't speak English--and before he begins to understand what the Statue of Liberty means to Grandma.

What are Santa's roots? What is the history of Saint Nicholas? We'll examine the religious connections, the St. Nicholas icons, the art, the lore and how and when the story of Saint Nicholas moved into Santa Claus as myth, character, and even as salesman. We'll take a look at the ways in which Santa Claus has maintained his hold on us through the decades. Certainly in terms of film, the magical 1947 "Miracle on 34th Street" continues to captivate us even today. In the modern era, Santa is re-created again and again. What is the draw? Why the Santa attraction for big name entertainers in all mediums, especially the movies and recordings of holiday music?   A & E Biography on Santa Claus.

When little Maurice is brought home for the first time, his family is excited to find out who he will grow up to be. Will he become a baker like Papa? A writer like Mama? A taxi driver like Uncle Eddie? Or a gardener like Grandmother Marcela? Everyone wants to find out, but as Maurice begins to grow, his family soon discovers that he has a special gift of his own -- a beautiful voice. This is a gentle, pleasing read that will strike a chord with every child who has ever wondered about his future, and every parent who has been wonderfully surprised by it.

A superb tool to help parents explain in a child's language how Orthodox Christians pray, make the sign of the cross, light a candle, kiss an icon, and receive Communion. Preschool and up. Paperback. 32 pages.

A colorful book featuring one saint from each month of the year with a colorful icon and brief one-page biography for each of the twelve saints. Christina feels the more she knows about the saints, the more she loves Jesus. For children of elementary school age. 32 pages. 6 3/4 x 9 3/4.

Basic Manual (for 4 Year Olds) Pupil's Manual: Take-home sheets included for each lesson try to encourage family involvement in the child's religious growth and development. Call 1.800.464.2744.

The Young Falcons is, perhaps, the best magazine for young people in the Orthodox Church (or anywhere for that matter) that I have come across. It is produced by the Serbian Orthodox New Gracanica Metropolitanate and edited by V. Rev. Fr. Thomas Kazic. It is always a pleasure to report another step forward taken by Orthodox Christian people. This short revue of the magazine, "Little Falcons" is a record of just such a step. The magazine claims to be "bringing our Orthodox Faith and heritage together." How is this to be done? By being fun, educational, interesting, while teaching the traditional Orthodox piety. We're sure that Little Falcons is so interesting that parents, grandparents, older brothers and sisters, all will find themselves caught up in all the "goodies" this magazine has to offer. It is no wonder. Little Falcons is so well organized from the front to the back cover, that it almost seems to have just "fallen off the press!"  For more information, please write to: Little Falcons P.O. Box 371 Grayslake, IL 60030

The mother sings to her sleeping baby: "I'll love you forever / I'll love you for always / As long as I'm living / My baby you'll be." She still sings the same song when her baby has turned into a fractious 2-year-old, a slovenly 9-year-old, and then a raucous teen. So far so ordinary--but this is one persistent lady. When her son grows up and leaves home, she takes to driving across town with a ladder on the car roof, climbing through her grown son's window, and rocking the sleeping man in the same way. Then, inevitably, the day comes when she's too old and sick to hold him, and the roles are at last reversed. Each stage is illustrated by one of Sheila McGraw's comic and yet poignant pastels. (Ages 4 to 8)

This charming, beautifully illustrated story for children and adults demonstrates how small acts of kindness, in this case a boy hugging his mother, can lead to great acts of love.

While How to Build the Grandma Connection provides practical information, Susan Bosak's bestseller Something to Remember Me By is in many ways a companion book that offers inspiration. With richly-detailed watercolor art by Laurie McGaw, this 32-page picture book about love and legacies across generations has won six national awards and sold over 150,000 copies. It tells the moving tale of the special relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter over the years. The book has touched the hearts of young and old across the country and is a bestselling gift book for children, mothers, and grandmothers.