Reading is one of my favorite ways to sprinkle liturgical living into our everyday life. Cuddling up with a book is a favorite activity around here (as I’m sure it is in most homes with kids), and so I make sure that we have plenty of faith-based books on hand.
In addition to being snuggly and enjoyable, reading has the benefit of being the original open-and-go activity, meaning that this busy mom of five doesn’t have to prepare a craft ahead of time or shop for the ingredients of a liturgical appropriate meal. Don’t get me wrong: Our family enjoys crafts and special meals, but sometimes simple is best.
In honor of All Saints’ Day, I like to use the month of November to introduce my kids to new saints. It broadens their horizons for what a saint can look like, and it is a way to help them grow their saint posse. So when November rolls around, all of our favorite saint compilations move to the book baskets for easy access.
This is what I’ve pulled out this year.
Picture books and read-alouds
Here are a few of our favorite read-aloud compilations about the saints.
“Light of Heaven: A Children’s Book of Saints” by Adalee Hude: For a short introduction to some of the Catholic Church’s best-loved men and women, you can’t beat Adalee Hude’s “Light of Heaven” (OSV, $16.95). The text is short and simple, making this an ideal book for the younger crowd, who will get lost in the gorgeous Art Deco-style illustrations. As an extra special Catholic bonus, this book can serve as an introduction to Latin, as Hude includes a Latin word under each saint portrait. There is also an accompanying coloring book.
“Saints Around the World” by Meg Hunter-Kilmer: Meg Hunter-Kilmer is well known and loved on social media for her eloquent and educational posts about obscure saints, and in this children’s book, she pulls all of that knowledge together with a talent for bringing the information down to a child’s level without dumbing it down. Featuring more than one hundred saints from every continent, “Saints Around the World” (Emmaus Road Publishing, $22.95) is one of my kids’ favorites to flip through. The sweet illustrations make them stop and look, but the text keeps them on a page. The biographies are just the right length to allow you to read about two or three different saints before bed.
“Sitting Like a Saint” by Dr. Gregory and Barbara Bottaro: This book is as brilliant as it is beautiful. Written by the author of “The Mindful Catholic” and his wife, the Bottarros use stories about the saints to introduce children to breathing and relaxation techniques. As a parent, I love that this book combines our faith with tools to help my kids with their big emotions. My kids love that the book is interactive and gives them a chance to move. We all love the colorful illustrations by Michael Corsini.
For independent readers
I like to put out some chapter books and longer biographies for my independent readers. These are all saint books geared toward older children.
“God’s Superheroes” by Mary Bajda: This set was released last year and quickly became two of the most dog-eared books on our shelf. The graphic-novel styling of “God’s Superheores” (OSV, $24.95) caught my kids’ attention, and the well-written text held it as they devoured both books in a single afternoon. As the title suggests, these books present the saints as akin to superheroes — full of the gifts and talents from God that help them fight evil and fulfill their purpose in life. Bajda does a great job of making the saints accessible and cool to a difficult age group.
“The Loyola Treasury of Saints”: By far the largest and longest book in our basket this month, “The Loyola Treasury of Saints” (Loyola Press, $28.95) is a gem. My big kids love flipping through the pages to find someone they haven’t encountered yet, and I often hear them reading aloud pieces of the biographies or the captions below the images to their younger siblings.
The Chime Traveler Series by Lisa Hendey: This is my favorite chapter book series for Catholic kids. In it, kids will travel back in time with twins Katie and Patrick, meeting saints along the way. As she takes readers on exciting adventures alongside her characters, author Lisa Hendey offers lessons not just about the saints themselves but what their lives can teach us without being heavy-handed or preachy. In addition to being captivating reads, these books are full of wonderful opportunities to have faith-based conversations with your kids.
Books on becoming a saint
Because the goal of learning about the saints is to inspire us to get to heaven ourselves, here are two of my favorite books for children that will help them understand what it means to find their own path to sanctity.
“I’m a Saint in the Making” by Lisa Hendey: This lovely book is another title we love from Lisa Hendey. In addition to teaching about the saints themselves, “I’m a Saint in the Making” (Paraclete Press, $14.99) puts the focus on the ways that all of us are called to be saints. The practical and concrete approach to becoming a saint will convince you and your kids that getting to heaven is a realistic goal. And as a bonus, there’s a section for parents filled with resources and tips to help your family.
“Lily Lolek, Future Saint” by Katie Warner: With bright, colorful illustrations and engaging rhyme, “Lily Lolek, Future Saint” (TAN, $16.95) is sure to capture the imagination of younger and older kids alike. The story is beautiful and simple — a little girl who loves to pretend to be different saints is saddened by the realization that she can’t live up to their greatness. It’s her parish priest who teaches Lily the important lesson that God doesn’t want another Thérèse or Augustine, he wants her to just be herself. My kids immediately identified with Lily and were fascinated by the idea that a child can be a saint right here and now.
Happy All Saints’ Day, and happy reading! May these books help your family learn and grow as you work toward Heaven!
Colleen Pressprich is the author of “The Women Doctors of the Church” (OSV, $16.95). She writes from Michigan.
