Another stirring tale from the Vision Books series for youth 9-15 years, this book tells the charming story of Giuseppe Sarto, "the farm boy who became Pope". Young readers will be inspired by the life of this holy man--from his youthful days of hard work and prayer to receive the education he needed; to his years as country priest, encouraging his people to holiness; through the steady promotions to pastor, monsignor, bishop, cardinal, and archbishop, which he reluctantly accepted but in which he always became the beloved of those he served; to his days as the Holy Pontiff, Pope Pius X, the only canonized Pope of this century. This simple man who never forgot the poor will always be a timely example of holiness.

Born of very humble circumstances, young Giuseppe Sarto had one burning desire while growing up on a farm--to become a priest. But never did he or his generous parents ever dream that he would one day sit in the Chair of St. Peter. This is the inspiring story of the humble "Pope of little children," whose love for Christ and children moved him to change the requirements for First Communion so that young children as early as 7 years old could receive the Holy Eucharist.

To receive Jesus in Holy Communion is to enter into a lifelong friendship with him.

In this beautifully illustrated book by Ann Engelhart, Amy Welborn introduces Pope Benedict's profound yet simple answers to various questions put to him by children in Rome who had recently made their First Holy Communion.

Pope Benedict's answers, and the children's wonderful questions concerning this very important spiritual occasion in their young lives, provide inspiring text for this beautiful gift book for First Communion.

Amy Welborn is a well-known, popular freelance writer. She is the author of many books on prayer, the saints and apologetics.  Amy lives with her family in Birmingham, Alabama.

Ann Kissane Engelhart is a watercolor artist and illustrator. She has taught art in Catholic education for many years and currently teaches painting classes in her home studio on Long Island, New York, where she lives with her husband and two children.
Her portraits and illustrations are exhibited in galleries and private collections in New York and Connecticut.

People of all religions and ages can be inspired by the devotion, sacrifice, and love of God of the men and women saints and martyrs included in this book. It contains the biographies of the Saints of North and South America, and Canada and is beautifully illustrated. Hardcover.

In My America, Lee Bennett Hopkins weaves together fifty poems -- grouped by geographic region -- to create a remarkable portrait of the United States. Here is America in all its stunning variety, from the dramatic seacoast of the Northeast and the rippling cornfields of the Plains States to the shimmering deserts of the Southwest and the majestic redwood forests of the Pacific Coast. But here, too, are the ties that bind this nation together -- the hopes and dreams of those who live in our cities and towns and on farms.

The voices of beloved poets like Langston Hughes, Carl Sandburg, Nikki Giovanni, and Lilian Moore blend with new voices to sing not just of landmarks like the Mississippi River, the Grand Canyon, and the Everglades, but of daily life across the land. Complementing these personal, moving visions of America are maps of the regions and fascinating facts for each state.

Stephen Alcorn's brilliant, textured artwork makes this book a feast for the eyes as well as for the imagination. Impressive for its breadth, depth, and beauty, My America is a volume readers will savor as they read it time and time again. It is fitting homage to our wideranging, ever-changing land.

Read and find out about how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly in this colorfully illustrated nonfiction picture book.

After a caterpillar comes to school in a jar, the children are captivated as it eats, grows, and eventually becomes a beautiful Painted Lady butterfly.

This is a clear and appealing environmental science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. Plus it includes web research prompts and an activity encouraging kids to identify the different types of butterflies all around them.

This is a Level 1 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores introductory concepts perfect for children in the primary grades. The 100+ titles in this leading nonfiction series are:

• hands-on and visual
• acclaimed and trusted
• great for classrooms

Top 10 reasons to love LRFOs:

• Entertain and educate at the same time
• Have appealing, child-centered topics
• Developmentally appropriate for emerging readers
• Focused; answering questions instead of using survey approach
• Employ engaging picture book quality illustrations
• Use simple charts and graphics to improve visual literacy skills
• Feature hands-on activities to engage young scientists
• Meet national science education standards
• Written/illustrated by award-winning authors/illustrators & vetted by an expert in the field
• Over 130 titles in print, meeting a wide range of kids' scientific interests

50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION • With meditations on youth and age, love and marriage, peace, solitude, and contentment, here is an inimitable classic that guides us to find a space for contemplation and creativity in our own lives.

"Gift from the Sea is like a shell itself in its small and perfect form ... It tells of light and life and love and the security that lies at the heart." —New York Times Book Review

Drawing inspiration from the the shells on the shore, Lindbergh's musings on the shape of a woman's life will bring new understanding to readers, male and family, at any stage of life. A mother of five and professional writer, she casts an unsentimental eye at the trappings of modern life that threaten to overwhelm us—the timesaving gadgets that complicate our lives, the overcommitments that take us from our families.

With great wisdom and insight she describes the shifting shapes of relationships and marriage, presenting a vision of a life lived in enduring and evolving partnership. A groundbreaking work when it was first published, this book has retained its freshness as it has been rediscovered by generations of readers and is no less current today.