Faith Archives - So Blessed to Be a Teacher

Treasured Books in Our Catholic School Library

(Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links, and if you click through and make a purchase, I will receive compensation at no additional cost to you.)

Catholic Schools Week is about to begin, so I’d like take a minute to highlight some of my favorite Catholic and Christian titles that are available in my school library. I absolutely love that as a Catholic school librarian, I get to share books like these with my students, and it warms my heart to see children gravitating toward books that may help their faith to grow.

In addition to these book recommendations, I also have a FREEBIE for you as a little Catholic Schools Week gift! I hope your students enjoy coloring these free bookmarks during Catholic Schools Week…or any time!

Now, on to some awesome books!

When Mary Says Yes by Gracie Jagla

A relatively new release and new to my library this school year, When Mary Says Yes tells the story of different that ways Mary obeyed God’s will throughout her life. Young readers of this book will see that that Mary’s most well-known “YES!” was world-changing, but it was not a one-time thing; it was a part of a lifelong pattern of surrender to and cooperation with God in Mary’s life that we can imitate in our own lives. This book has cute illustrations by Natalia Carcache, and it has been a hit with the kindergarten through second grade girls.

Jesus is Here by Mary E. Wingfield

Jesus is Here is a lift-the-flap board book book about the mass that is very popular among my preschool and kindergarten students. The lovely illustrations and flaps bring children on an engaging journey through different parts of the mass, helping them understand what to expect and what is happening at church. I recently purchased and gave a copy of this book to a friend as a baby gift because it’s one of my favorite Catholic books for little ones.

The “Princess Parables” series by Jeanna Young

My preschool and kindergarten girls can’t get enough of Princess Joy’s Party and the other books in the Princess Parables series. We have five books from this series in our library, and I can’t seem to keep them on the shelves. Each simple story features a princess as the main character and connects to a story from one of the gospels.

Saint Clare of Assisi by Kim Hee-ju

My students love graphic novels, and this one that tells the story of the life of Saint Clare of Assisi circulates quite regularly. I love that talented and creative artists are using the popular graphic novel format to bring the lives of the saints to children and tweens. My students also enjoy other graphic novels about saints from Pauline Books and Media, including Saint Bernadette of Lourdes: The Girl Who Saw Mary and Saint Teresa of Avila, God’s Troublemaker.

My First Catholic Book of Prayers and Graces by Catholic Book Publishing Corp.

Brightly colored and eye-catching, this prayer book is often selected by my preschool students to check out, bring home, and read with their families. It includes both traditional Catholic prayers and new prayers written for different events that take place during a child’s typical day.

The Tale of the Three Trees retold by Angela Elwell Hunt

The Tale of the Three Trees is a cherished Christian folk tale that brings to mind several stories from Jesus’ life, all while showing that the plans God has for our lives can outshine our own dreams. This one is a beautiful read aloud.

You’re So Brave by Carrie Marrs

This book geared for children ages four to eight stresses the theme that people CAN do hard things, and it describes the adventures of brave men and women of the Bible who pushed themselves to do difficult things, all for the glory of God. It’s adorable with a wonderful, inspiring message.

Jesus, Savior of the World by Marlyn Evangelina Monge

A darling board book with beautiful illustrations by Mary Rojas, Jesus, Savior of the World by Marlyn Evangelina Monge is a wonderful way to introduce little ones to Jesus! My preschool and kindergarten students choose this one often, and it is another book that I have also purchased as a baby gift or baptism gift for relatives and friends.

“Made by God” Animal Books by Zondervan

Children love exploring animal books, and this series looks at animals through a Christian worldview that shows how they are an important part of God’s creation. We have titles such as Cats, Dogs, Hamsters, and Horses and Big Bugs, Little Bugs in our school library for our students to enjoy.

Princesses of Heaven by Fabiola Garza

Children are captivated by this beautiful book about the adventures of real-life female saints. The illustrations by Fabiola Garza are simply gorgeous and draw the readers into the fascinating stories of women from different backgrounds who shared bravery, strength, and strong faith in God. Through this stunning and unique book, your students will be introduced to role models such as St. Joan of Arc, St. Josephine Bakhita, and St. Kateri Tekakwitha and will be encouraged to grow in character and become closer to God.

Books of Bible Stories

There are so many fantastic books of Bible stories out there, but I wanted to just share a just few that are my students’ favorites. At my school, students enjoy a collection called The Catholic Book of Bible Stories by Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton, a children’s Bible called My Bible: God’s Word for Me by Mary Martha Moss FSP, and the bright and beautiful My Storytime Bible by Renita Boyle, among others!

I hope that you found some new faith-building books to add to your library or classroom, or to share with other kids you love!

Don’t forget to download your FREE gift — bookmarks for your students to color as they celebrate Catholic Schools Week!

What are some of your favorite Catholic and Christian children’s books?

Reflections on 2020

Well then.

I haven’t written in a long time, because, really, what do you say?

So far 2020 has brought us problems that have never happened before, like COVID-19, and issues that have happened all too often before, like racism. It has been a storm of confusion for everyone, and teachers and students have had to process it all while trying out an uncharted teaching and learning lifestyle called “distance learning.”

It’s a lot for everybody. And it’s even more for some, especially those who have experienced the evils of racism firsthand, or those who are struggling to manage during the widespread economic hardships of 2020, or those who have lost a loved one to COVID-19.

I want to start writing light blog posts again about things like free TpT products and awesome books and super-duper fun school library ideas. And posts like that are on the way, because any type of normalcy provides at least a temporary escape from the perils and pains of right now, both for me and (I hope) for you too. And because, despite the obstacles of 2020, education, and life, must go on, and things like cute children’s books and free printables do add to the sparkle of teacher life.

But.

First, I want to address the bowels of 2020, even if what I put out there might feel inadequate to some.

I don’t have any of the answers, guys. But things need to change, and here’s my take.

Driving Change

This is what I know to be true about making things change.

1. Money can drive change. I’m no millionaire, but thanks be to God, my family has enough, and I have this blessing of this teeny, tiny business that I call So Blessed to Be a Teacher. Knowing that I am a (very, very small) part of the solution is worth a lot to me, especially in these crazy times, so 100% of my TpT profits for June went to charitable organizations (Water for South Sudan and Catholic Relief Services). And, as I mentioned early on in 2020, I’m planning to continue making donating to charity a regular part of what I do here at So Blessed to Be a Teacher. I truly believe that every little bit helps, and I think we have a shot at making this world work better again IF we share with other people.

2. Mindset can drive change. I love that quote attributed to Henry Ford that goes, “Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.” We will get nowhere on any of these issues if we have a negative mindset or a belief that things can’t change. I’m sure every single one of us has had a chance to spin our wheels in plenty of negativity mud puddles in 2020 already. I think we can all agree that we’ll get moving a lot faster if we get out of the mud.

3. Prayer always drives change. Prayer works on so many levels that it always drives some type of change, big or small. Prayer humbles us. It reminds us of our place in the scheme of things, helping us feel both tiny in a big world and significant enough to matter to God. Prayer helps us to realize all that we have to be grateful for and where it all comes from. Prayer softens our hearts, changes our mindsets, and slowly chips away at our fears. It weaves us together as part of something bigger than ourselves. Prayer works to align our will to God’s. Prayer connects people all over the world and allows for conversation and collaboration with our Creator.

I don’t know how to solve 2020, but I wanted to share what has helped me so far. Feeling like I am a (teeny tiny) part of the solution keeps me going. In a nutshell, what I have to offer is: in 2020, there are many things that we can’t do and can’t control, but we CAN trust in the Lord, we CAN encourage each other to keep thinking positively, we CAN pray for each other, we CAN choose to be part of a positive change, we CAN view this broken world through a lens of love, and we CAN keep moving forward, one day at a time.

FREE Coloring Fun for Catholic Schools Week (or Any Time!)

Happy Catholic Schools Week to all the Catholic school teachers out there! If you work in a Catholic school, this week typically brings special events, spirit days, a little bit of chaos, and LOTS of fun.

To celebrate Catholic Schools Week, I developed a little freebie for you over at my Teachers Pay Teachers store! It’s a coloring page that lists the names of some of the books of the Bible, and students need to color the shapes with Old Testament Books red and the shapes with New Testament Books pink. The resulting picture will be a colorful heart – to remind the kids of God’s great love for them!

I figured it would work well during Catholic Schools Week, OR as a Christian-themed Valentine’s Day activity, OR as an “any time” activity for your classroom, religious ed program, or homeschool. Click the cover image below to pop over to my store and get your freebie! 🙂

Or click here to see ALL the freebies at my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today! May God bless you! 🙂

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