Teens and Young Adults

In What Matters Most, University of Notre Dame theology professor Leonard J. DeLorenzo urges youth ministers, teachers, and parents to help young people redefine success in light of their call to discipleship--completely saying yes to God.

In Luke's account of the Annunciation, Mary offers a true model of discipleship for young people to follow. Her example will empower them to make choices about how to live their lives as a courageous yes to God in everything they choose--just as she did.

DeLorenzo, who served as the long-time director of Notre Dame Vision--a program designed to help young Catholics find their true calling as disciples of Jesus--shows how Mary exhibited four habits that will guide young people to make important life decisions:

You might be surprised to learn about the saint who rode a donkey backwards, the saint who helped a criminal escape from prison, the saint who was afraid of water, the saint who was kidnapped by pirates, and lots more! Learn how ordinary men and women did extraordinary things and became known as saints. If you think you already know all there is to know about saints, you might decide to think again. Written for grades 1-6. Whimsically illustrated.

A Lion for the Emperor is the second volume of the gripping new series for 10 yr. olds and up titled In the Shadows of Rome (5 books total).

Being a Christian in ancient Rome was very dangerous. To spread the faith and stay alive, you had to live in the shadows . . .

Maximus and Aghiles join their friend Titus on his father's expedition to capture a magnificent lion in the forests of North Africa. After surviving the dangers of the hunt, the three friends face a perilous voyage back to Rome. Their mission: present Emperor Diocletian with a priceless beast that will be used to satisfy the pagan appetite for violence during games in the Colosseum.

Follow their adventures as they forge priceless friendships--and discover the many secrets lurking in the shadows of the Rome.

Following Christ isn't always easy. You need faith, courage, patience, and love.

Colleen Swaim looks at eight young souls who became saints for the against-the-current, selfless heroism of their teen years. In addition to the inspiring stories, Ablaze includes maps, recipes, prayers, journal prompts, scripture references and reflection questions to help the reader apply the saints' experiences to every day life.

Read how an Italian high school student inspired thousands as she faced cancer joyfully. Follow a new Christian as he marches to his death by fire after standing firm in his faith in the face of a wretched king. Lock arms with a young man and his crucifix as he dares brawling teens to throw the first stone.

We are all called to follow Christ in our own ways. This book will inflame your heart with vivid storytelling, saintly challenges, prayers, images, and more. Discover how you can set your world ablaze with love for the Lord!

Features: Saint Dominic Savio; Saint Teresa of the Andes; Saint Kizito; Blessed Chiara Luce Badano; Saint Stanislaus Kostka; Saint Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception; Blessed Pedro Calungsod; and Saint Maria Goretti.

View sample pages.

Paperback

Review by Lisa M. Hendey, CatholicMom.com webmaster:

If you're a mom of teens like me, you're constantly on the lookout for books and resources that will help inspire your family. With this new book by Colleen Swaim -- her first, but hopefully just the start of a prolific writing career -- we discover a treasure of the faith for Catholics young and old.

Ablaze is aimed at teens, but truthfully, the resources contained within this book will aid anyone looking to grow in sanctity and faith. Colleen profiles the lives of eight young saints and blesseds, sharing their path to sainthood with accounts that are filled with insight and detail. She has a voice that truly manages to bring these stories to life. Perhaps it's her work as a high school teacher that has provided her with an insight into what will move, challenge and inspire young people. Ablaze is filled with so much more than simply biographical details, including sidebars, vocabulary descriptions, maps, sacramental lessons, and even recipes. Journal prompts, prayers, scripture references and reflection questions help the reader to fully interact with the content presented, applying it to the challenges of every day life.

Each of the saints profiled, though living in different periods of history, has a freshness and a relevance to the world our teens face today. Colleen Swaim aptly brings their heroic virtues to light in a way that will have teens (and grown ups too!), eagerly interacting with her content and asking for more. I give Ablaze my highest recommendation and will enjoy sharing it with my own son this summer.

Seventeen-year-old theater geek Nanette believes her life is headed toward stardom on Broadway. But when her dream theater college rejects her and her best friend dies in a terrible accident, Nanette decides the world would be better off without her. Unfortunately, the afterlife offers something less than a heavenly situation. Trapped between alternating periods of utter darkness and light, Nanette is stuck following a high school freshman around. Soon, she learns she's a guardian angel, and the only way she can earn her wings is to keep her young charge, Vera, from committing the same sin she did--taking her own life.

Unfortunately, Nanette is missing more than just her wings. She has no tangible body or voice, either. Frustrated by her inability to reach out to Vera and haunted by memories of her old life, Nanette wants to give up, but then she sees what happens when another Guardian at the high school turns his back on his charge. The shock is enough to supercharge Nanette's determination. She's going to find peace in the afterlife...as soon as she can convince Vera that living is what life is all about.

Ashes: Visible and Invisible is a collection of short stories by ten Catholic Teen Books authors.

Finishing the Journey: When Liz's faith journey hits a roadblock, will an unexpected detour and chance encounter set her back on track?

Follow Me: A teen's future was all set-before his tragic loss. But his best friend's secret past just might save it.

Take Up Your Cross: Justin's religion is outlawed. When an unbeliever asks him about the meaning of life, what can he say?

A Big Ask: Could God be asking Paul to sacrifice a piece of himself for Lent-literally?

Lent Royal & Ancient: A modern American teen discovers what faith, life and love are like in seventeenth-century Scotland.

No Greater Love: Teenager Lexie Dugan struggles to understand the sacrifice of Lent when she's asked to help take care of her siblings while her pregnant mother is on bed rest.

A Very Jurassic Lent: When a risky Ash Wednesday mission to sterilize T. rex eggs goes wrong, fasting is the least of Joshua, Darryl, and Harry's worries.

Lucy and the Forsaken Path: A medieval girl stranded on a forsaken path confronts threats from without and turmoil from within.

Bread Alone: Struggling with loss, hunger, and temptation, Ethan finds himself walking in the steps of Jesus.

Prepare the Way: Asher's desire to prepare for the Messiah intensifies after he's robbed by bandits, but would fighting alongside the Zealots be the best way?

With wisdom and wit, Hart tackles such questions as:
What does it take to change your life?
Do peers pressure you?
Are you dealing with divorce in your family?
No date on Valentine's Day?
Are you affected by hatred or racism?

Ask the Bible Geek(R) 2 will help you "slow down long enough to encounter God in time, all the time, until the end of time."

Any Bible can answer questions. This is the one that explains why those answers are the answers.

In twenty-five very compelling tabs spread throughout the Bible text, Prove It! The Catholic Teen Bible gives the why to the biggest questions of all. To the questions you've been asking your parents, your teachers, your friends yourself:

What's life all about and where do I fit in?

What's my life all about, and where do

God, family, friends, and all the rest fit in?

How do I know God even exists, and what

do the life and death of Jesus have to do

with me right here, right now?

If God loves us all, why should I bother

taking my Catholicism seriously?

If all religions are pretty much the same,

why be a Catholic at all?

From New York Times bestselling author comes The Beautiful Pretender!

After inheriting his title from his brother, the margrave has two weeks to find a noble bride. What will happen when he learns he has fallen for a lovely servant girl in disguise?

The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble born ladies who meet the king's approval to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.

Avelina has only two instructions: keep her true identity a secret and make sure the margrave doesn't select her as his bride. Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand in for his daughter, Dorothea.

Despite Avelina's best attempts at diverting attention from herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can't deny her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse--far deadlier--consequences