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:

Questioning is the first step to knowledge. The word "fundamental" means basic, essential, deep-rooted, the foundation of a structure. In 131 FUN-damental Facts for Catholic Kids popular children's author Bernadette McCarver Snyder answers questions about basic things kids might see in a Catholic Church...and in a fun, yet reverent way. They may be surprised to see a lion or a lily, a banner or a boat, a fish or a fountain in a church. But just wait till they hear about monstrances and aspergillums, epistles and apostles, pulpits and pyxes!

This book is for all children who have questions about the Church and the adults who are looking for answers.

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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.

Azalea Rose is no different from all the other gestates. Even though she's been gifted a name by Mr. Northup, she's still only a slave. She exists for one reason-to serve. How could she be worthy of anything more? After all, she isn't even a person. People are born from women; she's merely a human gestated by a machine, genetically altered not to be able to love or even think for herself. Though she looks like a vintage born, the purest form of a person, she's lower than an animal.

The truth of her life doesn't bother her. Why should it; it's what she was created for. Besides, there's no escape-the gestation firms made sure of that. Every action is seen, every word is heard, and every heartbeat tracked. If she serves those she is assigned to serve, she will not be punished.

She isn't assigned to Mr. Northup. He lives next door in an outdated house built of wood, where he is allowed to grow wasteful roses. Nothing about him makes sense. He's old, already many years into the age of uselessness, and yet he hasn't been dissolved. Everyone knows the useless are dissolved and the gestates serve. Everyone in her world, at least. But Kolbe isn't from her world. Kolbe isn't like anyone she's ever met ...

Altered is the first book in a new dystopian series by best-selling author Jacqueline Brown.

A girl lost and alone. A nation at war. A hidden enemy circling.

In Europe during the Middle Ages, Annabelle of Anchony finds herself trapped on an island, hunted by the vicious Demolites, and forced to trust a kindly stranger. As she grows up, sustained only by her Christian faith, she must find her family, her identity, and a path to peace in a kingdom torn by civil strife.

But even when she does come home, everything is not as it seems...

Sometimes the answers aren't enough. Sometimes you want to know why they're the answers.

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:

Here is the inspired Word of God. Here is how to read the Bible -- how to understand, to "de-code," what its authors were saying to their particular audiences thousands of years ago. And how to truly hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to you today about God, Jesus, Church, prayer, and ... you.

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

Lucid and inspiring, Behold the Man is a unique exploration of Catholic spirituality for men. Much of the literature written for Catholic men focuses on topical issues such as fatherhood and sexuality. While this book does not exclude these subjects, it is the first to present a comprehensive picture of Catholic male spirituality.

What is authentic male Catholic spirituality? What distinguishes it from Protestant male spirituality? How does masculine spirituality complement feminine spirituality? These questions and many more are answered in this book.

Drawing from Scripture and Church teaching, the author roots Catholic male spirituality in a covenant relationship with God and the cross of Jesus Christ. He demonstrates that when a man embraces the cross he is truly able to be himself--the man that God created and calls him to be. Behold the Man can deepen a man's experience of Christ and help him to know the Lord more intimately.

The ultimate resource for the "girl stuff" coming your way.

The transition from girl to teenager makes the tween years a time of great change--especially in the body department! This unique and creative book for girls ages 7-11 answers the most common questions girls have during this often confusing and overwhelming stage in life. The Body Book gives girls the scoop on everything from body changes and cramps to diet and exercise in an inviting and conversational manner.

The Body Book not only offers accurate, up-to-date information on personal issues tween girls experience but also shares it from a positive biblical perspective.