Pre-Teen

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.

A totally new kind of resource for Catholic apologetics and evangelization, The Truth Is Out There combines the visual excitement and quirky humor of graphic novels with solid popular philosophy and theology. The result is a book in which everyone from teens to adults can find accessible answers to questions about God, the soul, true happiness, and much more and have fun doing it!

And because Brendan and Erc start their journey at the very beginning, readers don't have to be Catholic, or possess any kind of faith, to appreciate the thoughtful ideas and arguments they'll encounter. If you just have an open mind (and a sense of adventure) you will come away from these pages with a clearer sense of life's purpose, and a better understanding of the reasons for believing in God, Jesus, and the Church. And if you're already a believer, The Truth Is Out There will deepen your knowledge of the Faith and sharpen your skills at defending it.

This historical novel for young people is about the heroic life of Father Willie Doyle, S.J., an Irish Jesuit priest who sacrificed his life serving wounded soldiers in World War I.

Father Doyle enjoyed a happy, privileged Victorian childhood in Ireland. Growing up in a loving, faithful Catholic family, he heard the call to serve God as a priest from a very young age. Shortly after his ordination, the First World War broke out, and Father Willie volunteered to serve as a chaplain to the thousands of Irish soldiers fighting in France.

This joyful, holy, brave, and compassionate priest left the country he loved and ministered to soldiers in the hell of the trenches, dodging bullets and bombs to ensure that dying soldiers could receive the sacraments. By the time he was killed trying to help a wounded soldier, Father Willie had become greatly loved and esteemed by both Catholics and Protestants fighting in the war.

The cause for the canonization of Father Willie Doyle has recently been opened in Rome.

Born in Connecticut in 1852, Michael McGivney grew up with a dream that would prove difficult to achieve. He wanted to become a priest and devote his life to God by serving others.

After his ordination, Father McGivney's influence went far beyond his priestly ministry and parochial boundaries. His friends were in high society and on death row. A man of many talents, he directed plays and organized church fairs. Father McGivney shared his love of God by serving those around him. His concern for his flock would nurture a new dream--to serve even more people by helping them to help themselves.

In 1882, Father McGivney gathered a group of men who shared his vision, and the Knights of Columbus was born. Despite opposition and challenges, Father McGivney's new dream would succeed far beyond his expectations.

Beloved in his time for who he was, Father Michael McGivney will be forever remembered for what he accomplished. Today the Knights of Columbus is the largest Catholic fraternal organization in the world. Meet the man who started it all and still inspires people to serve God by serving others.

Superheroes are everywhere -- in movies, on television, and in video games. It's exciting to think about these extraordinary people with amazing powers who save us from evil and are a force for good in the world.

But did you know that God has real-life superheroes of his own? They started out as ordinary people. Then something (God!) happened to them, and they changed.

God's Superheroes highlights three dozen amazing Catholic men, including Venerable Augustus Tolton, Saint Anthony of Padua, Blessed Carlo Acutis, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint John Paul II, Servant of God Nicholas Black Elk, Blessed Miguel Pro, Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon, and Saint Joseph.

The men in this book were brave and bold in their Catholic faith. Whether as fathers, priests, or teenaged boys, they stood against evil and made a difference. Some even had superpowers -- they could fly in the air, or foretell the future, or cure the sick! They all used the talents God gave them and sacrificed to change the world for the better. They are still champions for good today, and these are their stories. These amazing Catholic men want to stand by your side throughout your adventures and help with the obstacles you face. They want you to become one of God's superheroes, too!

Learn about holy women in this book's companion - God's Superheroes: Amazing Catholic Women.

Superheroes are everywhere -- in movies, on television, and in video games. It's exciting to think about these extraordinary people with amazing powers who save us from evil and are a force for good in the world.

But did you know that God has real-life superheroes of his own? They started out as ordinary people. Then something (God!) happened to them, and they changed.

God's Superheroes will introduce you to more than three dozen amazing Catholic women, including Saint Brigid, Saint Joan of Arc, Saint Josephine Bakhita, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Venerable Satoko Kitahara, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Servant of God Thea Bowman, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The women in this book went out into our world with courage and determination. Whether as mothers, religious, or teenaged girls they stood against evil and made a difference. Some even had superpowers -- they could be in two places at once, or read minds, or heal sickness! They all used the talents God gave them and sacrificed to change the world for the better. They are still champions for good today, and these are their stories. These amazing Catholic women want to stand by your side throughout your adventures and help with the obstacles you face. They want you to become one of God's superheroes, too!

Learn about holy men in this book's companion - God's Superheroes: Amazing Catholic Men.

Age Range: 10 and up

For 2000 years now, young Christians have lived - and often died - for Christ, and with a courage that many adults find hard to muster.

Although she was just thirteen, in 304 pagan authorities tortured and murdered brave Agnes of Rome for her Christian faith; for the same reason - and just over a hundred years ago - a Bantu king in Uganda burned to death young Charles Lwanga (c. 1863-1886) and his companions.

The tales of these saints are told here, along with those of many others who, though young, have joined the ranks of the greatest saints: some by dying for their faith; many more by living for it.

Louis IX is here. Crowned king of France in 1226 when he was but twelve-years-old, Louis' holiness and wisdom, and his care for the poor, won him renown while he still lived, and lifted him swiftly to the ranks of canonized saints after he died.

St. Joan of Arc (c. 1412-1431) is here, too, leading armies while yet a teen; but also saints whose names are not writ large in the book of history: Dominic Savio (1842-1857), canonized for the simple goodness that marked each day of his brief 15 years; and Bernadette Soubirous, the destitute 14-year-old to whom Our Lady appeared at Lourdes.

Their lives of great and simple virtue remind us that "valor does not wait on years," nor does holiness. To live in the love of God, in absolute obedience to His commandments, to practice the noblest Christian virtues, and even to offer our life in sacrifice - we don't have to be grown up.

Girls and boys, peasants and kings: and each one a saint!

Christ is calling you to be like them, to cultivate in yourself what you know is best: kindness, courage, perseverance, faith, charity, and absolute trust in God. The example of these bold young saints will help you do so.

With an element missing from many teen books today, Life Strategies for Catholic Teens addresses the challenges young people face today from a Catholic Christian perspective. In typical Auer style, Life Strategies for Catholic Teens blends concrete examples, lively anecdotes, scriptural references, and appropriate quotations from sources that range from ancient proverbs to Shakespeare and popular song lyrics.