Angela Speaks Up

After the March for Life last year (scroll down then click on older posts to read), I asked the kids to write a few paragraphs for me about their experience. I've done the same this year. The difference is that last year we had 14 teens and preteens, this year we had 40. We also had 11 adults this year and I've asked them to contribute as well. So, sit back and enjoy -- I plan 1 or 2 reflections a day.

Our first marcher is also one of our youngest. Angela is all of 11-years old and she sure knows wrong when she sees it:

When the Supreme Court made abortion legal it's like saying murder is legal. When someone is killed the murderer would go to jail but the doctors get $400 for aborting a baby. When I went on the March for Life and saw a picture of an aborted baby it showed me how bad abortion really is. On the March I saw how many people were there and I thought "All the people took time off from what they where doing to help protect the unborn." I thought that was so cool.

I saw a flyer about the movie Bella. This movie is about a woman who is pregnant and isn't married. She wants to abort the baby but her friend wants her to have the baby and he wants to adopt the child. I think that you will love this movie, and I was glad to see it on the March. This movie was not going to come to a theater in Michigan but my mom and our church supported it and it came to the theater. This was such a blessing! I hope that someday abortion will be illegal.

Angela

Ron Paul at the March for Life

One would think that all of the "pro-life" presidential candidates would be out in force this year at the March for Life. Wrong.

The only candidate I saw there was Ron Paul. He was one of the keynote speakers. His grass roots supporters were everywhere in the crowd. Everywhere!

No sign of Huckabee, McCain, or Romney. None. Not even a bumper sticker. Makes me glad I voted for Ron Paul in the Michigan primary.

As Paul, Just a Regular Guy said:

If I were supporting a different candidate than Congressman Paul, my heart would be aching today to know that McCain wasn't there, Romney wasn't there, Huckabee wasn't there. President Bush, once again, skipped the march, and phoned in his greetings. Ron Paul was there.

As a side note. I had a lot of friends tell me that they liked Ron Paul the best of all the Republican candidates in the primary, but didn't vote for him because it was unlikely he could win. That's flawed thinking, in my opinion. He can win, if people vote for the best candidate instead of the "most likely to win." Paul is not the best speaker or most charismatic to be sure, but he does get to the point and is clear on his political positions.

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now.

The March and Youngsters

One thing that strikes everyone who attends the March for Life is how youth driven it is. The kids thought it was about 75% high school and college age students. I don't know if it was quite that high, but it was definitely overwhelming.

One of the teens shared with me that because of the youthfulness of the prolife movement, Roe vs. Wade would be overturned. He felt that as the 60's generation began to die off and fall from power, his generation would be able to step in and do away with abortion on demand.

If anything, these kids have great hope. And I don't doubt in my mind for a moment that they will work to change the world to be a better place than my generation left it.

NYU and LOL

Even college profs like my book:

“Maureen Wittmann's new book "For the Love of Literature" is an essential addition to the library of any Catholic homeschooling family -- or anyone who just loves books! I heartily endorse the "method" of teaching through books rather than textbooks, and while history and literature figure prominently, the suggestions for math and science books are especially helpful. Some other homeschooling guides provide lists of books, usually in an appendix, but this is the first I've seen where these lists make up the guide itself. Wittmann's well-organized and carefully researched lists could be used either as a supplement to an established homeschooling curriculum or as a stand-alone curriculum in and of themselves.”
--Anne Schuchman, Department of Italian Studies, New York University

Home From the March

We're home. We're alive, though dead tired. And, being the crazy homeschoolers we are, we have Scouts this morning and Science Olympiad this evening.

I have so much to tell you about the March for Life, but I am afraid it will have to wait.

In the meantime, thank you all so much for your prayers. The trip was a great success. Also, my friend Linda not only survived watching my littles but they all had a wonderful time.

Prayer Requests

Tomorrow morning we leave for the first leg of our March for Life trip. I know that many of you are praying for the trip already and I have an additional request. Please pray for my friend Linda and her family. Linda, very graciously, volunteered to watch my three youngest children for the three days I'm gone with the older four children and Rob is in Detroit for work. Thank you Linda!

A couple of housekeeping notes: I won't have Internet access while I'm away. You can leave comments on the blog, but I won't be able to approve them until my return. Also, should anyone order books while I'm away I'll get them in the mail on Thursday.

See you all in three days!

Chartered Bus Etiquette

This is my first time chartering a bus and I have kind of a dumb question. (Yes, I know - the only dumb question is the one unasked.)

Do you tip the bus driver?

When you get married and rent a limousine, you tip the limo driver. Do you do the same with the bus driver if he or she does a very nice job?

I'd ask Miss Manners, but we leave on Monday and I don't think she can get back to me that fast.

Thanks for any help!

Community College, Cell Biology, and Professors on DVD

Poor, poor Teen Son. He registered for community college, paid the bill, bought his books, and they canceled his favorite class: cell biology. Perhaps it's just as well. Sixteen hours is a lot to carry in addition to his job at the Capitol.

But Teen Son, being the kinda guy he is, decided to teach himself cell biology. And I decided to help him along.

The Teaching Company is a cool resource for home educators. They find the best college professors in the country and videotape their lectures. It's THE new, in-thing to do if you're a hip and happening homeschooler.

So, I decided to join the hip crowd and get Teen Son some of them there fancy DVDs at The Teaching Company. Besides they're having a sale!

Actually, they're always having a sale. If you're coveting a certain DVD or CD course and are patient enough, you'll find it on sale eventually. Just check the website each month or sign up for the email list.

Back to my story. I purchased Biology: The Science of Life, a 72 lecture (30 minutes each), 12-DVD set. The regular price is $700 and I got it for $180! I figure that if Teen Son watches (and takes notes from) one lecture each school day, he'll be done before summer. Cheaper than community college!

Egged on by my friend Sheila, who spent her recent inheritance (really!) on The Teaching Company DVDs and CDs, I didn't stop at biology. I went on to buy Popes and the Papacy: A History as well as Understanding The Fundamentals of Music. I'm hoping to talk my friend Linda into having our older kids complete the papacy and music courses together.

There were more courses that looked great for our family, but they'll have to wait. In the meantime, if I don't like the DVDs, they have an awesome lifetime guarantee!

Oh, one more thing. Rob had a scathingly brilliant idea. Start a foundation built on The Teaching Company and homeschooling. The foundation would purchase as many courses as possible and then provide a lending library for homeschoolers. Kind of like an educational Netflix.

Hey, I wonder if Netflix offers The Teaching Company DVDs. Anybody in the know? My public library has a few titles, but they all come together as one set and we can't watch 4 to 12 DVDs in the week we're allotted.

We Have a Winner! Winners?

Love 2 Learn has picked the winners for The Catholic Homeschool Companion and For the Love of Literature. Or is it one very lucky winner -- Jennifer P. Is there one Jennifer P. or two? We shall find out soon, I hope.

As soon as Jennifer P. contacts Alicia at Love 2 Learn with her address, I'll put her autographed books into the mail. Congratulations Jennifer!

If you didn't win, there's still hope. There are four awesome titles up for grabs today and tomorrow, so head on over to Love 2 Learn to enter!

Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home by Elizabeth Foss

My Cup of Tea: Musings of a Catholic Mom by Danielle Bean

Mom to Mom, Day to Day by Danielle Bean

The Catholic Mom's Daily Planner by Michele Quigley

Christendom and the 2008 March for Life

This is way too cool!
Every Student at Catholic Christendom College to Participate in March for Life
One of the girls who attended the March with us last year will be there this year as a freshman with Christendom. We'll see you there Rebekah!

Happy Birthday Sis!

My sister is busy moving today and I can't get a hold of her by phone right now. Hopefully, she'll check my blog sometime this week and notice that I didn't forget her.

Happy Birthday Chrissy -- I love you!


(She' the one in the middle and I'm the oldest. That's Eileen on the end. My brother Charlie wasn't born yet.)

Speaking Gigs

I have my talks scheduled for Memphis:

For the Love of Literature
The Art of Reading Aloud
Educating God's Wildflowers


I've also added Joliet, IL to my calendar on the weekend of May 23, 2008. I'll be giving these talks:

God's Wildflowers
Relax, You Can Do It


I hope to see some of you there!


If you don't live anywheres near Chicago or Memphis and would like to find a Catholic homeschool conference close to home then visit Catholic Homeschool Support.


Now, I better get to work. I need to rewrite The Art of Reading Aloud and stretch it out another 15 minutes. If you have any special tips or ideas, I'm all ears.

Contest Break

The winner of A Guide to Narnia: 100 Questions About The Chronicles of Narnia--The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is:

Cindi in IL

Congratulations Cindi!!!!

This is a very busy week for me as I prepare for our trip to Washington, DC for the March for Life. Plus we have Science Olympiad invitationals coming up and then the everyday life of a busy homeschooler.

So, the contest is now officially on hiatus. Not to worry, we'll get back to things soon, as I still have free books lined up for ya'all. Monday, February 4, 2008 sounds like a good day to me.

In the meantime, I'll be blogging on the regular stuff, especially the March for Life.

Many of you emailed me about how much you love Mark Shea and his work. If you'd like to order some of his books or tapes, please head over to his website. By ordering directly from the author you get the benefit of an autographed copy and you encourage him to keep writing.

I Can't Believe All the Freebies!

Love 2 Learn is still giving away books and this week you can try for The Catholic Homeschool Companion, For the Love of Literature, The Father Brown Reader, A Picture-Perfect Childhood and Literature Alive. That's a lot of books.

Cay Gibson is giving away Catholic Mosaic and her about-to-be-released A Picture Perfect Childhood. I can't wait to see Cay's new book! It's due out January 20th.

Head over to those two blogs, check out the rules, learn about some very cool books, and maybe even win something!

LOL Bulk Orders

If you would like to take LOL orders for your homeschool support group, I'll give you a nice deal. If you order ten or more book it's only $11.50 per copy of For the Love of Literature (all autographed!) plus $1.00 per book for Priority Shipping. Email me to get payment details.

A Guide to Narnia

The winner of A Guide to the Passion: 100 Questions About The Passion of The Christ [Ascension Press] is:

Maria of KC

Congratulations Maria!!!!

Today is the last day of Mark Shea Week and the book of the day is: A Guide to Narnia: 100 Questions About The Chronicles of Narnia--The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This is a fun walk-through of the book, highlighting C.S. Lewis' Christian message and linking the ideas in the novel with the depths of the rest of Lewis' work.

Would you like to know the contest rules? It's easy enough. Send an email to me HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) before 5 AM Eastern tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. Make sure to include your name and mailing address -- otherwise I can't have the book mailed to you. The kids and I will randomly choose a winner from all of the emails.

God is Like So Way Cool

Friday, I had to write a check for our March for Life trip. A big check. A check for $1,500.

We only had $812 in the checking account.

I prayed.

I prayed hard, "God, please send me money!"

The mail came. There were lots of checks from the March for Life travelers.

I added up the checks. I added up the check register. Guess how much money was in the account after the day's deposit.

$1,501.00

God sent EXACTLY what I needed. I wrote the $1,500 check and had a dollar left over to keep the account open!!!

Now, I just need $315 to pay for the food at the retreat center. Not to worry though -- God will send it. Plus a dollar!

A Guide to the Passion

The winner of yesterday's book, The Da Vinci Deception: 100 Questions About the Facts and Fiction of The Da Vinci Code by Mark Shea, is . . . envelope please,

Christine in TX

Christine has been notified of her win and patiently awaiting the postman's arrival with her new book.

Today is Saturday. That means that you have two days to get your entry in to me. But I wouldn't wait. Email me at RWitt1776@aol.com with your name and address to enter. All entries need to be received before 5 AM on Monday morning.

Oh, you want to know the title of today's book? Details, details. You may have already guessed, being Mark Shea Week and all, that it is a Mark Shea title. Actually, this book was written by the editors at Catholic Exchange and Mark is the senior editor. A Guide to the Passion: 100 Questions About The Passion of The Christ [Ascension Press] would be a cool book to win. I don't know about you, but I have older teenagers who viewed the movie with me and A Guide to the Passion helped the kids (and me!) a lot.

This is the definitive guide to understanding the message and the artistry behind Mel Gibson's powerful film, The Passion of the Christ. If you loved the film, you will want this book.

Continuing Education With the Love of Literature

“I have no doubt For the Love of Literature will prove to be a valuable tool for new homeschoolers, veteran homeschoolers, public school teachers, librarians, private school board members, your teacher-aunt, your neighbor with the 2-year-old and the new baby, your pregnant cousin, all parents who have a love for their children, and even the niece or nephew headed to college.

Maureen calls her book a "glorified booklist" but it is way more than that. She has done a job of extensive research in putting this book together so you and your children (no matter how or where they are educated) can enjoy the ripe benefits of continuing their education through the love of literature.

On behalf of all parents who devote their lives to educating their children for life, thank you, Maureen, for all you've done and all you continue to do for us!”

-- Cay Gibson, author, Catholic Mosaic

If you would like to order For the Love of Literature, just check the sidebar of this blog. If you have questions about the book, please feel free to email me.

The Da Vinci Deception

The winner of yesterday's book, Making Senses Out of Scripture: Reading the Bible as the First Christians Did is

Elizabeth in WI

Congratulations Elizabeth. Mark Shea is autographing your book as I write and will ship that off to you.

Just a quick housekeeping note. Before posting to the blog each morning, I contact the winner personally by email.

Now, for today's book: The Da Vinci Deception: 100 Questions About the Facts and Fiction of The Da Vinci Code by Mark Shea.

An easy-to-digest debunking of the silliness at work in Dan Brown's malicious attack on the Catholic Faith. For anybody who has ever suffered through the novel or the film and then listened to people proclaim, "Wow! I learned so much!" This book will do what The Da Vinci Code only pretends to do: educate you.

Would you like to know the contest rules? It's easy enough. Send an email to me HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) before 5 AM Eastern tomorrow (Saturday) morning. Make sure to include your name and mailing address -- otherwise I can't have the book mailed to you. The kids and I will randomly choose a winner from all of the emails.



I'll announce the winner tomorrow morning, along with the contest book for that day, so make sure to check back.

Give Me Free Books

More book giveaways at Love2Learn. Go. Now.

I Love Discounts!

Tom over at Adoremus Books just emailed a new discount code to me. If you'd like to enjoy 15% off your book order at Adoremus, plus free shipping on orders over $25, the code is AOB208. You just key in the coupon code when you check out. This coupon is good until April 1, 2008.

If you've been intrigued by the books in our little contest here, you'll be happy to know that Adoremus carries most, if not all, of them. They also carry a good selection of homeschooling materials including textbooks, videos, computer programs, etc.

Speaking Authors

The winner of Mark Shea's By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition is:

Patty in PA

Congrats Patty! If you're not Patty and you'd still like to own this book, it is available at Mark's website along with a talk of the same title. Have I mentioned that Mark is a public speaker and would like you to invite him to your parish or conference? Mark's books are also available from amazon.com or your favorite Catholic book store.

Today's book is Making Senses Out of Scripture: Reading the Bible as the First Christians Did [Basilica] by, yes you guessed it, Mark Shea. Now, this is a cool topic. I love reading about the early Christians.

Reading the Bible in a way as old as Scripture itself, this book takes the reader on a "fly-over" of the biblical story from Genesis to Revelation and invites us to explore the literal, allegorical, moral and anagogical senses of Scripture. Whether you've been studying Scripture for years or are encountering it for the very first time, Making Senses Out of Scripture is an invaluable tool that will help you see biblical revelation afresh—as Christians have done for 2000 years. Click here to see reviews.

Would you like to know the contest rules? It's easy enough. Send an email to me HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) before 5 AM Eastern tomorrow (Friday) morning. Make sure to include your name and mailing address -- otherwise I can't have the book mailed to you. The kids and I will randomly choose a winner from all of the emails.

I'll announce the winner tomorrow morning, along with the contest book for that day, so make sure to check back.

Mark Shea Week Continues

Drum roll please . . . the winner of yesterday's book, This is My Body: An Evangelical Discovers the Real Presence [Christendom], is:

Connie in CO

Congratulations Connie!

If you didn't win, and you'd still like to own Mark's book, you can get an autographed copy at his website (make sure to tell him if you want it personalized). You can also get a tape of a talk by the same title. Gosh, you could get totally wild, and buy both. (Mark would sure appreciate it I'm sure, as the kids need braces!) This would be a great book to read during Holy Adoration.

Now, you've all been waiting patiently, so here's the title of today's Mark Shea book: By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition [Our Sunday Visitor].

A tale of spiritual and intellectual awakening that makes a different kind of conversion story. The book describes how, as an evangelical Protestant, I rejected tradition and held to the principle of "scripture alone" as the foundation of religious authority. But this principle crumbled in the face of attacks from modernist scholars who reject Christian doctrine and the authority of the Bible. This book chronicles how, at first reluctantly, then with mounting excitement, I discovered that Tradition as expressed by the Catholic Church is the only guarantee of the truth of the revelation of Jesus Christ. Click here to see reviews.

The contest rules: Send an email to me HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) before 5 AM Eastern Thursday morning. Make sure to include your name and mailing address . The kids and I will randomly choose the winners from all of the emails. I'll announce the winner tomorrow morning. Everyone is eligible, as long as you have a name and an address. You can enter everyday if you like, but just one per day per person, thank you.

Yet Another Free Book Contest

Cay Gibson's Book Walk continues over at her blog. Go see what you can win!

Karen Gets LOL

Karen Edmisten is one of my very favorite Catholic homeschool mom bloggers. If I need a little cheering up, I head over to her blog for a Ramona fix.

That's why, when I read her review of my book today it made me, well, weepy. I know. I'm a baby. It's just something that happens at my age. And, I've never been good about taking compliments. Maybe it's that I feel undeserving. I don't know. I do admit it feels nice when people say nice things about my book. It's 12 years in the making and gosh I'm happy that it actually helps people, especially dear people like Karen.

Thank you Karen.

I Love Autographed Books

The new owners of Questions and Answers About Your Journey to God by Father Benedict Groeschel are:

Laura in IL
Janet in KS
Tammy in TN

Congratulations to the winners!

Now, for today's contest. Today we begin Mark Shea Week. Each day for the the next six days, I'll have one of Mark's books to give away. Mark is one of my favorite bloggers. He's also an accomplished author and speaker.

Today's book is an autographed copy of This is My Body: An Evangelical Discovers the Real Presence [Christendom]. Too bad I don't get to enter -- I love autographed books and I don't own this one yet. I'll have to actually buy one. Thankfully, Mark makes it easy to do at his website.

A popular apologetic written in terms accessible to lay Evangelicals. Its goal is to meet the Evangelical reader within the framework of his or her own basic truths, concerns and loves and show how Catholic Eucharistic belief is already latent in that framework. It addresses common Protestant objections and shows them to be logically flawed, exegetically untenable, or based upon predictable misconceptions as to what Catholic teaching really is. After dealing with the objections the book then positively and convincingly constructs the Catholic case.

The contest rules: Send an email to me HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) before 5 AM Eastern Wednesday morning. Make sure to include your name and mailing address -- otherwise I can't have the book mailed to you. The kids and I will randomly choose the winners from all of the emails. I'll announce the winners tomorrow morning. Everyone is eligible, as long as you have a name and an address. You can enter everyday if you like, but just one per day per person, thank you.

Let the contest begin!

To Study Guide or Not

Nancy Brown is talking about kids and literature. A topic that, believe it or not, I find interesting. She says,

There is a trend toward making good books into assignments, and writing Study Guides for them. I've done this myself, but I question why I did it. I don't want to make a book a drudge for a child, I hope to make them love books, love to read.

Head over to her blog, read more on the topic, and join the discussion. Nancy would like your input.

It's Raining Books

There are even more book giveaways in the blogosphere. Get over to Love2Learn right away. You have unitl midnight Tuesday to get your entries in. There are three different titles being given away, so make sure to scroll down. Entering is super easy -- all you have to do is leave a comment.

Update: There will be more books and more contests in upcoming weeks to celebrate Love2Learn.net's 10th anniversary and recent redesign. So make sure to check the Love2Learn blog regularly to see what's being given away.

PSN5: For the Love of Literature

To read past library recommendations, or to join the email list, visit: Pope Saint Nicholas V.

Check to see if this title is already in your library's catalog. If it is, put a hold on it and check it out. If not, fill out a patron request form right away. This can usually be done online at your library's website.

Title: For the Love of Literature: Teaching Core Subjects With Literature
Author: Maureen Wittmann
Publisher: Ecce Homo Press
Date Published: December 2007
ISBN-10: 0979760909
ISBN-13: 978-0979760907
Price: $12.95, softcover

Comments: This is an important book for librarians to stock, not only on the lending shelves, but also on their personal reference shelves.

Review: Adrienne Furness, New York Librarian and Author of Helping Homeschoolers in the Library (American Library Association)

Fr. Benedict Groeschel

The winners of yesterday's free books are:
Marcia from KS
Rossana form Alberta

Congratulations everyone! Our Sunday Visitor will be mailing the copies of The How-To Book of the Mass by Michael Dubruiel directly to the winners. If you didn't win and you'd love to own a copy yourself, it's easy enough to find at OSV, your favorite Catholic book seller, or even at amazon.com.

Now, for today's featured book: Questions and Answers About Your Journey to God by Father Benedict Groeschel. I don't know about you, but Fr. Groeschel is a favorite author and speaker in this house! I highly recommend checking out all of his books.

Today we have three copies to give away. Three copies! Of Fr. Groeschel! You have a good chance of winning, so make sure you enter. One can never have too many good Catholic books on her bookshelf!

Let's review the contest rules. Send an email to me HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) before 5 AM Eastern Tuesday morning. Make sure to include your name and mailing address -- otherwise I can't have the book mailed to you. The kids and I will randomly choose the winners from all of the emails. I'll announce the winners tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of Mark Shea week, so make sure to check back.

Seeing God's Hand

As my regular readers already know, another parent and I took two vans full of teenagers to the March for Life last year. Many fruits were born of that trip. Almost immediately upon arriving home, the teens began a club -- Homeschoolers4Life. They pray monthly in front of an abortion clinic, commit to pray daily for their spiritually-adopted unborn baby, have started a dresser ministry, and much more.

They also decided to take a busload of teens this year to the March for Life. I'm now heading up a bus of 52 teens and parents to Washington, DC. (Yes, I am crazy.)

In the beginning planning stages, I asked the teen members of Homeschoolers4Life how they wanted the funds distributed. If they worked hard fundraising, shouldn't the money be targeted to a personal account, making their trip cheaper. Or should the money be split among everyone who wanted to come on the trip? We were filling a bus with more than 50 people and we only had a core group of 10 to 15 teens working at fundraising.

The vote was unanimous. They wanted all the money they raised to be split evenly among all the travelers, even though most would not have taken part in the fundraising. They did not even hesitate in that decision -- they were adamant about making this trip affordable and doable for everyone. I was blown away by their generosity. But that was only the beginning.

A family stepped forward and gave us $500 for the bus. The bus company gave us a nice discount. Several families offered to pay the way of three teenagers who couldn't afford to go otherwise. A dear friend went to work to find us lodging and managed to get us a healthy discount for a lovely retreat center. Then, an 18-year-old young man gave up his Christmas bonus to pay for the remaining amount due the retreat center -- enough money to buy himself all kinds of fun electronic teen gadgets. (I cried my eyes out upon learning that one!)

Parents stepped forward and offered babysitting for those of us who will be leaving young children behind, volunteered to make yummy treats for the bus ride, to be our prayer warriors, and more.

Every step of the way, we saw God's hand blessing this trip. Of course, one can't help but wonder why. And there are a million reasons why. But, I think it comes down to how this all started -- a bunch of teenagers who did not hesitate sharing their resources so that many may make this trip. A trip that should cost $200 per person, but they managed to get down to $40. But more importantly, a trip to honor God, to honor Life, and to stand up for those who cannot standup for themselves.

Yet More Michael Dubruiel Books

The winners of yesterday's free books are:

Martha from SD
Janine from MN
Beth from TX

Congratulations everyone!

Our Sunday Visitor will be mailing the copies of The Power of the Cross by Michael Dubruiel directly to the winners. If you didn't win and you'd love to own a copy yourself, it's easy enough to find at OSV, your favorite Catholic book seller, or even at amazon.com.

Now, for today's featured book: The How-To Book of the Mass by Michael Dubruiel. Today we have two copies to give away. If you haven't won yet, don't give up. There are still many more books to come and you have a good chance of winning, so make sure you enter. One can never have too many good Catholic books on her bookshelf!

Let's review the contest rules. Send an email to me HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) before 5 AM Eastern Monday morning. Tomorrow is Sunday and I get the day off. That means you have an extra day to get your entry in to me.

Make sure to include your name and mailing address -- otherwise I can't have the book mailed to you. The kids and I will randomly choose the winners from all of the emails. I'll announce the winners Monday morning, along with the contest book for that day, so make sure to check back.

Good luck everyone!

We Love Author Michael Dubruiel

First, make sure you have the right email address for entering the contest. I'm afraid that I had the wrong email address posted yesterday for a period of time before catching it and correcting it. The link was correct but the typed out version was wrong. The correct email addy is RWitt1776@aol.com. Please accept my heartfelt apology. I promise to make it up to you with more free book offerings!

The winners of yesterday's free books are:
Emily from AB
Beth from MI
Theresia from OH
Margaret Mary from MD
Terri from MI

Congratulations everyone! Our Sunday Visitor will be mailing the copies of A Pocket Guide to the Mass by Michael Dubruiel directly to the winners. If you didn't win and you'd love to own a copy yourself, it's easy enough to find at OSV, your favorite Catholic book seller, or even at amazon.com

Now, for today's featured book. It's another Michael Dubruiel title: The Power of the Cross. Today we have three copies to give away. You have a good chance of winning, so don't waste anytime getting that entry in to me.

Let's review the contest rules. Send an email to me HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) before 5 AM Eastern tomorrow (Saturday) morning. You do need to send a new email each day.

Make sure to include your name and mailing address -- otherwise I can't have the book mailed to you. The kids and I will randomly choose the winners from all of the emails.

I'll announce the winners tomorrow morning, along with the contest book for that day, so make sure to check back.

Even Strangers Like My Book

I received this email in my inbox recently:

Dear Maureen,
I am writing to say thank you, thank you, thank you for your wonderful book, For the Love of Literature! I can't even begin to tell you how much it has helped me! It is so well organized and easy to use. I have come across many good book lists online but got so bogged down trying to keep them all straight. I look forward to using your book for many years to come.
Sincerely,
Maureen in PA

See, my close personal friends aren't the only ones who love my book. Sure, Maureen in PA shares my same name (and a fine Irish name it is), but we've never met before. Really.

And, honestly, I am so relieved. I really sweated over the organization of that book. Maureen's email made it all worth it.

Another Amazon Review

Nancy Brown inserts her two cents over at amazon.com. Thank you Nancy for the 5 star review!

If you prefer ordering from Amazon, the books have been shipped to them and they should have them any day now.

If you prefer autographed author copies, you can order directly from me. Just click on the Add to Cart button in the sidebar. If you'd like a book personalized, please leave me a comment with your order.

We Love Free Books

The winners of yesterday's free books are:
Mary Jean from TX
Lisa from IN
Deborah from MD
Jen from PA
And Sue from I don't know where. Hopefully, Sue will be emailing her address to me soon.

Congratulations everyone! Our Sunday Visitor will be mailing the copies of A Pocket Guide to Confession By Michael Dubruiel directly to the winners. If you didn't win and you'd love to own a copy yourself, it's easy enough to find at OSV, your favorite Catholic book seller, or even at amazon.com

Now, for today's featured book. It's another Our Sunday Visitor title. Today we have another five copies to give away. This increases your chances of winning big time, so don't hesitate getting entering today. Oh, what's the title of the book, you ask. Why, it's another Pocket Guide: A Pocket Guide to the Mass by Michael Dubruiel. How cool is that!

Would you like to know the contest rules? It's easy enough. Send an email to me HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) before 5 AM Eastern tomorrow (Friday) morning. Make sure to include your name and mailing address -- otherwise I can't have the book mailed to you. The kids and I will randomly choose five winners from all of the emails.

I'll announce the winners tomorrow morning, along with the contest book for that day, so make sure to check back.

Supporting Catholic/Homeschooling Authors

This was posted at Annunciations in the combox:

Question:
For folks who write books: is it better financially to buy these books directly from the author (who has some trouble in packaging and mailing, etc) or from amazon.com?

It's an interesting question. In case anyone else was wondering the answer to this question, here it is:

It’s definitely better for the author if you buy directly from him or her. Authors typically get a 10% royalty on net sales.

Publishers wholesale books to bookstores and amazon.com 40% to 60% off.

Let’s say a book retails for $10. You purchase it from amazon.com. They likely got a 60% discount. So the author gets 10% of $4. A whopping 40 cents royalty!

If you buy the book from your local family-owned Catholic bookstore, they likely got a 40% discount. So, the author gets a 60 cent royalty. Not a lot, but you are also helping support the Catholic bookstore owners.

If you buy the book directly from the publisher there is no discount. So, the author gets the royalty on the full price — $1 per book.

Now, if the author stockpiles books and sells them herself (as I do) she gets them probably for 40% or %50 wholesale — depending on how many she purchases. So, if you buy the book directly from the author he or she will make at least $4.

Catholic authors don’t make a lot of money. It’s a niche market and sales numbers are not exactly in the stratosphere. If you're writing for the Catholic homeschooling market, that's a niche within a niche.

Most of us write as an apostolate. But, it helps a lot to actually get a paycheck to pay for all the time taken away from our families and the expenses involved in writing a book.

So, that’s the long answer to your question. Yes, it is way better to financially to order directly from the author.

More importantly, it encourages them to continue writing and producing good books.

Let the Contest Begin . . . Again

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to get back to the giveaway fun. Our Sunday Visitor has very generously provided several books to our contest. These are not titles found in For the Love of Literature, but they are still great titles for any Catholic family.

Today we have five copies to give away, yes 5, of A Pocket Guide to Confession by Michael Dubruiel. This is a new book, having just been released in September 2007.

OSV sells this booklet individually or in packets of ten (at a considerable discount). It's a great one for yourself, to share with loved ones, or leave in the book rack at church.

Now, let's review the contest rules. Send an email to me HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) before 5 AM Eastern tomorrow (Thursday) morning. Make sure to include your name and mailing address. I will then randomly choose five winners from all of the emails. I'll announce the winners tomorrow morning, along with the contest book for that day, so make sure to check back.

Amazon and Contests

Remember to check the blog in the morning as the contest will begin again -- now that I've survived Christmas and New Year's Day.


Margaret Mary Myers is the first person to review For the Love of Literature over at amazon.com. Thank MM!!!

HomeschoolLibraryConnection: Helping Homeschoolers in the Library

Homeschool Library Connection is a Yahoo Group similar to Pope St. Nicholas V, except that the focus is on general homeschooling books.

Check to see if this title is already in your library's catalog. If it is, put a hold on it and check it out. If not, fill out a patron request form right away. This can usually be done online at your library's website.

Helping Homeschoolers in the Library may be one of the most important book you request from your library. It is a book written for librarians themselves. It is one they should purchase for their personal resource shelf as well as their lending shelves. I haven't been able to read the book myself yet, so I cannot give you a full review. However, I have communicated with the author extensively via email and I am confident that this is a book that will help librarians a great deal in serving the homeschooling community.

Title: Helping Homeschoolers in the Library
Author: Adrienne Furness
Publisher: American Library Association
Date Published: January 2008
ISBN-13: 978-0-8389-0955-3
ISBN-10: 0-8389-0955-8
Price: Softcover 35.00

From the publisher:

In the past decade, the rise of homeschooling has had a tremendous impact on public libraries. Research from the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES) reveals that of the 1.1 million children being homeschooled in the United States, 78% of homeschooling parents use the public library as their primary resource of learning materials. Yet, most librarians are unequipped and unprepared to reach this specific group of patrons.

This practical guidebook seeks to bridge the gap between librarians and homeschoolers in these two ways: who are homeschoolers and how can I help them practically? Part 1 addresses the history and background of homeschooling as well as the needs and viewpoints of various homeschooling groups. Part 2 deals specifically with building programs and services for the homeschooling population.

Addressing all age groups, from how to serve elementary school children and teens, to even the homeschooling parent, homeschooling expert Furness offers

· In-depth chapters dedicated to different types of homeschooling and unschooling movements
· Comprehensive discussion of resources to serve the diverse homeschooling population
· Ideas on programs and social outlets the library can provide
· Annotated lists of further readings at the end of each chapter, plus website resources and electronic discussion lists
· 17 real–life stories of librarians interacting with homeschoolers

By moving past stereotypes and understanding what resources are available, librarians can be important allies to this diverse group of patrons. Children’s and YA librarians, library directors, support staff working with youth in public libraries and educators will find the information and tools they need to develop policies, programs, and services to support homeschoolers in their communities.

Adrienne Furness is the head of the Children and Family services department of the Webster Public Library in Webster, NY where she has served homeschoolers for ten years. Her experience includes providing basic library services to homeschoolers as well as implementing targeted programming and collections. She was also the administrator of a 2005-2007 New York State Parent and Child Services Grant dedicated to better serve homeschoolers in Monroe County, New York.

Delayed Revenge

My Uncle Ralph began his academic career as a sociology professor. On the first day of class he would always tell a story about my parents. It's one of those stories that is also retold at family gatherings whenever someone new is in attendance.

You see, it was my parents' first Christmas as a married couple. My dad, anxious to help his young bride set up her kitchen for entertaining, gave her a coffee pot as a gift. My mom put it away in the kitchen without a word.

The next year, their second Christmas together, my dad opened his gift from my mom and found it to be an ashtray. My dad, surprised, said, "I don't smoke." My mom replied, "I don't drink coffee."

What I Got for Christmans

Sharon asks in the comment box:

Ummm . . . are you forgetting something? Did you ever find out why your dear husband wanted you out of the house so badly?? Please don't leave us hanging! :)

I'm sorry to keep you all in suspense! I think he just wanted to get my presents into the house and wrapped without me around.

Rob did really good this year. He got me brand new knives in a butcher's block. I've been needing new kitchen knives forever, but hesitated buying them as I wanted good ones and they're expensive. He also got me all new pots and pans. My old ones were all missing handles and looking quite dented. I also got a lovely art deco teapot. I had been boiling my water for tea in one of the old dented pots, so the teapot was really appreciated. For the family, he got a popcorn popper and a toaster. I know it sounds funny to give the kids a toaster -- but they were so excited. We've never owned a toaster -- just an old beaten up toaster oven (the one TD2 caught on fire). They've been toasting bread and popping corn like crazy for the past 5 days!

Now you know the whole scoop.

How I Spent My Christmas Eve

While Christmas was wonderfully peaceful, Christmas Eve was quite another story.

It all began on the eve of Christmas Eve when our sewer backed up in the basement. Yep, we had raw sewage in our basement. In case you're wondering, you can find a plumber on Sunday even if it is December 23rd, but you better be ready to empty your wallet.

It took three hours to get the drain cleared. He spent two of those hours next door as their drain is connected to ours. Financially, that was a relief as the plumber's bill was split between the two of us.

So, Christmas Eve morning was spent cleaning up . . . well, you know. I had candles burning all over the house and emptied out a can of air freshener. Bleach was poured down the drain and the basement thoroughly cleaned. I am very blessed to have tolerant children as they did almost all of the work as Rob and I prepared for Christmas.

Did I mention that Rob never gets around to Christmas shopping until Christmas Eve? He got home from his marathon shopping trip and announced to me that he needed to add one more thing to his Wish List. I pointed out to him that it was 3:00 pm the day before Christmas and I was up to my elbows in bread dough. He insisted that he absolutely must have some new sweat shirts for Christmas and Kohl's was open until 6:00 pm. It's not like him to insist like that -- if he wants something he just gets it himself. So, I figured he wanted me out of the house for some odd reason and I figured it probably had to do with my own Christmas present, so off to Kohl's I went.

The great thing was that Kohl's had already marked down all their wares for the big Day After Christmas Sale. I got some great deals.

One thing I should note here. If it is an extra blustery day and you decide at the last minute to stop at Target and buy your kid a round sled and it won't fit in the grocery cart so you set it on top of the cart -- you'll be sorry. The wind will catch it and it'll fly up in the air and hit you on the head, right in the middle of the parking lot with loads of Christmas shoppers staring at you. Men will stop in the cars, roll down their window and shout at you, "Hey Lady! You okay?" Then you'll have red cheeks to match the big bump on your forehead.

Anyway, I got home at 5:30 to Rob exclaiming, "We have to leave for Mass in 15 minutes!" Oops! Everyone else was ready and I managed to get dressed in time. The hair wasn't exactly coiffed, but I was able to comb it forward to cover the bump.

Mass was absolutely lovely. Half my family served in some way. The choir sang carols for the half hour before Mass. All the lights were off, except for white Christmas lights and candles everywhere. It was decorated so lovely. Included in the procession was a child carrying the Baby Jesus. She put the Baby into the crib and Father took out his guitar and sang a lullaby to the Baby Jesus before Mass began. It was very sweet.

We came home, enjoyed our evening meal, and reflected on the Reason for the Season. Yep, it was a crazy, hectic day, but there is something about the Christmas Vigil Mass to bring Peace to it all.

LOL and Amazon

For the Love of Literature is now listed at amazon.com. They don't actually have any copies available for sale yet, but it's listed.

If you've read the book already, don't miss this opportunity to be the very first person to post a review.

Danielle Bean Gets LOL

Danielle Bean, author of the lovely Mom to Mom, Day to Day and the equally lovely My Cup of Tea endorses For the Love of Literature:

Maureen Wittmann has put together not only a comprehensive book list, but also a helpful guide to choosing the right educational approach, tips for making full use of public libraries, and inspiration for studying fine art and music. For the Love of Literature is a gift for all variety of homeschooling families!

Thank you Danielle!

To order For the Love of Literature, just see the sidebar of this blog.

Save on Postage

You can save on postage for The Catholic Homeschool Companion or For the Love of Literature if you order more than one copy. I have Paypal setup for Priority Mail and it's the same price to mail two books in one envelope as it is to mail one book. So, get together with a friend (or a few) and save on postage.

Here's how the postage works out:
1 -2 books, $4.60
3-4 books, $9.20
5-6 books, $13.80
7-8 books, $18.40
9 or more books, $23.00

You can order from the sidebar of this blog or at my website.

Missing Family

We go home to Missouri for Christmas on even years. On odd years, we go for Thanksgiving. This being 2007, we spent Christmas home in Michigan.

When we go out of town for Christmas, it's mayhem. Loading up the car with kids and presents, driving 500 miles each way, going from house to house to visit, spending the night in various family members' homes -- it's all so very exhausting. Fun, but exhausting. Then, once we get home from our trip, we have Christmas all over again. You see, Santa delivers the children's presents here and we find them upon our return. We made this arrangement with Santa years ago, so we wouldn't have to lug toys over 1,000 miles, risking loss, breakage, and other headaches.

I love it when we stay in Michigan for Christmas. It's so peaceful and relaxing. We pick out our tree on the eve of Christmas Eve and decorate as carols play on the radio. On Christmas Eve we attend the Vigil Mass, as we're always scheduled to serve that day. We come home to a nice dinner, thanks to the crock pot, and put the kids to bed early before Santa makes his appearance.

Of course, the children jump in our bed early Christmas morning, anxious to open presents. Once Rob and I get our robes on and trudge into the living room, we read the nativity narrative from the Bible and get to opening presents. We open just one at a time rather than the everyone-for-himself mayhem. It takes forever, but hey we have nowhere else to go. This year, I stayed in my jammies well into the afternoon -- I love it!

Yes, I do miss my family in Missouri. But, it's not really the holidays when I long for them. It's those everyday moments when I find myself missing them terribly. When I bake a special dessert and I'd like to call my parents to come over to share. When the kids are in a play and I'd like to invite my in-laws to come watch. When I need a babysitter and I know my siblings would jump at the chance if they lived close by. When the kids would like to go on a nature hike and my Uncle Jim would be just the guy to take them. When I'd just like to sit down with a cup of tea and shoot the breeze with cousins for no other reason than to spend time together.

Those are the times when I really miss my family. Not in the hustle bustle of holiday busyness, but in the simple everyday happenings.

Contest Update

Merry Christmas everyone!

Even though we stayed in town for Christmas this year and it was wonderfully relaxing, I haven't been able to get on the computer.

I'm sorry that I didn't get right back into the contest mode. Here's what I'd like to do: Let's get back into the groove on January 2nd.

In the meantime, I'll give you a hint. The book will be from Our Sunday Visitor and there will be 5 copies up for grabs!!!

Contest: Christmas Break

Today's winner is:
Susan of TX
Congratulations Susan!

I've already packaged up Susan's copy of The Shadow of His Wings: The True Story of Fr. Geron Goldmann, OFM and will get it into the mail later today.

I love getting up every morning and having the opportunity to email someone to say, "YOU WON!" It's all so very exciting and fun. But even so, with the busyness of the season and preparing my family for the coming of Jesus, I must take a break.

I've got books from Our Sunday Visitor, Mark Shea, and others, so we will get back to the daily drawings soon after Christmas. Just check back here at the blog for the update.

Time For an Ignatius Book

The winner of Thomas Finds a Treasure is:

Deborah of TN

Congratulations Deborah!!! I'll be speaking in Memphis in 2008 -- maybe I'll get to meet you!

Today's book is from Ignatius Press, publisher of the now out-of-print A Catholic Homeschool Treasury, my first book and predecessor to The Catholic Homeschool Companion.

Anyway, today's giveaway is a copy of The Shadow of His Wings: The True Story of Fr. Geron Goldmann, OFM. This book is featured in For the Love of Literature in the history section under World War II. I was really moved by this book and highly recommend it for high school students and adults.

From the publisher:

We had to do it. We had to reprint this book. Rarely has a book had such an impact on so many of us here at Ignatius Press. It is one of the most powerful and moving books we have come across. If you can only buy one book this season, this must be the one.

Here is the astonishing true story of the harrowing experiences of a young German seminarian drafted into Hitler's dreaded SS at the onset of World War II. Without betraying his Christian ideals, against all odds, and in the face of Evil, Gereon Goldmann was able to complete his priestly training, be ordained, and secretly minister to German Catholic soldiers and innocent civilian victims caught up in the horrors of war. How it all came to pass will astound you.

Father Goldmann tells of his own incredible experiences of the trials of war, his many escapes from almost certain death, and the diabolical persecution that he and his fellow Catholic soldiers encountered on account of their faith. What emerges is an extraordinary witness to the workings of Divine Providence and the undying power of love, prayer, faith, and sacrifice. Illustrated.

This book is also available on CD for purchase.

Entering the daily drawing is easy. Just send an email to me HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) before 5:00 AM Eastern Time tomorrow morning. Make sure to include your name and address in the body of the email.

Linky Link

A few links to brighten your day:

We're a Homeschool Family
This is a hysterical video set to the music of The Adams Family theme song. It might be describes as Weird Al for the homeschool set. My kids have watched it at least 10 times already and have memorized the song.

Real People, Real Miracles
Heartwarming Christmas stories from Readers Digest. Get the Kleenex.

Flexibility At Its Finest
Mary Jo's latest column is up at Catholic Exchange.

For those of you who have read my column, I am a self-admitted Type-A German (T. A. G., for short). Flexibility is not a character trait we types are born with. We have to learn it. Sometimes the hard way. For me, this was the homeschool adventure.

The Contest Continues

Fanfare please . . .
Today's winner is:
Cindi from IL
Congratulations Cindi!!!

Cindi will be receiving a copy of Jose Finds the King by Joan Stromberg and published by Ecce Homo Press (illustrious publisher of For the Love of Literature)

Today's giveaway is a copy of Book Three in the Glory of America series. Thomas Finds a Treasure: A St. John Neumann Story is also by Joan Stromberg and published by Ecce Homo Press. (Thank you Ecce Homo for donating these books!) This series teaches American history through the lives of the saints and through a fun, engaging story. It illustrates exactly the kind of books I promote in For the Love of Literature: faith-filled, interesting, and educational, all at the same time. The Glory of America series has an added benefit -- they're inexpensive at only $7.95 each.

From the publisher:

Thomas Hrodej's father, a tough Bohemian immigrant, helped build the Erie Canal. When Thomas is picked on by the town bullies, will he be as tough as his father? When they use the ultimate weapon...rumors and gossip, Thomas turns to the new, young Bohemian priest, Fr. Neumann, for help. What he finds is a treasure! It's 1836 Williamsville, New York, and the Erie Canal is opening the West. Catholics are persecuted, misunderstood, and, at times, even despised. Follow the Adventures of Thomas and Father John Neumann as they encounter bandits, thugs with guns, creatures in the forest, and the special gifts of their own faith, friends, and family. Unit study on the Erie Canal included.

Other titles in the Glory of America series include:
Kat Finds a Friend: A St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Story and The Orphans Find a Home: A St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Story. (It was after reading The Orphans Find a Home that my then-6-year-old daughter declared she wanted to be a missionary to China. Today, at 15-years old, she is still determined to go to China and is currently learning Mandarin.)

Entering the daily drawing is easy. Just send an email to me HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) before 5:00 AM Eastern Time tomorrow morning. Make sure to include your name and address in the body of the email.

Gluten-Free Christmas Baking

Last year at this time, I wrote about how we were able to rediscover Christmas baking in our gluten-free kitchen. The fun continues this Christmas season.


Today we made Almond Kisses, a meringue cookie with almonds. The recipe is from my KitchenAid owner's manual (we made the 144 servings version):
3 egg whites
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
2 c. sliced almonds


Place egg whites in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and wire whip to mixer. Gradually turn to Speed 10 and whip about 2 minutes, or until soft peaks form.
Reduce to Speed 4 and gradually add sugar, beating about 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl. Add almond extract. Turn to Speed 10 and whip 1 1/2 minutes, or until very stiff. Fold in almonds with rubber spatula.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased and floured or parchment paper-covered baking sheets. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
Yield: 36 cookies


Variation: For Gift Giving
12 egg whites
6 c. sugar
1 Tblsp. almond extract
6 c. sliced almonds


Prepare as directed above, using a 6 quart mixer bowl.
Yield: 144 cookies


I substituted vanilla, just because that's what I had on hand. I also made half without almonds for nut-phobic children. I think that next time I'll try it with mini-chocolate chips.


Next on the menu is:

Cream Cheese Mints
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon butter, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar
2 drops peppermint oil (or 3/4 tsp peppermint extract)
food coloring, if desired


In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, and confectioner's sugar. Mix in peppermint oil. Color as desired with food coloring, or leave white. Roll mixture into small balls, and place on waxed paper. Flatten with a fork dipped in confectioners' sugar. Let dry for about 2 hours on waxed paper, then freeze or refrigerate.


We made these last year and they were great!


We're also going to try Peanut Butter Cups from Danielle Bean's website.

And we must make the fudge wreaths again. Those were a huge hit with everyone!

Missionaries and Martyrs

Drum roll please. Today's winner, of Willie Finds Victory by Joan Stromberg, is:

Kim from NH

Congratulations Kim!!!

Are you ready for today's contest? I hope you're all still hanging in there with me. Now is not the time to give up. I want everyone to win. Okay, I know that's not possible, but you can't win if you don't try. Besides, today's book is way cool!

Jose Finds the King: A Blessed Miguel Pro Story by Ann Ball [Ecce Homo Press] is the beautiful story of Bl. Miguel (1891-1827, Mexico) told through the eyes of a child. And Ann Ball is just the person to tell it. She spent an enormous amount of time researching Bl. Miguel and only uses his actual words in this story. I suggest enjoying Jose Finds a King as a read aloud, especially since it does touch on Bl. Miguel's martyrdom.

From the publisher:

Jose's life is just perfect: a loving mother, doting big brother, great friends and great fun. Best yet, he is about to receive the ultimate gift: Jesus in his First Communion. Yet, Jose's world comes crashing down when he witnesses his teacher's martyrdom by Mexican soldiers. Will Jose's life ever be the same again? How can a priest, martyred years before help him to learn to love again? Fun to read! Exciting adventures! Faith-filled journeys! Unit study on Revolutionary Mexico included.

All you have to do to enter the free drawing for this book is send an email HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) before 5:00 AM Eastern time Wednesday morning. Make sure to include your name and address so that I can mail the book to you should you win.

If you would like some adult reading on the topic of Bl. Miguel or Mexican martyrdom, here are a few grown-up titles for you to check out:

Iniquis Afflictisque by Pope Pius XI (encyclical) – On the Persecution of the Church in Mexico. Written in 1926.

Blessed Miguel Pro: 20th Century Martyr also by Ann Ball [TAN] – A short, yet well-rounded biography. Includes photographs.

Mexican Martyrdom by Fr. Wilfrid Parsons, SJ – The true stories of the persecuted in Mexico. Few Americans realize the extent of the anti-Catholic policies of President Plutarcho Elias Calles. Many executions were carried out in the 1920’s, solely based on the practice of religion.

All these titles are featured in For the Love of Literature.

Today's Contest

It's Monday and we're back to the contest. We have a winner and we have a new book. The winner of The Iron Spy by Joan Stromberg and published by Ecce Homo Press (publisher of For the Love of Literature) is . . .

34 Linda from MI

Congratulations Linda!!! Your book is on the way.

Today's giveaway is a copy of Joan Stromberg's Willie Finds Victory: A Blessed Seelos Story. This is from her Glory of America series, which I absolutely love! This series teaches American history through the lives of the saints. How cool is that! Children love these books as the story's protagonist is always a child.

Willy McBlaine is on a mission. He is determined to find his sister's husband and take his place as a soldier in the Union Army before it's too late. Will he find Bill Smith before the big battle? When Willy is sent to find Bill in the hospital, he finds cheerful Father Seelos instead. Can Father Seelos help him with his mission? Fun to read! Exciting adventures! Faith-filled journeys! Civil War Unit Study included. Includes the story of the life of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos. Beautiful illustrations by Eileen McCook.

Willie Finds a Friend is featured in For the Love of Literature and would be nice for a grade school or lower middle school student.

To enter all you have to do is send an email HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) before 5:00 AM Eastern time Tuesday morning. There's still lots more books to give away, so check back each day.

I Have Awesome Friends

My friend Mary Jo emailed me this morning:

I finally had a chance last night to sit down and look at the book. It is fabulous!!!!!!!!! Great job. You have really done home schoolers a great service. Even Karen looked at it - before I did. She said, "Mom, this is an awesome book." It is really well-done. I'm so proud of you!!!!

Thank you Mary Jo!

Winners Galore

Let's just get right to it. The winners of The Man Who Never Died by Rev. Gerald T. Brennan are:

Paula of MA
Amber of MI
Susan of GA

Congratulations ladies!!! For those of you who would like to own a copy of The Man Who Never Died, Sophia Institute Press is still having that 25% off sale. But hurry, it ends Dec. 17th.

Now, for today's contest. Some good news first. It's Saturday. That means that I get the day off tomorrow. Which means that you get an extra day to get around to entering the contest. So, email me (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) with your name and address before 5:00 AM Eastern Time on Monday morning in order to be entered.

Today's book is a history mystery. It's something like the American Girl history mystery series, only better. The Iron Spy: The Danville Chronicles by Joan Stromberg is part of a new series from Ecce Homo Press called American Saints in Progress Stories. I hope that there are lots more coming in this series!

From the back cover:

It's 1875 and in the dark mines of the hills of Pennsylvania where coal is king, the Molly Maguires rule with terrorism. Could they have finally come to the sleepy iron-ore town of Danville?

After an explosion at the biggest iron mill in town, 12 year old Mary Mulhearn tries to clear her father of suspected Molly Maguire terrorism. Daughter of an Irish immigrant, Mary must use all her faith, her wits, and even her quick feet to stay one step ahead of the company spy. But who could he really be?

This great adventure story is for ages 10 and up.

Nancy Brown Deals

Nancy Brown has a couple of Christmas deals for you at her blog. She's giving away a free audio CD if you order her book The Mystery of Harry Potter. She's also offering her Father Brown Reader for only 9.95. That's an awesome price for such a beautifully written and illustrated book! The price will be going up to $12.95 after the New Year, so order now. It'll make a great Christmas gift! When you order directly from Nancy your book will be autographed. I don't know about you, but I LOVE autographed books.

My Friends Like My Book

My friend Michelle wrote to me this morning:

I really enjoyed your book “For the Love of Literature”. What a wonderful testimonial of how literature can change your life. I have already started marking some of the books we have not read yet to add to our library lists.

Thank you Michelle!

We Have Winners

I slept in a little this morning, getting up at 7 instead of 5. But, I managed to pick the winners from yesterday's contest and I'm all ready to give you the news of today's contest.

First, the winners of The Blood-Red Crescent:

37 Jennifer from MA

90 Nancy from SD

47 Carmela from PA

Today's book is The Man Who Never Died: The Life and Adventures of St. Peter, the First Pope by Rev. Gerald T. Brennan. The story of the first pope is not a dull one. This is a great book to introduce children to Peter. It's a slender chapter book great for grade school but would also be nice for a lower middle school child.

Here's how to enter. Send an email to me HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com). Make sure to include your name and address in the body of the email so I can send the book to you, should your number be pulled from the hat.

Someone asked if you have to buy For the Love of Literature to enter the contest. No, this is a fun contest, not a promotion. I'm so happy to have For the Love of Literature complete, I want to celebrate with all of you.

Now, get those emails to me and go tell all your friends and family. The more the merrier at this party!

Teens and LOL

My friend Linda B. asked to buy two copies of For the Love of Literature. I thought she was going to give one away to a friend. But, no, it's for her teenaged daughter. The plan is to hand over the extra book to Teen Daughter and let her find her own books to read -- for fun and for school. Cool idea!

If you'd like to order For the Love of Literature, you can do so right here on the blog. Just click the Add to Cart button in teh sidebar.

Talented Friends

My friend Dani is amazingly talented. She does computer graphic images. (I'm so not-knowledgeable in this area, I'm not even sure that's what you call it.) Anyway, if you go to her blog, you'll find some very lovely Christmas graphics. Yesterday, I found this graphic of my book. I'm just in awe of people with artistic talent.

Drum Roll Please

And the winners of Bible Stories for Children [Sophia Institute Press] are:

76 Susie in KS
12 Beth in MI
150 Kathy in TX

Congratulations winners!!!! If you didn't win and you want to purchase this book, remember that Sophia is having a 25% off sale until Dec. 17. All the detail are at their website.

I have 3 copies of today's book, The Blood-Red Crescent: A Novel by Henry Garnett. This piece of historical fiction was originally published in 1960 and is all about the Battle of Lepanto. It would be good for a middle school or high school student. The author begins the book by giving the reader the facts so you can pick out the fiction from the real history. The Blood-Red Crescent is part of Sophia Institute Press' new imprint for Catholic Fiction: Imagio.

This book is featured in For the Love of Literature.

f you'd like to learn more about the Battle of Lepanto, because after all we parents should be reading alongside our children, I recommend Lepanto by G. K. Chesterton, edited by Dale Ahlquist [Ignatius Press]. This book is also featured in For the Love of Literature. Chesterton’s poetry shines in this masterpiece of rhyme, rhythm, and alliteration. The Ignatius commentary edition is worth obtaining for the explanatory notes.

Now, here are the rules to enter the contest and win a copy of The Blood-Red Crescent. Send an email HERE (RWitt1776 at aol dot com) before 5:00 AM Eastern Time. Make sure to include your name and address in the body of the email.

A couple of clarifications. You do need to enter the contest each day. One entry per person per day. However, if you have a friend who doesn't have email, feel free to send an entry for her.

Good luck everyone!

Commas and Homeschoolers

Teen Son and I had a lively conversation in the car about punctuation. Yes, punctuation. Yes, just for fun.

We especially debated the stylistic importance of commas. The conversation got even more exciting when we moved to the necessity of commas for clarity in writing. And then there was the debate over whether or not to use a comma before the "and" in a list of 3 or more items.

Homeschoolers are such geeks. I love it!