Welcome to the Back to School with Catholic Nonfiction Giveaway. We have 62 books to give away this month, covering an amazing 53 different titles, including a selection of electronic books.

Thanks to the following authors, publishers, and donors who made this possible: Bezalel Books, The Christophers, Pauline Books & Media, Sophia Institute Press, Tribute Books, Alex Basile, Laraine Bennett, Michele Bondi, Peggy Bowes, Judy Dudich, Meredith Gould, Joe Hanneman, Lisa Hendey, Ginny Moyer, Mary DeTurris Poust, Heidi Schlumpf, Amy Welborn. Note: CatholicMom.com receives a small percentage if you purchase any of these books using the links provided below to Amazon.

To enter: Leave a comment by midnight PT, September 30, 2010. One entry per person, please. We'll randomly select winners and contact you for your mailing address.

ADULT NONFICTION

Finding Faith In A Godless World: A Catholic Path To God

Alex Basile

"How do I know for real if God exists?" "How does a person come to believe in God?" "What if I still continue to have doubts?" These are just a few of the questions we all have asked ourselves at one time or another. This book takes the unique approach of finding answers - and ultimately God - through a variety of creative approaches: such as a visit to Las Vegas with the French philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal, and journeying the yellow brick road to meet the Wizard. For anyone looking to strengthen their faith and relationship with God.

The Gentle Road To Jesus: Bringing Christ To Every Classroom and Home

Alex Basile

This book is a remarkable down-to-earth resource for anyone with privilege of passing the Catholic faith. Basile points out how those who are troubled and confused can be identified and helped in a compassionate and understanding way. He insists on the need for creating a fruitful environment in which the young can grow in their faith. Basile shows ways in which parents, teachers and lay leaders can make Christ real in the classroom and home, while sharing his enthusiasm and love for leading others down the gentle road to Jesus.

Lessons from the Master: Living Like Jesus

Alex Basile

Basile takes an existential look at the teachings of Jesus and invites the reader to journey with the Master from the carpentry shop, to the Sermon on the Mount, to the Resurrection, as He unlocks the key to living a happy and fruitful life. He offers a number of beautiful reflections on the Scriptures and takes a fresh look at the life of Jesus that will leave the reader with solid answers to their questions about what Jesus really taught.

Mom to Mom, Day to Day: Advice & Support for Catholic Living

Danielle Bean

Packed with common-sense suggestions, spiritual musings, and hilarious tales of Danielle’s own gang of eight kids, "Mom to Mom, Day to Day" is sure to keep any mother reading, reflecting—and laughing! She writes about the joys and trials of being a Catholic mother and wife today. In this hilarious and touching account, Danielle reaches out to mothers on an intimate level. Ideal for any woman who wishes to benefit from Danielle’s lived wisdom and heartfelt advice. Especially helpful for new moms!

My Cup of Tea: Musing of a Catholic Mom

Danielle Bean

Share the happiness—as well as the challenges—of Danielle Bean’s sometimes chaotic, often inspiring, always blessed life as the mother of six (when this book was written!) young children. Thirty short essays deliciously brewed with love, spiced with wit, and steeped in faith. Every Catholic mother will delight in discovering these beautifully-written stories.

The Temperament God Gave You

Art & Laraine Bennett

Unlock the secret of your personality and become a better spouse, parent, and Christian! Learn how to identify your own temperament and use it to become what God is calling you to be. This rich Catholic understanding of the four classic temperaments will draw you closer to God and help you find the path to holiness that’s right for you.

The Temperament God Gave Your Spouse

Art & Laraine Bennett

Love, honor, cherish ... and understand. Temperament wisdom designed especially for couples and guaranteed to improve your marital communication, intimacy, and happiness. In no other kind of human relationship is knowledge of the temperaments — fundamental personality traits, hard-wired into us that affect how we respond to the world around us — so critical, and so fruitful, as in a Christian marriage. It’s only through mutual understanding of our own patterns of reaction, and those of our spouse, that we can motivate, nurture, respect, and above all, love each other with the selfless patience to which Christ calls us in the sacrament.

Your Personal Apostolate:  Accepting and Sharing the Love of God

Michele Elena Bondi

Each of us has a personal apostolate that we fulfill throughout our lives.  Our mission does not begin when we reach a certain age or accomplish a specific goal, nor does it reach its pinnacle when we attain a certain objective.  Rather, an apostolate begins the moment a person is created and comes to fruition over time, through all the circumstances of life.  Our mission is fulfilled in every moment, through every day.  Critical to our success is our willingness to accept, return, and share the Love of God.

The Rosary Workout

Peggy Bowes

"The Rosary Workout" is a means to care for body and soul together. It is a goal-centered program focused on the integration of exercise, prayer and meditation to work the muscles of the spirit in harmony with the muscles of the body.  The ultimate aim of the program is to lead you to become more Christ-like.  By reflecting on the mysteries of the Gospels through the mind-clearing effect of rhythmic exercise, you will learn to imitate the virtues portrayed in the examples of Jesus and Mary.  Learn more at www.rosaryworkout.com

Three Minutes a Day

The Christophers

This annual favorite offers brief stories and meditations that offer a positive perspective every day and reflect the Christopher motto, "It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness."

How to Handle Worry: A Catholic Approach

Marshall J. Cook

Today’s world is busy and non-stop—one filled with eighty-hour-work weeks and too little time left over. Author Marshall Cook offers a practical approach to deal with the worries and anxieties that creep into our chaotic lives. He explains how we can create and maintain harmony in our lives through faith and prayer. Begin your own journey toward serenity today.

Let Me Go to the Father’s House: John Paul II’s Strength in Weakness

Stanislaw Dziwisz and Czeslaw Drazek, SJ; Renato Buzzonetti; Angelo Comastri

John Paul II's private secretary, his personal physician, and others nearest him during his last days share memories of that precious time in a story of courage, gratitude, and love. Incorporates previously unpublished details on the dramatic events of the 1981 assassination attempt. A remarkable tribute to the life of an "untiring prophet of hope." A full-color photo insert included.

St. Monica: The Power of a Mother’s Love

Giovanni Falbo

Using extensive excerpts from the writings of St. Augustine, notably from his Confessions, Giovanni Falbo sheds new light on Monica’s patience, sweetness, and unwavering determination. This mother never yielded in her efforts to see her beloved son find comfort and peace in God, and she endured countless sacrifices to help Augustine embrace the faith.

The Catholic Home: Celebrations and Traditions for Holidays, Feast Days, and Every Day

Meredith Gould

A single sourcebook that details home-based celebrations and rituals for every season of the Roman Church calendar. With good humor, Gould explains the importance of each special season, feast day, and sacrament, inviting readers to dissolve boundaries between parish and home.

The Journey Home: My Father's Story of Cancer, Faith and Life-Changing Miracles

Joseph M. Hanneman

The inspiring story of a father’s battle with cancer, and the miraculous parting message he left for his family. Despite crippling symptoms from cancer, David Hanneman finished his life with renewed Catholic faith. His example and the miracles witnessed by his family give compelling witness to how each life has an incredible destination – in eternity. From the foreword: "This is the story of how Dad lived with his lung cancer. But it is much more. Through his illness and the miracles we experienced, I came to see that Dad’s was not just a journey. It was a journey home. Home to God."

The Handbook for Catholic Moms

Lisa M. Hendey

Drawing from the deep tradition of the Catholic faith, Hendey coaches Catholic moms how to care for themselves--heart, mind, body, and soul--so that they can better love and care for their families, their neighbors, and their Church.  With warmth and wisdom, Hendey creates an environment where Catholic moms can reflect peacefully upon often-competitive topics like parenting style, types of schooling, and working outside the home. By sharing her own story, Hendey inspires readers to better balance their own needs with the demands of family life and faith commitment.

Paths Through Grief

Helen Jaeger

Grief comes to us in different ways, whether through bereavement, loss of a friendship, or emotional or physical pain. Yet however it visits us, we are not alone in our pain, for grief is a part of the universal human experience. Helen Jaeger has lived through her own dark valley of suffering; in this book, she shares the wisdom she has learned.

You Can Change the World

Father James Keller

Dynamic, thought-provoking, and intensely practical, this book by the founder of The Christophers (which means Christ-bearers) demonstrates how one’s role in life, though it may be a humble one, can be a vital force in creating a better world.

Bless Me, Father, For I Have Kids

Susie Lloyd

As she did in her beloved first book, Please Don’t Drink the Holy Water, in these pages Susie Lloyd will charm and edify you with her offbeat — but always pitch-perfect — take on the joys and challenges of raising a Catholic family in today’s world.

Please Don’t Drink the Holy Water

Susie Lloyd

Homeschool days, Rosary nights, and other near occasions of sin. Come along as wry homeschooler Susie Lloyd faces the trials of Family Rosary, and tangles with snide education experts, gruff confessors, and pushy relatives who tell her it’s time to wake up and join the "real world." Lots of humor here!

Mary and Me: Catholic Women Reflect on the Mother of God

Ginny Kubitz Moyer

"Mary and Me: Catholic Women Reflect on the Mother of God" shares the stories of forty-six women, from their twenties to their nineties. They are laywomen and religious sisters, cradle Catholics and converts; they are single, married, and widowed, teachers and lawyers and musicians, mothers and grandmothers. All of them share their candid thoughts on Mary, reflecting on the often-surprising ways that she speaks to their lives. Woven with commentary and scripture references, Mary and Me offers a fresh, compelling look at the depth and breadth of Mary’s influence on women today.

The Nativity Story: A Film Study Guide for Catholics

Rose Pacatte, FSP

The Nativity Story invites us to explore our faith and listen for God's word in our daily lives, and this film study guide is a wonderful road map for the journey. Complete with sections for personal study, for group study, and for whole community catechesis, this booklet is a practical guide for delving prayerfully into the mystery of our Savior's birth.

Into Great Silence: A Film Study Guide

Rose Pacatte, FSP, and Ron Schmidt, SJ

Best-selling author and media educator Rose Pacatte, FSP, combines her writing and teaching talents with those of Jesuit priest and documentary filmmaker Ron Schmidt. Together they have created a comprehensive film study guide that offers audiences an immersion experience into the Carthusians’ ancient way of life, bringing it to bear on today’s busy working world.

A Mother’s Rule of Life

Holly Pierlot

How to bring order to your home and peace to your soul. With your own Mother’s Rule of Life, you’ll transform motherhood and its burdens into the joyful vocation it’s meant to be. Learn from Holly Pierlot how to craft a Rule that’s right for you and your family.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Catholic Catechism

Mary DeTurris Poust

This study guide to the Catechism of the Catholic Church takes the teachings of the faith -- Creed, sacraments, Ten Commandments, and prayer -- and puts them into plain English so that any reader, Catholic or not, can understand and appreciate the beauty of the faith. Every paragraph is numbered and cross-referenced to the official Catechism, making this book the perfect side-by-side companion for those studying the full Catechism of the Catholic Church. This book, which carries an imprimatur, offers readers a chance to understand the theological and moral teachings of the Church within the context of Scripture and Tradition.

Parenting a Grieving Child: Helping Children Find Faith, Hope and Healing after the Loss of a Loved One

Mary DeTurris Poust

This practical, faith-based guide for parents of grieving children -- as well as teachers, caretakers, neighbors and friends -- uses personal stories, advice from professionals, and wisdom from seasoned parents to help lead children of any age successfully through the grieving process toward healing and happiness. Looking at how children may view death and experience grief at various ages and stages, the book seeks to help parents and others understand and recognize signs of grief, whether the loss is that of a beloved pet, an elderly next door neighbor, a grandparent, parent, sibling or friend. Each chapter includes practical activities.

Marriage As Gift: A Catholic Approach

Josephine Robinson

Looking for the secret of a happy marriage? Marriage As Gift offers solid wisdom on how to build a lifelong marriage. Based on John Paul II’s theology of the body, this volume is perfect for couples seeking to deepen their understanding of sex, love, and the meaning of a life lived together. Includes stories of married saints and questions for personal reflection and group discussion.

While We Wait: Spiritual Reflections for Those Trying to Adopt

Heidi Schlumpf

"While We Wait: Spiritual Reflections for Those Trying to Adopt" is a collection of reflections that detail how author Heidi Schlumpf found God in the process of adopting her children. A valuable resource for anyone adopting or thinking of adopting, it also is helpful for those who know someone adopting a child. I draw upon elements of my Catholic faith as well as other spiritual traditions.

Saint Edith Stein: A Spiritual Portrait

Dianne Marie Traflet

This is no ordinary saint biography! Pulling from Edith Stein’s own writings, Traflet infuses this biography with Stein’s spirituality: carrying light into the world and understanding human suffering. The result is a deeply moving and readable book that is sure to inspire those familiar with Edith Stein’s life and work and new readers alike.

A Catholic Woman's Book of Days

Amy Welborn

"A Catholic Woman's Book of Days" is a 365-day devotional for any Catholic woman, and all Catholic women. The brief daily entries are loosely tied to the liturgical year, the book is a very handy size, and features special devotions for several saints.

ELECTRONIC BOOKS

I Surrender

Judy Dudich

Making Christ the center of daily life is key to a happy marriage, joyful friendships, personal enrichment and a healthy family life! "I Surrender" is an e-book focusing on Joshua 24:15: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord"! Apply this to your daily life as wife, mom, teacher, employee, friend, etc... Each chapter ends with questions to ponder to help you make Christ your daily center!

Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Your Daily Life

Deacon Steven Lumbert & Karina Lumbert Fabian

Do you feel distant from God? Do you want a closer relationship with him? God is with us always, sometimes in ways we don't even realize. Deacon Steven Lumbert and his daughter, Karina Lumbert Fabian, share personal stories & simple tips for learning to find God in the day-to-day of Catholic living. Great for the casual or converting Catholic longing for something more in their relationship with God, or the "advanced" Catholic wanting light spiritual exercise.

YOUTH & CHILDREN'S BOOKS

Make Your Own Noah’s Ark

Clare Beaton

Kids can create their very own Noah’s ark with this activity book. Just fold out the ark on the cover and add the press-out background pieces. Then count on hours of fun, coloring and cutting out figures of people and animals to complete the scene! Includes a simple glossary.

Your Preteen Apostolate:  Accepting and Sharing the Love of God

Nicholas Joseph Bottesi and Michele Elena Bondi

Every person has a  mission that is accomplished throughout our lives, beginning the moment we are created.  Accepting, returning, and sharing the Love of God are an important part of every apostolate. ìYour Preteen Apostolate:  Accepting and Sharing the Love of Godî helps preteens understand that their efforts and contributions are important and necessary.

Your Teen Apostolate:  Accepting and Sharing the Love of God

Andre Joseph Bottesi and Michele Elena Bondi

Every person has an apostolate begins the moment a person is created and is accomplished over time, through all the events of our lives, in good times and during hardships.  Our mission does not begin when we  reach a certain age or achieve a certain goal;  it is  fulfilled in every moment, through every day.  Our success depends upon our willingness to accept, return, and share the Love of God.  "Your Teen Apostolate:  Accepting and Sharing the Love of God" reminds teens that their efforts and contributions are vital.

Saint Martin de Porres: Humble Healer

Elizabeth Marie DeDomenico, FSP

Brother Martin was "only a humble friar in Peru"—but this gentle saint used his healing skills to care for people of all races and nationalities. Discover why the story of Saint Martin is still so relevant today!

God’s Wonderful World

Jan Godfrey; illustrated by Peter Adderley

God made a wonderful world and filled it with beautiful, glorious, strange, and peculiar trees and flowers, stars and planets, and creatures of every kind. Then he gave it to us to take care of. Bright, colorful illustrations accompany rhythmic text that retells the story of God’s creation of the world. God’s Wonderful World is sure to become a family favorite! Ages 6–12.

The Road to Christmas Day

Jan Godfrey & Marcin Piwowarski

The story of the first Christmas is recounted through lyrical text and vibrant illustrations. The Road to Christmas Day is a fun, faith-filled way to highlight the Advent and Christmas seasons. A lovely gift for children and families that will be cherished year after year. Perfect for children ages 5–8.

57 Stories of Saints (Revised)

Anne Eileen Heffernan, FSP; illustrated by Jerry Rizzo

Some of the best-loved saints of the Church are featured in a revised and updated edition of a classic collection. Wonderfully written biographies and illustrations of Saints Lucy, Monica, Augustine, Benedict, Francis Xavier, Edith Stein, Juan Diego, Katharine Drexel, and many others. Perfect for intermediate readers and school or church libraries.

Saint Paul: The Thirteenth Apostle

Mary Lea Hill, FSP

From a persecutor of the early Christians, St. Paul was changed forever when he met Christ on the way to Damascus. Although he was not one of the original twelve apostles, he became known as the "thirteenth apostle." He traveled great distances, preaching and writing as he went along, to bring the Gospel of Jesus to everyone. His great love for the Lord and for all people will inspire young readers to follow his example!

Saints of Note: The Comic Collection

Diana R. Jenkins; art by Patricia Storms

This comic collection takes children on a journey with time-travelers Paul and Cecilia as they travel to the past and meet saints from around the world and throughout history. Their exciting adventures bring the saints to life and make them meaningful for children today. Saints of Note is packed with biographical information, facts, quotes, prayers, and more! Great for kids ages 8–10.

Saint Nicholas: The Story of the Real Santa Claus

Mary Joslin; illustrated by Helen Cann

Here’s the story of the real Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, whose unfailing kindness and generosity led to many of the gift-giving traditions of Christmas. This beautifully retold legend features highly detailed and decorative illustrations. Ages 6–8.

My Muslim Friend: A Young Catholic Learns about Islam

Donna Jean Kemmetmueller, FSP; illustrated by Laura Jacobsen

"How are our beliefs different? How are they the same?" Mary, a Catholic girl, and Aisha, a Muslim, seek answers to these questions as each learns about the religion of the other. Catholic children, parents, and teachers will gain a new understanding, respect, and appreciation of Islam—and, in doing so, will come to deepen their own faith.

Who Is Jesus?

Lois Rock; illustrated by Gail Newey

Kids learn why Jesus' message of love and forgiveness is so important and inspired so many people to follow him, both in his own time and to this very day. includes an index, a table of contents, and a "look it up" feature that encourages children to look up passages in their own Bibles, maps, pictures, artwork, cultural lessons, and more! Ages 9–12.

Isabel’s Sister

Harriet Sabatini

"Isabel's Sister" is a beautiful story of life and promise in the Resurrection. Once again, author Harriet Sabatini captures the beauty of faith in this, her second book. For everyone who loved "Josephís Hands," this book is sure to please. For those not yet familiar with Harrietís prose, or Marieís magnificent art work, ìIsabelís Sisterî will be a newfound treasure in books that every Christian family should have!

Joseph’s Hands

Harriet Sabatini

This book has received Apostolic Blessings from the Vatican and is endorsed by Archbishop Foley of Alabama and Catholic author Bert Ghezzi, "Joseph's Hands" is the beautiful story of a young child's understanding how God has made each person unique and how these unique gifts can serve God. The ideal book for vocation awareness!

Adventures of Saint Paul

Oldrich Selucky; illustrated by Zdenka Krejcova

Vivid full-color illustrations highlight the life of St. Paul in this exciting biography. Adventures of Saint Paul is an engaging, educational, and action-packed novel for young readers, ages 7-9, that accurately tells the story of this inspiring saint’s life. Encourage children to learn from the best examples – the saints!

Saint Bakhita of Sudan: Forever Free

Susan Helen Wallace, FSP

Kidnapped into slavery at the age of seven and brought to Italy as a teenager, the indomitable Bakhita eventually became a Catholic nun and spent over fifty years joyously serving her Lord as a Canossian Sister. In 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized her. This Aftican saint's engrossing life story, heroic choices, and forgiving heart make her a wonderful role model!

Saint Faustina Kowalska: Messenger of Mercy

Susan Helen Wallace, FSP

Here is the inspiring story of Saint Faustina, apostle of Jesus’ mercy, who was canonized in 1993 by Pope John Paul II. Growing up in war-torn Poland, she felt called to give her life to God as a religious sister. Jesus revealed the devotion to Divine Mercy through Faustina—and with prayers and faith, she was able to bring the wonderful message of the Lord’s mercy to the whole world!

Friendship With Jesus: Pope Benedict XVI Speaks to Children on their First Holy Communion

Amy Welborn

Based on a dialogue the Holy Father had with children in 2005, this beautifully illustrated children's book is published by the Catholic Truth Society in England, and has not yet been published in the United States. Ann Engelhart's watercolors bring out the innocence and hope of young faith and the Holy Father's words offer profound, yet simple wisdom directing that faith towards deeper, lifelong intimacy with Christ through the Eucharist.

The Loyola Kids' Book of Saints

Amy Welborn

"The Loyola Kids' Book of Saints" offers several dozen lives of the saints, from ancient to modern, written for the upper-elementary and middle-school level child. The sections are organized thematically: "Saints are People Who Love Their Families" "Saints Are People Who Tell The Truth" "Saints Are People Who Travel Far From Home" "Saints Are People Who Help in Ordinary Ways" are some of the sections.

To enter: Leave a comment by midnight PT, September 30, 2010. One entry per person, please. We'll randomly select winners and contact you for your mailing address.
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