Catholic Mom Writers Win Book Awards

We're proud to congratulate our contributing writers whose books were honored by the Catholic Media Association last week.

10 writers from CatholicMom.com honored

We think all of our Catholic Mom contributing writers are winners — but we have some special news to share! We're proud to announce that 10 of our writers received awards from the Catholic Media Association last week for their books. 

The Catholic Media Awards honor outstanding achievements in Catholic journalism, communications, and other forms of media. The awards aim to highlight and honor the efforts of individuals and organizations that excel in portraying Catholic teachings, values, and stories in a compelling and authentic manner. (Catholic Media Association)

View the full list of Catholic Media Association Book Award winners for 2024.

Check out the Catholic Mom winners' books

Children's Books

Saint John Bosco: The Juggling Saint by Maria Riley won First Place in the Children's Book Series category. Maria Riley’s pairing of Saint John Bosco, who looked out for children in crisis in his native Italy, with the story of a child nervous about his upcoming first day in a new school makes Saint John Bosco: The Juggling Saint relatable to any child who fears the unknown of a new experience.

Children reading this book will discover a new saintly friend. Appropriate as an independent read for second grade and up, and as a read-aloud for first grade and up. This would be a wonderful book for parents and children to enjoy together and can spark conversation about how to handle new situations. A recommended back-to-school read! This is the third book in the “Adventures with the Saints” series.

Meet Sister Mary Margaret by Rebecca W. Martin (OSV Kids) won First Place in the First Time Author, Children's Book category. In this full-color 36-page hardcover picture book, young readers and their parents (or teachers) get to know Sister Mary Margaret, a religious sister who brings them on a tour of a day in her life.

Meet Sister Mary Margaret begins by explaining the three vows religious sisters take — in an age-appropriate way. Readers also learn what a convent is, and how it is both similar to and different from a family home. I loved that in the discussion of the Liturgy of the Hours, Sister Mary Margaret mentions, “You can learn to pray it, too.” This book, illustrated by Christopher Tupa, will help parents who might not have much experience with religious sisters to teach their children about this beautiful way of serving God and the Church.

Young Adult Fiction

Ashes: Visible and Invisible by Catholic Teen Books, including Catholic Mom contributing writers Leslie Wahl, Carolyn Astfalk, Ellen Gable Hrkach, and Amanda Lauer (Catholic Teen Books) received Honorable Mention in the Anthology category. Ashes contains ten short stories; all of them have some connection to Lent, and each story stands on its own. You can enjoy these stories in any order.

Ashes, like all the CTB story collections, is packed with well-written stories that are faithfully Catholic. The stories feature teenagers growing in faith and virtue — teenagers facing true-to-life situations, teenagers dealing with moral dilemmas, teenagers seeking to know the right thing to do. Settings for the stories vary from the time of Jesus to the Middle Ages to modern times and a dystopian future. There’s something for every reader, and you might even enjoy exploring a new-to-you genre. These stories are a great way to get to know a particular author’s work, and after each story you’ll find a note from the author explaining where you can read more about that character.

Charting the Course by Leslea Wahl (Vinspire Publishing) won First Place in the Books for YA 12-18 category.  Leslea Wahl’s characters are fun-loving and real, and Liz, the main character in this novel, is no exception. She’s missing Christmas week with her friends back home while on a Caribbean cruise with her dad, and she’s not happy about it at all. But the combination of a cute guy her own age, some mysterious notes that appear to be a scavenger hunt, and a karaoke contest make the trip better than she’d planned — and even an opportunity to grow in faith.

Liz is not Catholic, but her friend Josie is, and Liz has attended Mass with Josie and is definitely curious about the faith. This type of character is one we don’t see often in Catholic fiction, and I think we need to see characters like this more: people who haven’t been raised in any faith, but who want to know more. By reading Charting the Course, teens can be inspired to be more open about sharing their faith with friends who don’t have Catholic backgrounds. (This novel is a standalone, but if you haven’t read Into the Spotlight first, I recommend that you do — because you’ll want to get to know Josie and Ryan, who star in that book.)

A Faith Such as Heaven Intended by Amanda Lauer (Full Quiver Books) received Honorable Mention in the Books for YA 12-18 category. Amanda Lauer's latest in the "Heaven Intended" series set during the Civil War sheds light on the complexities of battlefield medical care and the challenges of falling in love and keeping the faith during wartime. A winning combination of strong-willed characters and rich historical detail makes the reader feel as if they're at the center of the action. I loved it from start to finish!

A Faith Such as Heaven Intended, like the others in the series, can be read as a standalone, but the whole series is terrific. This book (and series) are recommended for teen and adult readers and would be excellent selections for a mother-daughter book club with high-school girls.

Nonfiction for Adults

The Road to Hope: Responding to the Crisis of Addiction by Keaton Douglas and Catholic Mom contributor Lindsay Schlegel (Our Sunday Visitor) received Second Place in the Pastoral Ministry — Parish Life category. From the publisher: "Substance use disorder claims more than 175,000 lives every year in the United States, making it the third leading cause of death in this country. During the COVID-19 pandemic and since, the crisis has accelerated dramatically. Addiction isn't just a physical and psychological illness; it's also a spiritual disease that requires a spiritual remedy. The Road to Hope addresses the deep need in our Church to respond to the addiction crisis.

"Author Keaton Douglas draws on her years of ministry in this field to educate and equip the body of Christ — clergy and laity alike — to understand and minister to our suffering brothers and sisters. Those struggling with addiction, and their loved ones, should be able to visit any Catholic parish and find someone to offer spiritual consolation and recovery resources. This book provides a comprehensive pastoral approach, demonstrating that we as a Church can't ignore the crisis of addiction — in fact, we have a solution for it."

See Yourself as God Does: Understanding Holy Body Image Through Catholic Scripture by Shannon Whitmore (Ascension) received Honorable Mention in the Pastoral Ministry — Parish Life category. From the publisher: "Deep down, many Catholic women struggle to accept that they are made in the image of God. In a broken world filled with lies about women's physical beauty, they have a hard time seeing themselves as beautiful and hand-crafted by God.

"See Yourself as God Does: Understanding Holy Body Image Through Catholic Scripture helps Catholic women encounter the truth about holy body image and regain a reverence for God’s gift of their bodies. Through her personal experience, St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, Scripture, and more, author Shannon Whitmore reveals to Catholic women how God sees their bodies. And in turn, Catholic women will discover their identity as a masterpiece of God and how to build holy body image as Catholics."

Holy Habits from the Sacred Heart: Ten Ways to Build Stronger, More Loving Relationships by Emily Jaminet (Ave Maria Press) received Honorable Mention in the Family Life category. This is a down-to-earth, concrete book that shows you 10 habits you can develop that will bring you closer to Jesus. Emily Jaminet once again has found a way to share her love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with today’s reader.

Holy Habits from the Sacred Heart is packed with do-able advice for building spiritual muscle while you build up your relationships. I like the reflection questions at the end of each chapter, which you can use for journaling or for group discussion. 

Becoming Wife: Saying Yes to More than a Dress by Rachel Bulman received Second Place in the Sacrament of Marriage category. From the publisher: "Whether you are preparing to be or are already a wife, you likely are immersed in the external reality of marriage. But being wife is so much more: It's a call to holiness and a vocation of incredible significance.

"Becoming Wife explores what it means for a woman to fulfill this vocation. Catholic wife, mother, speaker, and author Rachel Bulman shares — like a friend over a cup of coffee — how being a wife is at once a calling and a purpose. The more a wife makes herself a gift to her husband, to her children, and to the world, the more she inevitably becomes the person God created her to be. She becomes more wife, more woman, more Christian. Thus, she fulfills her identity as a daughter of God and cultivates the soil from which her motherhood comes to fruition. By exploring the life of the Blessed Mother and the guidance of great minds in the Church, like Saint John Paul II and Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, this book unwraps the gift of becoming a wife and what it means to make a "total gift" of oneself through matrimony."

Another Winner: Our Winter 2024 Book Club Pick

We sure know how to pick 'em! Our Winter 2024 Book Club selection, In the Trenches: Finding God Through Parenting Littles by Kelsey Gillespy (Pauline Books & Media), received second place in the Family Life category. Kelsey's book is practical, encouraging, and relatable for any mom of young kids who feels overwhelmed by it all.

This book is a terrific summer read, and a great book to share with a friend. If you missed our book club last winter, you can catch up on YouTube at your convenience.

Have you read any of these books? Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2024 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Images: Canva

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