Saint John Bosco: The Juggling Saint

Shannon Whitmore reviews the third book in the Adventures with the Saints series by Catholic Mom contributor Maria Riley.

Saint John Bosco: The Juggling Saint is the perfect introduction to the saint for young children and readers who have begun to tackle short chapter books. It can be read aloud to children, or slightly older readers can get to know this wonderful saint on their own. Saint John Bosco: The Juggling Saint, like the other books in the Adventures with the Saints series, follows the lives of the three Martin children, Luke, Becca, and Joshua. In this particular story, the Martin siblings are wrapping up their summer vacation and are preparing for their first day of school. Joshua, the youngest Martin child, is nervous about starting at a new school, but he learns some valuable lessons about courage and trust while spending time with St. John Bosco during his travels.

St John Bosco the Juggling Saint

Most children will find the story very relatable. Faced with the prospect of doing something for the first time, readers will know exactly how Joshua feels. They might even experience some of those feelings for themselves. Children will be encouraged to trust in God just like Joshua does, and they too can draw on the experiences of Saint John Bosco to give them courage.

Saint John Bosco: The Juggling Saint allows readers to really immerse themselves in the life of Don Bosco and his boys. Readers can imagine themselves standing beside the Martin siblings, taking in the lessons and applying them to their own lives. But then, after the story is resolved, children are provided with a short, but very informative, biography of the saint. Readers leave with a better understanding of Don Bosco, and I know that my children are looking forward to reading about the next saint to be featured in the series.

I would highly recommend this book for young children through elementary children capable of reading short chapter books on their own. The whole series is a creative way to introduce our children to the lives of the saints.

null