Review ~ Goodness Graces! Ten Short Stories about the Sacraments

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Recently, I was thinking that there are not a lot of options for Catholic reading.  Hence, my desire to grab up copies of saint stories and the Catholic homeschool readers so the boys have stories espousing our faith.

Well, I should have known that Pauline Kids would have books for today’s youth available!

Landing at our house for review was a copy of Goodness Graces!  Ten Short Stories about the Sacraments.  Written by Diana R. Jenkins, this title blends stories with the seven Sacraments of our faith.  Before she even begins the stories (one per Sacrament), Ms. Jenkins has a chapter covering the basics of each sacrament.  The descriptions are short and written in language that is easily understood by an elementary or older student.

While there are only seven Sacraments, this title has ten different stories.  Each story is followed by a short list of questions to ponder and discuss.  No answers are provided in the book, which is fine so long as someone with a good grasp of the faith is discussing it with the child.  The stories are grouped by the type of Sacrament it embodies (Sacraments of Initiation, Sacraments of Healing or Sacraments of Commitment and Service.)

With a second grader in the house, we chose to refresh our minds on the Sacrament of Baptism and then move onto the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  In our previous parishes, second graders would be eagerly anticipating their First Reconciliation in late November or early December.  Not so in our new parish….they have to wait until Spring.  All the more time to prepare for that Sacrament as well as minimizing the time between it’s reception and First Communion.

I can not say that all the boys were jumping with joy over my reading some of the stories aloud to them.  However, they didn’t all go running from the room to avoid it, either.  Once they started hearing the story, their attention was caught. They all took turns answering the questions for discussion as well.  All in all, not a bad time for expounding on our core catechism work!  I’m looking forward to reading the other stories with them (and as I’ve already previewed them, it should make the discussions that much easier for me.)

Goodness Graces! Ten Short Stories about the Sacraments  retails for $7.95.  If you are lucky enough to live in an area with a Pauline Books & Media store, you can pick one up there.  (I have fond memories of visiting their store in New Orleans and might need to stop in while still in Louisiana.)  For the rest of us who do NOT live near one, you can find it online at retailers such as The Catholic Company.  You can find a lot of different items to support sacramental life at the Catholic Company.  Also be sure to check out their great selection of baptism gifts.

This title is part of a series called Catholic Quick Reads that target youth.  I have a few of them on my wish list now for future acquisitions.

Disclaimer ~ I was provided with a copy of the book, Goodness Graces! through The Catholic Company blogger program. No other compensation was given and the views expressed in this post are my own.