prayer – Molly McBride and the Purple Habit

art, Behind the brush, Book Updates!, illustration, It's sharing time!, Recommended Reads, Virtue Heroes

Reframing Heroism: Not What You Might Think

June 2, 2020June 11, 2020 Jeanie Egolf

“Go big or go home” is an attitude a lot of us grew up with. As a cradle Catholic, I’m sure I knew, deep-down, that Jesus’ teachings didn’t exactly support that message. But the glamor of shiny, bullet-deflecting bracelets and invisible jets tended to tweak my childhood interest a tad more than things like washing my friends’ feet or going last. Such is the concrete mind of a young child. (Although, “concrete” becomes a bit blurred when we get into discussions about talking cars and backpacks. But the psychology of child development is beyond the scope of this post.)

As a Catholic mom, how do I instill in my concrete-thinking, talking-backpack-loving children, a love of quiet heroism? Or, to use a term more specific to the vocabulary of our Christian faith, a love of virtue? Is there a book or something?

Actually, there are 35 in the works.

Cathy Gilmore, aka “Mrs. Virtue Lady,” is masterminding a massive project, and I am honored to be a part of her amazing vision. Her forthcoming children’s picture book series Tiny Virtue Heroes™️ gives parents, grandparents, catechists, and teachers of preschool-aged children the perfect tool to begin fostering a love of all things virtuous.

“Mrs. Virtue Lady” Cathy Gilmore is the mastermind behind the Virtue Heroes universe.

Written to reframe our notions of superheroes, each story unfolds through the eyes of a cute, relatable-to-children animal character who happens to witness a major moment in Christian history. My mom mind is shouting, This is brilliant! Kids love animals! Ranging from mice to tilapia, this wild menagerie of critters was created with kids’ glorious imaginations in mind. Each lovable character plays the role of a sidekick to important folks like Mary and Jesus, heroes that we really want to capture our kids’ attentions. Besides assigning each story a little animal hero, each hero is in turn the icon of a specific virtue. That special virtue power is his or her super power.

A Mouse and a Miracle is the first book in Cathy’s Tiny Virtue Heroes™ series.

Book One in Gilmore’s Tiny Virtue Heroes™️ series

Moshe (“Mo-SHAY”) or “Mo” the Mouse is the first tiny virtue hero we meet. He is the narrator of A Mouse and a Miracle. In this virtue story of humility, Mo invites readers to delight in the humble joy of his hero Mary, from his unique perspective witnessing the Annunciation.

“I want kids to feel Mary’s joy, not just learn about it,” says Gilmore, already an award-winning children’s book author and ministry founder of Virtue Works Media. “Mary’s humility, her smallness, is represented by a tiny mouse. I want children to picture Mo and associate his story with the virtue of humility.” Ultimately, children will “collect” and learn about 35 virtues by associating each one of them with its corresponding animal icon and a story about a biblical character or a saint. Besides amassing an impressive library of virtue stories, kids will be able to enjoy the brand’s virtue-building toys, games, and even pillow cases that double as superhero capes to build their own virtue heroes universe. Move over, Marvel!

I am completely enamored with Cathy’s VERY big plans, and I pray the Holy Spirit continues to guide my (digital) pencil as I endeavor to decorate her virtuous text with my humble illustrations. Having experienced the charge to tastefully represent the saints, I was not completely surprised by the God-fear/awe/I’m-not-worthy feeling that froze my fingers upon my first attempt at sketching the mother of God. But creating art is a holy experience for me. I am drawn into a deeper relationship with Mary. Even as I pray my Rosary, I now picture the Annunciation in our virtue heroes palette of colors!

Gilmore’s tagline “Virtue is REAL super power!” is the theme of A Mouse and a Miracle and all the Tiny Virtue Heroes™️ books. “The holiness of heroic virtue now exists in a modern, imaginative context,” says the St. Louis based ministry founder. To learn more about Cathy Gilmore and her Tiny Virtue Heroes™️ check out her IG feed, Twitter, and Facebook.

A Mouse and a Miracle (Perpetual Light Publishing) makes its heroic appearance at bookstores, both virtual and live, in July 2020.

art, Behind the brush, Book Updates!, illustration, Uncategorized

A Picture’s Worth: Behind the Brush

January 16, 2020January 16, 2020 Jeanie Egolf

Delightful Children's Book! For ages birth to 7. — Sweet, sweet bedtime story for kids ages 3-8

Although you may have seen the official release of debut children’s book author Erin Broestl back in 2019, I’m adding it to the list of wonderful things happening in 2020.

There are so many aspects of this highly-acclaimed Christian children’s picture book (CPB) that I could blog about it for a month of Sundays. Eventually, I’ll secure an interview with the gifted wordsmith whose — should I call it poetic prose?– seems to speak a language all its own. The making of God Made the Moonlight is the perfect topic for a “Behind the Brush” post. That is, it’s a great example of how illustrations can shape a story. Therefore, I’d like to share a look back at the illustration journey that brought out a second, rather unexpected, meaning to Mrs. Broestl’s God Made the Moonlight.

I can’t believe it’s been three years, but it has. While this is not completely unusual as far as the typical amount of time it takes to bring a new CPB to life, it’s a bit longer than I’m used to. As usually happens in the illustration business, I received the author’s manuscript, nicely-typed, with “illustration notes” next to each block of text. Many, I’d even venture to say most, new authors of children’s books include such notes with their submissions, in varying degrees of details, along side their stories. Erin’s little notes were blessedly few, but she did have some idea of certain colors and other elements she envisioned for her first book. She suggested a sort of genre (fantasy, in this case, “I’m seeing castles, a fairy-tale,”) and even lent me a book with images that she liked.

For almost two years I sketched out scenes of hazy moons and foggy, night-time castle scenes. While there was nothing technically wrong with the watercolor sketches, I suppose, the “meh” feeling I got from them kept me up at night. Since the Broestls had just welcomed a new member to their family, I chanced that Erin might also be awake.

ink-and-wash painting for proposed manuscript — Early idea for “God Made the Moon”

“Erin, would it be ok with you if I rearranged the order of some of your lines?” I texted.

I proposed the idea of using the phases of the moon to guide the sequence of the picture-story that was just beginning to come to life inside my head. (To understand this sequence of events, I highly recommend re-reading your copy of GMtM right now and trying to imagine the text alone on a single sheet of paper.) The verbiage was already there in Broestl’s quiet, charmingly unassuming manuscript:

Each day, the moon’s shape changes a little.

Tonight, it looks like the Cheshire Cat’s smile.

Soon, it will be so dark that I can hardly see it. A new moon!

There were references to car rides, and airplanes, and city lights. And then,

I love the moon! Just knowing that it is there makes me feel at home, no matter where I am.

There it was: the longing, the pull, the emotion, the universal themes of journeying, going out into the unknown with a spirit of adventure, yet yearning for the familiarity of home.

The story.

I could see the girl on the page, packing her suitcase, the child being read to asking, “Where is she going?” There is a boy on the next spread: her little brother. They are out of their norm, experiencing things that are all new. They are happy, but sometimes the unfamiliarity of a situation can be a little scary.

How blessed I am to work with such a gifted writer as my friend, Erin Broestl! And I’m so thankful that she was open to listening to my new “vision” of GMtM. I sketched out, verbally and on paper, my ideas for a “subplot” to the revised manuscript. The images came to me more easily now, and I worked with a clearer goal in mind. Erin and I collaborated, filled with a new energy. Over the next months I painted, adjusted, and sometimes even deleted new spreads of artworks. (Here’s a deleted scene from the storyboard before we had the full new story worked out:)

Screen Shot 2020-01-13 at 12.28.19 PM

This one’s Erin’s favorite (it made the cut):

scene from God Made the Moonlight by Erin Broestl and Jean Schoonover-Egolf — The moon plays peek-a-boo through the treetops.

“It’s like you saw inside my mind,” says Broestl, who recalls a family trip from her childhood. Believe me, it is a rare thing when an illustrator can actually see what the author “has in mind” for the proposed manuscript. And I assured Erin that this was just a coincidence! I’ve since said this, so many times, to so many children’s book authors:

“An illustrator’s happiest clients are the ones who, when it comes to the artwork, completely hand over the reins to the artist.”

The simple truth is that, no, the illustrator cannot see inside the author’s mind. The more details the author has already conjured up in his or her mind about the way each page “should” look, the more that author is setting himself/herself up for disappointment with almost any illustrator’s work. Please see my post on “How to prepare a children’s book manuscript for your illustrator.”

Mrs. Erin Broestl is one amazing woman, folks. She blogs at Eight Hobbits. Although God Made the Moonlight is Broestl’s first published children’s book, she’s no stranger to the writing industry. I’ve no doubt we can expect more great volumes from Erin.

It's sharing time!, Recommended Reads, Uncategorized

7 Must-Know Authors of Catholic Children’s Books

November 25, 2019November 25, 2019 Jeanie Egolf

Momma’s loving these kind (and hilarious) words from author Theresa Linden, award-winning novelist of the West Brothers’ series and many more!via 7 Must-Know Authors of Catholic Children’s Books

“I have actually met this talented and amazing author in person! Jean Schoonover-Egolf and I both attended the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference, making our books available to attendees. At one point, a sister in a purple habit approached Jean Egolf’s table and the two of them stood talking for a moment. Well, I was impressed. This woman loves Jeanie Egolf’s books so much, I thought, that she dressed up like the main character in her Molly McBride and the Purple Habit series!

“Well, I was wrong. She was a real Sister! There really is an order of Sisters who wear purple habits! They are called the Children of Mary and they are a new community in the service of the Church “to satiate the thirst of Jesus to be loved in the Most Blessed Sacrament.”

“Through entertaining and beautifully illustrated stories, the Molly McBride and the Purple Habit series promotes charity, virtue and even plants the seeds for vocations in little hearts.”

Sister and Molly have a heart-to-heart.

Yes, The “purple nuns” are real!

Book Updates!, It's sharing time!, Uncategorized

Molly McBride 4 Tackles OBEDIENCE

October 26, 2019October 26, 2019 Jeanie Egolf

And CHRISTMAS!

Friends, I am so excited to announce the forthcoming release of the FOURTH book in the Molly McBride series of Catholic children’s picture books fostering vocations:

Molly McBride and the Christmas Pageant: A Story About the Virtue of Obedience

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733493506/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=molly+McBride+and+the+Christmas+Pageant&qid=1572118114&s=books&sr=1-1 — Christmas Pageant

From the back cover:

The kindergarten class at Holy Trinity School is having a Christmas pageant, complete with stable, angels, barn animals, and baby Jesus. Molly McBride thinks she’s a shoo-in for the role of Mary, while her bestie, priest-wanna-be Dominic, has his heart set on the role of Joseph. But Mrs. Rose, kindergarten teacher extraordinaire, might not have quite the same “vision” for this year’s Nativity that the kids have, leading to an upset that snowballs into a lesson on obedience.

Will Molly’s feisty temperament ruin the whole play? Or will she find the strength, through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, to say, “Thy will be done?”

From Amazon: Christmas Pageant: A Story About the Virtue of Obedience is the fourth book in the Molly McBride series about a little girl who wants to be a nun when she grows up. Catholic kids young and old have fallen in love with the feisty, red-haired five-year-old heroine and her faithful wolf-pet-named-Francis. The tales, along with their charming illustrations, help school teachers, parents, and grandparents pass on our beautiful Faith to children around the world. The Molly McBride series not only deights readers with the funny and familiar antics of childhood, but also makes learning about virtues, Sacraments, and the Bible stories enjoyable. Because the stories feature religious sisters and priests as role models, both girls and boys become acquainted with religious vocations.

Preorder Molly McBride and the Christmas Pageant: A Story About the Virtue of Obedience by clicking here.

Blessings,

“Momma McBride”

It's sharing time!, Recommended Reads

For Eden’s Sake: Pro-Life Blockbuster Pending

September 28, 2019 Jeanie Egolf

We are so close, friends.

It’s been years since the Pro-Life Movement has made such great strides. Clinics are closing at record rates, and awareness hasn’t been this high since Roe V. Wade.

But we’ve still miles to go. And you all know my thing, of course. Redemption through reading, preach in parables, all that. I’ve found us the perfect book.

For Eden’s Sake by T. M. Gaouette is a pro-life story like I’ve never seen or read before: DAD’s side of the story. By alternating points-of-view between pro-life Isaac and pro-choice Rebecca, Gaouette masterfully gives a voice to the often-ignored victims of abortion, the fathers. Sometimes seemingly ridiculous in his passionate beliefs, co-protagonist Isaac’s behavior, through Rebecca’s eyes, gives us a glimpse into the minds of the pro-choice contingent. True, we pro-lifers must seem similarly ridiculous at times. But as readers come to learn the story of these young adults, as well as Rebecca’s father, her angry roommate Tess, Isaac’s loving parents, and a mysterious stalker, I believe even the hardest of hearts will come to see why such passionate faith in Life is the only truth.

Even though the baby is conceived during a drunken one-night-stand, Issac is deeply regretful of his mistake and tries desperately to right his wrongs. As for Rebecca, there’s a lot more to her than meets the eye. It is rare that a book moves me to tears. This one did it to me. It’s very compelling. The plot is suspenseful from the very beginning, and readers will wonder how God can ever fix the mess these two young adults have made. Gaouette has woven a truly creative and celebratory story. A pro-life blockbuster waiting to happen, For Eden’s Sake is a masterpiece and a must-read for every young adult.

Friends, pray with me that some Hollywood producer or the like will see this review and read this book and help us to reach more people and save more souls by making For Eden’s Sake into the beautiful film it deserves to be.

Coming soon: “An interview with T. M. Gaouette: Inspiration Behind For Eden’s Sake.”

Get yours here on Amazon, or visit the author’s website here.

Molly McBride and the Purple Habit is a series of children's picture books by Jean Schoonover-Egolf.

art, Molly Comics, Mothers of Mollies, Uncategorized

Happy Mother’s Day!

May 11, 2019April 13, 2019 Jeanie Egolf

OSV Acquires PBG content, including "Molly McBride" Series

Book Updates!, Molly Comics, Promoting Vocations, Uncategorized

“Molly” Meets New Publisher

April 26, 2019May 2, 2019 Jeanie Egolf

Friends, I’ve had to keep a secret for a long time, but now it’s all out there:

Peanut Butter and Grace officially announced yesterday that Our Sunday Visitor, the largest English language Catholic publisher in the world, has acquired several of their titles and content, including my “Molly McBride” children’s picture book series promoting religious vocations.

The news that Molly was being sold to Our Sunday Visitor was a shock to me. Change is scary, and Peanut Butter and Grace has been by my side since almost the beginning of this journey. But on the other hand, I’m really excited. When I first found out the name of the company looking at my series, I thought, “Our Sunday Visitor? I remember their weekly newspaper on our porch and my parents reading it after Mass.”

Religious vocations awareness through children's literature — Sister and Molly have a heart-to-heart.

OSV has a huge reach, and that helps me in my mission, which can now be on a grander scale, to encourage Catholic parents and teachers to talk to kids about becoming religious sisters and priests. All of us here at the “McBride” household are looking forward to merging into the OSV family. Everyone I’ve spoken with over there is a gem.

You know, it’s always been my dream that “Molly McBride” would someday be a household name in Catholic families, a cute little reminder to plant those seeds early about becoming priests and nuns. Plus, she reminds us all to do as Jesus told us, to have the faith of a child.

Since OSV boasts an audience of millions of Catholic readers globally, it seems possible that dream can come true. I am so grateful for everyone who has helped me in this endeavor.

Will the cartoon will be picked up by OSV Newsweekly? There are currently no plans for this. But how cool would that be? One “Sunday” in the other “Sunday.”

Fellow authors, book stores, reviewers, and fans awaiting copies or even Book Four, I’m in a bit of a “publisher limbo” at the moment. As OSV transitions over each new title, books will again become available. I’ll do my best to keep you all posted! Meanwhile, look right here for the next Molly comic on Mother’s Day.

Book Updates!, It's sharing time!, Mothers of Mollies, Recommended Reads, Uncategorized

Moms of Dominics (Molly Moms Welcome, Too!), CCW19 Finds, and Spring Break Reads

March 10, 2019March 8, 2019 Jeanie Egolf

Bringing books to the beach? I packed (and loved!) me a little Linden, Peek, and Walsh this trip.

Call me backwards, but I’d already had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Theresa Linden’s Battle for his Soul, the third installment in her profoundly popular West Brothers’ Series, a while back. So now I’m going catching up and here to tell you about book one in said series, the tale behind the youngest West brother, Roland.

Wow, wow, wow! But then again, Linden never disappoints.

Even though we are a household of girls here at Egolf U and the main characters of this series are teenaged boys, we are all huge fans. Full of adventure AND emotion, this story has the power to deepen the faith of even the most skeptical of teenaged hearts, I’m sure. To boot, you may even learn about the life of a new saint! (There is one very awesome female character named Caitlyn that lends a beautiful little touch of the feminine to these stories.)

RW,L was the second-place winner of the 2016 Catholic Press Association Book Awards in the Teen & YA Fiction. It’s the first in a series about Jarret and Keith, 16-year-old twins, and Roland, the younger brother by 2 years. . They’ve always been homeschooled (yay!) because their sorta-cowboy father is a sorta-archeologist. (I’m trying not to spoil too much, but, suffice it to say, exactly WHAT Mr. West does for a living is part of the suspense woven throughout the series. Mother died when boys were younger, sorry if that is a slight spoiler.) This year they are put in school. It’s a social heaven for the outgoing older brothers, but for shy, serious, (mysterious?) Roland, it’s a nightmare. And being a “loner” isn’t even the main conflict this kid faces.

Full of lovable and relatable teen and adult characters, Roland West, Loner is one part Indiana-Jones-meets-the-Goonies, one part Steinbeck’s East of Eden, and one part miraculous.

Theresa Linden is one fabulous story-teller, folks. I actually got to meet her in person at this year’s Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference, (couple pics below) where I made certain to scoop up more of her works. I’m already halfway through book two in the West Brothers’ Series, and I can’t wait to finish it and report back here at MMPH.

View of some of the vendor booths at the annual Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference

My buddy Erin Broestl of Eight Hobbits blog manning the Catholic Writers’ Guild booth

Again, I’m apparently working backwards. Having loved Susan Peek’s The King’s Prey: Saint Dymphna of Ireland, I thought I was delving into one of her later novels; Magnus was actually her first. What a way to make a debut! This book has been very popular in Catholic teen reading circles for years, and I’m glad it made his way into my shopping cart AND my suitcase this trip. Continuing on the brotherly conflict theme, although Peek tells of Magnus from a teen boy’s perspective with plenty of action and gore, my teen daughter loved it as well.

I didn’t really know anything about Saint Magnus before reading this, and it’s a great book to incorporate into your Charlotte-Mason-style homeschooling as far as learning more about the Vikings and other world history of the first century. I really appreciate such well-written, exciting, (NOT dry) teen, tween, and YA historical fiction, not only for my students, but also for my own continuing education. Theologically, the book is marked with the Catholic Writers’ Guild Seal of Approval, so it’s been thoroughly screened. With loads of forgiveness and “offering up” themes, Peek dares to bravely go places most Christian authors seem to avoid these days. God bless her for leading us back to a time when people still recognized that our eternal souls are more important than our fickle flesh. I’m a better person for reading this book.

So, the hubs likes to tease me about my little habit of collecting books, especially when I buy a book about other books. But I REALLY want to share this one! And so now after all this teen-boys talk, here’s something just for us moms!

You may recognize the name Tiffany Walsh of Life of a Catholic Librarian if you subscribe to CatholicMom.com or enjoyed Ave Maria Press’ 2017 The Catholic Hipster Handbook. I had the honor of meeting both her and and another author (more below) involved in the Stay Connected! Journals for Catholic Women series, also at CCWC 2019. Now, I’m going to admit, I’m not a big “journaler,” but I really, REALLY like this one and here’s why:

Are you like me and have a sort of nebulous bucket list of books to read that includes the greats in Catholic writing? Walsh’s Exploring the Catholic Classics has provided us with a mini “easy button” this Lent, my friends! Sample and study, side-by-side with relevant Scripture and well-written reflections, selected passages from the writings of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Pope St. John Paul II, St. Francis de Sales, Thomas á Kempis, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), and St. Teresa of Avila. It’s a spiritual goldmine of a collection in this pretty purple package, I’m actually finding it FUN to pull out a pencil and fill in the beautifully decorated journal pages. It’s a great Lenten reflection tool, one that I didn’t even think I needed until I delved into Walsh’s work.

Since I’m enjoying this edition of the Stay Connected! Journals for Catholic Women so much, I’m curious to explore more of them. Pretty in pastels, wouldn’t these be as lovely as colored eggs in Momma’s Easter Basket (@hubs @kids)?

Ok, so I mentioned another author. I first met the dynamic social media evangelist/author/blogger/speaker Allison Gingras of Reconciled to You in Lancaster, PA whilst attending the Catholic Writers’ Guild annual conference (which is held in conjunction with the Catholic Marketing Network’s annual conference.) Been to anything Catholic lately? You’ve probably caught a glimpse of Gingras, too. My girl is ev-er-y-where, friends! And, yes, I caught up with her at CCWC19, and yes, she has authored one of these beautiful journals, the turquoise one, entitled 7 Ways that Jesus Invites You to a Life of Grace. Talk about the perfect Lenten or Easter gift for a mom, older daughter, or bestie! And don’t forget Invite the Holy Spirit Into Your Life (pictured gracefully in green, above) by Deanna G. Bartalini: this one makes a great confirmation gift as well.

Gingras and Walsh at GWM booth CCWC2019 — Social media guru Allison Gingras snaps a quick selfie with “The Catholic Librarian” and co-author of the *Stay Connected! Journals for Catholic Women* (Gracewatch Media) Tiffany Walsh. There was a non-stop crowd of shoppers visiting the Peanut Butter and Grace Media booth at Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference 2019.

The best part of today’s blog is this: all the books featured here are but a sampling of what these great authors and/or publishers have available. I love that cozy feeling of knowing, as I’m nearing the end of a good book, that there are plenty “more where that came from” just waiting for me to sweep them up and add them to the stack on my nightstand. How about you?

The Review I was Afraid to Write

February 1, 2019February 1, 2019 Jeanie Egolf

I read this book “cold,” that is, I never once glanced at any reviews, summaries, or other potential spoilers. I had no inkling what this book was about other than the cover and the title. And, I admit, I didn’t really want to read it, figuring it was just another teeny-bopper “OMG she’s pregs!” story. Definitely not my cup o’ tea. So what made me pick it up? The author bio!

Here is this YA novel, put out by a Catholic publisher, written by a graduate of what is probably the most authentically-Catholic university in the world, with this rather shocking title that definitely does NOT look like the kind of thing I hand down to my daughters as “inspiring reading.” Curious. But I am here to tell you, this is not a book to be judged by its cover!

*SPOILERS a-comin’!*

Told as a retrospective account by (not-baby-daddy) Calvin, this is a painfully honest look into today’s Catholic high school culture through the eyes of a British student recently come to live in the States with family he never knew existed until the recent death of his single mother. Although he narrates the story of main character Sydney, a gifted social outcast who has been date raped by Calvin’s American cousin Josh, Calvin is the redeeming character in the story, a hero’s hero in every way. Thorne’s genius in crafting this “cursedly dashing British fellow” is the reason this (not really!) typical teenage tale, which could have potentially come off as trashy in the hands of a less-adept wordsmith, is worthy of high praise amongst diehard March-for-Lifers and Cafeteria Catholics alike. Similar to how Harper Lee used a child-protagonist/narrator to address volatile social topics in To Kill a Mockingbird, Thorne uses Calvin, a good-natured “foreigner” with an almost innocent bystander persona, to deliver harsh truths that might not sit as well with us coming from our own neighbors or family members.

Calvin observes, “This particular Catholic school was one of those uniform-clad institutions that might make a pass at religious instruction here or there, but you’d probably never guess it if you walked the halls.” He relates a typical family dinner: “The three of them mumbled a quick, standard Catholic grace and began eating…” His perspective on the lackluster attitudes of American Catholic families comes off somehow less offensive to readers in the same way that Lee’s Scout could make racial observations no adult character could get away with in the deep South. Even so, it was pretty uncomfortable to read (one of) the (several pieces of terrible) advice from Sydney’s best friend Winnie on the topic of abortion: “Oh come on. Big Catholic school, oh no. Like we’re not all screwing each other and on the pill and watching our parents get divorced? Nobody cares about that stuff anymore. It’s not a big deal.” Ouch.

Winnie is not the only astonishly-horrible giver of advice. I was very surprised and sad at how Syndey’s beloved and trusted aunt, the adult she turned to for help, also let me, um, I mean Sydney, down. But then again, Thorne is telling a story that is painfully realistic. Parents, police, and even the school principal majorly drop the ball throughout, and a careless reader may call out Thorne on this aspect of the work, citing lack of good role models as a reason to keep this book out of the hands of our Catholic young adults. I admit this is something that had me dragging my feet a couple of days before I could recommend this book whole-heartedly to the Catholic community. But after letting it gel and rise and bloom in my heart for a night or two, I think what a mistake it that would have been, to not share this book!

I believe Thorne has heaped up such a high pile of mistakes and obstacles for our protagonist with good reasons beyond lending to a dramatic suspense the size of impossible: she’s fearlessly daring to illustrate our human fallibility. She’s shaking us all up a bit, saying even we grownups make mistakes, and we need to face it. Many situations in Sydney and Calvin Have a Baby are hard to look at, for young and not-so-young adult readers. And I’m sure many a Catholic mom-reader, as I did, will want to deny that a Catholic school could really be as bad as the one in this story, but I’ve lived this. I have to admit it really can be.

These harsh truths give Thorne’s tale power and credibility, for it is in contrast to such horribleness that we appreciate the profound goodness that exists in a character such as Calvin. Thorne gives YA readers a modern-day saint, if you will, that we can truly aspire to be. Oh! this book. It isn’t for the weak-of-heart, folks, but somehow I wish everyone would read it.

Adrienne Thorne is a Franciscan Steubenville grad who worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood until she returned to her first love, writing YA novels.