Saints are our Catholic heroes. They aren’t perfect, but they are beautiful examples of the path to holiness. So try reading about some of the saints. Our Catholic children need good role models.
Picking an age appropriate book to learn about the saints is important. If the story isn’t engaging, children stop hearing. Also, some saint books are really focused on death and suffering. While it is true that many saints suffered, I question whether that is the main point we want to teach from their stories. Children also need to know that trusting in God can bring them joy and peace.
115 Saintly Fun Facts is one of my favorite saint books for younger children. The short stories are great for young attention spans. And some of the fun facts are really funny and quirky. But they still get across the point that the saints were faithful. And it has enough stories that you can read one a day for quite a while.
Picture Book of the Saints is also a good choice for younger children. It has the stories of over 100 saints. This one has been around a while, but it holds up to the test of time. There is a beautiful image for each saint along with a short description of his or her life.
Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland is another good choice for children. We read this one many times when my kids were younger. St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, so you could read this on his feast day. My favorite story from this book is about him sailing across the sea on an altar stone.
For tweens and younger teenagers, consider The Life of Pope John Paul II in Comics. This book is in graphic novel format, but it is non-fiction. And I think the comic book format emphasizes that this modern saint is as much a hero as anyone from the Marvel Universe.
Finally for older teens, young adults, and adults, I recommend My Life with the Saints by Fr. James Martin. Fr. Martin writes about how the lives of some of his favorite saints and holy people influenced his way of thinking. The book has chapters on Joan of Arc, Therese of Lisieux, Thomas Merton, Ignatius of Loyola, Pedro Arrupe, Bernadette Soubirous, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, John XXIII, Dorothy Day, Peter the Apostle, Thomas Aquinas, Francis of Assisi, Joseph the Husband of Mary, the Ugandan Martyrs, Aloysius Gongaza, and our Blessed Mother Mary.
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