About the Book:
30 Lessons. 2 Testaments. 1 Mass.
If you are a middle-school catechist or homeschooler looking for tried-and-tested ways to use the Bible to teach the Catholic faith to a roomful of tired kids, this is the book for you.
The Bible Tells Me So recounts one year of Bible-based Catholic teaching for 6th-graders, featuring both Bible-sourced Catechesis, and the give-and-take between teacher and students. It’s intended to provide a firm Scriptural foundation for today’s Catholic children, and give them an invaluable familiarity with the Bible and their faith at the same time.
The Bible Tells Me So is divided into three Units: 1 and 2 treat the Bible chronologically from Genesis to Revelations, emphasizing the Catholic understanding of Scripture. These classes are taught directly from the Bible. Unit 3 then examines the Mass in lessons which draw from the knowledge gained in the preceding units, using the Bible and a Missalette.
Prepare young Catholics for the New Evangelization: read The Bible Tells Me So.
Imprimatur granted by the Bishop of the Diocese of Charleston, SC.
My Comments:
One thing I missed out on as a teen in the 1970's was a class on scripture. We used the Bible (or at least the New Testament) and of course as a Catholic who attended Mass regularly, I heard a good bit of the Bible at Mass yet it wasn't until the year I decided to read the Bible from cover to cover that I got any idea of how it all fit together (and even then there was a lot that I didn't "get". Most of today's catechetical programs are stronger on Scripture than our parish's program was "back in the day"; unfortunately it is those of us educated "back in the day" who are now teaching in those programs.
Christian LeBlanc teaches sixth graders about scripture in his parish's program. He has the advantage, and disadvantage, of being in the Bible Belt, a part of the country where it is not unusual for a Catholic to be asked about our unique beliefs "Where in the Bible does it say to do that?". Christian gives kids the answers to those questions.
is a series of thirty-two lessons that guide you through the Old and New Testaments from a Catholic perspective. Basically, it appears to be a compilation and expansion of his weekly blog posts which read like transcripts of his classes. The chapters are interesting reading because they inform about scripture and they also give a new catechist an idea of how to teach, without getting bogged down in crafts, games or other such things. I don't know enough about Scripture to say whether the "facts" he gives are true, or the conclusions warranted, but they seem to comport with what I know about Catholicism.
The book includes black and white photos from the white board he used during class as well as some black and white pictures of art representing the sacred.
In short, there are a lot prettier religion books out there but this one contains a lot of information in a very readable format. Grade: B+
I received a complimentary review copy from Christian LeBlanc. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
WIll need to check this out for next year even though my kids will be 8th and 9th grade
ReplyDeletedisappointed in Amazon.com... they let me see the table of contents, the intro and some pics.... but not a lesson
ReplyDeleteY'all have a look at the book here instead:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.createspace.com/3835986
BTW, re Catholicity, the book received an Imprimatur from my bishop and a recommendation by the diocesan Censor.