Maria's Mysterious Mission
2008 Colorado Book Award finalist
ISBN 978-1-56579-588-4
by Claudia Cangilla McAdam
illustrated by Anna-Maria Crum
photography by John Fielder
Available from John Fielder Publishing, 32 pp.
Long ago on the tiny Venetian island of Burano, the winter's ice encircled the island, keeping the fishermen from the sea. The villagers were going hungry. This book tells the story of Gianni and Nicoletta, a courageous and compassionate young couple who want to help their starving neighbors. Gianni braves the icy sea, hoping to catch fish to feed the villagers, and Nicoletta holds vigil in the church. When a fierce storm capsizes the boat, he nearly drowns, until a mermaid appears who offers a gift that will change the future of everyone on the island.
In each of these two books, there are 24 reproducible stories of people who exemplify positive character attributes. Many stories focus on everyday heroes; ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. People who rise to the occasion. People who sacrifice personal safety for the sake of others or dedicate their lives to a worthy cause. Both celebrities and everyday heroes serve as positive role models for students. Each portrait includes a teacher guide that highlights the desirable traits, including thinking questions and writing ideas about the story and character.
"This is one of the most amazing stories that reconfirms one’s belief in the power of the Almighty. It is a book that is truly timeless, genderless, and classic."
—The Catholic Company
When someone steals the prize buckle of a junior bull-riding champion, amateur sleuth Kirsten Camarata sets her mind to solving the mystery. She takes part in a rodeo in order to get behind the scenes, and even though someone goes to extreme measures to prevent her from doing so, her detective skills pay off as she uses her brains to piece together clues and solve the mystery.
Claudia Cangilla McAdam
Author of Works for Children and Young Adults
REVIEW:
Beckoning follows the stellar book Awakening and will draw the reader into the drama of the earliest days of the Church following the Resurrection. Tabitha’s intense search for her family and faith make this book hard to put down. This heartwarming story is a great way to personally enter into the reality and mystery of this broken world gradually being drawn into the healing light of Christ.
--Sister Immaculata, Theology Department Chair, Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll High School
eBook
In her imagined life in Biblical times, Tabitha finds herself alone in Jerusalem, beset by tragedy, and in danger as she is pursued by a Temple guard who wants to arrest her. But she is not deterred from learning about the source of her father’s faith and exploring whether the crucified and risen Lord is beckoning her, too, to follow Him.
"One of the best things about Colorado is the stunning scenery of the state, from the expansive Eastern Plains to the snow-capped tips of the Rocky Mountains to the sculpted hills of the Great Sand Dunes. Through photos that span the state and cover all four seasons, and with poetic descriptions that bring each scene to life, this unique alphabet book is a celebration of the beauty and variety of Colorado’s natural wonderland: the flora, the fauna, the grand panoramas, the picturesque details. The enchanting verse of children’s author Claudia Cangilla McAdam and the spectacular photography of John Fielder combine to take children of all ages on a captivating lyrical and pictorial journey around Colorado from A to Z."
—John Hickenlooper, Governor of Colorado
During the holidays each year, the giant evergreen tree hoped that a family would pick it to be the centerpiece of their home, and it would finally be a part of the miracle of Christmas. But as year after year passed and no one seemed to want it because it was so big, the tree began to despair that it would never be selected . . . until one special season when it was chosen, for a purpose far beyond what could ever have been expected.
Whimsical verse combines with the spectacular photographs of Texas nature photographer Richard Reynolds in this 48-page, full-color book that explores the details of nature and their places in larger landscapes. This book challenges not only young readers but those of all ages to recognize that Nature's details are often as magnificent and mysterious as Nature's landscapes.
German edition
English edition
Readers young and old delight in discovering the hidden worlds within Colorado’s beautiful landscapes. For each photo, a cutout and imaginative poetry verse explore the mysteries of a small detail of the natural world, while turning the page reveals its place in one of nature's grand landscapes.
The Christmas Tree Cried
the story of the White House Christmas Tree
ISBN 0-9748995-5-0 (print)
ISBN 978-0-9748995-6-5 (e-Book)
by Claudia Cangilla McAdam
illustrated by Anna-Maria Crum
published by Two Sons Press
View the book trailer
BECKONING
ISBN 978-0-9748995-1-0
by Claudia Cangilla McAdam
eBook
Books Available Now
REVIEW:
"Filled with colorful, realistic, narrative illustrations of the story, Kristoph and the First Christmas Tree describes an ancient Christian miracle through the fresh eyes of a child, making this lovely book a beautiful holiday gift to celebrate the coming of Christ."
—Midwest Book Review
Tabby Long is a modern-day teen whose father has a miraculous healing and conversion to Christ causing Tabby to investigate how he has come to faith. She inserts herself into Biblical stories where she envisions herself to be Tabitha Longinus, the daughter of Centurion Longinus, the soldier who crucifies Christ.
Written in a poetic form, this book is humorously entertaining as well as being informative as it teaches children about the major bones that comprise the human skeleton. Children will learn the names of these bones and their functions as well as uncovering some fascinating facts about the skeletal system. An added bonus is free resource material, including a discussion guide and activity sheets related to the skeleton. Ideal for parents and educators looking to introduce children to the human skeleton.
eBook
Far from her native South America, Maria the llama is homesick. When she sets off on a mysterious mission with a heavy pack on her back and a heavier weight on her heart, she forges a new friendship and comes to see her life in Colorado through very different eyes.
If you could stop the crucifixion of Christ, would you?
Ronni is a twenty-first century American teenage girl living 5,000 miles away from home . . . 2,000 years in the past. How she got here, she doesn’t know. But one day she woke up in Jerusalem the week of the crucifixion of Jesus. She has three days to try to stop his death. The question is . . . can she do it? Should she?
Read the first four chapters of Awakening here.
And click here to listen to Claudia talk about the book on Radio Maria.
Classroom sets of the book are available for purchase at up to a 50% discount!
Do You See What I See? Texas
ISBN 978-1-56579-589-1
by Claudia Cangilla McAdam
photography by Richard Reynolds
Available here, 48 pp.
Recipient of the 2016
Colorado Authors' League Award
THE MERMAID'S GIFT
ISBN 978-1455621088
by Claudia Cangilla McAdam
illustrated by Traci Van Wagoner
published by Pelican Publishing, 32 pp.
View the book trailer Listen to a radio interview
A, B, See Colorado
An Alphabet Book of the Centennial State
ISBN 978-0-9860004-0-9
by Claudia Cangilla McAdam
photography by John Fielder
published by John Fielder Publishing, 32 pp.
View the book trailer
Coming in 2021:
The Bones You Own
A Kids' Introduction into the Human Skeleton
by Claudia Cangilla McAdam
The
Wordless
Weaver
print edition
Polish edition
German edition
The Wordless Weaver
picture book (Our Sunday Visitor)
It’s Christmas Eve in the year 722, and Kristoph, a young orphan boy, is accompanying the missionary priest, Boniface, through the German countryside on their way to the first Christmas the boy will celebrate outside the orphanage. When the pair happens upon a group of men worshiping a sacred oak and preparing to sacrifice the son of the village chieftain, Boniface’s brave actions change their hearts and initiate the tradition of bringing evergreen trees into the home to shelter “loving gifts and lights of kindness.” Kristoph and the First Christmas Tree is a beautiful retelling of the legend of the martyr who became the patron saint of Germany. Includes "A Prayer of Blessing for a Christmas Tree."
Portraits of Character
by Claudia Cangilla McAdam,
Robert McAdam, Diane McAdam Bange
Vol. 1 ISBN 978-1879097-64-3
Vol. 2 ISBN 978-1879097-65-6
published by Kagan Publishing
Do You See What I See?
ISBN 978-1-56579-554-9
by Claudia Cangilla McAdam
photography by John Fielder
Available here, 48 pp.
AWAKENING
ISBN 978-1-933184-61-6
by Claudia Cangilla McAdam
published by Sophia Institute Press, 150 pp.
Finalist, Screenplay Category, 2018
Colorado Authors' League Award
KRISTOPH AND THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE
ISBN 978-1-61261-630-8
by Claudia Cangilla McAdam
illustrated by Dave Hill
published by Paraclete Press, 32 pp.
View the book trailer
Read an excerpt
Listen to an interview about this book on Radio Maria