Newrome Press offers the world a beautiful Orthodox Christian story that can help children learn about their forthcoming siblings. Andrew’s Little Brother, written by Veronica Ruby and illustrated by Lubov Makarova tells the story of Andrew, a young Orthodox Christian, whose parents reveal to him that he is a big brother, and that he will meet his baby brother in about half a year. The family’s love for each other and for their Faith is evident throughout the book, and they offer a beautiful model of Orthodox Christian family life. At the beginning of the story, Andrew is so excited about ..read more

NewRome Press’s hardcover picture book I Found My Saint walks its readers through the early life of young Iraklis. Iraklis’ mother chose his name to remind the family of their Greek roots, and so that he would have a strong hero (Iraklis, or Hercules) to look up to and emulate. She never expected a school assignment (in religion class) to make Iraklis wish he was named for a saint instead… But what happens when Iraklis unexpectedly becomes sick and is hospitalized? Do his middle-school friends successfully kidnap him to “save” him from the doctors when they feel that he has been gone ..read more

The Orthodox Children’s Press offers picture books that are simultaneously instructional and heartwarming. Presvytera Angela Alatzakis has written and illustrated each of these books, and the reader can hear her heart for children in the gentle and loving way that she teaches through each one. Whether she is defining “our Church,” reminding each child how they became a beloved member of that Church, or offering suggestions for how each of us can be the best kind of Orthodox Christian by making our cross and praying, Prevytera Angela writes and draws with compassion. Our Church tells how a ..read more

Ancient Faith Publishing’s Parenting Toward the Kingdom: a Companion Guide is aptly named. It is both a companion and a guide to parents whose aim is to help their children toward the Kingdom of God. Intended as a study guide to be used alongside Dr. Philip Mamalakis’ well-received book Parenting Toward the Kingdom (read our 2017 review, https://orthodoxchristianparenting.wordpress.com/2017/02/08/gleanings-from-a-book-parenting-toward-the-kingdom-by-dr-philip-mamalakis/), this spiral bound book both supports and extends the original book while also personalizing it for each read ..read more

The Orthodox Children’s Press has a lovely picture book about the light of Pascha. The Light by Presvytera Angela Alatzakis walks with a child through the black night of Holy Saturday, into the darkened church, and slowly through the glorious services of Pascha. The focus of the book is on the light that each parishioner receives (and then takes with them to share with the world) to remind them of the Light of Christ.  The book is (appropriately) very darkly illustrated at the beginning, as both the world and the church are dark at the beginning of the Paschal services. The gent ..read more

Professor Edith Humphrey has once again woven a beautiful tale for children, incorporating her own grandchildren as the main characters, and allowing them to time-travel and meet their very own saints! Fans of her Beyond the White Fence (Ancient Faith, 2021) will be overjoyed to learn that she has written a sequel, Down the Valley, which has been published by Cascade Books (an imprint of Wipf and Stock). It’s been two years since some of the cousins found themselves beyond Gramgon’s (what they call their grandmother) white fence, and wondrously transported back in time to meet t ..read more

Newrome Press’ picture book, You are an Orthodox Christian, helps its readers to better understand who they are, and gives them the chance to learn why/how to better value their faith. Theofanis Sawabe begins the book with, “You are an Orthodox Christian. Do you know what that means?” He begins to answer his own question by taking a look at Orthodoxy’s family tree, which stretches all the way back to Christ and His apostles.  Page by page, Sawabe shows how Orthodox Christians through the years have carried the Faith so that we, today, can be part of it. He tells of their kindness to ..read more

Ancient Faith Kids presents a child-friendly version of the late 19th century Russian work The Way of a Pilgrim. In the new picture book The Little Way of a Pilgrim, Jennifer Anna Rich invites her readers to walk alongside a likable protagonist, who suddenly decides one day to go on a wandering quest to try to find the meaning of something that he heard in church, “Pray without ceasing.” He can’t imagine praying and not ever stopping, so he goes walking to try to learn more about this idea from others. On his journey, this friendly wanderer meets a great variety of people, and h ..read more

It’s the year 1919. Constantinople has been under Turkish rule for more than 400 years, and the awe-inspiring Church of Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) is being used as a mosque. Beneath the Magnificent Dome, by Anna Iakovou, is told from the perspective of Nicholas, a young boy living and working in a pharmacy in Constantinople, who is accidentally in Hagia Sophia for the first liturgy celebrated there in 466 years! This illustrated short story offers its readers a glimpse into life in Constantinople in the early 1900’s. The story is based on the real-life actions of Fr. Eleftherios Nouf ..read more

Newrome Press’ first ever Young Adult novel, Dyed in Murex: the Mystery of the Porphyry Codex by Evgenia Hatzithanasi-Reppa, is a beautiful contribution to the world of Orthodox Christian historical fiction. Part history book, part vocabulary lesson, part mystery, part socio-economic study, sharing tidbits of wisdom along the way; this book blends all of the above into a riveting story that leaves the reader struggling to put it down. First published in Greek in 2022, this book is carefully translated by Sister Rafailia Kaparelis. It provides (occasional) helpful footnotes as needed ..read more