"If you're a mom of teens like me, you're constantly on the lookout for books and resources that will help inspire your family. With this new book by Colleen Swaim-her first, but hopefully just the start of a prolific writing career-we discover a treasure of the faith for Catholics young and old.
" Ablaze is aimed at teens, but truthfully, the resources contained within this book will aid anyone looking to grow in sanctity and faith. Colleen profiles the lives of eight young saints and blesseds, sharing their path to sainthood with accounts that are filled with insight and detail. She has a voice that truly manages to bring these stories to life. Perhaps it's her work as a high school teacher that has provided her with an insight into what will move, challenge and inspire young people.
" Ablaze is filled with so much more than simply biographical details, including sidebars, vocabulary descriptions, maps, sacramental lessons, and even recipes. Journal prompts, prayers, scripture references and reflection questions help the reader to fully interact with the content presented, applying it to the challenges of every day life.
"Each of the saints profiled, though living in different periods of history, has a freshness and a relevance to the world our teens face today. Colleen Swaim aptly brings their heroic virtues to light in a way that will have teens (and grown ups, too!), eagerly interacting with her content and asking for more. I give Ablaze my highest recommendation and will enjoy sharing it with my own son this summer."
Lisa M. Hendey, CatholicMom.com webmaster
"Young people and others will appreciate another book that matters, in both content and design: Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints, by Colleen Swaim. This book is a gem, plain and simple. Here are just three of the best elements:
"The book includes several well-known saints, like St. Dominic Savio and St. Maria Goretti, but these bios aren't the 'same-old' facts. Swaim infuses the stories with a fresh, invigorating voice that shows these remarkable people as more 3-dimensional than the usual narratives.
"The bulk of the book is new to most or some will only have a passing knowledge of from St. Kizito of Africa, Blessed Chiara of Italy, and many others. Their stories are told in a way that makes Ablaze a must-read. It truly inspires a sense of longing for holiness.
"Each saint/chapter ends with 'saintly challenges,' offering readers a chance to apply the lessons of the saint's life to his or her own, through media, prayers and recipes.
"Trying a homemade chai tea recipe to give as a gift after reading about St. Alphonsa from India, or being challenged to put into practice a daily schedule to emulate St. Stanislaus. There are movie suggestions, simple virtue development ideas, and tons of other great ideas and challenges."
Nancy Piccione, Catholic Post, the Diocese of Peoria, IL
"Let's hear it for teens! Thanks to a five-year strategic pastoral plan, this year will be devoted to teens and young adults in the Archdiocese of Chicago. The aim is a spiritual awakening for youth, so they'll become wholehearted Catholics. How about role models who have already made the journey?
"Here's a collection of stories about young heroes for inspiration: Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints, by high school teacher Colleen Swaim. Ablaze is about eight teenaged saints or 'blesseds' recognized officially by the church. (Of course, there are many more whose names we'll never know.) Three of Swaim's subjects were from Italy, and the other five from Chile, Uganda, Poland, India and Spain. The youngest is 11-year-old St. Maria Goretti.
"Swaim writes about some who were obvious saints from the get-go, like Dominic Savio who served Mass daily at age five. Or Stanislaus Kostka, a home-schooled kid in 1564 who levitated during Mass at age 14. Or young Kizito. He lived in Uganda and was a page in the court of an evil king who also happened to be a pedophile. Kizito, newly baptized at age 14, went singing to his martyrdom, along with 15 other boys and young men, St. Charles Lwanga and some adult Christians. But when Juanita Solar was a youngster, she was rich, spoiled and had temper tantrums. (Nothing too saintly there.) A typical student, she called her boarding school 'a dungeon,' and hated to go back after summer break. People can change. Juanita entered a Carmelite convent at age 18 and while her life was brief, today she's known as the 'St. Teresa of the Andes.' The most recent addition to this select company is Chiara 'Luce' Badano. Called 'a saint of our times,' she's been chosen by Pope Benedict as one of the patrons for World Youth Day 2011. Before she died of bone cancer at age 18, she 'lived the Gospel' doing acts of love for others. She appeared average-hanging out in coffee shops with friends, playing tennis and swimming. She might even be called 'the saint who flunked high school math.' She offered all her suffering to God, and 20 years after her death, in 2010, she was named Blessed Chiara.
"Swaim has arranged her appealing book with lots of extra tidbits from helpful definitions and photos to brief discussion-starters, saintly challenges and prayers. As the author says, 'Be who you should be, and you will set the whole world ablaze!'"
Delores Madlener, Catholic New World, newspaper for the Archdiocese of Chicago
