Here's the book you've been wanting to give your child and one they'll actually be excited to read. "365 Fun Facts" doesn't just educate; it sparks interest in their Catholic faith by providing digestible tidbits of information and encourages them to push that faith farther in their daily lives.

Each day's entry starts out with an interesting fact, from stories of saints to national holidays (US) to science trivia, even a bit of popular culture and both Church and American history. Even parents will learn a thing or two! The daily passage concludes with simple ways your child can grow in his or her Christian faith, both in thought and action. In addition, some entries suggest creative activities - like making a scrapbook, outlining the family tree, folding paper airplanes - that can be done together. Humorous illustrations also dot each page.

As an adult I'm consistently impressed by the seamlessness of fact and faith in this book. Being a strong Catholic or even a compassionate person is not as hard as us older folks make it out, and kids, especially those who read this book, understand that well. Synder transforms the perils of Superman, the Great Wall of China, and the wedding at Cana into reasons for reexamining our faith and actions, thus making Catholicism slightly more accessible for those a little resistant to Catholic education of the parochial or Sunday school variety. (i.e., March 27: Superman may have had X-ray vision, but how might we use X-ray vision to see into other people's lives and try to understand what happiness or sorrow they are experiencing?) Kids will have no trouble relating to these simple lessons that form the foundation of their faith, and I only regret that more of us hadn't read it when we were younger.