This week we talk to Catholic author and Word on Fire Votive editor, Haley Stewart, about what makes stories good (for children and adults), why good stories matter, and how they shape us. We also put together a fantastic summer reading list that is not AI generated!
Haley Stewart is the author of seven books: three books for adults, a series of books for children (the Sister Seraphina Mysteries), and most recently, The Catholic Kids C. ookbook: Holy Days and Heavenly Food. She also hosts the Votive podcast, where she explores the world of writing for children, and writes here on Substack. A mother of four, she lives with her children in Tallahassee, Florida.
The Catholic Kids Cookbook: Holy Days and Heavenly Food by Haley Stewart and Clare Sheaf
The Pursuit of the Pilfered Cheese: A Sister Seraphina Mystery by Haley Stewart
Strange Sound by the Sea: A Sister Seraphina Mystery by Haley Stewart
The Curious Christmas Tale: A Sister Seraphina Mystery by Haley Stewart
The Ox Cart Man by Donald Hall
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary Schmidt
The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Naveri
Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Naveri
“On Fairy Stories” by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Way Things Work by David Macaulay
Past Watchful Dragons R. J. Sheffler
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shafer and Annie Barrows
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
River of Darkness by Buddy Levy
American Legend: The Real Life Adventures of David Crockett by Buddy Levy
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Charis and the World of Wonders by Marly Youmans
Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris
Piranesi by Susanna Clark
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