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Books with author Catherine Farnes

  • Star Magic Book of Spells: Ancient Spells and Talismans for Kids in Magic Training

    Catherine Fet

    Paperback (Independently published, Oct. 22, 2018)
    This book is fantasy-fiction-style educational activity material for the young fans of Harry Potter, Descendants, Sofia the First, and other books and films of the magic fantasy genre.Does your kid want to go to a "real" magic school, like Harry Potter and other characters of fantasy fiction? Well tell him/her: You can take a course of real magic at home, with this real magic school textbook! And luckily for you and me, I am the author of a number of textbooks written for my courses at one of the best magic schools of Middle Earth, the North Landing Academy of Magic Arts.Even though I graduated from North Landing, I'll never send my son there. The place is infested with dragons, something large is crawling in the underground vaults every time the castle floods during the full moon, and the food is not as great as fantasy fiction authors want you to think. No. My baby stays here, and I'll homeschool him in magic. So should you. If your kid is new to magic training, advise him/her to start with my Invincible Magic Book of Spells. In Star Magic we build on the ideas first introduced in Invincible Magic.The spells in this book use only safe everyday objects and substances you have at home (like milk, sugar, paper, tree leaves, rocks, etc.); absolutely no use of fire, or any ingredients or items you may not have in your kitchen at the moment (like rosewater, or sage, or a crystal ball).These spells are not based on any witchcraft, New Age, or religious lore. Any esoteric concepts mentioned in this book are introduced in the context of the history of ideas (like ancient Egyptian mythology), or popular culture (like Zodiac signs, or palm-reading). This book will help kidsdevelop imagination and engage in fantasy play, which is vital for their intellectual and emotional development;learn a few scientific facts (What causes tides?), some history (Stonehenge), brush up some geometry (horizontal-vertical, parallel-perpendicular, 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional) and more.develop their interest in reading, and grow their reading fluency with an easy, 1st-2nd grade core vocabulary (reading levels 3-4).Have you ever wondered if ABRACADABRA is a real magic word? Well, once your child reads this book, they'll have a definitive answer to this question, as well as to many other questions, like:What is Ouroboros?What is the meaning of the word Zodiac?How do solstices and equinoxes happen?How to make your own sundial?Which runes did Vikings use for magic?What are the names of the stars in Orion's Belt?When was the hourglass invented?How do fortune-tellers read your palm?Which constellation is Aldebaran in?How do you make a Möbius strip?How do you say "Forever Grateful," or "Let there be light" in Latin?How to find North, South, East, and West by the sun?What is the difference between Astronomy and Astrology, Chemistry and Alchemy?Which stars were considered the most powerful in the ancient world?What's so strange about the Uffington white horse?What is the infinity sign?...And more!
  • Over the Divide

    Catherine Farnes

    Paperback (JourneyForth, May 1, 2001)
    While leading twelve backpackers on a particularly difficult wilderness trip in south central Montana, fifteen-year-old Jacy and her father begin to realize that God is trying to draw them to Himself.
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  • Out of Hiding

    Catherine Farnes

    Paperback (BJU Press, Jan. 1, 2000)
    While on a missionary trip to Mexico, Ashton encounters fear, doubt, and danger, but the most difficult to deal with is the painful memory of her brother's death.
  • Over the Divide

    Catherine Farnes

    eBook (JourneyForth, June 20, 2011)
    In Over the Divide, Christian youth fiction by Catherine Farnes, Jacy finds that being a wilderness tour guide with her dad brings some interesting characters into her life, most of whom are forgettable. But when a young widower and his son join them on the trail, Jacy finds herself unsettled by their presence. Watching them causes Jacy to start some soul-searching, and when crisis strikes, she learns where true strength lies. This is Book 1 in the Back Trails Series which continues with The Slide and Snow Blind.
  • Snow-Blind

    Catherine Farnes

    Paperback (BJU Press, July 1, 2005)
    In Snow Blind, Christian youth fiction by Catherine Farnes, the Craig teens return in a fast paced story set in the wintry Montana wilderness. Visitors arrive on the scene, not as backpackers but apparently for business; of an alarming nature. When Jacy and Dakota find out that their own father may be terminally ill and that he may be selling Back Trails, the wilderness tours service, they begin to despair. But as a series of temptations arise that increase their perils, they begin to learn that they must patiently trust the Lord in all of life s complex and challenging circumstances.
  • Ancient Greece for Kids Through the Lives of its Philosophers, Lawmakers, and Heroes

    Catherine Fet

    Paperback (Independently published, Jan. 20, 2020)
    As a kid, I loved history. But whenever a history book started a boring dive into the economy, class structure, and archaeological finds of this or that era, I turned off my flashlight and went to sleep.Kids like stories. Whether these are stories of heroism in scary wars, or of the wisdom and intrigue of ancient kings and rebels, or of the sudden turns of fate that befall fortune-seekers, kids are always fascinated by a story with a plot. They learn from stories, not from dense paragraphs about the phases of the Bronze age, the location of trade routes, or the injustices of the social order here and there. I discovered that my kid remembers minute details of Greek mythology - which is a story-based narrative - and can't recall any cities of Ancient Greece, or any historical figures after reading non-fiction on the subject. To him, Ancient Greece is Odysseus and the Sirens. Because that's a memorable story, while the development of agricultural tools is not.This book follows the old-fashioned, story-based, traditional route of teaching history - through the stories of heroes and kings, with no tribute paid to modern economic and social perspectives. If my kid remembers who Solon was because he recalls a couple funny anecdotes about him, I know he will put two and two together when he is studying the agricultural subsistence economy of that era down the road in Social Studies. But if he knows all about the injustices of slavery in Ancient Greece and doesn't know who Themistocles was, he will grow up lacking in cultural education. Culture is memes. And that means historical figures, and anecdotes about them. The suggested reader age for this book is 8 to 14 years old. To write this book, I went back to Herodotus, Plutarch, Diogenes Laertius, and other ancient sources of biographical anecdotes, and extracted from them the stories that will be most memorable to a modern kid. I retold them without adding any fictional color. I have omitted some things, however. Anything gruesome or seriously cruel is not included. Anything off-color, or outside traditional-family-friendly morality is not included. I have included only accounts of the most major battles, and without much detail. Battles are important, but as a kid - maybe as a girl - I was falling asleep over the ancient battles. Politics: Again, I have included only major turns of events.I wove the information about the social order and geography of Ancient Greece into the stories of the era's historical figures. So, no worries, the kid will learn about the Agora and Acropolis of Athens, the city-states of Corinth and Sparta, daily life in an Ancient Greek household, the major Greek temples, and the three orders of Ancient Greek architecture.vThis book is richly illustrated. I don't agree that if you are 13 or 16 you should be content with pages and pages of text and no pictures. Illustrations help both kids and grownups to visualize - and therefore to remember - events and descriptions. I have illustrated the book mostly with paintings portraying historical figures or everyday life in classical Greece. Whenever I could, I chose late 19th century and early 20th century art over the older neoclassical paintings for a more accurate representation of the Ancient Greek costume and environment. I added some photos of the sculpture, artifacts, and architectural monuments of Ancient Greece.Important: I have selected illustrations with absolutely no nudity, so it's safe to take this book to school!Here is a list of the historical figures included in this book: Homer, Aesop, Drakon, Solon, Croesus, Pythagoras, Pheidippides, Leonidas, Themistocles, Pericles, Phidias, Socrates, Aspasia, Hippocrates, Alexander the Great, Diogenes, Plato, Herostratus, Aristotle, Archimedes.
  • The Slide

    Catherine Farnes

    Paperback (BJU Press, Nov. 1, 2003)
    In The Slide, Christian youth fiction by Catherine Farnes, Taren agrees to go backpacking with the church youth group. She is actually excited about the trip, even though the teens in the group are people she has been diligently trying to avoid. But now that her father has reappeared after years away, Taren views the trip as an escape from her emotional and spiritual struggles.
  • Ancient Greece for Kids Through the Lives of its Philosophers, Lawmakers, and Heroes

    Catherine Fet

    eBook (, Jan. 19, 2020)
    As a kid, I loved history. But whenever a history book started a boring dive into the economy, class structure, and archaeological finds of this or that era, I turned off my flashlight and went to sleep.Kids like stories. Whether these are stories of heroism in scary wars, or of the wisdom and intrigue of ancient kings and rebels, or of the sudden turns of fate that befall fortune-seekers, kids are always fascinated by a story with a plot. They learn from stories, not from dense paragraphs about the phases of the Bronze age, the location of trade routes, or the injustices of the social order here and there. I discovered that my kid remembers minute details of Greek mythology - which is a story-based narrative - and can't recall any cities of Ancient Greece, or any historical figures after reading non-fiction on the subject. To him, Ancient Greece is Odysseus and the Sirens. Because that's a memorable story, while the development of agricultural tools is not.This book follows the old-fashioned, story-based, traditional route of teaching history - through the stories of heroes and kings, with no tribute paid to modern economic and social perspectives. If my kid remembers who Solon was because he recalls a couple funny anecdotes about him, I know he will put two and two together when he is studying the agricultural subsistence economy of that era down the road in Social Studies. But if he knows all about the injustices of slavery in Ancient Greece and doesn't know who Themistocles was, he will grow up lacking in cultural education. Culture is memes. And that means historical figures, and anecdotes about them. The suggested reader age for this book is 8 to 14 years old. To write this book, I went back to Herodotus, Plutarch, Diogenes Laertius, and other ancient sources of biographical anecdotes, and extracted from them the stories that will be most memorable to a modern kid. I retold them without adding any fictional color. I have omitted some things, however. Anything gruesome or seriously cruel is not included. Anything off-color, or outside traditional-family-friendly morality is not included. I have included only accounts of the most major battles, and without much detail. Battles are important, but as a kid - maybe as a girl - I was falling asleep over the ancient battles. Politics: Again, I have included only major turns of events.I wove the information about the social order and geography of Ancient Greece into the stories of the era's historical figures. So, no worries, the kid will learn about the Agora and Acropolis of Athens, the city-states of Corinth and Sparta, daily life in an Ancient Greek household, the major Greek temples, and the three orders of Ancient Greek architecture.vThis book is richly illustrated. I don't agree that if you are 13 or 16 you should be content with pages and pages of text and no pictures. Illustrations help both kids and grownups to visualize - and therefore to remember - events and descriptions. I have illustrated the book mostly with paintings portraying historical figures or everyday life in classical Greece. Whenever I could, I chose late 19th century and early 20th century art over the older neoclassical paintings for a more accurate representation of the Ancient Greek costume and environment. I added some photos of the sculpture, artifacts, and architectural monuments of Ancient Greece.Important: I have selected illustrations with absolutely no nudity, so it's safe to take this book to school!Here is a list of the historical figures included in this book: Homer, Aesop, Drakon, Solon, Croesus, Pythagoras, Pheidippides, Leonidas, Themistocles, Pericles, Phidias, Socrates, Aspasia, Hippocrates, Alexander the Great, Diogenes, Plato, Herostratus, Aristotle, Archimedes.
  • Invincible Magic Book of Spells: Ancient Spells, Charms and Divination Rituals for Kids in Magic Training

    Catherine Fet

    eBook (North Landing Books, Oct. 6, 2018)
    Practical everyday magic spells for the young fans of Harry Potter, Descendants, Sofia the First, and other books and films of the magic fantasy genre. These spells use only safe everyday objects and substances you have at home or outside (like milk, sugar, salt, mirror, a ring, a ribbon, tree leaves, rocks, etc.); absolutely no use of fire, or anything gross, or any ingredients or items you may not have in your kitchen at the moment (like rosewater, or sage, or a crystal ball).These spells are not based on any witchcraft, New Age, or esoteric religion, lore or rituals. This is fantasy-fiction-style educational activity material for kids ages 7-12, that helps them develop imagination, and engage in fantasy play which is vital for their intellectual and emotional development;Introduces to them a few facts of math, sciences, and history;Helps develop their interest in reading, and grow their reading fluency with an easy, 1st-2nd grade core vocabulary.If a kid in your life runs around waving a magic wand, talks about "dark chronicles," "immortal secrets, " dragons and hidden chambers filled with ancient manuscripts... If your kid recites Harry Potter spells in pseudo-Latin, and mixes magic potions in your kitchen sink...Your kid is ready for magic training. Buy this spell book for that child without delay! Your young magician will stop wasting your dish detergent, and start using actual classical Latin to punctuate his/her powerful spells.By the way, is this kid resistant to reading? Well, resistance is futile when you are dealing with a real ancient hands-on practical spell book, where you read a couple sentences, then do what you’ve just read about, then read again, and do again, read-do, read-do.... In addition to its easy vocabulary, the book is beautifully illustrated to increase your kid’s reading enthusiasm.Just like the ancients who made most of the great discoveries in math, the sciences, and arts in pursuit of magic, your child will play with the ideas of intelligence in nature, and the great unknown beyond, and develop curiosity about the world.Upon working with this 30-page book, your student of magic arts will know a fact or two about sciences and history, will be able to recite the Pythagorean Theorem and the Fibonacci Sequence (no kidding), and will answer many questions you’ve always had, like:How to find the North star?Why does your breath fog up the mirror?Who introduced Arabic numerals to replace Roman Numerals in Medieval Europe?What kind of writing system did Ancient Egyptians have?What are fractals?Who spoke Latin (besides Harry Potter at Hogwarts)?What is divination?How numerologists predict the future?Who was Pythagoras?When were the Middle Ages?What is an Ankh?What are the phases of the Moon?What are the directions of the wind in your area?Why do oil and water never mix?...And more!Currently residing in New York City, I've spent my life doing magic and taming dragons at home and at work. With an M.A, in Linguistics and years spent perusing Gothic manuscripts in underground library cells at universities on both sides of the Atlantic, I have a decent command of classical Latin and Greek, with a few European languages thrown in.But the most important thing about me is that I am the mother of a magic-obssessed 6-year old. My son hates reading, but he will read if the book contains the secret magical lore not available on Disney Channel, or in his Catholic school curriculum. I started writing this book for him during summer vacation, to help him get fluent in reading, so that one day he may understand that the only magic in the world that opens all doors is...knowledge.
  • Palm Reading for Kids

    Catherine Fet

    Paperback (Independently published, Nov. 13, 2018)
    This is activity material for ages 8 and up, and a book for independent reading with the core vocabulary at 2nd-3rd grade level (US), or around reading level 4. When I was in the 3rd grade, I found in our attic an old British tabloid with a spread laying out the basics of palmistry, or palm reading. I promptly learned the 2 pages by heart, and the next day in school my meteoric rise to popularity began. Friends and foes, and their grandmas lined up to have their palms read. While my family humorously dismissed my new-found talent, some kids and family friends were in awe and authentically grateful. Fast forward some decades: I didn't become a fortune teller, and have never even visited a "psychic," but those 2 magazine pages gave me something that lasted beyond a few months of fortune-telling stardom. It was my first experience of learning a knowledge system on my own, and applying it in real life. It was also the first time I was thinking on my own about people's psychological and behavioral traits and comparing my observations with the interpretations drawn from that system.Later I invested time into studying palmistry for real, with Indian palmists, and comparing it with the Western system. It was purely a hobby: I have never used this art as a basis for any real-life decisions, or practiced it as a commercial pursuit. Recently it occurred to me that my son and any kid - boy or girl - may enjoy playing with the palmistry system, and may be able to reap the same benefits I did as a child. Afte r all, quite randomly, I ended up having an expert-level training in something I don't use: I'd better share it before I forget everything!This book is based on the actual traditional Indian system of palmistry. I have not added anything from outside that system. My only contributions are: - avoiding any gloom and doom in the interpretations of the lines and signs; - avoiding any references to class or social status, as well as any fixation on 'wealth'; - avoiding any grownup content if you know what I mean; - focusing on empowering content - such as finding and growing your talents, developing self-confidence, making good choices, and so on. I don't offer any judgement regarding whether palmistry works or not - it's up to my readers to decide! My readers and I make sure we respect both those who believe in esoteric arts (as long as they are not charlatans), and those who don't. We don't laugh at other people's beliefs. The way I present the palmistry system is straightforward, with no unnecessary humor or simplification, just like I would teach an adult (so as an adult you may enjoy it too!) We'll start by drawing a strong line between the fortune-telling activity of modern-day psychics/clairvoyants (we'll learn a new word - 'charlatans'!) and the traditional system of palmistry with a history going back thousands of years to ancient India. Then I will lay out the theory, and we'll practice using my hand, and then the hands of my best friend Katie, and of my son Eric. Along the way we'll learn a few random facts from history, culture, and mythology. Here are the benefits of playing with this book: • It's an activity that requires no toys, supplies, or guidance; • It will prompt kids to think about their own and their friends' traits of character, behavior and its consequences from a non-didactic angle - just exploring a mysterious ancient art rather than being told what behavior works and what doesn't; • It can help a kid learn about the talents, careers and achievements of family members and friends; • It will help kids develop critical thinking in distinguishing real expertise from charlatanism, and learn their family's position on esoteric arts; • It may boost a kid's social popularity, just as it did mine!
  • The Rivers of Judah by Catherine Farnes

    Catherine Farnes

    Paperback (BJU Press, March 15, 1864)
    None
  • Treasure Hunting and Real-Life Treasure Hunters Level 2 Reading, non-fiction explorer adventure stories for kids, 2nd grade

    Catherine Fet

    language (, Feb. 13, 2019)
    This is a Level 2 Reader book: 4-6 simple sentences per page,1st-2nd grade vocabulary, large type, lots of colorful pictures on every page. Great for kids who have started reading on their own. Everyone enjoys adventure stories about secret vaults, sunken ships, and pirate treasures, but what about real-life treasures and treasure hunters? What are the biggest treasures ever found, and how do modern-day treasure hunters work? What if I have found a treasure: Does it belong to me?We answer all these questions! The reader will learn about the hidden hoards of Vikings, and Romans, and an ancient ship loaded with gold that ended up under the ocean sand. Who discovered those treasures? And how? From pirate ships and the Spanish treasure fleet to the Titanic - there are tons of gold, coins, precious artifacts, and adventures in our book!And treasure hunters! Some of them try to steal the treasures, some generously donate them to a museum, and one of them threw his treasure out! Well, if you are a gopher digging your underground tunnel, what use do you have for a bag of coins taking all that tunnel space you need to store your roots and grain for winter?...