Books published by publisher Parachute Press

A book for little readers encountering loss and grief for the first time.Piggy and his heavenly friends, Fuzzbuzz and Bubbleberry, walk together through Piggy's first moments in heaven—eating grass, wondering if heavenly piggies have wings, and looking forward to being reunited with loved ones. With humor and understanding, Piggy in Heaven celebrates the reality that we bring our own endearing personalities into the life Christ grants us after death. This is a sad book and a funny book. Sometimes, you have to laugh and cry at the same time to heal.

Still Pilgrim is a collection of poems that chronicles the journey of life as seen through the eyes of a keenly-observant friend and fellow traveler. The reader accompanies the Still Pilgrim as she maps universal terrain, navigating the experiences that constitute her private history yet also serve to remind the reader of his or her own moments of enlightenment, epiphany, and encounter with mystery. Each of the 58 poems of the collection marks a way station along the pilgrimage where the Pilgrim and reader might pause and ponder before continuing with the inevitable march forward.At the center of this travel book lies a paradox: the Pilgrim's desire for the gift of stillness amid the flux and flow of time, change, and circumstance. "Be still and know that I am God," sings the Psalmist, channeling the voice of the divine. "Teach us to care and not care. Teach us to sit still," prays the poet, T.S. Eliot. Still Pilgrim depicts and embodies this human dilemma--our inevitable movement through time, moment by moment, day by day, and the power of art to stop both time and our forward march, to capture the present moment so we might savor the flavor of life."The Still Pilgrim's history consists of flashes of joy and visitations of sorrow, engagement with saints and with artists (the Pilgrim's personal patron saints), epiphanies sparked by words and songs and stories, revelations triggered by encounters with beauty and terror. The reader who perseveres through these poems is no longer merely a reader--he or she is a partner in pilgrimage and a friend. These poems have become your poems, this story your story, bespeaking our (un)common beginnings and our equally (un)common end." -- Angela Alaimo O'Donnell, from the Afterword

Written for 7-11 year olds, this playful guide appeals to kids who want to know more about what adults are telling them is a serious time. Without talking down to them, and challenging them to learn and do more, the following topics are explored in detail: What Lent Is, What Lent Definitely Is Not, 40 Days of Survival Tactics, and A Few Prayers and Practices — Only for Kids.From What Lent Definitely Is Not:People easily become confused on this subject. In fact, we’re glad you are reading this book, because we want to set you, at least, straight. You can then please set others straight.Lent is not about "giving up" silly things. It is not about making sad faces to show how difficult life has suddenly become for you. (Need we start explaining how most of the world would think that giving up candy bars or soda for 40 days sounds just plain silly? According to Bread for the World, 925 million people around the world go hungry each day. So please don’t talk about the terrible hardship you are undergoing by giving up M&M’s and Coca-Cola for a few weeks.)So instead of focusing on what you may give up, take time to consider why you may do it. You give stuff up for Lent because you want to become a better Christian. You are testing yourself — and allowing God to test you — to see if, by giving up something that maybe you are too focused on in everyday life, you can concentrate more on him.

Part keepsake, part teaching book, this small volume is filled with inspiration, encouragement, and reflections to ponder for 4th graders and up. Through simple text, it explains the privileges and responsibilities imparted through the sacrament of Confirmation. Compelling stories about saints and children their own age will help kids become more familiar with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and learn how the gifts can be active in their own lives. The apostolic mission of a confirmed Catholic is emphasized and readers are reminded that the sacrament of Confirmation is exciting—the same Holy Spirit who appeared to the apostles and the Blessed Mother at Pentecost is the one who will come to them when they are confirmed.

You ve loved sharing camp adventures with the Cabin Six bunch in the Camp Sunnyside Friends books. Now, with your Camp Memory Book, you can record all the fun & excitement of your own camp experience. Includes Rate Your Camp sheets to help you remember the best & worst of kids counselors, food, & more; pages for recording fantastic fads, cool music, biggest secrets, cool music, etc.; award sheets for nominating the kids you think are the funniest, laziest, etc.; autograph & address pages to help you keep in touch with friends & counselors; camp songs & cheers, an instant letter for those with no time to write, & more.