Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
May 8, 2002
Local students' book tops Catholic Bestsellers List
Primer on Catholic faith written by 105 students is April top seller for children's books
By Eileen Love
Pop quiz! Quick — what was the number 1 children's book on the Catholic Bestsellers List last month? Hint: It is a basic primer on the Catholic faith and was written by 105 elementary school authors.
If you said "Kids Explore America's Catholic Heritage" you're right, and that fact is making Pauline Media and Press very happy. This is the first time the Boston-based publishing company has held the number 1 spot.
"Kids Explore America's Catholic Heritage" made its debut in February but was in the works long before that. Judy Cozzens, 57, teacher, wife, and mother of three grown children - a lawyer, a mom and a priest, she'll proudly tell you - founded the Young Writers Workshop nearly 10 years ago as a way to introduce schoolchildren to the book writing process and as a way of fostering understanding and appreciation for cultural differences. The Kids Explore series has looked at America's Japanese, Jewish and African heritages, and the special needs community, among others.
But this latest book is nearest to Cozzens' heart. A lifelong Catholic and member of All Souls Parish in Englewood, Cozzens long wanted to produce a book on Catholic heritage but waited until she retired from the public school system when the proceeds could benefit local charity.
The colorful paperback takes readers on a whirlwind tour of the Church in America, exploring such topics as church history, saints, sacraments, liturgy, miracles and more. Stories of conversions are included as well as testimonies of faith from regular people who have been blessed with miraculous answers to prayer. There are even recipes for Easter bread and instructions on how to make a rosary.
The authors, students in grades four through seven, worked on the project last summer at St. Louis Parish in Englewood. Mornings were spent gathering for prayer in the gym or the church. Then the kids, their teachers and high school mentors went to work in the classrooms, researching, writing, editing and illustrating.
Every afternoon, kids were entertained and inspired by guest speakers who told stories of their devotion to God. Teen visitors told of traveling to faraway places to help the poor and spread the love of Jesus. Men and woman in religious life talked about vocations and even Bishop José Gomez stopped in for a visit, chatting with the group about their writing and giving the children his blessing.
Sister Patricia Edward, F.S.P., an editor at Pauline Books and Media, is delighted with the kids' final product.
"The book is so lively," she said. "It shows the beauty of our faith while at the same time showing the personality of its writers."
Brisk sales show how well people across the nation are responding to the newest Kids Explore book. Local parishes have hosted book signings and there is talk about using the book as a complement to children's RCIA classes. For this purpose, a Web site is in development to provide teaching aids to catechists.
One of the most important things Cozzens tried to teach the youthful writers is that faith finds expression in action. To that end, a portion of proceeds from "Kids Explore America's Catholic Heritage" will go to Seeds of Hope, an archdiocesan charity that funds inner-city Catholic schools in Denver.
Books may be purchased at the Seeds of Hope luncheon 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. May 29 at the Hyatt Regency Denver, 1750 Welton St., or at area Catholic supply stores, or by contacting Cozzens online at jcozzens@jeffco.k12.co.us, or by calling 303-795-0050.
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