Joan of Arc: The Girl Who Fought For France
15-Minute Books 617
Jeannie Meekins
Learning Island
eISBN 9781301371860
eISBN 9781301054053
ASIN B00CWQOMEA
This is the fourth volume I have read in this series by this author. The first was excellent, the second was meh, the third one wasthe middle and is a pretty good read. This one was back to excellent. I picked this up to read after reading Mary MacKillop: Australia's First Saint, from the same author in the same series. I enjoyed that first one so much, I picked up the eight volumes in the series about saints. Prior to reading this I have read a number of biographies and other books about Saint Joan, both biographies and historical fiction. I have read much about Joan because of my own interest and because my youngest daughter picked her for her confirmation saint. With that being said this volume was a great read and I even learned a few things.
Jeannie Meekins according to amazon has over 120 unique titles geared for young readers. Many are biographies, some are in a Fun Facts Series, and other appear to be short fiction. This one I picked up because I loved another by the author in the series. This is part of a series tagged as 15-Minute Books, which are geared to get children reading for 15 minutes a day.
The website is now defunct, but Learning Island when I checked the internet archive machine appears to have been a site with contributors from around the world. The oldest archived versions show books available for download in PDF format and exercises to go with the books. Later iterations of the site show link to purchase cheap eBook and later even print editions of the works. There are some numbered even into the1000’s. With the most recent being from early 2013 and numbered at 1014. But I only find 163 when I search Kindle. The description of this volume is:
“Joan of Arc was a young farm girl who claimed to have heard the voices of saints. She led an army in many battles to drive the English out of France and put the rightful King on the throne.
After she was captured, the King and the armies did nothing to help her. She was sold to the English and put on trial for crimes against the Church. Joan was convicted and burned at the stake.
She was nineteen years old when she died.
Find out about the life of this girl who fought for France against the English, and was burned at the stake for wearing men's pants!
Ages 8 and up.”
The description of the Series is:
“LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.”
The sections in this booklet are:
Early Life
The Throne of France
Joan goes to the Dauphin
Joan wins Orleans
The King is Crowned
Joan is taken Prisoner
Joan’s Trial
The Death of Joan
After Joan’s Death
Blessings and Images
I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume. They are:
“Joan of Arc (or Jeanne d'Arc as she was named in French) was born in the small village of Domremy, in north east France, on January 6, 1412. Her parents were Jacques d’Arc and Isabelle Romee. She had one sister and three brothers.”
“At thirteen, Joan began hearing voices. She had visions of saints appearing and talking to her. The saints of her church were the Archangel St Michael, St Catherine of Alexandria and St Margaret of Antioch. They were also the saints who appeared to her.”
“Joan went to her uncle and told him what the saints had said. He told her to go to Robert Baudricourt. He was Charles VII’s commander in Vaucouleurs, a town near Domremy.”
“Charles gave Joan a suit of white armour. He had a banner made for her, with a picture of angels kneeling before God and presenting Him with a fleur-de-lis. It had the words “Jesus Maria”.”
“Today there are many shrines, churches and museums dedicated to Joan of Arc in France and throughout the world. Many statues have been created in her honor. The most famous is the statue in the public square on Rue de Rivoli, in Paris.”
This little booklet provided a wide range of information. There were some items I was unaware of such as. It is a great introduction to the Saint or as a source of additional information about her. It is a quick read.
I really enjoyed this book. This one was close. I have picked up a number in the series and will continue to read and review them. This was a good little introduction and for then intended audience would be a good read. But even in my 50’s I appreciated the book. I can recommend this book as a starting point for exploration of Saint Joan, the woman and the legends around her life. It would be a great addition to a home, school or church library.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan!
Other books about Joan of Arc:
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Books in the 15-Minute Books Series about Saints:
Saint Nicholas The Man Who Became the Patron Saint of Children - Melissa Cleeman
...
Books by Jeannie Meekins:
Saint Francis of Assisi: The Patron Saint of Animals
The Lives of Seven Saints
…
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