So you know how people in Facebook groups often share about what they’re doing? I was lucky enough, or maybe “blessed” would be more accurate, to come across a post by Maria Riley where she shared about her book series. From her post, I understood that it would be a Christian series that was similar in nature to the Magic Tree House books. Unfortunately, my family got sick, recovered then got sick again, then recovered and got sick yet again, so this review is a long time coming, but it is a good one. I’ll be reviewing Adventures with the Saints by Maria Riley. (Psst – if you read to the bottom, you’ll find a code to get 10% off your order of any or all of her books!)

Why Adventure with the Saints?

Whereas the Magic Tree House books travel through time and history, the Adventures with the Saints books travel to the times that a variety of saints were alive to teach lessons. The Magic Tree House books each include the children magically moving through space and time to visit places in the books that they’re reading. This series instead uses holy items that combine to allow their guardian angels to bring them through time and space to visit each saint based on what they’re experiencing in their lives. Although the first book travels to a time in the Bible, not all books do since many saints lived in more recent times. The first four books are about Saint Joseph (Mary’s husband), Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (she was known as the “Little Flower” and lived in the late 1800s), Saint John Bosco (who lived in Italy in the 1800s), and Saint Joan of Arc (a well-known Saint who lived in the 1400s and helped the French win the Hundred Years’ War).

From my limited experience with the Magic Tree House series (I’ve read several of the books with my kids), the majority of the storyline takes place wherever and whenever the children are visiting. Adventures with the Saints is based more heavily in the present with only a couple of chapters devoted to their journey. I think this is because Magic Tree House is trying to teach more about the times or places they visit, but Adventures with the Saints is focused on lessons learned and application of those lessons to the children’s lives.

The First Book: Visiting Saint Joseph

The series begins by telling the story of a boy who is placed into a foster home where the family is Catholic and allows him to explore his curiosity about their faith and religion. Although he connects with the family, he learns his social worker will be visiting and gets angry since he believes it means that he will be taken away and that they don’t want him anymore. His family surprises him by letting him know that she’s visiting in order to go over paperwork for his adoption. It comes as a surprise to him, but he is still hesitant to believe that the family really wants him. This situation easily connects to the Bible through the story of Saint Joseph: The Foster-Father Saint.

Despite being raised Catholic, I had never actually acknowledged that Saint Joseph could be considered a “foster father” to Jesus. Despite the immaculate conception, I always thought of him as one, but not in those words. I hadn’t made the connection to that terminology. But realizing it now feels like a blessing. Adopted and foster children can more easily connect to the Holy Family. Based on their situations, they could easily feel separate from God since they’ve been separated from their origin families, but the Bible tells us that Jesus had a foster father; He was taken in as Joseph’s own son. Similarities can create a powerful connection for anyone, but especially for these children who need that connection so badly.

Overall Review

I really enjoyed reading the Adventures with the Saints series with my kids and think that Maria did a great job of connecting the storyline to the lessons, and the lessons to the saints that could best teach each lesson. These books would definitely be classified as Catholic, but I think the lessons learned would be applicable to all children and enjoyed by Christians of any faith. The books should not be used/read by families that prefer secular materials as they’re based in Christianity and include prayers. I would definitely recommend reading the back of each book before sharing with your children so you know what to expect. There are no trigger warnings, but the first story includes talk about foster families and adoption and the fourth includes bullying. Both stories are worth reading but can easily lead to longer conversations with your children about the subject matter. 

If you’re interested in Adventures with the Saints, use the coupon code “inourhomeschool10” to get 10% off any or all of the books!

Interview with Maria

Hi Maria! Can you share a little about yourself and what you do for my readers?

Hi! I’m Maria Riley, Catholic wife, mom of 4 girls, and children’s book author. Most of the time I’m an average mom trying to keep up with the demands of a busy family, but in my free time (bahahaha), I write and publish a chapter book series I like to call a Catholic Magic Tree House. In each book, siblings encounter a kid-sized problem like first-day nerves or bullying. They then time travel and meet a saint who teaches them a lesson. The kids travel back home and apply the lesson to their lives. The books are a great way to introduce young readers to the saints and foster a love of reading through fun, relatable characters and situations.

What inspired you to write the Adventures with the Saints series?

I initially wrote them for my own children. When I was looking for Catholic books for emerging readers, I found very few. The books I found were either picture books or too advanced for them in early elementary school. Sometimes, when you recognize a need for something, it’s God’s way of showing you your calling. That’s what happened for me. I’ve always loved writing and dreamt of being an author one day. I never imagined I’d be writing children’s books, though! 

How did you choose the saints for each book?

The saints actually choose me! I take time and pray for months and ask the Lord and the saints themselves whom I should feature. I do try to include both male and female saints so boys and girls can both relate. Each saint has a unique story of how they chose me. The first one, St. Joseph, was the inspiration for the whole series. Since three of my four daughters were adopted through foster care, I knew I wanted to feature a foster child in the books. St. Joseph, the Foster Father of Jesus, walked along with my husband and me during our time as foster parents, so featuring him in the first book was meant to be.

Tell me more about the family in the book. Where did your inspiration come from to create this specific family?

The family in the book is loosely based on my own family – they are a Catholic family who adopts a foster child. Their family name, the Martins, comes from one of the holiest families I know, St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s own family. Her parents are saints, one of her sisters is a Servant of God (on the path to canonization), and all five of the daughters entered religious life. 

How can my readers connect with you online?

Autographed books can be purchased from MariaRileyAuthor.com. For weekly inspiration about living a holy life amid parenting hecticness, follow me on my Substack at mariariley.substack.com. Additionally, I can be found on Instagram and Facebook @mariarileyauthor. 

Thank you so much for your time! And thanks for joining us In Our Homeschool!