Last week the school had a special visit from Fr. Lance Harlow, local author of two fantastic children’s books and parish priest of Immaculate Heart of Mary in Williston as well as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Richmond.
Where does one find time to author and publish books while shepherding 500+ parishioners? I’m not sure but somehow Fr. Harlow makes it happen. Naturally, we were thrilled when he accepted our invitation to read us his two most recent works!
Grades 4 through 8 got a teaser of Fr. Harlow’s Holy Goldfish! featuring a kind of priest-led detective story at a school much like All Saints Catholic Academy. In this tale of grade school shenanigans, children get to appreciate the whodunit mystery while getting exposure to important lessons in virtue. We were nearing the end of our allotted time for the reading, when Fr. Harlow asked the room if they wanted to keep reading or instead do some Q&A about writing stories and character development. Students roared, “keep reading!” and so we did. Unfortunately, we weren’t quite able to finish the story, so Fr. Harlow left the school its very own copy for the library.
We didn’t leave out Pre-K through 3rd Grade; Fr. Harlow has a book for them too. Sofia’s Tea Party is a beautifully illustrated children’s story where a young girl stricken with boredom finds herself in a precarious position. By the end, Sofia has gotten creative and caused quite the scene for herself and entire family, leaving all readers with a thought to walk away with.
The benches in the multi-purpose room were filled with wiggly students who could barely hold back as Fr. Harlow moved about the room reading the story aloud. People couldn’t wait to hear what happened next and each picture was carefully studied when Fr. Harlow passed by.
From the perspective of both a parent and a school employee, these books are knit together the plot, characters, and teaching in a seamless way that engages and captivates children. If you would like to learn more about his books or any of Fr. Harlow’s other works, be sure to checkout his website – www.echoofgod.com.
Posted by Mr. Olsen
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