This new story in the Vision Books series of saints for 9 - 15 year olds is aobut Saint Elizabeth of Hungary who spent her life differently than most saints. Instead of living in poverty like St. Francis of Assisi, she lived most of her life in a castle surrounded by incredible wealth. She was born Princess Elizabeth of Hungary, the daughter of King Andrew. By the age of four she was already engaged to be married and was sent far away from her home to live with Louis, her husband-to-be, who was only 10 years old. From the beginning of her life in her new castle, Elizabeth was ridiculed by all of those people who were jealous of her. They noticed that she was always trying to be holy. As she would play games with other children, she would contrive little ways to sneak into the chapel and have a visit with Jesus. Although Elizabeth was a princess, she longed to live the kind of poverty she heard about through the Franciscans. She became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis and she constantly gave her jewels and best clothes to the poor. Sometimes she gave everything away and had nothing nice to wear, but Jesus always provided for her at the last minute. When she emptied the castle store-houses of grain for the poor, Jesus would miraculously fill them up again. Her subjects were never able to grow accustomed to the queen who lived the life of a saint, but they always appreciated her generosity and saw in her such simplicity and holiness. Only four years after her death she was canonized a saint.

Though St. Elizabeth of Hungary lived over 800 years ago, she has a unique appeal for Christians today. Love, rather than ideology or politics, was the basis of her whole life. Born in 1207, the daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary and married to Ludwig IV, the Landgraf of Thuringia, Elizabeth was a happily married woman who loved her husband and children. As a lover of the poor, she not only practiced charity, but protested the injustices practiced against the poor in the feudal world, even her husband's own policies. Above all, Elizabeth hungered for God and found him in her everyday activities as a noblewoman, ruler, wife and mother before she found him in religious life and service to the poor in imitation of St. Francis. Originally published in 2007 to coincide with the 800th anniversary of St. Elizabeth's birth, this life, now revised and expanded, is based on the most up-to-date research and is accompanied by the testimonies given at her canonization process, including some that have never before been translated into English.

A Vision Book about St. Francis and St. Clare, the two very popular saints of Assisi. Helen Homan has captured all the excitement and beauty of the lives of these saints from their childhood growing up together in Assisi to their profound conversion and lifelong influence�indeed centuries-long influence�on the whole world through their radical living of the Gospel and founding of two great religious orders, the Franciscans and the Poor Clares. Combining the stories of Francis and Clare in one volume makes for a book that will be of great interest to both boys and girls of a wide age span. Illustrated. Cover art by Chris Pelicano This book is now part of Renaissance Learning's Accelerated Reader program. Quizzes are currently available.

Elizabeth loves to hear her grandmother's stories, and none is more dear to her than the story of her namesake: St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Together the two recall the holiness and charity of this great saint while preparing to celebrate her feast day.Dessi Jackson's lively storytelling voice draws listeners into another time and place, while Lydia Grace's beautiful watercolor illustrations provide a richly detailed delight for the eyes. This charming tale is wonderful to read aloud for the young and young at heart.