WORDS OF WISDOM FROM POPE LEO XIV AND POPE FRANCIS: NOVALIS BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR

September is just around the corner, and soon we’ll be moving into fall rhythms and shorter days. With luck you’ve made a dent in your to be read pile of books this summer and are looking for some fresh reading and inspiration for the new season.

Let’s look at what Pope Leo XIV and Pope Francis have to say about faith, hope, love and more as we gear up for fall. Here are some suggestions for adults and kids alike who want to curl up with a good book and recharge their faith batteries!

Pope Leo XIV

Catholics are getting to know Pope Leo, now in his second year as Bishop of Rome. His writings reveal a person of deep faith and love.

• What Pope Leo Says About Peace, Dialogue and Love: 30 Days of Reflections and Prayers, by Janet Schaeffler, OP: Pope Leo XIV has emerged as a powerful voice for unity and compassion in our Church and world. These 30 days of reflections, pondering questions and prayers – quoting his homilies and addresses – reveal to us the heart of his message: dialogue is the path to unity; peace is not a distant dream but a daily calling; and love is the foundation and guiding principle of all we are. This is also our call and challenge.
• I Have Loved You: On Love for the Poor: This Apostolic Exhortation was begun by Pope Francis and completed by Pope Leo. It speaks of God’s love for the poor and marginalized and draws on Catholic teaching and tradition to support those in need. Because Christ became poor and we can see Christ in the poor in our world today, as Christians we must reach out to them and listen to their voices. The “I Have Loved You” Group Reading Guide by Bill Huebsch is designed for small groups or individuals wanting to explore the text in an accessible way.
• Magnifica Humanitas: Encyclical on Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence: The next time someone tells you the Church is irrelevant in the 21st century, tell them about this incredible letter from the Pope on the value of human work, human creativity and human dignity when AI is dominating the news headlines. It’s an inspiring read! Bill Huebsch’s Magnificent Humanity Group Reading Guide is an excellent companion as you delve into the Pope’s encyclical and discuss it in a small group or reflect on it on your own. The guide summarizes each section in simpler language to help readers engage more deeply with the themes.
• FOR OLDER KIDS: My First Pope and Prayer Journal: A Faith Guide Inspired by Pope Leo XIV, by Pia Imperial: Combining biographical facts, faith-driven prompts and reflection spreads rooted in Pope Leo XIV’s real story, this journal celebrates the Roman Catholic Church’s first US-born pope. Leo is a historic, relatable and widely beloved figure as well as a quietly revolutionary voice of faith, service and humility. Learn more about him and his role in this informative and fun activity book!
• FOR YOUNGER KIDS: Pope Leo XIV: A Story of Unity and Peace: This board book brings Pope Leo’s remarkable story to life for kids ages 3 to 5 with joyful illustrations, simple text and a closing prayer. Little ones will learn how faith can shape lives and inspire important values and virtues like kindness, bravery, unity and peace.

Pope Francis

Pope Francis taught us so much during his 12-year papacy! His words continue to bring hope and joy to people everywhere.

• Hope: The Autobiography: Hope is the first autobiography ever published by a pope. Written over six years, this complete autobiography starts in the early years of the 20th century, with Pope Francis’s Italian roots and his ancestors’ courageous migration to Latin America, continuing through his childhood, the enthusiasms and preoccupations of his youth, his vocation, his adult life, and the whole of his papacy.
• The Church of Mercy: A Vision for the Church: Collected from Pope Francis’s speeches, homilies and papers presented during the first year of his papacy, The Church of Mercy is the first Vatican-authorized book detailing his vision for the Catholic Church. From how to be citizens of the world to answering God’s call for evangelization, Pope Francis’s deep wisdom reminds us that the Church must move beyond its own walls and joyfully bring God’s mercy wherever suffering, division or injustice exists.
• Walking with Pope Francis: The Official Documents in Everyday Language, by James H. Kroeger, MM: This volume offers condensed presentations of ten key documents by Pope Francis, aiming to capture faithfully the central insights – such as the universal call to missionary discipleship, the nature of holiness and the work of synodality – and communicate them in ordinary language. Included are On Care for Our Common Home, The Joy of Love, On Fraternity and Social Friendship, The Joy of the Gospel, and more.
• FOR OLDER KIDS: Dear Pope Francis: The Pope Answers Letters from Children Around the World: Children have questions and struggles just like adults, but rarely are they given the chance to voice their concerns and ask the big questions resting deep in their hearts. In this book, Pope Francis gives them that chance and celebrates their spiritual depth by directly answering questions from children around the world. Some are fun. Some are serious. And some will quietly break your heart. All of them are from children who deserve to know and feel God’s unconditional love.
• FOR YOUNGER KIDS: So You Were Born, illustrated by Martina Peluso: The words of this book are drawn from Pope Francis’s own words on children and families. Beautiful illustrations accompany his simple words, which communicate the importance of each child and family.

Happy reading!

Anne Louise Mahoney is managing editor of Novalis. She is the editor of several books, including Pocket Book of Hope, and is the author of I Am and I Hope, part of the Seeds of Faith series for young children.