Five by Father Hublet

Let your children discover these five edifying tales from Belgian Jesuit author, Father Albert Hublet.

Our Boy (10 Years and Up)

It is May 1940 and the Second World War has broken out. A bomb from a German air-raid has just destroyed a Limousine passing through a French village, killing its occupants … except ten-year-old Jacky.

Claire Arcueil, a Belgian nurse who has been trapped in the village since the outbreak of war, rescues the boy from the wrecked car and nurses him back to health. A tender affection forms between the two and when things settle down after the Armistice, Claire brings the boy back to Belgium with her.

Jacky immediately settles in and becomes part of the Arcueil family. Then, a rich couple from Brussels unexpectedly claims guardianship over the little orphan. In his new luxurious Brussels home, Jacky is confronted with comfort and boredom – everything inclines him to compromise on what Claire has taught him. Will he resist and make the correct choices, or will he give in to the surrounding corruption?

My Name is Ivan (12 Years and Up)

Pierre Cartigny is back from the War in which he has served courageously. The former Lieutenant is now living with his mother and brothers and sisters in the Belgian countryside where he distinguishes himself as a doctor to the local poor.

One day just before Christmas, Pierre discovers a little boy in the snow, almost dead from cold and exhaustion. When the young doctor brings him home to take care of him, he soon discovers to his astonishment that the boy is a Russian, called Ivan. He then realizes that Ivan is on the run from the Bolsheviks who are mysteriously determined to capture and kill him.

The future is uncertain for the little Russian. Will he manage to escape from his enemies and will he ever meet his dear mother again? How will his sudden arrival in the Cartigny household change the lives of Pierre, Agnès, Gerald and Roger?

In this beautiful tale, Father Hublet makes adventure blend with everyday life, and the ordinary with the extraordinary, while heroism and virtue struggle against cowardice and weakness.

Commando Angel (12 Years and up)

Separated from his parents and relatives while fleeing the German invasion of Belgium, young Bernard is picked up by a British commando unit led by Lieutenant Frank Goodheart. Lieutenant Goodheart promises to help the young boy find his family, but events take a sudden turn and the unit is forced to return to England. Bernard goes with them.

The little “daredevil” wins the hearts of the unit’s rough men and joins them in palpitating adventures – parachute jumps, perilous expeditions and much more!

But despite the passing time and his adventures, Bernard has not forgotten his parents. Are they still alive? Will he ever see them again? He knows that Frank is a man of his word, but will the Lieutenant be able to work a miracle?

Alert in Rome (11 Years and up)

When Pierre arrives for vacation in the Eternal City, little does he know what hair-raising adventures await him there.

The unexpected friendship he forms with Giovanni, the unwilling pickpocket, leads to a showdown with a very dangerous gang of Roman thieves and cut-throats, headed up by Giovanni’s wayward cousin, Paolo.

When the gang accidentally comes into possession of top-secret papers originating from the Belgian Embassy where Pierre’s father works, a race against time begins. Will Monsieur Le Vallier manage to recuperate the documents before the crooks can hand them over to a foreign power in exchange for large sums of money? Monsieur Le Vallier’s career, the reputation of the Belgian government and more than one life all hang in the balance.

This is a story of friendship, loyalty, honesty, courage and daring. It is also a perfect way for children to get to know the Eternal City, its geography and its principal monuments. Following Pierre and Giovanni on their crazy Roman adventure, young readers will be given a tour of Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum and other famous sights and sounds of the Capital of Christendom. Throw in a little Italian vocabulary too, and this book is the perfect gift for fun-loving Catholic children!

Adventure in Africa (12 Years and up)

John Dollay (known to all as Zou) is a 12-year-old live-wire who is the heart and soul of the Jesuit school he attends. His mother, Madelaine, is a fervent Catholic while his father, Pierre, has abandoned almost all religious practice, eager to curry favor with his company’s bosses in the Congo. Influenced by his mother and his teacher Father Ferval, Zou himself is intensely religious…which doesn’t stop him being a bundle of fun and getting into lots of mischief and trouble!

When Madelaine tells Zou that they are both going to join Pierre Dollay in the Congo, the little boy is overjoyed. Zou’s new life lives up to all his expectations and he soon gets caught up in all kinds of adventures.

But there is one dark cloud that constantly hangs over Zou and his mother: Pierre Dollay’s indifference and even hostility towards the Faith. Will Zou, his mother and the zealous Father Bernard succeed in being God’s instruments in bringing Monsieur Dollay back to the Church?

This book is packed full of adventure but also with wonderful examples for Catholic children.