Raphael Santi was born in 1483 in Italy. His father, a well-respected artist, encouraged young Raphael to develop his artistic talent. After he was orphaned at the age of 11, Raphael studied with other artists and painted many portraits of his favorite subject, the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1508, Pope Julius asked Raphael to work for him. In Rome, Raphael became known not only for his artistic masterpieces but also for his hard work, his humility, and his charity toward struggling young artists.

Level 2 books are about 90-96 pages each and are written for about a fourth grade reading level or higher, although some third graders are able to read them as well because of the large print size and double spacing between lines. This series has books about well-known saints, but it also includes stories about saints and other Catholics that you don't hear about very often.