We LOVE the Lamplighter books. My mom just gave a new series to our sons for Christmas, and we are already diving into them. They are filled with deep, interesting characters who have CHARACTER in the midst of extreme hardships. Encouraging, motivating, humbling, inspiring…all this and so much more describe our experiences with these books.
I thought I would recommend our all time FAVORITES from 2009 here…really…they are our top favorites from any year, actually. All three were written by E.D.E.N. Southworth: Ishmael and its sequel, Self-Raised, as well as The Hidden Hand. Follow the links to read more about them as well as some more detailed and excellent reviews from other fans. (And by the way…these are not just for kids. I actually read them first for my own pleasure…and was so captured by them that I had to read them again to the children!!)
All of our kids…from the 15 year old boy down to the 7 year old boy couldn’t wait to read the next chapter each night. They are that good. A friend recently told me they could not afford these kinds of books, so they were doomed to the public library fare. When we started our collection, we could not afford them either. But we asked for them for Christmas and birthdays from grandparents…and we chose to give them to our kids for these occasions as well instead of other “trivial” toys. It has taken many years, but we now have a lovely library of these books…and wish we had more!
Why give our children silly books filled with false world views just because they are “free” from the library? I’ve done that too many times by “default”, and still do periodically…so I’m trying to encourage myself as well as you. It’s like comparing a bowl of delicious, colorful, ripe berries to a bowl of skittles candy. One will nourish while the other will destroy. (I say this with bags full of skittles, chocolate bars, M & M’s, and peppermint sticks lining my top shelves…all collected by 7 happy children at Christmas!)
I probably should have written this up before Christmas. But if you have to return anything…or if you got a gift of money from someone and you are wondering how to best invest it in your family…these books are something worthy of consideration.
May your reading be blessed to your spirit and honoring to Christ!
About Wemmick Girl Saved by Grace
I agree, Natalie. One of the best investments we can make in the lives of our children is a good library. We underestimate the power of books — both for good and evil. One of my favorite lamplighter books is The Lost Clue. I have even found a lamplighter book at a thrift store!!