Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

Tagged: character, family, Laddie, literature

This topic has 6 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 2 months ago by Amanda.

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

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April 5, 2016 at 3:32 pm
Amanda
Participant
Hi! I recently saw “Laddie” listed on the SCM literature lists. I’d never heard of it before & haven’t read it yet, but based on the summary it seems as though the book focuses on the brother/sister relationship in a positive & uplifting way? I’m wondering if it would be the kind of book I could read to my 7yo. son to give him some encouragement or a good example for being a kind/thoughtful/etc. older brother? Or is it more suited to an older age, or not really right for that purpose? Thanks in advance! 🙂
April 7, 2016 at 8:10 pm
Amanda
Participant
Any thoughts?
April 8, 2016 at 5:51 am
RobinP
Participant
I love Gene Stratton-Porter. I haven’t read this particular title though I know it’s a favorite for many. I usually think of her writing as being for slightly older but a great book spans the ages. Personally I would do this as a family read aloud and let the book speak as it may rather than targeting it for a specific person and specific behavior. The lives of the characters coupled with family reactions and discussions mean more, I think. Not that you plan to bash him over the head with it. ? I just think of Charlotte’s reminder that the Holy Spirit is our teacher and will use these books (His Word and life itself) to guide us.
April 8, 2016 at 6:25 am
Karen
Participant
We listened to Laddie on librivox and my girls really enjoyed it. It’s about a boy with one arm who goes to work for a logging company, falls inlove with the daughter of a rich man, and saves the logging company from some bad guys.
I can’t remember where the sibling relationship comes in. Maybe Laddie was a relative of someone important in the book, but he didn’t know it or something. I think Laddie was an orphan. It has been about 2 years since we listened to it. My girls would have been about 10, 8, 6, and 4.
In my opinion, it would be a hard book to read aloud – old words, old phrases, long sentences, lots of description, etc. That’s why we listened to it – in the car, on short trips (errands, dr. Appt., etc.) Over the course of a summer. I think it’s definitely a book to take in small doses, b/c of the old way it’s written.
There was nothing objectionable in it, and the old language was sweet when talking about how much Laddie loved Angel. It was definitely a good book.
April 8, 2016 at 6:41 am
RobinP
Participant
Maybe this review will help you decide…
http://ladybibliophile.blogspot.com/2012/01/laddie-true-blue-story-by-gene-stratton.html
April 8, 2016 at 7:35 am
Melanie32
Participant
I think the above description by Karen is about the book Freckles by the same author.
Laddie is actually from the point of view of the youngest girl in a big family. She is a around 8 or 9, I think. The story does include her older brother’s romance and marriage as seen through her eyes. I really enjoyed reading it years ago but my children haven’t read it yet. I think it would be a good family read aloud but I wouldn’t choose it as a specific read aloud for a 7 year old.

April 8, 2016 at 12:02 pm
Amanda
Participant
Thank you all so much. Yes- that review was VERY helpful. It’s certainly a book we want to read, but I think we’ll save it for a little later, and just as literature 🙂