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Little Britches…..(not seeing character lessons yet?)
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In case someone is shocked when they first pick them up, the first couple of volumes have language. Ralph and his family move to a Colorado ranch when he’s 8, so there’s some rough cowboy language. I read them aloud and I’m really good at editing on the fly. I wanted to mention because some families pass over these books because of this and it’s a real pity. Treasures they are. Just didn’t want anyone to be caught unawares.
I don’t mean to sound too naive about it, but I’ve heard people mention the “coarse” or “rough cowboy language” before. By that, do you mean they use a couple of actual swear words or cuss words, whatever you might call those words? But not the really, really bad one that starts with the 6th letter of the alphabet? (I soooo hate the use of that word that I don’t even like to describe it!) Do they use God’s name in vain? (You don’t have to actually add a cuss word to do that, just a substitute for it.)
We haven’t read these books yet, and they are hard to find in our library, but I do intend to read them soon. Even though my girls are junior high & high school, I think they would still enjoy them. Frankly, they have heard all of those words (gasp! you mean they haven’t been shut away in the house all of this time???), so that’s not a big concern for me.
The words are not the “bomb” but the generic rough langauge you might have heard from rough men 100 years ago. They are VERY easy to edit on the fly and you may not love it but your eyes won’t burn. We are talking “fourth letter of the alphabet” words.
I skipped these books for years because of the language warnings. I wish I hadn’t. Do not let it stop you. Even my 13 year old daughter loved these books as we read them aloud, and she cannot stand anything remotely having to do with cowboys!
My kids ages 3-14 (back a year and a half ago) all listened to them on tape and we just mentioned to them we don’t talk like that but living on a ranch back then they must have. It’s not all the time in the books just hear and there and they are so worth it. My kids didn’t really like them, BUT they still talk about them, so go figure! LOL I really did and they will be re-listened to in a couple years.
Anything else out there like these you’d suggest?
Hi Kelly!
I have the Ralph Moody series on our list of reads this year and am really looking forward to reading them but wanted to share with you two Lamplighter books that I would highly reccommend that your kids read – That Printer of Udell’s and Stepping Heavenward (more for daughters).
Here is what Ronald Reagan wrote for the forward of That Printer of Udell’s by Harold Bell:
That book, That Printer of Udell’s had an impact I shall always remember…The term “role model” was not a familar term in that time and place. But I realize I found a role model in that traveling printer whom Harold Bell Wright had brought to life. He set me on a course I’ve tried to follow even unto this day. I shall always be grateful.
Here is what Elisabeth Elliot said about Stepping Heavenward:
This book is a treasury of both godly and womanly wisdom told with disarming candor and humility, yet revealing a deep heart’s desire to know God. We desperately need such intimate accounts when the word commitment is so little understood and so seldom practiced. I recommend it to any woman who wants to walk with God……
Stepping Heavenward is also recommended by Joni Eareckson Tada and Kay Arthur.
Oh! One more – The Hidden Hand.
I would still recommend the Ralphy Moody series but just had to give a plug for these Lamplighter books.
Hope this is a blessing to you today!
I found the first one at our Library and put a request in for it to be sent to my closest one. Yay! Thanks for the heads up on the words. Now I won’t be caught off guard.
I requested ours through the libraray Interlibraray loan program I was blessed they had all them on CD!
Thank you Lishie for those recommendations also! I have read Stepping Heavenward and will re-read and re-read through out my life. I read it for ME…strong encouragement for a Godly woman in marriage! I will have my girls read it in high school for sure. I willnot the other ones as well! 🙂
AND> We have read almost half of the little Britches, and only come across 2 words (I think) that I had to skip over, not a big deal. I just didn’t want you to think it was often…..(at least int hat book).
Love having this group to share and encourage! 🙂
My family is on book 2 of the series and they really are not to be missed. My kids are 3-13 and it spans the ages. As for character issues, Ralph might “get away” with his wrong choices in the moment, but the gentle way his father would wait and then be able to correct his son without ever even bringing up the incident has taught me so much about what it actually looks like to parent with character in mind and not behavior. I don’t ever flesh it out for my kids and they get it. We talk about it at the end of our readings sometimes, but it’s more pointing things out that we noticed to each other and not so much me explaining anything or making a lesson out of it.
And like others have said, the realness of their family is what I love so much about it. Keep going!
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