Do you long for the good ole days when children played outside with their friends, went fishing, and had great adventures?
I know that a lot has changed in the few, short, ahem, years since I was a child. No, I didn’t grow up in the country, but my friends and I did ride our bikes all over the neighborhood, explore in the woods, and play fun games like Hide and Seek, Kick the Can and “Red Light, Green Light, Hope to See the Ghost Tonight.” Kids today aren’t allowed to do as much roaming without supervision as they used to. Parents get children together for play dates. People are so busy with all their activities that there is rarely time for kids to just play.
Unfortunately, we can’t fully go back to those days (though there are some definite decisions that we as parents can make to keep our children’s lives as simple as possible). I recently received the Sugar Creek Gang Volume 1 CD’s to review. Theses old stories were started in 1939. They are filled with fun and simple adventures seen through the eyes of a child. The 6 stories contained in Volume 1 are on 12 CD’s. The recordings are made from the original books, have great sound, and are wonderfully read.
Woven into the stories are observations about obeying and respecting parents, telling the truth, attending church, praying, and many other Christian character traits and practices. The stories are told in a folksy style with the character lessons woven in. The lessons, at least for the most part, don’t feel tacked on.
I’ve listened to some of the CD’s with all of my children. My son William who is 10, likes the stories. My older children (12 and 14) don’t care for them much, but did listen on a long drive without complaining. I think the stories are engaging, provide enough mystery to keep you listening, and I even found them convicting at times especially hearing the child-like faith of Billy.
You can purchase all the Sugar Creek Gang audio CD’s from Beloved Books. If you love old-fashioned, you definitely need to visit the website! Each of the volumes are $54.95. I would recommend ordering the CD’s of the very first story, The Swamp Robber, for only $4.95. It’s a great story and it will give your family a taste of the Sugar Creek Gang.
Disclosure: I received Volume 1 of the Sugar Creek Gang in order to write this review. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.