Sarah Books (Review)

I love to read!  A well written book can take me away from my current surroundings and drop me slap dab in the middle of another time and place.   Author Jim Baumgardner of Sarah Books is that kind of writer.  Although his stories are considered "Christian fiction"  Mr. Baumgardener prefers to describe his books as Young Adult Fiction, written by a Christian author. As a 62 year old grandfather of nine, Mr. Baumgardner writes his books for his grandchildren, and his faith in God is portrayed beautifully throughout his writings.

In Sarah's Wish, young Sarah is suddenly orphaned, and holds the key to a hidden secret that she and her mother shared.   Despite her tender age, and broken heart, Sarah exudes a strength and confidence well beyond her years.  As the story unfolds, young Sarah learns to trust others as she makes sure the "packages" make it safely to their next station.    Even at the risk of great personal loss, Sarah stands honorably for what she believes in.  If only today's young generation could take hold of  Sarah's resolve!

In this 123 page novel, the author gently introduces the not so gentle topics of slavery, the underground railroad and orphan trains of yester-year.  Mr. Baumgardner does an excellent job of opening these topics in a way that younger children can ask questions, learn and understand.  In the front of the book is a Glossary of Terms to help the reader better grasp the subject matter.  

On the website for Sarah Books you'll find fun facts about history; interesting photos of the author and his family and  information on signing up for the free newsletter.   Mr. Baumgardner autographs each book sold through his site, and a portion of the proceeds go to the Maude Carpenter Chidren's Home in Wichita, Kansas.  The Maude Carpenter home has been helping orphans like Sarah and children with special needs for over sixty years.

Sarah's Wish sells for $9.99, with free shipping.  You can also purchase book bundles of the series, as well as audio books on CD.

To read more TOS  Crew reviews of Sarah's Wish click here.

Disclosure: This product was provided to our family for free as members of the 2009-2010 Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. Reviews and opinions expressed in this blog are our own.