A Surprise for Lily by Mary Ann Kinsinger and Suzanne Woods Fisher

These are some of my favorite books to read to my children.  I liken these to The Little House on the Prairie books, except obviously set in the Amish setting and not the prairie.

 

My daughter, who is 3, likes to take these books off my shelf and look at them.  In fact, I had to keep hunting down this book because she liked to carry it around.  The cover of this book kept drawing her to it! 

 

This is book 4 in the Adventures of Lily Lapp series.  I think that it's a good sign if adults like this book despite it being written for the ages of 8-12.  That's what I have come to like in Suzanne Woods Fisher.  I feel like no matter the book or the age the book is written for, her writing is consistent and good at drawing in readers of all ages.  Just because this book is meant for the younger crowd, it still has a great storyline and well....as the book states, surprises.

 

I like the curiosity of Lily and the predicaments she finds herself in.  She truly does mean well and has good intentions, but since she is a child, she thinks and acts like a child.  This fact alone has made reading these books out loud to my children great discussion starters.  We've been able to talk about the choices Lily made and the consequences.  That alone makes these books a must.

 

I'm impressed with how both writers are able to go back to a child mindset and write these books from a child's perspective.  It makes these books so much more interesting because you very rarely get a child's perspective throughout a book.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again and again...these books are a must for all little girls and boys!  One of my personal favorites in this book (and in all of them) are the question and answers about the Amish.  I love learning those little tidbits of information!

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

A Big Year for Lily by Mary Ann Kinsinger and Suzanne Woods Fisher

I think that these books are just getting better and better!  The first book was good, but it seemed much more geared for a child.  It had simpler sentences and while it was fun to read to my daughter, I didn't quite feel as engaged in the story as my daughter did.  The second book was better and progressed more, but I think that this book seems as though both writers have fallen into a rhythm.  The story is captivating not just to my daughter, but also to me.  I found myself looking forward to seeing what Lily did next.  The story felt as though it wasn't written just for younger girls.  The sentences included more detail, but was still easy for kids to follow.  The chapters are short, which is great for reading aloud and for attention span.

I think the cover of these books in this series are so pretty.  The girls are absolutely adorable and the colors are so eye-catching.

The back of the book says that this series is geared for girls age 8-12, but both my son and daughter like this book and they are 3 and 4 (almost 5).  We read it right before bed and some in the afternoon.  I get tired of reading little kid books all the time and want to read stories that have more to them!  They liked Lily and Hannah.  Aaron Yoder has become a favorite of mine.  Perhaps they will one day court....

I felt so bad for Lily having to write "Thou shalt not steal" and "Thou shalt not covet" because of being falsly accused.  My mommy side of me wanted the girl who was actually responsible to get punished!   I mean, she missed recess!  Poor girl!

You can go to AdventuresofLilyLapp.com to check out these books, play games, and meet the authors.  I'm looking forward to reading book 4 in this series soon!

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group and Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.  You can also go to http://litfusegroup.com/author/sfisher to read more reviews of this book.

New Home for Lily by Mary Ann Kinsinger and Suzanne Woods Fisher

I think that the pictures on the covers of the first two books in this series are absolutely beautiful.  The little girl, who is on both the front and the back of this book is adorable and it just makes the book desired to be read.

I know I said it in my review about the first book in the series, but I can't wait to read these with my daughter when she gets just a little bit older.  They remind me so much of the Little House on the Prairie books and are definitely ones that will be read over and over with such fond memories, I believe.

This book picks up where the last left off.  Lily has now completed her move and is finding herself trying to make new friends, fit in with a new community, along with several other changes to their family life.  I thought it very interesting that when they moved communities, they also had to change dresses.  It kind of reminded me of the English way a little because Lily just didn't feel like she fit in with her other clothes from her last community.  I could relate to that, and I think every little girl could too, because we don't always feel like we fit in with our clothes.  I liked those little lessons that were throughout the book, whether they were intentional or not!

I am looking forward to Book 3 in this series, which I'm hoping comes out soon.  These are books that I hope to be one day reading to my grandchildren....a long time from now, of course!

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Life with Lily by Mary Ann Kinsinger and Suzanne Woods Fisher

Lily is just a little 6-year-old girl who is Amish and lives with her Mama, Papa, and her two younger brothers.  She experiences the simplicities of the Amish life, but finds such amazement in the little things.  She enjoys helping her mother carry out her chores, playing with her brother, befriending other children, and her life never falls short of adventure.  In fact, some of her adventures made me cringe, but I was so glad to see that my kids share in some of her adventures!  I liked seeing how they participated in certain holidays and special events because we put so much emphasis on the gifts when they put the emphasis on the person and on the event or holiday.  They seem to focus on the the reason of why they are gathered together celebrating.

It took me a few chapters to get used to reading shorter, less complex sentences but once I got the hang of the writing style, I really enjoyed this book.  I only mention that because it is written more for younger children, but it's a great book for a mother to read to her children before bed or during story time.  I actually read a lot of it to my 2-year-old and my 4-year-old.   I got lots of "whys" to some of the stories, but they really enjoyed it.  I liked reading something beside short little books.

I am putting this book on the shelf, right beside the Little House on the Prairie books and the Anne of Green Gables because I know this will be a series that I want my daughter to read and re-read as she grows older.  I love how the book is written from Lily's perspective.  Most of the Amish books are written from the adults perspective, or the teens, but it was neat to think about how a little girl might feel or interact with her peers.  I'm excited about this new series and all the possibilities for Lily.  I kind of could see a new "American Girl" series beginning!  Except for the fact....well...it'd be about the Amish instead!

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I received this book free from Revell, a part of Baker Publishing, and Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.  To read more reviews on this book or to find out more information on this book or the authors, go to  http://litfusegroup.com/campaigns/life-with-lily-kindlenook-giveaway-1016-author-chat-party-with-suzanne-woods-fisher-and-mary-ann-kinsinger-and-blog-tour