Schoolhouse Review: The Adventures of Lily Lapp Books

Don't you just love it when your children find new friends?  There's a new friend at our house and she's nothing at all like us -- but she's very much just like us, too.  She's the kind of friend that can go anywhere we go and help bring a smile to our faces.  She can even tag along to the orthodontist and dentist appointments and make a nervous 12-year-old happy.  Lily Lapp is a little girl from an Amish farm in New York -- and she makes my city girl in Mississippi laugh with delight.  That's the kind of friends I like.  We've been reading a new book series called The Adventures of Lily Lapp written by Mary Ann Kinsinger and Suzanne Woods Fisher and we like it. A LOT.  I love to read and I enjoy sharing that love with my children.  Great books make the very best friends -- especially the ones that you can read and re-read and never grow tired of.  The Adventures of Lily Lapp are just those kinds of books.

Published by Baker Publishing Group and recommended for ages 8 - 12,  the first two books are truly great reads for the entire family and we simply can't wait for the next two in the series.  {I know they'll be just as good.}  Book One is called Life with Lily (39 chapters, 288 pages) and it introduces you to 5-year-old Lily and her family.  Book Two is called A New Home for Lily (36 chapter, 272 pages) and it shares more of Lily's life and family fun -- including a move to Pennsylvania and an addition to the family.  (Don't worry.  This little tidbit of information won't spoil the book for you.  Lily has lots of fun things happening in her world and you'll enjoy reading about them all.)  Both books are available in paperback or eBook versions for only $12.99 each.


When our Lily books arrived, it was my intention to read the first one as a read-aloud -- simply because I wanted to read it, too.  I had planned to read it to both my 12-year-old Princess and my 14-year-old Boy Scout.  I knew that they would both enjoy listening along in the excitement of Lily's life on the farm and I had hoped that it would serve as a gentle introduction to a different way of life -- the Amish lifestyle.  The only problem with my thought process was that I failed to understand just how much my Princess would love Lily.  Lily became a fast friend and my girl NEEDED to continue reading each day.

One of our favorite parts of Life with Lily was the description of her birthday celebration.  Lily's Mama made sure that it was a special day when Lily turned 7.  Her "special birthday breakfast" consisted of bacon, eggs, cornmeal mush,  tomato gravy, and cornflakes.  (We laughed reading that Lily hardly ever eats cold cereal for breakfast -- it's one of the staples at our house.)  Although we weren't exactly sure what cornmeal mush was, we were able to re-create the breakfast ourselves using good ole Southern grits.  I sure do like it when wholesome books come to life for my family. I enjoy making "friends" instead of following "characters" through the pages of literature.  You can read an excerpt for yourself and see just how much fun you can have getting to know Lily and welcoming her into your family.

A New Home for Lily picked up where Life with Lily left off -- but could be read without reading the first book.  Although the characters are the same (and we find Lily still hoping for a sister), readers could easily pick up with Lily and family and continue reading without being lost.  Just as enjoyable as the first book, A New Home for Lily gave us some great ideas for summer family time.  We so enjoyed reading Lily's Summer List we were inspired to start one of our very own.  Like Lily, we love ice cream and popsicles, too, and made plans to try several new kinds over the summer.  We laughed out loud at Lily's funny Quiz and I was able to share a time when one of my teachers did the very same thing for us -- reminding us to always follow instructions.  The future for Lily looks bright indeed and we are pleased that she's our friend.  You can read an excerpt of Book Two and see how the adventure continues.

My Princess also enjoyed the book's website:  adventuresoflilylapp.com.  The Fun and Games section that goes along with the books are perfect complements to the reading.  What a neat way to bring the pages of the book to life.  While my girl liked reading the Ask Lily questions and answers, I liked reading about the authors and getting to know their hearts.  The Princess also had lots of fun with the coloring pages for each book and completing the word puzzles.  Then there was that yummy fried chicken recipe that she added to her menu plan.  The recipes have gotten us into the kitchen together and I am pleased.  I am especially fond of the Life with Lily Quizzes which add an extra measure of reading comprehension.

We're excited because a BIG year is coming up for Lily -- she's turning double digits -- and we can't wait for the new book in the series to come available.  My Princess is looking forward to reading about Lily turning 10 when Book Three arrives in July.  You can read an excerpt of it now and then get ready for Book Four in September.  I really like knowing that we've found a series that grows with my daughter and has her looking forward for more.  She feels like Lily is part of our family and wants to continue reading.  That's great literature.

I have always had a slight fascination with the Amish lifestyle and have enjoyed introducing it to my children.  I do long for a simpler time when cell phones and computers and televisions didn't compete for our special family time.  We have to make an effort to guard our time together and reading about Lily's family serves as a reminder that it IS worth the effort.  The Adventures with Lily series is a great place to start spending more quality time with your family.  Classics in the making, the Lily Books are the perfect addition to EVERY family library.  Start your collection today.

 I was given the opportunity to read and review the first two books from The Adventures of Lily Lapp from Baker Publishing Group as a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew thought of this and other products as well (or just click on the banner below.)

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