A Breath of Fresh Air

**Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way by Salem Ridge Press or TOS in exchange for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.**
For the past month I have had the privilege of reading three selections from Salem Ridge Press. Salem Ridge Press is an outstanding company which takes old books and republishes them. The books are scrutinized carefully to insure they adhere to the high values and standards of Salem Ridge Press. This is an excerpt directly from their website, by Daniel Mills, the founder and owner of Salem Ridge Press:

The underlying philosophy of Salem Ridge Press is found in the Bible: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8)." Daniel firmly believes that what we read matters and what we take into our minds is a major factor in forming our ideas and character. His goal is to be a blessing to others by providing reading material that fits the qualifications outlined in the Bible. While not every title that Salem Ridge Press publishes is explicitly Christian, all of our titles have strong moral values and encourage positive character.

My family read Dearer than Life, The Captives, and The Sign Above the Door. Not all of my children are avid readers, so at first it was a bit of a chore to have them reading the books. However, once they got "into" the stories they were completely engaged and unable to put the books down. Around our house the highest praise a book can receive is children begging to read for "just 5 more minutes," and that is what happened with these stories. The stories are all completely appropriate and able to be used in any style of curriculum. They are all living books which makes them very appropriate for a Charlotte Mason style curriculum. They can be used for read alouds or for independent reading. The books are very reasonably priced at $14.95 for soft cover and $24.95 for hard cover (although not all titles are available as hard cover). The books are available for purchase through the Salem Ridge Press website, http://www.salemridgepress.com/index.html. Here is a closer look at the three books we have read. The first two are part of the Emma Leslie Church History Series. The third is part of the world history group.

Story Synopsis
Arriving home from a meeting of Parliament in London, Sir Hugh Middleton is shocked to learn that a neighboring monastery has laid claim to one of his fields. Sir Hugh steadfastly refuses to yield his property, and further offends the monastery by sending his younger son, Stephen, to study under Dr. John Wycliffe. At the same time, Sir Hugh sends his elder son, Harry, to serve as an attendant to the powerful Duke of Lancaster. As Wycliffe seeks to share the Word of God with the common people, Stephen and Harry and their sisters help spread the truth, but what will it cost them in the dangerous day in which they live?

Story Setting: England in 1366 - 1384 A.D.
Notable People and Events: Wycliffe, Richard II, English Translation of the Bible ; Originally published in 1885; 255 pages; For Ages 12 – Adult

Story Synopsis
The Druid priests are as cold and cruel as the forest spirits they claim to represent, and Guntra, the chief of her tribe of Britons, must make a desperate deal with them to protect those she loves. Unaware of Guntra’s struggles, Jugurtha, her son, longs to drive the hated Roman conquerors from the land. When he encounters the Christian Centurion, Marcinius, Jugurtha mocks the idea of a God of love and kindness, but there comes a day when he is in need of love and kindness for himself and his beloved little sister. Will he allow Marcinius to help him? And will the gospel of Jesus Christ ever penetrate the brutal religion of the proud Britons?

Story Setting: Roman England in 66 - 67 A.D.
Notable People and Events: Druids, Roman Centurions
Originally published in 1873; 169 pages; For Ages 12 – Adult

Story Synopsis
Young Prince Martiesen is ruler of the land of Goshen in Egypt, where the Hebrews live. Eight plagues have already come upon Egypt and now Martiesen has been forced by Pharaoh to further increase the burden of the Hebrews. Martiesen, however, is in love with the beautiful Hebrew maiden, Elisheba, whom he is forbidden by Egyptian law to marry. As the nation despairs, the other nobles turn to Martiesen for leadership, but before he can decide what to do, Elisheba is kidnapped by the evil Peshala and terrifying darkness falls over the land. An exciting tale woven around the events of the Exodus from the Egyptian perspective!


Story Setting: Egypt/The First Passover ~ 1500 B.C.
Originally published in 1912; 307 pages; For Ages 12 – Adult
We have thoroughly enjoyed reading each of these selections and look forward to reading more. To read more reviews of Salem Ridge Press products you can go to: http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783028/
Happy reading!!!