Lily had the opportunity to review Susan K. Marlow’s newest book, Thick as Thieves, which is published by Circle C. Milestones.
I will first start off by saying Susan K. Marlow is a genius, because she came up with a wonderful series of books about girls and their horses. I know the concept is not unique, but the stories she tells are fun, very engaging and Christ-centered. As a mother of a horse-lovin’ little girl, that means I can give my daughter any one of Marlow’s books and not have to worry about the content she will read. I also know my daughter will learn something positive from the story and learn a little bit of history.
Lily was able to review Thick as Thieves, which is a new book in the Marlow’s Circle C Milestones series. We were excited about being chosen for the review, because we had the previous opportunity to read and review two other books by Marlow and they were wonderful. One was another girl and her horse story and the other was one in her series for boys {http://www.goldtownadventures.com/Books.html}, which was reviewed by my son.
Although both series have main female or male characters, I feel quite confident in saying that Marlow’s books are ones that would appeal to both girls and boys. The stories take readers back in time (Old West and Gold Rush days), but young people will find the characters in the books relatable.
In Thick as Thieves, Andrea ‘Andi’ Carter returns with her horse Taffy. There are some eventful moments in the book with Taffy’s first foaling and a return to school for Andi that center around the bigger story of cattle rustler that steal horses from the Carter family ranch. Andi must come to the rescue of her family, but only by trusting the help of a new girl who she does not care for too much.
I had Lily follow the schedule shown below while reading through the book. Some days it worked, and on others it did not, because she wanted to read ahead.
Day one: Read two chapters.
Day two: Complete the study guide exercises Vocabulary & Grammar through Thinking About the Story.
Day three: Complete the Digging Deeper section of the study guide through the Scripture Memory.
After completing the study guide material, she would repeat the daily cycles.
As mentioned above, there is a study guide available for Thick as Thieves just as there is for all of the Marlow books. The study guides are free and are an added feature that make reading any of Marlow’s books a true learning experience. Your reader is not just turning pages, but they have an opportunity through the study guide activities to review what they have read as well as reinforce some other skills like vocabulary, critical thinking, science, history, grammar and more. The science and history activities are not extremely in-depth, but provide an overview of an event or fact that helps the reader be more knowledgeable about the period she is reading about. The study guide material is optional and not required to obtain a good understanding of the story. Children who enjoy hands-on activities will like the study guide.
We especially enjoy the books, because of the amount of California history that is shared in the stories.
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
Thick as Thieves is available for $9.99 plus $2.50 for shipping and handling to U.S. addresses only. You may also personalize the book with a message to the recipient.
You may read a sample of Book two, Heartbreak Trail, which will be released July 2015.
Social media
Circle C Adventures on: Facebook and Twitter.
You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members.
susan says
Thanks for your enthusiastic review for Thick as Thieves. LOVED the pictures of Lily. 🙂
It’s been a joy to read the Crew’s responses to the new series, and I hope the rest of the series lives up to *gulp* everyone’s expectations. After writing the most recent, I always wonder, “Can I do this again and keep up the adventure, character, etc.?” I always think “no,” but God provided the daily manna (words) I need. I’m currently scrambling to finish the last 9,000 words for book 3, The Last Ride, a real tear-jerker. (It’s name “The Last Ride” for a reason.)
Thanks again,
Susan