Introduce Your Son to R.M. Ballantyne Books

?fter 4 daughters, I had every book a girl could dream of. But, what about my son? I had to find books he would love. 

In my quest to introduce Jimmy to great books full of adventure, along with wholesomeness and Christian inspiration, I found R.M. Ballantyne. 

A Christian author on a quest to enchant and inspire children with amazing adventures, Robert Michael Ballantyne books are thrilling. My son loved them and I think yours will, too. 

Robert Michael Ballantyne was born in Edinburgh into a family of famous printers and publishers. At 16, he traveled to Canada to serve for six years with the Hudson's Bay Company, returning to to Scotland in 1847. During his time in Canada, he traded with the local Native Americans for furs, which required him to travel by canoe and sleigh to the areas occupied by the modern-day provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. He published his first book in 1848, Hudson's Bay: or Life in the Wilds of North America. He wrote a series of adventure stories for children with a strong Christian message.

Homeschooling Moms, they also contain tons of history, geography, and science information. 

In 1866, Robert married Jane Grant. God blessed them with 3 sons and 3 daughters. This father of six has left a legacy of adventure books for boys, though girls will enjoy them, too!

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The Coral Island

R.M. Ballantyne spins an exciting tale of shipwreck and survival in The Coral Island. They encounter cannibals and pirates. Filled with biblical truths and Christian principles, this book still has it after nearly a century and a half. You will love this adventure!

The Gorilla Hunters

The Gorilla Hunters is R.M. Ballantyne's sequel to The Coral Island. He continues the story of Ralph Rover, Jack Martin, and Peterkin Gay who, after their return to England for rest from their South Seas adventures, are now intent on joining the great hunters in Africa for a journey to the interior of the Dark Continent. Ralph is a thoughtful and philosophical narrator, with a strong sense of right and wrong, and the story is punctuated by exciting adventures, narrow escapes, and humorous episodes.

Fighting the Flames, A Tale of the London Fire Brigade

Willie Wilders is proud of his older brother Frank Wilders, a shining young star rising to distinguished heroism in www.amazon.com/Fighting-Flames-Tale-London-Brigade/dp/1376060523?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=joyful002-20Fighting the Flames. While Frank battles the flames, Willie learns what the heart of a hero is made of. Read about daring rescues, valiant hard work, plots of arson, attempted murder, and mid-19th century London is exposed. The amazing characters cross paths, even though from such different areas of city life--all in the shadow of the great nightly battle with the flames. 

The World of Ice

The World of Ice is about a whaling ship and their adventures in the polar regions. 

Rover of the Andes

This adventure story, ​The Rover of the Andes, is set in South America. 

Fast in the Ice

In Fast in the Ice, ​a ship leaves England for the polar seas and is never seen again. 

Complete Works of RM Ballantyne

Do you have a Kindle? You can get all of RM Ballantyne's works for your Kindle! That means all 84 novels and short stories. Most of the novels are fully illustrated with their original artwork. 

The works include: 
The Coral Island, Martin Rattler, The Dog Crusoe and His master, The World of Ice, The Gorilla Hunters, The Red Eric, Fast in the Ice, The Wild Man of the West, The Lifeboat, The Lighthouse, A Rescue in the Rocky Mountains, Lost in the Forest, Sunk at Sea, Up in the Clouds, Silver Lake, Over the Rocky Mountains, The Cannibal Islands, Hunting the Lions, The Iron Horse, The Norsemen in the West, The Pirate City, Rivers of Ice, Digging for Gold, The Island Queen, The Rover of the Andes, The Blue Lights, The Eagle Cliff, The Buffalo Runners, The Hot Swamp, and The Walrus Hunters. 

I like R.M. Ballantyne's Books so much that I have included them in our Travel God's World Geography unit study curriculum. 

Rover of the Andes, Fast in the Ice, and Coral Island takes us to South America, the polar regions, and Oceania respectively. Children love the adventure and I love all the geographical information woven into the stories. 

If you are interested in teaching geography with living books, be sure to check out R.M. Ballantyne's books, as well as Travel God's World Geography, a one year consumable worktext/unit study. You will enjoy mapping, crafting, playing games, researching countries from every continent, and reading the lively text aloud as a family. You will meet missionaries from around the world and learn about cultures, businesses, cities, and geography landforms. Get your passport ready because it's time to travel God's World!

You can purchase Travel God's World at Amazon. Or, if you'd like an E-book, you can purchase Travel God's World E-book at PayHip and TeachersPayTeachers. 

Until next time, Happy Homeschooling!

Warmly, 
Meredith Curtis

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