Summer with the Moodys

Moody Family #1

by Sarah Maxwell

Come along with the Moodys as they help a widowed neighbor, start small businesses for the children, enjoy a family fun night, live normal life, and wrap up the book with two special surprises! Woven throughout the book is the Moodys' love for the Lord and their enjoyment of time together. Children (parents too!) will love Mr. and Mrs. Moody, Max, Mollie, Mitch, and Maddie—they'll come away challenged and encouraged.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Christian, Chapter Books

197 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Sarah Maxwell's passion is to see young people with books that would edify and build them up in the Lord Jesus and in family relationships. She has enjoyed writing for over ten years filling each book of the Moody Family series with inspiring content that sends children excitedly reaching for the next book. Sarah loves to meet Moody fans as she travels the country with her family.

Sarah also helps with the Titus2.com ministry. Her desire is to serve Jesus with her time through speaking and writing to encourage others.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is filled with positive homeschool references and Christian family beliefs. It would be great for younger readers on the 7-12 age range, mainly those who are homeschooled. Content is very clean with good lessons and faith content from the Moody family (who belong to a small, conservative, evangelical church). This series I believe would also be enjoyed read out loud to young readers. Overall a very positive and clean series.

[Jo Ann Bailey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring and poorly written.

Don't waste your time or money. Good grief.
This reads more like a diary into life as a Maxwell, and how sad is that?

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This suffers some from very typical new author mistakes and a meandering plot. However, for the targeted age range, I think it would still be a nice book.

Pros:
~ Family loves the Lord
~ Kids work hard to do what's right
~ Homeschooling shown as a normal thing
~ Scripture shown as an integral part of lives

Cons
~ Family so perfect its unbelievable
~ Sciputre inserted in places that it doesn't feel natural
~ Kids show very little interest in play or normal kid things and when they think of themselves its shown as selfishness. While I applaud the intention, this kind of book can lead kids to the wrong idea that if they aren't in scripture, helping their parents, or working they are being selfish or lazy. I don't think every kid would get that out of this book, but I might have as a young child.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

My eight year old has read through this entire series already. The books are sweet and wholesome stories about everyday life for a homeschooling family that are interesting enough to be enjoyable and keep a child's attention but lack the bickering, bullying, and other usual drivel that books for this age group usually are filled with.

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is very rare that I don't finish a book, but I just couldn't get through this one. The characters didn't really have personalities. I had a high school English teacher that would read to us in a monotone voice and that's what these characters remind me of. I don't think my boys would enjoy this, either.

[Pdm]

No stars.

[Ava Mouton · Rating 5 out of 5]

love these books!

[Careena Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

*****5 Stars--Highly Recommend!!

I don't know if I've ever trusted an author as much as Sarah Maxwell...

I love Sarah's work! I first read this book when I was around 7, and me and my brother have now read every single book by Sarah Maxwell. I love all the encouraging examples of good character and positive family interactions, as well as the surprising excitement of everyday homeschool life!

I love how through the series, Sarah sprinkles in the Gospel message, salvation stories, and occasional talks about subjects like courtship, debt, and letting God decide how many children a family has.

I always really appreciated the emphasis on positive examples. Sometimes the kids have disagreements or the family encounters a grumpy individual, but these incidents are well resolved in God's love and good character--and promptly, I might add. There's nothing unseemly at all in the series that I can remember. A mention of one character's habit of smoking in Summer Days is about as far as it gets. There are discussions about ill characters and such, but nothing too intense or dark or anything like that.

I would highly recommend the Moody Series for any family as a read-aloud or for independent reading. A superb series kids will love and adults will trust!!

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this a long time ago when I was like, 7. So I can't remember much of the plot or anything. But do remember that I loved this book. It was an awesome book for little kids. It's about a homeschooling christian family and all the stuff that happened to them in their summer. Very nice book.

[Caidy Scheer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I mean like its ok i read it when i was younger but like the family is written as a basically perfect family and that pmo. The siblings are never mad at each other and its really just unrealistic this goes for the entirety of the series and honestly i would give 0 stars if i could

[Caitlin Jesenovec · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the moodys I met the auther and love the books!

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Maxwell is my favorite author EVER!! I love the Moodys, they remind me of my own family.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a future possible book for my son. It was cute, but not very realistic.

[Emma Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have not read these in years! Going through the series again. :)

[Theresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is very wholesome, very clean, and very boring. Characters have no personality and, as such, cannot model growth the way a good book does.

[T-Gracce! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming!!!!!!!!

[Haylee Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Katja Labonté · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars & 3/10 hearts. This is a very clean, interesting book, realistic and with some pretty funny dialogues! A steady dose of the Moodies is a little irritating, but reading the books one at a time at separated intervals keeps you from being annoyed by the slight shortcomings of the books. It’s a little unrealistic at times, and there were a couple points where I found Dad somewhat annoying & even nasty. Mitch is my favourite character ;) and that first chapter is hilarious. A good family-friendly read-aloud, but not beloved. I will say that my siblings strongly dislike these books. The Miller Family Series by Mildred Martin are worth ten of the Moody Series.

A Favourite Quote: “When you are tempted to be unhappy about something, stop and thank the Lord for three things. Make them not the standard "Thank You for this day" but unique items.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: [The dog] jumped in[to the van], launching into Mollie's lap....
“Oh, HONEY! Get off!” she protested. Honey obligingly climbed down and sat between the two front seats....
“Are you sure you don't want to share?” Dad asked Mollie.
Mollie emphatically shook her head. She wanted the seat to herself and wasn't interested in sharing with a sixty-five-pound fur ball.

[Niyah Hawkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Sarah's Moody's series. I'm a homeschooled kid, so the fact that the kids are homeschooled in this book was great for me. And unlike most series that leave out sibling squabbles and parental guidance, these books had it all, and it was like reading a real family's story. Great series for all ages.

[Bekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read all of the Moody books and they are amazing! I'm even above the age range for this series and they are some of my absolute favorites!