Dave and Neta Jackson are a full-time husband/wife writing team who have authored and co-authored many books on marriage and family, the church, relationships, and other subjects. Their books for children include the TRAILBLAZER series and Hero Tales, volumes I,II, III, and IV. The Jacksons make their home in Evanston, Illinois.
This is not my favorite Trailblazer book we've read this year (out of four, haha), I think because the main character boy's experience at the orphanage felt a bit odd to me, that you never heard of any adults other than George Müller and it never was clear if the boy (or the other children, for that matter) enjoyed being there. It just didn't feel real or personal, especially for the amount of time that was supposed to have passed. Sorry if I'm being picky. I remember reading a biography of George Müller when I was a teenager and I found it so inspiring, but this story was not working for me.
Curly receives a beating from Spuds. No details. Curly’s memories of his violent Dad, no details. No kissing or romance. No language.
Age-range: 8-12 (but I would recommend it for readers who are older as well)
Overall rating: 5/5
Source: I actually have no idea. 😛 But you can get it of AMAZON KINDLE.
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Wow. Just wow. This book had adventure, thrill, christian values, and everything awesome mixed in. No moment was dull when I read this book. I loved how the book started of with adventure, with the MC, 12 year old Curly Roddy in danger. This series has always been a family favorite. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves christian historical adventure.
CHARACTERS 4/5
I believe characters play a big part in books, and these characters nailed it. I think Dave & Neta Jackson developed their characters very well. Curly is a boy who’s spent six years of his life living on the streets and some of it staying with a thug and thief, Spud Baxter. Curly is very adventurous and headstrong, at the same time caring. I loved his character so much. There was also Spud. He’s not a big time thief, until Curly drags him into a big theft. He has mood swings, but he’s a pretty decent guy. He was well developed.
SETTING 5/5
The dialogue and the description told us everything about Curly’s life, the way he lived, and where he lived. I had no trouble remembering it was in the 1800’s.
PLOT 5/5
I’m giving everything 5/5 here! The plot was full of twists and adventure. Never, ever a dull or unexciting moment. The plot flowed very well; I loved the idea of it all. WRITING 5/5
Seriously amazing! It described a lot; the action and adventure was so good. I LOVE THIS BOOK! The Bandit of Ashley Downs is a book I certainly will read over again. I actually have read many of the Trailblazer books more than once. I think this whole review pretty much covers all the other books in the series!
So go ahead and read this book! I promise, you won’t be wasting your time.
About the Author
Dave and Neta Jackson, husband and wife writing team, are the authors or coauthors of more than 120 books that have sold over 2.5 million copies. They are best known for the 40-volume Trailblazer Books series for young readers and the Hero Tales series for families. Adults love their Yada Yada Prayer Group series, House of Hope series, Harry Bentley series, and Windy City Neighbors series along with numerous nonfiction books. They make their home in the Chicago area. Find out more about them at http://www.daveneta.com.