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Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince: A Tale of Long Ago
Young Prince Hubert is incorrigible, unmanageable, and tiresomely demanding. What is the good King to do? How will his selfish Prince ever learn to rule the kingdom well? His most trusted friend, Sir Malcolm, has a plan. Prince Hubert is swept away to a land where he is simply known as Hugh, a peasant boy. His silks are replaced with rough work clothes, his castle dwelling with a humble cottage. It is here that Hugh learns valuable life lessons from the widow of the forest.
Hugh is a sturdy, likable boy who will undoubtedly take a favorite place in the line of lovable Lamplighter characters.
Hugh is a sturdy, likable boy who will undoubtedly take a favorite place in the line of lovable Lamplighter characters.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 17, 1889
3 people are currently reading
265 people want to read
About the author
Sidney Baldwin
17 books5 followersMildred Sidney Baldwin was born in 1885 in Peoria, Illinois, and died in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, in 1978. She attended Smith College and Columbia University. She was a newspaper reporter, drama critic, radio commentator, and writer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
November 10, 2019
Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
This book deserves over ten gazillion stars! A beautiful story of redemption!
My siblings and I basically sit there and quote the whole thing making faces and pretending to be the characters, cuz we've listened to this Lamplighter Theater the most. ^.^
*Note* I may or may not cry every time I read/listen to it
This book deserves over ten gazillion stars! A beautiful story of redemption!
My siblings and I basically sit there and quote the whole thing making faces and pretending to be the characters, cuz we've listened to this Lamplighter Theater the most. ^.^
*Note* I may or may not cry every time I read/listen to it
October 19, 2022
Top notch story.
August 23, 2025
A classic, clean story for all ages. One of my favorite Lamplighters!
January 13, 2013
This was the first Lamplighter Theatre radio drama that I listened to. I hesitantly borrowed it from my church's library after the librarian highly recommended it, thinking that it would be just another prince-kingom-fantasy-allegory, which I'm not really into.
Boy, was I wrong.
Not only was it not fantasy, it was an amazing moral story! It also included one of my favorite radio actors (Adam Wylie), who played as Hubert/Hugh. And I love Jess Harnell (Finnian Jones).
Lamplighter has definitely expanded my horizons regarding older books; I'm now wanting to read old books I'd never even heard of before! Even though I've listened to all of the Lamplighter Theatre stories, I think this one is always going to be my favorite, and not just because it was the first one I heard, but because it is an amazing story.
Boy, was I wrong.
Not only was it not fantasy, it was an amazing moral story! It also included one of my favorite radio actors (Adam Wylie), who played as Hubert/Hugh. And I love Jess Harnell (Finnian Jones).
Lamplighter has definitely expanded my horizons regarding older books; I'm now wanting to read old books I'd never even heard of before! Even though I've listened to all of the Lamplighter Theatre stories, I think this one is always going to be my favorite, and not just because it was the first one I heard, but because it is an amazing story.
December 21, 2024
A entertaining yet didactic tale that teaches much about admirable character.
✏️ Review ✏️
An enjoyable story for all ages, Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince combines an entertaining plot with positive didactics. This book features so many admirable character qualities: courage, justice, humility, meekness, responsibility, kindness.
Okay, yeah, the writing and the plot aren't the best, but the wealth of admirable character qualities and the biblical tie-ins make this a great didactic tale. Hugh, the MMC, will resonate with so many readers as he learns the hard way what true character and judgement really are.
While this story can be appreciated by all ages, Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince would especially appeal to young readers as its characters fall into this same demographic — not to mention that this book has zero content warnings. I have no reservations in recommending this intriguing tale.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
•The admirable qualities that the MMC progressively comes to appreciate throughout the story.
•The didactics and themes (choosing the road of righteousness, being fair and just in all dealings, having a strong work ethic, ect.).
•The broad appeal this story has to all ages — children and adults.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
•A few (very few!) parts of the plot — it seems to drag just a bit.
•The general delivery of the writing style — it's kinda average — not the best, not the worst.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 3/5)
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3/5
— 📝 Writing: 2.5/5
— 👥 Characters: 3/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
— ⚔️ Violence: 0/5
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
•(None)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
•(None)
✏️ Review ✏️
An enjoyable story for all ages, Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince combines an entertaining plot with positive didactics. This book features so many admirable character qualities: courage, justice, humility, meekness, responsibility, kindness.
Okay, yeah, the writing and the plot aren't the best, but the wealth of admirable character qualities and the biblical tie-ins make this a great didactic tale. Hugh, the MMC, will resonate with so many readers as he learns the hard way what true character and judgement really are.
"Some day you will sit in this [throne]. Some day your judgements will be all-important. It is for that day you are being trained, my son."
While this story can be appreciated by all ages, Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince would especially appeal to young readers as its characters fall into this same demographic — not to mention that this book has zero content warnings. I have no reservations in recommending this intriguing tale.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
•The admirable qualities that the MMC progressively comes to appreciate throughout the story.
•The didactics and themes (choosing the road of righteousness, being fair and just in all dealings, having a strong work ethic, ect.).
•The broad appeal this story has to all ages — children and adults.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
•A few (very few!) parts of the plot — it seems to drag just a bit.
•The general delivery of the writing style — it's kinda average — not the best, not the worst.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 3/5)
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3/5
— 📝 Writing: 2.5/5
— 👥 Characters: 3/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
— ⚔️ Violence: 0/5
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
•(None)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
•(None)
July 20, 2021
This book teaches what it looks like to honour your parents and what real, biblical love looks like in a relationship (hint: it's MUCH different than the culture would have you to believe). This is a book that I would recommend to everyone to read -- and it would be a great read aloud!
June 20, 2020
Prince Hubert is haughty and spoiled. When still a boy, he breaks his father's heart with his bad judgement. His father's advisor, Sir Malcolm, promises the king that if he will hand Hubert over to him, he will set him back on the right path.
A plot is set up, with a decoy prince going off to school, and poor Hubert trudging on foot alongside Sir Malcolm for miles, then being sent to live with hardworking peasant people.
When injustice hits the Hubert's new home—injustice such as the kind he would have approved of just a few short years ago—Hubert takes the initiative to free his village from tyranny.
Perhaps Hubert's change throughout the story is too good to be true, but it's very satisfying. I really enjoyed this book!
A plot is set up, with a decoy prince going off to school, and poor Hubert trudging on foot alongside Sir Malcolm for miles, then being sent to live with hardworking peasant people.
When injustice hits the Hubert's new home—injustice such as the kind he would have approved of just a few short years ago—Hubert takes the initiative to free his village from tyranny.
Perhaps Hubert's change throughout the story is too good to be true, but it's very satisfying. I really enjoyed this book!
December 3, 2014
I actually didn't read this. I listened to the dramatized edition put out by the Lamplighter Theatre.
March 26, 2024
This is a super cute Lamplighter story, and probably one of my top ten! Of course, I enjoyed the employment of my favorite trope, when nobility are forced to hide their identity for some reason or another and adapt to a new life. And I liked all the great character-building lessons, the medieval vibes, the lack of romance, the characters themselves, etc. I highly recommend it!
It was interesting too how it showed that it was his peers who initially got Hugh to change, not his authorities, but it was his authorities (Dame Martha) who got him to stay changed. Sort of a refreshing twist, since so often in literature, peers are shown as dragging someone down the wrong path instead of to the right ones.
My only disappointment was I felt the title was misleading. I was expecting/hoping Sir Malcolm would be the major mentor in Hugh’s life, based off the title. Instead, it was more like a mixture of Denny and Dame Martha, to the point where I thought the title should’ve been Dame Martha and the Missing Prince. Sir Malcolm literally was seen at the very beginning, then the very end. The bulk of the story, he was absent. Which disappointed me because I love seeing the outwardly cold knight calmly and patiently teaching the spoiled brat some lessons because they really do care for them. But oh well, I guess that’s what I have my own story for!
Personal Rating: 4.75 stars
Read my full content review here: https://kayadelin.com/2024/03/26/marc...
It was interesting too how it showed that it was his peers who initially got Hugh to change, not his authorities, but it was his authorities (Dame Martha) who got him to stay changed. Sort of a refreshing twist, since so often in literature, peers are shown as dragging someone down the wrong path instead of to the right ones.
My only disappointment was I felt the title was misleading. I was expecting/hoping Sir Malcolm would be the major mentor in Hugh’s life, based off the title. Instead, it was more like a mixture of Denny and Dame Martha, to the point where I thought the title should’ve been Dame Martha and the Missing Prince. Sir Malcolm literally was seen at the very beginning, then the very end. The bulk of the story, he was absent. Which disappointed me because I love seeing the outwardly cold knight calmly and patiently teaching the spoiled brat some lessons because they really do care for them. But oh well, I guess that’s what I have my own story for!
Personal Rating: 4.75 stars
Read my full content review here: https://kayadelin.com/2024/03/26/marc...
October 29, 2023
4.5 ✨ I have read this countless times and love it more and more each reading (or listening…the audiobook is the way to go ♥️)
July 25, 2016
Dad is reading this book to Ellie at night and they are loving it. She has listened to the audio. We gave this book to Ellie in celebration of her devotion to the Lord.
This was such a precious book for Dad and Ellie to read together. They both rated it 5 stars. One of the characters in the book is Ellie and the prince gave her a gold coin that she wore around her neck. We had a gold coin with an angel on it that Yellow Grandma had given us so Ben put a small hole in the top of it and hung it on a chain and presented it to Ellie towards the end of the book. It was such a special moment for them....2/25/15
Our family listened to the audio as part of our new "Lamplighter Sundays"....krb 7/25/16
We would recommend this book to everyone!
This was such a precious book for Dad and Ellie to read together. They both rated it 5 stars. One of the characters in the book is Ellie and the prince gave her a gold coin that she wore around her neck. We had a gold coin with an angel on it that Yellow Grandma had given us so Ben put a small hole in the top of it and hung it on a chain and presented it to Ellie towards the end of the book. It was such a special moment for them....2/25/15
Our family listened to the audio as part of our new "Lamplighter Sundays"....krb 7/25/16
We would recommend this book to everyone!
July 10, 2016
We listened to this in the car. We really enjoyed this story and have already listened to it twice. This is an excellent story for boys to hear, especially ones that would prefer to play all day or think work is beneath them or think others are here to serve them. Actually it is a good reminder for all. My son really enjoyed it even with the strong moral teaching. The audio theater was done well.
June 13, 2023
This lil book, is short, but SUPER good. Go read it rn!
November 30, 2024
Number of pages: 221
Genre: Children’s fiction
Series: N/A
Age recommendation: 10+
Summary: When twelve-year-old Prince Hubert fails to make a simple ruling in court it is the last straw for his father, the King. Hubert is unruly, immature, and too irresponsible to rule the Kingdom when that time should come. So, when the king’s advisor, Sir Malcolm, offers to take the boy away to a foreign school where he can learn how to rule the kingdom, the King reluctantly agrees. Will Hubert ever outgrow his indolent ways and learn that a good king must first be a servant to all?
My thoughts: It’s really hard to rate a story when you’ve read/listened to it a bunch of times. I the first time I heard this story was in grade 4 or 5 and my aunt was reading it to me and my siblings. I thought that it was such an interesting and funny story and I still do, but it’s a little harder to get excited about it when I’ve already heard it so many times. On the other hand, I still have managed to read this book about 5 times, so obviously it’s really good!
I appreciated the message about ruling. Basically, to be a great ruler, one must first learn to be a great servant, fulfilling needs wherever they see them without having to be asked. (Sound familiar? Jesus told his disciples the same thing when He washed their feet).
I did notice the ages of the characters this time around, and it surprised me. I always think of Hugh as 15 or 16 by the end of the book, but he’s only 13. In my mind that makes some of the story less realistic, but that being said, I never noticed that in the five times I read it before.
The plot itself is also super entertaining – I don’t know what to say about it without giving anything away, so I’m just going to leave it at that. It’s a really good story, and you should definitely read this book!
My personal rating: 4.5/5 stars.
Link to blog: https://karinaschristianreads.wordpre...
Genre: Children’s fiction
Series: N/A
Age recommendation: 10+
Summary: When twelve-year-old Prince Hubert fails to make a simple ruling in court it is the last straw for his father, the King. Hubert is unruly, immature, and too irresponsible to rule the Kingdom when that time should come. So, when the king’s advisor, Sir Malcolm, offers to take the boy away to a foreign school where he can learn how to rule the kingdom, the King reluctantly agrees. Will Hubert ever outgrow his indolent ways and learn that a good king must first be a servant to all?
My thoughts: It’s really hard to rate a story when you’ve read/listened to it a bunch of times. I the first time I heard this story was in grade 4 or 5 and my aunt was reading it to me and my siblings. I thought that it was such an interesting and funny story and I still do, but it’s a little harder to get excited about it when I’ve already heard it so many times. On the other hand, I still have managed to read this book about 5 times, so obviously it’s really good!
I appreciated the message about ruling. Basically, to be a great ruler, one must first learn to be a great servant, fulfilling needs wherever they see them without having to be asked. (Sound familiar? Jesus told his disciples the same thing when He washed their feet).
I did notice the ages of the characters this time around, and it surprised me. I always think of Hugh as 15 or 16 by the end of the book, but he’s only 13. In my mind that makes some of the story less realistic, but that being said, I never noticed that in the five times I read it before.
The plot itself is also super entertaining – I don’t know what to say about it without giving anything away, so I’m just going to leave it at that. It’s a really good story, and you should definitely read this book!
My personal rating: 4.5/5 stars.
Link to blog: https://karinaschristianreads.wordpre...
December 31, 2021
'I give orders, not take them. I am the Prince. I am the King's son!'
This book is like all the classic fairy tales or moralistic stories that we loved as children. I read it in a little under 24 hours, but probably could have done it in one sitting.
Prince Hubert is a brat, arrogant in his position, with no sense of justice. It is Sir Malcolm who realizes that Prince Hubert needs some time away from Court to learn how to be a better Prince, and ultimately, in the future, a good King. The book details Prince Hubert's change of heart over several years without really shoving it in your face, it just happens naturally as he interacts with his subjects. I really liked this because sometimes it seems like moralistic stories are a little too preachy — this one isn't.
I really enjoyed this story and I could see it being a good story to read to children. Lamplighter also does an audio drama of this story. I've heard parts of it and enjoyed it.
This book is like all the classic fairy tales or moralistic stories that we loved as children. I read it in a little under 24 hours, but probably could have done it in one sitting.
Prince Hubert is a brat, arrogant in his position, with no sense of justice. It is Sir Malcolm who realizes that Prince Hubert needs some time away from Court to learn how to be a better Prince, and ultimately, in the future, a good King. The book details Prince Hubert's change of heart over several years without really shoving it in your face, it just happens naturally as he interacts with his subjects. I really liked this because sometimes it seems like moralistic stories are a little too preachy — this one isn't.
I really enjoyed this story and I could see it being a good story to read to children. Lamplighter also does an audio drama of this story. I've heard parts of it and enjoyed it.
April 26, 2025
"Though roughly treated at first, I learned quickly the lesson that humility comes before honor.(Proverbs 18:12)
I have learned, sir, 'that a man who is diligent in his work may stand before kings and not mean men, (Proverbs 22:29) and hard work mixed with humility and truth may just prepare him to be a king!"
I feel like many a boy would devour this book. It is a book full of adventure as a young prince is forced to learn hard work, humility, and responsibility. A badly behaved prince is taken from his home and forced to live among peasants. This experience is one that humbles him. Children will learn along with the boy the virtue of hard work and humility. I loved the redemption in this story.This book is indeed a page turner! Highly recommend this wonderful lamplighter book!
I have learned, sir, 'that a man who is diligent in his work may stand before kings and not mean men, (Proverbs 22:29) and hard work mixed with humility and truth may just prepare him to be a king!"
I feel like many a boy would devour this book. It is a book full of adventure as a young prince is forced to learn hard work, humility, and responsibility. A badly behaved prince is taken from his home and forced to live among peasants. This experience is one that humbles him. Children will learn along with the boy the virtue of hard work and humility. I loved the redemption in this story.This book is indeed a page turner! Highly recommend this wonderful lamplighter book!
April 14, 2020
In all accuracy, my children have listened to it three or four time since Easter. There's wolves, thieves, unjust taxation - and a boy that needs to learn a lesson.
It's on the nose, but my children love it with a fixation rivaled only by ice cream and Hello Ninja.
I always dreamed of giving my children a home like the Exploratorium: one half auditorium, one half museum, one half idea laboratory, and one half exploration chamber
It's on the nose, but my children love it with a fixation rivaled only by ice cream and Hello Ninja.
I always dreamed of giving my children a home like the Exploratorium: one half auditorium, one half museum, one half idea laboratory, and one half exploration chamber
December 17, 2020
This was just as good as I expected it to be! Me and my family have listened to the dramatized audiobook of this so many times but I wanted to see if it was the same (sometimes the book the audiobook was based off of isn’t exactly the same and has different characters). Yes it pretty much was at points there were a few things that I didn’t get to hear in the audiobook but for the most part I could quote a good amount of prince Hubert’s lines! Love lamplighter theater books!
August 28, 2022
This is the first "Lamplighter book" I have ever read and I am glad I gave it a chance. I was told that these were good books, but I had no idea how well written these would be. A lot of Christian books are overly preachy but this one is far from it. It teaches great lessons without being in your face about it. The ending of the story is incredibly satisfying, and the plot is enthralling. Highly recommend this short, beautifully illustrated book.
March 25, 2024
A tale of royalty, entitlement, family, and the power of hard work, this book was well loved by our family and had such a lovely ending! This would be a great book to drive home the principles of working hard, helping others, and how powerful humility can be when done from a pure heart.
Recommended read aloud age: 9+ (for the old English and writing style - it can be difficult to comprehend for younger ages)
Recommended independent reading age: 11+
Recommended read aloud age: 9+ (for the old English and writing style - it can be difficult to comprehend for younger ages)
Recommended independent reading age: 11+
January 15, 2026
This came to me highly recommended by friends and I can see why. Absolutely delightful - Hugh is quite a stupid little brat at the start but has a lovely redemption arc. I ended up quite liking him. 😊 Everything comes full-circle at the end in a most satisfying way.
Plus - it has illustrations! Lots of 'em! And they're lovely, with quite medieval-looking folks. (Including that absolutely ridiculous headgear so many of the ladies wore. 😆)
Plus - it has illustrations! Lots of 'em! And they're lovely, with quite medieval-looking folks. (Including that absolutely ridiculous headgear so many of the ladies wore. 😆)
February 12, 2025
Very nice book about a spoiled little prince whose father the king has enough love for his country and his son to send the boy away from the castle where he is given his every want. In the countryside where peasants live he learns what it means to have friends, help others and live on the land by working not by being given everything. Wonderful story
November 3, 2021
The perfect book to read to young boys. This shows them what character growth looks like and shows them the value of such growth. I LOVE the way it ends with a simple scriptural verse at the end. Beautiful writing and great message.
November 8, 2025
This audio-drama is a family favorite, which we listen to time and again. The plot is enjoyable, the voice acting is exceptional, the story is stirring, and the theme of humility is both poignant and needful. Worthy of recommendation!
September 5, 2017
I am totally guessing on the year he read this.
December 13, 2017
We would highly recommend listening to the audio book by lamplighter Theatre.
January 30, 2018
amazing story!! Absolutely loved it!!!
April 7, 2020
First Lamplighter book I’ve been exposed to and I look forward to others if they are this good!
April 16, 2020
Read this book to the kids as our read aloud. I loved this book!
July 8, 2020
I listened to this audio book on a 3-hr drive to camp with a group of 5 tweens and teens. It was enjoyed by all, weaving strong character lessons into a compelling story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews