Oh my goodness! Have you ever heard of The Green Ember series? If not, you’re about to.
But first, let me back up and tell you how we landed on it…
*This IS NOT a sponsored post. This is me telling you about something we’ve loved that I think you should love, too!
**I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Reading aloud has not always been a pretty thing in our house. Yes, I fully understand that this is an ironic thing for “This Reading Mama” to say.
I’ve always envied the moms who can snuggle with their kids as they read aloud by firelight. Instead of snuggling, mine always seemed to elbow each other in the eye, fight over who gets to turn the page, and constantly complain, “I can’t see.”
Yeah, not so pretty.
When they were all younger, reading aloud was more successful when they had quiet activities to do as I read aloud.
As they aged, they outgrew many of these quiet activities and once again, I was stuck. Until I realized, “What if I bring back reading at bedtime?” At bedtime, they’re all in their beds away from each other.
So, I began reading aloud in the hallway as they all lay in their beds. It was the perfect fit!
Once I conquered when we’d read, the fight became what we’d read. My oldest is on the Autism spectrum and he prefers non-fiction. He’s also three years older than my other three kids {who are stair-steps in age.} This was a real struggle until…
we discovered The Green Ember series. Seriously ya’ll.
The Green Ember Series for the Win!
Family members had recommended the series and so I went for it. The moment I told my kids about the book, my oldest replied, “Seriously, mom? Rabbits with swords. I don’t want to hear it.”
Calmly I replied, “Let’s just give it three chapters. If it’s not for us, we’ll stop.” {Ha! Little did I know, we’d be hooked by the end of chapter one!}
We’ve been reading the series for over a year now and posted about it on Instagram several times. We’ve had the privilege of reading The First Fowler and Book IV {The Ember’s End} ahead of time. And, oh my! You’re in for a real treat!
Why Do we Love The Green Ember Series So?
1. The language. Sam D. Smith seriously writes like an “old soul.” These books totally fit in the “classic” genre. Imagery, figurative language, awesome vocabulary words. You name it. I often re-read sentences and ask my kids, “What do you see when you hear this?” or “What do you think {this word} means?”
2. The characters. Sam D. Smith has a way of developing the characters so you feel as if they’re your family. You laugh with them. You cry with them. And boy, did the tears come in Book IV!!!
3. The cliff hangers. “Please read one more!” If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard from one of my kids, I’d be a millionaire! Smith often leaves chapters hanging so you’re left wondering, “What happens next?”
4. The life lessons. For example, the characters have real and deep feelings…you seriously forget they’re rabbits. Anger. Bitterness. Loss. Jealousy. But Smith brings it back to the truth: Feelings will lie to you, and they don’t trump the truth.
GRAB THE BOOKS on Amazon!
The Most Common Question I Get
Q: For what ages would you recommend The Green Ember series?
A: It depends! {Don’t you LOVE that answer!?!}
If you’re reading it aloud, wait until your child is ready to…
1- hear things that are a little on the scary side.
2- listen to longer chapters. My youngest is seven and a half and struggles to hang with it at times.
If your child wants to read it by himself, I’d say it’s around a 5th grade level. With that being said, my 8th grader is now re-reading the entire series on his own {no prodding by me}.
Enjoy reading!
~Becky
PS – I LOVE following SD Smith on Instagram! I enjoy the behind-the-scenes look, the quotes, and original poetry he shares! Visit his website to learn more about his books and his family.
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Thank you for your comment about the quiet activity while reading. I can’t get my 5-year old monster (little boy) to sit still long enough to read anything to him. I will have to find some activities he can do while I read.
At that age, I had to find quiet activities they could do (see this post -> https://thisreadingmama.com/quiet-read-aloud-activities/). Another tip is to read more books with pictures instead of chapter books. Let him crawl up in your lap and just talk about the pictures if that’s what he’d rather do. You can introduce vocabulary and comprehension strategies just from looking at and talking about the pictures and the storyline. Hope that helps some!
I introduced my sister to your website awhile back and we both love what we see here.
I had to comment here to tell you she saw this post on FB and she had to let me know that she went to college with Sam, the author of these books, at a little Bible college in West Virginia. She’s now a missionary in Africa.
Now we must check them out to support him!!!
That’s awesome!! Love it!
Dear Becky,
Thank you so much for recommending the Green Ember series. I had never heard of the series before but I decided to check it out for my son, who is 6. I wasn’t sure if he’d like it, but we both love it! In fact, one chapter a night ends up being three chapters. It holds his attention the entire time! I was a bit surprised since the vocabulary is a bit advanced in some places, but I really shouldn’t be surprised as we read through the whole LH on the P series by the time he was five! I love that he listens to the stories and the next day proceeds to re- enact the chapters without me even asking.
I have been an avid reader my whole life and have passed the love of reading to my adopted son to whom I’ve been reading since he was a day old.
Thank you again! I look forward to reading the whole series.
Debbie K
This is awesome! I love, love, love, all the vocabulary embedded in these books. I love that he acts out the stories, too. How cute!
I want this book)
You’ll love it!