Salem Ridge Press

I love old books. I love their smell. I love the feel of timeworn pages between my fingers. I love the scrawling script of schoolgirls written on their inside covers. I love the beautiful illustrations. But most of all, I love the stories they hold.

I used to think old books were nothing but fluffy prose written for Victorian matrons who had been brought up using too many frilly adjectives. I was quite wrong. I find it amazing how many antique books seem to have been written with the adolescent male in mind for an audience. They are full of adventure and intrigue, history and romance. There are strong, dignified heroes full of integrity.....and they're not pansies.

As a TOS member, I was blessed with an opportunity to share such treasures with my family as we reviewed together 3 incredible books: The American Twins of the Revolution, Glaucia the Greek Slave, and Mary Jane - Her Book.

Salem Ridge Press is a publishing company that republishes amazing books from the 1800's and early 1900's. They set very high standards for the books they publish and there is absolutely no concern of finding objectionable material in these books. They are pure and honest. Happily, they are also exciting and interesting. I do have boys to read to, after all, so excitement is a must. My 11 and almost-9 year old sons sat enthralled as I read to them. It was wonderful to find adventurous stories that did not include witchcraft, visits from the dead, or disrespectful families. It's been a while since I've run across something in the Scholastic catalog that doesn't have those qualities.

The founder of Salem Ridge Press is Daniel Mills. He is a homeschool graduate who treats his business as a ministry. This quote from their website sums it up very well:

"Daniel firmly believes that what we read matters and what we take into our minds is a major factor in forming our ideas and character. His goal is to be a blessing to others by providing reading material that fits the qualifications outlined in the Bible. While not every title that Salem Ridge Press publishes is explicitly Christian, all of our titles have strong moral values and encourage positive character."

Thank you, Daniel.



The American Twins of the Revolution was probably our favorite. It was set right in the middle of where were already studying in our history lessons. This story kept them on the edge of their seats the entire time. It was clever and interesting and inspiring. I was glad my boys were able to truly see how very similar children were even back then. This book was based on a true story and the children in this story shared the same likes, dislikes, fears, and temptations as my own children, though their story was set over 200 years ago.

The only thing that slowed us down in reading this book was the speech of a few of the characters. It was written to emphasize the improper pronunciation of some of the characters. This took a little decoding work for me. When reading it aloud, my rhythm obviously slowed at these parts of the book. Though it took some extra effort, I feel it did add to the climate of the book. It was well worth the read.


In Mary Jane, Her Book, we were introduced to a five year old little girl, much to my own little girl's delight. This is an absolutely charming book that inspired patience in me and creativity in my daughter. It was originally written in 1918 and gave such a feel of a cheery home and an encouraging family. Even my 9 & 11 year old sons tolerated this one rather well, laughing out loud when Mary Jane misunderstood her mother's warning that her friend had chicken pox and spent the afternoon peeking to try to find a box of chickens! Generally though, I wouldn't say this one is for the boys. It was really a glimpse into the life of a little girl as she grows and learns; perfect for my daughters and girls of any age.

Glaucia the Greek Slave, originally published in 1874, is an incredible story, appealing to guys and girls alike. Glaucia is a young girl, separated from her brother and sold into slavery. This book gives an incredible picture into the time of the early church and a beautiful conversion story. It also has plenty of secrets and intrigue. The other books included brief definitions at the bottom to help out when an out-of-date word was occasionally mentioned. I appreciate that this book also included bible references at the bottom! I haven't shared it with my boys yet, but it will be required reading when we hit the ancients again in our history rotation.

The moral lessons learned in these stories are truly amazing. They challenged and encouraged us as we read these tales of courage, patience, giving, and trusting. These books will continue to be read and shared again and again.

They are available in hardback and paperback. We have the paperback version and the physical quality of the books is quite good. If you would like to sample a chapter, choose a book from the list and open it to preview the first chapter free.

For more reviews, visit the Homeschool Crew.

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