The Sugar Creek Gang, Book 04
Another great tale about our pals in the Sugar Creek Gang! This time, they join Barry Boyland—Old Man Paddler’s nephew who was shot by the police in Book 01 and then led to the Lord by Mr. Collins—on a trip to Minnesota. The boys head to a lake in Chippewa territory (not far from where I myself grew up) where they get to hike, fish, and camp out in real tents and learn many of the great tasks that Boy Scouts should know.
We get to meet new characters in this story that I’m sure we’ll see again in future books, warm folks like Santa Claus and Mrs. Santa, and Chippewa Christians like Eagle Eye and Snow-in-the-Face. We get to experience a new style of church, a service inside a railroad car and translated into the Chippewa language. And, of course, we also get to enjoy many of the adventures that little boys experience when they’re let loose in the woods for a few weeks.
As the title suggests, a few of the boys do get lost in the unfamiliar woods, but they use their Boy Scout ingenuity to find their direction, using a wristwatch and a twig to find south. They practice first-aid by pretending that Bill Collins has drowned and trying a more outdated version of mouth-to-mouth (without using the mouth). They emphasize the importance of life-preservers, but also describe what a person should do when his boat or canoe capsizes. They cook fish and potatoes over coals buried in the ground. They give some tips about fishing. They mention building a bow-drill fire. They discuss and do all sorts of things that every little boy should know. I loved reading this story, because this is precisely the stuff that I and my kids are into. Great adventures all around.
This book didn’t have as many explicit moments of Christian learning or teaching as in the other books, but it did have some. They discussed a bit about salvation, whether a kid had to recall the exact moment he prayed a prayer, or if it’s enough just to know that the Spirit of Jesus is definitely in his heart. They talked about growth, especially in seeing the changes in some of the characters who’d come to Christ in previous books. And, of course, Bill repeats his desire to see some particular people hear the Gospel and get saved. I’m not sure if Paul Hutchens had any real people in mind when he wrote about these folks, but it sure does set a high standard for loving others and sharing the Good News of Jesus. Especially in pointing out that no one’s too young to do it!
We’re looking forward to the next story in line, The Chicago Adventure. In fact, we’re starting it tonight!
©2019 E.T.
Read More from The Sugar Creek Gang:
- #1 The Swamp Robber (1940)
- #2 The Killer Bear (1940)
- #3 The Winter Rescue (1940)
- #4 The Lost Campers (1941)
- #8 The Palm Tree Manhunt (1944)
- #10 The Mystery Thief (1946)
- #12 Screams in the Night (1947)