Are you having a hard time finding exciting Christian kids books? Or maybe you are having a hard time finding books that your children will actually read and enjoy. If you are looking for a really good Christian series of books for children, check out the Ladd Family Adventures by Lee Roddy.
I read a lot of books to my own children when they were younger. This was one of their favorite series because of how exciting and interesting they were.
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What are the Christian kids books about?
Setting, Characters, Genre, & Age Group
The series is a set of chapter books that mostly take place in Hawaii. The last three books in the series take place in Alaska.
The main characters are Josh Ladd and his best friend, Tank Catlett.
Each book is a different adventure — so they don’t have to be read in order.
They are similar to the Hardy Boys books, but my kids found them to be more exciting. Each chapter ends in a cliffhanger, so the books are really hard to put down.
They are geared for 8-12 year olds.
Educational Aspects
The books have a lot of Hawaiian words in them with a glossary in the back that tells what they mean and how to pronounce the words.
There is also Hawaiian history and other information about the different islands and the lifestyles on them.
We used them for homeschooling while we did a unit study on Hawaii.
The last three books take place in Alaska, so you can learn about Alaska, also.
Christian Aspects
The books are written from a Christian point of view.
Each book has a moral lesson and talks about a relationship with God.
It’s nice the way that Christianity is incorporated because it isn’t written in a cheesy or condemning way.
It shows what a godly family looks like (mistakes and all).
Where to Buy These Christian Kids Books
We bought most of our books at garage sales and thrift stores.
I am not sure if the books are still in print. Every so often, I see that they have reprinted them (that’s why the covers may look different).
They are available on ebay, Amazon, and Thrift Books to name a few places. If you search for them on Thrift Books, you can get 15% off your first purchase with our link 🙂
Christian Kids Books Summaries
Book #1 Secret of the Shark Pit
Josh Ladd’s family takes a trip to Hawaii for his father’s secret assignment. After a burglary in their hotel room and a map is stolen, the adventure begins. Josh and his friends try to recover the map and get trapped by sharks.
Book #2 The Legend of Fire
Josh Ladd’s father is kidnapped and bound in a building near an erupting volcano. Josh and his sister frantically search to find and rescue him.
Book #3 Mystery of the Island Jungle
Josh Ladd and his friend Tank find the wreckage of a Japanese World War II plane in a jungle. A screaming stranger with a sword chases them, and they try to find out more about their discovery.
Book #4 The Dangerous Canoe Race
A local bully challenges Josh to an outrigger canoe race where the bully doesn’t follow the rules. Josh ends up caught in a large storm at sea.
Book #5 Secret of the Sunken Sub
When Josh videos what he thinks is a diving whale, he finds out it was actually an accidental sinking of a secret submarine. Josh is then betrayed by a new friend as spies try to make Josh reveal where the sub sank.
Book #6 Mystery of the Wild Surfer
Josh is saved from drowning by an unknown surfer. He tries to be friends but is threatened along with his family. With a tidal wave expected, Josh is chased into a burning cane field.
Book #7 Peril at Pirate’s Point
Josh, his best friend, and his father are taken prisoners when their plane crashes near a remote section of Hawaii. The captors are unstable war veterans who run a smuggling business. The father needs medical attention so the two friends attempt to escape for help while being pursued toward an erupting volcano.
Book #8 Terror at Forbidden Falls
A radical group tries to drive all non-natives from the Hawaiian islands by threatening with a bomb. They also plan to harm a girl that is Josh’s friend. Josh and his friend Tank try to rescue her.
Book #9 Eye of the Hurricane
A hurricane changes direction unexpectedly trapping Josh and Tank in a swamp area with no protection. Josh’s sister and brother are trapped in a partially collapsed building.
Book #10 Night of the Vanishing Lights
Josh and Tank see mysterious lights winding through the darkness after hearing about legendary night walkers. They seek the truth and are lead into great danger.
Book #11 Case of the Dangerous Cruise
On a cruise to Mexico, Josh and Tank discover the school bully is on board. A stranger hides something in Josh’s luggage while another passenger tries to find it.
Book #12 Panic in the Wild Waters
A friend of Josh’s sister takes repeated risks in the waters of Hawaii. Josh and his friend Tank save her but she continues to take risks. They vow not to help her anymore until she is swept into a dangerous cave.
Book #13 Hunted in the Alaskan Wilderness
After moving to Alaska, Josh and Tank are hunted by gangsters while out exploring. They come in contact with a grizzly bear and now have no where to go.
Book #14 Stranded on Terror Island
Josh flies with some wildlife officers transporting a tranquilized bear. Their plane goes down in a lake during bad weather just as the bear awakens.
Book #15 Tracked by the Wolf Pack
Josh and Tank’s snowmobile crashes in a remote wilderness area. They are followed by a pack of hybrid wolf-dogs while they search for shelter.
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Other Christian Kids Books by Lee Roddy
These are exciting books for young readers or to read to your children.
If you enjoy these books, you should check out some other books by the same author.
There are other Lee Roddy series that are worth reading and just as exciting.
There is the D.J. Dillon series about a 13 year old boy’s adventures in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This series has 10 books.
There is also a series called An American Adventure which takes place during the Great Depression. There are 9 books in the series.
Have you read any of these books? What are you favorite books to read to your children? Let us know what you think and comment below!
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Thank you for this! I remembered enjoying this series as a young girl, and was trying to find it for my own kids, but couldn’t remember what the series was called. Just ordered them and looking forward to rereading them with the next generation!
Yay! I’m so glad that we could help! This is such a great series. I hope your kids enjoy them.
The Terra Prime Series by TD Patrick is a new sci-fi series written by a Christian author. It’s a clean easy read.
Thanks for the suggestion!