Books like Elsie Dinsmore

Elsie Dinsmore-part oneWhy I am even writing this in the first place.I loved the Elsie Dinsmore, (ED), books when I was younger. In the last few years, as I have made some new friends and started to actually talk to my friends about what they thought about things I was surprised by all the criticism, and mockery of ED. I slowly began to see the Elsie books in that same light, until recently when I was asked what I thought about these books. I was confused: did I really like them enough to stand up for them, or were they just something that was forced upon me when I was younger? I decided to ponder it. I recently came to a conclusion.I have read every one of the 28 Elsie books, and loved them all.Out of the dozens of people whom I have told that I enjoyed the Elsie Dinsmore series, only three, ( that I can remember), answered saying they agreed with me. Everybody else either gave me a look of disgust, laughed in my face, or replied with, "Well I don't read those books." After further talking with the same people I leaned that most of them haven't even read ED and only two, if memory serves, had read the first book. I have often asked myself, "What makes these books so disliked now, when they were once the nation's best sellers for over thirty years, (selling over twenty-five million copies)?" In this post I will be trying to answer that question and one that so many people ask me, which is, "Why do you even read those books?"Before I start I would like to say that if you have not read the books you can read the basic storyline of the first book here real quick. Second, I am not talking about the "fake ED books" in this post, I am talking about the "real ones".Okay, I am ready now. ;)How I first meet ED.I was about six years old when my mother started to read the first book to my sister and me, and we loved it, and couldn't get enough of it! As we got older, we read all the books, ( there are twenty-eight in all), by ourselves around thirty times each. We later moved on to the Mildred Keith series, (which was also written by Martha Finley). The ED books really helped me learn how to trust God in all things, and that nothing is too small for God. They also showed me that I could go to God with all my problems. The ED books were exactly what I needed at that time in my life.The "problem book".In the second book, Elsie's Holiday, is where a lot of Christians have their problems with ED. Elsie's father, ( who is not a Christan, and who openly mocks God and Elsie's faith in him), asks Elsie to read him a "worldly novel" on one Sunday, and just like most believers in E's day she explains to her father how she doesn't believe in doing "worldly things" on the Lords day. She asks him if he would excuse her from this task. Needless to say he, refuses to grant her that request. E holds firm to her convictions, and ends up disobeying her father, though not in an impudent manner. People argue that E's actions in this case encourage girls to disobey their parents. I disagree - I did not get this impression in the least. Whether or not I agree with Elsie's reason for not obeying her father in this instance, she was bound to have to do it at some point as her father was not a Christian, and kept provoking her. Also in later years, Elsie repents to her father of her disobedience, and she tells him that she made a mistake in her decision to not read the novel to him.She is too perfect.This is the number one complaint when it comes to Miss Elsie. Let's stop and look at what we are really saying by this. First of all, she is not perfect. She makes lots of mistakes, and her father has to punish her for them. Yes, I will grant you that she is not nearly as naughty as Curious George or conniving as Tom in the Great brain books.Elsie is a little girl, (well, in the first three books she is), who loves Jesus, and tries to live in a way that brings glory and honor to Him. Elsie is an example of how God wants us to live for Him. That is why Martha Finley, (MF), wrote these books in the first place - to encourage girls to live for God. When we say Elsie is too perfect, are we not saying that the way God wants us to live is too perfect? Elsie would not seem so perfect if we would get with it, and starting living for God, and not for ourselves all the time. The way Elsie lives is the way God wants us, and tells us, to live. Could it be that E's, (sometimes awkward), efforts to live for God's glory convict us of our own low standards, and we're just too ashamed and guilty to admit it?A cry baby.This is something that people really dislike about ED. I agree, she is a cry baby as a little girl, but when her father helps her to see this error, she tries to stop herself, and in a couple of years she gets over it. I realize that this bothers people a lot, and if they decide to not read these books because of this, that is their choice. Of all the reasons I have heard to not read these books, this is one I can understand. I do realize that not everybody has the same taste as I do :) , and if you choose not to read them because of that, go ahead, it's your life. It is also your loss (:D).Martha Finley * About Martha FinleyMartha Finley, bad writer?I have heard from a handful of people that they thought that Martha Finley was "a terrible writer", and "not worth reading". It is true that MF was not as great a writer as say, William Shakespeare, but it doesn't follow that she was "a bad writer". The ED books were mostly geared toward girls, ages six through twelve, (and therefore may not be as fun to read for older people), which also happens to be one of the hardest age groups to find good books for. Look through your library shelves for young girls' books, and most of the books you will find there are full of stories of girls living very impure lives. I know, I've looked. These are the books that encourage girls to live for themselves only, and teach them that they are smarter, and really know more then their parents do. The ED books were a life saver for my sister and I during that time, and not because they were the lesser of all other evils. We both just loved to read, and these were the perfect books for us. Like I said before, I understand that not everybody has the same taste as me, *what a world that would be*, and you may not enjoy these books for, "just because". I am just asking you to stop, think, and read before you cross them off your list. It's your choice to not read them, but it will also be your loss! This series is truly one in a million!What do you think?All right, that finishes my rant for now. Since I've told you what I think about ED, now it's your turn to tell me what you think! ( please) Also, I was planning on doing some follow up posts on this, so if you have questions, comments, or other reasons why you dislike these books, tell me, and I will try to answer those in posts to come.P.S. Thank you for reading the whole post before you comment, and for leaving your name. :) and don't forget to vote on the poll!Blessings,~Ellie