The Wandering Pirate Ship

by Mary I. Schmal
Illustrated by Leanne R. Ross
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SYNOPSIS - Twelve year-old Lillian Bates finds herself in a battle of sibling rivalry with her intelligent little brother. She also gives into envy over what others have and she lacks. She struggles to love. Even though she feels she shouldn't do something, she does it anyway and doesn't understand why her urge to do it is so strong. Then Lillie faces losing a precious part of her life, and thus begins her journey toward a more full understanding of love.
 
Lillian’s journey to be more loving is set in 1884 at a remote island lighthouse. It stands upon a rocky cliff at the tip of Wisconsin’s “thumb.” Fictional Lakeshore County is beautiful, yet at times dangerous. While sifting through cryptic clues amid a weather-torn shipwreck, Lillian tries to unravel an island mystery. She finds help from six siblings, two cousins, and her best friend. A gruff “lake pirate” captain and his questionable crew are forces Lillian must battle. However, Lillian is supported and comforted by three loving caretakers whom she visits at a charming cottage on the far side of the island. As the story unfolds, humor and misunderstandings pepper the lively events.
 
Finally, Lillian makes an important discovery. She figures out that knowing the reason why she does something gives her true and lasting pleasure. She realizes a timeless truth: that love truly conquers hate. And that God has created her to be a unique light to shine on those living in darkness. Most importantly, Lillian understands that love is a Fruit of the Spirit meant not just for her but for all.
Comments from the Author about The Wandering Pirate Ship

It’s such fun being a kid. What was it like being a kid over 100 years ago in Wisconsin in1884? Way up north in Wisconsin? Way, way up north on the tip of the thumb penninisula of Wisconsin? On a small island at a lighthouse?!
 
Meet Lillian. She’s 12. She doesn’t live in 2018. She’s 12 in 1884, but she is as normal a kid today.
 
Meet Luke. He’s also 12 years old because he’s Lillian’s twin. Luke is also a normal 12 year old boy.
 
Luke and Lillian have five other brothers and sisters. Julia is 11, Paulina is 10, Thomas is 9, and believe it or not, there is another set of twins in the Bates family! Madelaine and Gabriel are both 8 years old and are twins just like their big brother and sister, Luke and Lillian.
 
Oh, but there are two more kids in the stories. Garrett (12) and his sister Dellie (10) are cousins from another island lighthouse and are staying at the Bates lighthouse for the summer.
 
These nine are the “Children of the Light” because each is a child of a lighthouse keeper. They are children of God, too, except they don’t really know how or why! They will learn how and why as the stories unfold. In their many adventures, each of the children becomes blessed with one Fruit of the Spirit in particular which, in turn, enables them to embrace all nine. There are indeed nine gifts in the Fruit of the Spirit. And there are nine kids in the stories! And, all nine are blessed!
 
The Fruit of the Spirit are free gifts from God: love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness, and self-control. Most of the time we don’t think of them as gifts free for the asking. Lillian, for instance, has a poor understanding of the gift of love. She has very little love for her brother Thomas, and others. You will learn all about this and how important love becomes to Lillian.
 
Being blessed with the nine Fruit has an effect on the children. It crowns them “Children of the Light.” And those same Fruit of the Spirit can make each of us crowned with blessings too, to become the spiritually-minded people God wants us to be.
 
Come aboard The Wandering Pirate Ship and find out how one Fruit of the Spirit, love, changes Lillian. These nine kids sure know how to have fun, even though they don’t always get along. They live in a different age and wear different clothes from a long time ago, and attend a different kind of school. They live on a tiny island in a 19th century lighthouse, which, more likely than not, looks nothing like where any of us ever lived!  
 
Join Lillian, Luke, Julia, Garrett, Paulina, Dellie, Thomas, Madelaine, and Gabriel in their many exciting adventures as Children of the Light!