The, like, most comprehensive list of Nancy Rue books, like, EVER.
This series, while beloved by homeschoolers, school teachers, young history buffs, and just parents and kids who love to read, went out of print in 2004. This hasn't stopped people from discovering and enjoying it, however, and we get requests almost daily for help finding these books--or pleas that they should be re-published! We agree, and have been following several leads to make that happen. Until then, we suggest you try used booksellers and garage sales. We suggest trying Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Ebay!
The Christian Heritage Series
SALEM YEARS (1690-1692)
The Rescue. 1-56179-346-9
Meet Josiah Hutchinson, his sister Hope, and their family and friends. Their world, the American colony of Massachusetts in the 17th century, is full of uncertainty and danger, and trust in God is central to their very existence. Josiah’s faith and trust grows as he begins to meet people who are very different from him—but will he have the courage to ask his family to trust him when his sister’s life depends on it?
The Stowaway. 1-56179-347-7
Excited to be in the bustling port of Salem Town, where he is to be educated, Josiah finds himself in over his head after sneaking aboard a ship to look around. Matters get worse when his sister, Hope, is accused of a crime she didn’t commit. It’s up to Josiah to find the truth—and to tell it.
The Guardian. 1-56179-348-5
Life in Salem Village becomes more dangerous as Josiah and his friends set out to stop some of their neighbors from cruelly killing a pack of wolves—and Josiah’s little cousin Rebecca tags along and tries to help. Josiah and Hope will learn that some who seem like friends can’t be trusted, but some they thought they could never love move the closest to their hearts.
The Accused. 1-56179-398-1
While out trying to help his neighbors, Josiah is accused of being a thief, and his sister Hope’s plan to help him only makes matters worse. As the feuding between the Village families escalates, and Josiah finds himself on trial, he and his friends will have to make a choice how they will make their stand.
The Samaritan. 1-56179-442-2
Josiah’s world seems to be falling apart. A family friend lies dying, something terrible has happened to Hope that she won’t talk about, and a widow and her baby are in trouble. When Josiah reaches out to help, it seems no one wants or needs him. But though things get more dangerous than they ever have before, Josiah begins to see that the right way is the only way.
The Secret. 1-56179-443-0
With everything they’ve been through in the past year, Josiah thought he could trust his sister Hope—until he sees her with one of their worst enemies. Though she tries to persuade him otherwise, Josiah does all he can to keep her from danger, and finds himself in the greatest danger of his life. The Hutchinson family faces its biggest challenges and changes in this final book of The Salem Years.
THE WILLIAMSBURG YEARS (1780-1781)
The Rebel. 1-56179-478-3
Though the world of Virginia in the 1780’s is changing around him, Thomas is comfortable how he is—until his father decides it’s time he starts growing up. When his family moves to town, Thomas must learn a new way of life, learn to accept others’ differences, and learn how to make his own choices.
The Thief. 1-56179-479-1
No matter how he came about having them—and there were certainly some bumps and bruises involved—Thomas now has two good friends, Caroline and Malcolm, to share his new life with. But when the trio is faced with the possibility that someone they trust is a horse thief, the black-and-white rules of life seem to turn to grey.
The Burden. 1-56179-517-8
Everyone thinks Thomas has grown up a lot since he moved to Williamsburg—so much so, that they start trusting him with secrets he isn’t sure he can, or should, keep. As the atmosphere of fear around the town grows, strangers start showing up, and others Thomas and his friends thought they knew start to turn to strangers themselves, the choice between keeping secrets and sharing burdens becomes harder and harder for everyone.
The Prisoner. 1-56179-518-6
The war moves closer to Williamsburg and wedges itself deeper between Thomas and his friends. To make matters worse, now that Thomas’s beloved tutor has disappeared to fight, he must attend grammar school with three of the worst bullies he’s ever encountered. His dignity and his friendships all look like they have to be saved—until he’s faced with saving his friends’ lives.
The Invasion. 1-56179-541-0
When Thomas and his friends visit his family’s plantation, Thomas is overjoyed to show them the place he loves best in the world…but the war is there to meet them. As Thomas struggles to battle cruelty and deceit without letting them change his own heart, the Hutchinson family and friends face some of their most dangerous adventures yet.
The Battle. 1-56179-542-9
As the last of the British Army is driven towards Yorktown and its final defeat, life in Williamsburg is turning upside down. Thomas tries to protect his friends, and himself, from the changes ahead. But when new beginnings come with painful losses, it can only be God’s path that Thomas follows into the future.
THE CHARLESTON YEARS (1860-1861)
The Misfit. 1-56179-560-7
In 1860, Austin Hutchinson’s hopes are high—he’s finally going to have the friends and adventures he’s only read about in books, now that he, his mother and his bratty brother are going to stay on his uncle’s Charleston plantation, complete with three cousins. But when he encounters a world he’s never known before, full of slavery and secrets, the only way he’ll manage to fit in is to be himself.
The Ally. 1-56179-561-5
Though Austin has finally found his place with his cousins, especially Charlotte, and the slave boy Henry James, he’ll never feel at home amongst slave owners and slave laws. When he tries to make things the way he thinks they should be, Austin is more alone than he’s ever been—and it’s only through forgiveness that things can be fixed.
The Threat. 1-56179-566-6
Austin and his family are headed for their summer home, high in the mountains of North Carolina, but an “accident” in their stagecoach is only the first of their troubles. As former friends become bitter enemies, Austin has to learn what’s truly valuable—and have the courage to protect it.
The Trap. 1-56179-567-4
Fall has Austin anticipating the harvest festivities, but fun and games are in short supply as tension on the plantation mounts in the family. Austin is not the only one who feels trapped by lies and secrets, and not the only one who tries to escape—but the only way out will be through his own heart.
The Hostage. 1-56179-638-7
The South is poised to secede from the nation, and as an abolitionist, Austin isn’t safe from the anger of slave owners, even if he is a child. With the family in Charleston for the holidays, Austin is right in the thick of an angry rising storm—and he must do what he can before the black cloud opens over everyone he loves, even if it puts him in the worst danger of his life.
The Escape. 1-56179-639-5
The war that rips a nation apart begins, and Austin’s family must get out of Charleston before it’s too late. But the delay of battle may be just the time Austin needs to realize freedom for the people he’s come to love—even though it means goodbyes that will last forever.
THE CHICAGO YEARS (1928-1929)
The Trick. 1-56179-734-0
Twins Rudy and Hildy Helen Hutchinson have always been best friends and best at getting into trouble in their tiny Indiana town, but now that their father has moved them to Chicago, and they are in the hands of Aunt Gussie, trouble takes on an entirely new guise! With the turmoil of 1920’s Chicago around them, the twins and new found friends will have to find a way to settle in to a new life.
The Chase. 1-56179-735-9
Since moving to Chicago, Rudy and Hildy Helen have found new friends, new family, and a whole new kind of trouble! From their almost disastrous first day of school to the mysterious disappearance of Lil’ Al, the twins learn how terrifying—but important—standing up for yourself and others can be.
The Capture. 1-56179-810-X
As Christmas approaches, the twins and Lil’ Al are looking forward to a celebration like they’ve never known, now that they’re living with rich Aunt Gussie. Besides, Rudy’s life has seemed to get better and better since he’s found out so much about being a Christian. But does being a Christian mean being better than everyone else? An unexpected chance to work on his dad’s case gives him a surprising answer.
The Stunt. 1-56179-833-9
Over Spring Break a trip to the old Hutchinson plantation is meant to teach the twins and Lil’ Al what family has always meant to the Hutchinsons, but an adventure gone sour makes Rudy feel like he’ll never be family again. Back in Chicago, people who don’t share the Hutchinson’s values make bigger problems for the family than ever before. Rudy will have to prove, especially to himself, who he is in his heart.
The Caper. 1-56179-837-1
Stuck in Cape Cod for the summer, Rudy, Hildy Helen and Lil’ Al are expected to stay out of trouble—which, as usual, is too much to ask! With Dad gone and Aunt Gussie still recuperating, Rudy’s supposed to be the responsible one. When things get out of control, getting them to make sense again will depend on his most important responsibility—to the person God made him to be.
The Pursuit. 1-56179-856-8
Just on the eve of starting Junior High, a family tragedy changes all the Hutchinson’s daily lives for the worse. Everything Rudy does to try to make himself feel better causes a bigger problem. When the world begins to press in like never before, suddenly Rudy knows nothing ever will be the same—except for the love of his God-given family.
THE SANTA FE YEARS (1944-1945)
The Discovery. 1-56179-862-2
Will Hutchinson always thought he knew who he was, even though the Second World War has sent his dad to the Philippines and changed his life completely. But when an unexpected discovery throws everything he thought he knew into confusion, Will now has to decide who he wants to be all over again.
The Mirage. 1-56179-863-0
The summer looks like it’s going to be okay, with a new foster-sister to explore their new house with—and as Will and Fawn discover, it is a house full of secrets. Then lies and hate start creeping up around them, and Will thinks it will take a miracle to untangle it all. His biggest discover of the summer will be the miracle depends on him.
The Stand. 1-56179-893-2
The War is going well for the Americans abroad, but at home Will is conflicted. He’s angry at the Japanese too, but he knows imprisoning them in camps can’t be right. When a couple of strange kids start showing up in his backyard, Will knows the time has come to find out what a real American is—and to be a real American.
The Mission. 1-56179-894-0
By the time Christmas rolls around, Will knows, his life will be back to normal, with the War over and Dad home safe. But when things don’t turn out as planned, Will can’t decide what he knows and what he doesn’t, and it doesn’t seem like a good idea to trust a God that disappoints you—until, he finds out, sometimes God knows more about what we want than we do.
The Struggle. 1-56179-895-9
The war marches on, but some people, Will finds, are tired of supporting what seems like an impossible effort. Their negativity is enough to make Will want to do some fighting of his own! Trying to distract himself with other projects only works for so long, and unless he can win the battle against his own anger, a much more important fight could be lost.
The Choice. 1-56179-896-7
Victory is in the air, and families all around Will are being reunited—but there’s still no word about his dad. With no choice but to wait, Will turns his attention to investigating the frightening occurrences in Santa Fe. He knows he’s doing the right thing—until his quest for the truth results in terrible consequences. It’s just when Will thinks he has no choices at all that God gives him the chance to make his most important decision.
