Lassie: Under The Big Top

Jimmy was mad at his parents. At God, too. Why wouldn’t his parents help look more for Lassie? And why wouldn’t God answer his prayer and send Lassie home?

Book: Under the Big Top (Lassie) by Marian Bray, Chariot Books, 1995

Genre: Adventure/Animal Story

Target Audience: Boys 10-14

Subjects: Friendship, Trust in God, Loss, Anger, Prayer

Summary: As Jimmy plays with his friend for a little bit, Lassie plays with her friend. But then Lassie gets caught in something and winds up in a truck, not getting free until she’s hours from home. Jimmy has no idea where she is and is devastated at the loss! A few clues come up and they follow them, but Lassie is no where to be found. As time goes by, everyone except Jimmy stops searching and moves on with life. But Jimmy has no idea how to recover from this loss! Will he ever see Lassie again?
Notes: This is one of the books in the Lassie series, based off of the TV shows. In this book Jimmy struggles with his attitude toward God and toward his parents after Lassie disappears. He does not trust God anymore. He even stops hanging out with any of his friends because of his anger. Then he runs into some kids he does not know all that well that tell him that never stopped praying for him and for Lassie’s return. He realizes that God had never left him, nor Lassie for that matter and recognizes that the kids who never stopped praying were the faithful ones, not himself who just got angry and stopped trusting.

Recommendation Scale: 4/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Romans 12:12 – Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.