Showing results by author "Paul Hutchens" in All Categories

The tales and travels of the Sugar Creek Gang have passed the test of time, delighting young learners for more than 50 years.

Great mysteries with a message for kids, The Sugar Creek Gang series chronicles the faith-building adventures of a group of fun-loving, courageous Christian boys. Your kids will be thrilled, chilled, and inspired to grow as they follow the legendary escapades of Bill Collins, Dragonfly, and the rest of the gang as they struggle with the application of their Christian faith to the adventure of life.

In this book, the last swim of the summer ends miserably for the Sugar Creek Gang when someone steals Little Jim's pet baby bear. The search for the missing bear cub takes the gang through the woods to Old Man Paddler's cabin. When winter arrives, the boys return to the cabin, where they receive a startling surprise. Join the gang as they discover the power of prayer.

A late night hunting trip for the Sugar Creek Gang leads to a surprising discovery. Later, Old Man Paddler invites them to his cabin for a sassafras tea pary. An urgent knock on the door interrupts the party. Soon, they find themselves knee-deep in a quicksand rescue. Explore with the gang the effects of sin in one's life and the benefits of following Jesus.

Someone knocks Bill Collins into a snowdrift and steals his suitcase when he goes to spend the night with Poetry. When the boys track the footprints in the snow, they make an amazing discovery. And a penmanship test helps to solve another mystery (the mystery of who's been sending the mean notes received by Bill and Mr. Black). Find out with the gang how important it is to love and befriend those who hurt us.

"Circus" Brown's father makes a life-changing decision at a revival meeting. Will he be able to stay on the narrow path? Back in the woods, the mean Till boys and the Sugar Creek Gang wrestle over a patch of wild strawberries. This leads to an encounter with an angry black bear. Join the gang as they learn to apply the lesson of forgiving 70 times seven in the face of great danger.

The Sugar Creek Gang discovers a "disguise" hidden in a old tree. Does it belong to the bank robber hiding in the swamp? A mysterious map hidden near the tree proves to be even more exciting than the disguise. Before the adventure ends, the gang encounters the robber, helps Bill Collins welcome a new baby sister, and saves the victim of a black widow spider bite. Join the gang as they learn the lesson of sowing and reaping.

In this book, the Sugar Creek Gang goes to Chicago in an adventure full of ups and downs. It starts with an airplane ride over a storm. It continues with museum visits, rescue mission ministry, performing on the radio at Moody Bible Institute, and an elevated train ride. A fight between Jim and Bob Till lands one of them in the hospital in critical condition.

Old Man Paddler sends the Sugar Creek Gang to a beautiful Caribbean island to find his missing twin brother. Circus and Bill find an old man who bears an uncanny resemblance to Old Man Paddler, but then they get separated from the rest of the group. A goat and a lottery ticket become the key to restoring Mr. Paddler. Discover the difference between fate and God's control of the events in our lives.

"Poetry" brings his muddy lamb into Miss Lilly's classroom, and chaos breaks out. The gang later discovers a mysterious cave with a hidden passage near the cemetery. When they spend the night in the cave, they are frightened by two very different visitors dressed in white. Could they be ghosts? Watch Poetry's pet lamb provide a helpful explanation of Jesus' parable of the lost sheep.

Bill Collins's garden is the scene of several encounters with a hognose snake. Will the family's pet toad, Warty, survive? A new member of the Gang, Middle Jim, offers amazing insights into the snake mystery. When winter arrives, Middle Jim puts the whole Gang in jeopardy. Will the Sugar Creek Gang survive the night in the fierce storm? Discover with the boys the important truth of the great hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God".

Way up on a hill on Old Man Paddler's property stands an old house that many people think is haunted. A late night raccoon hunt with dogs from Circus's dad helps the gang get to the bottom of the mystery. What will the boys discover in the dark attic of the haunted house? Reflect with Bill on the meaning of the Bible verse "...absent from the body...at home with the Lord."

Bill Collins and Little Jim survive a wild ride on the flooded Sugar Creek thanks to the acrobatic efforts of their friend "Circus". When summer arrives, the gang heads to Pass Lake, Minnesota, for a camping trip. There they discover a railroad coach in the middle of a forest without any tracks, and a Native American with beads and a war bonnet. Join the gang as the experience the meaning of being saved, both physically and spiritually.

The Sugar Creek Gang enjoys a mid-winter vacation on the Rio Grande River. Their adventures include fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, meeting a boy evangelist in a tent meeting, and chasing a criminal through a grapefruit grove. Will the stowaway in their trunk make it safely across the border? And will the dangerous criminal make it across the Rio Grande in the boys' rubber raft? Learn with the Sugar Creek Gang how precious children of all colors are in God's sight.

Travel to Pass Lake, Minnesota, with the Sugar Creek Gang. When the Gang arrives, they find themselves in the middle of a mystery. Newspaper reports tell of a kidnapped girl who has not been returned even though the ransom was paid. Will they find the girl and help catch the kidnapper? Join the Sugar Creek Gang on their action-packed trip to Minnesota's lake country, and learn about becoming fishers of men.

The Sugar Creek Gang's school gets a new teacher - a man. And that spells trouble. When their old teacher shows up to surprise them with a midday sleigh ride, things start looking up for the boys - until Bill Collins throws a snowball that accidently hits Mr. Black, the new teacher. Learn the importance of self-sacrifice as Little Jim offers to take Bill's punishment, even though he doesn't deserve it.

An incredible discovery in an icehouse leads to an encounter with a criminal. Will the police come quickly enough to catch the man the gang trapped? Will the gang be able to deliver an important letter from Little Tom Till's mom before it's too late? In this tale from northern Minnesota, the gang learns about several kinds of fishing, the most important one being fishing for men. The Sugar Creek Gang series chronicles the faith-building adventures of a group of fun-loving, courageous Christian boys.

A mysterious note in invisible ink leads the Sugar Creek Gang on a hunt for buried treasure. Is the key to the treasure in the weathered log house, or is it in the icehouse? Will the Gang have a run-in with the accomplice to the Ostberg kidnapping? Find out with the boys the terrible effects sin has on families when it has a hold on the father.

Camping in the north woods, fishing, boating and hiking all suddenly become commonplace experiences to the members of the Sugar Creek Gang as they learn about the rites of Chippewa burial ceremonies from a real live Indian. But that is not all that happens as they visit the Indian cemetery.

The Sugar Creek Gang continues to struggle with their new teacher, Mr. Black. They cause some of the trouble for themselves when they build a snowman that looks a lot like him and he stumbles across it. Then someone outside the gang tries to frame the Sugar Creek Gang by putting a board over the chimney at school. Learn important lessons about honesty and respect with the Sugar Creek Gang.