Sheriff Mark Lamb of Pinal County, Arizona, has a story to tell — and it unabashedly includes love of family, faith and country, plus a robust defense of America's traditional values at a time when the country is very divided.
"We're seeing a real attack on traditional values in this country right now," Lamb told Fox News Digital in an interview this week.
"We're seeing an attack on our children and an effort to educate them about things that most parents are not OK with," added Lamb, a father and grandfather.
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It is why, Lamb said — in an effort to help educate America's children and "be part of their lives in a positive way" — he decided to write a children's book that teaches critical thinking skills, something he believes is very much needed today.
The illustrated children's book, out in this month of January 2023 from Brave Books, is called "The Adventures of Seymour Clues and Mr. Mouse: The Case of the Mysterious Sea Monster."
"Really, this book is designed to help kids be critical thinkers and teach them about some values," said Lamb, the book's co-author.
"It helps teach them to ask questions and really understand things."
"We're being fed things that aren't always what they appear to be."
The plot involves "some local corruption," he said, as a "mayor tries to instill fear into people. It isn't until [the characters in the book] do some critical thinking and ask some key questions that they're able to discover that things aren't what they were made out to be."
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Added Lamb, "I think that is very applicable to today's world. We're being fed things that aren't always what they appear to be."
Lamb — known for his strong defense of America, his vehement objections to the open southern border under the current administration and his grave concerns about the fentanyl that's pouring into this country and killing America's kids — is making one thing very clear.
The sheriff is letting others know that there's a new author in town.
‘Messages' to America's kids so vital
"It's the positive messages" in the book that are most important, said Lamb. The story is simply the vehicle for sharing those messages, he said.
In the book, "children can learn these values in a fun way — in a way that they're going to remember," he said.
"This is an interactive book," he added.
"Children can go back and look at what they've just read, and maybe see what clues they missed. And this is something very near and dear to my heart in law enforcement. When we solve a crime — when we're trying to piece things together — sometimes we miss things, and we go back and see them later on."
Sometimes, he also said, "we catch them right from the beginning."
"If you're not ruffling any feathers, you're probably not speaking out strongly enough."
"This is really good way for kids to get a taste of what it's like to be an investigator."
He referenced the book series that earlier generations of Americans gobbled up during their growing-up years: The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries series among them.
"Those books were designed to make kids think about what they were reading, and see if they could figure out what was going on," said Lamb.
"And that's what my new book is about. I think it's a great way for kids to learn some valuable lessons and life lessons. And, I love what Brave Books is doing with all of its books to do that."
Added Lamb, "Today, we're seeing one book after another that is confusing our kids about gender, or about sex or sexual contact — these things should not be taught to our children. Those types of things should be left to the parents to discuss in most cases."
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"It's sad to see," he added, "that people have attacked [actor-writer] Kirk Cameron for a very innocent story that shares a principle of faith" in his own new book, "As You Grow," which Brave Books also published.
"It's a great way for kids to learn some valuable lessons and life lessons."
"The fact that people came out so strongly against Kirk Cameron just tells you that he is doing something right," said Lamb.
"It just shows you where we are as a country," he said.
"That's why I think it's even more important now to have books like these for children. Because if you're not ruffling any feathers, you're probably not speaking out strongly enough."
Love of family, faith, country
"There are so many aspects of this story that I love — the critical thinking aspect of it, the investigative piece of it. And the characters in this book love their community. They live on Freedom Island, where good battles evil — and where the love of freedom and good prevails."
"I love freedom. And I want to do what I can to protect it."
Added Lamb, "They love their island and want to protect it," he said. "And I'm the same way. I love this country and I love the Constitution. And I love freedom. And I want to do what I can to protect it" in the United States, he said.
He pointed out that in addition to partnering with Brave Books, he's also working with Vets4ChildRescue (vets4childrescue.org), a nonprofit charity founded and run by ex-Navy SEAL Craig Sawyer.
"These are veterans who have already served their country — and now they're serving their country in another way, by going out and rescuing children from the predators that exist out there, including online."
There are "children being trafficked for sex," said Lamb — "which is happening through the open borders. This is why I stand so strongly for protecting our borders because these kids are being taken advantage of — and adults are as well."
He noted that Brave Books is dedicating a significant portion of every book series sold to this important charity.
‘Ask the right questions’
Lamb said he believes the current administration has shown "zero desire to fix the issues at the southern border," in which illegal immigrants are coming into the country every single day.
"You have our government bureaucrats who passed the bill — the omnibus bill — that gives $412 million to another country for their border security, but refuses to address the border security issue here in our own country. And the effects that this is having on the American people is that it has opened the door to the leading cause of death among Americans, which is fentanyl," he said.
"We're angry. We're frustrated. And we can't believe the federal government won't do anything about it."
"Over 107,000 Americans between the ages of 18 and 45 have died," he said.
"You have 300-plus Americans being poisoned every day because of the open southern border. You have men and women being extorted, enslaved, put into the sex trade — you have an increase in crime. You have taxes that are not being paid. So this is having an effect on our economy."
Said Lamb, "This is the greatest threat to America right now, not being able to protect our sovereignty right now through border security. There's a level of corruption that exists, and it's up to us to stand up against this type of corruption."
Regarding how the open border is affecting his own local community: "This is a major concern for people in our community. Why? Because they see loved ones and neighbors dying from fentanyl and other dangerous drugs. They see crime increasing. And it's not just my community in Arizona," he added. "This is happening in many other areas and states."
He said, "We're angry. We're frustrated. And we can't believe the federal government won't do anything about it."
The current administration, he said, seems to be saying to people, "Our laws don't matter. You can pick and choose."
He said, "They are also overwhelming local law enforcement — through crime, through drugs. There is so much involved here, and they're failing to do anything about it."
"I wanted to have something for my grandchildren. That's one of the reasons I wanted to do this book."
Sheriff Lamb added that in his own way, through his new book, "I'm trying to teach kids to be critical thinkers. I'm not telling them what to think, I'm telling them how to think. I'm saying: Ask the right questions. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Have the courage and the wherewithal to say, ‘You know what? I’m going to ask this question and figure this out for myself.'"
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Yes, he said, "corruption does exist, unfortunately — but there are good people out there fighting against it and trying to protect our communities."
He also said, "And I think it's good to encourage children — in a world where everybody's trying to tell everybody else how to think and act — to think for themselves."
He added, "A love for freedom, a love for this country" — all of this is important to him.
Lamb, by the way, is a person of deep faith and doesn't shy away from that.
"I'm very Christian," he said. "I share scripture when I speak at various places. The Bible is the most read book in the world. And it has been for many generations."
As society "gets away from the Bible, we are deteriorating in many ways," he said. "The Bible is designed to help people be better in their lives. I don't run from the fact that I'm a Christian."
His faith, added Lamb, has helped him get through an extremely difficult time in his personal life. He and his wife recently lost a son and a grandchild in a tragic car accident. Their son's fiancé also passed away as a result of the accident.
"I wanted to have something for my grandchildren," he said. "That's one of the reasons I wanted to do this book."
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And "so now it's even more sentimental to me because I did it for them — and it reminds me of my granddaughter that I just lost," said Lamb.
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However, he added, "we've been on an emotional rollercoaster."
Lamb shared that one of his other sons has just gotten engaged to a woman who has a baby — and that the family is welcoming them into the fold with loving and open arms.