Janie Lynn Panagopoulos is a writer who needs no introduction to young readers in the Great Lakes region. With suspense, humor, drama, and a parade of delightful characters, her novels have brought history to life for thousands of youngsters.
An enthusiastic historian, Panagopoulos goes beyond written texts for her research. Some of her adventures include living in wilderness settings, sailing in historic vessels, canoeing Great Lakes waterways in period costumes, and driving dogsleds.
Panagopoulos and her husband Dennis live in Roscoe, IL, and have two sons, Chris and Nick.
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by Janie Lynn Panagopoulos
Makow is not yet a man, but he senses the tension and hears the unspoken rumors of war that float like ghosts through the lodges around Fort Detroit. Then, in the light of a huge council fire, the great Pontiac arrives, speaking words of war against the English.
Caught up in the angry crowd and impressed by the warriors, Makow is upset with his mother because of her unusual friendship with the English and for teaching that peace is better than war. But she insists there are good reasons for her to warn the Engish about Pontiac's plans and instructs Makow's grandfather to take her son for his vision quest at their ancestral home, weeks of travel by canoe. Before he leaves, Makow is stunned by a new revelation from his mother, that he has a twin brother who was separated from them as an infant.
In the jouney that follows, Makow finds more about the past that has not been fully revealed to him. And although he has always loved his grandfather, Makow cannot control his anger when he learns the meaning of his name and its connection to his lost brother. In his rage he interrupts his vision quest and joins a group of young warriors headed to another battle with the English at Fort Michilimackinac.
Packed with adventure, woven with intricate relationships, and set in the Indian rebellions of 1763, Mark of the Bear Claw may come to be considered Panagopoulos' finest work.
ISBN: 0-938682-78-4/Hardcover/218 pages
Order 682-78-4. . . . . . . . .$15.95
Meet the Spywell Family
What's it like to have a father who is an archaeologist and a mother who is a mystery writer? For Allie and Shoo Spywell it means some family vacations throughout the Great Lakes that entagle them in both mystery and history. Kids in grades 3-7 will love the Spywell's "mystorious" adventures by their favorite author, Janie Lynn Panagopoulos.
by Janie Lynn Panagopoulos
Allie and Shoo travel to Isle Royale with their father who plans to do some work in an ancient copper mine. All Allie and Shoo want to do is to have some fun camping and exploring the wilderness island. But fun turns into the scare of a lifetime when they meet a frightening island visitor. Bloodaxe, a Viking called back through time by the beam of the island lighthouse, is searching for his stolen runestones - stones that tell the tale of possible Viking exploration of the Great Lakes over 1,000 years ago. What's more, he insists that Allie and Shoo know where his lost stones can be found.
Paperback/158 pages/glossary
ISBN 0-938682-63-6
Order 682-63-6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.95
by Janie Lynn Panagopoulos
When Allie and Shoo arrive in St. Joseph, Michigan they expect to have a relaxing vacation on the beach. But something seems strange about the cottage. Is it haunted by a fisherman drowned in a storm years ago? And is that a real sailing ship they see in the mist - or is it the legendary ghost ship of the lost Griffin? Join Allie and Shoo in their thrilling adventure as they explore the history and legends of La Salle and the Griffin.
Paperback/184 pages/glossary
ISBN 0-938682-43-1
Order 682-43-1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.95
by Janie Lynn Panagopoulos
Allie and Shoo already know about Cadillac and how he founded Detroit, but Allie learns much more from the ghost of Cadillac's wife! She tells fascinating stories of early Detroit and relates the legend of the red gnome - a devious creature who supposedly drove Cadillac and the settlers from Detroit. The red gnome reappears causing as much trouble in the present as he did in the past. Will Allie and Shoo be able to help Madame Cadillac, or will the red gnome succeed in his troublemaking? Allie and Shoo discover both the history and mystery of Detroit's past in this entertaining new novel.
Paperback/176 pages/glossary
ISBN 0-938682-67-9
Order 682-67-9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.95
by Janie Lynn Panagopoulos
Eleven-year-old Jennifer decides to humor her father by listening to entries in an old family journal. Much to her surprise she becomes involved in the story of Jenny Case, a spunky New York farm girl who travels with her parents to the Michigan Territory in 1836 via the Erie Canal. Along the way Jenny befriends an orphan boy and the youngsters are soon involved in a number of exciting episodes.
The book involves the adventure, humor and cast of delightful characters for which Panagopoulos is known. Added to this is the richness of the family's love and integrity. This is simply an outstanding book for your readers. Ages 8-14.
Paperback/184 pages/glossary
ISBN 0-938682-43-1
Order 682-43-1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.95
Hardcover 682-35-0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15.95
Erie Trail West: A Teacher's Guide
by Jean Shafer, Ph.D.
Teachers will want to use this excellent guide to help students learn more about the Erie Canal while they improve their reading skills. The guide includes reproducible worksheets on pioneer life.
Paperbound/32 pages
ISBN: 0-938682-42-3
Order 682-42-3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.95
by Janie Lynn Panagopoulos
Gus McCarty, troubled by his problems in middle school, suddenly finds himself in a 19th-century lumbering camp. Gus's misadventures lead him from hilarious encounters with Betty, a three-legged cat, intimidating 'jacks named Rat-hole Andy and Moonshine, and an obnoxious peer who happens to be the boss's son. Even with all his problems, Gus learns a great deal about lumbering and even wins the respect of the 'jacks with his ability to read.
Paperback/176 pages/glossary
ISBN: 0-938682-36-9
Order 682-36-9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.95
Linking Fact and Fiction in the Great Lakes Lumbering Past: A Teaching Guide for Journey Back Lumberjack Camp
by Jean Shafer, Ph.D.
This guide helps teacher's teach reading and history at the same time. Reproducible activities on lumbering are included. Suitable for grades 3 to 7.
Paperbound/32pages
ISBN: 0-938682-28-8
Order 682-28-8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.95
by Janie Lynn Panagopoulos
When Robert Pacquette has to interview an old iron miner for an oral history report, he is swept back into the life of Robert Friggens, a boy from Albany, New York, who travels to a new life in the Upper Peninsula. The son of the settlement's first doctor, Robert meets many interesting people including Michael, a rugged miner who takes the boy with his by dogsled to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to collect the mail for the mining settlement at Marquette. An injury to Michael, a thief who knows the boy is transporting money for the mining company, and a mysterious Indian man make this an adventure that will engage even the least motivated student. Ages 8 to 14.
Paperback
Order 682-48-2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.95
North to Iron: A Teacher's Guide
by Patricia Westfield
This guide helps teacher's teach reading and history at the same time.
Reproducible activities are included. Suitable for grades 3 to 7.
Paperbound/32 pages
ISBN: 0-938682-52-0
Order 682-52-0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.95
by Janie Lynn Panagopoulos
Panagopoulos's novel about Nicholas and Chris, two brothers who find themselves trapped in an 18th-century world of fur traders and Indians, has quickly become a favorite with youngsters in the Great Lakes region. Kids love the excitement of a great canoe race on Lake Michigan, while teachers appreciate the historical detail in this engaging story.
Paperback: ISBN: 0-938682-27-X
Order 682-27-X. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.95
Linking Fact and Fiction in the Fur Trade: A Teaching Guide for Traders in Time
by Jean Shafer, Ph.D.
A great teaching tool for Traders in Time, the guide reflects the current best practice in reading while helping teachers make the most of the novel's historical information. Reproducible activities on the fur trade are included. Grades 3 to 6.
Paperbound/32 pages/ISBN: 0-938682-25-3
Order 682-25-3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.95
by Janie Lynn Panagopoulos
Malaika and her brother Sammy have been arguing about the Underground Railroad when they are caught in an afternoon storm. The crash of a falling branch sweeps them back into the lives of Malaika and Samson who are escaping slavery along the Underground Railroad. Separated from their mother, the pair have made their way across the Ohio River to the home of a Quaker couple who introduce them to Daniel, a crude but warm-hearted abolitionist. Reluctantly, Daniel agrees to accompany the youngsters on their journey through Indiana and Ohio to Detroit, Michigan where they hope to rejoin their mother and take a boat to the safety of Canada. But the trip is fraught with danger as two slave-catchers chase the trio all the way to the border. In true Panagopoulos style, Train to Midnight gives readers an informative look into the past while skillfully combining the adventures of the chase and the tension of the family's separation with the comic relief of her colorful characters. Ages 8-14.
Paperback
Order #682-57-1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.95
by Lynne Deur
Connect Train to Midnight to your curriculum using activities in science, history, geography, writing and reading. The guide also has comprehension questions, author and historical information and plot synapsis.
Paperbound/24 pages/ISBN: 0-938682-62-8
Order 682-62-8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4.25
by Janie Lynn Panagopoulos
In an exciting new book Panagopoulos tells the true story of Nellie Lytle (the great-grandmother of Girl Scout found Julliette Gordon Low) who was captured by the Iroquois in 1779. Nellie's courage the face of extreme danger and hardship soon prompts her captors to name her Little Ship Under Full Sail. But there are more hurdles beyond her initial physical survival. Nellie learns to live in a new culture, overcomes the grief of being separated from her own family, and escapes death at the hands of a jealous Iroquois woman. Panagopoulos's ability to recreate the terror and drama of Nellie's experience makes this an exceptionally powerful story. Grades 4 to 8.
Paperback/176 pages/ISBN: 0-938682-82-2
Order #682-82-2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.95
15 minutes
Order #JPV. . . . . . . . $7.95
Gain insight into the author and her novels with this interview style video.
