# Trailblazer Books

Trailblazer Books are a series of middle-grade historical fiction children's novels about Christian figures authored by Dave and Neta Jackson. Published between 1991 and 2003, the 40 books in the series each feature a young person—sometimes an actual historical figure and sometimes a fictional character—who interacts with a notable Protestant religious leader, missionary, or social reformer. By 2000, the series had sold more than 1.7 million copies.

## Books

According to the authors, Trailblazer Books were intended to be fun, build Christian character, teach world and church history and geography, inspire service and modern missions, "show God using both men and women," and "break down racial prejudice." In addition to English, books in the series have been translated into German, Norwegian, Korean, Spanish and Swedish. The books were written at a junior high level in an action-adventure style with a particular focus on engaging boys in reading.
According to Festival Quarterly, "[e]ach book finds the youthful main character encountering a hero of the faith—men and women such as David Livingstone, Amy Carmichael, Harriet Tubman, and Menno Simons. During their research on the historical characters, the Jacksons looked for evidence of a real person—young boy or girl—who could become the main character of their book. For example, the main character of the David Livingstone book—Escape from the Slave Traders—is one of the actual slaves rescued by Livingstone. Whenever they could not find an actual person, they created a fictional young person, typical of someone who might have lived in the time period. For example, the main character of the John Wesley book—The Chimney Sweep’s Ransom—is a young member of a coal-mining family in northern England."
| Title | Historical figure | Year published | ISBN |
| Kidnapped by River Rats | William Booth and Catherine Booth | 1991 | ISBN 9781939445032 |
| The Queen's Smuggler | William Tyndale | 1991 | ISBN 9781556612213 |
| Spy for the Night Riders | Martin Luther | 1992 | ISBN 9781556612374 |
| The Hidden Jewel | Amy Carmichael | 1992 | ISBN 9781556612459 |
| Escape from the Slave Traders | David Livingstone | 1992 | ISBN 9781939445070 |
| The Chimney Sweep's Ransom | John Wesley | 1992 | ISBN 9781556612688 |
| The Bandit of Ashley Downs | George Müller | 1992 | ISBN 9781939445094 |
| Imprisoned in the Golden City | Adoniram Judson and Ann Hasseltine Judson | 1993 | ISBN 9781556612695 |
| Shanghaied to China | Hudson Taylor | 1993 | ISBN 9781556612718 |
| Listen for the Whippoorwill | Harriet Tubman | 1993 | ISBN 9781556612725 |
| Attack in the Rye Grass | Marcus Whitman and Narcissa Whitman | 1994 | ISBN 9781417607792 |
| Trial by Poison | Mary Slessor | 1994 | ISBN 9781556612749 |
| Flight of the Fugitives | Gladys Aylward | 1992 | ISBN 9781556614668 |
| The Betrayer's Fortune | Menno Simons | 1994 | ISBN 9781939445162 |
| Abandoned on the Wild Frontier | Peter Cartwright | 1995 | ISBN 9781556614682 |
| Danger on the Flying Trapeze | Dwight L. Moody | 1992 | ISBN 9781939445186 |
| The Runaway's Revenge | John Newton | 1995 | ISBN 9781556614712 |
| The Thieves of Tyburn Square | Elizabeth Fry | 1995 | ISBN 9781939445209 |
| Quest for the Lost Prince | Samuel Morris | 1996 | ISBN 9781556614729 |
| The Warrior's Challenge | David Zeisberger | 1996 | ISBN 9781939445223 |
| The Drummer Boy's Battle | Florence Nightingale | 1997 | ISBN 9781417607815 |
| Traitor in the Tower | John Bunyan | 1997 | ISBN 9781939445247 |
| Defeat of the Ghost Riders | Mary McLeod Bethune | 1997 | ISBN 9781556617423 |
| The Fate of the Yellow Woodbee | Nate Saint | 1997 | ISBN 9781417607839 |
| The Gold Miners' Rescue | Sheldon Jackson | 1998 | ISBN 9781939445278 |
| The Mayflower Secret | William Bradford | 1998 | ISBN 9781939445285 |
| Assassins in the Cathedral | Festo Kivengere | 1999 | ISBN 9780764220128 |
| Mask of the Wolf Boy | Jonathan Goforth and Rosalind Goforth | 1999 | ISBN 9780764220111 |
| Race for the Record | Joy Ridderhof | 1999 | ISBN 9780764220135 |
| Ambushed in Jaguar Swamp | W. Barbrooke Grubb | 1999 | ISBN 9780764220142 |
| The Forty-Acre Swindle | George Washington Carver | 2000 | ISBN 9780764222641 |
| Hostage on the Nighthawk | William Penn | 2000 | ISBN 9780613939911 |
| Journey to the End of the Earth | William J. Seymour | 2000 | ISBN 9781939445353 |
| Drawn By a China Moon | Lottie Moon | 2000 | ISBN 9781939445360 |
| Sinking the Dayspring | John Gibson Paton | 2001 | ISBN 9780613829199 |
| Roundup of the Street Rovers | Charles Loring Brace | 2001 | ISBN 9780764222696 |
| Risking the Forbidden Game | Maude Cary | 2002 | ISBN 9780764222344 |
| Blinded by the Shining Path | Rómulo Sauñe | 2002 | ISBN 9780613929356 |
| Exiled to the Red River | Spokane Garry | 2003 | ISBN 9780613940009 |
| Caught in the Rebel Camp | Frederick Douglass | 2003 | ISBN 9780998210704 |

## Reception and awards

The Christian Booksellers Association awarded the series its Best Children's Book of the Year award in 1995. The series was also recognized with the C.S. Lewis Award for best series from Christian School Children and the Best Children's Book from Christian Booksellers New Zealand. Several books in the series have won individual awards. Listen to the Whippoorwill and Attack in the Rye Grass won the Silver Angel Award from Excellence in Media in 1994 and 1995, respectively. The Trailblazer books on Festo Kivengere and Rómulo Sauñe were recommended as reading on persecution of Christians by Christian History magazine.

## Adaptation

In 2007, the newly formed Hunt Entertainment Group, which intended to produce family-friendly entertainment optioned up to three books in the series for film production.