Trailblazer Books in Order

Where to Begin Your Trailblazer Adventure

The Trailblazer Books series, written by the husband-and-wife team of Dave and Neta Jackson, consists of 40 historical fiction novels aimed at readers aged 8 to 12. Because each book is written as a self-contained story focusing on a different historical Christian hero, there is no single mandatory starting point. You can read them in any order you choose.

For most readers, the best place to start is with the first published book, Kidnapped by River Rats, which introduces Salvation Army founders William and Catherine Booth. This book establishes the signature formula of the series: a fast-paced adventure told from the perspective of a fictional young protagonist who interacts with a real-life historical figure. Other popular entry points include The Queen's Smuggler (spotlighting Bible translator William Tyndale) and Listen for the Whippoorwill (featuring Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman).

Publication Order vs. Chronological Order

While the books were released over a twelve-year period between 1991 and 2003, their historical settings span nearly five centuries. Depending on your preference or educational needs, you can approach the series in one of two main ways:

• Publication Order: Reading the books in the order they were originally written and released by the authors. This tracks the development of the Jacksons' writing style and the sequence in which the series was originally enjoyed by millions of readers.
• Chronological (Historical) Order: Rearranging the books based on the historical era in which the real-life heroes lived. This order is highly popular among homeschoolers and teachers who want to align their reading with a history or social studies curriculum.

The Complete Trailblazer Books in Publication Order

1. Kidnapped by River Rats (1991) — featuring William and Catherine Booth
2. The Queen's Smuggler (1991) — featuring William Tyndale
3. Spy for the Night Riders (1992) — featuring Martin Luther
4. The Hidden Jewel (1992) — featuring Amy Carmichael
5. Escape from the Slave Traders (1992) — featuring David Livingstone
6. The Chimney Sweep's Ransom (1992) — featuring John Wesley
7. The Bandit of Ashley Downs (1993) — featuring George Müller
8. Imprisoned in the Golden City (1993) — featuring Adoniram and Ann Judson
9. Shanghaied to China (1993) — featuring Hudson Taylor
10. Listen for the Whippoorwill (1993) — featuring Harriet Tubman
11. Attack in the Rye Grass (1994) — featuring Marcus and Narcissa Whitman
12. Trial by Poison (1994) — featuring Mary Slessor
13. Flight of the Fugitives (1994) — featuring Gladys Aylward
14. The Betrayer's Fortune (1994) — featuring Menno Simons
15. Danger on the Flying Trapeze (1995) — featuring Dwight L. Moody
16. Thieves of Tyburn Square (1995) — featuring Elizabeth Fry
17. Abandoned on the Wild Frontier (1995) — featuring Peter Cartwright
18. The Runaway's Revenge (1995) — featuring John Newton
19. Quest for the Lost Prince (1996) — featuring Samuel Morris
20. The Warrior's Challenge (1996) — featuring David Zeisberger
21. The Drummer Boy's Battle (1997) — featuring Florence Nightingale
22. Traitor in the Tower (1997) — featuring John Bunyan
23. Defeat of the Ghost Riders (1997) — featuring Mary McLeod Bethune
24. Fate of the Yellow Woodbee (1997) — featuring Nate Saint
25. The Gold Miners' Rescue (1998) — featuring Sheldon Jackson
26. The Mayflower Secret (1998) — featuring William Bradford
27. Mask of the Wolf Boy (1999) — featuring Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth
28. Assassins in the Cathedral (1999) — featuring Festo Kivengere
29. Race for the Record (1999) — featuring Joy Ridderhof
30. Ambushed in Jaguar Swamp (1999) — featuring Barbrooke Grubb
31. The Forty-Acre Swindle (2000) — featuring George Washington Carver
32. Hostage on the Nighthawk (2000) — featuring William Penn
33. Journey to the End of the Earth (2000) — featuring William Seymour
34. Drawn by a China Moon (2000) — featuring Lottie Moon
35. Sinking the Dayspring (2001) — featuring John G. Paton
36. Roundup of the Street Rovers (2001) — featuring Charles Loring Brace
37. Blinded by the Shining Path (2002) — featuring Rómulo Sauñe
38. Risking the Forbidden Game (2002) — featuring Maude Cary
39. Exiled to the Red River (2003) — featuring Chief Spokane Garry
40. Caught in the Rebel Camp (2003) — featuring Frederick Douglass

The Chronological Timeline Order

For readers who wish to follow church history or global exploration timelines, the books can be grouped into the following historical eras:

The 16th and 17th Centuries

• Spy for the Night Riders (Martin Luther — 1520s)
• The Queen's Smuggler (William Tyndale — 1535)
• The Betrayer's Fortune (Menno Simons — 1543)
• The Mayflower Secret (William Bradford — 1620s)
• Traitor in the Tower (John Bunyan — 1660)
• Hostage on the Nighthawk (William Penn — 1699)

The 18th Century

• The Chimney Sweep's Ransom (John Wesley — 1742)
• The Warrior's Challenge (David Zeisberger — 1772)
• The Runaway's Revenge (John Newton — 1775)

The 19th Century

• Imprisoned in the Golden City (Adoniram and Ann Judson — 1810s)
• The Thieves of Tyburn Square (Elizabeth Fry — 1817)
• Abandoned on the Wild Frontier (Peter Cartwright — 1812–1825)
• Exiled to the Red River (Chief Spokane Garry — 1820s)
• Attack in the Rye Grass (Marcus and Narcissa Whitman — 1830s)
• Caught in the Rebel Camp (Frederick Douglass — 1840s)
• Listen for the Whippoorwill (Harriet Tubman — 1850s)
• Roundup of the Street Rovers (Charles Loring Brace — 1854)
• Escape from the Slave Traders (David Livingstone — 1850s)
• The Drummer Boy's Battle (Florence Nightingale — 1850s)
• Shanghaied to China (Hudson Taylor — 1860s)
• The Bandit of Ashley Downs (George Müller — 1870s)
• Danger on the Flying Trapeze (Dwight L. Moody — 1870s)
• Trial by Poison (Mary Slessor — 1880s)
• Kidnapped by River Rats (William and Catherine Booth — 1880s)
• Quest for the Lost Prince (Samuel Morris — 1890s)
• The Gold Miners' Rescue (Sheldon Jackson — 1890s)
• Sinking the Dayspring (John G. Paton — 1890s)
• Ambushed in Jaguar Swamp (Barbrooke Grubb — 1890s)

The 20th Century

• The Hidden Jewel (Amy Carmichael — 1901)
• Mask of the Wolf Boy (Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth — 1900s)
• Drawn by a China Moon (Lottie Moon — 1900s)
• The Forty-Acre Swindle (George Washington Carver — 1900s)
• Journey to the End of the Earth (William Seymour — 1906)
• Defeat of the Ghost Riders (Mary McLeod Bethune — 1910s)
• Flight of the Fugitives (Gladys Aylward — 1930s)
• Race for the Record (Joy Ridderhof — 1930s)
• Fate of the Yellow Woodbee (Nate Saint — 1950s)
• Risking the Forbidden Game (Maude Cary — 1950s)
• Assassins in the Cathedral (Festo Kivengere — 1970s)
• Blinded by the Shining Path (Rómulo Sauñe — 1980s)

What to Know Before You Start

Every Trailblazer Book features a fictional young boy or girl as the point-of-view character. This narrative device helps readers relate to the story and imagine themselves experiencing historical events. Each book ends with a brief, factual epilogue that separates the historical facts from the fictional storylines, serving as an excellent educational summary.

In addition to the main 40-novel series, Dave and Neta Jackson created several companion resources. The Hero Tales series features four volumes of short, devotional biographies of the same heroes. For educators, the authors published Curriculum Guides in PDF format, offering two-week units covering subjects like geography, vocabulary, and social studies based on individual books.