Erie Trail West

Eleven-year old Jennifer decides to humor her father by listening to entries in an old journal stored in the family trunk. Much to her surprise she becomes intrigued by the journal's writer, her ancestor, Jenny Case, a spunky New York farm girl who travels to the Michigan Territory in 1836. The Case family's journey begins along the Erie Canal on a boat owned by Jenny's young aunt and her difficult husband. Along the way Jenny befriends an orphan whom Mr. Case soon adopts. The two youngsters' adventures, combined with their determined protection of the orphan's wolf-dog, create drama and suspense both on the canal boat and the steamboat that the family takes across Lake Erie. Once in Detroit the Cases buy a wagon for the remainder of the trip to their new home. But the excitement does not end as the family is forced to cope with wolves, crude inns, and a cabin that does not quite match its sales description. "Erie Trail West" involves the adventure, humor, accurate research, and cast of delightful characters for which Janie Panagopoulos' books are known. Added to this is the richness of the family's love and integrity that is reflected in every episode of this delightful story.

Eleven-year old Jennifer decides to humor her father by listening to entries in an old journal stored in the family trunk. Much to her surprise she becomes intrigued by the journal's writer, her ancestor, Jenny Case, a spunky New York farm girl who travels to the Michigan Territory in 1836. The Case family's journey begins along the Erie Canal on a boat owned by Jenny's young aunt and her difficult husband. Along the way Jenny befriends an orphan whom Mr. Case soon adopts. The two youngsters' adventures, combined with their determined protection of the orphan's wolf-dog, create drama and suspense both on the canal boat and the steamboat that the family takes across Lake Erie. Once in Detroit the Cases buy a wagon for the remainder of the trip to their new home. But the excitement does not end as the family is forced to cope with wolves, crude inns, and a cabin that does not quite match its sales description. "Erie Trail West" involves the adventure, humor, accurate research, and cast of delightful characters for which Janie Panagopoulos' books are known. Added to this is the richness of the family's love and integrity that is reflected in every episode of this delightful story.

Award winning, Great Lakes author Janie Lynn Panagopoulos is a historian who shares her love of the subject with readers both young and the young-at-heart. Writing professionally for over 34 years, Janie’s passion lies in detailed historical research where she spends 3-8 years uncovering academic facts in libraries, museums, and archives worldwide, to help bring history alive for her readers. However, she doesn't stop with just the academic viewpoint; she actually dresses in period costumes of the era she is studying as she strives to experience what it might be like to live the life of those she is learning about. Whether it is drudging through the snow on snowshoes or following behind a dog sled, to studying with traditional Native Americans or participating in archaeological digs, she did it all. Her research model is to not just read about the past, but experience it both physically and emotionally, to help bring history alive in her writing. Here is but a sampling of Janie's Journeys: trekking along a military supply road in a wagon train, cooking over wood stoves or an open fire to experiment with historic recipes, cutting down trees, milking cows and learning the jobs of the lumberjacks, hiking ancient trails, canoeing thousands of miles along fur trade routes, and living on uninhabited islands with no modern comforts of home. Panagopoulos' books are enjoyed by both young and old alike!