https://joelschnoor.com/category/johnny-stevens-pioneer-adventures
My great-great-grandfather, John Stevens, grew up in Polk County, Iowa and built his family there. When the Homesteading movement of people westward began, John and wife Catherine considered the prospect of owning their own land. They decided to take the plunge and move west. The parents and their five children–George, Elias, Ott, John, and Kate (between ages eight and eighteen, Kate being the youngest)–moved by covered wagon in a trip that took twenty-three (23) days. The trip was filled with danger and adventure … and at times it looks like the family’s survival was at risk. (Spoiler … They do survive.) The books can be read in any order, but chronologically it makes sense to read them in this order:
- A Spoonful of Dirt: This is the last year in Iowa (1877) before moving to Nebraska. John (Johnny), age ten, teamed with his siblings and learned about forgiveness and loving your enemy. God is in charge, and we need to know that we can depend on him.
- Tracks in the Snow: This book tells the story of the Stevens family as they move from Polk County , Iowa to Arapahoe, Nebraska. They are confronted with snow, ice, near-drownings, wolves, robbers, and an incredibly obnoxious boy named Eustace.
- Saving Arapahoe: Pa and Johnny are faced with a possible invasion of Northern Cheyenne and Lakota Sioux warriors. The history behind this is true. Read what John Stevens and the rest of the town do in an attempt to defend Arapahoe. Deep (and surprising) bonds of friendship are formed. The tension in the air drives us toward a breathtaking denouement. This is a page-turner.
