Books with author Jean Young Kilby

The place is Mississippi, the year, 1963.... Growing up in the racially segregated South doesn't much bother 12-year-old Jan Calvin. She's rather clueless, always burying her nose in mystery books. When she stumbles upon a secret buried in the woods, though, she enters on a quest that whisks her out of her own world and into Thelma's world.Thelma is a girl with a dream. She follows Martin Luther King, Jr. on the radio and watches her father work to end school segregation and other Jim Crow laws. Someday she wants to be a Freedom Rider like her dad so she can make Mississippi a better place.Jan and Thelma quickly become entangled in a real-life mystery more complicated--and dangerous--than they expected. The girls are thwarted at every turn in their pursuit of truth. But once they learn friends can come in all colors--once they learn dreams can be shared--amazing discoveries follow.This enchanting coming-of-age tale brings an era of explosive social change up close and personal through the eyes of Jan and Thelma, girls of different races. Aimed at middle-school readers, Freedom Riders follows Jan and Thelma as they begin to experience the world with deepened empathy and understanding, culminating in a friendship they never expected to blossom. This is the first book in the popular Jan Calvin Mystery series.

Freedom Riders is a middle school mystery that brings an era of explosive social change up close and personal through the eyes of two girls.Growing up in the racially segregated South doesn’t much bother 12-year-old Jan Calvin. She’s pretty clueless, always burying her nose in a mystery book. When she stumbles upon something buried in the woods, though, she enters on a quest that whisks her out of her own world and into Thelma's world.Thelma is a girl with a dream. She follows Martin Luther King, Jr. on the radio and watches her father work to end school segregation and other Jim Crow laws. Someday she wants to be a Freedom Rider like her dad so she can make Mississippi a better place.Jan and Thelma quickly become entangled in a real-life mystery more complicated—and dangerous—than they expected. They are thwarted at every turn in their pursuit of truth. But once they learn friends can come in all colors—once they learn dreams can be shared—amazing discoveries follow.Freedom Riders follows Jan and Thelma as they begin to experience the world with deepened empathy and understanding, culminating in a friendship they never expected to blossom.

Ecology and pollution are simply not in 12-year-old Jan Calvin's vocabulary. But when her family moves to Pinemarsh, Louisiana in the summer of 1963, she uncovers a mystery that can only be solved with science: Something strange is killing the swamp, something that is wilting the cattails and killing the fish and turtles. Jan and her new friends snoop around, unearthing clues to a most surprising--and disturbing--secret. But can they save the swamp?

Julia and Benjamin are back for another adventure through the portal. This time, they travel with George Washington to an alternate universe where the British won the war. The trio must race against time to save the people from an oppressive force in the alternate world. What is the dangerous menace that is lurking beneath? How will they outwit the threat this time? Portals to Wonderland is a fantastic pair of adventure stories for kids that recall the Chronicles of Narnia and Magic Tree House books but strike their own path with relatable young narrators and an attention to science and responsibility that would make any elementary school teacher proud. Young children will enjoy the characters and worlds author Jean Young has created in this accessible and enjoyable book. - Pete Mazzaccaro, Editor of Chestnut Hill Local Newspaper

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel through time and space? Two lucky children discovered a magical portal in their house. With the help from the Guardian of the Portal, Benjamin and Julia went through the portals to help people in need. The children used their imagination and wit to find answers to the problems they were faced with. How far would they go to help the blue people who live in the underground world? Would they be able to find the missing one hundred people from the first human colony on Mars?

Julia and Benjamin are back on another adventure through the Portal. This time, they travel to the TRAPPIST-1 star system (located 235 trillion miles from Earth) to save the astronauts from crashing into the forcefield around the star’s planets. Who put up the force field around the planets in the first place? Julia and Benjamin must travel four hundred million years back into the past to solve the mystery and help two races of aliens from destroying each other. Will they succeed? What will they imagine from the magic pouch to help them on their quest? “My daughter Lily was delighted to read Jean Young’s first book in the Portals to Wonderland series. Her enthusiasm was ignited by Jean Young’s imaginative story. She and other children will be delighted with this next installment in the series, and parents and children alike will appreciate Jean Young’s impressive book.”—David Palmer, husband and father of two “Portals to Wonderland is a fantastic pair of adventure stories for kids that recall the Chronicles of Narnia and Magic Tree House books but strike their own path with relatable young narrators and an attention to science and responsibility that would make any elementary school teacher proud. Young children will enjoy the characters and worlds author Jean Young has created in this accessible and enjoyable book.” —Pete Mazzaccaro, Editor of Chestnut Hill Local Newspaper

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel through time and space? Two lucky children discovered a magical portal in their house. With the help from the Guardian of the Portal, Benjamin and Julia went through the portals to help people in need. The children used their imagination and wit to find answers to the problems they were faced with. How far would they go to help the blue people who live in the underground world? Would they be able to find the missing one hundred people from the first human colony on Mars?

Julia and Benjamin are back for another adventure through the portal. This time, they travel with George Washington to an alternate universe where the British won the war. The trio must race against time to save the people from an oppressive force in the alternate world. What is the dangerous menace that is lurking beneath? How will they outwit the threat this time?Portals to Wonderland is a fantastic pair of adventure stories for kids that recall the Chronicles of Narnia and Magic Tree House books but strike their own path with relatable young narrators and an attention to science and responsibility that would make any elementary school teacher proud. Young children will enjoy the characters and worlds author Jean Young has created in this accessible and enjoyable book. - Pete Mazzaccaro, Editor of Chestnut Hill Local Newspaper

Squiggy is not your ordinary dolphin. He lost his dorsal fin shortly after he was born, and he almost died. Despite the hardship, he learned to swim and survive in the ocean with the help of his mother and his friends. Unfortunately, the humans capture Squiggy, and he is hurled into the human world.Tatianna is a girl who lost her arm in a terrible accident. She had little joy in her life until she met Squiggy. Tati and Squiggy develop a connection and inspire each other. More misfortune falls upon the fearless dolphin. Will Squiggy ever go back to the ocean? Will Squiggy ever find his mother again?“Squiggy's Challenge is a beautifully written story about an injured dolphin and his longing to be reunited with his mother and best friend. This book is a riveting read filled with valuable messages and heartwarming connections between Squiggy the dolphin and the humans who spend time with him. It's guaranteed to engage readers of all ages.” — Joanne Vasquez, Registered Principal - LPL Financial and Mom

Squiggy is not your ordinary dolphin. He lost his dorsal fin shortly after he was born, and he almost died. Despite the hardship, he learned to swim and survive in the ocean with the help of his mother and his friends. Unfortunately, the humans capture Squiggy, and he is hurled into the human world. Tatianna is a girl who lost her arm in a terrible accident. She had little joy in her life until she met Squiggy. Tati and Squiggy develop a connection and inspire each other. More misfortune falls upon the fearless dolphin. Will Squiggy ever go back to the ocean? Will Squiggy ever find his mother again? “Squiggy's Challenge is a beautifully written story about an injured dolphin and his longing to be reunited with his mother and best friend. This book is a riveting read filled with valuable messages and heartwarming connections between Squiggy the dolphin and the humans who spend time with him. It's guaranteed to engage readers of all ages.” — Joanne Vasquez, Registered Principal - LPL Financial and Mom

Julia and Benjamin are back on another adventure through the Portal. This time, they travel to the TRAPPIST-1 star system (located 235 trillion miles from Earth) to save the astronauts from crashing into the forcefield around the star’s planets. Who put up the force field around the planets in the first place? Julia and Benjamin must travel four hundred million years back into the past to solve the mystery and help two races of aliens from destroying each other. Will they succeed? What will they imagine from the magic pouch to help them on their quest?“My daughter Lily was delighted to read Jean Young’s first book in the Portals to Wonderland series. Her enthusiasm was ignited by Jean Young’s imaginative story. She and other children will be delighted with this next installment in the series, and parents and children alike will appreciate Jean Young’s impressive book.”—David Palmer, husband and father of two“Portals to Wonderland is a fantastic pair of adventure stories for kids that recall the Chronicles of Narnia and Magic Tree House books but strike their own path with relatable young narrators and an attention to science and responsibility that would make any elementary school teacher proud. Young children will enjoy the characters and worlds author Jean Young has created in this accessible and enjoyable book.” —Pete Mazzaccaro, Editor of Chestnut Hill Local Newspaper