The Swindler's Treasure

Intertwining fictional characters with real-life people and critical moments in American history, Lois Walfrid Johnson creates novels certain to catch the attention of readers, and then leaves them wanting to read and learn more. Johnson does an incredible job of bringing us into the lives of the American people in 1857. These adventure-filled, educational books should be read by youth everywhere.

    
—BILL INGEBRIGTSEN
, Minnesota State Senator, former Douglas County Sheriff

Lois Walfrid Johnson writes stories kids love. When they were young, my daughters read her Freedom Seekers books, and really enjoyed them. These are stories that not only entertain, but call children to conviction, courage, and Christ-centered living. I highly recommend Lois and these excellent books.

    
—RANDY ALCORN
,
New York Times
bestselling author of forty books including
Heaven

I've used
Escape into the Night
in my classroom for many years and am thrilled to see the new Freedom Seekers edition coming out with study guides. My students have always enjoyed the well-developed characters and engaging storylines. As a teacher I have appreciated the historical accuracy and timeless spiritual truths.

    —
JOCELYN ANDERSON
, teacher, Our Redeemer's Christian School, Minot, ND

It's difficult to find a series of books written for a variety of age groups with both boys and girls and yet remain historically accurate. Mrs. Johnson has succeeded in doing so in the Freedom Seekers series. Set in a geographic area that runs north and south, she describes weather conditions and topographical features that impacted the daring adventures of the main characters, their clothing, and even their food.

While developing the character of Peter, Mrs. Johnson visited with students at the Illinois School for the Deaf, including students in my classroom. We compared and contrasted the life of Peter to their lives. After all, Peter could have stood in our classroom! Often a child becomes a lifelong reader, simply because they relate to a character in a book. My students related to Peter, not only because he was deaf, but because he had so much more in common with them.

    —
KATHLEEN COOK
, teacher, Illinois School for the Deaf, Jacksonville, IL

I want to thank you on behalf of my class and their families for your wonderful books. I teach a reading class at a homeschool co-op in Washington State. I can't count how many times the parents of my students have thanked me for the class and told me that their child never enjoyed reading like they do now. They have to hold their children back from reading ahead of the others! So many families who are not in my class have begun to read your books. We may have started an epidemic, and one that I am happy to be a part of!

I hope you have more books on the horizon. Your fans here in Gig Harbor, Washington, will be on the lookout for them!

    
—MARYANN KING
, homeschool co-op teacher, Washington State

Your books have encouraged me in trusting in God more and more. Your characters, especially Libby Norstad, Caleb Whitney, and Jordan Parker, sound just so realistic! I sometimes wish that they were real!!!!!! I like how you introduced a new character [Peter] in the fourth book. It kept the story even more exciting than it is!

    —
S.,
young reader, Texas

After I read one of your books I often end up asking myself,
Would I have helped slaves or not?
I have come up with an answer. I would help them because all people are equal and have the right to be free in the sight of God.

    
—C. B.
, young reader, Kentucky

We love how you incorporate biblical principles into your stories. When Caleb trusts God and Libby struggles in the same areas we do, it shows us that through God we can overcome every obstacle, because He is our light and our salvation.

    —
C. FAMILY
, Ohio

The Freedom Seekers

1.
Escape into the Night

2.
Race for Freedom

3.
Midnight Rescue

4.
The Swindler's Treasure

5.
Mysterious Signal

6.
The Fiddler's Secret

Adventures of the Northwoods

1.
The Disappearing Stranger

2.
The Hidden Message

3.
The Creeping Shadows

4.
The Vanishing Footprints

5.
Trouble at Wild River

6.
The Mysterious Hideaway

7.
Grandpa's Stolen Treasure

8.
The Runaway Clown

9.
Mystery of the Missing Map

10.
Disaster on Windy Hill

Series also available in German and Swedish

Viking Quest

1.
Raiders from the Sea

2.
Mystery of the Silver Coins

3.
The Invisible Friend

4.
Heart of Courage

5.
The Raider's Promise

Series also available in Norwegian

Faith Girlz: Girl Talk: 52 Weekly Devotions 

Also available in in the UK

For adults:
Either Way, I Win: God's Hope for Difficult Times

Frederick Douglass, John Jones, Samuel Morse, Priscilla Baltimore, Major Charles and Rebecca Hunter, John Livingston, Thomas Dimmock, Benjamin Godfrey, Dr. Thomas Brown, Frances Brown, J. W. Gilson, John Hart, Allan Pinkerton, William Florville, and Abraham Lincoln are historic characters who lived in the 1850s. Elijah Lovejoy died in 1837. All other characters are fictitious and spring with gratitude for life from the author's imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.

In the time in which this book is set,
African Americans were called Negro,
the Spanish word for black,
or colored people.

  
1. The Swindler's Threat

  
2. Disaster!

  
3. Run!

  
4. Strange Reunion

  
5. Peter James Christopherson

  
6. The Big Search

  
7. Happy Birthday!

  
8. Jordan's Daddy

  
9. Secret in the Rock

10. The Deserted House

11. Caleb's Hero

12. Narrow Escape

13. Last Chance?

14. The Heat of the Furnace

15. The Disappearing Package

16. Big Bullies

17. Fire!

18. Mr. Lincoln's Springfield

19. Trick Or …?

20. Nobody Knows

      
Study Guide

      
Sign Language Chart: How to Finger Spell the Alphabet

      
A Few Words for Educators

      
The Swindler's Treasure Folks

      
Acknowledgments

      
Excerpt from
Mysterious Signal