Thanks for your great questions and comments!

Dear Students,

Thanks for all the great blog comments. Now, I will try to answer your questions.

Many asked about how I knew so much about lumbering and how did I come up with so many details? I generally spend 3-5 years of historical research learning about the subjects I am going to write about.

This also means, I did have the opportunity to do research in many historical lumbercamps in many states.

Also, the characters in the story are real people that once lived or are still living.
Gus and Al are actually brothers and their parents are Tom and Kristi Karis and they are teachers and friends of mine. Do those names sound familar?

I am a historian & author both! I love real history.

Do I have real lumberjacks in my family? Did you see the pictures of my family that I posted on your blog? Those are my great-great grandparents, Addie and Thomas McCarty and they met in a lumbercamp!!!

The writing time doesn't really take too long, just a couple of months, it is the research that takes many years.

When I was in 4th grade, I had Mrs. Phipps and I was in a 4/5 grade mix. Mrs. Phipps was very tough and she wore a hair net over her hair. She was very old fashion and, I think, very old. She didn't do a lot of fun things in her class, she mostly yelled at everyone.

When I had any free time, I always read. I love to read and have my own library with over 6,000 reference books about history. It is really cool!

I made this story a time travel book because I wanted to take all of you back in time with me. How many of you would like to time travel? I know I would have to come back home in the evening, so I could take a bath and brush my teeth.

I like the part of the book about Napolean. Napolean was a real bear that I used to know when I was about you age. A neighbor man had brought Napolean home from a lumbercamp that he had worked at. When Napolean got to be bigger, he gave him to a park near our house that had a zoo and I always went there to visit him. He was a very well-behaved bear!

Other books I have written:
Traders in Time, Journey Back
to Lumberjack Camp, Erie Trail
West, North to Iron Country, Train
to Midnight, Little Ship Under Full
Sail, Madame Cadillac's Ghost,
Runes of Isle Royal, Calling the Griffin,
A Place Called Home, Castle at the
Straits, Mark of the Bear Claw,
A Faraway Home: An Orphan Train
Story

And I just finished up a book about the country of Greece and am working on another Dream-Quest time travel book about the great Great Lakes explorer, Champlain.


Thanks for Blogging!


Readers make leaders!

Janie Lynn Panagopoulos

I am back!

Dear Students,

Sorry I was not able to keep up with the blog site, I was out of state doing school visits and speaking at conferences.

I am back now if you have any questions you might like to ask.

I had an opportunity to read your comments and letter, they were very nice.

Now, do you have any questions for me?

Janie Lynn Panagopoulos

Chapters 10 through 13

Please remember to type your comments in WORD so you can save and spellcheck. Also, keep the rubric we created in mind as you write.

1. Pretend you are Gus and you plan to write a letter home to your mother. Be sure to use good word choice (perhaps some lumberjack lingo) and a lot of details of your adventures as a lumberjack. You might also want to include what you miss about home. The letter should be at least 5 sentences long but can definitely have more.


2. After you read chapter 12 decide how you think Gus and Alex were saved after the accident? (who or what saved them)


3. Decide if you think Alex learned a lesson.


4. If you had a dream like Gus did, where and what period of time would you like to experience? Remember to include specific details of what you would do at this place.

Chapters 5 through 9

Howdy 4th graders
~Please remember to copy and paste this in a word document so you are able to save and spellcheck.

1. Why do you think lumberjacks ate such a big breakfast?


2. Why did the lumberjacks haul logs to the river bank?


3. Why do you think chapter 7 is called "A Full Day"?


4. Why did Gus begin to wish that he was back home?


5. List 3 new lumberjack words you have learned during this book and make sure to give a brief definition after the word.

Lumberjack Camp

Hi Students,

Hope you are enjoying "Journey Back to Lumberjack Camp", it was really fun to research. Generally, before I write a book, I spend 3-5 years researching and learning about the period of time I am going to write about. This is all part of my pre-writing activity.

Writers should never write, unless they know what they are writing about!

With this book, I was working in a lumber museum doing research to find interesting "facts" concerning the lumbering industry. I had nearly 8 years of research material, I had collected for the museum, which made it perfect for me to write this book.

When I combined my family stories about lumbering with the research, I had a clear picture of what the lumbering industry might be like.

I have always wished I could time travel. How about you?

If you were going to time travel, where would you travel too?

Remember: Readers make leaders!

Your Pal in Writing!

Janie Lynn Panagopoulos

Charles Thomas McCarty

Chapters 1 - 4

1. Were the time and the place different than you had predicted?

2. If you grew up in a time without electricity to keep you entertained, what do you think you would do to keep yourself busy?

3. Who do you think will be blamed for the fire?

4. How did the characters change now that Gus has gone back in time?

• Mom=
• Mr. Kristie=
• Al=
• Mr. Knowles=

Please make sure you are number your answers and that your answers are well-written in complete sentences.

You may also comment on the post Mrs. Panagopoulos.

Thoughts and Ideas from the author

Hi Students,

I know, there is a note that states that "Mrs. Ryan" posted this message, but she really didn't. This is the author of "Journey Back to Lumberjack Camp", Janie Lynn Panagopoulos. So glad we could connect this year while you are reading "Journey Back to Lumberjack Camp".I hope you enjoy the story!

When you go home tonight, you should ask your parents or even call you grandparents to find out if you ever had any lumberjacks in your family. You might be surprised.That is one of the reason I wrote "Journey Back to Lumberjack Camp," because I grew up on the stories of my great-great-grandparents on my mother's side, both gg-grandma and gg-grandpa, worked in lumbercamps. I bet you can't guess their names!If you said Addie and Tommy, you are correct!Their names are Addie (Corey) McCarty and Charles Thomas McCarty and they both worked in lumbercamps, in Michigan, around 1870s.You should check to see if you have any lumberjacks in your family. (Hint: If you really like sinkers, maybe you have lumberjack blood!)

Remember:
Readers make leaders!

Your Pal in Writing!

Janie Lynn Panagopoulos