The 10,000 Adventures of Minnesota Dan Book Series
This series consists of thirteen books, each being an adventure story that help children who are experiencing treatment protocols for cancer. The stories give children a sense of hope, inspiration and encouragement as they move toward a cure of their disease.
A young boy and his dog, take a canoe ride on a lake. A large bird swoops down toward the canoe, and the boy swats at him causing the canoe to tip. Frightened, the boy asks God for help to save them both.
Spanish version of Rusty, the Golden Retriever, Saves the Day
Book Two: Dan the Sailorman
With his Dad, a young boy goes for a sailboat ride when an unexpected storm sweeps across the lake. During the storm, the boom "bops" his dad on the head, knocking him dizzy. "This is really scary, the boy thinks to himself." Frightened, the boy asks his Guardian Angel for help.
Two young boys, best friends, decide to take a long biking/camping trip through the rolling hills of Southern Minnesota. It would take them through glorious farmland and into one of the established areas in the state of Minnesota where Amish communities flourish.
During a snow storm a young boy and his three brothers go cross-country skiing. In the forest, several of the boys don't negotiate a turn and end up in a snow bank. In a key moment, as the boy waits for his brothers, he sees a herd of deer in the distance staring at him. The scene is magical. Snow is lightly falling and the boy is reminded of the knowledge that God truly is in all things.
This book offers a prayer guideline that is simple and straightforward. It suggests that when we pray, we are either saying thank-you for what we have in our lives or that we are asking for assistance with something that troubles us. Prayer is a way to communicate with God. It’s how people speak to the Creator.
Spanish version of How I Speak to God: Teaching Children How to Pray
Book Six: How Beth Wins the Gold
Two competitive racers' bond of friendship is put to a severe test as they're faced with making a decision that could tarnish the bond they've built.
When Malik's dad first told him about a trip to Florida, he jokingly said to him that they would have a special adventure and take a "magic carpet ride" to see his grandparents in sunny Florida. Malik thought that sounded both exciting yet scary because he didn't know what his dad meant by a "magic carpet ride".
Dan, his brothers and a friend go camping and hiking for weekend adventure in a wonderful park in Wisconsin. They climb to the summit of one of the surrounding hills and enjoy a fantastic vista of the Hiawatha valley along the Mississippi River. During a break for lunch they encounter a rattlesnake and panic causes great fear and confusion. Dan keeps everyone calm and begins a quick and powerful prayer for help. Dan’s Dad springs into action and swiftly removes the snake from their midst.
With a Companion Workbook & Study Guide
Our family passes on this true story with the hope that it may help you. When Dan was thirteen years old, he was diagnosed with a type of cancer. During his treatment, he read a book that suggested how a person could make changes in their life by practicing sitting quietly and thinking about what you wanted to change. Dan liked the time he sat quietly to think, and he called it his thinking time. With practice, he was able to change the times when he felt sick from the medicine he was taking. His thinking time also became his praying time. His thoughts were powerful and they helped him feel better. The workbook at the end of the story is a guide designed for a child's personal thinking time.
This is a true story about events in the life of a very special person. For the sake of her privacy, her name is Angela and she is an eleven-year-old girl living in Southern California. When Angela was very young, she and her parents discovered that it was difficult for her to read books. For her, the words appeared turned around. It was confusing and frustrating for her when she tried to figure out what the words meant.
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On a vacation to Florida, Angela and her family visited her mother’s cousin. At the end of the visit, her cousin gave Angela six books of a series—adventure stories written for children. At first, Angela wasn’t sure about trying to read the books. She knew the words wouldn’t seem right. She opened the books anyway and soon discovered that the illustrations, or pictures, in the books were so exciting that they brought the stories to life, even though the words were difficult for her to read. Angela decided that if she worked hard to learn how to read better, she could truly enjoy the stories.
In this story Dan travels to Australia with his family. He never thought he’d go to Oceania and witness firsthand the culture and environment of Australia and New Zealand. He meets the Blythe family, who graciously host Dan’s family during their stay. Dan also makes friends with two teenagers from an Aboriginal family, which gives Dan the opportunity to explore the Aboriginal culture and the mystique of Aboriginal spirituality. It is a wonderful story filled with the rich, fascinating history of Australia and New Zealand.
In his previous eleven books, Dan wrote about adventures that were challenging and at times scary. Dan is now a freshman in high school, and has new experiences to share. You may remember his friend Beth, from Book 6, How Beth Wins the Gold, when she ran a great race with Dan in middle school. In this new adventure, Dan and Beth join a program with eight other students from various high schools in Minnesota. They travel to Italy to study art, architecture, history, and culture and religion. The group tours ancient sites during three weeks in Rome. In the final two weeks of their study-abroad programs, they live at a Franciscan monastery in Assisi, studying the lives of Francesco di Pietro di Bernardone, who became Saint Francis and Chiara Offreduccio, who became Saint Clare. The lesson the students learn from these two saints is that their gift of self-sacrifice in helping those who are sick and less fortunate had the power to change the world.
Join a true Minnesota kid who loves adventure and the outdoor life. In The Bahamas, Here I Come, Book 13 in the series, Dan travels far from home. Sailing with his dad and his sailing buddies, Dan meets fascinating people, endures harsh weather conditions, and rough seas. This story is Dan’s account onboard a newly commissioned Tartan 43-foot sloop-rigged sailboat named Czech Mate. Although he was a novice sailor, the experience gave him a lifetime of memories and allowed him to learn incredible lessons. As you will see, some of those lessons can only be experienced by a sailor. So get ready, come along and enjoy the ride—or rather, the sail. Our sails are set, the weather is with us, and it’s time to head for the open seas. Like sailors often say, “Ahoy, mate, tropical islands, here we come!”
Why these stories are important
Comfort, inspiration & joy
During my son's chemo-therapy treatment, reading adventure stories was a source of great comfort, inspiration & joy to him. As he became involved in exciting situations with the heroes in the stories, the pain he experienced from his treatments became somewhat bearable.
Hopeful adventure
Young people typically like to read adventure stories about other children. The stories in this series are educational, have a spiritual meaning & are exciting. Each of the stories offers a sign of hope.
Tools during
treatment protocols
These books offer hope & inspiration to children receiving quality medical care during the time they receive their treatment protocols.
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In each story there is a time when the boy, the protagonist in the story, calls upon God for assistance to help him through a difficult situation. He receives the help he asks for, and at the end of the story, he offers a prayer of thanks to God for the help he received.
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Working in concert with excellent medical care, the aspect of hope has proven to be an immensely positive aspect in the process of healing.
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Subliminally, asking for & receiving help from God is important for the children to have, especially, at a critical time in their life when they are receiving treatment for a disease that is both scary & confusing to them.
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Discussion questions at the end of each story promote opportunities for dialog & engagement focused on lessones that the boy learned for the future.
Assistance to siblings
The stories also offer assistance to the siblings of the child being treated by providing hope themed entertainment as they wait for their brother or sister to complete their treatment protocols.
Sponsorship
Individuals and/or corporate sponsors will have their names & corporate logo placed on the outside back cover of the book they choose to support
Awareness
From a marketing perspective, the corporate exposure of the sponsors of this project are significant.
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Families will become familiar with the sponsoring corporation or individual.
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Volunteers would be exposed to the sponsor.
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Increased awareness among parents, grandparents & family friends will occur.