Hurray! The Tales of Young Americans historical fiction series is celebrating its 20th Anniversary, and Trinka wrote the very first one, The Scarlet Stockings Spy, illustrated by Robert Papp and published by Sleeping Bear Press. Trinka has always loved American history, so when Sleeping Bear Press asked her to write the prototype for this new series back in 2004, she was both honored and delighted. The Scarlet Stockings Spy, an American Revolutionary War Tale, set in 1777 Philadelphia, went on to become a best-seller with over 175,000 hardcopies sold, and just recently went into its 30th printing. Great for your social studies unit on the American Revolution, and for all history buff kids everywhere! A great read to celebrate American’s upcoming 250th birthday in 2026!
The second book in The Tales of Young Americans Series Trinka wrote is The Last Brother, a Civil War Tale, also illustrated by Robert Papp. Set during the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863, The Last Brother also became a best-seller and has won numerous awards, including South Carolina and Louisiana Young Reader’s Choice Award Nominee.
Trinka went on to write three more historical fiction books for The Tales of Young Americans Series: Rettie and The Ragamuffin Parade, a 1918 Influenzas Pandemic story set during a Lower East Side Tenement Thanksgiving, illustrated by David C. Gardner, A Fist for Joe Louis and Me, set in 1938 Detroit during the Great Depression and the beginnings of World War II, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell, and her newest one, Just One Girl, A Fight for Equal Rights, set in 1971 during the women’s movement and the fight for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, illustrated by Amanda Calatzis. You can learn more about all these books by clicking on Trinka’s Books.
Historical fiction is a great way for today’s young readers to be captivated by our American history by entering a story through the lives and times of young Americans long ago.
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Here you will find details about new events, information on the latest books and other notes from Trinka's Travels!
