SERIES 1 — A NEW BEGINNING
Follow the Series 1 story one book at a time. Each of the nine books continues the same characters and larger journey while focusing on a distinct part of their growing friendships, skills, responsibilities and adventures.
Readable editions are being prepared for release. Audio editions are planned as part of the developing multi-voice Adventure Universe experience and are not yet available for purchase.
BOOK 1
A sudden family tragedy changes JJ’s world and deepens the bond between him and KC. As JJ tries to regain some normal routine, an obedience class brings Janet and Teddy into his life. Training the dogs begins as something practical, but it quickly becomes a reason for the new friends to learn, practice, and discover what their dogs—and they themselves—may be capable of.
The story builds toward a missing-child emergency at Allen Pond. When two-year-old Kevin Jamison disappears, JJ and KC find themselves in a situation where observation, trust, and responsible action suddenly matter. What begins as ordinary life and dog training becomes the first clear example of a pattern that will continue throughout Adventure Universe: learning something useful, recognizing when it matters, and using it to help someone else.
BOOK 2
The first rescue brings unexpected attention. JJ and KC are recognized publicly for what happened at Allen Pond, widening the circle of people, families, and opportunities surrounding JJ and Janet. School, dog training, new friendships, changing relationships, and decisions about work begin showing how quickly one experience can open doors to another.
Annapolis and the U.S. Naval Academy also become part of that expanding world, introducing new careers, history, traditions, and people with specialized knowledge. The team is still young, but Book 2 begins building the larger network of family, friends, mentors, and institutions that will become increasingly important as the adventures continue.
BOOK 3
Friendship and learning become increasingly intertwined as JJ and Janet navigate a first date, school, continued dog training, and the ordinary awkwardness and humor of getting to know one another better.
At the same time, two days of first-aid training introduce practical skills that could matter far beyond the classroom. JJ and Janet increasingly learn from each other as well as from their instructors, establishing one of the series’ central ideas: useful knowledge becomes more powerful when people are willing to share it.
BOOK 4
What begins as a social ice-skating outing suddenly becomes much more serious when conflict leads to injury and emergency care. Skills that previously existed mostly in classes and conversation now have emotional consequences for people the characters care about.
The hospital and recovery that follow shift the emphasis away from excitement and toward concern, caregiving, relationships, and the aftermath of a frightening event. Book 4 shows that knowing what to do in an emergency is only part of the story; what happens afterward can matter just as much.
BOOK 5
A dramatic fire rescue puts courage, judgment, and responsibility directly into conflict. The rescue itself is only the beginning: ordinary activities resume, dog training continues, and serious family concerns force the characters to confront what happened and what it means.
The consequences become as important as the rescue. Trust, boundaries, accountability, and the difference between being capable of helping and having the authority to place yourself in danger all come into focus. Book 5 makes clear that bravery does not erase responsibility—and that people who care about one another sometimes have to say difficult things.
BOOK 6
JJ’s growing confidence begins appearing in everyday settings as he takes on greater responsibility at work. A group treasure hunt adds competition, problem-solving, and fun while showing how observation and teamwork can turn ordinary places into opportunities to learn.
Then first-aid knowledge suddenly matters during a cardiac emergency at the YMCA. What had been practiced as a skill becomes something needed by a real person in a real moment, reinforcing the growing connection between learning, preparation, confidence, and service.
BOOK 7
Dog training continues, but the team’s world is expanding well beyond obedience classes. A group ski trip brings new challenges, mistakes, perseverance, humor, and the experience of learning unfamiliar skills together.
That experience leads into something larger: developing a child-safety effort built around Hug-a-Tree concepts. The characters are no longer only learning for themselves—they are beginning to think about how useful information can be organized and taught to others. Recognition follows, marking another step toward a growing identity built around service.
BOOK 8
Training becomes more purposeful as JJ, Janet, KC, and Teddy are introduced more formally to search-and-rescue ideas, team roles, communication, and the larger community of people involved in helping others.
A wide-ranging Washington, D.C. outing then opens another set of doors through museums, art, architecture, science, history, transportation, education, and careers. Beneath all of that exploration, quieter memories of JJ’s father keep the emotional foundation of the series present. Book 8 connects growing capability with a much wider understanding of the world and the paths available within it.
BOOK 9
A search following a plane crash becomes the most dangerous situation the young team has yet encountered when the operation unexpectedly intersects with an armed threat. JJ and Janet must rely on communication, concealment, instructions, and trained responders rather than trying to become the people responsible for resolving the threat themselves.
The story does not end when the immediate danger passes. The characters deal with what happened, receive recognition, return to training, and complete their beginner obedience journey with KC and Teddy. Book 9 closes Series 1 by showing just how far they have come—from first lessons and uncertain friendships to a growing understanding of teamwork, professional roles, recovery, and service—while opening the door to the much larger adventures ahead.