THE IMAGINATION STATION BOOKS

Imagination Station

#18 Trouble on the Orphan Train

#11 Hunt for the Devil’s Dragon

#10 Challenge on the Hill of Fire

Imagination Station Book Summaries

Is it time to disobey the king? "Tis wondrous news. The common folk shal have Bibles to read!" Yes, it would be good news, but Patrick is suspicious of this messenger. And he doesn't think William Tyndale should trust him either. Tyndale has been up to some dangerous...

#31 Big Risks in Russia

A sneaky adventure behind the Iron Curtain! "What will happen if the guards find the Bibles?" Nothing good, that's for sure. Patrick and Beth know Lars Spens hid the Bibles well—they can't see any trace of them in the pastor's van—but the Soviet police seem to be very...

#30 Land of the Lost

A giant adventure in a far-off land! "Rain? Ha! There isn't a cloud in sight. No one believes you!" Well, the giants have that part right. No one believes that a flood is coming. No one believes God's words to Noah. As cousins Patrick and Beth help Noah's family load...

#26 Swept into the Sea

Dive into Danger! Patrick and Beth travel back in time in the Imagination Station to a grain ship in the Mediterranean Sea during the first century. A violent storm has been raging for fourteen days, and the ship is in danger of crashing into the African coastline or...

#25 Poison at the Pump

Stop the spread! In Poison at the Pump, Patrick and Beth travel back in time in the Imagination Station to London, England, during the cholera epidemic of 1854. The cousins join Dr. John Snow, Florence Nightingale, and Curate Henry Whitehead in a thrilling scientific...

#24 Rescue on the River

Join the battle for freedom!When Patrick and Beth deliver Abraham Lincoln’s speech to him in Washington, they discover that their friend Sally’s brother is a slave in South Carolina. To rescue Kitch, the cousins join Harriet Tubman and the Second South Carolina...

#23 Terror in the Tunnel

Trouble is brewing in Baltimore!Join cousins Beth and Patrick as they work with detective Allan Pinkerton to save Abraham Lincoln. The South is in an uproar over the presidential election because Lincoln wants to stop the spread of slavery. Some take their hatred too...

#22 Freedom at the Falls

Race on the Underground Railroad!Join cousins Patrick and Beth in 1861 as they ride The Lincoln Special, a train carrying President-elect Abraham Lincoln to northern New York. Mr. Lincoln is troubled because Southern states are in an uproar over slavery. But Patrick...

#21 Madman in Manhattan

Take a terrifying flight to adventure!Join Patrick and Beth as they unravel the mysteries of the Imagination Station. The cousins travel to 1923 New York City, the home of Nikola Tesla, a quirky inventor. He has the knowledge to fix the damaged Imagination Stations....

#20 Inferno in Tokyo

Disaster from earth, wind, water, and fire!After tsunami waves sweep over the Imagination Station, it breaks down completely. Patrick and Beth wash up on the shores of Japan on September 1, 1923. The cousins fear if the water doesn’t get them, the earthquake...

#19 Light in the Lions’ Den

There's bad trouble in Babylon!During a lightning storm, the Imagination Station lands Patrick and Beth in the desert in the ancient Middle East. Soldiers escort them to the famed city of Babylon. In the royal court there, Patrick meets King Darius and his wise...

#18 Trouble on the Orphan Train

Can orphans outwit outlaws?Ride the rails with cousins Patrick and Beth when the Imagination Station takes them to Missouri in 1874 just in time for a train robbery! Patrick is challenged by an orphan boy, who dishes out more than a dose of mischief. Beth must be...

#17 In Fear of the Spear

Jeopardy in the Jungle!Join cousins Patrick and Beth in the exotic rain forest—that is, if you dare. Beth lands alone in the jungle where crocodiles creep and jaguars leap. An American botanist, Dr. Silva, helps her escape from the “savages” who capture them....

#16 Doomsday in Pompeii

Life in AD 79 is heating up!After lightning strikes Whit’s End, Patrick’s trip in the Imagination Station goes haywire. At the workshop, Eugene Meltsner and Beth work to fix the machine. They discover that Patrick has landed in the wrong place at definitely the wrong...

#15 Surprise at Yorktown

March to the beat of adventure!Travel through history with Patrick and Beth and witness the battle of Yorktown, 1781. Trouble starts in an underground den where the cousins discover British General Cornwallis’s secret plan to win the war. They must escape to warn...

#14 Captured on the High Seas

Danger is on the horizon!Join Patrick and Beth in a seafaring adventure set in 1781. The cousins accidentally land on an American ship and are befriended by 15-year-old freedom-fighter James Forten. After a battle at sea, the ship is captured and the sailors fall into...

#13 The Redcoats Are Coming

A midnight ride for freedom and faith “If they capture you, they can hang you for treason,” Paul Revere said. Join cousins Patrick and Beth on a patriotic adventure set in 1776, Concord Massachusetts. They have a simple mission: to deliver a letter to Paul Revere....

#12 Danger on a Silent Night

Hitch your camel to a star!Join cousins Patrick and Beth as they travel in the Imagination Station to see the first Christmas. But things don’t go the way they expect. Instead of meeting angels and shepherds, they meet with trouble. Patrick winds up in the desert with...

#11 Hunt for the Devil’s Dragon

The battle for truth begins in the heart!Are you brave enough to follow cousins Beth and Patrick. In 13th century Libya, a vicious animal is killing the townspeople’s sheep. To appease the beast, the people believe they must offer up a maiden as a sacrifice. When Beth...

#10 Challenge on the Hill of Fire

Can you fight fire... with faith?Patrick and Beth climb on board the Imagination Station in hopes of traveling to the land of leprechauns and shamrocks. When they reach fifth-century Ireland, however, there’s no rainbow or pot of gold waiting for them. Instead, they...

#9 Escape to the Hiding Place

Nowhere to run, one place to hideJoin Patrick and Beth in the Imagination Station as they travel to Fiji in the 1850s. Patrick hopes it’s for a tropical vacation—instead he finds out that cannibals are alive and well on the islands. In truth, the cannibals are burning...

#8 Battle for Cannibal Island

Where sharks are the least of your worriesJoin Patrick and Beth in the Imagination Station as they travel to Fiji in the 1850s. Patrick hopes it’s for a tropical vacation—instead he finds out that cannibals are alive and well on the islands. In truth, the cannibals...

#7 Secret of the Prince’s Tomb

Unravel the Mummy's Secret!The hot sun and sand of ancient Egypt await Patrick and Beth in their next Imagination Station adventure. The cousins are caught between a terrible ruler and a nation bound for slavery. To help their new friend Tabitha, the cousins must seek...

#6 Problems in Plymouth

Tension at the first Thanksgiving The Imagination Station Adventures continue Patrick and Beth's next adventure leads them to Plymouth Plantation in 1621. There they meet William Bradford, Miles Standish, and Chief Massasoit, who are trying to establish peace between...

# 5 Showdown with the Shepherd

Giant troubles all around! Travel to the Holy Land, 1000 BC with Patrick and Beth. Their goal is to find the menacing Master Hugh, get the Whittaker family ring, and then send Hugh back to 1450s England. But problems await the cousins as soon as they step out of the...

# 4 Revenge of the Red Knight

A joust for medieval justice! In this adventure, cousins Patrick and Beth finally meet Albert. But they also meet with more trouble at Lord Darkthorn’s castle. The cousins are accused of stealing the very treasure they’ve been trying to return! To save Albert and...

#3 Peril in the Palace

Danger reaches new heights! "That's not magic!" Beth said. "It's magnets!" The place? China in 1271. The quest? The golden tablet of Kublai Khan. The problem? Just about everything! The Imagination Station adventures continue as cousins Patrick and Beth are kidnapped...

#2 Attack at the Arena

Lions and tigers and boars, oh my! "Stop the fighting—in the name of Christ—stop!" Cousins Patrick and Beth are off on their second Imagination Station adventure. Mr. Whittaker’s mysterious invention takes them to ancient Rome where they must find a special silver...

#1 Voyage with the Vikings

Watch for falling ice and flying spears! "Your Christ is a God of peace, not war!" Eric the Red said. "He has no place in Greenland." Mr. Whittaker, a kind but mysterious inventor, has sent cousins Patrick and Beth to Greenland through the Imagination Station. It’s...

Marianne Hering

When one of my twin sons took a test in first grade, we found out this: Lewis. Can’t. Read.

So along with a fellow parent and coworker—Paul McCusker—I dove into the world of historical fiction for kids. I wanted to create some stories that had action and adventure but were easy to read. And one last thing—they needed lasting value. So we put in Christian history and some good role models.

What’s been good for my son has turned into a series that’s been read and loved by hundreds of thousands of kids in North America.

And Lewis? Well, he became a chemical engineer. He still likes numbers better than letters. But . . . he can read!

Here’s a list of editing highlights from my professional journey:

Focus on the Family Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr magazines (1987–1996)
Focus on the Family books (2005–2015)
Focus on the Family magazine (2017–2020)
Books department at David C. Cook (2023-2024)
Brio magazine fiction (2021-2024)

And here’re some of the things that are coming up in 2026 and 2027

Waterbrook (Penguin/Random House) will release three easy-to-read FUNNY books about Jesus’ parables. These are for kids just learning to read, and for kids who just like to laugh. My coauthor is Lori Z. Scott.
Moody will release a devotional book that’s exciting for older kids. My coauthor on this book is Brock D. Eastman.

THE IMAGINATION STATION BOOKS

Imagination Station

Imagination Station Book Summaries

Imagination Station Video Reviews

Marianne Hering

Success!