A Real-Life Road Trip Adventure

Mississippi Roads and River Tales

of Ethan & oliver adventures

Mississippi Roads and River Tales. A Mississippi Road Trip Book for Kids

Most families drive straight through Mississippi. Ethan and Oliver followed the river.

In this 13-day road trip adventure, two brothers from a military family in San Diego explore the Magnolia State from Natchez to the Delta. The Natchez Trace, the Windsor Ruins, Vicksburg’s historic hills, faith and fossils in Jackson, an overnight river expedition on Black Creek, and the soulful music of the Delta. Along the way they discover that some of the most important stories in America are told along its rivers.

Mississippi Roads and River Tales is part of the Ethan and Oliver Adventures series. Written for ages 8–12 for independent readers, and an easy family read-aloud for younger kids. Perfect for homeschooling families, road trip readers, and anyone raising kids who ask good questions.

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Are you looking for a road trip that actually means something?

Most family vacations are fun to take and easy to forget.

This one is different.

This Mississippi road trip book for kids follows Ethan and Oliver, two brothers from a military family in San Diego, through 13 days of real Mississippi stops that most families drive right past. Footsteps and freedom in Natchez. The Natchez Trace and the Windsor Ruins. Vicksburg’s battlefield. An overnight paddle down Black Creek. Winterville Mounds and the Delta Blues Museum. And everywhere they go, the river is never far away.

Every stop teaches something. Every evening the family sits down with notebooks and talks about what they saw, what they felt, and what God might be saying through it.

This is the Mississippi most people never see.

Get your copy today!
a canoe on a river bank
Are you wondering right about now…

Sound Like Your Family?

  • If you want your family’s road trips to mean something beyond souvenir shops and theme parks, you need this book.
  • If your kids ask good questions and you want a story that rewards that curiosity, you need this book.
  • If you’re a homeschool parent looking for a chapter book that covers Mississippi history, science, faith, and character all at once, you need this book.
  • If you believe the best conversations happen in the car, around a campfire, or on a dock at sunset, you need this book.
  • If you want your children to grow up knowing that faith belongs everywhere — not just Sunday mornings — you need this book.
  • If you’re planning a Mississippi trip and want your family prepared to notice what most people drive past, you need this book.
  • If your kids are ages 8 to 12 and you’re looking for a read-aloud that keeps everyone engaged — including the adults — you need this book.
  • If you want a book that stays on the shelf because your child put their name in it and called it theirs, you need this book.
st marys basilica in natchez in usa

This Mississippi book for kids is for the family that pulls over at historical markers. For the kid who asks why before they ask what. For the parent who wants their children to remember the trip, not just the photos from it.

IT’S FOR THE FAMILY READY TO TRADE A REGULAR VACATION FOR AN ADVENTURE THAT ACTUALLY TEACHES SOMETHING.

Mississippi Roads and River Tales is part of the Ethan & Oliver Adventures series. Thirteen days. One state. Real places you can visit. Conversations that will follow your family home.

Ethan & Oliver Adventures

MISSISSIPPI ROADS AND RIVER TALES

  • “Faith was intermixed in without being overwhelming.”

    What was the most fun for me was the combination of history, geography of the United States, and how faith was intermixed in without being overwhelming.
    Greg Keyser
    Advance reader copy (ARC) review on Amazon

  • “The kind of book families will remember long after the last page.”

    I love how the “Stop & Explore” missions turn the story into a hands-on experience—fun, educational, and intentional in all the best ways. I’d definitely recommend this one to my neighbor; it’s the kind of book families will remember long after the last page.
    S. Dogood
    Advance reader copy (ARC) review on Amazon

  • “It turns reading into an experience.”

    Such a sweet little surprise… gives cozy road trip vibes with just enough learning woven in that it never feels heavy or forced. What really stood out were the “Stop & Explore” sections. It turns reading into an experience, which is such a win for families wanting more than just page-turning.
    OooLaLa Reads
    Advance reader copy (ARC) review on Amazon

  • “She was able to connect with the characters.”

    This was such a fun read a loud chapter book… We are a military family so she was able to connect with the characters we loved that! Very cute story of adventure!
    Hannah Ashworth
    Advance reader copy (ARC) review on Amazon

On the Blog

mississippi coloring book cover

Ethan and Oliver’s Coloring through Mississippi Book

Ethan & Oliver Adventures: Mississippi Roads and River Tales book cover

Ethan and Oliver Adventures Mississippi Roads and River Tales

ethan and oliver great ms activity book

Ethan and Oliver’s Mississippi Activity Book

Hey There!

I’m Jenn

My path to writing children’s books wasn’t a straight one. It ran through 23 years of service in the United States Navy. Deployments, sea tours, and more time away from my family than I like to count.

When I came home for good, I made a decision. The time I had with my kids was going to mean something. We were going to slow down. We were going to notice things. We were going to go places and actually talk about what we saw.

The Ethan & Oliver Adventures series was born from those trips.

Mississippi Roads and River Tales is the one where our family slept on a riverbank, listened to the blues where they were born, and stood in places that changed American history.

I homeschool my kids in San Diego. I write books that I hope give families permission to adventure with intention; to road trip with purpose, to ask hard questions, and to find God in the places most people drive right past.

That’s what Ethan & Oliver do. And if you’re reading this, I have a feeling that’s what your family does too.

Happy reading!
A family onboard a ship taking a selfie in front of a space capsule.