A Buss from Lafayette

Teens

synopsis

Synopsis

CAN ONE LITTLE KISS FROM A WORLD FAMOUS HERO OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION CHANGE EVERYTHING? Now available in print, digital, and audio editions. ***************************************************************** 1st Place Winner (Young Adults) Red City Review Book Awards; 1st Place Winner (Historical Fiction) Purple Dragonfly Book Awards; Gold Medalist (Middle School/Historical Fiction) Literary Classics Award; Bronze Medalist (Juvenile/Young Adult Fiction) eLit Awards; Finalist, (Historical Fiction) Red City Book Awards; Quarter Finalist (Middle Grade) Booklife Prize. Also named on the Grateful American Kids website as one of the best history book for kids to read. ***************************************************************** Clever young Clara Hargraves has a couple of big problems: a new stepmother, formerly her old maid schoolteacher aunt, who keeps trying to make Clara behave like a lady; and red hair, which means she is constantly teased, especially by an older boy, Dickon, and her beautiful cousin, Hetty. During the last week of June, 1825, Clara's small New Hampshire town is buzzing about the upcoming visit to the state by the Revolutionary War hero, General Lafayette. Could an unexpected playful kiss from a charming, world-famous Frenchman change Clara's life forever?

bio

Author Biography

Dorothea Jensen is proud to be one of a very few people who has boarded a pirate ship and attacked a Viking vessel manned by real Vikings wearing horns and furs. She was born in Boston, but grew up in Chillicothe, Illinois, site of the Viking adventure. She then earned a BA in English from Carleton College and an MA in Secondary Education from the University of New Mexico. She has served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South America, taught middle and high school English, tutored refugees in ESL, written grant proposals for various arts organizations, written a play performed in Noh style, and raised three children. Her first historical novel for young readers, THE RIDDLE OF PENNCROFT FARM, has been used in classrooms for many years as an enrichment resource for kids studying the American Revolution. Her next novel, A BUSS FROM LAFAYETTE, is set in 1825 in the small town in New Hampshire where she has lived since 1991. Dorothea also writes modern Christmas stories in verse. Modeled on the 19th century classic poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas", these award-winning Santa's Izzy Elves story poems feature decidedly 21st century elves savvy in modern technology.

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Author Insight

Dramatizing the Dance

I am helping to plan the upcoming Bicentennial of Lafayette's Farewell Tour of 1824-25. I am hoping to get middle graders and high school students to participate in the event in many ways. One such possibility would be for them to act out a scene from this story set during Lafayette's Tour. I am in the process of dramatizing this scene, the dance at Perkins Tavern, for a theatrical production. Of course, this will mean figuring out a couple of the dances to teach the young people to perform on stage. Quite the challenge, but it is amazing how many videos showing and teaching such dances are on the internet. In any case, I'm having a great time figuring all this out!

Book Excerpt

A Buss from Lafayette

“You know, Tim, watching these dancers reminds me of when Cornwallis, the British commander in the South, found out that Lafayette was in Virginia and tried to capture him. Lafayette was badly outnumbered, so he kept dancing away from Cornwallis, skittering away time and again, staying just out of reach.”

“Like a dance? Really, Father?” I asked.

“A deadly dance, my dear. If Cornwallis had caught up with Lafayette, there would not have been bows and curtsies involved.”

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Dorothea Graham Jensen

A Buss from Lafayette

Synopsis

Author Biography

Author Insight

Dramatizing the Dance

Book Excerpt

A Buss from Lafayette

Comment on this Bubble