The Riddle of Penncroft Farm

Children's Books

synopsis

Synopsis

2014 Purple Dragonfly 1st Prize Winner, Historical Fiction; International Reading Association Teachers' Choices Selection. ". . .a wonderful book that melds both past and present together... This novel is a perfect example of historical fiction.” - Monroe County Library System. Young Lars Olafson moves from Minnesota with his parents to Penncroft Farm, the old family farm near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Lars is miserable until he meets Geordie, a boy whose stories of the Revolutionary War are as exciting as those of an eyewitness. Then Lars is faced with a mystery linked to the Revolution, and Geordie’s ghostly tales are his only chance of solving it. One reviewer said: ". . . two terrific stories are intertwined nicely and come together in a satisfying conclusion. Not only is the history presented in an interesting and painless manner, but also readers should come away eager to read more about this period. Middle graders are in store for a real treat with this offering." –School Library Journal, Elizabeth Mellett, Brookline Public Library, MA (THE RIDDLE OF PENNCROFT FARM is available in paperback and e-book editions.)

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.

website

Author Insight

Rolling Uphill??

The original hardcover edition of THE RIDDLE OF PENNCROFT FARM had a wraparound jacket. The back cover had a beautiful picture of a colonial era Pennsylvania-style house. However, there was one glaring error: the road appears to be up hill from the house and the barn! It would be really tough for a runaway wagon to go up that hill. There's an image of this original jacket on the RIDDLE OF PENNCROFT FARM page at my website. Just click on "website" above, then click on THE RIDDLE OF PENNCROFT FARM in the left column of the main page. (There's another big error on the front cover, but that one was apparently deliberate. I'll talk about that soon!)

Book Excerpt

The Riddle of Penncroft Farm

I climbed up on the wagon and sat down on the seat. Underneath was a lever. I grabbed it and pretended to shift gears. I guess I thought it was too rotten or rusty to do anything. I was wrong. The lever moved easily in my hand and the wagon started to roll.

“Look out!” I shouted at Aunt Cass, who stepped backward in the nick of time, only to lose her balance and fall to the ground. I looked back to where she lay, too worried about her to think about what was happening to me. Then, as the wagon rolled past the house, I caught a glimpse of Mom at the window. The look on her face scared me. As the wagon lurched down the steep, rutted drive, picking up speed with every passing second, I tried to get up the nerve to jump off, but the sight of the ground rushing by kept my hands riveted to the wagon seat. With rising panic, I fixed my eyes on the pike below and the bone-breaking drop-off I knew was beyond it. In my mind I could see myself flying through the air and hear the splintering of wood. Then, suddenly, just before the wagon hurtled across the road to plunge over the edge, somebody reached out and pulled hard on the lever. The wagon groaned to a stop.

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Dorothea Graham Jensen

The Riddle of Penncroft Farm

Synopsis

Author Biography

Author Insight

Rolling Uphill??

Book Excerpt

The Riddle of Penncroft Farm

Comment on this Bubble