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

Cup and Ball

I needed to find an 18th century toy that could have survived as a family heirloom into the 20th century to use in my story. I later learned that this toy was also called a "bilbo-catcher". I would have loved to use this in RIDDLE but it was too late. A picture of a bilbo-catcher is on the RIDDLE OF PENNCROFT FARM page of my website, with a link to my blog about it. (I have to wonder if Tolkien had this toy in mind when he named Bilbo Baggins.)

Book Excerpt

The Riddle of Penncroft Farm

Mom took the package and gave it to Aunt Cass. “I’ve been meaning to give you this for a long time.”

“You shouldn’t waste your money on me,” my great-aunt declared.

Mom shook her head slowly. “I didn’t.”

Aunt Cass unwrapped the package. Inside was a wooden toy—a sort of cup on a stick with a ball connected to it by a leather cord. She stared at it without saying a word, then deftly flipped the ball into the cup. “I don’t understand,” she said, turning to gaze at Mom. “Why did you bring this to me?”

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Dorothea Graham Jensen

The Riddle of Penncroft Farm

Synopsis

Author Biography

Author Insight

Cup and Ball

Book Excerpt

The Riddle of Penncroft Farm

Comment on this Bubble