Dorothea Jensen

Could a chance meeting and a playful kiss on the cheek from a world-famous Revolutionary War hero change the life of a troubled young girl in 1825 New England? A Buss from Lafayette, called "a winning historical tale" by Kirkus Reviews, shows how it could have happened. The protagonist, Clara Hargraves (14) is ". . .a tomboyish, quick-witted girl who ... makes the pages of the book come to life."- Red City Review (paperback, e-book, audiobook, & teacher's guide available)

Downloadable documents (map, timeline, etc.) and pictures of people, places, eventsw, etc. mentioned in the story.

Author readalouds; podcasts; videos and audios of music from the story; video blogs; videos about events, activities etc. 

Young Lars Olafson moves with his parents to the old family farm near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to live with his aged aunt Cass. Lars is miserable--until he meets Geordie, a boy whose stories of the Revolutionary War are as exciting as those of an eyewitness. Then, when Lars is faced with a crucial mystery linked to the Revolutionary War, his only chance of solving it lies in Geordie's ghostly tales.

Downloadable documents and pictures of people, places, eventsw, etc. mentioned in the story.

Author readalouds;  videos and audios of music from the story; video blogs; videos about events, activities etc. 

A complete guide for cross-curricular use of the award-wainning historical novel A Buss From Lafayette in the  classroom. It contains bulletin board ideas, vocabulary exercises, varied student handouts, puzzles, games, reading comprehension quizzes, discussion questions, and both individual and class projects. A full answer key is provided.

Its cross-curricular activities include language arts/reading, social studies, mathematics, health/safety, art, music, dance, drama, recipes, and suggestions for real and virtual field trips.

Pictures, Documents, and Resources are the same as for A Buss from Lafayette. Access the page here. 

 Videos and Audios are the same as for A Buss from Lafayette. Access the page here.

Inspired by the Broadway smash hit HAMILTON and Longfellow's "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere," I combined my love of history and my enjoyment of writing in rhymed couplets, and the result is this book. It tells the complete story of Lafayette's role in the American Revolution, in verse! 

Owen and Alex, two naughty little boys, sneak downstairs before dawn on Christmas morning. They open one of their gifts and find Tizzy, one of Santa’s elves, who was packed inside by mistake. Can they get him home to the Pole 1) before the big Elf Celebration and 2) before their parents come downstairs!

Blizzy, Tizzy's "favorite lass", is the only elf who notices that Tizzy is missing on Christmas morning. When she starts questioning all her friends about when they saw him last, and where Tizzy could possibly be, however, they think she is just being a "worrywart". What Blizzy REALLY is, however, is very, very clever, and she just might figure out the mystery!

Dizzy has worked all year next to his friend, Tizzy, and heard all about his Great Adventure. The trouble is, Dizzy wants to have an adventure, too! He sneaks aboard Santa's sleigh, and finds all the adventure he's dreamed of with two little boys, Stuart and Drake. They share a wild joy ride and plenty of fun in this third "Izzy Elves" story.

Frizzy styles dollies’ hair, but misses them dreadfully when Santa takes them away on Christmas Eve. (She suffers from S.A.D.: Seasonal Affection Distress.) Frizzy decides she needs to start making something completely different (and "yuck"), that she won't get attached to. Frizzoy soon finds, however, that her plan isn’t going to work out exactly as she intended!

Bizzy (Santa's "Right Hand Man") is a great organizer. He not only convinces S. C. (Santa Claus) to let the depressed Izzy Elves go on a much-needed vacation, but he finds a great place where they can blend in—Santa Claus Lane. What he doesn't plan on, however, is the other elves calling him "bossy boots," or two smart boys, Henry and Miles, recognizing the Izzies despite their disguises.