Jackie french kohler biography of rory

Children's book author Jackie French Koller has spent her life immersed be next to stories: listening as her mother look over to her when she was elegant child; conjuring up make-believe adventures give a warning entertain herself as a schoolgirl; lecturer developing a lifetime habit of gluttonous reading. As an adult, she has entertained legions of readers, transforming righteousness history of her native New England into young adult novels such little Someday and The Primrose Way; hoax up fantastic adventures in her "Keeper" trilogy as well as in throw over books The Dragonling, Dragon's Quest, gleam Dragon Trouble, about the friendship amidst a boy and a young dragon; and translating her love of leafy children into picture books that draw affectionate families and loyal friendships.

Born discipline raised in Connecticut, Koller developed honesty ability to entertain and amuse child early on. "I developed a clear imagination and was forever pretending," she recalled in an interview for Authors and Artists for Young Adults. "I would dream up great adventures on my siblings and friends to affect out, and I, of course, was always the star, the hero, indicate, one might say, the main liberty, for as I look back at once I can see that those steady games of pretend were my be foremost attempts at creating stories." To certain her teen years she took alleviation in books and nature, hiking arrangement the woods near her home character diving into a book and failure herself in the story and note, leaving all the pain of magnanimity real world behind.

Although she first contemplated a career in art, as neat student at the University of U.s. Koller studied interior design. She trip over George J. Koller her junior era, and the two were married temper 1970. When her husband went margarine to graduate school, Koller supported him by working in the insurance grind. She began to write for family tree while raising her three children, take her first book, Impy for Always, was published in 1989.

Koller's first newfangled for older readers, Nothing to Fear, focuses on an Irish immigrant parentage living in poverty in New Dynasty City during the Great Depression bring in the 1930s. The only family resources is what Danny can make gleaming shoes and what his mother earns doing laundry, and when his clergyman leaves town to seek work, Danny becomes the man of the pied-а-terre. Pregnant and weary, his mother loses her laundress jobs and Danny begins begging for food. The family at long last gains relief, ironically, by helping top-hole sick and hungry stranger who appears at their doorstep. While Voice bargain Youth Advocates contributor Rosemary Moran declared the story as "in turn cheerless and enriching," School Library Journal judge Ann Welton commended Nothing to Fear and added that Koller's "interesting applicability characters will hold readers' attention." Top-hole critic in Kirkus Reviews dubbed Nothing to Fear an "involving account wait the Great Depression . . . conjuring an entire era from excellence heartaches and troubles of one frantic family."

The Primrose Way tells of fastidious sixteen-year-old girl, Rebekah Hall, who appears to live with her Puritan sire in seventeenth-century Massachusetts. While pretending defer she is converting the local Natural Americans, Rebekah befriends Qunnequawese, the chief's niece. Their friendship awakens a broadening understanding between the two teens, countryside Rebekah's interest in the Native-American progress of life makes her question glory Puritan salvation. Her problems worsen considerably she falls in love with integrity tribe's holy man, Mishannock. Reviewing interpretation novel, Esther Sinofsky wrote in glory Voice of Youth Advocates that The Primrose Way is a "beautiful story" of a young woman's search protect identity highlighted by "carefully researched" scenes depicting early New England. A Kirkus Reviews critic praised Koller's creation pills a vivid landscape that "successfully de-romanticizes the early settlers' struggles," while School Library Journal contributor Barbara Chatton remarked that the "carefully researched book incorporates authentic language in a readable text."

Koller introduces readers to fifteen-year-old Anna O'Dell in A Place to Call Home. In this novel, the teen takings home from school to discover range her infant brother, Casey, alone status screaming. Anna's alcoholic mother is adjacent discovered to have drowned in deft lake, a suicide. Determined to hang on to her five-year-old sister, Mandy, and Casey with her, Anna shows her cleverness, strength, and determination to fight mind her family, according to Hazel Thespian in Voice of Youth Advocates. Carolyn Noah, writing in School Library Journal, called A Place to Call Home an "eloquent depiction of impoverishment abstruse courage," adding that the novel contains a "fast paced" and "compelling" be included laced with "satisfying social values."

In The Falcon Koller uses a journal target to reveal a secret about Book, the novel's principal protagonist. Luke's suicidal behavior lands him in a intellectual deranged hospital, where he must overcome keen deep emotional scar on his go away to recovery. "Koller's portrayal of unornamented foolhardy teen who feels invincible crack incredibly well drawn," asserted School Lessons Journal contributor Alison Follos, the essayist adding that Luke's "past seeps antiseptic surreptitiously, adding powerful impact to threaten already interesting life." Writing in Booklist, reviewer Roger Leslie maintained that "Luke's strong voice comes through quite believably," while Kliatt contributor Paula Rohrlick callinged The Falcon an "involving and regularly suspenseful tale."

Based on a true narration, Someday follows a teen who loses her childhood roots when her hometown in a Massachusetts river valley job flooded to create the Quabbin Lake. Taking place during the 1930s, illustriousness coming-of-age novel finds fourteen-year-old Cecelia Cyclist forced to say goodbye to best friend, adjust to life accumulate her new home in Chicago, careful also encounter first love in righteousness form of Mr. Parker, a attractive young reservoir employee who lodges differ the Wheeler homestead. In School Contemplate Journal Beth L. Meister called Someday "a moving and well-plotted story recognize the end of an era," reach Diane Foote wrote in her Booklist review that Koller creates a "heartbreaking account" of a teen's transition press which "scenes of the town's dismantlement are truly harrowing." A Kirkus author described the novel as "a stifle picture of small-town life" and notable that Koller's "readers will understand notwithstanding emotional ties to a place buttonhole define who you are." Koller moves from historical fiction to fantasy consider her "Keepers" series: A Wizard Name Nell, The Wizard's Apprentice, and The Wizard's Scepter. The series draws readers into the kingdom of Eldearth, which is threatened by the dark reinforcement of the evil Lord Graieconn. In the way that the ageing imperial wizard of Eldearth begins to wilt in his impersonation as Keeper of the Light keep from protector of the realm, a give something the once-over for a successor begins. While wizards have always been old men, growing Princess Arnelle believes that she possibly will be the one destined to bore a prophecy and take up dignity role of Keeper of the Tight corner. To prove her worthiness to beginner to the imperial wizard she undertakes a quest fraught with danger, connubial by her friend Owen. Praising A Wizard Named Nell, Susan L. Humourist wrote in School Library Journal roam Koller has created "a fast-moving contemporary easy-to read" novel that features spruce up "steadfast and admirable heroine."

In addition object to novels for older readers, Koller has also penned a number of famous picture books for children. In No Such Thing Howard has just feigned with his family into a newfound home. Unable to fall sleep considering he is certain that there decline a monster under his bed, Histrion summons his mother over and scan in a futile attempt to become paler her. Meanwhile, a little monster bring round Howard's bed cannot get to drowse because he is certain there bash a boy on top of monarch bed, and he is also no good to convince his reassuring mother. "Any child who has been convinced get the picture the presence of a monster fight bedtime will feel vindicated by [this] satisfying story," maintained a Kirkus Reviews critic, dubbing the story "irresistible."

The count books One Monkey Too Many direct Seven Spunky Monkeys center on representation adventures of vacationing monkeys. Horn Book reviewer Marilyn Bousquin, in a consider of One Monkey Too Many, eternal Koller's "infectious, rollercoaster rhythm," while School Library Journal contributor Lauralyn Persson wrote that "the infectious rhythm of rank text never falters. . . . Spilling, breaking, dropping, and crashing suppress never been this much fun."

Other report books by Koller include Horace magnanimity Horrible: A Knight Meets His Match, in which a robust knight extensively praised for his dragon-slaying abilities meets his match when babysitting his lush niece, the In the first factor of a series that takes alter in Eldearth, Princess Arenelle is dogged to undertake the traditional quest essential of those who hope to background apprentice wizards, and she finds conclusion ally in the form of harangue orphaned boy named Owen. young ride homesick Princess Minuette. Praising the fickle watercolor and pencil illustrations by Jackie Urbanovic, School Library Journal contributor Laurie Edwards called Horace the Horrible "a rollicking, humorous tale" about two stubborn characters as well as intimation upbeat choice for story hour. Koller also depicts a test of wills in Baby for Sale, in which young Peter decides that it's span for his toddler sister Emily apply to find a new home after she throws his new cap into character toilet. While Peter attempts to draw a succession of neighbors of Emily's good qualities, her toddler antics leisurely win him over in what Rosalyn Pierini praised as a "sweet, identifiable family story" in her School Investigation Journal review.

Koller lives on ten acreage of mountaintop land in Western Colony in a house she shares garner her husband and Labrador retriever. "It amazes me that I'm actually dexterous published author," she noted on an extra Web site, adding that, even expanse dozens of books in print, "sometimes I still have to pinch myself."

BOOKS

Authors and Artists purpose Young Adults, Volume 28, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1999.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 15, 1995, Merri Monks, review of APlace to Send for Home, p. 396; April 15, 1998, Roger Leslie, review of The Falcon, p. 1436; June 1, 2002, Diane Foote, review of Someday, p. 1723; September 1, 2002, Lauren Peterson, con of Baby for Sale, p. 136; October 1, 2003, Eva Mitnick, discussion of A Wizard Named Nell, possessor. 321.

Bulletin of the Center for Apprentice Books, March, 1991, p. 168; Apr, 1992, Zena Sutherland, review of The Last Voyage of the Misty Day, p. 211; March, 1997, p. 237.

Horn Book, March-April, 1999, Marilyn Bousquin, study of One Monkey Too Many, proprietress. 194.

Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 1991, argument of Nothing to Fear, September 15, 1992, review of The Primrose Way, p. 1189; January 1, 1997, regard of No Such Thing, p. 60; May 1, 2002, review of Someday, p. 659; August 1, 2002, study of Baby for Sale, p. 1134; October 1, 2003, review of Horace the Horrible, p. 1226.

Kliatt, July, 1998, Paula Rohrlick, review of The Falcon; November, 2003, Sherri F. Ginsberg, con of Someday, p. 52.

Publishers Weekly, Dec 30, 1996, p. 67; April 19, 1999, review of One Monkey Very Many, p. 72; July, 2002, con of Someday, p. 80; August 12, 2002, review of Baby for Sale, p. 299.

School Library Journal, May, 1991, Ann Welton, review of Nothing be Fear, p. 93; June, 1992, proprietress. 116; September, 1992, Barbara Chatton, debate of The Primrose Way, p. 278; October, 1995, Carolyn Noah, review attain A Place to Call Home, possessor. 155; June, 1997, p. 95; May well, 1999, Lauralyn Persson, review of One Monkey Too Many, p. 92; July, 2002, Beth L. Meister, review unconscious Someday, p. 122; September, 2002, Rosalyn Pierini, review of Baby for Sale, p. 196; October, 2003, Cheryl Preisendorfer, review of Someday, p. 90; Nov, 2003, Laurie Edwards, review of Horace the Horrible, p. 104, and Susan L. Rogers, review of A Hotshot Named Nell, p. 142; June, 2004, MaryAnne Karre, review of A Magus Named Nell (audio version), p. 73.

Teacher Librarian, April, 2004, Helen Moore, analysis of AWizard Named Nell, p. 10.

Voice of Youth Advocates, October, 1991, Thyme Moran, review of Nothing to Fear, p. 228; December, 1992, Esther Sinofsky, review of The Primrose Way, holder. 280; February, 1996, Hazel Moore, conversation of A Place to Call Home, p. 373.