Jones, Jennifer B.

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Jones, Jennifer B.

PERSONAL: Married; husband's name Morgan (a fire captain); children: Joshua, Aubrey.

ADDRESSES: Home—Homer, NY. Office—Happily Ever After, 6 N. Main St., Homer, NY 13077.

CAREER: Writer and bookseller. Happily Ever After (children's bookstore), Homer, NY, owner, 2003–.

AWARDS, HONORS: Delaware Diamonds Book Award, 2001–02.

WRITINGS:

Dear Mrs. Ryan, You're Ruining My Life (children's novel), Walker (New York, NY), 2000.

The (Short) Story of My Life (children's novel), Walker (New York, NY), 2004.

Contributor of short stories to youth magazines.

SIDELIGHTS: As a child, Jennifer B. Jones was a voracious reader who dreamed of becoming an author. She began writing when her own children were in junior high school and has since published short stories in magazines for children and two juvenile novels. Jones also runs a children's bookstore.

The title character of Jones' first book, Dear Mrs. Ryan, You're Ruining My Life, is also a mother and writer. The central figure, however, is her son Harvey, who is routinely embarrassed by his mother's public explanations of how she models her books after his life. It occurs to Harvey and his friend Seal that perhaps the divorced woman could be lured away from the subject by romance. The friends succeed in setting her up with their principal, but Harvey is devastated to find that the relationship is just another opportunity for his classmates to tease him. A Publishers Weekly reviewer found that the book's "funniest moments arise when Harvey turns the tables on his scribbling mother." Marilyn Payne Phillips commented in School Library Journal that the story "will engage and amuse reluctant readers."

Michael Jordan, a boy in the sixth grade, is the focus of The (Short) Story of My Life. Although Mike is not named after the famous basketball player, as the shortest boy in his class he is often bullied and taunted about his name. He gets to vent his feelings on the subject in a journal for his English class and has a supportive best friend. When the eighth-grader that Mike has a crush on seems interested in him, he is disappointed to find that she is really attracted to his older brother. The boy's self-esteem finally gets a boost when the fire department asks him to help rescue one of the bullies, who is stuck in a drainpipe. Mike puts aside his thoughts of revenge and discovers that being different sometimes has its advantages. According to School Library Journal reviewer JoAnn Jonas, the tale is "somewhat predictable," but Jonas also commented that "there is humor, warmth in the relationships, and a reality that balances the story." Booklist writer Shelle Rosenfeld called The (Short) Story of My Life "an entertaining story with a positive message." Similarly, a Kirkus Reviews critic described the novel as "a sweet, well-intentioned tale," despite doubts that a fire department would enlist a young boy's help.

Jones told CA: "I inherited a love of books and reading from my parents. Books were prized possessions in our home, and reading and visiting the library were favorite activities. My interest in being a writer grew naturally from that love of literature.

"My work is most influenced by writers of realistic, humorous fiction. I love Beverly Cleary, Barbara Parks, Judy Blume, Cynthia Rylant, and Barbara Robinson, to name a few. My writing process is evolving all the time. As soon as I explain to someone just how I go about writing a story, I find that I'm doing it a bit differently. One of the most important things, of course, is to sit in the chair and write. One of the most important things I've learned, not just as a writer but as a person, is this: If you are willing to do the work it takes, it is never too late to make dreams come true.

"Of my books, I don't have a favorite, but I must say that Harvey from Dear Mrs. Ryan, You're Ruining My Life is my favorite character. Harvey began speaking to me years before I wrote this story, and the two of us became very close."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, July, 2004, Shelle Rosenfeld, review of The (Short) Story of My Life, p. 1844.

Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2004, review of The (Short) Story of My Life, p. 332.

Publishers Weekly April 24, 2000, review of Dear Mrs. Ryan, You're Ruining My Life, p. 92.

School Library Journal May, 2000, Marilyn Payne Phillips, review of Dear Mrs. Ryan, You're Ruining My Life, p. 172; August, 2004, JoAnn Jonas, review of The (Short) Story of My Life, p. 124.