About the Author

Jennifer Richard Jacobson grew up in a small town in NH where she did not have her sights on writing. “I always knew I would be a teacher,” says Jacobson who comes from a long line of educators. “But, I did keep regular diaries – great writing practice now referred to as journals or blogs.” She also won her school essay contest.

While an undergrad at Lesley College, Jacobson took a course in Children’s Literature and fell in love with the genre. She played with writing for the next few years while teaching, holding administrative positions, and getting her M. Ed. at Harvard Graduate School of Education. It wasn’t until she and her husband moved to Maine, and she accepted a position as first grade teacher, that she became determined to write a children’s book. “I told my students that we were going to write up a storm that year. I was going to teach them everything I knew about writing and they in turn would help me to become a better writer. And they did.”

Jacobson refers to the novel she wrote that year as “practice,” and although it will never be published, it kept her on the path, kept her writing. When her daughter was born, she decided to try her hand at a writing career. She wrote articles, books for parents and teachers, teacher guides and “staple books” for first grade reading programs – anything that would give her the time and space to continue trying to break into the children’s field.

Jacobson credits one of her freelance jobs for giving her the understanding she needed to finally sell a children’s book. Now the mother of two children, she accepted the challenge of reading and reviewing 400 picture books for an educational company in the process of creating reading anthologies. “My children thought I was the greatest. I stayed in my pajamas and read to them all day long.” Soon after this gig ended, Jacobson went on a writing retreat and wrote her first saleable book, A Net of Stars. “All of the things I had learned about writing finally came together for me.” Three years later she had her first signing and a few of those children from her first grade class came to say hello. They were seniors in high school.

Since that time, Jacobson has published picture books (A Net of Stars and Moon Sandwich Mom), beginning readers (Andy Shane and the Very Bossy Dolores Starbuckle, Andy Shane the Pumpkin Trick), middle grade novels (Winnie Dancing On Her Own, Truly Winnie and Winnie at Her Best) and a young adult novel (Stained). Her books have been accepted as Library Guild Selections and nominated to state award lists. Winnie Dancing On Her Own was chosen as a Top Ten First Novel by Booklist. Stained, the recipient of three starred reviews has been nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults.

Jennifer currently lives in Cumberland Maine with her family.

Read an interview with Jennifer Jacobson about Stained.

[Photo: Jennifer (center) with co-workers, 1978]