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Dorothea Jensen

Goodreads Author

Born

Boston, The United States

Website

http://www.dorotheajensen.com

Twitter

dgjensen116

Genre

History, Poetry, Young Adult

Influences

Dr. Seuss, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jane Austen ...more

Member Since

August 2013

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Author Dorothea Jensen is proud to be one of a very few people who has boarded a pirate ship and attacked a dragon-prowed Viking vessel manned by real, horn-wearing Vikings. She was born in Boston, but grew up in Chillicothe, Illinois, site of the Viking adventure. She earned a BA in English from Carleton College and an MA in 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 and history non-profits, written one play performed in Noh style, and another celebrating Lafayette's Farewell Tour performed at Old Sturbridge Village.

Her first historical novel for young readers, THE RIDDLE OF Author Dorothea Jensen is proud to be one of a very few people who has boarded a pirate ship and attacked a dragon-prowed Viking vessel manned by real, horn-wearing Vikings. She was born in Boston, but grew up in Chillicothe, Illinois, site of the Viking adventure. She earned a BA in English from Carleton College and an MA in 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 and history non-profits, written one play performed in Noh style, and another celebrating Lafayette's Farewell Tour performed at Old Sturbridge Village.

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 studying the American Revolution. Her second, A BUSS FROM LAFAYETTE, is set during General Lafayette's Farewell Tour of America (1824-5) in the small town in New Hampshire where she has lived since 1991. She also co-authored a teacher's guide for using A BUSS FROM LAFAYETTE to help students understand the Lafayette’s Revolutionary role, the French Alliance and other facts about the Revolutionary War.

In addition, Dorothea writes modern Christmas stories in verse. Modeled on the 19th century classic poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” these award-winning illustrated story poems feature decidedly 21st century elves savvy in modern technology. Five stories have been published: TIZZY, THE CHRISTMAS SHELF ELF; BLIZZY, THE WORRYWART ELF; DIZZY, THE STOWAWAY ELF; FRIZZY, THE S.A.D. ELF, and BIZZY, THE BOSSY BOOTS ELF—the last of which she wrote during the 2020 Shutdown.

Another product of the 2020 pandemic was LIBERTY-LOVING LAFAYETTE: HOW “AMERICA’S FAVORITE FIGHTING FRENCHMAN” HELPED WIN OUR INDEPENDENCE. For this unique work, Dorothea combined her knowledge of history and her delight in versifying to create a short, playful rhyming narrative about Lafayette’s role in our Revolution.

In addition to writing, Dorothea is an experienced actress and singer. She performed with the Ex Machina Baroque Opera Company in Minneapolis, and also played most of the Gilbert and Sullivan battle-ax contralto and ingenue mezzo roles with companies in Philadelphia and Minneapolis. She nearly always lost the hero to the soprano. ...more

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Dorothea Jensen’s books

Average rating: 4.07 · 457 ratings · 122 reviews · 18 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Riddle of Penncroft Farm 3.99 avg rating — 294 ratings — published 1989 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Buss from Lafayette 4.08 avg rating — 53 ratings — published 2016 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Frizzy, the S.A.D. Elf (Santa's Izzy Elves, #4) by Dorothea Jensen (Goodreads Author), Shayne Hood (Illustrator) 4.28 avg rating — 46 ratings — published 2014 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Tizzy, the Christmas Shelf Elf (Santa's Izzy Elves, #1) by Dorothea Jensen (Goodreads Author), Michelle Alfonso (Illustrations) 4.29 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 2013 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Blizzy, the Worrywart Elf (Santa's Izzy Elves, #2) by Dorothea Jensen (Goodreads Author), Shayne Hood (Illustrator) 4.06 avg rating — 18 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Liberty-Loving Lafayette: How "America's Favorite Fighting Frenchman" Helped Win Our Independence 4.85 avg rating — 13 ratings — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dizzy, the Stowaway Elf (Santa's Izzy Elves, #3) by Dorothea Jensen (Goodreads Author), Andrea Agostini (Illustrator) 3.82 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2013 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bizzy, the Bossy Boots Elf: Santa's Izzy Elves #5 by Dorothea Jensen (Goodreads Author), Shayne Hood (Illustrations) 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Classroom and Reading Guide: A Buss from Lafayette by Dorothea Jensen (Goodreads Author), Sienna Larson 3.50 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Buss From Lafayette Teacher's Guide by Dorothea Jensen (Goodreads Author), Sienna Larson 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Dorothea Jensen's Blog

I'm a Unique Record Holder!

I believe I hold the record

for "Buss(es)" from Lafayette(s)!

Michael Halbert Ben Goldman Mark Schneider

(Photo courtesy of the American Friends of Lafayette.)

Above are three gentlemen who specialize in portraying General Lafayette, who did so much for America, at historical sites and events.

I have not only MET all thre

Series by Dorothea Jensen

Santa's Izzy Elves (4 books)
by

Dorothea Jensen (Goodreads Author),

Shayne Hood (Illustrator)

4.18 avg rating — 92 ratings

Dorothea is Currently Reading

Dorothea Jensen is currently reading

Lafayette in America in 1824 and 1825: Journal of a Voyage to the United States

by Alan Hoffman

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May 05, 2016 12:54PM

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A Death Along the River Fleet (Lucy Campion Mysteries, #4)

by Susanna Calkins (Goodreads Author)

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Apr 13, 2016 12:37PM

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King Philip's War: Colonial Expansion, Native Resistance, and the End of Indian Sovereignty (Witness to History)

by Daniel R. Mandell

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May 04, 2016 03:09AM

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Dorothea’s Recent Updates

Dorothea Jensen wrote a new blog post I just came across this buried on the internet. I’d forg... I just came across this buried on the internet. I’d forgotten about it.Author Spotlight - Dorothea Jensen on her award winning book, A Buss from Lafa Read more of this blog post »
Jan 23, 2026 01:29PM · like

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Quotes by Dorothea Jensen (?)

“Tizzy squawked, and he bounced like a ball on the floor.
“I completely forgot; Santa said something more.
He said that a book gives your very thoughts wings,
That carry you off to see wonderful things,
That lift you aloft, throughout time, throughout space
To every era and every place!”
― Dorothea Jensen, Tizzy, the Christmas Shelf Elf

tags: christmas, elf, humor, shelf, verse

2 likes

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
What's the Name o...: Coming of age/Historical book where young female protagonist and strict but later caring (step?)mother bond over time	3	711	Feb 06, 2021 04:55PM
What's the Name o...: Juvenile book, probably an award winning one. About a young child who either visits or moves to a 1700's house and discovers it's haunted by a ghost of a young boy who fought and died during the Revolutionary War in the US.	4	52	Apr 13, 2023 07:21AM
What's the Name o...: ABANDONED. Children's book, may have been part of a series. It revolves around a boy who moves into a house with a ghost (the ghost was a slave). The song "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" pops up several times in the book.	12	1076	May 27, 2023 08:14AM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Part historical fiction, part modern ghost story, childrens' novel where a boy met a ghost named Will who helped him find his grandma's will. Read 2016-2018. [s]	4	17	Jan 10, 2024 01:44PM