Books with author Richard W. Jennings

As a young boy begins to dig a hole in his back yard, his shovel suddenly strikes something hard, and big, as it turns out, in more ways than one. What he discovers, preserved in the Cretaceous limestone is more spectacular than anything the town of Melville, Kansas, has ever seen before—something that should perhaps be left to the experts, or should it? As the determined eleven-year-old continues to dig, outlines of an ancient creature emerge, but what is it? And more importantly to some, whose is it?

Turtle Rock is where sixteen-year-old Jenny Snow goes to sit and listen to her iPod and think about the tedium that is her life. Although she is by nature a steady, responsible sort of person, Jenny longs for adventure, even danger. Little does she know, danger and adventure lie right under her nose—quite literally. Having spotted her sunning on Turtle Rock, a young seventh-generation pirate named Coop DeVille has swum all the way from his ship to make her acquaintance. Of course, she is too consumed by her own boredom to notice him clinging to the rock below, but a pirate is not easily deterred, which is only one of the many things Jenny soon discovers. Like the ancient map Coop DeVille keeps taped to his stomach, the adventure of Jenny’s life finally begins to unfold—and as it does, even the rock she sits on nearly becomes her undoing in this rollicking tale of piracy, peril, lost treasure, and newfound love—as only Richard Jennings could imagine it.

"I believe there is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply digging a hole. A hole is an achievement. A great hole is a great achievement. I was going to dig a great hole." So begins the Sesquicentennial Winner of the State of Kansas's first 150 years of contributions to literature, a book ranked with Little House on the Prairie and The Wizard of Oz as a story that will last forever, nominated for the William Allen White Award, critiqued as "Mel Brooks for Middle Readers," "Kurt Vonnegut Jr. for Kids" and "Today's Mark Twain," Jennings story pits the grown-ups against one brave kid in a disagreement that began in the Cretaceous Age. The search for a solution comes from present-day Native Americans. Fun. Memorable. Important. Exqusitely done.Should be in every library where 10-12-year-olds drop in. - Dorothy Bush, Senior Librarian, Palm Beach County Libraries.

When a wounded wild rabbit is found in the front yard, he is given a good home and a memorable name by a twelve-year-old with a liking for basketball, the trombone, and the newspaper’s daily horoscope. But Orwell is no ordinary rabbit. It soon seems that he is attempting to reward his young caretaker by mysteriously sending coded messages in the form of predictions: the final score of the Super Bowl, advance notice of a pop quiz at school, tomorrow’s winning lottery number! Can this little rabbit foretell the future? Can Orwell actually make luck happen? Here is a magical and heartwarming story about kindness, friendship, and hope in the shadow of fortune’s ever-turning wheel.

When a wounded wild rabbit is found in the front yard, he is given a good home and a memorable name by a twelve-year-old with a liking for basketball, the trombone, and the newspaper’s daily horoscope. But Orwell is no ordinary rabbit. It soon seems that he is attempting to reward his young caretaker by mysteriously sending coded messages in the form of predictions: the final score of the Super Bowl, advance notice of a pop quiz at school, tomorrow’s winning lottery number! Can this little rabbit foretell the future? Can Orwell actually make luck happen? Here is a magical and heartwarming story about kindness, friendship, and hope in the shadow of fortune’s ever-turning wheel.

When a wounded wild rabbit is found in the front yard, he is given a good home and a memorable name by a twelve-year-old with a liking for basketball, the trombone, and the newspaper’s daily horoscope.But Orwell is no ordinary rabbit. It soon seems that he is attempting to reward his young caretaker by mysteriously sending coded messages in the form of predictions: the final score of the Super Bowl, advance notice of a pop quiz at school, tomorrow’s winning lottery number! Can this little rabbit foretell the future? Can Orwell actually make luck happen?Here is a magical and heartwarming story about kindness, friendship, and hope in the shadow of fortune’s ever-turning wheel.

A long-forgotten apple and a donut in a white paper bag sit stop a Kelvinator refrigerator in Kansas one night discussing what it means to grow old. Created for first-graders, this charming classic returns as a Kindle exclusive after 35 years out-of-print. Popular among first-grade teachers throughout America, this is the book that launched the career of the prize-winning author of Orwell's Luck.

Thirteen delightful stories for fifth and sixth-graders by the author of ORWELL'S LUCK Houghton Mifflin, Boston and New York, 2000), all concerning an intellectually curious young girl named Aubrey, her surprising, changing family, her peculiar back yard neighbor, a boy called Bean, and a fascinating world of pets, ranging from an adopted stray cat named Porchie to an Octopus named Sandy to a parakeet named Budgie, among others, with three singing dachshunds always close at hand. Jennings has been called "The Master of Midwest Whimsy" (Kirkus Reviews) and in this popular collection his deft sense of humor shines through as it gently demonstrates the rewards of caring for all creatures great and small.

A young boy spends an hour each day in solitary detention for a misunderstanding with his science teacher and his middle school principal.During this time he records his thoughts about religion, love and youth. He finds himself assisted by an eastern chipmunk named Dwayne who has a special gift. By the time sixth grade ends, he understands and is prepared to face the world.. By the author of the international classic ORWELL'S LUCK..