Books with author Roslyn M. Jordan

An eloquent, dramatic story of an adolescent girl’s first glimpse into the problems of prejudice in her community and the redeeming power of friendships.For thirteen-year-old Kate, being poor in a small rural Florida town means feeling ashamed and isolated. At school, her classmates laugh at her old clothes, and things are not much better at home. Kate’s mother is working long hours just to keep food on the table, and Kate has to keep an eye on her brothers.But one day, the family’s goat gets loose and wanders down the road. That’s when Kate meets the Wilsons, a tight knit, middle-class African-American family. Kate is particularly drawn to Ruby, the glamorous grown daughter who has returned home from New York City. As Kate begins to spend time with Ruby in town, she becomes aware of the undercurrent of discrimination and prejudice that runs through her community and the complex roles of race and class in her own relationships.Rosa Jordan offers readers a gripping, empathetic tale of how two families come together despite small town prejudices and cultural differences. In doing so, she provides a window into the larger problems in America, where class and race often divide people.

A complex story about small town life and displacement―both of humans and of wildlifeChip Martin’s life is going well, but now everything is beginning to fragment. His brother Justin’s away at college and his sister Kate is busy with her high school activities. His single mom’s lifelong friendship with Booker Wilson has suddenly taken a romantic turn, and now his best friend Luther won’t speak to him. Even worse, Chip has to face the possibility of being uprooted.Chip’s feelings of dislocation are compounded when he meets kids at his community center who are refugees, left homeless in the aftermath of a recent hurricane along the Florida Panhandle. But then Chip discovers something unbelievable―a family of Florida panthers that have been driven out of their home in the Everglades. Chip is alarmed when he hears that the last few acres of the woods are to be cleared to make way for a meat-packing plant. When he tries to protect the panthers, he learns that he has more friends than he thought.Author Rosa Jordan’s memorable, well-drawn characters are woven together into a web of complex relationships marked by the challenges of displacement. The result is an intriguing and relatable tale of unexpected friendship that will satisfy readers.

A complex story about small town life and displacement—both of humans and of wildlifeChip Martin’s life is going well, but now everything is beginning to fragment. His brother Justin’s away at college and his sister Kate is busy with her high school activities. His single mom’s lifelong friendship with Booker Wilson has suddenly taken a romantic turn, and now his best friend Luther won’t speak to him. Even worse, Chip has to face the possibility of being uprooted.Chip’s feelings of dislocation are compounded when he meets kids at his community center who are refugees, left homeless in the aftermath of a recent hurricane along the Florida Panhandle. But then Chip discovers something unbelievable—a family of Florida panthers that have been driven out of their home in the Everglades. Chip is alarmed when he hears that the last few acres of the woods are to be cleared to make way for a meat-packing plant. When he tries to protect the panthers, he learns that he has more friends than he thought.Author Rosa Jordan’s memorable, well-drawn characters are woven together into a web of complex relationships marked by the challenges of displacement. The result is an intriguing and relatable tale of unexpected friendship that will satisfy readers.

Eleven-year-old Danny Ryan and 19-year-old Wendy Marshall think their friendship is only about looking after two baby raccoons that Danny has rescued. But when a bank holdup upsets Wendy so much that she can hardly stand to be around people, she leaves her job as a teller, retreats to a farm, and surrounds herself with injured and orphaned wildlife. Danny, neglected at home and considered weird in a town where other boys are into hunting, finds peace on the farm, too, plus excitement, as he and Wendy adopt ever more exotic animals such as llamas, bobcats, a serval, an ocelot, and a blind lynx. Over time the two friends develop a bond that goes beyond care of the animals to caring for each other. As it turns out, Wendy rescues not just wildlife but Danny, as well. What’s more, the bank robbers are still at large and still a threat, and Danny, now 14, must act to save Wendy’s life.

An eloquent, dramatic story of an adolescent girl’s first glimpse into the problems of prejudice in her community and the redeeming power of friendships.For thirteen-year-old Kate, being poor in a small rural Florida town means feeling ashamed and isolated. At school, her classmates laugh at her old clothes, and things are not much better at home. Kate’s mother is working long hours just to keep food on the table, and Kate has to keep an eye on her brothers.But one day, the family’s goat gets loose and wanders down the road. That’s when Kate meets the Wilsons, a tight knit, middle-class African-American family. Kate is particularly drawn to Ruby, the glamorous grown daughter who has returned home from New York City. As Kate begins to spend time with Ruby in town, she becomes aware of the undercurrent of discrimination and prejudice that runs through her community and the complex roles of race and class in her own relationships.Rosa Jordan offers readers a gripping, empathetic tale of how two families come together despite small town prejudices and cultural differences. In doing so, she provides a window into the larger problems in America, where class and race often divide people.

Justin struggles with conflicting choices and important decisions about family, loyalty, and responsibility as he decides what his path in life will be.Justin Martin is almost fifteen, and up until now his life has seemed woefully predictable―barely getting by in school, taking the bus home to do his chores around their small farm, bickering with his younger brother and sister. His mom has to work nonstop to make ends meet.Then when Justin becomes the first freshman to make the high school’s varsity baseball team, he’s convinced his problems are all behind him. All he needs now is a little money for a bicycle to ride home from baseball practice. To earn the money for the bike, Justin sells Little Billy, one of the family’s beloved baby goats. But Justin’s siblings find out that the new owner is horribly mistreating Little Billy. Then, when a red sports car appears in the Martin’s driveway one afternoon, is it bringing emotional upheaval for the entire family, the tempting lure of adventure, or both?Author Rosa Jordan’s memorable, well-drawn characters are woven together into a web of complex relationships marked by the challenges of figuring out what is right and wrong and the confusion of divided loyalties. The result is a richly textured portrait of small town life and a struggling family that will intrigue and satisfy readers.

Eleven-year-old Danny Ryan and 19-year-old Wendy Marshall think their friendship is only about looking after two baby raccoons that Danny has rescued. But when a bank holdup upsets Wendy so much that she can hardly stand to be around people, she leaves her job as a teller, retreats to a farm, and surrounds herself with injured and orphaned wildlife. Danny, neglected at home and considered weird in a town where other boys are into hunting, finds peace on the farm, too, plus excitement, as he and Wendy adopt ever more exotic animals such as llamas, bobcats, a serval, an ocelot, and a blind lynx. Over time the two friends develop a bond that goes beyond care of the animals to caring for each other. As it turns out, Wendy rescues not just wildlife but Danny, as well. What’s more, the bank robbers are still at large and still a threat, and Danny, now 14, must act to save Wendy’s life.

Justin struggles with conflicting choices and important decisions about family, loyalty, and responsibility as he decides what his path in life will be.Justin Martin is almost fifteen, and up until now his life has seemed woefully predictable—barely getting by in school, taking the bus home to do his chores around their small farm, bickering with his younger brother and sister. His mom has to work nonstop to make ends meet.Then when Justin becomes the first freshman to make the high school’s varsity baseball team, he’s convinced his problems are all behind him. All he needs now is a little money for a bicycle to ride home from baseball practice. To earn the money for the bike, Justin sells Little Billy, one of the family’s beloved baby goats. But Justin’s siblings find out that the new owner is horribly mistreating Little Billy. Then, when a red sports car appears in the Martin’s driveway one afternoon, is it bringing emotional upheaval for the entire family, the tempting lure of adventure, or both?Author Rosa Jordan’s memorable, well-drawn characters are woven together into a web of complex relationships marked by the challenges of figuring out what is right and wrong and the confusion of divided loyalties. The result is a richly textured portrait of small town life and a struggling family that will intrigue and satisfy readers.

Eleven-year-old Danny Ryan and 19-year-old Wendy Marshall think their friendship is only about looking after two baby raccoons that Danny has rescued. But when a bank holdup upsets Wendy so much that she can hardly stand to be around people, she leaves her job as a teller, retreats to a farm, and surrounds herself with injured and orphaned wildlife. Danny, neglected at home and considered weird in a town where other boys are into hunting, finds peace on the farm, too, plus excitement, as he and Wendy adopt ever more exotic animals such as llamas, bobcats, a serval, an ocelot, and a blind lynx. Over time the two friends develop a bond that goes beyond care of the animals to caring for each other. As it turns out, Wendy rescues not just wildlife but Danny, as well. What's more, the bank robbers are still at large and still a threat, and Danny, now 14, must act to save Wendy's life.