Jennifer Bjork

Author Jennifer Bjork used to teach 8th grade science, protect natural ecosystems and sea turtles, develop monitoring programs, and assist on archeological digs. Now retired, she gets to write the stories she has imagined for decades. She can't help including work experiences and life in unusual places in her stories.

Research, context, and a good timeline are especially important in historical fiction. Jennifer was awarded the Royal Palm silver medal for her first historical fiction by the Florida Writers Association in 2022. The Whistling Galilean: Shai's Tale is told by the son of a fisherman who befriends Yeshua (Jesus) as he starts his ministry around the Sea of Galilee. As she wrote, she wondered how she would react to Yeshua if she had lived in those times. The issues we face today are the same as Shai faced back in the first century. She hopes that through the innocent eyes of a maturing child, the reader may discover different ways to deal with relationships - impossible family members, disagreements, bullies, and first infatuation. How do you choose between two desirable paths?

Creative since the get-go, Jennifer enjoys to paint word pictures. Her first rhyming series fits between picture books for those tots learning to read and chapter books for new readers. Meet Penelope Morris, Of Course! with a palm tree hair-do and bold spirit. Read it aloud and play with the rhymes as she has a tea party with Boris and climbs a tree with Doris. The second Penelope book takes place on a sailboat. Soon to come out, it is also illustrated by the talented Christine Cousart.