BeachBoundbooks is pleased to be coordinating a Blog Tour for the middle grade/young adult novel A Buss From Lafayette by Dorothea Jensen from April 11 - May 2, 2016.
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About the Book
Title: A Buss From Lafayette
Author: Dorothea Jensen
Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult Historical Fiction
Recommended Ages: 10-17
Number of Pages: 266
Publisher: BQB Publishing
Publication Date: April 22, 2016
Synopsis: Fourteen-year-old Clara Hargraves lives on a farm in Hopkinton, a small New Hampshire town, during the early 19th century. She has a couple of big problems. First of all, she has a stepmother, Priscilla, who used to be her spinster schoolteacher aunt. Clara resents that her late mother’s older sister has not only married her father but is about to have a baby. To make matters worse, “Prissy Priscilla”keeps trying to make the rambunctious, clever, and witty Clara act like a proper young lady. Secondly, Clara has red hair, making her a target for teasing by a handsome older boy, Dickon Weeks, and by her pretty seventeen-year-old Dread Cousin Hetty. Clara, however, has a secret plan she hopes will change this. During the last week of June, 1825, Clara’s town is abuzz because the famous General Lafayette is about to visit their state during his farewell tour of America. In those eventful seven days, Clara learns a lot about her family, Hetty, Dickon, herself, and about Lafayette. She comes to understand the huge and vital role the young French aristocrat played in America’s Revolutionary War and to see that her problems might not be quite so terrible after all.
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Excerpt:
It is
June, 1825. On a farm in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, Clara Hargraves, 14, is
telling this story. In this excerpt, she is at the supper table with her
father, her stepmother (Priscilla, whom Clara thinks of as “Prissy”), and her
brother, Joss.
“I do not need to take a bath every single
Saturday night when I can jump in the pond to
wash off anytime I like, at least in the summertime.”
Prissy glanced at Father again. “Yes, I have been
meaning to speak to you about that, Clara. Now that you are a young lady, you
must not swim in the pond any longer. It is not seemly.”
I looked at my stepmother in disbelief. “It is
seemly enough, ma’am. I wear my chemise, and Joss’s old breeches, if anyone is
around, so I am well-covered.”
“That’s another thing. Now that you are fourteen,
you are too old to wear Joss’s clothes anymore,” she said.
“Not even to ride astride?”
“Especially not to ride astride. You are not
to do so any more.”
“Wear the breeches or ride astride?”
“Both.”
“But . . .”
Father spoke up. “No ‘buts,’ my girl, you heard your mama. She knows how
young ladies must behave. If she says you must ride sidesaddle from now on,
that is what you must do.”
“Sidesaddle? But that is so silly!” I protested.
“I cannot hold on properly with only one knee around the horse. It is like
riding half a horse!”
Father leaned over and patted my hand.
“Nevertheless, daughter, you must use Priscilla’s sidesaddle whenever you ride Feather.” He turned to his wife. “Although that will not be for much
longer, I am afraid. I have found a buyer for Feather in Warner. I am taking
her up there on Monday. We can certainly use the extra money, with the new baby
coming and all.”
“But, Father, there is no other horse I can ride!
Fury is getting to be too old for
anything but pulling the whisky. And Flame is barely trained to the bridle, let alone any kind
of saddle. She’s not even two years old yet!”
“She will be two in a couple of weeks, daughter.
Perhaps by the time she is trained, you will have learned to ride properly on
your mother’s sidesaddle.”
Something about the way Father said this made my temper flare.
“If you insist, Father. But . . . but she is not my mother, she is only my aunt! My real mother’s old maid sister!” I jumped from my chair and ran from the room,
leaving shocked silence behind me.
It is June, 1825. On a farm in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, Clara Hargraves,
14, is telling this story. In this excerpt, she is at the supper table with her father
,
her stepmother (Priscilla, whom Clara thinks of as
“
Prissy
”
), and her brother,
Joss.
“
I do not need to take a bath every single Saturday night when
I can jump in
the pond to wash off anytime I like, at least in the summe
rtime.
”
Prissy glanced at Father again.
“
Yes, I have been meaning to speak to you
about that, Clara. Now that you are a young lady, you mus
t not swim in the pond
any longer. It is not seemly.
”
I looked at my stepmother in disbelief.
“
It is seemly enough, ma
’
am. I wear my
chemise, and Joss
’
s old breeches, if anyone is around, so I am well-cover
ed.
”
“
That
’
s another thing. Now that you are fourteen, you are too old to
wear Joss
’
s clothes anymore,
”
she said.
“
Not even to ride astride?
”
“
Especially
not to ride astride. You are not to do so any more.
”
“
Wear the breeches or ride astride?
”
“
Both.
”
“
But . . .
”
Father spoke up.
“
No
‘
buts,
’
my girl, you heard your mama. She knows how
young ladies must behave. If she says you must ride side
saddle from now on, that
is what you must do.
”
“
Sidesaddle? But that is so silly!
”
I protested.
“
I cannot hold on properly with
only one knee around the horse. It is like riding half a horse
!
”
Father leaned over and patted my hand.
“
Nevertheless, daughter, you must use Priscilla
’
s sidesaddle whenever you ride
Feather.
”
He turned to his wife.
“
Although that will not be for much longer, I am
afraid. I have found a buyer for Feather in Warner. I
am taking her up there on
Monday. We can certainly use the extra money, with the n
ew baby coming and
all.
”
“
But, Father, there is no other horse I can ride! Fury
is getting to be too old for
anything but pulling the whisky. And Flame is barely trained to
the bridle, let
alone any kind of saddle. She
’
s not even two years old yet!
”
“
She will be two in a couple of weeks, daughter. Perhaps by the t
ime she is
trained, you will have learned to ride properly on your mother
’
s sidesaddle.
”
Something about the way Father said this made my temper flar
e.
“
If you insist, Father. But . . . but she is not my
mother
, she is only my aunt!
My
real
mother
’
s old maid sister!
”
I jumped from my chair and ran from the
room, leaving shocked silence behind me
It is June, 1825. On a farm in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, Clara Hargraves,
14, is telling this story. In this excerpt, she is at the supper table with her father
,
her stepmother (Priscilla, whom Clara thinks of as
“
Prissy
”
), and her brother,
Joss.
“
I do not need to take a bath every single Saturday night when
I can jump in
the pond to wash off anytime I like, at least in the summe
rtime.
”
Prissy glanced at Father again.
“
Yes, I have been meaning to speak to you
about that, Clara. Now that you are a young lady, you mus
t not swim in the pond
any longer. It is not seemly.
”
I looked at my stepmother in disbelief.
“
It is seemly enough, ma
’
am. I wear my
chemise, and Joss
’
s old breeches, if anyone is around, so I am well-cover
ed.
”
“
That
’
s another thing. Now that you are fourteen, you are too old to
wear Joss
’
s clothes anymore,
”
she said.
“
Not even to ride astride?
”
“
Especially
not to ride astride. You are not to do so any more.
”
“
Wear the breeches or ride astride?
”
“
Both.
”
“
But . . .
”
Father spoke up.
“
No
‘
buts,
’
my girl, you heard your mama. She knows how
young ladies must behave. If she says you must ride side
saddle from now on, that
is what you must do.
”
“
Sidesaddle? But that is so silly!
”
I protested.
“
I cannot hold on properly with
only one knee around the horse. It is like riding half a horse
!
”
Father leaned over and patted my hand.
“
Nevertheless, daughter, you must use Priscilla
’
s sidesaddle whenever you ride
Feather.
”
He turned to his wife.
“
Although that will not be for much longer, I am
afraid. I have found a buyer for Feather in Warner. I
am taking her up there on
Monday. We can certainly use the extra money, with the n
ew baby coming and
all.
”
“
But, Father, there is no other horse I can ride! Fury
is getting to be too old for
anything but pulling the whisky. And Flame is barely trained to
the bridle, let
alone any kind of saddle. She
’
s not even two years old yet!
”
“
She will be two in a couple of weeks, daughter. Perhaps by the t
ime she is
trained, you will have learned to ride properly on your mother
’
s sidesaddle.
”
Something about the way Father said this made my temper flar
e.
“
If you insist, Father. But . . . but she is not my
mother
, she is only my aunt!
My
real
mother
’
s old maid sister!
”
I jumped from my chair and ran from the
room, leaving shocked silence behind me
About the Author: Dorothea Jensen
Dorothea Jensen, born in Boston, Massachusetts, grew up in Chillicothe, Illinois. She majored in English literature at Carleton College. After teaching high-school English and serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Brazil, she earned a master s degree in education at the University of New Mexico. In 1989, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich published Dorothea s novel for young readers about the American Revolution, The Riddle of Penncroft Farm. In addition to other honors, it was named an International Reading Association Teacher s Choices Selection and is read in classrooms throughout the U.S. A Buss from Lafayette is set in the small New Hampshire town where Dorothea lives. Two things inspired her to write this story. First, was learning that Lafayette passed right by her house during his 1824-5 Triumphal Tour. Another was meeting a woman whose ancestor received a kiss from Lafayette. That buss, passed down through generations, eventually came to Dorothea. This sparked her interest in Lafayette s contributions to our struggle for independence. Dorothea also enjoys writing rhyming verse. She has written a series of award-winning illustrated modern Christmas stories in verse featuring Santa's Izzy Elves.
For more information about Dorothea and her books, please visit
http://www.dorotheajensen.com/.
Blog Tour Giveaway
Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice Giveaway ends: May 2, 11:59 pm, 2016 Open to: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Dorothea Jensen and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com.
