Jacqueline Jules is the author of fourteen books for children, including No English, Sarah Laughs, (a Sydney Taylor Honor Book), Unite or Die: How Thirteen States Became a Nation, and Duck for Turkey Day. Her poetry and prose have appeared in Cricket, Spider, Ladybug, Highlights for Children, and Wee Ones Online Magazine.
Writing for publication takes dedication and perseverance. Jacqueline spends most of her free time in her office working on ideas and polishing stories. “It's not easy, but I love the process. I have wanted to be a writer since I was in third grade. It is one of my earliest memories of school. My teacher gave everyone a strip of construction paper and asked us to write down what we wanted to be when we grew up. In my newly acquired cursive, I wrote 'writer.' All through grade school, middle school, and high school, I wrote poetry and short stories. In college, at the University of Pittsburgh, I earned a B.A. in Writing. A few years later, my poems and stories began to appear in magazines. And in 1995, my first book, The Grey Striped Shirt, was published by Alef Design Group.”
Jacqueline Jules lives in Northern Virginia and is married to a wonderful man who edits all her stories and does all the technical work for her Web site. She is also the proud mother of two grown sons. Her hobbies include walking, reading, and attending the theater.
Selected Reviews of Jacqueline's Books
The Ziz and the Hanukkah Miracle
Jacqueline Jules
This team brings us another delightful tale of a wacky bird in this Hanukkah story. The author-illustrator team puts a whimsical spin on the traditional tale of miraculous oil by having the lamp oil first belong to the Ziz. Like any tot with a favorite toy, though, the Ziz is loathe to share the light from his lamp, either with other animals shivering in the darkness or with Judah, who needs the oil for the menorah at the Holy Temple. But after chatting with God (who comes across as a very patient figure), the Ziz discovers that his gift of light to the menorah serves to bring more light to him. This lesson in sharing never swerves to the didactic, though, thanks to Jules’s humorous touch and Kahn’s energetic pictures. The final pages find the Ziz in the midst of a cozy slumber party, with all his animal buddies enjoying his lamp. A happy ending, indeed, for the preschool set. 2006, Globe Pequot Press, $17.95. Ages 3 to 7. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum (Children's Literature).
No English
Jacqueline Jules
No English is a lovely story of how friendship can overcome the boundaries of language. Blanca, the new girl in school, speaks no English. The classroom teacher, who is sensitive to Blanca's predicament, asks the class to imagine themselves being surrounded by people they don't understand. She helps the students brainstorm ideas for making Blanca feel welcome. After several unsuccessful attempts at befriending her, Diane, who sits in the desk next to Blanca, finally is able to communicate with her by drawing pictures. They exchange pictures of their family members and begin giggling and whispering during class and soon find themselves in the assistant principal's office for disciplining. He immediately recognizes the value of their shared drawings, but reminds the girls to be more attentive during class. The next day he displays their pictures outside the office for everyone to admire. Blanca and Diane become the best of friends and eventually Blanca overcomes her inability to speak and understand English. She even teaches the other students how to count in Spanish during a jump rope game! The text is accompanied by soft watercolor illustrations which clearly depict the students' emotions. An excellent addition to any elementary school library collection. 2007, Mitten Press/Ann Arbor Media Group, Ages 5 to 8, $17.95. Reviewer: Theresa Finch (Children's Literature).
Sarah Laughs
Jacqueline Jules
Illustrated by Natascia Ugliano
Using "midrash (legend), modern biblical commentary and biblical texts" the author has given Sarah, the wife of Abraham, a depth of personality not usually envisioned in retellings of the story of Isaac's parents. Presented with a feeling of rich vocabulary and thoughtful writing, we see Sarah as a young woman whose laugh gave joy to all who heard it. Facts are seamlessly interwoven into the storyline; in describing Abraham as he and Sarah are wed, the author says "Her husband was different from most of the people in their city. Abraham did not pray to idols. He worshipped one invisible God who was too powerful to be made into a simple statue of wood of stone." We learn about how Abraham and Sarah taught other families to worship one God and to do good deeds. Once Abraham heard the voice of God telling him to move to a new place, Sarah helped him pack and leave their home. We learn about her humanity as the author tells us of her worries but also shows us that she bravely followed Abraham, helping his people as they traveled. As they grew older and were still childless, Sarah was saddened and her laughter was silenced; but she continued to be a wonderful role model and wife. After the visit of three angels, who told Abraham that he would indeed have a child who would father a nation of people (just as God had promised earlier), Sarah's laugh rang out across the land as she held Isaac (which means "laughter"). The subtle illustrations are graceful in their echoes of the story line and have a charm that reaches off the page to engage the reader. The colors and shapes are bright without being too bold or "modern"--they have a look that is suitable for a story from ages past. This is a gentle retelling of an old story that is dense with details and studded with life lessons without being didactic or too wordy. It will be a useful and well read addition to any library. 2008, Kar-Ben, Ages 5 to 9, $17.95. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature).
Unite or Die: How Thirteen States became a Nation
Jacqueline Jules
Illustrations by Jef Czekaj
History can sometimes be confusing to children, especially if there are facts that are hard to keep straight or remember; however, if the facts are made interesting and fun, children will remember them better. The author has taken the facts of the first thirteen states and written them in a unique form to help children remember what happened. Readers will learn, through the genre of a play, the known--and not so well known--facts about the first thirteen states. There are thirteen characters, played by children, representing the states. The illustrations show the reader each part of the play, how the characters are dressed, and each scene. Many details are given about the states but are in the form of the characters talking, discussing, and arguing back and forth to get their point across. Children will see the expressions on the faces of each state represented and learn from the dialogue as well as other words on each page. There are extra notes included in the back to give more interesting details about the story. Teachers would benefit from having this book in their classroom. They may even try to adapt it and perform a class play of their own. 2009, Charlesbridge, Ages 9 up, $7.95. Reviewer: Cathi I. White (Children's Literature).
Can you imagine what it is like to be surrounded by people you do not understand? Is it possible to communicate with someone when you speak different languages? Author Jacqueline Jules will explore these questions as she discusses her picture book, No English (Mitten Press, 2007), about a second grade girl who finds a creative way to bridge a language barrier with a new classmate from Argentina. Her presentation will feature activities from her Teacher's Guide, (posted at www.mittenpress.com/promo/64740-guide.pdf) which includes questions for discussion, hands-on projects, crossword puzzles, writing responses, and poetry.
Jacqueline's latest picture book, Unite or Die: How Thirteen States became a Nation, was published in 2009 by Charlebridge and it aligns well with standardized tests for the revolutionary war period of American History.
Jacqueline Jules is most available in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. However, she welcomes speaking engagements in the New York City area where her children live. Her programs will be tailored to fit your particular student population and can include PowerPoint presentations, songs, activities, poetry, and writing lessons. Jacqueline is an experienced teacher/librarian who regularly works with students in pre-school through sixth grade.
Group size: 75 (100 or less will work)
Fees: $350.00 per session. Additional charge for extra sessions and out-of-town appearances. Fees can be negotiated.
To learn more about Jacqueline and her publications please visit www.jacquelinejules.com.
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