Pirates, Manatees, and Mysteries! Oh My!

Welcome to the world of Jane Wood’s books. Juvenile fiction author Jane R. Wood captures the imagination of young readers ages 9-14 through stories rich with mystery, adventure, and humor. Follow the escapades of the Johnson family, as 13-year old Joey hears voices in St. Augustine; 9-year old Bobby has a close encounter with a manatee; and 5-year old Katy meets a pirate on Amelia Island. Wood weaves the history and the environment of her settings into her storylines, making her books educational, as well as fun.

Posted July 24, 2008

I was recently the guest on a local TV show with Danielle Dolan, the Education Director for the St. Johns Riverkeeper. She talked about the wonderful things that organization is doing in the community regarding education and awareness about our river. I, of course, talked about Trouble on the St. Johns River, which has been endorsed by the St. Johns Riverkeeper. For those of you living in the Jacksonville area, First Coast Family will air on cable channel 29 at 7:00 PM on two consecutive Fridays -- July 25 and Aug 1. I hope you’ll tune in.

Speaking of the St. Johns Riverkeeper… they are offering a Family River Ride on August 9, from 9:30-11:30 AM. This is a great way to see the river, learn about its history and ecology, and have some fun with hands-on activities. It costs $25 per family and leaves from downtown Jacksonville near Friendship Fountain on the south bank of the St. Johns River. Bring the kids and enjoy a morning on the water. You must make a reservation in advance. For more information and to make a reservation, go to: http://www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org/calendar.asp

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center, which is also featured in Trouble on the St. Johns River, released another loggerhead turtle on June 30. Dylan was rescued as a hatchling in 1998. Like Spitfire, who was released in May, you can track Dylan online by going to www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org. Tracking these turtles is a great way to make science come alive for kids.

School will be starting in another month. For teachers who are planning ahead, feel free to contact me if you’d like to schedule an Author Visit to your school. I can be reached at 904-268-9572 or at jane@janewoods.com

Enjoy the rest of your summer by reading a good book!

Posted June 10, 2008

I’m off to California again to visit some schools on the west coast. I just returned from BookExpo America in Los Angeles where I met many new people and enjoyed the excitement of the publishing world. My book, Adventures on Amelia Island: A Pirate, A Princess and Buried Treasure, was one of three finalists for a Benjamin Franklin Award from the Independent Book Publishers Association. My book did not win, but I am honored to be recognized at the national level.

My newest book, Trouble on the St. Johns River, recently received a good review from The Midwest Book Review. One comment included, “Trouble on the St. Johns River is a call to action for young children, and highly recommended for community library children’s fiction collections.” I’m told the review was done through the University of Wisconsin, where the book will be made available to Wisconsin’s public school system and community libraries. I’m excited about expanding into other states.

I recently spoke to a group of very environmentally-conscious students at Fletcher Middle School in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. They had read my book and were engaged in a number of projects, encouraged by science teacher Kathy Poe. Not only did the students create songs, raps, poems, websites, posters, and a variety of hands-on activities, several of them wrote Letters to the Editor to several local publications, listing things people can do the help the environment. These kids “get it.” Let’s hope their generation does a better job of protecting and preserving the environment than the previous one. I’m proud of these students, and commend Kathy Poe on her enthusiastic and creative way of making learning exciting and relevant for kids.

I’m off to California, and hopefully some cooler weather.

Last weekend my two book signings were outdoors in the sun, sand and wind.

Posted 05/09/08

Saturday found me and my husband, Terry, on Jekyll Island for the Nest Fest launching the beginning of the sea turtle nesting season. The highlight of the day was the release of three rehabilitated turtles from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. A crowd gathered to celebrate their release. Check out the video of the release of Spitfire, a large loggerhead turtle fitted with a transmitter, on the Center’s website at www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org . The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is one of the places Joey, Bobby and Katy visit in Trouble on the St. Johns River. I know they would highly recommend a visit there to everyone.

I was with my pirate friends on Sunday at the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival on Amelia Island. The weather was great…the seafood tasty…and the pirates were up to the old tricks…always fun! I enjoyed seeing many of you who stopped by my table. The Shrimp Festival is featured in my second book, Adventures on Amelia Island: A Pirate, A Princess, and Buried Treasure.