Works by
Jane O'Connor
(Writer)

Children's Books

Collections

• Spot Goes Splash! and Other Stories (2000), Edited by Eric Hill, Jane O'Connor, and Laura Driscoll
  Toddlers will love these colorful bath books featuring Spot doing their favorite things. Best of all, they can read and play with them in and out of the bathtub.

• All Aboard Reading Station Stop 1 Collection: Girls Will be Girls (2003)
  Includes stories by Jane O'Connor, Joan Holub, Maryann Cocca-Leffler, and Wendy Cheyette Lewison with illustratons by DyAnne Disalv, Jerry Smath, and Julie Durrell

EEK! Stories to Make You Shriek Series
Ages 4-8

1. Eek: Stories to Make You Shriek (1992)
   Three easy-to-read scary stories about a talking doll, a dog picture that barks, and a Halloween monster.
   4. The Bad Luck Penny (1996)\

2. Dragon Breath (1997)
   While visiting a town in Wales, a boy encounters a legend of a sleeping dragon that wakes up to ravage the countryside every fifty years, a story that seems about to come true once more.

3. The Bad Luck Penny (1996)
   A boy finds a shiny penny that he thinks will bring him good luck, but it grants his wishes in undesirable ways.

Fancy Nancy Series
Ages 4-8

• Fancy Nancy (2005) with Robin Preiss Glasser, Illustrator
  Meet Nancy, who believes that more is ALWAYS better when it comes to being fancy. From the top of her tiara down to her sparkly studded shoes, Nancy is determined to teach her family a thing or two about being fancy.
  
  How Nancy transforms her parents and little sister for one enchanted evening makes for a story that is funny and warm -- with or without the frills.

• Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy (2007) with Robin Preiss Glasser, Illustrator
  Fancy Nancy is back! And when her family decides to get a dog, she's certain she can be fancier than ever. After all, a papillon—a small, delicate, fluffy dog—is the ultimate accessory. But her family wants a large, plain dog. How unglamorous!
  
  With Fancy Nancy's trademark humor and warmth, Nancy discovers that real fanciness does not depend simply on appearance but more on a genuine joie de vivre, which is a fancy phrase for having lots of fun.

• Fancy Nancy's Glamorous Gift (2007 release) with Robin Preiss Glasser

Here Comes the Brownies Series
Ages 4-8

1. Corrie's Secret Pal (1993)
   A lonely new student finds friends and adventures after joining a Brownie Girl Scout troop. Includes instructions for making a friendship bracelet.

2. Sarah's Incredible Idea (1993)
   Shy Sarah has a great idea for her Brownie Girl Scout troop but is not sure she is brave enough to speak up.

3. Make up Your Mind, Marsha! (1993)
   Marsha always has trouble making decisions, but her Brownie friends help her make a difficult choice about whether to go to a sick child's birthday party or to meet a famous ballerina.

4. Amy's (Not So) Great Camp-Out (1993)
   Popular in her Brownies troop because she is always so much fun, Amy worries that she will lose her popularity when she gets sick on a camp-out and can't participate in any of the activities.

5. A Brownie Girl Scout Book (1993)

6. Lauren and the New Baby (1994)
   Lauren is excited at the prospect of a new baby in the house, but her best friend Marsha is afraid it will spoil their friendship.

7. Think Corrie, Think! (1994)
   When she is teamed up with the smartest girl in second grade to work on a Thinking Day project for Brownies, Corrie learns that friends can be different from each other.

Other

• Yours Till Niagara Falls, Abby (1979) by Jane O'Connor and Jane O'Connor and Margot Apple
  Ten-year-old Abby faces two months of summer camp without her best friend. Ages 9-12

• Magic in the Movies: The Story of Special Effects (1980) with Katy Hall, Illustrator

• Just Good Friends (1983)
  Thirteen-year-old Joss copes with changing relationships as her best friend, Fletcher, suddenly starts seeing her as a girl and her parents show signs of marital tension at home.

• The Amazing Bubble Gum Caper (1983) with Joyce Milton, Illustrator-Preschool

• The Dandee Diamond Mystery (1983) by Jane O'Connor and Joyce Milton
  Baby-Preschool

• The Magic Top Mystery (1984) by Jane O'Connor and Jim O'Connor
  Baby-Preschool

• Lulu and the Witch Baby (1986) with Emily Arnold McCully (Illustrator)
  Lulu Witch begins to change her mind about her pesky baby sister when she thinks that one of her magic spells has made the baby disappear.

• The Teeny Tiny Woman (1986) with W. Alley, Illustrator
  A teeny tiny woman, who puts a teeny tiny bone she finds in a churchyard away in a cupboard before she goes to sleep, is awakened by a voice demanding the return of the bone.

• Lulu Goes to Witch School (1987) with Emily Arnold McCully, Illustrator
  Lulu starts witch school and meets a classmate who is best at everything. Ages 4-8

• Sir Small and the Dragonfly (1988) with John O'Brien, Illustrator
  When a dragonfly swoops over the town of Pee Wee and carries Lady Teena away, brave Sir Small rides off on his trusty ant vowing to rescue her. Ages 4-8

• The Ghost in Tent 19 (1988) by Jane O'Connor and Jim O'Connor with Charles Robinson, Illustrator
  A mysterious ghost leads the four boys of Tent 19 on the trail of buried pirate treasure. Ages 9-12

• Molly the Brave and Me (1990) with Sheila Hamanaka
  Beth admires her friend Molly's courage, but on a visit to Molly's country home, Beth surprises herself with her own bravery when the two become lost within the maze of a cornfield. Baby-Preschool

• Slime Time (1990)
  Danny and Jed become contestants on the children's television show "Slime Time," where wrong answers mean getting sprayed with whipped cream but right answers could lead to new skateboards. Ages 4-8

• Super Cluck (1991) by Jane O'Connor and Robert O'Connor (Jane's son) with Megan Lloyd, Illustrator
  Chuck Cluck, an alien chick living on Earth, earns the name Supercluck when he uses his super strength to save baby chicks from a rat.. Ages 4-8

• Nina, Nina Ballerina (1993) with DyAnne DiSalvo
  An accident becomes an opportunity for Nina to stand out in a group of dancing butterflies at the dance show. Ages 4-8

• Splat! (1994) with Marilyn Mets
  A young boy, bothered by his size, thinks that the super squirt gun he buys will transform him from "Squirt" into "Splat Master." Ages 4-8

• Kate Skates (1995)
  When Kate gets new, big kids' ice skates and gives her old ones to her little sister, she is surprised that the new ones are much harder to use. Ages 4-8

• Benny's Big Bubble (1997)

• Nina, Nina Star Ballerina (1997) with DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan, Illustrator
  Nina creates a problem for herself when she tells her friends that she will be a star in the upcoming ballet performance and they misunderstand her.  Ages 4-8

• Nina, Nina, and the Copycat Ballerina (2000) with DyAnne Disalvo, Illustrator
  There's another Nina in Nina's ballet class--and this new Nina doesn't just have the same name. She also has the same leotard, the same dance bag...Nina 2 is a copycat! What is Nina 1 going to do? This easy-to-read story shows how our girl uses her imagination and sense of fair play to reach a funny and clever solution. Ages 4-8

• Snail City (2001) with Rick Brown, Illustrator
  In Snail City life is slow and the snails like it that way, all except for Gail. Ages 4-8

• Dear Tooth Fairy (2002) with Joy Allen, Illustrator
  Robby is worried-Class Picture Day is coming up, and he's the only kid in his class with all his baby teeth! So he writes a letter to the Tooth Fairy, asking if she can hurry things up. Whether they've lost any teeth or not, kids will easily relate to Robby's feelings.

• Henri Matisse (2002) with Jessie Hartland, Illustrator
  Ages 4-8

• Mary Cassatt: Family Pictures (2003) with Jennifer Kalis
  Mary Cassatt is most famous for her paintings of mothers and babies, and that's what first attracts "Claire" because she has a new baby sister. But through research for her class report Claire learns many surprising facts about Mary: she was an American who lived in France nearly all her life, she never married or had children herself, and she became a professional artist at a time when respectable ladies simply did not do that! With beautiful reproductions of Mary Cassatt's best-loved paintings as well as lively childlike pictures that illustrate her life, this Smart About Art book gives children a wonderful "portrait" of a great artist and fascinating woman.  Ages 4-8

• The Perfect Puppy for Me (2003) with Jessie Hartland, Illustrator
  Here is a terrific book for anyone who wants a puppy. Our hero is desperate for a dog of his own. He has dog T-shirts, posters, books, and even a barking clock! But he has to wait until next year when he's ten before he can have a real dog. That gives him lots of time to meet all kinds of dogs and puppies. Next door is Duke, a German shepherd who brings in the groceries; then there's Patsy, a big Newfie who loves to swim! And a little Jack Russell named Tidbit with boundless energy. With so many breeds, how will he ever decide which one is best for him? After visits to the dog show and the dog park, and to see newborn puppies, our friend really gets a feeling for each breed and so will readers. And if you want to know what kind of dog he ends up with, you'll just have to wait and see. That's a surprise! Ages 4-8

• If the Walls Could Talk: Family Life at the White House (2004) with Gary Hovland, Illustrator
  Ages 9-12
  In case you've ever wondered, the walls at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have eyes and ears -- and, what's more, they don't miss a thing. Now, listen up because the walls have a thing or two to tell you!

  • During President John Tyler's presidency, the White House was such a mess that it was called the "Public Shabby House."

  • President William Howard Taft was so large that he had to have a jumbo-size bathtub installed -- one big enough for four people.

  • President Andrew Jackson's "open door" policy at the White House resulted in 20,000 people showing up for his inauguration party. (The new president escaped to the quiet of a nearby hotel!)

  • President Abraham Lincoln didn't mind at all that his younger sons, Tad and Willie, kept pet goats in their White House bedrooms.

  • Children all across the country sent in their own money to build an indoor swimming pool for wheelchair-bound President Franklin D. Roosevelt so that he could exercise.

  • President Harry S. Truman knew it was time to renovate the White House after a leg on his daughter's piano broke right through the floor.

  Hear these funny, surprising stories and more about the most famous home in America and the extraordinary families who have lived in it.

• Sir Small and the Sea Monster (2005) with John O'Brien, Writer and Illustrator
  Tiny Sir Small rides his trusty ant into Itty-Bitty City and immediately must rise to the challenge of rescuing the prince who, the queen fears, was taken captive by a terrible sea monster while out in his boat (a peanut shell). Beginning readers will chuckle at the final revelation: the sea monster is really a frog.  Ages 4-8

• The Snow Globe Family (2006) with S. D. Schindler, Illustrator
  Oh, when will it snow again? wonders the little family who lives in the snow globe. They long for a swirling snowstorm—if only someone in the big family would pick up the snow globe and give it a great big shake.
  
  Baby would love to. She alone notices the little family. She gazes longingly at their snowy little world, but the snow globe is up way too high for her to reach. Then, when a real snowstorm sends the big children outside sledding in the moonlight, Baby finds herself alone in the parlor. . . . Will the snow globe family at last get a chance to go sledding too?
  
  As readers follow the parallel adventures of both families, big and little, they will take special pleasure in the miniature world of the snow globe, where the skating pond is the size of a shiny quarter and a snowman is no bigger than a sugar cube.  Ages 4-8

• Dangerous Admissions: Secrets of a Closet Sleuth (2007 release)

• Fancy Nancy Loves! Loves!! Loves!!! (2007 release) with Robin Preiss Glasser, Illustrator
  Ages 4-8

• Ready, Set, Skip! (2007 release) with Ann James, Illustrator

I can’t skip.
I wish I could.

Other kids are really good.

This little girl can leap, creep, twirl, skate, burp, slurp, and do all the other things kids love to do—except skip! But with the help of a clever suggestion from her mom, she soon finds herself skipping all the way to school. Ann James’s droll illustrations perfectly complement New York Times bestselling author Jane O’Connor’s irresistible rhymes.

Ready, Set, Skip! is an upbeat, lively read-aloud about learning that what you think you can’t do may only be a hop, skip, and a jump away! Ages 9-12

Non-fiction

• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Gardening (1997) by Emma Sweeny and Jane O'Conner

• Stepliving for Teens (2001), Edited by Jane O'Connor, Jennifer Frantz, and Joel D. Block
  There are nearly 16 million teens living in stepfamilies in the United States-and almost 1 million new teens entering stepfamilies each year! And although there are books that may help teens cope with divorce, what about life after divorce? Stepliving for Teens explores real questions from real teens living in stepfamilies. In question-and-answer format, the book covers a wide range of actual stepfamily concerns like: "What should I do if my parent tells me one thing and my stepparent says something else?", "I feel guilty having fun with my father and stepmother when my mom is alone. What should I do?", and "My mother and stepfather are having a baby. Will they forget about me?" Not only will teens get honest answers from two psychologists who specialize in teenagers and stepfamilies, but also straight-talk advice from other step-teens who know what it's like dealing with "steps" everyday.