Background

Jenny Oldfield was born on August 8, 1949, in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. She is the daughter of Barbara Holmes and Jim Lyne.

Education

Jenny Oldfield studied at the University of Birmingham, where she got a Bachelor of Arts in 1970, Master of Arts in 1972, and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1976.

Career

Jenny Oldfield is a teacher and children's book writer. She worked at the Edgbaston High School as an English teacher in 1972-1974. Then she taught at Fairleigh Dickinson University. In 1977 Jenny also served as an English teacher at King Edward's High School for Girls. As a teacher, she taught English in schools and colleges throughout England to 1993.

Besides, Jenny Oldfield is a writer. She is a prolific author who has produced a large selection of accessible fiction books in the Animal Alert, Definitely Daisy, and Horses of Half Moon Ranch series. She writes under several pseudonyms, including the Dark Angel and Beautiful Dead trilogies as Eden Maguire. Young, Gifted and Dead, and Killing You Softly appear under the name Lucy Carver while in the Stardust Stables series Jenny writes as Sable Hamilton. Other her pseudonyms include Jasmine Oliver, Donna King, Kate Fielding, Tina Nolan, Kate Pennington, Lucy Daniels, and Jenny Holmes.

In the Definitely Daisy books, readers meet the rambunctious heroine as she ignores the advice and wishes of the adults in her life to go her way. Books such as Blind Alley, part of the Animal Alert series, focus on the veterinarians and animal welfare experts who intervene in cases of animal cruelty and injury, as well as those who train and work with animals. Reluctant or dyslexic readers in the middle grades are the target of several lighthearted novels penned by Jenny Oldfield, among them Extra Time, about a teen soccer player named Danny who has girl-trouble off the playing field, and its sequel, Off-Side.

Although most of her titles fall into the mass-market category, Jenny has made a reputation as a skilled young adult novelist. Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, published in 1975, tells the story of a girl caught up in the magic and drama of a group of otherworldly dancers who appear near her home at night. Jenny Oldfield's first novel, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, prompted a Junior Bookshelf reviewer to remark that the "delicate but happy" work "shows great promise."

Continuing to write for a young audience through the 1980s, Jenny hit her stride with teen problem novels such as Bad Company and January's Child. In January's Child, fifteen-year-old Justine runs away from her foster home and attempts to care for her younger brother while living on the street. The love of a boyfriend finally provides Justine with the ability to pull her life together in a novel that "has a good plot and deals well with the feelings of the protagonists," according to School Librarian contributor Valerie Caless. An abused teen is the focus of Bad Company, and as in January's Child, Jenny Oldfield makes a romance with a caring young man the catalyst through which the young protagonist learns to confront her problems.

Achievements

• Jenny Oldfield is widely known as the author of children's books. She has written a large number of books for both children and adults, including the Animal Alert and Half Moon Ranch series. Her book Tough It out, Tom, became a World Book Day selection in 2003.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Tell Me the Truth, Tom!

    (Tom Bean has cried wolf once too often, so when he spots ...)

    2002
  • Christmas with the Spitfire Girls

    (Yorkshire 1944: All they want this year is a truly happy ...)

    2020
  • Watch Out, Wayne

    (Tom was only trying to be kind - making friends with new ...)

    2002
  • Midnight Lady

    (Don't miss The Horses of Half Moon Ranch! Crazy Horse, Jo...)

    1999
  • Misfits and Rebels

    (This collection of short stories about poor or troubled t...)

    1990
  • Home Farm Friends

    (Old friends - new adventures! Speckle the sheepdog in a w...)

    2000
  • The Spitfire Girls

    ("Anything to Anywhere!" That's the motto of the Air Trans...)

    2019
  • Johnny Mohawk

    (Kirstie Scott knows her beloved horses are friendly and g...)

    1999
  • Hollywood Princess

    (A wild and dangerous mountain setting and a daughter who ...)

    2000
  • Starlight

    (A wild and dangerous mountain setting and a daughter who ...)

    2000
  • Iron Eyes

    (Four Winds and his spirit horse, Silver Cloud, now face t...)

    2002
  • Bad Heart

    (The young warrior, Four Winds, has battled hard to comple...)

    2003
  • El Dorado

    (Kirstie and Lisa head west to the Sierra Nevada desert, t...)

    2001
  • Animal Alert: Abandoned

    (When a box full of kittens is found on the road, the vet'...)

    1997
  • The Mill Girls of Albion Lane

    (On the cobbled streets of a Yorkshire mill town in 1931, ...)

    2015
  • Animal Alert: Christmas Lost and Found

    (City life moves fast, but so do the staff at Beech Hill R...)

    1999
  • The Shop Girls of Chapel Street

    (Orphaned young, Violet Wheeler has been brought up by her...)

    2016
  • Scott: The Braveheart

    (On holiday in Scotland, Helen and Hannah spot a Shetland ...)

    1999
  • Maisie Wants Her Mum

    (Stonelea Cat Sanctuary features in several of the existin...)

    2000
  • Mitch Goes Missing

    (Stonelea Cat Sanctuary features in several of the existin...)

    2000
  • Mac Climbs a Mountain

    (Stonelea Cat Sanctuary features in several of the existin...)

    2000
  • Crazy Horse

    (There is no greater trust than the one between a rider an...)

    1999
  • Lady Roseanne

    (Matt's new girlfriend, Lauren, has gone on a study trip a...)

    2001
  • The Land Girls at Christmas

    (It's 1941 and as the Second World War rages on, girls fro...)

    2017
  • The Hidden Tomb

    (Middleton Hall is a massive crumbling old house, filled w...)

    1995
  • Dream On, Daisy!

    (This title presents three new exciting stories about Dais...)

    2001
  • Smoky: The Mystery

    (A grey kitten turns up on Phoebe Watson's doorstep but he...)

    1998
  • Keep the Noise down, Kingsley

    (Irrepressible and downright loud, Kingsley is notorious a...)

    2002
  • Little Vixen

    (Brad Martin, a famous reining expert, visits Half Moon Ra...)

    2000
  • Animal Alert: Killer on the Loose

    (A spate of violent attacks has left a Jack Russell with a...)

    1997
  • Three For A Girl

    (Set in the United States, the two 16-year-old protagonist...)

    1999
  • Animal Alert: Intensive Care

    (An injured golden retriever arrives at Beech Hill Rescue ...)

    1997
  • Animal Alert: Living Proof

    (A greyhound is found wandering in the local shopping cent...)

    1998
  • Chiquitita

    (Chiquitita is a young mare taken from the wild herd to be...)

    2001
  • Titch Plays Tricks

    (Helen and Hannah are pleased as punch when their very own...)

    2001
  • Tess Gets Trapped

    (Helen and Hannah are pleased as punch when their very own...)

    2001
  • Toby Takes the Plunge

    (Helen and Hannah are pleased as punch when their very own...)

    2001
  • Jethro Junior

    (Jethro Junior is a star jumping horse, tested out by Kirs...)

    2000
  • Silver Cloud

    (Silver Cloud, a wild horse who is noble, brave, fast, and...)

    2002
  • All Fall Down

    (This book features the residents of Paradise Court coping...)

    1997
  • Samantha: The Snob

    (Samantha, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, is a Christmas...)

    1999
  • Sampson: The Giant

    (Samson is a massive Old English Sheepdog and his tiny own...)

    1997
  • Golden Dawn

    (There's excitement at the ranch when Golden Dawn gives bi...)

    2000
  • Animal Alert: Quarantine

    (A disease is spreading like wildfire among the ponies at ...)

    1997
  • Skye: The Champion

    (A car accident involving the twins' father leaves a Highl...)

    1998
  • Extra Time

    (Jenny Oldfield combines first love and football in a tale...)

    1999
  • Animal Alert: Blind Alley

    (The vets at Beech Hill are treating a beautiful black tra...)

    1998
  • Third-Time Lucky

    (There is no greater trust than the one between Kirstie an...)

    1999
  • Wild Horses

    (There is no greater trust than the one between a rider an...)

    1999
  • I'd Like a Little Word, Leonie!

    (It's World Book Day and Daisy's class dress up as book ch...)

    2001
  • Skylark

    (There is a recipe for trouble for ranch owner, Sandy Scot...)

    2001
  • Diamond Charm

    (This is a recipe for trouble for ranch owner, Sandy Scott...)

    2002
  • Scruffy: The Scamp

    (Scruffy is an adorable mongrel puppy who is running wild....)

    1997
  • Animal Alert: Skin And Bone

    (A starving donkey is left tethered on frozen wasteland. T...)

    1998
  • Danny Boy

    (Danny Boy is an energetic black colt, new to the ranch. O...)

    2000
  • Spike: The Tramp

    (It's September and Spike's first winter lies ahead. Helen...)

    1996
  • Moondance

    (A recipe for trouble for ranch owner, Sandy Scott. But he...)

    2001
  • Steamboat Charlie

    (A recipe for trouble for ranch owner, Sandy Scott. But he...)

    2001
  • Silver Spur

    (A recipe for trouble for ranch owner, Sandy Scott. But he...)

    2001
  • Eagle Wing

    (A recipe for trouble for ranch owner, Sandy Scott. But he...)

    2001
  • Don't Make Me Laugh, Liam

    (Tom's cousin Liam is coming over from Dublin. Wicked! Lia...)

    2002
  • Not Now, Nathan!

    (Nerdy Nathan's pet spider has gone missing. Daisy and the...)

    2001
  • Gunsmoke

    (It's Kids' Week at the ranch. Kirstie befriends Lacey, a ...)

    2000
  • Seven for a Secret

    (The face of the millennium. The most photographed girl in...)

    2000
  • The Spitfire Girls Fly for Victory

    (Planes to deliver. A war to be won. Bobbie Fraser, Mary H...)

    2020
  • Get Lost, Lola!

    (Tom is disgusted. Lola Kidman is trying to blackmail him ...)

    2002
  • Wedding Bells for Land Girls

    (Summer of 1942. Britain is in the depths of war and the W...)

    2018
  • A Christmas Wish for the Land Girls

    (Winter, 1942. Brenda and Joyce are just two of the girls ...)

    2018
  • The Midwives of Raglan Road

    (Summer, 1936. Newly trained midwife Hazel Price returns t...)

    2016
  • When Ellie Cheated

    (Hands off. Keep out! No one reads this diary, ok! It's al...)

    2002
  • When Geri and I Fell Out

    (Hands off. Keep out! No one reads this diary, ok! It's al...)

    2002
  • When Dad Went on a Date

    (Hands off. Keep out! No one reads this diary, ok! It's al...)

    2002
  • When I Won A Prize

    (Hands off. Keep out! No one reads this diary, OK! It's al...)

    2002
  • When Shah Went Weird

    (Hands off. Keep out! No one reads this diary, ok! It's al...)

    2002
  • The Telephone Girls

    (1936. George Street, West Yorkshire, houses a gleaming, b...)

    2017
  • Tomorrow Shall be My Dancing Day 1975
  • Mr. Hardisty's Kind Offer 1975
  • Secret of the seasons 1976
  • Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights 1976
  • Fancy That! 1979
  • Going Soft 1979
  • Yours Truly... 1979
  • The Terrible Pet 1979
  • Fitzwilliam Frog 1986
  • Said the Blind Man 1986
  • Ricardo Rat 1987
  • Leonardo Lizard 1988
  • Smile please 1989
  • Bad Company 1989
  • January's Child 1989
  • Rings on Her Fingers 1992
  • Camping Paradiso 1994
  • Paradise Court 1995
  • After Hours 1995
  • Deadline 1996
  • Off-Side 2001
  • Animal Alert: Grievous Bodily Harm 1998
  • Animal Alert: Running Wild 1998
  • Animal Alert: Heatwave 1999
  • Eight for a Wish 1999
  • Two for Joy 1999
  • Four for a Boy 1999
  • Five for Silver 2000
  • Six for Gold 2000
  • One for Sorrow 1999
  • Nine for a Kiss 2000
  • Speckle: The Stray 1996
  • Solo: The Homeless 1996
  • Susie: The Orphan 1996
  • Snip and Snap: The Truants 1996
  • Sinbad: The Runaway 1996
  • Home Farm Twins 1997
  • Sunny: The Hero 1997
  • Stevie: The Rebel 1997
  • Socks: The Survivor 1997
  • Stanley: The Troublemaker 1998
  • Sorrel: The Substitute 1998
  • Sultan: The Patient 1998
  • Sugar and Spice: The Pickpockets 1998
  • Sophie: The Show-Off 1998
  • Silky: The Foundling 1999
  • Stalky: The Mascot 1999
  • Shelley: The Shadow 1999
  • Spot: The Prisoner 1999
  • Star: The Surprise 1999
  • Home Farm Twins: Snapshots 2000
  • Smarty: The Outcast 2000
  • Rodeo Rocky 1999
  • Navaho Joe 2000
  • Santa Ana 2001
  • You're a Disgrace, Daisy! 2001
  • Just You Wait, Winona! 2001
  • You Must Be Joking, Jimmy! 2001
  • What's the Matter, Maya? 2001
  • Drop Dead, Danielle 2002
  • Tough it Out Tom! 2003
  • When Scott Got Lost 2002

Views

Quotations: "You have to persevere and believe in what you are doing. It's important too to be rigorous with yourself - hone your work, shape it, and make sure you are doing a good job; be passionate about what you do and care about it."

"I am compelled to write. For me, it is about storytelling and continuing a dialogue with the reader. I love the whole process and particularly that moment when I sit down at my desk and think, "OK, today I am going to write 2,000 words." I like the sense of achievement when you get there."

Interests

• walking, traveling, riding

• Sport & Clubs

  tennis

Connections

Jenny Oldfield has two daughters: Kate Sioban and Eve Helen.

Father:

Jim Lyne

Mother:

Barbara Holmes

Daughter:

Kate Sioban Oldfield

Daughter:

Eve Helen Oldfield