Author Profile
Sharon Jennings
23 Books
Sharon Jennings is a prolific Canadian author who has written numerous books for young readers, ranging from picture books to young adult novels. She is widely recognized for her work writing many titles in the popular Franklin the Turtle franchise alongside its original creators. Beyond her franchise contributions, she has authored original stories like A Chanukah Noel and the engaging Bat chapter books.
Sam and Simon think summer has been saved when a movie crew rolls onto their street. Even better, their favorite kid actor is part of the cast. The members of the Bat Club are determined to get close to the action, and somehow they manage to meet the star and land spots as extras.
But movie-making is not all excitement. There is waiting, more waiting, and then still more waiting. Just when Sam and Simon begin to wonder whether the set is as boring as the rest of summer, real trouble arrives, and the boys find themselves pulled into a drama no script could have planned.
Funny, fast-paced, and full of friendship, Bats Out the Window is a lively chapter book adventure for readers who enjoy big schemes, kid-sized chaos, and heroes who stumble into trouble.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
64 Pages
Charlotte has just moved with her Jewish family to a small village in France, where almost everything feels unfamiliar. The language is new, the school is new, and even ordinary things, like milk, do not taste the same.
As Christmas approaches, the whole town seems to glow with decorations, presents, cinnamon, and chocolate. Charlotte is fascinated and a little lonely, wishing she could take part while still honoring Chanukah. When she notices a classmate whose family has very little, Charlotte begins to imagine a way to share the season’s kindness across both holidays.
Based on a true story, A Chanukah Noel is a warm picture book about moving to a new country, respecting different traditions, and discovering generosity in a new community.
6-8 Years
24 Pages
Sam and Simon need money, and ordinary jobs will not do. No dog walking. No lemonade stand. The Bat Club needs something more original, so the boys turn backyard compost into a strange new product for plant lovers: compost tea.
At first, business at the weekly market is a success. Then the moneybox turns up empty, and Sam and Simon are sure their pirate-like neighbor, Mrs. Hook, is involved. The boys have been heroes before, but this time they need a plan clever enough to prove what happened and recover the missing money.
Energetic and funny, Bats in the Garbage is a stand-alone chapter book adventure about friendship, messy ideas, neighborhood mystery, and the trouble that can follow a plan that works a little too well.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
64 Pages
Summer is looking dull for Sam until Simon, the new boy at school, arrives with the perfect idea: a secret club. Soon the two friends have a name, a clubhouse, secret signals, and all the serious rules a proper club needs.
The Bats also need protection from Ted and his gang, the Gorillas, so Sam and Simon build a system of traps to keep their enemies out. But their plan catches something much bigger than a neighborhood bully, and suddenly the boys are in the middle of an adventure that could make them local heroes.
Fast, funny, and easy to follow, Bats and Burglars is a lively chapter book for newly confident readers who like friendship, secret clubs, clever plans, and a little harmless trouble.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
40 Pages
Grandma is leaving for Greenland for a whole year, and Joey’s family has a surprise party to plan. There is cleaning to do, gifts to make, and a special pie to prepare. Joey is sure he can help with everything, but his little brother Alfie keeps getting in the way.
Joey thinks Alfie is too small to be useful, until one kitchen mishap puts the party’s dessert in trouble. Then the brother Joey pushed aside may be the one person who can help.
Warm, funny, and easy for young readers to understand, The Bye-Bye Pie is a family story about siblings, celebrations, and learning that everyone has something important to give.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
Franklin wants his birthday party to be unforgettable, so when his friends share their ideas, he gets carried away. A trip to Tamarack Play Park sounds perfect, and Franklin invites everyone before checking with his parents.
There is just one problem: the party costs too much for a whole crowd. Franklin can bring only two friends, and choosing between them feels impossible. With his parents’ help, he has to think carefully about fairness, friendship, and what really makes a birthday special.
Bright, familiar, and full of everyday feelings, Franklin’s Birthday Party is a gentle story for young readers about excitement, disappointment, and solving a problem with care.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
Playing games with your friends is the best, but not when someone tries to make all the rules! Franklin is used to taking charge, telling everyone what to play and exactly how to play it. But his friends are growing very tired of his bossy behavior.
When they finally decide they would rather play without him, Franklin finds himself completely alone. He realizes that always demanding his own way is a quick way to lose his best pals. Watch how this gentle turtle learns a difficult but important lesson about compromise and fairness. He soon discovers that playing nicely and sharing the decisions makes every game much more fun for everyone.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
Thanksgiving is usually Franklin's absolute favorite time of year. He loves baking pumpkin-fly pie, making beautiful cornucopias, and sharing a giant feast with his grandparents. But this year, his grandparents are traveling far away and cannot make it to dinner.
Franklin is sad that the holiday will not be the same without guests at the table. So, he decides to invite some friends over as a special surprise for his parents. Little does he know, his mother and father have secretly done the exact same thing! When everyone shows up at the front door at the same time, the house is bursting with friends. Discover how Franklin and his family solve their lack of space for the ultimate holiday celebration.
6-8 Years
33 Pages
Hop on the school bus, because Franklin's class is heading to the museum! Franklin is thrilled for his very first class trip, until Beaver whispers a scary secret. She tells him that there are real, giant dinosaurs waiting for them inside the building.
Suddenly, Franklin is filled with worry. He tries to enjoy all the fascinating exhibits, but he cannot stop thinking about the scary monsters that might be lurking around the corner. When he finally comes face-to-face with a towering Tyrannosaurus Rex, he discovers a wonderful surprise. Tag along with Franklin as he turns a frightening rumor into a fascinating discovery and learns that museums are filled with amazing history, not monsters!
6-8 Years
33 Pages
Franklin is ready for a cozy evening with Granny, the babysitter he knows best. But when Granny cannot come, Mrs. Muskrat arrives instead, and Franklin is sure the night will not be nearly as much fun.
At first, Franklin notices everything that is different. Mrs. Muskrat does not do things exactly like Granny, and that makes him feel unsure. But as the evening goes on, Franklin begins to discover that a new babysitter can bring her own kind of fun, comfort, and surprise.
Warm, gentle, and easy to relate to, this Franklin story helps young readers think about change, new grown-ups, and giving someone unfamiliar a fair chance.
6-8 Years
30 Pages
Franklin has the hat, the cape, the wand, and the magic book. He is ready to be a magician, except for one small problem: he cannot make himself disappear.
After seeing Marten the Magnificent perform, Franklin wants to impress his friends with a show of his own. But when he promises a trick he does not know how to do, excitement turns into worry. Franklin must figure out whether a magic show can still be wonderful without the impossible trick he promised.
Playful and easy to read, Franklin and the Magic Show is a fun early reader about imagination, confidence, and learning not to let one mistake spoil the whole performance.
6-8 Years
36 Pages
Nobody likes getting hurt, especially not Franklin. During a rough game of soccer, his shell cracks, and the doctor says he needs to go to the hospital for an operation to fix it. His friends and family all tell him how incredibly brave he is being.
But on the inside, Franklin is completely terrified. He is worried that the doctors will take an X-ray and see exactly how scared his tummy really feels! It takes a gentle conversation with the kind Dr. Bear to help Franklin understand a very important secret. Join your favorite turtle as he learns that being brave does not mean you are never afraid; it means doing what you need to do even when you are scared.
6-8 Years
34 Pages
Mr. Owl has given the class an exciting new project. Every student needs to draw a picture of the absolute best part of their neighborhood. While Beaver quickly chooses the busy library and Moose decides on the peaceful pond, Franklin is completely stuck. There are just too many wonderful places to pick from! He loves visiting the fire station and playing at the park, but neither of those feels quite right for his special drawing. As he wanders around town thinking about his assignment, Franklin slowly realizes what truly makes his community so wonderful. It is not the buildings, the parks, or the shops at all. Grab your crayons and join Franklin as he discovers that the most important part of any neighborhood is the amazing people who live there.
6-8 Years
34 Pages
Franklin is excited for Earth Day because Mr. Heron is giving everyone a tree to plant. Franklin imagines a huge backyard tree, perfect for climbing and shade, so the tiny sapling he receives feels like a big disappointment.
Because he is so busy wishing for something larger, Franklin is careless with the little tree and has to retrace his steps to find it. Along the way, he begins to understand that even the tallest trees start small, and that caring for something can matter before it looks impressive.
Gentle and nature-focused, Franklin Plants a Tree is a thoughtful story about patience, responsibility, Earth Day, and seeing the promise in small beginnings.
6-8 Years
36 Pages
Have you ever played so hard that you almost forgot a rule? Franklin the turtle loves playing hide-and-seek with his friends, and one sunny day, they decide to play near the woods. Franklin's mom has always told him never to go into the woods alone. But when it's his turn to hide, Franklin wanders a little too far and suddenly realizes he's lost!
The forest feels big and scary when you're all by yourself. Franklin is frightened, but he remembers something important. What do you think he does to stay safe? Find out how Franklin uses his clever thinking and remembers his mom's advice to handle being lost, and if he finds his way back home.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
The classroom Valentine party is finally here! Franklin has spent hours making beautiful, special cards for all of his classmates. But when he arrives at school and reaches into his bag, his heart sinks. The homemade valentines are completely missing!
Franklin feels terrible. He worries that since he has no cards to hand out, his friends will not want to give him any in return. But he is about to discover a wonderful secret about true friendship. Your favorite turtle learns that you do not need a fancy paper card to show someone you care about them. Dive into this warm holiday story and see how big hearts and kindness can save the day when things do not go as planned.
6-8 Years
36 Pages
Franklin knows a secret, and keeping it to himself is harder than he expected. When he tells something that was meant to stay between him and Bear, his friend is hurt, and Franklin feels terrible.
Trying to fix things is not as simple as Franklin hopes. He wants Bear to stop being upset, but games and friendly gestures do not make the problem disappear. Franklin has to understand what Bear really needs from him: an honest apology.
This gentle Franklin story gives young readers a clear, relatable look at friendship, trust, and why saying sorry matters. With familiar characters and everyday feelings, it is a thoughtful choice for children learning how to repair mistakes.
6-8 Years
36 Pages
It is soccer season, and Franklin loves to play! He loves kicking the ball and running down the field with his friends. There is just one problem. His team loses every single game they play, and they hardly ever score a goal.
Franklin is starting to feel very frustrated, and his teammates are feeling discouraged too. But they soon realize that simply wanting to win is not enough. They need to practice hard, work together, and support each other. Watch as Franklin and his friends discover the true meaning of teamwork and sportsmanship. They learn that doing your best and having fun with your friends is the most important victory of all.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
Franklin is having the kind of day where everything feels wrong. He gets scolded, his friends disappoint him, and by the time he gets home, he feels sure that nobody loves him.
So Franklin packs up his stuffed dog, Sam, and sets off to find a new home and new friends. But as he walks, memories of happy times with his family and friends begin to follow him. Franklin has to sort through his hurt feelings and decide whether running away can really fix a bad day.
Tender and reassuring, Franklin Runs Away helps young readers understand big emotions, family love, and the difference between feeling unloved and being unloved.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
Franklin and Snail are on their way to meet Dynaroo, their favorite storybook superhero. They are excited for a real hero moment, but before they reach the bookstore, someone nearby needs help.
Mrs. Muskrat has lost her key, and Franklin and Snail stop to lend a hand. It is not the kind of adventure they expected, but helping a neighbor turns out to matter more than rushing past a problem. Franklin begins to see that heroes are not only characters with costumes and fame.
Simple, friendly, and reassuring, Franklin and the Hero is a warm early reader about kindness, responsibility, and the everyday courage of helping when you can.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
Franklin is thrilled when Otter comes back for a visit. He remembers all the fun they used to have together and expects everything to feel exactly the same.
But Otter has changed. She does not like some of the old things Franklin remembers, and she is better at some activities while Franklin is better at others. Soon both friends wonder whether growing up means they have grown apart. To enjoy their visit, they have to notice what is different without forgetting what still connects them.
Warm and thoughtful, Franklin and His Friend is a gentle story about friendship, change, and respecting someone you care about as they become a little more themselves.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
By
Sharon Jennings, Paulette Bourgeois, and Brenda Clark
●
With
Robert Penman, Sasha McIntyre, and Jelena Sisic
Franklin finds a giant pumpkin in his backyard and is sure it will make him a winner at the Fall Fair. A blue ribbon seems close enough to imagine, and Franklin can hardly wait to show everyone what he has grown.
Then he learns that a huge pumpkin may not be useful for the contest he had in mind, and the fair’s rules are not exactly what he expected. Franklin has to face disappointment, rethink his plan, and figure out what to do when the thing he is proud of does not fit the prize.
Cheerful and seasonal, Franklin’s Pumpkin is a gentle early reader about fall fairs, big hopes, and learning that success can look different from what you first imagined.
6-8 Years
36 Pages
By
Paulette Bourgeois, Sharon Jennings, and Brenda Clark
●
With
Shelley Southern, Alice Sinkner, and Céleste Gagnon
Franklin loves his goldfish, Goldie, so when his little sister Harriet accidentally knocks Goldie’s bowl into the water, Franklin is heartbroken and angry. Harriet is sorry, but Franklin does not feel ready to forgive her.
As the family deals with the lost pet, Franklin begins to see that Harriet is hurting too. Forgiveness is not easy when something important has gone wrong, and Franklin has to sort through sadness, blame, and love for his sister.
This warm Franklin story gives young readers a tender look at accidents, sibling conflict, and big feelings. It is especially helpful for children learning that forgiveness can take time, even when someone truly feels sorry.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
