JACKSON, Neta J. 1944-

PERSONAL: Born October 26, 1944, in Winchester, KY; daughter of Isaac (a Christian school administrator) and Margaret (a teacher and high school librarian) Thiessen; married J. David Jackson (a writer), October 15, 1966; children: Julian, Rachel Jackson Berg, Samantha Sang (Cambodian foster daughter). Education: Attended Multnomah School of the Bible; Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL), B.A., 1966. Politics: Independent. Religion: Christian. Hobbies and other interests: Horseback riding, flower gardening, camping, mountain bike riding, watching Mystery and Masterpiece Theater on PBS, genealogy, creating photo albums.

ADDRESSES: Home and offıce—917 Ashland Ave., Evanston, IL 60202.

CAREER: David C. Cook Publishing Co., Elgin, IL, editor, 1980-85; freelance writer, 1985—. Worship Center, member.

MEMBER: Children's Reading Round Table (Chicago, IL).

AWARDS, HONORS: Silver Angel Awards, Excellence in Media, 1994, for Listen for the Whippoorwill, and 1995, for Attack in the Rye Grass; Gold Medallion Award, Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, 1994, for Breaking Down Walls: A Model for Reconciliation in an Age of Racial Strife; citation for "best children's book of the year," Christian Booksellers Association, citation for "best children's book," Christian Booksellers New Zealand, and C. S. Lewis Award for best series, Youth Book Awards, Christian School Children, all 1995, for the "Trailblazer" series.

WRITINGS:

FOR CHILDREN

Loving One Another—Beginner's Stories on Being a Good Friend, Questar Publishers (Sisters, OR), 1994.

(With husband, Dave Jackson) Hero Tales: A Family Treasury of True Stories from the Lives of Christian Heroes, four volumes, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1996-2001.

(With Dave Jackson and Gordon R. McLean) Too Young to Die, illustrated by son, Julian Jackson, Tyndale House Publishers (Wheaton, IL), 1998.

"TRAILBLAZER" SERIES; WITH HUSBAND, DAVE JACKSON; ILLUSTRATED BY SON, JULIAN JACKSON, EXCEPT WHERE NOTED

The Queen's Smuggler, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1991.

Kidnapped by River Rats, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1991.

Spy for the Night Raiders, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1992.

The Hidden Jewel, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1992.

Escape from the Slave Traders, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1992.

The Chimney Sweep's Ransom, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1992.

The Bandit of Ashley Downs, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1993.

Imprisoned in the Golden City, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1993.

Shanghaied to China, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1993.

Listen for the Whippoorwill, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1993.

Attack in the Rye Grass, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1994.

Trial by Poison, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1994.

Flight of the Fugitives, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1994.

The Betrayer's Fortune, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1994.

Abandoned on the Wild Frontier, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1995.

Danger on the Flying Trapeze, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1995.

The Thieves of Tyburn Square, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1995.

The Runaway's Revenge, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1995.

Quest for the Lost Prince, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1996.

The Warrior's Challenge, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1996.

Traitor in the Tower, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1996.

The Drummer Boy's Battle, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1997.

The Fate of the Yellow Woodbee, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1997.

Defeat of the Ghost Riders, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1997.

The Gold Miners' Rescue, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1998.

The Mayflower Secret, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1998.

Race for the Record, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1999.

Ambushed in Jaguar Swamp, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1999.

Drawn by a China Moon, illustrated by Anne Gavitt, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 2000.

Hostage on the Nighthawk, illustrated by Anne Gavitt, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 2000.

The Forty-Acre Swindle, illustrated by Anne Gavitt, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 2000.

Journey to the End of the Earth: William Seymour, illustrated by Anne Gavitt, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 2000.

Roundup of the Street Rovers: Charles Loring Brace, illustrated by Anne Gavitt, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 2001.

Sinking the Dayspring: John G. Paton, illustrated by Anne Gavitt, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 2001.

Several titles in the "Trailblazer" series have been translated into various languages, including German, Norwegian, Korean, Spanish, and Swedish.

"SECRET ADVENTURE" SERIES; WITH DAVE JACKSON; ILLUSTRATED BY JULIAN JACKSON

Spin: Truth, Tubas, and George Washington, Broadman (Nashville, TN), 1994.

Snap: How to Act Like a Responsible Almost Adult, Broadman (Nashville, TN), 1994.

Smash: How to Survive Junior High by Really Trying, Broadman (Nashville, TN), 1994.

Snag: I'm Dreaming of a Right Christmas, Broadman (Nashville, TN), 1994.

"PET PARABLES" SERIES

The Parrot Who Talked Too Much, Multnomah Press (Portland, OR), 1991.

The Hamster Who Got Himself Stuck, Multnomah Press (Portland, OR), 1991.

The Cat Who Smelled like Cabbage, Multnomah Press (Portland, OR), 1991.

The Dog Who Loved to Race, Multnomah Press (Portland, OR), 1991.

FOR ADULTS

A New Way to Live, Herald Press (Scottsdale, PA), 1983.

Building Christian Relationships, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 1984.

Who's Afraid of a Virgin, Wolf?, Meriwether Publishers (Colorado Springs, CO), 1991.

From Sod Shanty to State Senate (biography of C. R. Thiessen), Castle Rock Publishers (Evanston, IL), 1992.

FOR ADULTS; WITH DAVE JACKSON

Living Together in a World Falling Apart, Creation House (Carol Stream, IL), 1974.

(Editor) Storehouse of Family-Time Ideas: Fall and Winter, David C. Cook Publishing (Elgin, IL), 1987.

(Editor) Storehouse of Family-Time Ideas: Spring and Summer, David C. Cook Publishing (Elgin, IL), 1987.

(With Ed Hurst) Overcoming Homosexuality, David C. Cook Publishing (Elgin, IL), 1987.

Glimpses of Glory: Thirty Years of Community: The Story of Reba Place Fellowship, Brethren Press (Elgin, IL), 1987.

(With Brother Andrew) A Time for Heroes, Vine Books (Ann Arbor, MI), 1988.

(With Kenneth E. Schemmer) Between Life and Death: The Life-Support Dilemma, Victor Books (Wheaton, IL), 1988.

(With Grace A. Wenger) Witness: Empowering the Church through Worship, Community, and Mission, Herald Press (Scottdale, PA), 1989.

On Fire for Christ: Stories of Anabaptist Martyrs, Herald Press (Scottsdale, PA), 1989.

(Editor, with Beth Landis) The Gift of Presence: Stories that Celebrate Nurses Serving in the Name of Christ, Herald Press (Scottsdale, PA), 1991.

(With Gordon R. McLean) Cities of Lonesome Fear, Moody Press (Chicago, IL), 1991.

(With Kenneth E. Schemmer) Tinkering with People, (in "What You Need to Know about the Medical Ethics Crisis" Series), Scripture Press (Wheaton, IL), 1992.

(With Howard Jones) Heritage and Hope: The Legacy and Future of the Black Family in America, Victor Books (Wheaton, IL), 1992.

(With Steve Wilke) When We Can't Talk Anymore: Stories about Couples Who Learned to Communicate Again ("Recovering Hope in Your Marriage" series), Living Books (Wheaton, IL), 1992.

(With Steve Wilke) When Its Hard to Trust, Tyndale House Publishers (Wheaton, IL), 1992.

(With John D. Bradley) Switching Tracks: Advancing through Five Crucial Phases of Your Career, Fleming H. Revell (Grand Rapids, MI), 1994.

(With Raleigh Washington and Glen Kehrein) Breaking Down Walls: A Model for Reconciliation in an Age of Racial Strife, Moody Press (Chicago, IL), 1994.

(With Steve Wilke) When Alcohol Abuses Our Marriage, New Leaf Press (Harrison, AR), 1995.

(With Steve Wilke) When the Odds Are against Us, New Leaf Press (Harrison, AR), 1995.

(With Steve Wilke) When We Fight All the Time, New Leaf Press (Harrison, AR), 1995.

(With Kevin Leman) Becoming the Parent God Wants You to Be, NavPress (Colorado Springs, CO), 1998.

(With Ricky Byrdsong and Sherialyn Byrdsong) Coaching Your Kids in the Game of Life, Bethany House Publishers (Minneapolis, MN), 2000.

No Random Act: Behind the Murder of Ricky Byrdsong, Waterbrook Press (Colorado Springs, CO), 2002.

Living Together in a World Falling Apart has been translated into Swedish and Finnish.

SIDELIGHTS: One-half of a husband-wife writing duo, Neta J. Jackson is the coauthor of several series of children's books, including one focusing on the lives of important Christian figures in history. Jackson once told Bookstore Journal that while growing up, she never aspired to be a writer, but instead an artist. "I loved to draw and was horse-crazy as a kid. . . . But in junior high, I started writing stories about horses instead of just drawing them. Eventually, my interest in writing stories overtook my interest in art."

Along with her husband, Dave, Jackson began the "Trailblazer" series in 1991, a fictionalized biography series about men and women who had a significant impact on history and Christianity, such as Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther, and Menno Simons. In The Betrayer's Fortune, for instance, fifteen-year-old Adriaen begins to question his Anabaptist faith when his mother is imprisoned for her beliefs. Set in the early 1500s, the story shows how a young man struggles with his faith in a God who allows suffering among His followers.

Jackson tries to teach readers about history by creating fictional characters whose lives are influenced by real men and women from the past. Danger on the Flying Trapeze features a fourteen-year-old boy who convinces his mother to join a traveling circus after his father dies. While performing at the Chicago World's Fair, Casey loses his courage on the trapeze bar after a bad fall. However, he happens to meet the evangelist D. L. Moody who encourages him to try the stunt again. Casey succeeds and decides to continue following the teachings of Moody. Despite reporting that "the message is heavy-handed and the characters are flat," School Library Journal critic Renee Steinberg was enthusiastic about the dramatic events in the book, saying "there is a lot of action."

Jackson once told CA that the "burning issue" she and her husband share is "the need to confront racism in ourselves and our culture, and to work for racial reconciliation in every area of our lives—but especially the church."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Black Issues Book Review, September, 2000, Fred Lindsey, review of Coaching Your Kids in the Game of Life, p. 48.

Booklist, April 1, 1995, p. 1391; September 1, 1995, p. 56; January 1, 1996, p. 834; March 15, 1996, p. 1264.

Bookstore Journal, October, 1994, p. 99.

Christianity Today, November 9, 1992, p. 76.

Horn Book Guide, spring, 1997, review of Hero Tales, p. 87.

Los Angeles Times Book Review, September 7, 1986.

School Library Journal, December, 1995, Renee Steinberg, review of Danger on the Flying Trapeze, p. 104; July, 1997, Marlene Gawron, review of The Drummer Boy's Battle, p. 94; October, 1997, Carol Beall, review of Hero Tales, Volume 2, p. 147.

ONLINE

Trailblazer Books Web Site, http://www.trailblazerbooks.com/ (June 26, 2002), "Dave and Neta Jackson."*