Kroll, Jeri

About the author

Jeri Kroll’s Blue series is aimed at older teenagers. Felice, the series’ heroine, is living in Australia, having moved there from New York with her parents. She learns to ride, and becomes hooked on eventing. The series covers standard teenage fare like relationships, as well as less widely tackled subjects, like mental illness and death. I have read Riding the Blues, and found it gripping: it’s a good portrayal of the stresses and strains of being in your last year at school. Jeri Kroll has also written a pony book aimed at younger readers: Fit for a Prince.

Like her heroine Felice, Jeri Kroll was born and brought up in New York, and moved to Australia. Unlike Felice, she first studied English at Columbia University, Warwick University and Smith College. Jeri Kroll is now program coordinator of creative writing at Flinders University, and has written 22 books for adults and children. She is now, she says, in her second teenagerhood, and has been involved in the Fleurieu Horse and Pony Club for the last 17 years. Despite being ‘incredibly nervous’ she has five horses, and still does one day events.

Thanks to Jill Albrecht for pointing me in the right direction in this section, and many thanks to Jeri Kroll for giving me permission to use the photographs from her website.

Finding the books
Better than Blue and Beyond Blue will probably have to be bought from Australia, and they are not hugely common there secondhand. Riding the Blues is the easiest of the three to find. I think all the books can still be bought direct from the author. Fit for a Prince is still in print.

Links and sources
Jeri Kroll’s website
Jeri Kroll at Flinders University