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Published in 2021, Coauthored with Khadra Mohammed. The Spirit of the Cheetah won a silver medal at the 2022 Midwest Book Awards! See it here: https://mipa.org/midwest-book-awards/2022-winners/ And see what one little book can inspire!       Which endangered species will you work to save?

This little book just keeps making friends and inspiring readers.  See what one reader has to say: Dear Karen, My name is Benjamin. I realize that this may be somewhat out of the ordinary, but I felt inspired this evening to contact you to share this song I wrote many years ago that was inspired by your book about Galimoto that I read during my childhood. It felt right and appropriate to inform you, the author that this bit of art was out in the world, inspired by your work and how it [...]

It' a great beach read!  Check out the You Tube reading here. https://mailchi.mp/politics-prose/a-story-time-update-pthn91koty-743588?e=292737e031 Copy and paste into your browser.  Enjoy!  Then peruse the other recommend books.  Enjoy a beach day this summer.  Right from your own home.  

The first Pittsburgh Festival of Books was a grand success.  The predicted rain did not arrive until late in the day and attendees enjoyed sunny skies for readings, story telling, poetry and all things books. Jessica Betancourt Perez, coauthor of A Thousand White Butterflies,  joined me from York, PA.  She shared her experiences as an immigrant coming to the US from Colombia and read our book to the audience. Jessica's son Caleb modeled the traditional  Colombian Sombrero and poncho for us. I shared Spirit of The Cheetah (coauthor Khadra Mohammed) with the audience.  Kids and [...]

                                                  Bank Street College In choosing books for the annual list, reviewers consider literary quality and excellence of presentation as well as the potential emotional impact of the books on young readers. Other criteria include credibility of characterization and plot, authenticity of time and place, age suitability, positive treatment of ethnic and religious differences, and the absence of stereotypes. Each book accepted for the list is read and reviewed [...]

I recently received this email from Korea: To Karen, Hello, I’m a teacher at a Korean elementary school. While reading ‘four feet, two sandles’ I wondered if there was a Ukrainian and Polish version of that book. Please let me know when you know that. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, While Four Feet Two Sandals, about two refugee girls in a refugee camp in Pakistan, is published in several languages I had to respond that there are no translations of this book in Ukrainian or Polish. How small our world [...]