For Educators

“Karen is a natural storyteller. I’ve never seen a group of ten-year-olds settle in as quickly with a book as those 5th graders at Payne Elementary did with Charlie & Frog.”
— Kit Ballenger, An Open Book Foundation, Washington, DC

School Visits

I love engaging with students in either spoken English or in American Sign Language about growth mindset and how it impacted me as a writer, my writing and editing process, and the journey from an idea to a published book. I present for about 25 minutes, and then do a Q & A for a total presentation time of 45-60 minutes. If you order copies of my books, I will personalize and sign them for your students. I can do one to four presentations at your school per day. Please email me to inquire about the cost for an in-person or virtual author visit.

Letters from Kids:

Virtual Author Q&A sessions

If your class or school has read one or more of my books, I am happy to do a free 20-minute virtual author Q& A session. This would be an informal visit with the students asking questions about my book(s) they have read, my writing process, or anything else that is on their minds.

Resources

“I have not seen students so excited about reading a book since Harry Potter was first published. Karen and Carlisle’s presentation* spoke to exactly the types of issues we discuss in our classes everyday: the need for editing, persistence needed to achieve success, and that hard work will always pay off in the end.”
​— Lisa Pershan, M.S., M.Ed., Reading Specialist at Maryland School for the Deaf, Frederick, MD
*Carlisle Robinson is the illustrator for the chapter headings and endpapers of Charlie & Frog

School Visits!

“We loved having you at our school! You gave the best presentation, and the kids are SOLD on your book. One student has been carrying Charlie & Frog around with him in the hallway, hugging it tightly to his chest. It was really touching to see the impact of your visit—it was the highlight of the school year!”
— Leslie Hussey and Meghan Blackmon, librarians at Texas School for the Deaf, Austin, TX

“Karen’s talk was inspirational and extremely relevant. Our school counselor has spent the past few years talking to students about mindfulness, and her message really helped them make the connection. There is no doubt in my mind that her message about perseverance and positive thinking will make a difference in many young lives.”
—Petra Sharrett, Librarian at Newington Forest Elementary School, Springfield, VA

“Reading about complex family dynamics in middle grade books is the stuff that makes my heart sing. Thanks for knowing that kids are perfectly capable of understanding the nuances of dynamics in different families!” —Keiana Mayfield, East City Bookshop, Washington DC

“The kids were totally engaged and the teachers loved what Karen said about her writing process!”
—Jessica Samowitz, Maret Lower School Librarian, Washington DC

“Our students loved hearing how Charlie & Frog evolved from an original idea to a published book. When Karen talked about how having a growth mindset helped in publishing Charlie & Frog, our kids lit up with excitement. They are used to hearing it from teachers, but to hear from a published author how important a growth mindset is to success was really impactful!”
—Meghan Pazmino, 4th grade teacher at Ross Elementary School, Washington, DC

Karen’s talk was amazing!  Her elaboration of her writing process was just what my kids needed.  She actually said things that I had just said to my class earlier in the day.  Having her emphasize what I said earlier gave me more credibility in the kids’ eyes.  It was perfect!”
— Mrs. Shindel, 5th grade teacher, Prairie Winds Elementary School, Monument CO

“Thank you for coming to talk to our students! The boys listened with rapt attention and our library copy is constantly checked out. Your description of the book is riveting and we see a great number of the boys reading and discussing the book. We enjoy using the “pay attention” and other signs that you taught us and we remind the boys of “growth mindset” you discussed when they face challenges. We are delighted to have had a chance to snag you and can’t wait to read the sequel!”
—Raegan Conlin, Lower School Librarian, St. Alban’s School, Washington, DC

“Karen’s impact was widespread among students and teachers as she talked about her writing process, and made the real-life connections of problem solving, perseverance, and the growth mindset that can transform our challenges into goals.”
—Katie Vernon, Reading Specialist, Loudoun County Public Schools