by Karen Krossing | Jun 11, 2014 | Book News
Ever wonder how trolls live? Read about troll family life below.
The early reviews of Bog are terrific! On Getting Kids Reading, author Joyce Grant had this to say about the novel:
“Kids love fantasy-based novels, but they’re not always well written and they don’t always send a positive message. Bog, a new middle-grade novel by Karen Krossing, does both while managing to be the kind of book kids will love…. Bog is a well-written and well-crafted adventure with a flawed yet likeable main character set in a believable other-world. The plot clicks right along; it will hook and enchant even reluctant readers.”
On Cultural Eclipse, author Emily Pohl-Weary wrote:
“Karen Krossing’s latest novel is a commentary on difference and otherness, and a hopeful tale about the bridges that empathy can build over these impasses. Seen through Bog’s eyes, humans are the monsters, trolls are the good guys, and the epitome of beauty is strength, a bumpy nose, coarse skin and wild, dark hair … If you can read this novel and not wish you were a troll boy frolicking in the woods, you’re a better human than me.”
Illustrator and author Debbie Ridpath Ohi posted this micro-book review of Bog:
In Bog, a cave troll with a grudge against humans embarks on a quest into human territory after his father is turned into stone. Listen to an excerpt from the novel here. Watch a book trailer here.
by Karen Krossing | Jun 2, 2014 | Book News
Ever wonder what trolls look like? Read Bog to find out. 
In Bog, a cave troll with a grudge against humans embarks on a quest into human territory after his father is turned into stone. Listen to an excerpt from the novel here. Watch a book trailer here.
by Karen Krossing | May 26, 2014 | Book News
Ever wonder where trolls live? Read about troll habitats below.
In Bog, a cave troll with a grudge against humans embarks on a quest into human territory after his father is turned into stone. Don’t forget to enter the Goodreads giveaway for one of ten copies of the book.
by Karen Krossing | May 14, 2014 | Book News, On Writing
Today, I’m interviewed by author Lena Coakley on the Enchanted Inkpot – an online community for writers and readers of middle-grade and young-adult fantasy.
You can read about how my new novel Bog was a labour of love as well as what made me decide to write about trolls, how I imagined my trolls, what I was like as a young teen, and more. Thanks, Lena, for the great questions. Read the full interview here.
by Karen Krossing | May 13, 2014 | Mentoring, Presentation News
Reading from BOG at MacNeill SS, Richmond, BC
I’m just back from Vancouver, where I toured local schools and libraries, giving writing workshops and readings. TD Canadian Children’s Book Week is a national celebration of books and reading, organized by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. For one week, touring authors and illustrators bring the magic of books and reading to over 25,000 children and teens. I was thrilled to be able to connect with readers during Book Week – and to go looking for trolls in the forests of western Canada (in honour of my latest novel Bog).
“What else would you have become, if not a writer?” asked a teenager sitting at the back of one of my readings.
“Well,” I responded, “my career aptitude test in high school said my ideal job would be a long-distance truck driver.”
Laughter.
“It’s a true story,” I said. “I think it’s because I like solitary work.”
Looking for trolls in BC forests
But TD Book Week is about connections, not solitude, and I was happy to leave my writer’s den to meet hundreds of teens, kids, and adults in Vancouver, Surrey, and Richmond.
One memorable moment happened during a workshop with a grade 6 class of keen writers. We were writing based on personal experiences, and the topic was scars – both the visible and the invisible kind. One girl read her piece about her father, who had undergone open-heart surgery a year earlier. Her touching description of his physical scars and her inner scars from the scare of losing him brought tears to more than one person in the room. It was an honour to listen to the kids’ writing.
In another memorable moment, I shared a comic book I made as a kid with grade 4-6 kids, mostly because it shows that I had ordinary talent and that the craft of writing can be learned through practice. One boy came up to me after my presentation and asked to read the comic book. The teachers told me later that he was autistic and usually non-verbal. But that day, he chatted with me about the comics and laughed over each page.
“How does it feel to be nominated for an award for your book?” one girl asked. Although an award is validation that I’ve written a good book, my best reward is connecting with readers. Thanks to the Canadian Children’s Book Centre for the opportunity to do just that.
A reading at West Point Grey Academy, Vancouver, BC
The early reviews of Bog are terrific! On Getting Kids Reading, author Joyce Grant had this to say about the novel:
