I’m excited to share the cover art of my debut middle-grade verse novel, Forever Fries, illustrated by the award-winning illustrator and comics creator Jenn Woodall!
It’s coming from Orca Book Publishers on March 16, 2027, and I can’t wait. This book has been a work of love for many years. It’s loosely based on personal and family experiences, although it’s firmly fiction, and it proudly features a protagonist who shares my identity elements. Here’s a blurb:
How can one bite matter so much?
It feels impossible for thirteen-year-old Marley to cross the street and meet her crush, Chloe, at Forever Fries. Not because she’s nervous about the date (although she is), but because fries are on Marley’s No-Eat list. But she made a promise to her eating-disorder therapist to try this forbidden food in a safe situation…with Chloe. As Marley builds up the courage to enter Forever Fries, she is haunted by the memories that shaped her relationship with food. Marley knows she can heal, and maybe today, she can eat one fry.
This middle-grade novel told in verse is a powerful exploration of disordered eating recovery.
I’m honoured by these advanced reviews of my book:
“Forever Fries sculpts its own unique space in the novel-in-verse universe. With great empathy and understanding of her subject matter, Karen Krossing portrays Marley’s struggle with disordered eating and body image in a kid-friendly, accessible manner. The playful structure of the narrative, the variety of poetry styles and the well-drawn, authentic characters invite the reader to immerse themselves in Marley’s challenges as well as her joys.” Cordelia Jensen, author of Lilac and the Switchback
“Forever Fries is a deeply empathetic portrayal of Marley, who faces her eating disorder with bravery and hope.” Laura Shovan, author of The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary
Many years ago, I began a prose novel for teens that just never worked, even after multiple rewrites. Later, I tried writing it as a novel in letters. Finally, I began writing it as a verse novel. It took a while to learn this new-to-me form. I took courses with author Cordelia Jensen and later with author Laura Shovan, and they both helped me trust myself and my poetry. Plus, many beta readers helped me hone the text. Now, I’m thrilled to share the news that this story has found a home!
I’m forever grateful to my agent Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown, who has been a passionate champion of this verse novel from her first read. And I’m thrilled to be working with author and editor Sarah Howden, designer Dahlia Yuen, and everyone at Orca Books to bring you Forever Fries. It’s a book of my heart. It’s a book loosely based on personal and family history. It’s a book that I hope will help us all shine our light and celebrate the light in everyone else too.
I love teaching at at Whale Rock Workshops. In fact, I recently finished facilitating a small-group workshop on revising picture books that was so wonderful I didn’t want it to stop. You will still find me teaching workshops and delivering lectures through Whale Rock.
Now, I’m excited to announce that I’m adding to my teaching by joining the faculty for the Creative Writing Graduate Certificate Program at the Humber School for Writers in September 2025! This is a long-term, graduate-level program where I’ll be focused on mentoring children’s writers as they create their best work. It’s now accepting applications for Fall 2025.
I first crossed paths with Anne-Marie Strohman when we both attended the Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA), and I quickly learned that she is an insightful writer and a fabulous community organizer. It was an honour to be interviewed by Anne-Marie on KidLitCraft, especially because she asked so many thoughtful questions. We discussed writing inspiration, what I learned at VCFA, writing quests, and more. Please take a look, and don’t forget to sign up for the KidLitCraft newsletter for more great content.
It’s cover reveal day! I’m thrilled to share Markia Jenia‘s cover art for my upcoming middle-grade novel Monster vs. Boy! Markia has perfectly captured the characters and mood of this story, and I can’t wait to share this book with you. It’ll be published by Charlesbridge Publishing in July 2023, and it’s available for pre-sale now!
Will you laugh if I tell you that Monster vs. Boy feels like it’s autobiographical? I have sometimes felt like the monster in the closet, and I’ve also been terrified that a monster might be living in my closet. Here’s an intro to the book:
No one in the ramshackle house knew that a monster—who was smaller than a bear cub—lived in Dawz’s bedroom closet. She called herself Mim.
Dawz wants to practice Recipes of Extreme Greatness for the Bakers’ Brawl competition and forget about his mom, who left him and his sister, Jayla, years ago. He does not want to see a monster that no one else can see.
Mim wants to explore her closet’s nooks and crannies, and listen to stories through the door. She does not want to share her space with the horrible boy outside the closet.
When Mim leaves Dawz’s closet for the first time, the two learn they’re connected in ways neither can explain. While Mim searches the wide world for a friend, Dawz searches for a way to get rid of her so that he can be normal. Can the two find a way to break their connection without losing who they are?
This moving middle-grade novel is about found family, facing our fears, and mental health. It asks the question: What if the monsters that haunt us aren’t monsters at all?
