Karen Shakman
As a child, Karen Shakman spent hours alone in the Chicago Public Library, where books were her babysitters, best friends, and teachers. Karen’s love of reading soon translated into a love of writing, and she began writing short fiction and poetry (in an old yellow journal she still has today) while in elementary school. Since those early days of reading and writing, Karen has worked in educational research, non-profits, and in schools. She has a PhD in curriculum and instruction, and a masters in teaching. After many years away from the classroom, Karen returned to teaching, and now divides her time between teaching middle school English, consulting with educational nonprofits, and writing for children and young adults. She lives in Cambridge, MA with her husband and two teenage sons. She is represented by Eve Adler.