On a camping trip from Toronto, where we lived, to the east coast, I was assigned the job of buying the ice for the cooler each day. So shy that my parents made a rule one summer to encourage me to talk to strangers. Afraid of who I might meet and what they might think of me. Afraid to come out and see the wide world. The boy who huddles under his blanket late at night, listening for unexplainable noises coming from his closet.Īnd yet, I’m also the monster in the closet. Of what I wanted to keep locked away in my closet. Boy – I tapped into that childhood fear of what might be in my closet. When I was writing my latest novel for middle-grade readers – Monster vs.
I pretended a goblin lived in my closet and a witch lived behind the furnace. Back then, I drank imaginary tea and served it to my imaginary guests. I’ve loved playing with words and making up stories ever since I was a child. Welcome to Cantastic Authorpalooza, featuring posts by and about great Canadian children’s book creators! Today’s guest: Karen Krossing.
