About the author… Karen Foxlee

She lives in Queensland and used to be a registered nurse whose secret passion was writing. She studied for a degree in creative writing and has now published fiction for adults and kids.

This novel was inspired by…

“In the beginning, there was only a strange collection of ideas – a single mother, a boy with a growth disorder and an encyclopedia set. I was a single mum myself, I wanted to try to write about what it was like to be different and I had memories of a beloved encyclopedia set when I was a kid.”

The best thing about writing children’s fiction is… “I love waking and thinking, ‘I wonder what I’ll imagine up today!’ You can really let your imagination run wild when writing for kids. But I think the best thing is actually meeting young readers and writers. It’s a great privilege to visit classrooms full of young people who have the most amazing thoughts and imaginations and story ideas.”

My writing habits are… “I’m an early morning person. I like to get up by 5am to start to write. That time of day is so peaceful and my mind is clear. I try to set myself a word limit of about 1000 words. I write until I have to get my daughter ready for school and then again for an hour or so after. I usually write in bed or on the sofa.”