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Karen Autio

Goodreads Author

Website

http://www.karenautio.com/

Genre

Children's, Contemporary, Historical Fiction

Member Since

June 2013

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Karen Autio is the author of picture books PLAYDATE SURPRISE and I CAN, TOO! (in French Moi aussi, je peux!) about accessibility, inclusion, and friendship.

Karen has also written a Middle Grade STEM novel called MAKING SEAKER, a tribute to the iconic book PADDLE-TO-THE-SEA, focused on science, self-realization, and friendship: Moving to a new town is tough, especially when you’re different. And Jamie’s not like most girls. She loves science and math and building things. But when she moves to Nipigon, Ontario, Jamie’s determined to have a future with friends.

Karen has also authored two illustrated chapter books called KAH-LAN THE ADVENTUROUS SEA OTTER and KAH-LAN AND THE STINK-INK, a narrative nonfiction picture book called GROWING UP IN WIL Karen Autio is the author of picture books PLAYDATE SURPRISE and I CAN, TOO! (in French Moi aussi, je peux!) about accessibility, inclusion, and friendship.

Karen has also written a Middle Grade STEM novel called MAKING SEAKER, a tribute to the iconic book PADDLE-TO-THE-SEA, focused on science, self-realization, and friendship: Moving to a new town is tough, especially when you’re different. And Jamie’s not like most girls. She loves science and math and building things. But when she moves to Nipigon, Ontario, Jamie’s determined to have a future with friends.

Karen has also authored two illustrated chapter books called KAH-LAN THE ADVENTUROUS SEA OTTER and KAH-LAN AND THE STINK-INK, a narrative nonfiction picture book called GROWING UP IN WILD HORSE CANYON, and a trilogy of historical novels for young readers. She writes about events in Canada’s history that haven’t had much attention: Okanagan history, the sinking of the Empress of Ireland, tuberculosis and living in a sanatorium; spies, sabotage and internment during the First World War.

Karen also focuses on the value of family stories and heritage. When her Finnish-Canadian grandmother gave her a silver spoon and told her its tale, Karen had no idea it would lead her into a whole novel's worth of words. She learned that her grandmother's Finnish friends had members of their family from Port Arthur who died in the wreck of the Empress of Ireland. Karen researched the steamship and wove the ship's story into fictional Saara's life in SECOND WATCH.

When Karen asked her Finnish-Canadian grandparents to record their life stories, she was given a glimpse of her grandmother's brave yet mysterious battle against tuberculosis as a young mother. The idea for SAARA'S PASSAGE took tangible shape after Karen read letters written by her grandmother to her infant daughter, Karen's mother, letters that were discovered after her grandmother's death.

SAARA'S PASSAGE is the sequel to SECOND WATCH, and both books were shortlisted for the BC Chocolate Lily Award.

The third book in the trilogy about the Finnish-Canadian Mäki family is SABOTAGE. Told by both Saara and her brother John, SABOTAGE takes readers into a real-life world of espionage, sabotage, and paranoia in Canada in 1915!

Karen grew up in Nipigon, ON, and now lives in Kelowna, BC. For more information, visit www.karenautio.com and www.facebook.com/KarenAutioAuthor
View her author video where she speaks about SABOTAGE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ewhSR...
KAH-LAN AND THE STINK-INK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBelb... ...more

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Karen Autio’s books

Average rating: 4.5 · 238 ratings · 111 reviews · 16 distinct works • Similar authors

	I Can, Too! 4.52 avg rating — 54 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sabotage (Trilogy, #3) 4.25 avg rating — 40 ratings — published 2013 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Saara's Passage (Trilogy, #2) 4.70 avg rating — 27 ratings — published 2008 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Kah-Lan, the Adventurous Sea Otter 4.63 avg rating — 24 ratings — published 2015	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Playdate Surprise by Karen Autio (Goodreads Author), Laura Watson (illustrator) 4.71 avg rating — 21 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Second Watch (Trilogy, #1) 4.52 avg rating — 21 ratings — published 2005 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Growing Up in Wild Horse Canyon by Karen Autio (Goodreads Author), Loraine Kemp (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 4.18 avg rating — 17 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Kah-Lan and the Stink Ink by Karen Autio (Goodreads Author), Emma Pedersen (Illustrations) 4.58 avg rating — 12 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	MAKING SEAKER 4.70 avg rating — 10 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Moi aussi, je peux! by Karen Autio (Goodreads Author), Laura Watson (Illustrator) 4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2022	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Karen Autio…

10 posts
Karen Autio's Blog

Writing Historical Fiction

Nikki Tate with Nexus Generation Writers on Fire in Conversation with Karen Autio about writing historical fiction:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WgBH...

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 23, 2020 10:45 • Tags: historical-fiction, researching, writing

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Series by Karen Autio

Trilogy (3 books)
by

Karen Autio (Goodreads Author)

4.45 avg rating — 88 ratings

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It’s Disability Pride Month and I want to highlight a wonderful book about the Man in Motion World Tour and the essential need for accessibility written by Lorna Schultz Nicholson with Rick Hansen. Their lively text and Emma Fitzgerald’s fun, engagin ...more
Jul 14, 2026 11:59AM · like · see review
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When I heard the title of this picture book written by Ryan Rae Harbuck, I was hooked. Why does her main character, Vo, want to be a chair, of all things? Vo knows what she DOESN’T want to be: plenty! She doesn’t want to “sit at a computer, or wait on ...more
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A Riveting Conclusion to the Kidnapped from Ukraine Trilogy Yes, this book is about children experiencing war. Why should readers of all ages read it? One word: hope. These young characters are inspired by real people who are resilient, determined, em ...more
Jun 18, 2026 01:41PM · 4 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Still Alive by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Still Alive by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Amelia (Mia), still processing the end of a best friendship, has her world rocked by her grandmother’s terminal diagnosis and death. Nothing is the same in herself, her home, her Indigenous community, her entire world. “I don’t want to punch pillows. ...more
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Karen rated a book it was amazing Snuggle Season (This Time of Year) by Jaimie MacGibbon	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jaimie MacGibbon’s debut picture book as author-illustrator is delightful! I remember first hearing from Jaimie in 2019 when she was starting to learn about the children’s book industry. Look how far she’s come! And this is the first book in the This ...more
Jan 15, 2026 04:46PM · like · see review