SHORT BIO
KAREN M. GREENWALD is an award-winning children’s author. Her book, A VOTE FOR SUSANNA, THE FIRST WOMAN MAYOR, was named a Kansas Notable Book in 2022. Kansas chose it to represent the state at the Library of Congress National Book Festival and in the Library of Congress’ Great Reads from Great Places initiative. It received great reviews from both School Library Journal, Kirkus, and a feature on a KS NBC affiliate. It also appeared in a PBS KS documentary in which Karen was interviewed.
THE MUD ANGELS: HOW STUDENTS SAVED THE CITY OF FLORENCE, launched in April 2024. It has been featured in domestic and international magazines, on the cover of News in Conservation, and on a range of other news sites. Booklist called it, “a true episode worth commemorating.” The state librarians of Massachusetts review gave the book their rating equivalent of a star. The National Italian American Foundation’s Ambassador Magazine called it, “A magnificent gift…”
Karen’s third picture book, THE CABBAGE SEED’S COLOSSAL SECRET, celebrated its launch with a virtual event for classrooms nationwide, thanks to the National Women’s History Museum! They said, “What begins with a single seed becomes a powerful lesson in empathy, leadership, and civic action.” Celebrity Food Network Chef Maneet Chauhan called it “…an absolutely lovely book…Our young girls need to read this and I love that you [Karen Greenwald] are spreading the strength.”
Karen runs two different initiatives a year focused on getting under-resourced school libraries free, brand-new books. This May marks her eleventh book drive.
Professionally, Greenwald is a brand strategist. Recently, she won her 18th and 19th international awards: a BEST IN CATEGORY Marketing Effectiveness Award (MEA) for Educational Marketing and a SILVER in the same category.
Ms. Greenwald earned her undergraduate and JD degrees from Georgetown University.
LONG BIO
KAREN M. GREENWALD is an award-winning picture book author. Her newest picture book, THE CABBAGE SEED’S COLOSSAL SECRET (Tilbury House Publishers) has received enormous praise across many sectors. In March, the National Women’s History Museum held a virtual launch for classrooms nationwide. According to the museum, “What begins with a single seed becomes a powerful lesson in empathy, leadership, and civic action.” Food Network Celebrity Chef Maneet Chauhan called the book “absolutely lovely,” declaring that, “[O]ur young girls need to read this and I love that you [Karen Greenwald] are spreading the strength.” The gardening giant, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, commended Greenwald’s “…efforts to inspire young minds and promote positive values…” proclaiming that, “…we are excited to see the continued positive impact…[her] book will have.” Finally, the Children’s Museum of the Upstate’s (SC) Play and Learning Specialist said, “…This story will inspire kids to do amazing things they may not have thought…previously possible. And more than inspiring, it’s also shaping them and teaching them selflessness and the joy of sharing and giving and helping those less fortunate.”
THE MUD ANGELS: HOW STUDENTS SAVED THE CITY OF FLORENCE (Albert Whitman) launched in 2024 to an international audience of over 100. Like all Karen’s books, it is based on a wealth of primary research. Sixteen Mud Angels, Florentines who lived through the flood, and other related parties were interviewed. Booklist praised Greenwald’s “vivid descriptions,” calling her book “an event worth commemorating.” The state librarians of Massachusetts review gave the book their equivalent of a star. Her trailer was played in Florence at a conference on the flood and has received wide support from the Center for Flood Studies at the University of Florence (the group responsible for hosting flood-related academic and cultural events and doing research on and about the Florence flood of 1966).
Karen’s debut is the perfect book to help celebrate the semi quincentennial! A VOTE FOR SUSANNA, THE FIRST WOMAN MAYOR, is the first/only book to shed light on this long-forgotten, ceiling-breaking, bully-trouncing hero. It was named one of fifteen Kansas 2022 Notable Books. The Kansas State Center for the Book honored it as their Library of Congress Great Reads from Great Places selection. Ms. Greenwald’s book represented Kansas at the 2022 Library of Congress National Book Festival and is permanently featured on the Library of Congress Center for the Book’s website. A VOTE FOR SUSANNA appeared on the engineer/editor run website, WeHaveKids.com’s 2023 list of, “The 20 Best Children’s Narrative Nonfiction Books About Women.” It also appeared on “A Mighty Girl’s 2021 Books of the Year” list and their “Dissent is Patriotic: 50 Books About Girls & Women Who Fought for Change” list.
Ms. Greenwald is active in several children’s literature (“kidlit”) organizations. She has been admitted into The Children’s Book Guild. Karen co-founded #SunWriteFun, a popular nonfiction writing contest that promotes indie bookstores and garners brand-new book donations for under-resourced schools and public libraries. #BOOKHERO is her other initiative that helps elementary school libraries in need (and schools that do not have a library) get free, brand-new books. She has just completed her eleventh book drive.
Professionally, Greenwald is a brand strategist. Recently, she won her 18th and 19th international awards: a BEST IN CATEGORY Marketing Effectiveness Award (MEA) for Educational Marketing and a SILVER in the same category. The award’s principal said that she “…set the benchmark for marketing excellence. It means industry leaders deemed Greenwald’s work the best in its field.” Previously, Karen won a PLATINUM MEA in her first year competing in this 31-year-old global creative business competition. Her other wins include international awards in the following categories: STEM creative, writing, video, rebranding, and self-promotion.
Bylined credits include online, print magazines, and The Washington Post. When serving as an honors attorney, she focused on international environmental protection and compliance. A Phi Beta Kappa, Ms. Greenwald earned her undergraduate and JD degrees from Georgetown University.
