Books with author Karen A. Jones

Twelve-year-old Astrid has come to Ghana with her family in 1979 so that her father can help oversee Ghana’s first democratic election. Astrid and her brother, Gordo, were told it would be a great family adventure, but they soon find out that everything about Ghana is difficult—the heat, the food, the threat of disease, the soldiers on the roads, the schools. Gordo fits in more easily than Astrid, who is often left to look after her baby sister, Piper, as their mother begins to fall apart under the strain of living in Ghana. When the government is overthrown, Gordo comes down with malaria and a soldier threatens her family, Astrid is surprised to discover how protective she has become of her new home.

Fourteen-year-old Maya sneaks out in her kayak before breakfast every day to check on a family of sea otters living in nearby Riley Bay. It's hard being an animal lover in a fishing family. The animals Maya loves threaten her family's livelihood, and Maya doesn't know if she can trust her family not to hurt them. She is determined to protect the sea otters, even if it means checking on them for the rest of her life. One morning, Maya discovers she's being watched. Who is it and what are they doing? Soon Maya has to trust someone as she gets caught in a dangerous race to save the sea otters—and her family's livelihood—from poachers.

Travel back to the 1940s in The Callie Stories as Karen Jones Schutt relates the joys and tribulations in the life of eight-year-old Callie. Northwest Iowa is the farm and small town setting for this family-oriented collection of stories. Follow Callie as she struggles with penmanship, deals with a school bully, experiences the magic of Arnolds Park, sees a ghost, battles a serious illness—and much more. You’ll fall in love with Aunt Gertrude and Uncle Joe, Susie, Mom and Dad, Maddy, Little Gramma, and Rosalie. The Callie Stories will bring back memories of learning the lessons of life in acceptance, loyalty, celebration, sharing, hard work, and most of all, love.

Maddie and Ivan have been friends forever. They go to school together, surf, party, and hang out all the time. Ivan eats at Maddie's house almost every day. But all is not well in Ivan's world, and as control of his life slips farther away from him, Maddie agonises over her role in his life. Ivan fears the fallout if the people in his community discover what he's been hiding, but Maddie thinks telling his secret will help him. As Maddie struggles to figure out her own post-high-school path, she worries about how to deal with the things she knows about Ivan's life. Is she a keeper of his secrets? Should she help him hide what's going on in his family? Or should she tell someone and get help? What does betrayal look like when your best friend is in trouble?

Looking for a fun way to learn math facts? Together, the Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, & Division books in the Light Pole Math Facts Series contain 296 problems with colorful graphics & clue words to aid in increasing speed & accuracy. Say the answer & turn the page to check it. While memorizing math facts, other interesting facts are learned like the number of backbones in a horse, signatures on the Declaration of Independence, & players on a football team. The graphics & clue words stand for specific answer numbers in all 4 books. The multiplication book teaches the multiplication tables through the 12s. These self-teaching books aid in preparing students for tests & drills & in speeding up the process of working math problems. For ages 6 & up, the Math Facts Series is ideal for children, adults, parents, teachers, tutoring, home-schooling, review, & traveling. What a great way to enlighten & educate children on Math Facts!