Books with author Karen Cogan

Chatty Clam lives under the sea with Sunny and all their friends. Though Chatty wants to be nice, she can’t stop gossiping because it makes her feel important. When she almost causes Sunny to lose a friend, he reminds her that it is important to tell the truth. Since she wants to please God and do the right thing, she promises Sunny not to gossip again.

Like all hermit crabs, Hermit outgrows his shell and must find a larger home. He scours the ocean until he finds one that is comfortable. He settles in it happily until, one of his friends tells him it doesn't look good on him. With hurt feelings, he begins to search for a shell that will make him look handsome. His friends try to help him by suggesting ones they like. Unfortunately, these shells do not please everyone, nor do they fit comfortably. What will he do? Will he choose to wear the comfortable shell or will he try to please all of his friends?

Paul is a boy who dreams of camping. He and his best friend practice how to survive in the wilderness with the little knowledge they possess. When Paul's family takes a trip to the mountains, he likes cooking outdoors and sleeping in a tent. More than anything, he likes exploring. He meets an old mountain who teaches him to pan for gold and how to survive in the mountains, a skill that saves his life.

Crystal is heartbroken when her dad says they have to move. Everything she loves is in Glenville, especially her best friend, Jill. She prays they won't have to go. The day the moving van arrives is the worst day of her life. In a new school, she isn't happy even though she has made a few friends. A substitute teacher with supernatural power sends her back to her old home. Crystal is thrilled. Her prayers are answered. However, will there be complications she never imagined?

When he is home, Taylor sits in his room writing an adventure novel about pirates which the reader gets to read as he writes it. However, Taylor's life at school is not as fun as the writing he does at home. The bully who torments him is determined to make him share his answers for homework and tests. Taylor must use his brain to out wit his enemy while not getting beat-up in the process.

This 30,000 word middle-grade story explores the value of young and old geting to know each other. In this story, a young girl, Stephanie, is eager to move back to her hometown. She is thrilled when the opportunity arrives. Her enthusiasm evaporates, however, when she discovers her best friend has made another best friend. And, to make matters worse, her grandmother, whom she hardly knows, is coming to live with her family. As she learns to make new friends and accept the changes in her life, she matures into a nurturing granddaughter.

In this third book in the series, Henry, the little bear is curious about everything around him. He wants to know about trees and clouds, honey and bees. He asks his brother how airplanes fly and his sister about what happens when ice melts. Everyone in his family is answering questions from the curious little bear. He wants to know about everything; even what his sister, Betty, is looking for in the cookbook. However, when Betty makes supper, there is one thing Henry does not want to know.

Life would have remained predictably dull for Aron if it had not been for a wizard's illness and the discovery of a dragon. These two events change the course of Aron's life as he sets off, accompanied by two strange dwarves, on a journey that leads him ever deeper into danger. He becomes a pawn in a deadly game of sorcery and is forced to learn quickly the skills that pit him against an evil wizard. There is one gift that Aron has to save himself and his friends. And he is the only one who can use it. This juvenile/teen novel will immerse readers into a world of magic, sword and sorcery. Through fantasy, it reminds us there are more important things in life than staying on the expected path. Following the heart is more rewarding and infinitely more interesting.