Karen Autio
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karenautio.bsky.social
Karen Autio
@karenautio.bsky.social
250 followers 160 following 48 posts
Children's book author (PB, chapter book, MG), avid reader, nature photographer, disability awareness sensitivity reader
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karenautio.bsky.social
Happy I Read Canadian Day!

Today is a national celebration of Canadian books for young people, with the goal of elevating the genre and celebrating the breadth and diversity of these books. I read (and write) Canadian!
#IReadCanadianDay #PictureBooks #ChapterBooks #MiddleGradeNovels #Canadian
November 5, 2025 at 1:46 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
Mighty fine addition to the cover of PLAYDATE SURPRISE! 😊Thank you, Scholastic Canada for the updated cover.

WINNER The Word Award 2025 Books – Children – General Market!
thewordguild.com/wp-content/u...
@laura-jane-watson.bsky.social
#inclusion #accessibility #DisabilityPictureBook #BookAwards
October 30, 2025 at 9:07 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
I’m thrilled that my disability-inclusive picture book PLAYDATE SURPRISE has WON The Word Award 2025 for Books – Children – General Market and finalist for Best Book Cover & Debra Fieguth Social Justice Award.

Thanks & congrats to my illustrator @laura-jane-watson.bsky.social & Scholastic Canada!
October 5, 2025 at 2:00 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
I’m excited to announce that my disability-inclusive picture book PLAYDATE SURPRISE illustrated by Laura Watson has been shortlisted for The Word Award 2025 for Books – Children – Christian & General Market!

#Shortlisted #BookAward #TheWordAward
August 13, 2025 at 2:22 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
It’s Disability Pride Month and I have a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ book to highly recommend!
OWNING IT
* Honest & vibrant childhood stories by 22 international authors
* Diverse disabilities
#BookReview #DisabilityLife #DisabilityBookWeek
#ChildrensNonfiction
#KidsWithDisabilities #DisabilityPrideMonth #disability
July 7, 2025 at 7:03 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
A Little Like Magic by Sarah Kurpiel
It’s #DisabilityPrideMonth and I have a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐book to recommend!
A lovely, authentic, empowering picture book.
Stretching out of one’s comfort zone can be worth it—a truth universally applicable. Next time can even be enjoyable.
#BookReview #DisabilityKidLit
July 3, 2025 at 4:01 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
Immersive & illuminating—chapter books that show how Lauren perceives the world & intentions of others, & how people and things affect her. She lives with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I appreciate that author Sara Leach is writing such engaging books with a character with ASD.
Highly recommended!
June 23, 2025 at 11:30 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
Summer Book Signing Saturday, July 5!

Lorna Schultz Nicholson signing #hockey #mystery novel RHAPSODY SMITH ICE ANGEL Karen Autio signing PLAYDATE SURPRISE

See you there!
1 – 3 pm
Mosaic Books, 411 Bernard Ave., Kelowna, BC

#BookSigning #NewBook #MGNovel #Okanagan
#PictureBook
#inclusion
June 20, 2025 at 2:24 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
I’m delighted to see UNE SURPRISE MERVEILLEUSE receive a positive review in the Quebec magazine LURELU! Thank you for the lovely write-up!

@laura-jane-watson.bsky.social

#inclusion #friendship #CritiqueDeLivre #accessibility #BookReviews #DisabilityAwareness #DisabilityPictureBook #disability
June 3, 2025 at 2:05 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
It’s the 20-year anniversary of my first book! SECOND WATCH involves the actual Empress of Ireland steamship disaster 111 years ago in the St. Lawrence.
In libraries and as print-on-demand from Amazon.

#EmpressOfIreland #HistoricalNovel #MGNovel #CanadianHistory #IWriteCanadian #history
June 1, 2025 at 12:12 AM
karenautio.bsky.social
It’s #NationalAccessAbilityWeek and #accessible schools, stores, places of worship, playgrounds, homes and more are key for #inclusion and building #friendship.

@laura-jane-watson.bsky.social
#NAAW #NAAW2025 #InclusionMatters #Accessibility #DisabilityPictureBook #PictureBook #disability
May 26, 2025 at 5:16 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
My independent bookstores are huge supporters of local authors and illustrators!

Show your support for independent bookstores every day but especially celebrate and thank them today on #CanadianIndependentBookstoreDay!

Once Upon a Bookstore
Mosaic Books

#CIBD #CIBD2025
April 26, 2025 at 2:20 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
I’m honoured and delighted to have PLAYDATE SURPRISE be a Recommended Book on the Disability Book Week website. disabilitybookweek.org

#DisabilityBookWeek #DisabilityInclusion #BookRecommendations #PictureBookRecommendations
#StoriesHavePower #inclusion #mobility #accessibility #disability
March 3, 2025 at 4:05 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
One of my favourite kind of days is getting to present to eager learners. Today at Peachland Elementary I shared my presentations with grades 1-5.Thank you for a wonderful morning!

#AuthorVisit #SchoolPresentation #PictureBooks #ChapterBooks
February 26, 2025 at 3:46 AM
karenautio.bsky.social
Grateful to know my book is part of this life-enriching program of Scholastic Canada/Éditions Scholastic providing books to children in underserved communities.

#InclusionAndDiversity
#StoriesHavePower #DiverseBooksForKids #InclusiveBooksForKids #inclusion

www.scholastic.ca/aboutscholas...
February 11, 2025 at 3:33 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
Look at all these amazing new books I got at OLA (and awesome tote bag from my publisher)! Plenty of choices to read aloud today on World Read Aloud Day!

Which one(s) do you have on your TO READ list?

#WRAD2025 #WordReadAloudDay #CanadianBooks #CanKidLit #BooksForKids #IReadCanadian
February 5, 2025 at 4:50 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
“A more accessible world harms no one and helps everyone.

We cannot give up on fighting for accessibility.”

—Emily Ladau in her WORDS I WHEEL BY newsletter

PLAYDATE SURPRISE focuses on #accessibility and #inclusion.

#Accessible #UniversalDesign
#DisabilityKidLit

mailchi.mp/eadbd851a6a1...
February 4, 2025 at 4:42 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
Book and library joy at OLA Super Conference! Signing Playdate Surprise and Une surprise merveilleuse with Laura Watson today at 11 am Scholastic Canada booth 211. See you there!
@laura-jane-watson.bsky.social @authorsbooking.bsky.social #BookSigning
January 31, 2025 at 1:23 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
Thank you École Glenmore Elementary for the fun day sharing I CAN, TOO! and PLAYDATE SURPRISE and my author journey with your Grades 1-3 students!

#AuthorVisit #SchoolPresentation #Kelowna #PictureBook #inclusion #friendship #accessibility #reading
January 27, 2025 at 6:45 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
Looking forward to seeing you at the OLA Super Conference!
January 30 10:30 AM book talk at CANSCAIP Book Tasting Idea Hub MTCC Exhibit Hall
January 31, 11 AM Author & Illustrator book signing Scholastic Booth 211
@canscaip.bsky.social
#PictureBooks #BookTalk #BookSigning
olasuperconference.ca
January 27, 2025 at 3:58 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
OLA Super Conference
January 30 10:30 AM book talk at CANSCAIP Book Tasting Idea Hub MTCC Exhibit Hall
January 31, 11 AM Author & Illustrator book signing Scholastic Booth 211
See you there!
#PictureBooks #BookTalk #BookSigning
olasuperconference.ca
January 10, 2025 at 5:17 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
I spy 7 of my books on display in my church library. 😊 One title is signed out and I hope the reader is enjoying Kah-Lan’s tale. Soon the copy of PLAYDATE SURPRISE I donated will be in circulation!
#ChurchLibrary #BooksForChildren #BooksForKids #StoriesHavePower #library
January 6, 2025 at 6:15 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
My interview is up on the Scholastic at School blog!
www2.scholastic.ca/scholasticbl...

One question was a choice of answering “What books have had the biggest impact on your life?” or “What books were your favourite to read growing up?” How would you answer? ❤️📚
December 19, 2024 at 4:02 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
I’m thrilled to announce I’ve signed a contract for a third picture book about Kayla and Piper and their friends!

Big thanks to Scholastic Canada and Éditions Scholastic!

#BooksForKids #inclusion #RepresentationMatters

#DisabilityAwareness #NewPictureBook #disability
December 18, 2024 at 4:49 PM
karenautio.bsky.social
A powerful novel in verse
about Effie,
a child who is deaf,
from a broken home,
and finds her voice.

Highly recommended.

Deer Run Home by Ann Clare LeZotte

#OwnVoices #MiddleGradeNovel #MGNovel #PowerOfWriting #disability
Cover of book Deer Run Home (a girl pats a deer with houses in foreground) next to photo of deer sleeping in dry grass with text from the book: “We need the deer, and every gentle creature whose home is broken.”
December 12, 2024 at 12:15 AM