• Age: 10 to 18
• Grade: 5 to 12

Bog smelled the humans from across the lake. The stench floated high on the breeze, infecting the stars themselves, and then settled among the branches of the birch trees. What were humans doing in their hunting grounds?
When his father is mercilessly turned to stone by the Troll Hunter's followers, a cave troll named Bog sets out to find the murderers and avenge his father. But with no leads and little knowledge of the human world, Bog knows his journey won't be easy. Along the way, he meets a huge forest troll named Small and a young human girl named Hannie. Together, they venture deeper into human territory, where they learn of the legendary Nose Stone—a rock rumoured to bring a stone troll back to life. Hope fills Bog's heart, but when he discovers the Troll Hunter is also going after the Nose Stone to destroy it, his quest becomes a race of cunning, trickery, and wits.

Karen Krossing grew up in Thornhill, Ontario, with a family who loved to read. What could she do but read, too? Karen began to create stories when she was eight, and she continued this habit by writing poetry in high school. By then she was hooked on books, so she studied English at university then became a book editor and a technical writer. After Karen had kids, she began writing fiction for children and teens.

Karen uses writing to understand the world around her. In Take The Stairs, which was nominated for the Ontario Library Association White Pine Award, she writes about turning adversity into opportunity through the troubled lives of inner-city teens. In Pure, her latest novel, she explores sticky ethical questions about genetic engineering that today's teens will have to face in their lifetimes.

Karen is a writing instructor at Centennial College and she teaches an after-school writing program for kids and teens through Pegasus Studios in Toronto. She led workshops at the 2003 Canadian Children's Book Camp in Toronto and was on tour with TD Canadian Children's Book Week in 2005. Karen regularly conducts writing workshops and book talks at Canadian schools.

For a detailed interview with Karen, go to http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/profiles/krossing.html. For contact information, please visit http://www.canscaip.org/bios/krossingk.html.

Karen Krossing's profile page

"Bog is an irresistible character—grouchy but sweet, deeply flawed but deeply noble. I didn't want his quest to end. Funny, inventive, and full of heart."
Lena Coakley, author of Witchlanders

"If you can read this novel without wishing you were a troll, you're a better human than me."
Emily Pohl-Weary, author of Not Your Ordinary Wolf Girl

"Bog is a well-written and intriguing allegory that delves into many of the tougher questions of life. Krossing uses magic, mystery, and humour to draw readers in, and she employs an engaging protagonist and cast of characters to take her readers on a journey of discovery. . . The main characters are all well-drawn, and the secondary characters play their parts well. Images and descriptions are evocative, and, at times, beautiful.
Highly Recommended."
— CM Magazine