• Age: 13 to 18
• Grade: 5
• Reading age: 9 to 10

Vienna, a mixed-race teen and her mother experience racism and domestic violence while living with her step-father. They try to escape the situation by moving to a big city where they begin to start new lives. But staying under the radar is tough, and when her step-father shows up threatening her at her new high school's grad party, Vienna has to find a way to keep herself, her mother, and her friends out of harm's way.

This book illustrates the very real circumstances women and children victims of domestic abuse face and one family's struggle to escape a violent situation.

Karen Spafford-Fitz grew up in an old limestone farmhouse near Kingston, Ontario where her early training as a writer involved reading thousands of books. In fact, it was impossible to walk across her bedroom without stubbing a toe on Anne of Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Trixie Belden, and her father's old Lone Ranger books.

Eager to read more, Karen studied English Language and Literature at Queen's University. She followed that up with a degree in Education and went on to teach elementary and junior high students for eight years. Two daughters and a move across the country later, Karen began creating her own stories for children and teenagers. Dog Walker is her first middle-grade novel.

When Karen is not writing in her Edmonton studio, she is often running with her rambunctious German shepherd, who helps Karen train for her next half marathon. Karen also enjoys speaking to students about the inspiration for her stories, the creative process and the writing life.

Karen Spafford-Fitz's profile page

• Winner, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens
• Winner, Resource Links The Year's Best - Fiction Grades 7-12

"Saving Grad is un-put-down-able."

Fiction for Young Adults

"Karen Spafford-Fitz has woven a realistic narrative in Saving Grad, with credible characters with whom teen readers can associate.The themes are everyday issues which are plausible and authentic. The novel is an easy read — only 184 pages with enough to keep readers engaged until the very end ... Saving Grad is an excellent novel for classroom discussion."

Resource Links

"In addition to the diverse protagonists, many secondary characters also bring diversity to the series."

Kirkus Reviews

"This book was both inspirational and scary as it does not shy away from domestic violence and the results of living it."

NetGalley

"The story of a young girl heading into her final year of high school. Her mom is in an abusive relationship, and there's racism involved as she's mixed Métis. They escape this man and move to Edmonton, but he finds them. It's got a lot of layers, really well done."

Edmonton Journal

"Vienna is a solid role model for younger readers."

CM: Candian Review of Materials

"[A story] about the strength of a mother and daughter who put the end to the violence that was going on in their lives. Vienna does what she has to keep her friends and her mother save when her family's problems come after them. It is a good fast paced story. I enjoyed it."

NetGalley