Charlie’s parents have left him (again). This time they are off to South Africa to help giant golden moles. And Charlie? He’s been dumped with his TV-obsessed grandparents. Lonely and curious, Charlie heads into the village of Castle-on-the-Hudson, where a frightened old woman gives him a desperate message-in sign language. When she suddenly disappears, Charlie is determined to find answers.
All Francine (aka Frog) Castle wants is to be the world’s greatest detective.
Frog, who is Deaf, would rather be solving crimes than working at the Flying Hands Cafe. When Charlie Tickler walks into the cafe looking for help, Frog jumps at the chance to tackle a real-life case.
Together, Charlie and Frog set out to decipher a series of clues and uncover the truth behind the missing woman’s mysterious message. Charlie needs to learn American Sign Language (fast) to keep up with quick-witted Frog. And Frog needs to gather her detective know-how (now) to break the case before it’s too late. Discover the surprising ways people listen in debut author Karen Kane’s page-turning mystery filled with humor, intrigue, and heartwarming friendships.

Welcome, Karen!

Who was your favorite character to write and why?

Frog was my favorite because she was so easy to write. I simply channeled the many strong and confident Deaf girls I have met as a sign language interpreter.

What was the spark that ignited this book?

The spark was my advisor, Amy King. Amy felt I would grow more as a writer with new material, not by working on a manuscript I had brought with me to VCFA. So I started writing short stories. Then, one day, I began feeling my way into a new middle-grade novel, which became Charlie & Frog. Amy loved my story and said to keep writing. So I did.