“Karol’s adventures in the world of writing are a delight. She is a very creative and imaginative child.” 

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So said Karol Ruth Silverstein’s second grade teacher, and honestly, not much has changed since then. 

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An active member of the SCBWI for over 20 years, Karol is an award-winning children’s book author and screenwriter. She has identified as disabled since 21.

Originally from Philadelphia, Karol moved to Los Angeles in 1990 to attend The American Film Institute. She worked in film and TV production briefly before turning to writing full time.

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Karol’s debut young adult novel Cursed is loosely drawn from her experiences following a juvenile rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis at age 13. A funny, frank and unsentimental take on the “sick kid” genre, Cursed won the prestigious Schneider Family Book Award in 2020.

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Since the publication of Cursed in 2019, Karol has enjoyed various speaking engagements at writers’ conferences, discussing not only her own book and journey to publication but also advocating for more authentic disability representation in books for young people.

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A true homebody, Karol is happiest while writing in her home office (generally in her PJs) but can occasionally be convinced to leave the house for karaoke nights with her kid lit writer friends. She currently lives in West Hollywood with her exceptionally fluffy cats, Ninja and Boo.