IvyKids Saturday for Middle Grade Readers: Puzzle Breakout Boxes! with author Stephanie Brick
Calling all middle grade readers (ages 10-14)! Come help crack the codes! We need your help to break into the bottom of a mysterious box. Inspired by The Secret Doors of Cannondale by Stephanie Brick, this morning at the Ivy will feature a special activity for fans of magic and intrigue.
In The Secret Doors of Cannondale, an outcast girl looking to belong discovers a secret doorway to other realms in a thrilling portal fantasy novel for middle-grade readers. And on October 19, we bring this portal to life…
Author Stephanie Brick deemed herself a writer from the moment she stapled together her first story on construction paper as a child. The rest is history as she continued to refine her craft as years passed, eventually writing a book to give her childhood self the adventure she always wanted. The book, a portal fantasy called The Secret Doors of Cannondale, takes middle-grade readers on a fantastical coming of age journey of friendship, belonging, and self-worth.
An architect by trade, Stephanie’s profession gives her a unique lens for detailed, multi-sensory world-building where readers experience taste, scent, touch, sound, and sight, leaving a greater impact that lasts long after the book is closed. Stephanie was inspired to write this book from her own childhood experiences, wonder, and daydreams, coupled with her youthful sense of curiosity and adventure visiting old houses with her parents, much like the one in her story. With an editor and author as parents, writing seemed a part of her genetic footprint.
When she isn’t writing thrilling fantasy stories for children, Stephanie enjoys cooking and eating delicious food, playing board games, kayaking, hiking, traveling to new places, basking in the sunshine, and spending time with friends and family. As an architect, Stephanie is a passionate and respected expert in salutogenic design, an evidence-based design strategy to improve human health and well-being in the built environment.
Stephanie lives in the greater Washington, D.C. area with her husband and their dog, Peppermint. The Secret Doors of Cannondale is her debut novel and has won national and international awards for best children’s book, middle grade fiction, and new author.
