Carol Weston

Carol Weston writes fiction and advice that give young readers room to examine friendship, family, and growing confidence. Ava and Taco Cat is the second volume in the Ava and Pip series, written as the diary of eleven-year-old Ava Wren. After Ava adopts an injured rescue cat, she must be patient with an animal that hides instead of purring, while also facing changes in a close friendship and the unexpected consequences of a story she writes. Sourcebooks Young Readers published the novel for middle-grade readers, pairing its emotional questions with Ava's enthusiasm for words and palindromes. Weston has written guidance and stories for children, teenagers, and general audiences, and has served as the Dear Carol advice columnist for Girls' Life since 1994. Her experience answering young people's questions informs the novel's attentive treatment of loneliness, responsibility, creative ambition, and repair after mistakes.