Karl Beckstrand

College media instructor Karl W. Beckstrand is the best-selling author/illustrator of more than thirty multicultural/multilingual titles (60 ebooks—reviews by Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, The Horn Book, and School Library Journal). Raised in San Jose, California, he has lived abroad and earned a B.A. in journalism, an M.A. in international relations & conflict resolution, and a broadcast & film certificate. Since 2004, he has run Premio Publishing. He’s won multiple publishing awards, including a 2025 Global Book Award for nonfiction and an International Book Award for his Y.A. western novel, To Swallow the Earth. Beckstrand loves volleyball and singing (in rock bands or choirs). His Y.A. stories, ebook mysteries, immigrant biographies, self-help, Spanish/bilingual, and STEM books feature ethnic characters—and usually end with a twist.