The Dickinson Memorial Library in Northfield will host a May 10 talk and activity with Diana Renn, author of the eco-mystery, Trouble at Turtle Pond, a book that celebrates citizen science, activist kids, and the power of paying attention. Renn will discuss how her real-life work as a community scientist and volunteer working with turtle hatchlings inspired the novel.

Diana Renn is the author of two middle grade eco-mysteries: Trouble at Turtle Pond (Fitzroy Books/Regal House) and The Owl Prowl Mystery (coming in August 2024). Trouble at Turtle Pond was named a 2023 Green Earth Book Awards Honor Book and a Massachusetts Book Award "Must Read." Her "Backyard Rangers" mysteries were originally inspired by volunteer work she and her son did with Blanding’s turtles through Zoo New England’s HATCH program. She serves as a Mentor in a program called Creature Conserve, which facilitates creative collaborations among artists, writers, and scientists working on conservation issues. Diana is also the author of three young adult mysteries: Tokyo Heist, Latitude Zero, and Blue Voyage, (Viking / Penguin Random House). In addition, Diana writes nonfiction; she is the recipient of a Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship Award for creative nonfiction, and her essays have appeared in Flyway Journal of Writing and Environment, Pangyrus, WBUR’s Cognoscenti, Publisher’s Weekly, The Huffington Post, Mindful, Writer’s Digest, and elsewhere. Originally from Seattle, Diana now lives in Concord, Massachusetts, where she feels fortunate to have turtles and other wildlife among her neighbors. You can visit Diana online at https://dianarennbooks.com/.