Book Tour + #Giveaway: Amazing Amanda and the Crazy School Carnival by Beverly Abear @RABTBookTours

Kids Books / Young Adult

Date Published: 01-14-2026

Amazing Amanda and the Crazy School Carnival includes comedy and yet realistic life issues. Readers will laugh, giggle, worry, and cheer Amanda's attempts at growth. Amanda is a pre-adolescent girl who deals with body issues, middle-school drama, angst with new girls, coming of age issues such as seeing beyond the surface, handling responsibilities of leadership, and questions about faith. Set in a mid-size central Minnesota town, the story is told exclusively from Amanda's point of view. Amazing Amanda is a clean, family friendly story.

This is Abear's debut novel.

Coming soon: Book 2 Amazing Amanda and the Mystery of the Black Cat and Book 3 Amazing Amanda and Her Bright New Day. The series takes readers through Amanda's entire sixth-grade experience.

Interview with Beverly Abear

Could you tell us about any research trips you took for this story? Which places did you visit, and what made them essential to your writing?

I taught in one-room schoolhouse type schools in Minnesota, Iowa, and Montana for five years and then taught in a traditional Christian school in Lancaster, PA for twenty years. My Amanda stories are set in a central Minnesota town of about 20,000 population.

What's the strangest thing you've ever had to research online for your book?

I don’t recall any research for the books. I basically lived the story having so many students for creative material. Other than that, the story came to me as I wrote it.

What research (history, mythology, science) goes into your world-building?

I experienced the world of k-6 elementary and then secondary education. The schools were Christian based so I guess you could say that all the Bible curriculum at college (double major: English secondary ed and Bible). The foundation of who I am, what I believe, and the heart of my stories is the Christian faith and the Bible.

Have any of the people you've known, past or present, left a lasting impression on your writing journey? If so, we'd love to hear about a memorable experience that stands out to you.

So many!! The students were all remarkable in some way. Many inspired the characters in my books. (Amazing Amanda is a three-book series for middle-grade readers). The teachers were unbelievably kind and helpful when I’d get stressed!

Do you write in the same genre all the time?

My first attempt at novel writing was a two-book futuristic/dystopian series for middle grade-YA readers. Then an adult novel about a woman who discovers her husband has been working undercover for an agency. The third novel was Amanda’s story, written as one book, later separated into three. The last book I wrote in long-hand and has never been typed. The Amanda books are the first to be professionally edited and then self-published through IngramSpark.

Which character, supernatural or human, do you enjoy writing the most and why?

Amanda is 12 turning 13 during the books. That is such a turbulent time in a girl’s life. I feel closest to her because I’ve been in her head and heart the longest, rooting for her all the way!

About the Author

As a teacher for almost thirty years, Beverly Abear enjoys writing for middle-grade and young adult readers. She has several stories in progress that she hopes to finish and get published. The Amanda stories are mostly set in a k-6th elementary school like the one the author attended in northern Minnesota. Because her faith has greatly affected her life, Beverly's passion for her readers is that they grow to trust in the Lord and enjoy an abundant life in Him.

Amazing Amanda and the Crazy School Carnival is Beverly's debut novel.

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