Book Signing with Sandy Grubb

Meet Oregon author Sandy Grubb and learn about her debut middle grade novel, Just Like Click, set at Black Butte Ranch. Books will be available for purchase and signing!

Nick Townley has lived his entire life—all eleven years—at Black Butte Ranch, nestled in the foothills of the snow-capped Cascade Mountains. While his parents push him to study, practice sports, and make friends, Nick prefers to retreat into his superhero universe and create exciting Adventures of Click comics. When a string of robberies threatens Dad’s job, forcing them to move across the country, Nick’s world implodes. He loves his home, and what will he do about the $237,000 in cash under his bed that Great Gramp gave him before he died? Desperate to stop the move, Nick steps off his comic book pages and ventures into the night as Click, an undercover superhero. Catching thieves would be a lot easier if he had actual superpowers. When three new kids discover his identity and want to join him, Nick vows to stay undercover… until he realizes even a superhero needs friends. But can he ask them to put their lives in danger to save his home? What would Click do?

Sandy Grubb has been writing children’s stories since she was a child herself, fine-tuning her talents when she became serious about publishing. In 2022, Sandy’s manuscript Just Like Click won the esteemed Kraken Book Prize, recognizing finely crafted middle grade fiction and resulting in a publishing contract with Fitzroy Books, the children’s imprint of Regal House Publishing. The book, releasing in 2024, is a superhero story about friendship, belonging, and self-discovery.

Sandy wrote Just Like Click with her three sons in mind, wanting to write a story that boys – and girls – would enjoy reading. The story is set at Black Butte Ranch, an Oregon location where her family has enjoyed many vacations throughout the years.

When she isn’t writing, Sandy enjoys exploring the beautiful world around her with its interesting people and cultures. She and her husband have taken their children to every continent, which has provided rich experiences that Sandy draws from for her writing. Volunteer work with World Vision has led Sandy off the beaten path to meet amazing children around the world—from tunnels under the streets in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to densely populated slums in Bangladesh, to small remote villages in Zambia. Each trip fills a journal and her heart full of stories and memories.

A former elementary school teacher and a longtime member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Sandy has an English and French Literature degree from Stanford University and a teaching certificate from U.C. Berkeley. Passionate about making life better for children around the world, she serves on the Board of World Vision U.S. Sandy and her husband live outside of Portland, Oregon, overlooking the beautiful Mt. Hood, where they enjoy hiking and skiing.