Nationally acclaimed children’s author and former Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh children’s library assistant, Brittany J. Thurman, will return to the city of bridges. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh shaped her love for storytelling. The author of two nationally recognized picture books and co-written novels, Brittany will launch her newest middle grade novel, Opal Watson: Private Eye. The official book launch will take place on Wednesday, May 28th, 2025, 6:00 PM-7:30 PM, at Stories Like Me, just days before her featured appearance at the Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books.
Opal Watson: Private Eye introduces an exciting new middle grade mystery series based on the popular original Pinna podcast that feels like a modern-day version of Harriet the Spy.
Set in the heart of Chicago, the story follows a creative, curious, and bold young girl on a mission to crack the case of phantom noises in her apartment building. When clues lead her to a historical secret of epic proportions, Opal must save her home before it’s too late. The novel is praised by reviewers who celebrate its themes of representation, character development, mystery layers, and sense of place.
“I graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a Master of Fine Arts in Dramatic Writing. My position at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh honed my direction as a writer. I’ve merged my love of working with children with my love of writing for children. Picture books, middle grade, and young adult manuscripts fill my desk…the day my books make it to library shelves isn’t too far away.” says Thurman in a 2018 interview with the Pittsburgh Promise- Career Spotlight. “While it may seem that librarianship is doing a Google search to find the title of a book, the career of a librarian digs much deeper than any informational search. Children who walk, run, or hop through the library find much more than pages filled with words smacked between two hard covers, they find magic...”
Thurman, who worked as a children’s library assistant at the Main Branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, is thrilled to return to her second home and honored to participate in the Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books. The Main library is where she wrote the first draft of her award-winning picture book, Fly.
Book Launch Party! Opal Watson: Private Eye with Brittany J. Thurman
Stories Like Me
4381 Murray Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Wednesday, May 28th, 2025
6:00 PM- 7:30 PM
Appearing At: The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books
Saturday, May 31st, 2025
Panel: Classic Themes- New Stories
1:15 PM- 2:00 PM, CLP Main, Children’s Department
Book signing to follow.
The event is free and open to the public. Families, educators, and readers of all ages are encouraged to attend.
