Amy Goldman Koss is known for her ability to look at the problems and adventures of middle graders with an insightful and realistic eye. At the same time, she presents characters that hold readers' attention and linger after completion of the book. Koss began her publishing career as an author and illustrator of picture books with rhyming texts. After the birth of her children, however, she shifted her focus as an author to write longer fiction for middle graders. In such novels as The Trouble with Zinny Weston, How I Saved Hanukkah, The Ashwater Experiment, Stranger in Dadland, Stolen Words, Strike Two, and Gossip Times Three, Koss blends humor with realistic situations to sensitively convey the pain of growing up.