"I write stories that spark wonder, fuel curiosity, and craft worlds that help kids find their place in this one." That's what I came up with when a VERY PROFESSIONAL AND ORGANIZED writer friend challenged me to come up with a "writer statement" to describe what my work. After lots and lots of hemming and hawing (I hate to be pinned down!) and even more thinking and drafting and asking and re-reading what I wrote, I came up with the sparking wonder bit. Sounds a little lofty, but I dig it. So I'm sticking with it, for now. But that doesn't tell you much about me, which is maybe why you stopped by, so, here's that: I'm a writer, a mom, a church-staffer, and a huge fan of pit bulls. I'm a writer because I write (duh!), but also because writing is the lens through which I see the world. I caught the writing bug from Shel … Read More about Welcome!
Sparky Helps Mary Make New Friends (Helper Hounds)
Mary’s new in town. She’s worried about starting classes at her new school. That’s why her mom calls the Helper Hounds―and why Sparkplug, the wildly handsome, wickedly smart, card-carrying, world-famous Helper Hound is on the scene. Sparky knows a thing or two about moving. He moved four times as a puppy, and learned to make […]
Penny Helps Portia Face Her Fears (Helper Hounds)
Portia has overcome a lot in life. Born with Down syndrome, Portia has been through many surgeries, lots of doctor’s appointments, and strange looks from people who want to limit what she can do. Inside herself, Portia knows she can do anything―including getting over her fear of dogs. But when Penny shows up at Portia’s house, […]
Gritty and Graceful
God gave girls grit and grace. From the very beginning, God looked to girls and women to teach, to lead, to love, to change the world. We know because we can read their stories in the Bible. From Eve to Mary and everyone in between, the Bible is full of gritty and graceful women who […]
Grit and Grace
Experience the grit and grace of seventeen women of the Bible through creative first-person retellings of each person’s story. This book connects preteen girls with the women of the Bible, showing them that they are created in the image of God to do mighty things in this world. Grit and Grace is for girls who long […]

Introducing: The Helper Hounds Series!
Last month, the first two early-reader chapter books in the Helper Hounds series launched. WooHoo! … Read More... about Introducing: The Helper Hounds Series!
The Buzz
“Broke is [Rivadeneira’s] story of how God used loss as a way of drawing her into deeper relationship with Him. At times both hilarious and heartbreaking, it is an important book for anyone who ever mistook making a good living for God’s abundant life.”
Relevant Magazine
“In the vein of Ann Voskamp and Sarah Young, Rivadeneira (Known and Loved: 52 Devotions from the Psalms) offers a devotional perspective on financial desperation in the suburbs. Balancing between mystical mirth and spiritualized snark, she reflects on her skepticism about God’s trustworthiness and interweaves life stories of misfortune and small miracles to help readers find God and also ‘find him good.’ A sterling storyteller, Rivadeneira spins a narrative of finding benediction and a benevolent God amidst economic trial.”
Publisher's Weekly
“Only Caryn Rivadeneira could weave a tale of financial desperation into a page-turner. I didn’t want to put it down at night. You will discover life and light in these beautifully written pages.”
Margot Starbuck