Maya C. Klinger is a children’s author and lecturer. She has over twenty years of experience in researching, guiding, and educating, and she has worked with a large variety of ages. Among her fields of expertise are Bible research, Holocaust remembrance, and nurturing the love of reading.
Maya has guided visitors’ tours through the city of Jerusalem and national sites such as Yad Vashem, Tower of David, and Bible Lands Museum. She has worked as an educator in kindergartens and elementary schools as well as high schools and served as the professors’ assistant (TA) at the Hebrew University. Maya holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Bible Research from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, both cum laude.
Maya lives in Maryland with her husband and their three daughters.
Contact details - mayaklico@gmail.com
In her debut children's book, Maya tells the true story of a family of photographers rescued by Albanian Muslims during World War II.
The Hebrew edition of The Photographer's Son received the prestigious Yad Vashem Award (World Holocaust Remembrance Center). The book was translated into Albanian and published in Germany by Suhrkamp-Insel Publishing House. In June 2025, it was selected as Book of the Month by the German Academy for Children's Literature.
Maya's second book, Fin Island, is a dystopian YA novel was published in 2023 in Israel, and was listed as a recommended book by the Ministry of Education.
Maya's third book - I Only Like the Red Ones - another middle grade WWII true story - was published in 2024 in Israel.
The English edition of The Photographer's Son is available for purchase.
2175. The world is governed by the cold and alienated Head Office. Input slots are installed in the brains of six-year-olds, and all kids are forbidden to form relationships until the age of fourteen. On top of that, every adult who reaches the age of sixty is forced to move to an isolated and remote region: Fin-Island.
Like most teenagers, Ruby-G leads a lonely, boring life. His only entertainment is escaping to the virtual world of the Mind Cloud until, on his fourteenth birthday, Ruby-G is assigned a role as a guide for new students at his study center. There, he meets Daria – a fiercely independent girl without an input slot and with a fresh take on the world.
But his life truly takes a turn when, a day after, Ruby-G receives a dire warning from his mother’s distressed assistant. She warns him about a vicious plan that his mother, who oversees Fin-Island at the Head Office,
is about to execute.
With Daria’s help, Ruby-G races against time to save the island’s residents, including his own grandfather, from a terrible fate. The deeper Ruby-G dives into his journey, the harder it is to accept the truth that shatters everything he’s ever believed.
Can one teenage boy go against the all-powerful Head Office – and even worse, his own mother?
Project Fin-Island is a thrilling coming-of-age story of adventure, friendship, betrayal, and fighting for what’s right, even if it means risking it all in the process.
Author Talk Reviews
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"We had the honor of welcoming a truly remarkable guest to our school - a gifted lecturer, storyteller, and author... Maya's ability to connect with children is extraordinary. She held our students in wrapped attention, nurturing both curiosity and empathy as they journeyed with her through this unforgettable story. An experience that left a lasting impact on every heart in the room." (Ms. Maya Faiman, Sela Charter School)
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"Thank you for your recent presentation to our students about your fascinating book The Photographer's Son... Your talk about the story was engaging and captivating. The students listened to you and had questions when you were finished. You were able to find the balance between sharing the story and history without exposing the students to the atrocities of that period. In addition, by using your own experience as an educator and your talent to present the story in a dramatic tone, you were able to present the story in a captivating way. We are looking forward to having you come to our school next year." (Ms. Daniella Friedman, Judaic Studies and Hebrew Language Coordinator, Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School)