middle grade

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 Holiday House

for readers 8-12 yrs 

Eleven-year-old Felix likes being the smallest kid in school.

At least he knows where he fits in. Plus his nickname, “Short-lock Holmes,” is perfect for someone who’s killing it in forensic science club. To Felix, Growth Hormone Deficiency is no big deal.

And then Felix learns that his biological dad was short, too. This one, tiny, itty-bitty piece of information opens up a massive hole in his life. Felix must find his father. He only has a few small clues to work from, but as Sherlock Holmes said, “To a great mind, nothing is little.” 

The further Felix gets in his investigation, though, the more he starts to wonder: What if his dad doesn’t want to be found? And what if Felix’s family—his mom, his stepdad, the baby on the way—needs him right where he is?

Honors: 

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

2023 Ohioana Book Award finalist

2024 Rhode Island Children's Book Award nominee for grades 3-5

Reviews:

"Felix's [story] is as internal as it is external. As he follows clues to his father's identity, he learns about the person and friend he himself is beginning to be." - The New York Times

"A captivating, humorous, and heartfelt story of friendship, family, and crime-solving." - Kirkus Review (To see full review, go HERE.) 

"A fresh and funny read that sells itself, and it demonstrates that there is more than one way to grow."—Booklist
 

“Written from Felix’s perspective, the story keeps a steady pace as it ­alternates between school and home, ­giving a firsthand account of what it’s like to be young and faced with decisions that are difficult to navigate. ­VERDICT: Engaging and heartfelt, Van Vleet’s title delivers big on the feels. Anyone who’s ever been made to feel small will benefit from ­hearing ­Felix’s story.” – School Library Journal

"Nothing Is Little is a, just, phenomenal middle grade novel.  Check it out; you won't regret it." - Colby Sharp (To see full review, go HERE.) 

"Nothing Is Little offers powerful proof that little things can matter in a great big way. What a beautiful book! The most huge-hearted and heartwarming story you'll read this year."—Claudia Mills, author of The Lost Language

"Smart, funny, and memorable. You can’t help but love Felix! He has big goals and a great big heart, and he’ll live large in your memory long after the final page is turned."—Margi Preus, Newbery Honor–winning author

Holiday House

for readers 8-12 yrs

11 year-old Eliza, a girl with ADHD, takes up taekwondo in order to prove she's not a quitter.

Honors:

A Junior Library Guild selection

2015 Christopher Award winner

2017-18 Choose To Read Ohio selection 

nominated for four state awards: 

Oklahoma Library Association's 2017 Sequoyah Book Award, Pennsylvania School Libraries Association's Young Reader's Choice Award for 2016-17, the 2016-17 Arkansas Charlie May Simon Book Award, and South Carolina's Children's Book Award

Educator's Guide

Holiday House

for readers 8 and up

Believe it or not, ice isn’t always just frozen water. 

In fact, most of the ice covering our planet contains thousands of years' worth of information about our atmosphere. This ice is made up of a lot more than snow—it has soot, volcanic ash, gasses, and other substances that affect the climate.  And if we drill a piece of that ice? We get a frozen time capsule, courtesy of Earth. 

In this exhilarating middle grade nonfiction book by a former educator, kids are immersed in the field of paleoclimatology. Readers go along on an ice core expedition, run through each step in the collecting and transporting process, review the fascinating components of an ice core, and explore the specialized labs where scientists examine them.

But these pieces of our planet are more than just cool records. By preserving and studying these frosty collections of climate history, we can learn from previous patterns and better protect our planet in the future. The final chapter focuses on ice as a key tool in the fight against climate change.

Honors:

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Starred review from School Library Journal    

NPR's Science Friday Best Books for Kids List 2024

School Library Journal’s Best Nonfiction for Middle School List 2024

co-authored by Chiquita Mullins Lee

illustrated by Jennifer Mack-Watkins

from Kolila

for all ages

A  biography about the barber shop of wood carver Elijah Pierce, recipient of the highest folk art honor in the United States. 

From the publisher:

Based on the true story of Elijah Pierce and his community barber shop in Columbus, Ohio, this picture book includes cleverly collaged museum-sourced photos of his art and informative backmatter about his life. With engaging text by Pierce to the Soul! playwright Chiquita Mullins-Lee and Christopher Award-winning author Carmella Van Vleet, it’s illustrated with striking Japanese woodblock by Jennifer Mack-Watkins. A new addition to vital Black art history!

Honors:

2023 Booklist Editor's Choice   

Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Books of 2023  

Black Caucus ALA Best of the Best 2023 list for grades K-4

Black Caucus ALA Honor Book 2024

CCBC Choices 2024 list

2024 Ohio Center for the Book Great Reads from Great Reads honoree

2024 Ohioana Book Award finalist

 Children’s and Youth Literary Awards Honoree 2024

Reviews:

"Thoughtful and enlightening." --Booklist, starred review. 

"This thoughtfully constructed book tells an appealing story, introduces a prolific African American artist, and leaves readers to ponder the role of formal training in art." --School Library Connection, starred review.

"The conversational framing imbues this picture book biography with warmth and intimacy ... There’s plenty of fodder here for themed storytimes on Black history and art." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review.

"An intimate encounter with an artist who should be better known." --Kirkus Reviews

"Action words (“DRAPE /SNAP,” “SAND/DUST”) evoke movement and expertise throughout, while Mack-Watkins’s use of woodcut textures brings the subject’s medium to the fore." --Publishers Weekly

Nomad Press

for kids 8-12

From the publisher: 

Explore the science of electricity and the technology we’ve developed to harness the energy to power our lives. By diving into the topics of static electricity, currents, circuits, electromagnetism, motors, and ways we might produce and use electricity in the future, kids ages 8 to 12 gain a full view of how electricity works and why it’s so important to human society. 

Nomad Press

For readers 7-10 

From the publisher:

What do you think of when you hear the word “robot?” Real robots might look different from what you imagine! In Robotics: With 25 Science Projects for Kidslearn about robots past and present and discover the programming and mechanics that make them work. Essential questions, fun facts, and hands-on STEM experiments make this book a fully immersive learning experience!

Nomad Press

for kids 8-12

From the publisher: 

From reed boats, papyrus, and amulets, to pyramids, pharaohs, and mummies, Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself explores the fascinating lives of ancient Egyptians through more than 25 hands-on building projects and activities. Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself gives readers today a chance to experience how the ancient Egyptians lived, cooked, worked, worshipped, entertained themselves, and interacted with their neighbors through building projects that use common household supplies.

Detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for creating each project are combined with historical facts and anecdotes, biographies, and trivia for the real-life models of each project. Together they give kids a first-hand look at daily life in ancient Egypt.

Nomad Press

For readers 7-10 

From the publisher:

Over 2,000 years ago, ancient Greek scholars named seven of the most wondrous monuments to civilization, including the Pyramids of Egypt and Statue of Zeus at Olympia. Through the centuries these treasures were known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Because all but the Egyptian pyramids have been lost to the ravages of time, a new list of seven wonders was established in 2007. These monuments, including Machu Picchu in Peru and the Great Wall of China, symbolize the creativity and ingenuity of human civilization. Seven Wonders of the World introduces kids ages 9-12 to the seven wonders on the original list and the seven wonders on the new list. Learning about these icons of world culture offers opportunities to discover amazing civilizations, technological innovations, and our shared world heritage. Sidebars, fun trivia, and entertaining illustrations break up the text, making it easily accessible and engaging, while hands-on projects encourage active learning.

Nomad Press

for kids 8-12

From the publisher: 

What did children in ancient Egypt eat for lunch? Find out in Ancient Civilizations: Egyptians! With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids, which takes readers ages 7 to 10 on a journey through the land of the Nile to learn about daily life in this fascinating time and place. Detailed illustrations, fascinating facts, essential questions, and hands-on projects such as constructing model bridges and translating hieroglyphics make for fun hands-on STEAM learning.

Nomad Press

For readers 7-10 

From the publisher:

Ancient Civilizations: Greeks! With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids takes kids on an exploration of ancient Greek homes, food, playtime, clothing, conquests, arts and entertainment, gods, and more. Fascinating links between today’s world and ancient Greek culture offer opportunities for real-world connections and fun STEAM activities promote critical and creative thinking.

Nomad Press

for kids 8-12

From the publisher: 

What was it like to live in ancient Rome? Ancient Civilizations: Romans! With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids combines hands-on STEAM projects with riddles, jokes, fascinating facts, comic strips, essential questions, and links to online resources to encourage kids to develop an understanding of how this ancient civilization contributes to our modern world.

Nomad Press

for kids 9-12

From the publisher: 

Amazing Ben Franklin Inventions You Can Build Yourself introduces readers ages 9 and up to the life and times of one of America's greatest thinkers with over 25 hands-on building projects and activities. From his groundbreaking scientific discoveries and inventions to his career as a writer, printer, and politician, Amazing Ben Franklin Inventions gives young readers a comprehensive look at the man who gave us the lightning rod, the armonica, bifocals, the post office, the first public library, Poor Richard's Almanac, and so much more. Amazing Ben Franklin Inventions provides detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for creating each project. Historical facts and anecdotes, biographies, and fascinating trivia support the fun projects and teach readers about the courage, creativity, and determination of Ben Franklin and a young America coming into its own.