Awards & Bestsellers

Congratulations to the talented authors and illustrators whose books have earned awards and admiration from readers everywhere!

A is for America: An American Alphabet
More than 200,000 copies sold
A is for Arches: A Utah Alphabet
2004-05 Beehive Award Nominee
2004 Gov. Olene Walker's July Book of the Month
Adopted by an Owl
2002 A Read Michigan Notable Book
2003 Michigan Reading Association – Great Lakes' Great Book Award
2004 KIND Children's Honor Book (National Assoc. for Humane and Environmental Education)
Amerca's White Table
2006-07 Children's Crown Award Nominee – A Children's Choice Award
B is for Badger: A Wisconsin Alphabet
2005 MBA Midwest Book Award nominee
B is for Beaver: An Oregon Alphabet
Finalist for the 2004 Oregon Book Award – Children's Literacy Category
B is for Big Sky Country: A Montana Alphabet
2005 Montana Center for the Book selection for the National Book Festival Exhibit
2005 Missoula Reads Selection
B is for Blue Crab: A Maryland Alphabet
2005 ALA Many Voices, One Nation Booklist
B is for Buckeye: An Ohio Alphabet
More than 50,000 copies sold
Ohioana Library Association finalist for Juvenile Literature
2003 Ohio Farm Bureau Honor's List
The Blue Spruce
2001 National Arbor Day Foundation Award, April 26, 2001
Buzzy the Bumblebee
More than 50,000 copies sold
2000 Friends of America's Writers Award winner
C is for Chinook: An Alberta Alphabet
2006 Rocky Mountain Book Award Shortlist. A Children's Choice Award.
C is for Cowboy: A Wyoming Alphabet
2004 State IRA Literacy Award to author
Cardinal Numbers: An Ohio Counting Book
2003 Ohio Farm Bureau Honor's List
The Christmas Humbugs
More than 50,000 copies sold
Discover America State by State Series
More than one million copies sold
D is for Democracy: A Citizen's Alphabet
More than 75,000 copies sold
2005 IRA Children's Book Award Notable
2005-2006 North Carolina Children's Book Award Nominee — Junior Books
The Edmund Fitzgerald: Song of the Bell
2004 Michigan Notable Books List
2004 MRA Great Lakes Book Award Honor Book 4th & 5th grade
E is for Empire: A New York State Alphabet
New York State Reading Association's Charlotte Committee Suggested Reading Lists – Primary Category
E is for Enchantment: A New Mexico Alphabet
2005 Women Writing the West WILLA Literary Award Finalist
Friend on Freedom River
2005 Great Lakes Book Award Finalist
2005 Jefferson Cup Honor Award — sponsored by the Virginia Library Association
2006-07 Virginia Readers’ Choice Award Nominee – Elementary Category
G is for Garden State: A New Jersey Alphabet
2005 New Jersey Center for the Book selection for the National Book Festival Exhibit
Hannah and the Homunculus
2002 Children’s Picture Book IPPY Award – Finalist
H is for Home Run: A Baseball Alphabet
More than 170,000 copies sold
H is for Hoosier: An Indiana Alphabet
2004-05 Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee – Picture Book
Jam & Jelly by Holly & Nellie
2002 Midwest Independent Publisher Merit Award
2003 Benjamin Franklin Award Finalist
2003 GLBA Children's Book Award Finalist
2003 NAPPA Honor Award
2003 National Outdoor Book Award
2004 Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Children' s Literature Honors Award
2004-05 Children's Crown Gallery Award Nominee
2005-06 Virginia Young Reader's List – Primary
The Legend of Leelanau
2003 GLBA Children's Book Award Finalist
The Legend of the Loon
2001 IRA Children's Choice Award winner
The Legend of Mackinac Island
More than 75,000 copies sold
1999 Read Michigan Selection
1999 GLBA Children's Book Award
2002 MRA Reader's Choice Award winner
The Legend of Sleeping Bear
More than 200,000 copies sold
Official State of Michigan Children's Book
1999 IPPY Award Finalist
The Legend of the Teddy Bear
More than 50,000 copies sold
2001 IRA Children's Choice Award winner
2003-2004 Indiana Young Hoosier State Book award Nominee
Let Them Play
2006 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People List
M is for Magnolia: A Mississippi Alphabet
2005 Mississippi Center for the Book selection for exhibit at the National Book Festival
M is for Majestic: A National Parks Alphabet
2006 Great Lakes' Great Books Award Nominee – 2nd & 3rd Grade
M is for Maple: A Canadian Alphabet
2002-03 Blue Spruce Award Nominee
M is for Mitten: A Michigan Alphabet
More than 100,000 copies sold
2000 Read Michigan Selection
2004 National Book Festival state selection for Michigan
2005 National Book Festival’s state selection to represent Michigan
Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot
More than 50,000 copies sold
2002 Midwest Independent Publisher Award
2003 Children's Choices – IRA
2003-04 Texas Bluebonnet Runner-up
2003-04 Beehive Award Nominee
2004-05 Children's Crown Honor Book
2004-05 Show Me Award Nominee
2004 "Living the Dream" Book Award – Manhattan Country School, New York, NY
2006 Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award Nominee
The Michigan Reader
2002 MRA Reader's Choice Award winner
My Momma Likes to Say
2003 NAPPA (National Parenting Publications) Honor Award
2004 Children's Choices – IRA
2005-06 Children's Crown Award Nominee
2006 Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award Nominee
My Teacher Likes to Say
2005-2006 Keystone Reading Book Award Nominee. A Children's Choice Award
One Nation: America by the Numbers
More than 80,000 copies sold
P is for Passport: A World Alphabet
2003 MIPA Merit Award Winner
P is for Peace Garden: A North Dakota Alphabet
2005-2006 Flicker Tale Children's Book Award Nominee — Upper Grade Level Non-Fiction. A Children's Choice Award
P is for Potato: An Idaho Alphabet
2005 Idaho Alphabet Center for the Book selection for exhibit at the National Book Festival
Penny: The Forgotten Coin
2004-05 Keystone to Reading Book Award Nominee
A Place Called Home
2001 Read Michigan Selection
Redheaded Robbie's Christmas Story
More than 40,000 copies sold
R is for Rhyme: A Poetry Alphabet
2008 Mom's Choice Award Gold Recipient and Educators' Choice
2006 National Parenting Publications Honor Award for ages 9+
2006 Missouri Writers' Guild Best Juvenile Book Award
2007 58th Annual Performance by University of Utah's Tanner Creative Dance Program
2006-2007 Albuquerque Public Schools Featured Book for the K-12 Words and Images ARTS Program.
S is for Show Me: A Missouri Alphabet
2006 Missouri Writers Guild Best Junvenile Book Award
S is for Sooner: An Oklahoma Alphabet
2004 Oklahoma Book Award – Design/Illustration Category
S is for Sunflower: A Kansas Alphabet
2006 Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award Nominee
S is for Sunshine: A Florida Alphabet
2005 Florida Center for the Book selection for the National Book Festival Exhibit
Saving Samantha
2004 GLBA Children's Book Award Finalist
2005 IRA Children's Book Award Notable
2004 ForeWord's Book of the Year finalist
2005 KIND Children's Honor Book (Kids In Nature's Defense — national association for humane and environmental education)
2006-07 Children’s Crown Award Nominee – a Children’s Choice Award
Someday is Not a Day of the Week
2006-07 Children’s Crown Gallery Award Nominee – a Children’s Choice Award
The Scarlet Stocking Spy
New York State Reading Association's Charlotte Committee Suggested Reading Lists – Intermediate Category
2005 IRA Teacher's Choice, Intermediate
2005 ForeWord's Book of the Year Finalist
The Story of the H. L. Hunley and Queenie's Coin
2005 SEBA Award Nominee
2005 IRA Children's Book Award Notable
T is for Tar Heel: A North Carolina Alphabet
2004 SEBA Award Nominee
2004-05 North Carolina Children's Book Award Nominee – Jr. Category
2005 ALA Many Voices, One Nation Booklist
T is for Teachers: A School Alphabet
2006 Learning Magazine Teachers' Choice Award for Children's Books
V is for Viking: A Minnesota Alphabet
2004 Minnesota Book Award Finalist
2003 NEMBA Award (Northeast Minnesota Book – UMD Duluth)
V is for Volunteer: A Tennessee Alphabet
2004 National Book Festival's state selection to represent Tennessee
Win One for the Gipper: America's Football Hero
2006 New York State Reading Association Charlotte Award Shortlist – Intermediate Category
2006 New York State Reading Association Charlotte Committee Suggested Reading List – Intermediate Category
2005 IRA Teacher's Choice, Intermediate
2005 Great Lakes Book Award Finalist
2006 New York State Reading Association Charlotte Committee Suggested Reading
Winter's Gift
2005 IRA Children's Book Award Notable
2005-2006 Florida Reading Association's Children's Book Award nominee
A Wish to be a Christmas Tree
More than 200,000 copies sold
A Christmas classic. Read by Katie Couric on The Today Show Christmas morning 2002.
2006-07 Children’s Crown Award Nominee – a Children’s Choice Award
Z is for Zamboni: A Hockey Alphabet
More than 100,000 copies sold
2003 Blue Spruce Award
2002 Midwest Independent Publishers Award