2021 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" NOMINATION for an NAACP Image Award!
2017 - “Lincoln & Kennedy” WINNER of 2017 Carolyn W. Field HONOR Award
2013 - “Timeless Thomas” WINNER of 2013 Cook Prize Honor Book – Given by The Bank Street College of Education
2007 - “Now & Ben” WINNER of the 2007 Carolyn W. Field Award - Pennsylvania Library Association
SELECTED HONORS
2023
“Starring Steven Spielberg” nominated for a 2023-24 Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award by Keystone State Literacy Association
2022
2022 - School Library Journal awarded “Starring Steven Spielberg” a STARRED REVIEW.
2022 - "Timeless Thomas" received an award for Barnes & Noble's STEAM/STEM Books for 6-8 Year Olds
2021
2020 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" included in Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List 2021-2022
2020
2020 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" included in SLJ article, “#BlackinSTEM: 17 Nonfiction Books That Spotlight Black Scientists, Thinkers, and Inventors.”
2020 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" included in School Library Journal/ Fuse #8's 2020 Unique Biographies
2020 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" and "Muhammad Ali: A Champion is Born" included in Book Riot’s list of “52 Incredible Picture Book Biographies of Black People Creating and Learning.”
2021 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" included in the Texas Bluebonnet Award Book of the Year list.
2020 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" included in School Library Journal/ Fuse #8's 2020 Non-Fiction Picture Books
2021-22 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" included in the Virginia statewide "Reading Makes Cents" Program
2019
2019 - "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver” awarded a Starred Review from Booklist
2019 - “The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver” awarded a Starred Review from School Library Journal
2017
2017 - A painting from "The Bat Can Bat" became part of the Mazza Museum collection!
2017 - Children's Book Council included “Lincoln & Kennedy” on its 2017 NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books List!
2017 - "Lincoln & Kennedy” on the 2017-2018 CFISD Name That Book List. Houston, TX
2017 - My three Inventor books included in Geekwrapped.com's 100 Best New Science Books for Kids.
2017 - "Neo Leo" included in Geekwrapped.com's 100 Best New Science Books for Kids
2017 - A painting from "Neo Leo" became part of the Mazza Museum collection!
2017 - "Now & Ben" included in Geekwrapped.com's 100 Best New Science Books for Kids
2016
2016 - “Muhammad Ali” is mentioned in Publisher’s Weekly’s African-American Interest Young Reader’s Titles, 2016–2017
2016 - Invited to talk about “Lincoln and Kennedy” at the 92nd St. Y
2016 - "Lincoln and Kennedy" is mentioned among the NY Public Library's list of 100 Best Kids Books of 2016
2016 - "Neo Leo" included in the Alpha Reading Grade 4 Education Anthology
Invited to speak about “Neo Leo” at the 92nd St. Y
2015
2015 - A painting from "Dear Deer" became part of the Mazza Museum collection!
2015 - A painting from "Now & Ben" became part of the Mazza Museum collection!
2014
2014 - "Neo Leo" was chosen by Teaching Books for the 2014 Collaborative Summer Library Program themed "Fizz, Boom, Read!"
2014 - "Timeless Thomas" was chosen by Teaching Books for the 2014 Collaborative Summer Library Program themed "Fizz, Boom, Read!"
2014 - "Now & Ben" included in Best Books for Grades 3-5 by WeAreTeachers.com
2013
2013 - "Timeless Thomas" made it onto NEA 2013 Calendar.
2013 - "Neo Leo" chosen for Scholastic Book Club.
2013 - 3,500 copies of “Neo Leo” bought by First Books to be distributed nationally to children from low-income homes.
2013 - "Now & Ben" included in School Library Journal’s “20 Outstanding Non-Fiction Books/Core Essentials."
2012
2012 - "Timeless Thomas" awarded a STARRED REVIEW from Kirkus.
2012 - "The Bass Plays the Bass" (formerly Zoola Palooza) included on the 2012-2013 Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award List.
2012 - "The Bass Plays the Bass" (formerly Zoola Palooza) included on 2012 IRA Teacher’s Choice Reading List.
2012 - "Now & Ben" chosen for Scholastic Book Club.
2011
2011 - "The Bass Plays the Bass" (formerly Zoola Palooza) chosen among Amazon’s Best Books of the Month for June.
2011 - "Now & Ben" is included in the 2011 Journeys Common Core Edition
2010
2010 - Teacher's Choice Booklist by the International Reader's Association for "Neo Leo."
2010 - "Neo Leo" included on the list of the 2010 NSTA - CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12
2010 - "Dear Deer" named #19 in top 50 books of 2010 by LibraryThing.com
2009
2009 - Scholastic Instructor's Magazine's "First-Rate Biographies" for "Neo Leo."
2009 - Children's Book of the Month Club. Alternate Selection for "Neo Leo."
2009 - "Neo Leo" included in LA Times Parent Reading Guide
2009 - Scholastic Instructor's Magazine's "First-Rate Biographies" for "Neo Leo."
2009 - April Book of the Month by the Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children for "Now & Ben."
2008
2008 - "Dear Deer" chosen for Scholastic Book Club - Lucky Club books.
2008 - Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts by The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) for "Dear Deer."
2008 - "Notable Children's Videos" by ALSC (American Library Assoc) for the DVD of "Now & Ben.
2007
2007 - Mom-Tested Books of the Year in "Parenting" magazine for "Dear Deer."
2007 - Children's Book-of-the-Month Club for "Dear Deer."
2007 - Best Children's Books of the Year list by the Children's Book Committee at the Bank Street College of Education for "Now & Ben."
2007 - CCBC Choices of 2007 "Now & Ben."
2007 - Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young Readers by The National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) and the Children's Book Council for "Now & Ben."
2007 - Martha Stewart Sirius radio program. "Now & Ben" featured on "Kidstuff" in "Patriotic Books For Kids" segment.
2006
2006 - "Now & Ben" was chosen among ten books to be a tie-in to the A&E 13-part series titled “The Revolution.”
2006 - Children's Book-of-the-Month Club for "Now & Ben."
2006 - Book Sense Top Ten History Picks About The American Revolution for "Now & Ben."
