4 Major Awards for Science Books for Kids
Snails, horses, and mapping!
2025 has been an amazing year for my children’s books. This year, Mims House Books published four titles, including three nonfiction elementary titles and one middle grade novel. (Here’s the link to the novel because, you know, it’s feeling left out.)
This is the time of year for awards—and we’ve got news! Four awards for three titles. Yes, that means one book won TWO awards!
First, though, we’ve created a special catalog for our STEAM/Science books and highlight the curriculum links to the NEXTGen Science Standards and the SEL (Casel Framwork) tie-ins. Download it here!
Honored by California Reading Association
Not Extinct: The Przewalski’s Horse Returns from Extinct in the Wild was named a Eureka! Nonfiction Honor book by the California Reading Association. I wrote this book after visiting Prague Zoo, where I saw the herd there, and talked to zoo officials about their project to return horses to the wild. Here’s a Conversation with Darcy Pattison for more information.
BEST STEM BOOKS from NSTA and Children’s Book Council
This December brought news that two or my books would be recognized as Best STEM Books by the National Teaching Association and the Children’s Book Council. This award is given to books that show the process of science, which is especially exciting.
Climate: How Wladimir Koppen Studied Weather and Drew the First Weather Maps shows how the Russian/German scientist Koppen spent a lifetime studying weather, which led him to conclusions about climate across the globe. He was the first meteorologist to understand the importance of studying weather in the upper reaches of the atmosphere, and he created the first weather kites to study that weather.
Jeremy, the English Garden Snail: Heredity, Citizen Science, and #snaillove was also named a Best STEM Book, and is a fun one. #snaillove was a social media campaign run the Dr. Angus Davison to find a mate for Jeremy. Why did they need a campaign? Because Jeremy is a left-coiled snail in a world of right-coiled snails. Which meant his anatomy wouldn’t allow him to mate unless they found him another left-coiled snail.
Everything about this book was fun. For example, Dr. Davison works at the University of Nottingham in England. I did ask: should this be an English, British, or United Kingdom garden snail? Dr. Davison laughed and said he’d call it an English one. So, I did, too!
NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book
Which meant I was thrilled the Jeremy also was named an NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book, a double whammy! So cool! Yes, indeed #snaillove and #lovesnails. I love those two seals on the cover!
Writing STEAM Titles for Over Twelve Years
This is the sixth time I’ve receive the NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book, the third time for the Best STEM Book, and the sixth time for the Eureka! Nonfiction Honor Book awards. For a small indie press, we think this is an amazing achievement!
I am thrilled that my books can help kids understand the world around us.
Be sure to download the curriculum tie-ins catalog. Please share with your librarians and teacher friends!