Most Popular Books by Claudia Mills

Third-grader Wilson struggles with his times-tables in order to beat the class deadline.

Twelve-year-old Maggie comes to dread biology class because her favorite teacher is insisting that she dissect a worm, an assignment that makes her feel very squeamish and awakens her to the question of animal rights.

Twelve-year-old Autumn loves to write. She finds inspiration all around her, especially in Cameron, the dreamy boy in her journalism class who she has a major crush on. Then her older brother, Hunter, who used to watch out for her but has grown distant since he started high school, reads one of her poems about Cameron to Cameron''s older brother. They make fun of it and she is devastated. Determined to show her brother how talented she really is, Autumn decides that she is going to become a published author - now! She writes an essay about her changing relationship with her brother, enters it in a contest, and wins, and her dream of publication is within reach. But if her essay is published, everyone will know her family''s secrets. Is being published worth hurting those you love?

The quest to save the words of a dying language - and to find the words to save what may be a dying friendship - lies at the heart of this exquisite verse novel. Sixth grader Betsy is the one who informs her best friend, Lizard, that thousands of the world''s languages are currently threatened by extinction; Betsy''s mother is a linguistics professor working frantically to study dying languages before they are lost forever. But it is Lizard who, gripped by the magnitude of this loss, challenges Betsy, "What if, instead of WRITING about dying languages, like your mom, you and I SAVED one instead?" As the girls embark on their quest to learn as much as possible of the near-extinct language of Guernésiais (spoken on the Isle of Guernsey, off the coast of France), their friendship faces unexpected strains. With Lizard increasingly obsessed with the language project, Betsy begins to seek greater independence from her controlling and charismatic friend, as well as from her controlling and charismatic mother. Then tragedy threatens Betsy''s life beyond what any words can express, and Lizard does something unthinkable. Maybe lost friendships, like lost languages, can never be completely saved. An NCTE Notable Verse Novel A Charlotte Huck Recommended Book A Mighty Girl Best Book of the Year A Bulletin of the Center for Children''s Books Blue Ribbon Book! A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Pretty is as pretty does Pretty, popular Marcia Faitak is not her usual self. Over the summer she gained five pounds, and when school begins, Marcia, desperate for an invitation from Alex Ryan to the October dance, goes on a diet. In art class, she''s supposed to bring a red apple to life on paper, but all she wants to do is eat it. Mr. Morrison doesn''t like her work anyway: disdainfully, he calls her drawing of a beautiful girl "Barbie." Worse than art is social studies. This is the year that kids have to choose their community service project. When Ms. Williams signs up Marcia to work at the local nursing home, she''s aghast. What can she possibly do for a bunch of old people in wheelchairs? Since experimenting with makeup is Marcia''s favorite activity, her half sister suggests "Makeovers by Marcia." In the fifth and final story in Claudia Mills''s funny, philosophical series about the West Creek Middle School kids, Marcia discovers the nature of true beauty - and even learns to draw it.

Cooper''s grandfather gives him and his little sister, Carly, deeds to square inches of land in the Yukon. Carly uses them to invent her own imaginary kingdom of Inchland—far away from the silence of their home, where their single mother stays in bed all day. When their mom comes out of her season of sadness bursting with sometimes frightening energy, Carly retreats into Inchland, while sixth-grader Cooper tries to control the chaos. But can Cooper really keep Carly—and himself—safe? In One Square Inch, Claudia Mills weaves a story that is "Believable and deeply moving" (Publishers Weekly).

Seventh-grader Sierra Shepard has always been the perfect student, so when she sees that she accidentally brought her mother''s lunch bag to school, including a paring knife, she immediately turns in the knife at the school office. Much to her surprise, her beloved principal places her in in-school suspension and sets a hearing for her expulsion, citing the school''s ironclad no weapons policy. While there, Sierra spends time with Luke, a boy who''s known as a troublemaker, and discovers that he''s not the person she assumed he would be--and that the lines between good and bad aren''t as clear as she once thought. Claudia Mills brings another compelling school story to life with Zero Tolerance.

When feuding neighbors Sonnet and Zeke are paired up for a class project, they unearth a secret that could uproot Sonnet’s family—or allow it to finally heal and grow. Twelve-year-old Sonnet’s family has just moved across the country to live with her grandfather after her nana dies. Gramps’s once-impressive apple orchard has been razed for a housing development, with only one heirloom tree left. Sonnet doesn’t want to think about how Gramps and his tree are both growing old—she just wants everything to be okay. Sonnet is not okay with her neighbor, Zeke, a boy her age who gets on her bad side and stays there when he tries to choose her grandpa to interview for an oral history assignment. Zeke irks Sonnet with his prying questions, bringing out the sad side of Gramps she’d rather not see. Meanwhile, Sonnet joins the Green Club at school and without talking to Zeke about it, she asks his activist father to speak at the Arbor Day assembly—a collision of worlds that Zeke wanted more than anything to avoid. But when the interviews uncover a buried tragedy that concerns Sonnet''s mother, and an emergency forces Sonnet and Zeke to cooperate again, Sonnet learns not just to accept Zeke as he is, but also that sometimes forgetting isn''t the solution—even when remembering seems harder. Award-winning author Claudia Mills brings enormous compassion and depth to this novel of unlikely friendship and generational memory. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Chelsea learns she is perfectly human If Chelsea Garing likes anything better than school, it''s church, especially when she gets the chance to shine. Unfortunately, Chelsea can''t perform perfectly every time. One day, when she''s serving as acolyte, her candlelighter unexpectedly goes out. Another day, when she''s acting a role from the Good Samaritan story in Sunday school, annoying Danny Repetti plows into her. Why her friend Naomi Goldberg doesn''t find Danny unbearable is beyond Chelsea. During fourth-grade gym, Danny makes a remark about Hanukkah that Chelsea is sure has offended Naomi -- yet it hasn''t! A much more serious matter perplexes Chelsea: how can God let people die? Chelsea Garing may not always be at her best for God or man, but she learns to accept everyone''s shortcomings -- including her own -- in this thoughtful, funny portrait of a child who loves her life at church. Warm, lively drawings by Jacqueline Rogers complement the story.

The sequel to Losers, Inc. Twelve-year-old Julius Zimmerman is the former vice president of the defunct organization Losers, Inc. Ethan Winfield, the former president, no longer feels like a loser. But Julius still does, maybe because his mother thinks of him that way. To "improve" him, Mrs. Zimmerman signs Julius up for a summer course in intensive French and for a part-time job baby-sitting three-year-old Edison Blue. She also sets a summer reading goal for him. Julius doesn''t ace the French class and doesn''t do the required reading, but he does turn out to have a winning way with kids -- and adults -- and in the end proves to his mother that her criteria for success aren''t the only ones.

Todd and Amy Davidson may be twins, but they''re complete opposites – Todd is organized and is the family "engineer," while Amy is outgoing and has been dubbed the "poet." So it would seem that for a fifth-grade economics project, Todd would come up with a master invention, and Amy would have a blast with her best friends as partners. To their surprise, Todd can''t think of a single idea, and Amy gets stuck working with the class crybaby. Then Todd begins writing poetry . . . But this is nothing compared to the switch their parents have made. Their father has been unemployed for months and their mother has started to work at a crafts store. Now there''s never enough food in the house, everybody is always on edge, and when Amy''s friends come over after school, they find Mr. Davidson, uncombed and unshaven, in his ratty old bathrobe. Will life ever return to normal? With chapters that alternate between Todd''s and Amy''s points of view, this novel is a realistic and sometimes funny portrayal of a family adapting to changing roles. Trading Places is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children''s Book of the Year.

If Wilson Williams thought multiplication was difficult, he is finding fractions impossible. And when his parents hire a math tutor for him, he is sure he''s the only kid in the history of Hill Elementary to have one. Wilson is determined to make sure that no one finds out, not even his best friend, Josh. At least his pet hamster, Pip, is sympathetic. Pip is going to be part of Wilson''s science fair project, because any project with hamsters in it is bound to be wonderful. But Josh has the coolest project of all: at what temperature does a pickle explode? Unfortunately, it looks as if Wilson''s secret may end up exploding their friendship. Claudia Mills'' Fractions = Trouble is a fun and thoroughly relatable story that Kirkus Reviews calls an "excellent selection for early chapter-book readers."

Ethan Winfield has never been an academic or athletic star like his older brother, Peter. But does that make him a failure? Of course not. Still, Ethan and his best friend, Julius Zimmerman, decide that they qualify to found an exclusive club: Losers, Inc. No sooner have they done this, however, than both boys fall in love with the new student teacher. Ethan knows right away that to impress Ms. Gunderson he has to excel. Instead of reading the shortest book for his report, he has to read the longest. Instead of working with Julius on the worst project for the science fair, he has to make the best one--alone. Unfortunately, it isn''t Ms. Gunderson who falls for Ethan, but Lizzie Archer, class nerd. The teasing is unbearable! So without regard for Lizzie''s feelings--and over Julius''s objections--Ethan helps hatch a plot to prove that he''s not Lizzie''s boyfriend. The result is that even as he reports on a book that''s longer than any Peter read in the sixth grade, and prepares a potentially winning science project, Ethan feels that he doesn''t deserve anyone''s love--not Ms. Gunderson''s, not Lizzie''s, not Julius''s, not his own. Claudia Mills, creator of Dinah Seabrooke (Dynamite Dinah, Dinah for President, Dinah in Love, Dinah Forever) and other overachievers, portrays a boy who needs a reason to strive, finds one, then realizes that success isn''t enough. Smart, funny, and down to earth, this hero engages and entertains as he struggles mightily to grow up.

Quiet, introspective Hannah Keddie is surprised when she is befriended by the other new girl at school, popular Caitie Crystal.

Riley O''Rourke is writing his report on President Teddy Roosevelt in preparation for the fourth-grade biography tea, but he has a far more important goal: to get a saxophone so he can take instrumental music. His mother can''t afford to rent him a sax, and he''s sure he''ll never save up enough money to buy one. But as Riley learns more about Roosevelt''s "bully" spirit, he realizes that there just might be a way to solve his problem after all. Claudia Mills'' sparkling story about the influence of important historical figures is enhanced by tender, insightful illustrations. Being Teddy Roosevelt is a 2008 Bank Street—Best Children''s Book of the Year.

Gus and Grandpa have a loving, warm relationship.

When fifth-grader Jessica discovers that her parents adopted her because they mistakenly believed they could not have children, she wonders if they love her less than the brother and sister who were born later.

Boogie Bass feels like he can''t do anything right, but when he joins an after-school American Sign Language club, he turns out to be a natural! The After-School Superstars--Nixie Ness, Vera Vance, Nolan Nada, and Boogie Bass--are back in a new after-school adventure starring Boogie. He is clumsy and goofy, but now that he is at the American Sign Language camp at his school, he finds his hidden talent. He may not believe in himself, but the rest of his class does, especially when they visit a school for the Deaf and Boogie leads the way with his exuberant personality helping students to learn about each other and make new friends. Vetted by an expert from Gallaudet University and complete with additional material full of facts about American Sign Language, Boogie Bass is an excellent addition to The After-School Superstars series. Each book features recurring characters and highlights one activity they do at their after-school program, along with illustrations in black and white. The series is perfect for fans of Judy Moody, Ivy and Bean, and Clementine. Praise for Nixie Ness: Cooking Star: A Junior Library Guild Selection "Young readers will easily relate to this wholesome look at early friendships and conflicts." -School Library Journal "Likeable Nixie creates a terrific recipe for winning back old friends and making lots of new ones." -Kirkus Reviews Praise for Vera Vance: Comics Star: A Junior Library Guild Selection "Vera''s shyness will be appreciated and understood by many readers . . . and the lovely wrap-up shows how every personality type and situation can find a way to use their strengths to reach their goals."--Kirkus Reviews "Budding artists will appreciate the respect for and information about the comics process and relate to Vera''s joy at immersing herself in her beloved pastime." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children''s Books

Annika Riz loves math more than anything, so when she hears about a sudoku contest at the local public library, she is determined to win it—maybe then her friends Kelsey Green and Izzy Barr will see that math is just as cool as reading and running. When the school carnival, the biggest fundraiser of the year, comes around, Annika realizes her class booth is losing money by selling their lemonade too cheaply. Annika embraces her math skills, saves the day, and shows her friends that math can be useful and even a bit of fun, too, in Claudia Mills''s Annika Riz, Math Whiz.

Kelsey Green is the best reader in the third grade--well, maybe tied for best with know-it-all Simon Ellis. When the principal Mr. Boone announces a school-wide reading contest, complete with a pizza party for the winning class and a special certificate for the top readers in each grade, she knows she''s just the person to lead Mrs. Molina''s third graders to victory. But how can they win when her classmate Cody Harmon doesn''t want to read anything, and even Kelsey''s best friends Annika and Izzy don''t live up to her expectations? And could Simon possibly be reading all of those books that he claims he is, or is he lying to steal Kelsey''s rightful spot at the top? Kelsey Green, Reading Queen is the first book in Claudia Mills''s Franklin School Friends series.

Simon Ellis and the rest of the third grade Franklin School Friends participate in a spelling bee where Simon''s competitive spirit takes over until he realizes that sometimes the best way to win is to take a chance and let other people shine.

Driven by overachieving parents and swept away by the moneymaking schemes of an eager new friend, eleven-year-old Cally finds herself meeting everyone''s expectations but her own.

A visit to her cousin Amy-Claire helps five-year-old Rachel discover the joys of being a big sister.

Melanie gets carried away with her good ideas, whether it''s an idea for a worm fight or for tying shoelaces together.

The sequel to Losers, Inc. and You''re a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman As seventh grade begins, Lizzie Archer knows she can''t endure another year of being derided as the class nerd. Maybe she can''t stop being smart -- does she want to? -- but at least she doesn''t have to look so different. Out of her Emily Dickinson dresses and into Gap jeans she goes, and the effect is amazing. The girls talk to her; the boys tease her. But her braininess remains an obstacle to her popularity, and Lizzie wants so to be liked, especially by Ethan Winfield. To her teacher''s amazement, Lizzie begins to make mistakes in math. Ethan is horrified -- he''s her math partner -- but no one is more unhappy, or confused, than Lizzie. Will she ever find herself? Through her sparkling Lizzie Archer, Claudia Mills extends a hand to girls, gently encouraging them to be all that they can and to feel confident that like will befriend like.

How Oliver Olson Changed the World is an irresistible chapter book from Claudia Mills, featuring lively illustrations by Heather Maione. Oliver Olson learns that before you can change the world, sometimes you need to change yourself. Oliver Olson''s teacher is always saying that one person with a big idea can change the world. But how is Oliver supposed to change the world when his parents won''t let him do anything on his own—not his class projects or even attending activities such as the space sleepover at school. Afraid he will become an outsider like ex-planet Pluto, Oliver decides to take control of his corner of the universe!

"The third book in the Franklin School Friends series is a fast and funny story about sports, friendship, and sibling rivalries."--

Ideal for courses in ethics, moral problems, and public policy, this contemporary anthology encourages students to scrutinize normally unquestioned popular notions. All selections are drawn from CQ: "The Report From The Center For Philosophy And Public Policy" and refer to issues such as air pollution, human rights, and education, issues with which our country is currently formulating public policy. Blends real-life policy debates with otherwise empty ethical abstractions, prompting students to contribute opinions and ask questions. Grants flexibility to instructors by offering a wide variety of selections (more than 80) to choose from depending upon the focus of their courses.

"Science-obsessed fourth grader Nora wants to be like her scientist family and publish a professional research paper on her favorite subject: her ant farm!"--

Amanda MacLeish might be the only student in Mr. Abrams''s fifth-grade class who doesn''t mind doing her homework. Now that her father has left home and moved into a motel, the only thing that brings Amanda any joy is writing her fictional diary entries about a young girl named Polly who lives amid the chaos of the Civil War. Polly would understand Amanda. With one brother fighting for the North and one fighting for the South, Polly knows just how it feels to have a family split in half. But if the North and the South could find a way to reunite despite their differences, can''t Amanda''s family do the same? In this touching novel by Claudia Mills, the heroine learns that enduring a split doesn''t have to mean losing a family. The Totally Made-up Civil War Diary of Amanda MacLeish is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children''s Book of the Year.

Best friends Nixie and Grace spend every afternoon together . . . until Nixie''s mom gets a new job and Nixie must attend the after-school program, without Grace. Third graders Nixie Ness and Grace Kenny have been best friends since they were two-years-old. They have always spent every afternoon after school at Nixie''s house until Nixie''s mom announces that she has a job, which means she won''t be there to watch the girls after school, which means Nixie will have to go to the after-school program and Grace will be spending her afternoons at their classmate, Elyse''s, house. Nixie begrudgingly starts the after-school program, joining the cooking camp. And it turns out that the other children at cooking camp are nice, and the recipes they make are delicious. But Nixie can''t really enjoy being an after-school superstar until she finds a way to overcome her jealousy about Grace and Elyse''s budding friendship. Perfect for fans of Judy Moody, Ivy and Bean, and Clementine, this new chapter book series features recurring characters, and each book will highlight one activity they do at their after-school program. The books are illustrated in black and white and include a bonus activity that corresponds to the book''s plot. Nixie Ness: Cooking Star features a recipe for morning glory muffins. The next book in the After-School Superstars series, Vera Vance: Comics Star, is scheduled for release in Spring 2020.

"More Gus and Grandpa books are promised, and kids will welcome them." -Booklist When Gus goes to Grandpa''s house at Christmas, they decide to bake cookies. But then they discover that they don''t have sprinkles. Off to the store they go. On the way, they pass a Santa collecting money for the poor. Gus summons the courage to contribute two quarters and is rewarded with a "God bless you." Returning home, Gus and Grandpa are visited by three neighbor ladies, one at a time, each bringing two dozen cookies. What are Gus and Grandpa to do with so many cookies? Gus knows! Give some to the poor! And when they do, he gets antoher taste--even better than the first-- of the joy of giving. In the second Gus and Grandpa book, Claudia Mills and Catherine Stock capture the very spirit of Christmas.

Seventh-grader Alex Ryan enjoys attracting attention, though he never seems to impress his father, but when his antics cause problems with his would-be girlfriend on a school outing, he has second thoughts about his actions.

Third grader Vera Vance has signed up for the comics camp after-school program, but her mother would much rather she focus on academics, athletics, music. . . anything but comics! Vera loves all things comic books, so she can''t wait for the comics after-school class to start--even though her mother wonders whether it''s educational enough. But Vera is determined to participate, and starts developing her own comic about Big Spoon and Little Spoon with the encouragement of her enthusiastic friend Nixie and instruction from teachers who are accomplished cartoonists themselves. As the weeks go by, the after-school teachers announce that for the final class, students will go on a field trip to a local comic-con--and they can even enter a page from their comics in a contest that will be judged there! Vera isn''t surprised when her mother says she can''t go. But maybe Big Spoon and Little Spoon can convince her mother to accept her passion. Vera Vance: Comics Star follows Nixie Ness: Cooking Star in the After-School Superstars chapter book series. Perfect for fans of Judy Moody, Ivy and Bean, and Clementine, the series is illustrated in black and white and each book includes a bonus activity that corresponds to the book''s plot. A Junior Library Guild Selection!

"Nora Alpers, 4th grade scientist, tackles her most difficult subject yet, making friends with someone you have nothing in common with"--

"The thought-provoking reflections on personality and growth add insight and discussability."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children''s Books Fourth grade scientists are not meant to be babysitters. The second book in the Nora Notebooks finds Nora Alpers in unfamiliar territory. Nora Alpers has just become a ten-year-old aunt. To prepare for the new arrival, Nora has been writing down baby-related facts in her special notebook, just like she does with her favorite subject: ants. She likes the idea that someone who studies the A-N-T is also an A-U-N-T, even though she doesn’t know anything about taking care of babies. A new family member isn’t the only thing stressing Nora out. At school, Nora has to write journals in the voice of a pioneer on the Oregon Trail and prepare for the annual science fair. Science is normally Nora’s best subject—until Nora ends up being paired with science-hating, cat-obsessed Emma! How will Nora ever learn to be a good aunt if she’s trying to survive the Oregon Trail and arguing against Emma’s unscientific science-fair ideas? Readers will welcome the return of Nora who Publishers Weekly called “delightful[ly] enterprising” in a starred review.

Soon-to-be fourth-grader Mason Dixon does not want a pet, but his parents think it will be good for him. Goldfish dies soon after his arrival (from overfeeding). Mason is relieved. Hamster escapes. Mason is relieved. Cat has to go back because best friend Brody is too allergic to ever be at their house while Cat is there. Mason is relieved. But when Dog comes, it takes a little dose of jealousy for Mason to realize he does want a pet, all of his very own. Claudia Mills introduces a new, hilarious character in Mason, and each of the three books about him will feature both boys as they cope with a new experience; pitch-perfect for 8- to 10- year-old newly independent readers, the books will maintain a consistent page count and feature black-and-while art throughout.

Heidi tries a succession of ways to make her fifth-grade teacher less mean.

Dinah conquers her fears that the end of the world is coming through the help of an elderly neighbor.