Most Popular Books by Nikki Shannon Smith

One storm. One winter. One girl''s fight for survival. A contemporary My Side of the Mountain, Stranded is the story of a wilderness-hungry Black girl from Manhattan whose journey in the Adirondack mountains becomes a nail-biting story of courage, independence, and survival. Nature-loving Ava yearns to leave the noise of New York City behind for a real adventure in the great outdoors—that’s why she’s thrilled when her parents allow her to move in with her Auntie Raven in the Adirondack Mountains! It’s a dream come true . . . until Auntie Raven is called away and Ava''s stay is cut short. But when wires get crossed, Ava finds herself alone in her aunt''s secluded cabin. Winter comes early in the mountains, and one night, a single storm will change everything. With a destroyed cabin, no cell reception, and no neighbors for miles, Ava begins to realize this adventure is more than she ever could have imagined. Surrounded by mountains blanketed with snow and ice, Ava is completely on her own. It’s the ultimate test . . . and her newly-developed survival skills may not be enough for her to last through the winter. Ava might not be able to fight the cold and the storms that come her way, but can she work with nature long enough to survive it?

In 1854 in Eastern Maryland twelve-year-old Ann is a slave, grateful that her family is still all together; but when their master, in need of money, decides to sell Ann and her younger brother, their parents decide to take the dangerous step of running away north to freedom--a journey filled with danger, especially since they are not sure how to find the first station on the Underground Railroad.

Azaleah and her sisters are delighted to spend a weekend at Auntie Sam''s while their parents are away, but the cookies Azaleah tries to bake are awful and she is determined to learn why.

When Jazmine and Jason''s younger brother''s bike gets stolen, they team up to compete in a treasure hunt TV competition so they can use the prize money to replace it. But when they realize they have different strengths and different competing styles, the treasure hunt becomes more challenging than they ever imagined. Will they be able to work together long enough to take home the prize?

In 1864 twelve-year-old former slave Charlotte is lucky enough to live on a plantation near Richmond, Virginia, owned by a Miss Van Lew, who hates slavery, and when Charlotte overhears a conversation she realizes that her mistress is gathering information and passing it on to the Union army; Charlotte is eager to help, (especially since her own cousin, Mary, is involved) but her enthusiasm may endanger them all--or help free 400 Union soldiers who are being moved from Richmond further south.

Thirteen-year-old Noelle feels like the luckiest girl in the world to be cruising the Atlantic aboard the famed Titanic. The trip is made even better by her new friend, Pauline, a girl who is traveling with her father to live in America. The girls spend the first days of the journey exploring, but on the fifth night, Noelle awakes to a sinking ship. Women and children will be rescued first, and Noelle realizes motherless Pauline will be left all alone. Despite her parents'' wishes, Noelle breaks away from her family to find and help her friend. Nonfiction information, a gloassary, and reader response questions make up the back matter of this Girls Survive story.

In 1851 twelve-year-old Sarah is a free Black, happy living with her parents, grandparents, and brother on their own farm in Iowa; but her father has been bitten by the gold bug and wants to take the trail west to California, and after some argument it is decided that the the grandparents will stay on the farm, but the rest of the family will go; the journey will be difficult and dangerous, but if they survive extreme weather, difficult terrain, illness, and the racism of others in the group there may be a better life waiting for them at the end of the trail. Includes nonfiction material on the Oregon Trail, a glossary, discussion questions, and writing prompts.

Matthew, a young African American with asthma who dreams of becoming an Olympic runner like his hero, Jesse Owens, accompanies his journalist father to the 1936 Olympics in Germany.

It’s Halloween, and little friends are all dressed up! Follow along as they go from house to house, having fun and saying "Trick-or-treat!" in this second installment of the Brown Baby Parade series. It’s Halloween! Time to go—off into the night. Little friends all dressed up. They are quite a sight. A group of friends in costumes have a blast trick-or-treating from house to house. Each friend is dressed up, so you''ll see a ballerina, an astronaut, a pumpkin, and even a president! Nikki Shannon Smith''s soothing, rhythmic text and DeAndra Hodge''s warm, welcoming illustrations pair beautifully to create heartwarming scenes of brown babies in everyday life. The varied costumes on children of diverse skin tones allows these kids to envision themselves in any costume they like!

This first book in the Brown Baby Parade series celebrates Black and brown babies and delivers a universal message of love, letting all babies know that they are cherished from head to toe. Love is in the bathroom when Daddy combs my hair. He picks out my Afro and clips in bows with care. Love is in the kitchen. We all sit down to eat— waffles, milk, and sausage, and yummy syrup sweet. A little girl observes the ways that love is shown and shared throughout her day. From Sister’s kisses when she wakes to eating breakfast with her family and playing with friends at school, love is all around. Nikki Shannon Smith''s soothing, rhythmic text and Ronique Ellis''s warm, welcoming illustrations pair beautifully to create heartwarming scenes of everyday life. It’s never too early to show little ones that they are valued and cherished, and this book does just that.

It''s almost Christmas! Count down the days with festive activities in this next installment in the Brown Baby Parade series. It’s 10 days ‘til Christmas! We set up our tree— ornaments, twinkling lights, pretty as can be. It’s 10 days ’til Christmas! A little girl and her family prepare by putting up the tree, wrapping presents, baking delicious treats, and much more. Read along as they count down to Christmas Day! Nikki Shannon Smith''s soothing, rhythmic text and Letícia Moreno''s warm, welcoming illustrations pair beautifully to create heartwarming scenes of Black and brown babies in everyday life. The many seasonal activities will allow kids to relate no matter how their families celebrate!

There is a lot to do on the family farm! Read along in this sturdy board book perfect for children ages 0-3 as a boy helps his grandfather in this next installment of the Brown Baby Parade series. Papa’s farm is big. There’s so much work to do! Papa smiles and says, “I like to work with you!” A little boy helps his grandpa weed the garden, feed the chicks, fix a fence to stop escaping goats, and so much more in this sweet story. Nikki Shannon Smith''s soothing, rhythmic text and Amanda Quartey''s warm, welcoming illustrations pair beautifully to create heartwarming scenes of everyday life. The joyful depiction of Black rural life will allow children to see themselves and encourage interest in their local farming communities!

Azaleah can''t wait for her class field trip to the National Zoo in Washington D.C., especially when her teacher announces the chance to earn extra credit. But when Azaleah gets home, she quickly realizes extra credit isn''t as easy as she thought. Azaleah''s younger sister Tiana can''t find Greenie, her stuffed animal, and she''s sure he''s been stolen. With Mama at the restaurant and Daddy at work on a big case, it seems Azaleah is the only one available to track down the stolen stuffie. Can Azaleah get to the bottom of the mystery in time to finish her extra credit?

Azaleah''s older sister Nia is going to be the star of the school musical but things keep going wrong at the rehearsals (missing batteries, disappearing props, microphones that suddenly do not work); Mr. Guidi, the director, blames the ghost of Thespis, but Azaleah suspects that somebody is actually sabotaging the play--and she is determined to use her detective skills to uncover the culprit, and set things right so the play will be a complete success for her stressed-out sister.

Third-grader Azaleah Lane has been chosen STEM lab monitor for the week, but on her first day Harry the lab guinea pig gets out of his cage and escapes, and Azaleah has to figure out a strategy to locate where in the room he is hiding and catch him; but she also has another problem--how to get Terrance to listen to Rose, Jamal, and herself and work with the group on their Rube Goldberg machine project.

It’s time for some Easter fun! Read along as a young girl spends Easter Sunday with her family in this next installment of the Brown Baby Parade board book series that''s perfect for ages 0-3. I quickly spy a pink egg. But guess what? There are more! We have to keep on hunting, much harder than before. A little girl and her family celebrate Easter by visiting loved ones, eating a special meal, and going on an Easter egg hunt. Nikki Shannon Smith''s bouncy, rhythmic text and Ashley Evans''s vivid, welcoming illustrations pair beautifully to create heartwarming scenes of everyday life. The joyful depiction of a Black family celebrating Easter traditions together will allow children to relate no matter how they celebrate!

Baby and Daddy are taking a walk in their neighborhood! Read along as they say hello to their friends and celebrate their community in this next installment of the Brown Baby Parade series that''s perfect for ages 0-3. Baby’s home with Daddy. He wants to take a walk. They have friendly neighbors, who like to wave and talk. The neighborhood is bustling with friends who are planting, playing baseball, blowing bubbles, and more! Read along as Baby and Daddy say hi to them all! Nikki Shannon Smith''s soothing, rhythmic text and Tamisha Anthony''s warm, welcoming illustrations pair beautifully to create heartwarming scenes of everyday life. The joyful depiction of a diverse community will allow children to see themselves and encourage them to interact with their own neighborhood!

Experience history''s most fearsome events through the eyes of diverse young heroines at the heart of the survival action. Fourteen-year-old Daisy cares for her family as they face the 1918 flu pandemic. Lily, a twelve-year-old Chinese American girl, must keep her little brother safe after an earthquake destroys San Francisco in 1906. Twelve-year-old Mary and her Cherokee family face disease, violence, and harsh weather after being forced out of their home in 1838 by the U.S. government. And thirteen-year-old Noelle is determined to save her new friend when the doomed Titanic begins to sink. Part historical fiction, part adventure story, this collection of Girls Survive stories draw in readers with strong characters and gripping action! Titles include: Daisy and the Deadly Flu: A 1918 Influenza Survival Story Lily and the Great Quake: A San Francisco Earthquake Survival Story Mary and the Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Removal Survival Story Noelle at Sea: A Titanic Survival Story

Experience pivotal moments in Black American history through the eyes of young heroines at the heart of the survival action in four exciting Girls Survive stories. Ann faces danger with her family as they seek out freedom on the Underground Railroad. Charlotte, a former enslaved girl becomes a spy for the Union so she can help others gain their freedom. Essie joins members of her church as they protest for the right to vote for Black Americans in the March on Selma. And Lena must help her family survive the terrible violence of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Part historical fiction, part adventure story, this collection of Black history stories draws in readers with strong characters and gripping action! Titles in this Set: Ann Fights for Freedom Charlotte Spies for Justice Essie and the March on Selma Lena and the Burning of Greenwood