New Releases by Nikki Shannon Smith

From Nikki Shannon Smith, author of Stranded, comes a story of the Titanic, family, survival, and the secrets we hide from those we love. Colette only wants three things: to prove she isn't weak, to get a job, and to uncover the mystery surrounding her father. All her life she's heard that he died in a factory accident, but she's haunted by dreams of bitter cold and a sea of stars -- and part of her knows it's somehow connected to him. Colette is not to work, is not to leave the house, and is to never speak of her father. But when Colette secretly gets a job, she becomes fascinated by the stories that Walter, the store owner, tells. He was aboard the Titanic before it sank. He saw the ship fall beneath the waves and watched as his brother perished in the sea. His memories bewitch Colette in a way she can't explain. She's drawn to the Titanic, and the more she learns, the more intense her dreams become. Then the stock market crashes. As things get desperate, Colette clings to Walter's stories -- especially the ones about a man he knew who shared her father's name. But then Walter reveals a truth that changes Colette's life and identity forever. Can Colette live the life she's lived all these years, knowing the truth now? Can she forgive her mother for lying to her? What if the repercussions of the truth are more daunting than secrets? Her memories aboard the Titanic will be the key to the life she's always been denied. Seamlessly weaving between the Great Depression and a journey aboard the Titanic, Nikki Shannon Smith tells a story about what it means to survive, and all those we leave behind to do so.

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!

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!

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?

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!

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!

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.

Twelve-year-old Lena is aware of racism, but she lives a comfortable life in the segregated but relatively wealthy Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma; but on May 31, 1921 racial tensions explode, and men from downtown Tulsa invade Greenwood, set on killing and destroying the district--and as the violence escalates Lena, her parents, and her older sister search desperately for a safe place to hide from the mob.

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.

Azaleah's big sister, Nia, has been cast as Willa Wonka in the school musical, and the entire Lane family is looking forward to the show. Azaleah has even helped plan a surprise dinner party for Nia at Avec Amour, Mama's restaurant. But then the real drama starts. At the first rehearsal, all sorts of things go wrong: missing batteries, sets falling over, props misplaced . . . It's so many things, in fact, that Azaleah suspects "foul play." And when the special effects on Nia's costume don't work at dress rehearsal, Nia is a nervous wreck. To top it all off, the high school journalism class is covering the performance for the school blog, and the director doesn't have time to replace Nia's costume. Nia has to wear it without the special effects. Azaleah becomes determined to make sure the musical isn't ruined for Nia. Azaleah has to get to the bottom of the mysterious rehearsal troubles, and finish party preparations, before the curtain goes up.

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.

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?

Twelve-year-old Charlotte lives on a plantation in Richmond, Virginia, where the American Civil War is raging. All around her, citizens and the Confederate army are fighting to protect slavery -- the very thing Charlotte wishes would end. When she overhears the plantation owner conspiring against the Confederates, Charlotte knows she must join forces with her. Maybe together they can help the Union win the war and end slavery. Helping a spy is dangerous work, but Charlotte is willing to risk everything to fight for what is right -- justice for all people. Nonfiction material on the Civil War, a glossary, discussion questions, and writing prompts are also provided.

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 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.

In 1912, thirteen-year-old Noelle and her parents are aboard the Titanic, when she is awoken to a sinking ship and must evacuate to a lifeboat with her mother, but first she has to find and help her new friend, Pauline, who is in steerage.