Award-winning children's books that come with free teacher guides and projects

Winner: 2021 National Jewish Book Award

Winner: Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor Book

Dear Mr. Dickens has a starred review from School Library Journal

A Queen to the Rescue is a Sydney Taylor Notable, a Social Studies Notable and has three starred reviews: from School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers Weekly

On Facebook: Nancy Churnin Children’s Books

On Twitter: @nchurnin

On Instagram: @nchurnin

NANCY CHURNIN is an award-winning children’s book author who writes books about people who have made the world a better place and inspire children to be heroes and heroines, too. She won the 2021 National Jewish Book Award and 2022 Sydney Taylor Honor for Dear Mr. Dickens, a true story that is the subject of an educational program offered by The Charles Dickens Museum in London, and two Sydney Taylor Notables, for her 2021 A Queen to the Rescue, the Story of Henrietta Szold Founder of Hadassah and 2018 Irving Berlin, the Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing. Born and raised in New York City, Nancy lives in the Dallas area. Among her other book honors: National Federation of Press Women First Place Award; Texas Federation of Press Women First Place Award; the South Asia Book Award; Sakura Medal finalist; Books for a Global Society Notable; two Junior Library Guild selections; multiple Social Studies Notable Trade books for Young People; multiple Kids Choice Awards finalists; multiple Silver Eureka Award-winners; multiple Bank Street College Best Children’s Book List books; multiple A Mighty Girl books; 10 books featured on socialjusticebooks and starred reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly. All her books come with free teacher guides, resources and projects on her website, nancychurnin.com

THE WILLIAM HOY STORY, HOW A DEAF BASEBALL PLAYER CHANGED THE GAME (Albert Whitman), on the 2023 California Reads list of the California Teachers Association, 2016 New York Public Library Best Books for Kids and Bank Street College Best Children’s Books list, the 2017 Texas Library Association's 2X2 and Topaz lists, 2017-2018 Kennebec Valley Book Award Books, the 2018 Illinois School Library Media Association's Monarch Award Master List, Connecticut's 2018 Charter Oak Children's Book Awards list, the 2018-2019 Louisiana Young Readers' Choice awards, the 2017-2018 Armadillo Readers’ Choice Awards list and is a 2020 Northern Lights Book Award winner in the sports category. The William Hoy Story is available in English, Japanese, Korean, and Swedish and as an ebook in Spanish.

MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN, a 2023 One City One Book pick in Dublin, California, on the 2021 Sakura Medal shortlist, 2020 Greenwich Reads Together Elementary School Selection, winner of the 2019 Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award and 2018 South Asia Book Award, a 2018 Children and Teen's Choice Book Awards finalist, a 2017 Junior Library Guild selection, a Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2018, a Silver Eureka Award-winner, a Little Free Libraries/Children’s Book Council Pick for the Action Book Club and Ezra Jack Keats Award finalist and on the Wisconsin School Library Association’s Picture This list and 2020 Northern Lights Book Award Winner for Nonfiction Picture Book. Manjhi Moves a Mountain is available in Braille from the National Braille Press and multiple languages in India, South Africa and Sri Lanka through the Room to Read program. A paperback version is available for educators in the online Scholastic Teacher Store.

CHARLIE TAKES HIS SHOT: HOW CHARLIE SIFFORD BROKE THE COLOR BARRIER IN GOLF is a Silver Eureka Award-winner, on the Wisconsin School Library Association’s Picture This list and a Ruby Bridges Reading Festival selection at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, featured at International Literacy Association's Children Literacy Day in Austin, the World Golf Hall of Fame and by the Sifford Centennial celebrations in 2022.

IRVING BERLIN, THE IMMIGRANT BOY WHO MADE AMERICA SING is a 2019 Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Book and 2019 Social Studies Notable Trade Book for Children. It was featured in the 2018 GREAT BOOKS FOR KIDS by Elizabeth Bird and the Evanston Public Library, in the 31 DAYS, 31 LISTS: 2018 UNIQUE BIOGRAPHIES by Elizabeth Bird and School Library Journal, in the 31 DAYS, 31 LISTS: 2018 NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS by Elizabeth Bird and School Library Journal; THE BEST JEWISH CHILDREN’S BOOKS OF 2018 and Tablet Magazine; the 7 BEST JEWISH BOOKS FOR KIDS by The Children’s Book Review and RONNIE’S AWESOME LIST OF BOOKS that teach social justice and activism. Irving Berlin is also available on Vooks.

THE QUEEN AND THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE was picked for A MIGHTY GIRL’s 2018 list and a 2020 Northern Lights Book Award winner in the Educational Category.

MARTIN & ANNE, THE KINDRED SPIRITS OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. AND ANNE FRANK, on the 2024 California Reads list of the California Teachers Association, on the 2021-2022 Louisiana Young Readers Choice Award list; a 2021 Hamilton Cast Read Aloud, presented by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History; a 2020 Books for a Global Society Notable from the International Literacy Association; on the 2020 New York City Department of Education Civics for All list; a 2020 Wisconsin State Reading Association Picture This! pick; a 2020 Wassmuth Center for Human Rights pick; selected for the 2020 Social Justice and Children’s Literature list of The Pirate Tree, a collective of children’s and young adult writers interested in children’s literature and social justice issues; presented at the NYC School Librarians annual conference in NYC and the Museum of Tolerance in LA; on the 2020 PJ Library’s Jewish Books to Read in Honor of MLK Jr. Day; a 2019 March Book Buzz pick for the eMissourian, Children’s Book Council’s Hot Off the Press list and 2019 and 2022Ruby Bridges Reading Festival selection; 2019 and 2022 featured book at Tulisoma South Dallas Book Fair at African American Museum in Fair Park, Dallas; a 2019 pick for the Brave Bookshelf, a list of books that build moral courage in children, by ParentMap; a Civil Rights and Race reading list selection by the Jewish Book Council and a 2020 Northern Lights Book Award winner in the Historical Category. Martin & Anne is available in English and Chinese and in Braille from the National Braille Press.

BEAUTIFUL SHADES OF BROWN, THE ART OF LAURA WHEELER WARING, released Feb. 4, 2020, a 2022 Towner Award nominee from the Washington Library Association; 2021 Bank Street Books Best Books for Children list; 2021 Kids Choice Book Awards finalist; 2021 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young Readers from the National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council; a 2021 Finalist for Best Picture Book by World Magazine; a 2020 Silver Eureka honoree from The California Reading Association; a 2020 A Mighty Girl pick for Best Book of the Year, a Civic Nebraska selection and a 2020 Northern Lights Book Award winner in the Art Category. A paperback version is available for educators in the online Scholastic Teacher Store. It is also available on Vooks.

FOR SPACIOUS SKIES, KATHERINE LEE BATES AND THE INSPIRATION FOR ‘AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL’ A Mighty Girl pick on the Mighty Girl 2020 Best Book of the Year and a 2020 Northern Lights Book Award winner in Music. For Spacious Skies is available in English and in Braille from the National Braille Press.

DEAR MR DICKENS, illustrated by Bethany Stancliffe, published by Albert Whitman, 2021 National Jewish Book Award Winner; 2022 Sydney Taylor Honor Award; 2022 First Place, Children’s Book, Nonfiction from the National Federation of Press Women; 2023/2024 Garden State Children’s Book Nominee; 2022 First Place, Children’s Book, Nonfiction from the Texas Federation of Press Women; a Junior Library Guild selection; A Mighty Girl book, part of educational programming at The Charles Dickens Museum in London; featured at the Dickens Project at UC Santa Cruz, featured at the National Women’s History Museum in Washington D.C.; on the Jewish category of #ReadInColor list of Little Free Libraries, Tablet Magazine’s Best Jewish Children’s Books, Hadassah Magazine’s Books for the Kinderlach; Starred review from School Library Journal, on Chicago Public Library’s Best Informational Book list for Younger Readers 2021; 2022 Bank Street College of Education Best Books for Children. Dear Mr. Dickens is also available in Braille from the National Braille Press.

A QUEEN TO THE RESCUE, THE STORY OF HENRIETTA SZOLD, illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg, published by Creston Books/Lerner Books. 2022 Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable. Starred reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly, on Hadassah Magazine’s Books for the Kinderlach list and A Mighty Girl pick; 2022 Bank Street College of Education Best Books for Children.

LILA AND THE JACK-O’-LANTERN, illustrated by Anneli Bray, published by Albert Whitman, received a starred review from School Library Journal: "This delightful picture book is a must-have for elementary libraries."

MAMA’S YEAR WITH CANCER, illustrated by Wazza Pink, published by Albert Whitman, received a starred review from Youth Services Book Review: To whom would you recommend this book? Children ages 4-8, especially if they know someone struggling with cancer treatments. It will help them remember that there are still good times, that they can help out, and it can give them an idea of some things they might have to deal with.

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes!

Two chapter books from CORE KNOWLEDGE in 2023: THOMAS EDISON, HOW A BOY WHO LEARNED DIFFERENTLY CHANGED THE WORLD and ELIZABETH FREEMAN, FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM, both free to download or purchase as paperback from Core Knowledge.

Also in 2023:

VALENTINES FOR ALL, ESTHER HOWLAND CAPTURES AMERICA’S HEART (illustrated by Monika Roza Wisniewska, Albert Whitman COUNTING ON SHABBAT, illustrated by Petronela Dostalova, Kar-Ben/Lerner Books

New for 2024:

RAINBOW ALLIES, THE TRUE STORY OF KIDS WHO STOOD AGAINST HATE, illustrated by Izzy Evans, Beaming Books, and inspired by true events.

THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS, edited by Henry L. Herz, my first published middle grade story in an anthology of stories from Albert Whitman, received a starred review from School Library Journal.

A native New Yorker, Nancy is a graduate of Harvard University, with a master's from Columbia University. She lives in North Texas with her husband and a dog named Dog and two cantankerous cats.

She loves to hang out with friends and fellow children’s book authors as one of the Nonfiction Ninjas on Nonfiction-Ninjas.com, one of the Nonfiction Chicks organizing the annual nffest.com and one of the Jewish Kidlit Mavens. Nancy is proud to be a Writing Barn instructor, a member of the Texas Library Association, 12X12 and Rate Your Story, and a member of the North Texas chapter of SCBWI. She enjoys virtual and in person Author Visits. Book her through Authors and More Send her questions directly on her Contact Page.

Represented by: Karen Grencik

Red Fox Literary, 129 Morro Ave., Shell Beach, CA 93449

(805) 459-3327, karen@redfoxliterary.com

Booking Agent: Carole Weitzel of Authors and More

carole@authorsandmore.com

Check out my interview with Voyage Dallas here.

Featured in Forbes magazine in an article by Carol Ungar about “Second Act” writers here.

Librarian Patricia Sarles interviews me about my author journey for Synergy, a school librarian journal in Australia here.

Find my books with teaching resources and more on teachingbooks.net

Released Sept. 28, 2023: Mama’s Year With Cancer, a story of a mother with cancer told from her child’s point of view, co-authored with Shayna Vincent, illustrated by Wazza Pink, from Albert Whitman

Released Sept. 28, 2023, Lila’s Jack-O’Lantern, Halloween Comes to America, my historical fiction debut, a Halloween story, illustrated by Anneli Brey, from Albert Whitman

Released Nov. 7, 2023 from Albert Whitman: Valentines for All, Esther Howland Captures America’s Heart (formerly Queen of Hearts)

Released Nov. 7, 2023: Counting on Shabbat, a board book about Shabbat, counting and kindness, illustrated by Petronela Dostalova (Kar-Ben Books). A Fall 2023 Holiday Highlight book of the Association of Jewish Libraries.

Coming in March 2025: A Teddy Bear for Emily, inspired by the true story of the immigrant family that created the first “Teddy’s Bear” to thank the kind President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.

A new board book coming in February 2026!

The Miracle Menorah of Mariupol, inspired by a true story, coming in Fall 2026!