National Awards & Honors
- Science Friday’s 2024 Best Science Books for Kids (The Next Scientist)
- NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (Over and Under the Wetland, The Next Scientist)
- School Library Journal Best Books of 2024 (Emma, HS Salem)
- Amazon Best Books of 2024 (Emma McKenna, Full Out – The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class)
- Chicago Public Library Best Books of 2024 (Next Scientist)
- 2023 AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books (Tracking Tortoises
- 2022 New England Independent Booksellers Association President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in Arts & Letters
- NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (History Smashers: Plagues & Pandemics, Over and Under the Canyon, Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor, Tracking Tortoises)
- Green Earth Book Award Longlist (Tracking Tortoises)
- Kirkus Best Books of 2021 (Fergus and Zeke and the 100th Day of School)
- Riverby Award for Excellence in Nature Writing (Over and Under the Canyon)
- 2021 Notable Social Studies Trade Books (The Next President)
- 2021 Green Earth Book Award Recommended Reading List (Tracking Pythons)
- 2021 English 4-11 Picture Book Awards Shortlist (Over and Under the Rainforest)
- 2020 New England Book Award Finalist (Chirp)
- 2019 Green Earth Book Award (The Brilliant Deep)
- NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for 2018 (The Brilliant Deep)
- Best STEM Books of 2018 – NSTA/CBC (The Brilliant Deep)
- AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize Finalist for Excellence in Science Books (The Brilliant Deep)
- Children’s Literature Assembly 2019 Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts (The Brilliant Deep)
- 2019 ILA Teachers’ Choice Reading List (The Brilliant Deep)
- 2019 ALA Notable Children’s Book List (The Brilliant Deep)
- Nerdy Book Club Award for MG Fiction (Breakout)
- SCBWI Golden Kite Award (Over & Under the Snow)
- E.B. White Read Aloud Award (The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.)
- E.B. White Read Aloud Honor (Over & Under the Snow)
- Giverny Award (Up in the Garden & Down in the Dirt)
- NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12 (Over & Under the Pond)
- TIME Magazine Top 10 Young Adult & Children’s Books of 2017 (Over & Under the Pond)
- Kirkus Best Picture Books of 2017 to Connect Kids with Nature (Over & Under the Pond)
- AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books Long List (Over & Under the Pond)
- Riverby Award for exceptional natural history writing for young readers (Over & Under the Pond)
- 2015 Parents Choice Award (How to Read a Story)
- NEIBA Bestseller List (The Seventh Wish)
- SCBWI Crystal Kite Award (Capture the Flag)
- STA/CBC Outstanding Trade Book for Science (Eye of the Storm)
State Book Awards
- Read Aloud Indiana 2025 Primary List (Scariest Kitten in the World)
- Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee (Scariest Kitten in the World)
- 2025 Delaware Blue Hen Award Nominee (Once Upon a Book)
- 2025 Colorado Children’s Book Award Nominee (Once Upon a Book)
- 2024-2025 Black Eyed Susan Award (Once Upon a Book)
- 2024 NH Ladybug Picture Book Award (Once Upon a Book)
- 2024 Grand Canyon Readers Award (History Smashers: Pearl Harbor)
- 2023 ORCA (Oregon Reader’s Choice Award) nominee for grades 3-5 (The Next President)
- 2023 Rebecca Caudill Award Nominee (Chirp)
- 2022 Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee (The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs)
- 2022 Donna Norvell Award Master List (Over and Under the Rainforest)
- 2022-2023 Alabama Children’s Choice Camillia Award Nominee (2-3 NF nominee) (Over and Under the Canyon)
- 2022-2023 Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee-Intermediate (History Smashers: The Mayflower)
- 2022-2023 Massachusetts Children’s Book Award Nominee (History Smashers: Plagues and Pandemics)
- 2022-2023 Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Award nominee (History Smashers: The Mayflower)
- 2022 Empire State Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature
- 2020-2021 Virginia Reader’s Choice Award Winner – Middle School (Breakout)
- Keystone to Literacy Book Award Nominee (Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor)
- Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award – Grades 6-8 (Tracking Pythons)
- 2023 Utah Beehive Award Nominee for Informational Books (History Smashers: Pearl Harbor)
- DCLA Three Stars Book Award Nominee (History Smashers: Women’s Right to Vote and Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor)
- 2021-2022 Maine Student Book Award Nominee (History Smashers: The Mayflower)
- 2021-2022 Black Eyed Susan Award Nominee (History Smashers: The Mayflower)
- 2022 Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee (The Brilliant Deep)
- 2022 Donna Norvell Oklahoma Book Award Nominee (Over and Under the Rainforest)
- 2021-22 Pennsylvania young Readers Choice Award Nominee for Grades 6-8 (Chirp)
- 2021-22 Kentucky Bluegrass Award Nominee (Insect Superpowers)
- 2021-22 Great Lakes Book Award Nominee (The Next President)
- 2021 North Carolina Children’s Book Award Nominee (The Brilliant Deep)
- 2019-2020 Georgia Children’s Book Award Nominee (Breakout)
- 2019-2020 Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee (Breakout)
- 2019-2020 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominee (The Brilliant Deep)
- 2019 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List (The Brilliant Deep)
- 2019 Capital Choices List (The Brilliant Deep)
- 2019 Volunteer State Book Award Nominee for Intermediate Category (The Brilliant Deep)
- California Reading Association Eureka Children’s Book Awards Honor 2018 (The Brilliant Deep)
- Wisconsin State Reading Association Picture This! List (Up in the Garden & Down in the Dirt, How to Read a Story, Tree of Wonder)
- Read On Wisconsin! List 2018-2019 (Over & Under the Pond)
- WSRA Picture This 2018 Nominee (Over & Under the Pond)
- Vermont Red Clover Award Nominee (Over & Under the Pond)
- 2018-2019 South Dakota Prairie Awards Nominee (Over & Under the Pond)
- 2018-2019 New Mexico’s Land of Enchantment Roadrunner List Nominee (Over & Under the Pond)
- 2019-2020 Georgia Picture Book Award Finalist (Over & Under the Pond)
- Keystone to Reading Middle School Book Award List PA (The Seventh Wish)
- 2017-2018 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award List – VT (The Seventh Wish)
- 2019 Oregon Reader’s Choice Award Nominee (The Seventh Wish)
- 2019-2020 Georgia Children’s Book Award Nominee (The Seventh Wish)
- 2018 Nebraska Golden Sower Award Finalist NE (All the Answers)
- Iowa Children’s Choice Award Nominee (All the Answers)
- Virginia Readers’ Choice Award Nominee (All the Answers)
- 2016-17 South Carolina Children’s Book Award Nominee (Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail)
- 2017 Connecticut Nutmeg Award Master List (Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail)
- 2017 Washington State Otter Award Master List (Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail)
- 2018-2019 Iowa Children’s Choices Master List (Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail)
- Nutmeg Book Award Finalist CT (Marty McGuire)
- Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Nominee (Marty McGuire)
- Oregon Battle of the Books Selection (Marty McGuire)
- Alaska Library Association Battle of the Books Selection (Marty McGuire)
- Oklahoma Sequoyah Award Nominee (3-5) (Marty McGuire)
- Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award Nominee (K-3) (Marty McGuire)
- Rhode Island Children’s Book Award Nominee (Marty McGuire)
- Maine Student Book Award Nominee (Capture the Flag)
- Nevada Young Readers Award Nominee (Capture the Flag)
- Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award Nominee (Capture the Flag)
- Keystone to Reading Award Nominee (Capture the Flag)
- Missouri Mark Twain Award Nominee (Capture the Flag)
- North Carolina Children’s Book Award Nominees (Capture the Flag)
- South Carolina Children’s Book Award Nominee (Capture the Flag)
- Oklahoma Sequoyah Award Nominee (Capture the Flag)
- Virginia Readers’ Choice Award Nominee (Capture the Flag)
- Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee (Capture the Flag)
- Massachusetts Children’s Book Award Nominee (Capture the Flag)
- New Hampshire Great Stone Face Award Nominee (The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.)
- Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Nominee (The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.)
- Missouri Mark Twain Award Nominee (The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.)
- New York Charlotte Award Nominee (The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.)
- 2010 E.B. White Read-Aloud Medal for Older Readers (The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.)
- 2017 Illinois Bluestem Readers’ Choice Award Finalist IL (The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.)
- 2020 NYS Charlotte Award Nominee (The Exact Location of Home)
- New Hampshire Great Stone Face Award Nominee (Sugar and Ice)
- Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award Nominee (Sugar and Ice)
- Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award Nominee (6-8) (Eye of the Storm)
- Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading Award Nominee (6-8) (Eye of the Storm)
- Connecticut Nutmeg Award Nominee (Eye of the Storm)
- Hawaii Nēnē Award Nominee (Eye of the Storm)
- South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee (Eye of the Storm)
- Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee (Eye of the Storm)
- Volunteer State Book Award Nominee (Eye of the Storm)
Starred Reviews
“There are picture books aplenty about United States presidents, but make way for this breath of fresh air…. Rex breathes life into these illustrations, showing the humanity absent from official portraits… And Messner doesn’t sugarcoat or whitewash history… awe-inspiring.”
Horn Book Magazine, starred review of THE NEXT PRESIDENT
“An ingenious exploration of presidents that will encourage children to consider their own futures.”
Booklist, starred review of THE NEXT PRESIDENT
“By the time the authors wrap with a variously inclusive spread reading “at least ten of our future presidents are probably alive today,” readers may be convinced that the future is wide open—presidentially speaking.”
Publishers Weekly, starred review of THE NEXT PRESIDENT
“This story defies categorization: It’s at once a friendship yarn, a summer idyll, a mystery, and a push for female empowerment…Characters are well drawn and multifaceted; all are imbued with a rich individuality…. The women, tellingly, remain at the helm throughout. They are entrepreneurs, activists, engineers, mayors; they are mothers, daughters, friends, lovers. Each woman’s rise is its own story, giving Mia a supportive space in which she can come to terms with her own conflicts…. Rich, timely, and beautifully written.”
Kirkus, starred review of CHIRP
“Messner addresses #MeToo themes authentically and with care as her story moves toward empowerment: Mia displays fear and confusion alongside a hope to reclaim the strength she once felt as a gymnast. Layering mystery elements, strong and myriad female characters, and a poignant analogy involving chirp-less female crickets, Messner gently guides Mia on a journey of resilience that both comforts and inspires.”
Publishers Weekly, starred review of CHIRP
“Messner honors middle graders by exploring important, relevant issues at their level of understanding… This is a must-purchase for libraries serving young people.”
School Library Connection, starred review of CHIRP
“Chockfull of strong female role models, Chirp is a riveting middle grade novel of empowerment that deftly tackles a delicate, imperative subject. Crickets may chirp, but readers will be ready to roar..”
BookPage, starred review of CHIRP
“Kate Messner’s Chirp is a deliciously layered concoction of mystery, friend bonding and girl power…In this gorgeously crafted middle-grade novel, a girl works to save her grandmother’s cricket farm while rebuilding her own physical and emotional strength after a traumatic year.”
Shelf Awareness, starred review of CHIRP
“Scientists wrestle 100-pound snakes, wade through swamps, perform delicate surgery, and fly in small planes searching for Burmese pythons hiding and multiplying in southern Florida…. This fascinating example of field biology holds its own against the exemplary Scientists in the Field series. Who knew that snake science could be so adventurous?”
Kirkus, starred review of TRACKING PYTHONS
“Impressive… Action-packed… [Insect Superpowers] gives readers a fun and delightfully creepy way to learn about insect adaptations.”
Booklist, starred review of INSECT SUPERPOWERS
“Together Messner and Nickell have created text and pictures with exquisite details. Any educator who wants to excite their students about nature and insects will love this book. Science teachers and school librarians will definitely want to add this title to their collection.”
School Library Connection, starred review of INSECT SUPERPOWERS
“A vivacious exploration of the early lives of the leaders of the free world; an excellent nonfiction addition that will engage young history buffs.”
School Library Journal, starred review for THE NEXT PRESIDENT
“Narrated by all three girls through letters, recorded conversations, and texts, this is an effective, authentically wrought look at how fear and ignorance can lead people to treat those of different races or from different places with suspicion…. Though the look at societal racism, as in the prison system, is well explained, it’s the racism Nora and Lizzie discover in themselves, and their desire to change it, that will linger with readers.”
Publishers Weekly, starred review of BREAKOUT
“An accessible format and a unique focus on contemporary issues of criminal justice and racial bias make this an essential purchase.”
School Library Journal, starred review of BREAKOUT
“Riveting… a book that can be used in so many ways—a study in biography, science, conservation, and volunteerism.”
School Library Journal, starred review of THE BRILLIANT DEEP
“The ocean comes alive in this dazzling, nonfiction picture book… An excellent introduction to environmental awareness and respect.”
Shelf Awareness, starred review of THE BRILLIANT DEEP
“A magical artistic and informational world that readers will delight in visiting again and again.”
Kirkus, starred review of OVER AND UNDER THE POND
“Middle school worries and social issues skillfully woven into a moving, hopeful, STEM-related tale.”
Kirkus, starred review of THE EXACT LOCATION OF HOME
“Dazzling.”
Publishers Weekly, starred review of OVER AND UNDER THE POND