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Melissa Stewart

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Melissa Stewart
Melissa Stewart
Melissa Stewart
OccupationAuthor
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater
Notable awards
  • Cybils Award (2015);
  • Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor (2022)

Melissa Stewart is an American author of children's books on a wide range of science and nature topics and an independent researcher of nonfiction literature for young people. She has published more than 200 books for toddlers, children, and teens as well as several books for educators.

Early life and education

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Stewart grew up in Massachusetts and attended Hampshire Regional High School.[1] She received a Bachelor's degree in biology from Union College and a master's degree in science journalism from New York University.[2]

Career

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Following graduation, she worked as an editor of high school science textbooks for a small book packager in New York City.[3] Later, she moved to Connecticut and edited traditional nonfiction science books for Franklin Press and Children's Press, two imprints owned by Grolier/Hachette and then Scholastic.[4]

During this period, she also worked as a freelance science writer, publishing dozens of magazine articles for children and adults. Her first book, Life without Light: A Journey to Earth's Dark Ecosystems was published in 1998 and was named a New York Public Library Best Book for Teens.[5]

In 2000, she returned to Massachusetts and began writing articles and books full-time. Most of her early books were traditional nonfiction titles for the school and library market. Her first picture book, A Place for Butterflies, was published in 2006 and received the Green Earth Book Award.[6] It has been revised twice and sold more than 350,000 copies. Since then, Melissa has published 25 expository literature picture books as well as traditional, browsable, and active nonfiction titles.[7] Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages.[8]

She also co-authored, with educator Nancy Chesley, Perfect Pairs: Using Fiction & Nonfiction Picture Books to Teach Life Science, K-2 and Perfect Pairs: Using Fiction & Nonfiction Picture Books to Teach Life Science, Grades 3-5.

In 2012, she began researching nonfiction literature for young people and, in 2017, developed the Nonfiction Family Tree, which evolved into the 5 Kinds of Nonfiction classification system and was fully described in 5 Kinds of Nonfiction: Enriching Reading and Writing Instruction with Children's Books, co-written by educator Marlene Correia. (,[9][10]) She also edited the anthology Nonfiction Writers Dig Deep: 50 Award-winning Authors Share the Secret of Engaging Writing and co-authored the Position Statement on the Role of Nonfiction Literature, K-12, which was adopted by the National Council of Teachers of English in 2023.[11]

Her essays, articles, and op-eds on nonfiction literature and literacy have appeared in Book Links, Booklist, Knowledge Quest, Language Arts, Publishers Weekly, Reading Rockets, The Reading Teacher, School Library Connection, School Library Journal, Science, Science & Children, The Utah Journal of Literacy, and The Washington Post.[12]

Awards and honors

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Thirteen of Stewart's books are Junior Library Guild selections: Under the Snow (2009),[13] No Monkeys, No Chocolate (2013),[14] Feathers: Not Just for Flying (2014),[15] Zoom In on Grasshoppers (2015),[16] Las Serpientes (Snakes) (2016),[17] A Seed is the Start (2019),[18] Los Animales Más Mortales (Deadliest Animals),[19] Seashells (2019),[20] Summertime Sleepers (2021),[21] Fourteen Monkeys (2021),[22] Tree Hole Homes (2022),[23]Mega-Predators of the Past (2022),[24] and Meet the Mini-Mammals (2025).[25]

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books included Feathers: Not Just for Flying in their list of the best books of 2014.[26]

Awards for Stewart's books
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2007 A Place for Butterflies Green Earth Book Award Winner [27]
2009 Under the Snow Massachusetts Book Award Finalist [28]
2010 National Geographic Readers: Ants Cybils Award for Easy Readers Finalist [29]
A Place for Birds Green Earth Book Award Honor [30]
Under the Snow California Eureka! Book Award Honor [31]
Under the Snow Charlotte Zolotow Award Commend [32]
2011 A Place for Frogs Green Earth Book Award Honor [33]
2012 A Place for Bats AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books Finalist [34]
Correll Book Award for Excellence in Informational Text Winner [35]
2013 A Place for Bats Green Earth Book Award Honor [36]
A Place for Turtles Massachusetts Book Award Finalist [37]
Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award for Children's Literature Winner [38]
2014 Beneath the Sun Charlotte Zolotow Award Commend [39]
Feathers: Not Just for Flying Cybils Award for Elementary and Middle Grade Winner [40]
No Monkeys, No Chocolate Cook Prize for Best STEM Picture Book Finalist [41]
A Place for Turtles Green Earth Book Award Winner [42]
2015 Feathers: Not Just for Flying ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [43]
John Burroughs Riverby Award Winner [44]
2017 Droughts AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books Finalist [45]
2018 Can an Aardvark Bark? Colorado Book Awards Winner [46]
Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs California Eureka! Book Award Winner [47]
Massachusetts Book Award Honor [48]
Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading Book Award Finalist [49]
SCBWI Golden Kite Award Honor [50]
2019 Seashells: More Than a Home Cybils Award for Elementary Finalist [51]
Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading Book Award Finalist [52]
2020 Seashells: More Than a Home Correll Book Award for Excellence in Informational Text Winner [53]
2021 Fourteen Monkeys: A Rain Forest Rhyme California Eureka Book Award Honor [54]
2022 Fourteen Monkeys: A Rain Forest Rhyme Washington State Towner Book Award Honor [55]
Summertime Sleepers ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [56]
Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading Book Award Finalist [57]
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award Honor [58]
2023 Summertime Sleepers: Animals that Estivate Oklahoma Donna Norvell Award Winner [59]
Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-floor Ecosystem AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books Finalist [60]
2024 Tree Hole Homes: Daytime Dens and Nighttime Nooks Yellowstone Jackhammer Picture Book Award Finalist [61]
Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-floor Ecosystem ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [62]

References

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  1. ^ "Nonfiction Reading Resources". Melissa Stewart. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  2. ^ "Nonfiction Reading Resources". Melissa Stewart. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  3. ^ "Melissa Stewart". LinkedIn. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  4. ^ "Melissa Stewart". LinkedIn. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  5. ^ "Life Without Light". Melissa Stewart. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  6. ^ "A Place for Butterflies". Melissa Stewart. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  7. ^ "Melissa Stewart's Alphabetical Booklist". Melissa Stewart. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  8. ^ "Meet Melissa Stewart". Melissa Stewart. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  9. ^ "The 5 Kinds of Nonfiction". Celebrate Nonfiction. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  10. ^ "The Five Kinds of Nonfiction" (PDF). School Library Journal. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  11. ^ "Position Statement on the Role of Nonfiction Literature, (K-12)". National Council of Teachers of English. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  12. ^ "Articles for Educators". Melissa Stewart. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  13. ^ "Under the Snow by Melissa Stewart". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  14. ^ "No Monkeys, No Chocolate by Melissa Stewart". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  15. ^ "Feathers: Not Just for Flying by Melissa Stewart". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  16. ^ "Zoom In on Grasshoppers by Melissa Stewart". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  17. ^ "Las Serpientes (Snakes) by Melissa Stewart". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  18. ^ "A Seed is the Start by Melissa Stewart". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  19. ^ "Los Animales Más Mortales (Deadliest Animals) by Melissa Stewart". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  20. ^ "Seashells : More Than a Home by Melissa Stewart". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  21. ^ "Summertime Sleepers: Animals that Estivate by Melissa Stewart". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on September 22, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  22. ^ "Fourteen Monkeys: A Rain Forest Rhyme by Melissa Stewart". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on November 28, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  23. ^ "Tree Hole Homes: Daytime Dens and Nighttime Nooks by Melissa Stewart". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  24. ^ "Mega-Predators of the Past". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  25. ^ "Meet the Mini-Mammals: A Night at the Natural History Museum". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  26. ^ "2014 Blue Ribbons". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  27. ^ "Green Earth Book Awards". Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  28. ^ "Under the Snow". Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  29. ^ "2010 Cybils Finalists". Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  30. ^ "Green Earth Book Awards". Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  31. ^ "Eureka Book Award Honors, 2010-2023". Teaching Books. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  32. ^ "Booklists". Cooperative Children's Book Center. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  33. ^ "Green Earth Book Awards". Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  34. ^ "A Place for Bats". Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  35. ^ "A Place for Bats". Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  36. ^ "Green Earth Book Awards". Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  37. ^ "A Place for Turtles". Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  38. ^ "Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award". Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  39. ^ "Charlotte Zolotow Award". Cooperative Children's Book Center. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  40. ^ "2014 Cybils Winners". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  41. ^ "Bank Street College of Education, The Cook Prize". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  42. ^ "Green Earth Book Awards". Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  43. ^ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (March 3, 2015). "ALSC names 2015 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  44. ^ "About the Awards". John Burroughs Association. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  45. ^ "AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  46. ^ "Colorado Book Awards". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  47. ^ "Eureka Book Award Winners". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  48. ^ "Melissa Stewart". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  49. ^ "Melissa Stewart". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  50. ^ "Melissa Stewart". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  51. ^ "2019 Cybils Finalists". Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  52. ^ "Melissa Stewart". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  53. ^ "Correll Book Awards". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  54. ^ "Eureka Book Award Honors 2010-2023". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  55. ^ "Melissa Stewart". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  56. ^ "2022 Notable Children's Books". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  57. ^ "Melissa Stewart". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  58. ^ "Cynthia Levinson, Evan Turk win 2022 Sibert Medal". American Library Association. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  59. ^ "Donna Norvell Oklahoma Book Award Winners". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  60. ^ "AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  61. ^ "Yellowhammer Book Awards". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  62. ^ "ALSC 2024 Notable Children's Book List". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
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