Books by Colleen Nelson

Spin

by Lamar Giles, Rebecca Janni, Robert Charles Wilson, Ido Vaginsky, Colleen Nelson

Go for a spin up a hill—when the story of a bike ride becomes an inspirational journey.

Albert Einstein once said, "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving." Ride along up and down the hills and valleys of this bike ride. Featuring lyrical text and vivid artwork, Spin shows that any mountain can be climbed. By pushing forward and pedaling around and around, anyone can spin onwards.

Spin

by Lamar Giles, Rebecca Janni, Robert Charles Wilson, Ido Vaginsky, Colleen Nelson

One night in October when he was ten years old, Tyler Dupree stood in his back yard and watched the stars go out. They all flared into brilliance at once, then disappeared, replaced by a flat, empty black barrier. He and his best friends, Jason and Diane Lawton, had seen what became known as the Big Blackout. It would shape their lives.

The effect is worldwide. The sun is now a featureless disk--a heat source, rather than an astronomical object. The moon is gone, but tides remain. Not only have the world's artificial satellites fallen out of orbit, their recovered remains are pitted and aged, as though they'd been in space far longer than their known lifespans. As Tyler, Jason, and Diane grow up, space probe reveals a bizarre truth: The barrier is artificial, generated by huge alien artifacts. Time is passing faster outside the barrier than inside--more than a hundred million years per day on Earth. At this rate, the death throes of the sun are only about forty years in our future.

Jason, now a promising young scientist, devotes his life to working against this slow-moving apocalypse. Diane throws herself into hedonism, marrying a sinister cult leader who's forged a new religion out of the fears of the masses.

Earth sends terraforming machines to Mars to let the onrush of time do its work, turning the planet green. Next they send humans...and immediately get back an emissary with thousands of years of stories to tell about the settling of Mars. Then Earth's probes reveal that an identical barrier has appeared around Mars. Jason, desperate, seeds near space with self-replicating machines that will scatter copies of themselves outward from the sun--and report back on what they find.

Life on Earth is about to get much, much stranger.

Spin

by Lamar Giles, Rebecca Janni, Robert Charles Wilson, Ido Vaginsky, Colleen Nelson

Your head will spin when you look at this amazing book. Each page has a unique paper-engineering element that allows you to flip, spin, and even turn the picture to see something completely different. Is that a horse peeking his head above the fence? Turn the disc and spin-?it's a squirrel! Is that a bird flying in the sky? Pull the tab and flip-?it's a fish! Kids and parents alike will be amazed by these optical illusions. Be prepared to flip over this book!

Spin

by Lamar Giles, Rebecca Janni, Robert Charles Wilson, Ido Vaginsky, Colleen Nelson

Even in murder, the music lives on.
When rising star Paris Secord (aka DJ ParSec) is found dead on her turntables, it sends the local music scene reeling. No one is feeling that grief more than her shunned pre-fame best friend, Kya, and ParSec's chief groupie, Fuse -- two sworn enemies who happened to be the ones who discovered her body.The police have few leads, and when the trail quickly turns cold, the authorities don't seem to be pushing too hard to investigate further. But nobody counted on Paris's deeply loyal fans, ParSec Nation, or the outrage that would drive Fuse and Kya to work together. As ParSec Nation takes to social media and the streets in their crusade for justice, Fuse and Kya start digging into Paris's past, stumbling across a deadly secret. With new info comes new motives. New suspects. And a fandom that will stop at nothing in their obsessive quest for answers, not even murder...

Spin

by Lamar Giles, Rebecca Janni, Robert Charles Wilson, Ido Vaginsky, Colleen Nelson

High Plains Book Award ― Finalist, Young Adult • MYRCA Northern Lights Award ― Shortlisted • SYRCA Snow Willow Award ― Shortlisted

An aspiring teenage DJ must learn how to navigate life when people find out that she's the daughter of a famous singer.

Fifteen-year-old Delilah “Dizzy” Doucette lives with her dad and brother above their vintage record store, The Vinyl Trap. She’s learning how to spin records from her brother’s best friend, and she’s getting pretty good. But behind her bohemian life, Dizzy and her family have a secret: her mom is the megafamous singer Georgia Waters. When this secret is revealed to the world, Dizzy’s life spins out of control. She must decide what is most important to her ― the family she has or the family she wants.

Sadia

by Colleen Nelson

Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award — Winner, Young Adult • High Plains Book Award — Winner, Young Adult • Red Maple Fiction Award — Shortlisted • Snow Willow Award — Shortlisted

Sadia wishes life in high school was as straightforward as a game of basketball.

Fifteen-year-old Sadia Ahmadi is passionate about one thing: basketball. Her best friend Mariam, on the other hand, wants to get noticed by the popular crowd and has started de-jabbing, removing her hijab, at school every morning. Sadia’s mom had warned her that navigating high school could be tricky. As much as she hates to admit it, her mom was right.

When tryouts for an elite basketball team are announced, Sadia jumps at the opportunity. Her talent speaks for itself. Her head scarf, on the other hand, is a problem; especially when a discriminatory rule means she has to choose between removing her hijab and not playing. Mariam, Sadia’s parents, and her teammates all have different opinions about what she should do. But it is Sadia who has to find the courage to stand up for herself and fight for what is right — on and off the court.

Mystery at the Biltmore #2 The Classified Catnapping

by Colleen Nelson

"Using dogged detective work, an intrepid young New Yorker solves a feline felony....Suspense, a winsome cast and setting, and an admirable lead make this sequel a cat-egorical success."--Kirkus Reviews

The LaRue Detective Agency has gained a reputation at The Biltmore as the investigators to call, so it's no surprise when they are asked to solve the catnapping case. What is a surprise: being asked to keep this investigation top secret! Will the LaRue detective agency have what it takes to solve this challenging case?

A murder mystery movie is being filmed in the courtyard of the Biltmore, starring a celebrity building resident, Bijou, the fluffy white cat famous for inheriting the entire fortune of a popular designer--including his Biltmore apartment. But when filming is paused for the day, Tiya, the daughter of Bijou's nanny, reports that the famous feline was catnapped! The LaRue detective agency is hired...but there is just one catch, the investigation must remain top secret. How can Elodie question suspects when she can't admit Bijou is missing? This investigation will require new tactics, a keen eye, and help from her friends!

Colored illustrations by award-winning artist, Peggy Collins, are scattered throughout the story, bringing additional humor to the cast of quirky characters.

From the award-winning author of The Umbrella House, Colleen Nelson brings another New York apartment building to life in Mystery at the Biltmore. Written with charm and wit, Mystery at The Biltmore is Only Murders in the Building meets Harriet the Spy.

Mystery at the Biltmore: The Vanderhoff Heist (Mystery at the Biltmore)

by Colleen Nelson

The Biltmore in New York City is full of mysteries, and Elodie LaRue, a novice detective, plans to piece together the clues and solve the case of the missing jewels.

Left behind by her globe-trotting detective parents once again, Elodie decides to prove she's worthy of joining them on a case by setting up her own detective agency at her renowned Upper West Side home, The Biltmore.

When a pair of sapphire earrings mysteriously disappear from Mrs. Vanderhoff's apartment, Elodie is asked to solve the case. Elodie begins her investigation the way any good detective would, looking for clues and potential suspects. With twists, turns, and suspects galore, will Elodie be able to prove she has what it takes to solve a crime? Or will the LaRue Detective Agency fail on its first case? As Elodie, her dog Carnegie, and new friend Oscar (a self-proclaimed parkour master) delve deeper into the mystery, they encounter a quirky cast of characters, an array of clues, and a little bit of fun.

From the award-winning author of The Umbrella House, Colleen Nelson brings another New York apartment building to life in Mystery at the Biltmore. Written with charm and wit, Mystery at The Biltmore is Only Murders in the Building meets Harriet the Spy.

See It, Dream It, Do It How 25 People Just Like You Found Their Dream Jobs

by Colleen Nelson, Kathie MacIsaac

"The representation of a diversity of cultures and abilities is impressive as well as the uniqueness of some jobs....A visually appealing and inspiring representation of careers that would be a strong addition to middle school collections."--School Library Journal

Young readers are given a lens into the life of an architect, a paleontologist, a pilot, and so many more through detailed job profiles and full-colour photos. How does a comedian write the perfect joke? How does a private investigator crack a mysterious case? Questions about jobs you know, and don't know, are answered in a fun and accessible way through pro tips, spin-off job sidebars, and spotlight features about young people already achieving their dreams.

Following the success of If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It: How 25 inspiring individuals found their dream jobs, teacher and award-winning author Colleen Nelson, teams up once again with librarian and literacy advocate Kathie MacIsaac to introduce inspiring individuals of many backgrounds, genders, and abilities. Seeing a wide range of representation, in both people and jobs, is the first step to young people discovering their own career possibilities. This information-packed resource shows how education can come in many different forms, such as university, college, trade school, apprenticeship, or specialized training. A wide range of job profiles provides valuable insight into how each individual developed the skills and expertise they needed for their career.