Award-Winning Author, Presenter, and Educator
Photo Credit:
Toni Green-Davenport/Upward Vizion
Welcome to my website!
Thank you for stopping by!
I write board books, picture books, and chapter books, as well as middle grade and young adult novels. I write whichever ideas stay long enough to become pests. I'm a prisoner of my own creative mind! Feel free to browse around, and do come back again soon. This website is a work in progress...just like me.
Hitting Shelves on 9/17/24!
STRANDED (Scholastic)
WATCH THE AMAZING TRAILER FOR STRANDED HERE!
Pre-order Now: STRANDED, A Middle Grade Novel
One storm. One winter. One girl's fight for survival.
A contemporary My Side of the Mountain, Stranded is the story of Ava, a wilderness-hungry girl from Manhattan, whose journey in the Adirondack mountains becomes a nail-biting story of courage, independence, and survival.
PRAISE FOR STRANDED:
"Readers will root for Ava as she draws on her ingenuity and strength to survive alone, deep in the Adirondack woods. This gripping tale, loaded with suspense and riveting details, is the modern-day answer to Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet, a fresh and inclusive take on the classic wilderness survival story."
~Kate Messner, award-winning author of Breakout
“I rooted for Ava the whole way. A great read for those who love tough-as-nails characters and the incredible lengths they go to live, survive, and flourish.”
–Meika Hashimoto, award-winning author of The Trail
Releasing on 2/18/25!
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.
Nikki Shannon Smith's bouncy, rhythmic text and Ashley Evans's vivid, welcoming illustrations pair beautifully to create heartwarming scenes of everyday life.
NEW BOOK DEAL!
Nikki Shannon Smith and Don Tate to Create Little Golden Book About Prince, for Spring 2026
Nikki is a long-time fan and admirer of Prince as a musician, performer, and lyricist. Writing a book to remember him on the 10th year after his passing is a dream come true. She is honored to celebrate Prince in this way, and delighted for the opportunity to introduce young readers to this dynamic, trailblazing, iconic genius. She is equally thrilled that Don Tate is illustrating the book.
NOTE: 2025 is a misprint in the announcement.
Oklahoma Book Award Winner
In April 2023, Lena and the Burning of Greenwood: A Tulsa Race Massacre Survival Story was awarded the Oklahoma Book Award in the category of Children's and Young Adult Books.