NEW CONTEST BELOW! The Neptune Promise Dive into perilous new adventures with Nere Hanson as she confronts Wasp, Whitey and Ran Kuron once again. Dai, Tobin and the dolphins and even Cam are all back as Nere and her friends race to save our planet from the devastating effects of climate change. Learn more about the book Read the first five chapters View the trailer BUY THE BOOK: Paperback eBook    NEW WRITING CONTEST! Please write a Neptune story from the point of view of one of the dolphins at Safety Harbor. This dolphin could be a part of Nere's pod or a different one. Please send your entry to neptuneproject1@aol.com by midnight on August 1. I will send the winner a signed bookplate, a mermaid charm necklace, and a bookmark. Many thanks to Elise R. for suggesting this fun story idea! Good Luck! Previous Contest Winners: Congratulations to the winners of my recent writing contest! Amina R. took first place, Avery K. second, and Maggie S. took third. Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter. If you have an idea for a new writing contest, please feel free to email it to me at: neptuneproject1@aol.com.

My Neptune books will plunge readers into a world of undersea adventure. The Neptune Project, an award winning novel for middle grade readers, was published by Disney Hyperion in 2013, and its sequel, The Neptune Challenge, was published in 2015. If you love dolphins, the oceans and stories about friendship and loyalty, you should try diving into these books!

The Neptune Project has been placed on state reading lists in Texas, Florida, Ohio, Maryland and Hawaii. I was thrilled when kids in Florida chose it as their favorite book on the Sunshine State Young Readers Award list last year. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) also endorsed the book as a strong science-based read for kids.

Educators, because my books include plenty of science and a strong environmental message, The Neptune Project and The Neptune Challenge lend themselves well to cross-curriculum teaching. Please check out the new Resources for Educators page on this website. There you will find teachers' guides packed with interesting lessons and STEM activities that Language Arts, Social Studies, Math and Science teachers can all use in their classrooms. An experienced teacher, I'm also available for school, Skype and Girl Scout visits.

Librarians, in the article "Under the Radar Books for Teen Read Week," School Library Journal recommended both Neptune books because in them, "the world-building is superb, the ocean life well-researched, and the characters appealing."

Readers, check out my cool links to dolphin sounds, shark sites, and what our coastlines will really look like if our oceans keep rising. In Nere's gallery you can also see some of the fascinating sea creatures that my Neptune kids encounter every day.

Buy The Neptune Project:
    
 

Buy The Neptune Challenge:
    

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New trailer: The Neptune Promise

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A little bit about Book #1: The Neptune Project

 Texas Bluebonnet Award 2014-15 Master List

 Sunshine State Young Readers' Award Winner

 Nominated for Maryland Black-eyed Susan Book Award

 Recommended Read for Children by the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science)

 Bank Street's Best Children's Books of 2014

 Finalist 2013 Green Earth Book Awards

 Finalist 2014 Texas Book Awards for MG/YA Literature

 Nominated for the Buckeye Children's Book Award

 Nominated for the Hawaiian Nēnē List for Young Readers

Nere is one of a group of kids who have been genetically altered to survive in the ocean. These products of the "Neptune Project" are supposed to build a better future under the waves, safe from the terrible famines and wars and that rock the surface world. But there some big challenges ahead of her...

Read more about the book

Check out these amazing photos

Read my answers to questions from serious Neptune fans

I'd love to come to your school