Selected as a 2006 Orbis Pictus Recommended Book, National Council of Teachers of English

Selected as one of the Best Books for Young Adults 2006, American Library Associaion

2006 Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies by the National Council for the Social Studies and the Children's Book Council

Selected as a 2006 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12 by the National Science Teachers Association and the Children's Book Council

2005 New York Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

Selected as a 2006 New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age

Selected as a 2005 Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) Nonfiction Honor Book 

Selected as the Birmingham (AL) Public Library's 2007 Read It Forward book

Nominated for the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, 2006-2007

Nominated for the Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award 2008, Grades 6-8

Nominated for the South Dakota Library Association Prairie Pasque Awards for Grades 4-6, 2007-2008

Nominated for the Children's Literature Association of Utah's Beehive Award (Informational Book) 2007-2008

Starred review in School Library Journal  

Chosen as a Nonfiction Honor Book, 1999, VOYA

Selected as a 1999 Notable Book for Children, American Library Association

Nominated for the Washington Irving Children's Choice Award, Westchester County Public Library Association, 1999-2000.

Selected as one of the Best Children’s Books of 1998, School Library Journal

Selected as one of the Top 100 Children’s Books of 1998, The Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books

Selected as a Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, American Library Association

Starred reviews in School Library Journal and Booklist.

Selected as an Honor Book for the Washington Irving’s Children Choice Book Award, Westchester County Public Library Association, 1998.

Selected as one of the Favorite Books of the Year by the Young Critics Club of the New Canaan (CT) Library, 1997

Selected as one of the Favorite Books for Grades 4 & 5 by the Palm Beach (FL) County Library System

Selected as an Honor Book in Science by the Society of School Librarians International.

Nominated for the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Children’s Nonfiction Book, 1994.

Selected as a 1999 Popular Paperback for Young Adults, American Library Association

Selected as a Notable Book in the Language Arts, Children’s Literature Assembly of the National Council of Teachers of English, 1995.

Selected as an outstanding Book for Middle School Teens, 1994, VOYA.

Starred reviews in School Library Journal and Notes from the Windowsill.