Claudia Mills

Author Information
Claudia Mills's Latest Book

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  • Bibliography:
    57 Books (5 Series)
  • First Book:
    May 1986
  • Latest Book:
    March 2026
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Full Series List in Order

After-School Superstars

1 - Nixie Ness: Cooking Star (May-2019)
2 - Vera Vance: Comics Star (Mar-2020)
3 - Lucy Lopez: Coding Star (Oct-2020)
4 - Boogie Bass, Sign Language Star (Aug-2021)

Franklin School Friends

1 - Third-Grade Reading Queen (Jun-2013)
1 - Kelsey Green, Reading Queen (Mar-2014)
2 - Annika Riz, Math Whiz (May-2014)
3 - Izzy Barr, Running Star (May-2015)
4 - Simon Ellis, Spelling Bee Champ (Nov-2015)
5 - Cody Harmon, King of Pets (Jun-2016)

Gus and Grandpa

Gus and Grandpa (Aug-1996)
Gus and Grandpa and the Two-Wheeled Bike (Sep-2001)
Gus and Grandpa and Show-and-Tell (Oct-2002)
Gus and Grandpa and the Piano Lesson (Sep-2004)

Mason Dixon

1 - Pet Disasters (Jul-2011)
2 - Fourth-Grade Disasters (Nov-2011)
3 - Basketball Disasters (Jan-2012)

Nora Notebooks

1 - The Trouble with Ants (Sep-2015)
2 - The Trouble with Babies (Aug-2016)
3 - The Trouble with Friends (Mar-2017)

Book List in Order: 57 titles

  • Boardwalk With Hotel

  • The Secret Carousel

  • The One and Only Cynthia Jane Thornton

    Ten-year-old Cynthia Jane Thornton struggles to come to terms with her own sense of identity, worth, and talents when her younger sister, Lucy, an exceptional math and science student, joins Cynthia's class for those subjects...

  • Cally's Enterprise

  • After Fifth Grade the World!

    “Richardson doesn’t scare me!” Mrs. Richardson had the reputation of being the meanest teacher in the whole school, but H.P. (that's Heidi Patricia) wasn't worried. She was a good student and sure she could win her over. But the very first d...

  • Hannah on Her Way

  • Dinah for President

    Dinah Seabrooke, now in her first year of middle school, struggles to become a big fish in what seems like an ocean--and in the process discovers the value of recycling and of friendship with the elderly...

  • Dinah Forever

    Dinah Seabrooke is in seventh grade and distraught at learning that the sun will vaporize the earth in about 5 billion years. Nothing matters anymore-not class elections, the school play, even her relationship with Nick. Then Dinah suffers her first ...

  • Dinah in Love



  • Gus and Grandpa

    Gus and Grandpa

    Gus and Grandpa make their debut in three lively and tender stories. In the first, Gus makes a mess while trying to feed Grandpa's dog, Skipper (Grandpa makes him clean it up). In the second, Grandpa loses his car at the mall (Gus finds it). In the t...

  • One Small Lost Sheep

  • Standing Up to Mr. O.

    Maggie McIntosh is crazy about her biology teacher and loves to impress him with her academic excellence. But when the dreaded day of the first class dissection arrives, Maggie has to disappoint Mr. O. There's no way she can cut up a worm. Maggie'...

  • You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman

    The sequel to Losers, Inc. Twelve-year-old Julius Zimmerman is the former vice president of the defunct organization Losers, Inc. Ethan Winfield, the former president, no longer feels like a loser. But Julius still does, maybe because his mother thin...

  • Gus and Grandpa Ride the Train

    This third installment of the heartwarming Gus and Grandpa series evokes all the joy of trains and of remembering. After deciding to take a train trip, Gus and Grandpa realize that they are in trouble--Grandpa has forgotten where he put the tickets. ...

  • Gus and Grandpa and the Christmas Cookies

    More Gus and Grandpa books are promised, and kids will welcome them. -BooklistWhen Gus goes to Grandpa's house at Christmas, they decide to bake cookies. But then they discover that they don't have sprinkles. Off to the store they go. On the way, the...

  • Lizzie At Last

    Why can't Lizzie just be herself? AS SEVENTH GRADE BEGINS, Lizzie Archer knows she can't endure another year of being derided as the class nerd. Maybe she can't stop being smart, but at least she doesn't have to look so different. Out of her Emily...

  • Gus And Grandpa At The Hospital

    FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Gus and his grandfather share a special bond, but when his grandfather suffers a heart attack and goes into the hospital, Gus fears going to see him until Grandpa makes an adventure out of that visit as well....

  • Gus and Grandpa and the Two-Wheeled Bike

    Gus and Grandpa

    Gus is unimpressed when Ryan coolly stops his sleek five-speed bike with the hand brake. But he's totally nonplussed when Daddy buys him a bicycle like Ryan's. Gus will never give up his training wheels. Enter Grandpa, who wisely removes Gus from the...

  • Gus and Grandpa at Basketball

    A great intergenerational team. —Kirkus ReviewsGus loves basketball — that is, basketball practice with Pete, the coach, and shooting baskets at Grandpa's house with only Grandpa's dog, Skipper, in attendance. Basketball games are another s...



  • 7 x 9 = Trouble!

    Wilson Williams worries about passing his times-table testsWilson has a hard time with math, especially with Mrs. Porter’s timed multiplication tests. If only he were as quick as Laura Vicks, the smartest kid in third grade, or as quick as his brot...

  • Gus and Grandpa and the Show-and-Tell

    FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Gus despairs of coming up with something interesting and impressive for his second-grade class's show-and-tell, until he gets a great idea while visiting Grandpa....

  • Gus and Grandpa and Show-and-Tell

    Gus and Grandpa

    The sixth book about this "perfect team." --School Library Journal

    Show-and-tell was a breeze in first grade, when Gus brought to school baseball cards and a plastic rattlesnake and a super-duper flashlight. Now, in second grade, he's stumped....

  • Gus and Grandpa and the Halloween Costume

    It's Halloween, and Gus doesn't know what to wear. His mom won't let him have a store-bought costume; his dad thinks any old thing will do. Ryan Mason is going to be a vampire, with a cape, fangs, and fake blood. Gus wishes he could be a vampire, too...

  • Alex Ryan, Stop That!

    A wise guy gets wise The school year is almost over, and Alex Ryan still has plenty of pranks to pull and jokes to tell. Then his dad attends the meeting about the seventh-grade outdoor education trip. Alex knows nothing good can come of this -- Mr. ...

  • Gus and Grandpa Go Fishing

    The ninth book in this beloved series

    Gus goes fishing for the first time. Mommy can't help him because she doesn’t fish, and Daddy is completely absorbed in his fancy new fishing gear. Fortunately, Grandpa is there. Grandpa shows Gus how to...

  • Gus and Grandpa and the Piano Lesson

    Gus and Grandpa

    The tenth book in Claudia Mills' beloved series For Gus, the longest half hour of the day is spent practicing the piano. Why can't he be outside, shooting hoops with Ryan Mason? Even more painful are the lessons: Mrs. Moore complains about Gus's squi...

  • Makeovers by Marcia

    Pretty is as pretty doesPretty, popular Marcia Faitak is not her usual self. Over the summer she gained five pounds, and when school begins, Marcia, desperate for an invitation from Alex Ryan to the October dance, goes on a diet. In art class, she's...

  • Ziggy's Blue-Ribbon Day

    Every kid’s a winner!
    Ziggy dreads track-and-field day. He isn’t good at running races or at high or long jumping. He isn’t good at throwing balls, either. Ziggy is good at drawing pictures, but there’s no picturedrawing event on track-and...

  • Trading Places

    Todd and Amy Davidson may be twins, but they're complete opposites " Todd is organized and is the family "engineer," while Amy is outgoing and has been dubbed the "poet." So it would seem that for a fifth-grade economics project, Todd would come up...



  • Being Teddy Roosevelt

    Riley O'Rourke is writing his report on President Teddy Roosevelt in preparation for the fourth-grade biography tea, but he has a far more important goal: to get a saxophone so he can take instrumental music. His mother can't afford to rent him a sax...

  • The Totally Made-up Civil War Diary of Amanda MacLeish

    Amanda MacLeish might be the only student in Mr. Abrams's fifth-grade class who doesn't mind doing her homework. Now that her father has left home and moved into a motel, the only thing that brings Amanda any joy is writing her fictional diary entrie...

  • How Oliver Olson Changed the World

    Let Me In! Oliver Olsoms teacher is always saying that one person with a big idea can change the world. But so far, all Oliver has managed to change is the diorama of the solar system he's been working on with his chatterbox partner, Crystal. Anyw...

  • One Square Inch

    After eleven-year-old Cooper's grandfather, Gran-Dan, gives him and his little sister, Carly, eight yellowed deeds, each to one square inch of the Yukon, Cooper almost forgets all about them. Then Carly drags them out, with plans to create her own ma...

  • Fractions = Trouble!

    If Wilson Williams thought multiplication was difficult, he is finding fractions impossible. And when his parents hire a math tutor for him, he is sure he's the only kid in the history of Hill Elementary to have one. Wilson is determined to make sure...

  • Pet Disasters

    Mason Dixon - 1

    Soon-to-be fourth-grader Mason Dixon does not want a pet, but his parents think it will be good for him. Goldfish dies soon after his arrival (from overfeeding). Mason is relieved. Hamster escapes. Mason is relieved. Cat has to go back because best f...

  • Fourth-Grade Disasters

    Mason Dixon - 2

    Here's the second entry in veteran author Claudia Mills' charming middle-grade series, which finds the lovably sardonic title character starting the fourth grade, which he's dreading: everyone in fourth grade is expected to join the school choir. And...

  • Basketball Disasters

    Mason Dixon - 3

    Here's the third entry in Claudia Mills' charming middle-grade series. Mason Dixon survived the school choir. He survived adopting his now-beloved dog named, uh, Dog. But now he faces his biggest challenge yet: joining the local basketball team. Not ...

  • Third-Grade Reading Queen

    Franklin School Friends - 1

    Kelsey Kline is the best reader in the third grade--well, maybe tied for best with know-it-all Simon Ellis. When the principal Mr. Boone announces a school-wide reading contest, complete with a pizza party for the winning class and a special certifi...

  • Zero Tolerance

    Seventh-grader Sierra Shepard has always been the perfect student, so when she sees that she accidentally brought her mother's lunch bag to school, including a paring knife, she immediately turns in the knife at the school office. Much to her surpris...



  • Losers, Inc.

    Ethan Winfield has never been an academic or athletic star like his older brother, Peter. But does that make him a failure? Of course not. Still, Ethan and his best friend, Julius Zimmerman, decide that they qualify to found an exclusive club: Losers...

  • Perfectly Chelsea

    Chelsea learns she is perfectly human If Chelsea Garing likes anything better than school, it's church, especially when she gets the chance to shine. Unfortunately, Chelsea can't perform perfectly every time. One day, when she's serving as acolyte...

  • Kelsey Green, Reading Queen

    Franklin School Friends - 1

    Kelsey Kline is the best reader in the third grade -- well, maybe tied for best with know-it-all Simon Ellis. When the principal, Mr. Boone, announces a school-wide reading contest -- complete with a pizza party for the winning class and a special ce...

  • Annika Riz, Math Whiz

    Franklin School Friends - 2

    Annika Riz loves math more than anything. She's trying to teach her dog, Prime, to count. She's determined to beat fellow math whiz Simon Ellis in a Sudoku contest at the public library. She even sleeps under number-patterned sheets. But Annika's be...

  • Izzy Barr, Running Star

    Franklin School Friends - 3

    Izzy Barr is the star athlete of the third grade: she hits homeruns on her softball team and is one of the fastest runners in her class. But at home, her half-brother, Dustin, seems to be her father's favorite athlete―why else would her dad go to a...

  • The Trouble with Ants

    Nora Notebooks - 1

    Science-obsessed fourth grader Nora has ants all figured out -- now she just has to try to understand her fellow humans!   The trouble with ants is . . . . . . people think they’re boring. . . . they are not cuddly. . . . who would ever want ...

  • Simon Ellis, Spelling Bee Champ

    Franklin School Friends - 4

    The students in Miss Molina's third grade class are abuzz with excitement about the upcoming spelling bee, where they will be competing against the two other classes in third grade. Simon Ellis, who just happens to be good at a lot of other things, i...

  • Cody Harmon, King of Pets

    Franklin School Friends - 5

    Cody Harmon doesn't love reading, math, spelling, or really any of the subjects that Miss Molina teaches in her third-grade class. But he lives on a farm and he loves animals--he even has nine pets--so when the school holds a pet-show fund-raiser, it...

  • The Trouble with Babies

    Nora Notebooks - 2

    Fourth grade scientists are not meant to be babysitters. The second book in the Nora Notebooks finds Nora Alpers in unfamiliar territory. Nora Alpers has just become a ten-year-old aunt. To prepare for the new arrival, Nora has been writing down ...

  • Write This Down

    Twelve-year-old Autumn loves to write, and she can't wait to grow up and be a published author. She finds inspiration all around her, but especially in Cameron, the dreamy boy in her journalism class who she has a major crush on. When her older broth...



  • The Trouble with Friends

    Nora Notebooks - 3

    The final book in the Nora Notebooks series finds Nora trying to navigate the unscientific matter of making friends with someone you have nothing in common with. Nora Alpers, fourth-grade scientist, likes things to be just so. Her ant farm, her h...

  • Nixie Ness: Cooking Star

    After-School Superstars - 1

    Best friends Nixie and Grace spend every afternoon together . . . until Nixie's mom gets a new job and Nixie must attend the after-school program, without Grace.Third graders Nixie Ness and Grace Kenny have been best friends since they were two-years...

  • Vera Vance: Comics Star

    After-School Superstars - 2

    Third grader Vera Vance has signed up for the comics camp after-school program, but her mother would much rather she focus on academics, athletics, music. . . anything but comics! Vera loves all things comic books, so she can't wait for the co...

  • Lucy Lopez: Coding Star

    After-School Superstars - 3

    Talented Lucy Lopez finds her passion when she joins an after-school coding camp, but can her older sister come to terms with their shared hobby?Third-grader Lucy Lopez and her older sister Elena created the Let's Have Fun Club, where they designed t...

  • Boogie Bass, Sign Language Star

    After-School Superstars - 4

    Boogie Bass feels like he can't do anything right, but when he joins an after-school American Sign Language club, he turns out to be a natural! The After-School Superstars--Nixie Ness, Vera Vance, Nolan Nada, and Boogie Bass--are back in a new...

  • The Lost Language

    The quest to save the words of a dying language - and to find the words to save what may be a dying friendship - lies at the heart of this exquisite verse novel. Sixth grader Betsy is the one who informs her best friend, Lizard, that thousands of ...

  • The Last Apple Tree

    When feuding neighbors Sonnet and Zeke are paired up for a class project, they unearth a secret that could uproot Sonnet’s family -- or allow it to finally heal and grow.Twelve-year-old Sonnet’s family has just moved across the country to live wi...

  • Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom

    “Difficult” student Callie joins a philosophy club seeking the wisdom she needs to keep her beloved but equally difficult dog in this hilarious, heartfelt middle grade novel for underdogs and dog-lovers alike!Once Callie (Calliope Callist...

Award-Winning Books by Claudia Mills

How Oliver Olson Changed the World
2010 Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award -- Transitional Fiction
The Totally Made-up Civil War Diary of Amanda MacLeish
2009 Colorado Book Award -- Juvenile Literature


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Claudia Mills has published 57 books.

The next book by Claudia Mills, Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom, will be published in March 2026.

The first book by Claudia Mills, Boardwalk With Hotel, was published in May 1986.

Yes. Claudia Mills has 5 series.
Author Series
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