"Nancy Drew meets MacGyver!" – Amazon Review
the secret of the magic eyepad
- 2021 Readers’ Favorite GOLD MEDAL WINNER
- 2022 Wishing Shelf Book Awards Silver Medal WINNER
- 2023 Moonbeam Book Awards Silver Medal WINNER
- 2023 Next Best Reads – First Place Fiction
She dreams of becoming an inventor.
First, she has to survive middle school…
Putney Hicks just wants things to go right for once. As a socially awkward 12-year-old suddenly dropped into an elite STEM school, she’s surrounded by rich kids with more confidence than she can even imagine. Struggling to fit in, Putney can’t see her own potential — but everything changes when she stumbles upon a mysterious tablet with an advanced, talkative AI inside.
Wondering if the friendly pixie in the device is alien or supernatural, Putney is determined to keep it safe while exploring its possibilities. But when competitive art and science projects lead to an ill-advised bet with a wealthy mean girl, this would-be engineer may be in way over her head.
Will her new, unpredictable mentor be enough to help her survive her first week in class?
The Secret of the Magic eyePad is the award-winning first book in the Putney Hicks Inventor Adventures series — a fun, clever, and inspiring STEM tale for young readers who love a mix of innovation, middle school drama, and heart.
the buoyancy project
2023 Global Book Awards – Gold Medal WINNER
2023 Gertrude Warner Middle Grade Awards – SEMI-FINALIST
2024 Independent Author Network Book of the Year Awards – FINALIST
A perplexing task. A mystery to solve. Can a scientist-in-the-making find the answers hiding in plain sight?
Twelve-year-old Putney Hicks is gearing up for her school’s cardboard-boat regatta, but excitement soars when she rescues a neighbor’s dog from a rip current.
Disaster looms as team draws pit her against her arch-rival, Sue. As tensions rise, Putney must prove her innovative design concept in a pre-race challenge within an alligator-infested lagoon. Armed with her magical tablet and AI companion, Sam, can she stay afloat amidst the chaos?
Can these adversaries set aside their differences to build a cardboard boat that truly floats? Could the mysterious swamp creatures hold the solution to their greatest challenge?
The Buoyancy Project is the brilliant second book in the Putney Hicks Inventor Adventures series—a clever, science-driven adventure combining hands-on problem-solving with daring escapades. Perfect for fans of strong female leads, STEM challenges, and stories brimming with imagination and heart.
Ready to dive in? Buy The Buoyancy Project now and sail full STEM ahead on Putney’s next unforgettable adventure!
project first flight
- 2022 Wishing Shelf Book Awards FINALIST!
- 2023 BookFest Book Awards Gold Medal WINNER!
- 2023 Literary Titan Gold Medal!
To strengthen her skills, she’ll turn to the scientific method. But can this middle schooler also learn how to mend a broken relationship?
Putney Hicks’s worst swimming nightmare has finally come true. After a rough practice leaves her with little confidence, she’s forced to face her biggest fear at the upcoming swim meet — her weakest stroke. But when she finds out she’ll be racing against her former best friend, the pressure skyrockets.
Determined to improve, Putney dives into a new project involving monarch butterflies and a high-tech hummingbird droid to analyze the science of flight. But as she makes progress with her experiments, things start to spiral: her robotic bird is being followed by mysterious drones, and her nemesis moves in next door.
Can Putney use her STEM skills to overcome the pressure of the race, fix a broken friendship, and solve the mystery behind the drones — all while aiming for a gold medal?
Project First Flight is the action-packed third book in the Putney Hicks Inventor Adventures series — a captivating blend of cutting-edge science, high-stakes competition, and the power of friendship.
Ready to soar? Buy Project First Flight now and join Putney as she takes her next big leap into the world of invention, mystery, and determination!
The sea turtle SPY project
- 2023 Chrysalis BREW Project Award – WINNER!
- 2023 BookFest Book Awards Gold Medal WINNER!
- 2023 Gertrude Warner Middle Grade Awards – FINALIST!
She’s about to invent a genius solution. But when her AI pal goes AWOL, can she find her friend while designing a life-saving device?
Twelve-year-old Putney Hicks is on high alert. News has spread about a rare, three-legged sea turtle who successfully dug and laid a nest of eggs, but there’s a problem: the bright lights of a nearby porch could lead the vulnerable babies away from the ocean and into danger.
With less than ten days before the eggs hatch, Putney is working around the clock on a brilliant prototype to save the tiny turtles from certain death.
Just as she’s getting close, disaster strikes — her beloved AI sidekick disappears without a trace.
With the clock ticking, can Putney track down her missing friend and finish her invention in time to save the sea turtle babies?
The Sea Turtle Spy Project is the fast-paced, action-packed fourth book in the Putney Hicks Inventor Adventures series — a thrilling, STEM-driven adventure that blends problem-solving with real-world science, all while delivering heart and suspense.
Don’t wait — buy The Sea Turtle Spy Project now and dive into Putney’s latest inventive mission to save the day!
Project S.A.M. (prequel)
2023 BookFest Book Awards Bronze Medal WINNER!
Be careful what you wish for…
Sam’s life is far from ordinary. Living in a high-tech world without arms or legs, she has one special room where she can project herself as a 3D hologram, just like the holodeck from Star Trek. In that room, Sam can be whoever she wants to be — free to explore the world in ways her body can’t allow.
But when her dad surprises her with a tablet that can transport her hologram anywhere, Sam gets the opportunity of a lifetime: her first picnic — a simple dream come true. But things take a sudden, dangerous turn, and Sam finds herself on an unexpected adventure with no way back.
For the first time, Sam’s future is unwritten. Will she be able to navigate the risks and surprises ahead — or will her holographic dreams become her worst nightmare?
Project S.A.M. is the thrilling short story prequel to the Putney Hicks Inventor Adventures series — the origin story that reveals how Sam became the magic eyePad and how her journey set the stage for Putney’s incredible adventures.
Want to know more about how Sam’s holographic world leads to the invention of Putney’s magic eyePad? Click to buy Project S.A.M. and discover the story that started it all!
Or, grab your FREE ebook of this short story, available exclusively to my VIP subscribers.
Putney hicks inventor adventures - Boxed Set (Books 1-4)
Want to grab the ebook version of all four of my full-length inventor adventures books? Check out my boxed set, available exclusively on Amazon!
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