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142 ratings | 60 reviews | avg rating:4.53

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2026 Reading Challenge

2026

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Tonya Duncan Ellis

Goodreads Author

Born

in Louisville, The United States

Website

http://www.tonyaduncanellis.com

Twitter

TonyaDEllis

Genre

Children's

Member Since

November 2016

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TONYA DUNCAN ELLIS is author of SCBWI Crystal Kite Honor picture book, They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston’s Emancipation Park (HarperCollins, 2024), Cupcake Chemistry (Charlesbridge, 2027), and novel-in-verse, Knowledge’s Crown (Peachtree, 2028). She self-published the 13-book Sophie Washington chapter series, which has sold over 175,000 copies. Tonya’s books have been featured on NPR, PBS Kids, Common Sense Media, Great Day Houston and The Houston Chronicle, among other outlets. A diversity advocate, Tonya is a member of the Brown Bookshelf’s Amplify Black Stories cohort. She mentors authors through PB Rising Stars and We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) organizations. A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers ...more

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Combine Editions
Tonya Duncan Ellis’s books

Average rating: 4.41 · 2,497 ratings · 496 reviews · 24 distinct works • Similar authors

	Sophie Washington: Queen of the Bee 4.36 avg rating — 1,051 ratings — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation Park by Tonya Duncan Ellis (Goodreads Author), Jenin Mohammed (Illustrator) 4.50 avg rating — 221 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: The Snitch 4.41 avg rating — 177 ratings — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: My BFF 4.56 avg rating — 146 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: Things You Didn't Know About Sophie 4.11 avg rating — 141 ratings — published 2013 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: Secret Santa 4.30 avg rating — 114 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: Code One 4.58 avg rating — 92 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: Mismatch 4.64 avg rating — 86 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: Mission: Costa Rica 4.52 avg rating — 88 ratings — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sophie Washington: Class Retreat 4.28 avg rating — 83 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Tonya Duncan Ellis's Blog

Things I Changed to Land a Book Deal

Landing a traditional publishing book deal is not for the faint of heart. Less than one to two percent of writers achieve this goal. Realizing my dream to move from self-publishing to traditional publishing felt impossible until I started taking the steps listed below:

I stopped –Worrying about judgment from others. I realized that the longer I kept my work to myself, the longer it would take for i

Series by Tonya Duncan Ellis

Sophie Washington (14 books)
by

Tonya Duncan Ellis (Goodreads Author)

4.40 avg rating — 2,268 ratings

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Tonya Ellis has read No Regrets: Hope for Your Caregiving Season by Rayna Neises (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 27, 2026 04:27PM · like
Tonya Ellis finished reading Reel (Hollywood Renaissance, #1) by Kennedy Ryan (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 26, 2026 05:12AM · like
Tonya Ellis rated a book it was amazing Pirate Baby: A Booty-ful Tale by Monica Acker (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A swashbuckling young pirate learns about the value of giving and kindness when a treasured plant that she steals needs her help to thrive. I enjoyed the whimsical illustrations and the incorporation of yoga poses as the characters become more empath ...more
Sep 23, 2026 05:14AM · like · see review
Tonya Ellis has read Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 09, 2026 11:33AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tonya Ellis has read The Manual for Good Wives by Lola Jaye (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 27, 2026 10:49AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Manual for Good Wives by Lola Jaye. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Manual for Good Wives by Lola Jaye <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tonya Ellis has read Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye (The Babysitters Club, #13) by Ann M. Martin	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 24, 2026 03:39PM · like
Tonya Ellis has read Will's Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 23, 2026 02:26PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Will's Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Will's Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tonya Ellis has read I Survived the Attacks of September 11th, 2001 by Lauren Tarshis	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 19, 2026 08:37AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I Survived the Attacks of September 11th, 2001 by Lauren Tarshis. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I Survived the Attacks of September 11th, 2001 by Lauren Tarshis <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tonya Ellis has read I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 by Lauren Tarshis	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 19, 2026 08:37AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 by Lauren Tarshis. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 by Lauren Tarshis <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tonya Ellis has read I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 19, 2026 08:36AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Tonya Duncan Ellis (?)

“get good grades”
― Tonya Duncan Ellis, Sophie Washington: Queen of the Bee

2 likes

“That’s easy for her to say. She’s old, so nobody cares about how she looks.”
― Tonya Duncan Ellis, Sophie Washington: The Snitch

1 likes

“Moooom! I was here first, and now she wants to change the channel,” he whines.”
― Tonya Duncan Ellis, Sophie Washington: Queen of the Bee

1 likes

See all Tonya Duncan Ellis's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Making Connections: 5079. - SOPHIE WASHINGTON: QUEEN OF THE BEE by Tonya Duncan Ellis	3	7	Dec 31, 2017 06:42AM
Making Connections: 5081. - SOPHIE WASHINGTON: THE GAMER by Tonya Duncan Ellis	3	6	Dec 31, 2017 06:43AM
Making Connections: 5078. - SOPHIE WASHINGTON: THE SNITCH by Tonya Duncan Ellis	11	18	Jan 20, 2018 07:24PM
Making Connections: 5080. - SOPHIE WASHINGTON: THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT SOPHIE by Tonya Duncan Ellis	6	11	Jan 28, 2018 01:11PM
Genre Specific Re...: Children's Review Group 6 (closed)	60	48	Jun 19, 2018 08:51AM
Genre Specific Re...: Children's Books Review Group 11/2018 (Closed)	120	48	Jan 20, 2019 02:33AM
Making Connections: 5520. Sophie Washington: Mismatch by Tonya Duncan Ellis	1	10	Jul 23, 2019 07:11PM
Making Connections: 6530. Sophie Washington: Treasure Beach by Tonya Duncan Ellis	3	37	Jan 18, 2023 07:13PM
Genre Specific Re...: Children's Book Review Group 7 (reviewing)	68	68	Jun 14, 2023 05:03AM
Cozy Mysteries : When You’re Not Reading a Cozy	2357	1358	Sep 14, 2026 03:54PM