With 20 years as an educator and six (going on seven) published children’s books to her name, Debi Novotny has a knack for spreading joy in an educational way.

This year has been especially busy for Novotny, who released her book, “Hop, Vroom, Skitter,” in April and already has a scheduled release date for her new book, “The Case of The Missing Title,” on July 18.

Love and strength

Following Tortoise, Jack Rabbit, Honey Bird and Pack Rat through a journey of self-love and companionship, “Hop, Vroom, Skitter,” is about discovering one’s own strength and using it to help others. The story is especially meaningful to Novotny because it’s based on the life of Franklin, the 65-pound African-spurred tortoise.

“I had [Franklin] for 20 years,” she said. “I rented him when I was a teacher.”

At the end of the school year, Novotny went back to the pet store to return Franklin only to find that the pet store had shut down. With a box of food, an aquarium and a giant tortoise in her car, Novotny called the pet store and asked, “What am I supposed to do with him?”

“Keep him,” was the reply, and so she did for the next 20 years.

“This is kind of a tribute to him because I miss him terribly,” Novotny said, who gave Franklin to the Phoenix Herpetological Society to be properly cared for in a space much larger than her backyard.

As a teacher, Novotny would hear stories from her kindergarten students about their strengths. She recalled one little girl saying her greatest strength was that she was small.

“I said to her, ‘Well, how do you use your strength?’ She goes, ‘I climbed through the dog door to unlock the door when we got locked out of the house,’” Novotny laughed. “I’ve heard some really cute stories from kids.”

Despite being a children’s book, “Hop, Vroom, Skitter” has a STEM component to it, Novotny said.

“I talk about what the desert animals eat, I talk about the prickly pear, the hibiscus flowers and dandelion greens.”

Finding meaning

In her new book, “The Case of The Missing Title,” young readers are taken on a journey through the library to help a lost book find its dust jacket.

Following clues and exploring the library’s many sections including art, gardening and even the spy shelf, Novotny says this book is a great introduction to libraries, “because it really shows kids where books get put on the shelves.”

“The whole premise is that really, everybody belongs somewhere, it’s just finding the right shelf that you belong on,” she said.

Both published by Lawley Publishing in Gilbert, Ariz., Novotny collaborated with illustrators around the world for her books. Jess Rose of Australia worked with Novotny to illustrate “Hop, Vroom, Skitter,” and Summer Parico of the Philippines illustrated “The Case of The Missing Title.”

Parico is right-hand disabled and recently graduated high school, which drew Novotny to her for the book.

“I’m like, if I could tell kids that you can be anything, you can do anything and don’t let anything hold you back, Summer is the perfect example,” she said.

Lifelong friends

As a Kindergarten teacher for 10 years and a first-grade teacher for another 10 years, Novotny helped her students’ reading skills with the help of her first two books, “My Magic Hat Rules!” and “My Magic Hat Goes to School.” After retiring, Novotny fell in love with writing and self-published two more books, “What Do You Do When The Couch Eats Your Shoe (And other things, too!)” and “Where Do Hearts Grow.”

On her office whiteboard that lists all of her upcoming reading/book signing events, a growing number of graduation invitations pile up from her former students.

“I’m still friends with them,” Novotny said. “It was a wonderful career.”

In February, Novotny is set to release, “Beaker and Gonk,” a book about a four-year-old dinosaur helping his big sister, Beaker, make pancakes for their mother’s surprise birthday breakfast. When the kitchen turns into a mess and the special ingredients go missing, it’s up to Gonk to fix the culinary disaster.

On Saturday, July 1, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Novotny will read, “Hop, Vroom, Skitter,” provide a presentation on tortoises and lead in a STEM-based craft for kids as part of the summer reading program at the Natural History Museums in Mesa.

She will attend the Payson Book Festival on Saturday, July 15 and will be present at the Presby Pickins Flea Market on Dec. 2, at the Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church.

Local schools interested in scheduling an author visit with Novotny can send an email to debi@debinovotny.com or visit debinovotny.com. “Hop, Vroom, Skitter” and “The Case of The Missing Title” is available on Barnes & Noble, Amazon or anywhere books are sold online.