From Emily Calandrelli—host of Xploration Outer Space , correspondent on Bill Nye Saves the World , and graduate of MIT—comes the second novel in a brand-new chapter book series about an eight-year-old girl with a knack for science, math, and solving mysteries with technology. Ada Lace is building a new robot! She’s determined to beat Milton in the upcoming robotics competition. But she’s distracted—Ada finds her dad’s art class impossible, while Nina is the star of the class, basking in the glory of being Mr. Lace’s star pupil. When Mr. Lace suggests that Nina put on an art show, Ada becomes jealous and loses her temper. Now Ada isn’t speaking to her dad, she’s falling behind in art class, and she still doesn’t know how to fix her robot. As the competition looms closer, Ada starts to wonder if there might be a way to use both science and art to solve her problems. Will Ada make up with her father in time to test her hypothesis? Or will her hurt feelings leave her seeing red and without a medal at the end of the day? "Gears, robots, color theory, and color blindness mesh nicely in this school-and-friendship tale." ― Kirkus Reviews "The pages are full of fun b&w illustrations with a “Behind the Science” section at the end of each book." ― School Library Connection Emily Calandrelli is an MIT engineer turned Emmy-nominated science TV host. She’s the host and coexecutive producer of Emily’s Wonder Lab on Netflix, featured as a correspondent on Netflix’s Bill Nye Saves the World , and an executive producer and host of Fox’s Xploration Outer Space . Emily is the author of the picture book Reach for the Stars , the science experiment book Stay Curious and Keep Exploring , and the science chapter book series the Ada Lace Adventures. The third book in the series was launched to the International Space Station through the Story Time from Space program. Learn more at TheSpaceGal.com. Tamson Weston is the author of Hey, Pancakes! , illustrated by Stephen Gammell, and has over fifteen years experience in children’s book publishing. She works as a freelance editor and has edited books by acclaimed authors such as Adam Rex, Mac Barnett, and Dan Santat, among others. She has an MFA in writing and literature and enjoys running, biking, swimming, and lifting heavy things. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at TamsonWeston.com. Renée Kurilla is a children’s book author and #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator. She loves drawing nature, animals, and working on projects that require a little bit of research! Some of her author-illustrator titles include the It’s Fall! , It’s Winter! , and The Flower Garden (a 2026 Illinois Monarch Award nominee). She has illustrated many books for other authors as well including Just Because by Matthew McConaughey, Today at School by Jessica Young, Farm Boots by Lisl H. Detlefsen, and the Ada Lace Adventure series by Emily Calandrelli. Renée has a BFA in illustration and a minor in graphic design from Lesley University College of Art & Design. Before transitioning to a full-time career in children’s books, she was a lead artist at FableVision Studios in Boston for ten years. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her illustrator husband, their nine-year-old daughter, a corgi puppy named Yoshi, and a million stuffed animals. Ada Lace Sees Red Chapter One THE NEW ART TEACHER Ada watched as her father returned Nina’s picture to her. The assignment was a self-portrait in a favorite color. Nina had picked pink. Pink seemed like such an obvious girl color, Ada thought that Nina’s choice might count against her. Ada’s parents were big fans of going against “gender norms.” If Elliott, her little brother, had done the same assignment in blue, Mr. Lace probably would have told him to “dig deeper.” To Ada’s surprise, Mr. Lace smiled and said, “Really nice work, Nina. I love all the different tones you found in that color. You’ve reinvented pink!” Nina beamed. “Thank you, Mr. Lace.” It seemed like he must be in a good mood. Still, Ada was nervous. Maybe it was that her father had never sounded that excited about anything she had made in the past. The most she got was a “Good job, sweetie” and a pat on the head. As he handed the other kids’ pictures back, Ada listened to his praise. She tried to take it as a positive sign. “Very nice contrast, Ethan. I can really see the details.” “I love what you’ve done with the ponytail, Pixie. Good texture.” “Look at those eyes, Casey. Brilliant!” So, it was a surprise when Mr. Lace slowed near Ada’s seat and placed her picture facedown in front of her. His mouth flattened into something that was almost a smile. “Ada,” he said. And nothing else. Ada turned over her picture. There was a note that read See me next to a check mark. Ada looked at her self-portrait. She had tried to draw a picture of herself—she really had. But it ended up looking like a sheepdog rather than a girl with floppy