Working Titlez

Congratulations and good wishes to Geoff Schumacher, Lewis Kimberly and Jorge Betancourt Polanco — their books have been named FINALISTS in the Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year awards. The competition was established to bring increased attention to librarians and booksellers of the literary and graphic achievements of independent publishers and their authors. ForeWord is the only review trade journal devoted exclusively to books from independent houses.

Geoff is the author of Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia & Palace Intrigue while Lewis the author and Jorge the illustrator of Granny McFanny. Granny recently received two silver medals from the Mom’s Choice awards, one for humor and another for illustration.

The prestigious Foreword awards process brings readers, librarians, and booksellers together to select their top categories as well as choose the winning titles. Their decisions are based on editorial excellence, professional production, originality of the narrative, author credentials relative to the book, and the value the book adds to its genre.

Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners, as well as Editor’s Choice Prizes for Fiction and Nonfiction will be announced at a special program at BookExpo America at the Javits Center in New York City on May 29. The winners of the two Editor’s Choice Prizes will be awarded $1,500 each.

Keeping our fingers crossed!

The National Writing for Children’s Center is the home of the Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club (CWCC), and a growing resource for children’s writers, aspiring children’s writers, parents, elementary school teachers, and librarians. The Center also produces Listen to Book Bites for Kids live every weekday afternoon at 2:00 CST on blogtalkradio.com. Each episode features an interview with a children’s book author who has a new book coming out or a book currently in bookstores.

Host Suzanne Lieurance is a former classroom teacher, now a freelance writer, children’s author, speaker, and The Working Writer’s Coach. She is the author of over 20 published books for children.

Four Stephens Press children’s authors have been featured on Book Bites in recent months. You can listen to their interviews by clicking on the author’s name below.

Mike Miller

Mike is the author of our popular Tomas the Desert Tortoise series of six books about plucky Tomas and his Mojave Desert friends. His presentations include “Draw Tomas” lessons! The web site includes downloadable teacher guides and kid’s activities.

Polanco

Jorge Betancourt Polanco is the author/illustrator of Dreamygirl’s Field of Wishes which is printed in Spanish and English, side by side. The book was just named a finalist for the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards.

Lewis Kimberly

Miss Kimberly is the author of Granny McFanny, the zany grandmother who lives life with zest. Kim is also the founder of the Dare to Dream program, offering school fundraisers to promote children’s literacy.

Kevin Janison

Las Vegas Channel Three weatherman Kevin Janison is the author of Deputy Dorkface: How Stinkville Got Cleaned Up and the soon to be released Deputy Dorkface: How Sugaropolis Got Dessert Back. Kevin is the chair of Clark County Reads, an avid literacy advocate and presents popular school assemblies.

The Independent Publishers Association has just named a Stephens Press title as a finalist in the prestigious Moonbeam Awards for 2009. The Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards are designed to honor the best children’s books, authors and illustrators, and to support childhood literacy and life-long reading. Jorge Betancourt Polanco’s first book, Dreamygirl’s Field of Wishes/Esonacion y el Jardin de Suenos is one of five finalists for the Spanish Language category. The gold, silver, and bronze winners will be announced in January at the American Library Association’s annual conference in Denver, with a gala reception at the venerable Tattered Cover, one of America’s largest independent book retailers. Dreamygirl is a lyrical tale of hopes and dreams featuring Jorge’s unqiue and fanciful illustrations. Art director for Stephens Media’s El Tiempo newspaper, Jorge’s paintings are on exhibition in local Las Vegas art galleries. He also illustrated Granny McFanny, another popular children’s book from Stephens Press.