Literary Classics Award Winners

NEWS

For Immediate Release

October 15, 2014

Literary Classics

pr@clcawards.org

Literary Classics Announces Youth Media Top Book Winners

SOUTH DAKOTA - Literary Classics announced its 2014 selection of top books for children and young adults today.  Award recipients were selected from entries received from around the globe.  The Literary Classics selection committee is proud to recognize the following titles in children’s and young adult literature which exemplify the criteria set forth by the Literary Classics Awards committee.

A list of the 2014 recipients follows:

TOP HONORS BOOK AWARDS:

Enchanted Page Book Award for the most distinguished children’s storybook -  Scratch and Old Mouse, written by Kathryn England and illustrated by Kimberly Soderberg - Character Publishing

Eloquent Quill Book Award for one work of extraordinary youth fiction  -  Strange Metamorphosis, by P.C.R. Monk - Bloomtree Press

Lumen Award for Literary Excellence honoring the most notable work of  youth nonfiction  -  The Men Who Made the Yankees, by W. Nikola-Lisa - Gyroscope Books

Words on Wings Book Award for the most highly acclaimed young adult fiction work - Dew Angels, by Melanie Schwapp - Independent

BEST IN CATEGORY (GOLD)

Best Illustrator  - Morton Munson Built a Mansion, written and illustrated by Jeff Busch - Bongo Books

Best First Picture Book  -  Scratch and Old Mouse, Kathryn England - Character Publishing

Best First Chapter Book  -  Annie the Scientist, Daniel Johnson - Character Publishing

Best First Novel  -  ​Unveiling the Wizard’s Shroud, Eric Price - Muse It Up Publishing

Best Children’s Picture Book Series  -  Shelly’s Adventures (Shelly Goes to the Zoo, Shelly’s Outdoor Adventure), written by Kentrell Martin and illustrated by Marc Rodriguez - Shelly’s Adventures, L.L.C.

Best Chapter Book Series  -  1950s Adventure Series by C.A. Hartnell (Scary Spring, Sinister Summer, Ferocious Fall, Wild Winter) - Hawk Prints Publishing

PRESCHOOL/EARLY READER:

General Infant / Preschooler GOLD - Benjamin Jay was a Bully,  Emma Glover - Guardian Angel Publishing

General Infant / Preschooler SILVER - I Like Pink, by Vivian Zabel - 4RV Publishing

Picture Book / Preschooler GOLD - Even Poop Has a Purpose, Uncle Paul - PerBook Publishing L.L.C.

Picture Book / Preschooler SILVER - Without Me?,  Kayleen West - Wombat Books

General Early Reader GOLD - Deputy Dorkface, How Trutherton Got its Honesty Back, Kevin D Janison - Stephens Press

General Early Reader SILVER - A Creepy Nothingness Came Crawling, Gideon Maxim - Dot and Odd Press

Picture Book Early Reader GOLD - Odie the Stray Kitten, Kristen Mott - Author House

Picture Book Early Reader SILVER - CougaMongaMingaMan, Nancy Scalabroni - Mascot Books

PRE-TEEN / TWEEN

Fiction Chapter Book GOLD - Benton Believes, Kimberly Bugbee, M.S. - Character Publishing

Fiction Chapter Book SILVER - The Mysterious Mandolin, Aneta Cruz - Independent

Fantasy Pre-Teen GOLD - The Magician’s Doll, M.L. Roble - Independent

Fantasy Pre-Teen SILVER - Karmack, J.C. Whyte - Muse It Up Publishing

Mystery Pre-Teen GOLD - A Secret in Time, HY Hanna - Wisheart Press

Mystery Pre-Teen SILVER - The Charelton Locket, Ann Morgan Taylor - XLibris

Fiction Pre-Teen GOLD - Glimpse, Steven Whibley - Steven Whibley Books

Fiction Pre-Teen SILVER - Sons of the Sphinx, Cheryl Carpinello - Beyond Today Educator

Health /Self Esteem GOLD - Kaylee, the “What if?” Game, Christine Dzidrums - Creative Media

Health /Self Esteem SILVER - Not a Doctor Logan’s Divorce Book, Sydney Salter - Character Publishing

YOUNG ADULT

Fiction YA GOLD - ​Alchemy’s Daughter, Mary A. Osborne - Lake Street Press

Fiction YA SILVER - Sway, Jennifer Gibson - Black Opal Books

General Young Adult GOLD - Curse of the Crystal Kuatzin, Jan H. Landsberg - CreateSpace

General Young Adult SILVER - My Name is Rapunzel, ​K.C. Hilton - CreateSpace

Fantasy Fiction YA GOLD - Strange Metamorphosis, P.C.R. Monk  - CreateSpace

Fantasy Fiction YA SILVER - Firelight of Heaven, Lizbeth Klein - Wombat Books

Science Fiction YA GOLD - Protostar, Braxton A. Cosby - Winter Goose Publishing

Science Fiction YA SILVER - ​The Heir, Lynne Stringer - Wombat Books

Faith Based Young Adult GOLD - The King, Lorilyn Roberts - CreateSpace

Faith Based Young Adult SILVER - Motive Games, L.D. Taylor - Wombat Books

Historical Fiction GOLD - Alchemy’s Daughter, Mary A. Osborne - Lake Street Press

Historical Fiction SILVER - My Name is Luke, Jim Ruddle - Amika Press

NonFiction YA GOLD -  The Men Who Made the Yankees, W. Nikola-Lisa - Gyroscope Books

NonFiction YA SILVER - Once Upon a Road Trip, Angela N. Blount - Artifice Press

SPECIAL INTEREST (GOLD)

Rhyme Book -  ​If Chocolate Were Purple, Jen Barton - Flickerfawn

Self Esteem Preschool - Alex and the Rabbit, Monica Dumont - Independent

Gender Specific Picture Book - My Brother Is My Best Friend, Nicole Weaver - Guardian Angel Publishing

Interactive Book - Bubble Tubbie, Epiphany Schwarz - Black Catapult Publishing

Faith Based Early Reader - Sì Mama, Sì Papa, Nancy Scalabroni - Mascot Books

Holiday Book - The Santa Spy, Patrick Bates - Character Publishing

Educational Book - Cockroach Invasion, Dr. Sherry L. Meinberg - Archway Publishing

Environmental Issues - Cycle, Jay Amberg - Amika Press

Guide Book - What Do They Want from Me?, Kristina Kumar - Character Publishing

Gender Specific Young Adult - Hometown Heroines, Betty Boltè - ePublishing Works

Inspirational / Visionary - The Undecided, Robin Donaruma - ​Sunbury Press

Cultural Issues - Dew Angels, Melanie Schwapp - Independent

Literary Classics, an organization dedicated to furthering excellence in literature, takes great pride in its role to help promote classic literature which appeals to youth, while educating and encouraging positive values in the impressionable young minds of future generations.  Judging is based upon the criteria set forth by Literary Classics’ highly selective awards committee which honors books promoting character, vision, creativity and learning, through content which possesses key elements found in well-crafted literature.

The Literary Classics judging committee consists of experts with backgrounds in publishing, writing, editing, design, illustration, and book reviewing.   To learn more about Literary Classics, visit their website at www.literaryclassicsawards.com.

Prisoners Help John 3:16 Authors With Heart-Felt Book Reviews

Steve Fox, a chaplain at Wakulla Correctional near Tallahassee, Florida, is coordinating a pilot program, 

Our Vision: Changing Lives to Ensure a Safer Florida, that allows prisoners to review books written by Christian authors.  

John 3:16 books delivered to Steve Fox for Wakulla Correctional in September 2014

The program not only helps the prisoners feel like they are contributing to society by writing book reviews, but the authors benefit from their insightful comments. 

I asked best-selling Aussie author Martin Roth if I could share his blog post about our new prisoner review opportunity for John 3:16 authors. 

Here is Martin Roth's thoughts after having several prisoners review his Christian thriller books.

Captive Reviews Shine a New Light

My first three novels were commercially published, but they received few reviews and have sold poorly, despite one being an Australian Christian Book of the Year finalist. So I decided I would self-publish my subsequent novels and promote them myself. I now have a total of 10 novels on the market.

Like every self-published author I am quite obsessive about getting reviews, especially on Amazon, as I know that these can make a difference to sales. I even have a spreadsheet on my computer and once a month I neurotically enter the number of Amazon reviews for each of my titles and the average rating (which is a pretty depressing thing to do, as your early reviews, mainly from friends and relatives, are glowing, whereas subsequent reviews inevitably include one-star and two-star dogs that gradually bring your averages down).

But now I suddenly find myself with a new stream of reviews that are among the most important and touching I have ever received. They put everything I have been doing in a new perspective. Amazon is no longer as important.

I am part of a group of Christian writers, the John 3:16 Marketing Network, whose 300+ members work to help promote one another’s writings. Though based in America, we are pretty international, with a globally diverse membership, including some here in Australia.

Recently the coordinator Lorilyn Roberts announced a new initiative, together with a Florida prison chaplain, Steve Fox, to take members’ books into prison to be read by the inmates, who would then write reviews, as part of a writing and job skills program.

I have recently received the first reviews of two of my thrillers, and they have thrilled me.

Here is Keith, reviewing “The Maria Kannon”:

I enjoyed the book, it had a good story and action. Also it didn’t drag with many pointless details, it just kept flowing.

And Lian (who describes himself as a Brother in Christ):

The main theme was that Christians should always act out of love, never vengeance. And at times some Christians must step up and do what is necessary to stop evil people from continuing evil….All in all a good read for an evening or weekend. I enjoyed it.

Of course, not all the reviews are positive. Here’s Robert:

The author has tried to twin the Japanese way of life and the Korean way of life into one simple life form, and it cannot be done. It is two wholly different life forms involved entirely upon God who in my opinion was not spoken of in a good manner….I have been to Japan myself and I have seen very little in the book to remind me of the Japanese people. I did not enjoy this book…

But then, here’s William, reviewing “The Coptic Martyr of Cairo”:

The author seems to want to get across the importance of the persecution of the Christians around the world….This book was enjoyable. I had to rethink the way I see my faith according to a large view of what it is to be Christian.

Helping prisoners. Seeing people rethink their faith. Just what we as Christians should be doing. Thank you Keith and Lian and William and even Robert. Suddenly the mighty Amazon is no longer so important, as I view my writing endeavours in an altogether different light.