At dawn, the noble sunflower faces east. And, so it will be on October 19th, when San Francisco's esteemed non-profit Children's Book Press (www.childrensbookpress.org) will look eastward towards New York for the 54th Annual Jane Addams Awards where its A Place Where Sunflowers Grow will accept the "Best Book for Younger Children" award. Accepting the award will author Amy Lee-Tai and illustrator Felicia Hoshino, whose work reflects both hardship and hope in a Japanese American internment camp during World War II. The ceremony will take place at 2:30 p.m., Friday, October 19 at 777 United Nations Plaza on the corner of 44th St. and 1st Avenue.
"We are all thrilled by this award and acknowledgment of two very special people," said Lorraine García-Nakata, Children's Book Press Publisher & Executive Director, who will be at the New York awards ceremony. "Publishing unique books such as A Place Where Sunflowers Grow provides children and their families with literature that reflects culture as an asset. We're so proud of Amy and Felicia for planting their creativity in our garden."
Since 1953, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award annually acknowledges books published in the U.S. during the previous year. Books chosen effectively address themes or topics that promote peace, justice, world community, and/or equality of the sexes and all races. The books also must meet conventional standards of literary and artistic excellence.
A national committee chooses winners and honor books for older and younger children. Members of the 2007 Jane Addams Children's Book Awards Committee are Susan C. Griffith, Chair (Mt. Pleasant, Michigan), Barbara Bair (Washington, D. C.), Ann Bower (Harwich, Massachusetts), Eliza T. Dresang (Tallahassee, Florida), Oralia Garza de Cortes (Pasadena, CA), MJ Grande (Juneau, Alaska), Margaret Jensen (Madison, Wisconsin), Jo Montie (Minneapolis, MN), Sarah Park (Long Beach, California) Deborah Taylor (Baltimore, Maryland), and Pat Wiser (Sewanee, Tennessee). Regional reading and discussion groups participated with many of the committee members throughout the jury's evaluation and selection process. The Jane Addams Peace Association houses the UN office of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. For information about JAPA and the book awards, visit www.janeaddamspeace.org..For information about WILPF, visit www.wilpf.int.ch/.
"The books published by Children's Book Press address life issues such as grief and recovery, power of imagination, and community activism," García-Nakata continued. "Our books reinforce the validity of home language, memory, identity, and the fragility of civil liberties during wartime -- lessons especially poignant and practical at the present time."
In addition to A Place Where Sunflowers Grow, other titles offered by Children's Book Press this fall are My Colors, My World and On My Block. In October, award-winning illustrator Maya Christina Gonzalez will be reading from her new book, My Colors, My World at San Francisco's Kidquake, a children's component of the celebrated Litquake literary festival.
For over 32 years, Children's Book Press has been one of very few "first voice" independent non-profit publishers producing multiethnic, bilingual literary books for children. Children's Book Press selects authors and illustrators to write about and illustrate their own communities - something that makes them distinct as a first voice publisher. Major book chains and educational providers alike seek out Children's Book Press for contemporary stories, poetry collections, and historical fiction representing the experiences of Native American, Latino, African American, and Asian Pacific Islander communities. For more information go to www.childrensbookpress.org
Media Contact:
David Perry & Associates, Inc.
David Perry
(415) 693-0583
Media note: to hear an audio podcast interview with
Children's Book Press Publisher & Executive Director Lorraine García-Nakata, please go to:
http://www.davidperry.com/media/childrensbook_podcast_final.mp3