The Leg Bone’s Connected to the Knee Bone

 

It’s no surprise that kids learn more when they are enjoying themselves, so it should also be no surprise that The Human Body, by Pascale Hedelin and illustrated by Robert Barborini, took home Moonbeam gold. A winner in the Pop-up/Cut-out category, The Human Body allows children a fun-filled opportunity to learn everything from allergies, to bones, to digestion.  Interactive pages capture interest while teaching kids the real names and functions of the human body. A great book for all ages of children,  The Human Body might even teach you something new!

Extraordinary Women, Extraordinary Cause

 

The Moonbeam Peacemaker Award was established to honor the best book for promoting world peace and human tolerance, in memory of Mattie J.T. Stepanek (1990-2004), whose poetry and messages of hope and peace have inspired millions of people around the world. This year’s gold winner, Extraordinary Women from the Muslim World, by Natalie Maydell and Sep Riahi, does just that. 

The book, filled with the illustrations of Heba Amin, introduces readers to 13 Muslim women in history who have lived extraordinary lives and influenced their communities in a positive way, often overcoming extreme hardship and inaccurate stereotypes that have been placed on the role of women in Islam. In addition to showing the impact these women have had throughout the years, Extraordinary Women from the Muslim World seeks to make a difference in the lives of Islamic women today, inspiring them to fervently pursue their goals. All proceeds from the special edition hardback series will be donated to Islamic Relief to benefit the women and children of Sudan.

Visit the Illustrator’s blog.

Visit the book’s website.

Fun in the Sun

 

What better way to spend a beautiful day in the sun than a trip to the beach with a family of delightful bunnies? Whether it’s flying a kite, building a sandcastle, or sitting around the campfire, Sunny Bunnies, by Margie Blumberg, is sure to keep young children entertained. The charming rhymes, combined with the bright illustrations of June Goulding, make for a lighthearted story children will love to hear over and over again.

 

 

Sunny Bunnies was the gold medal winner of the Picture Book – Preschool category. Click here to see what illustrator June Goulding had to say about winning a Moonbeam.

 

Singing to the Sun

  

Money, Power, or Love. If you had the choice, what would you choose?

 

This is the question Vivian French’s Prince Thorfin must ponder in her gold medal winning book, Singing to the Sun: A Fairy Tale. Born into an aristocratic family controlled by might and wealth, the prince begins a journey to choose his bride. Along with his two companions, the jester and the cat, he must choose between three princesses offering three very different rewards: money, power, or happiness.

 

Although it may seem predictable, the children’s book takes a surprising twist – but don’t let me ruin it for you! Accompanied by the magical artwork of Jackie Morris that brings the characters to life, the lessons within Singing to the Sun: A Fairy Tale are clearly portrayed and easily taken to heart.    

 

 

 

If You Can’t Take the Heat

 

…then get out of the kitchen. It’s something we’ve all heard it before. Thankfully, Pam Abrams offers another solution in her gold medal winning book, Gadgetology: Kitchen Fun with Your Kids. This delightful book is (pardon the pun) jam-packed with creative recipes, games, and crafts aimed at bringing you and your child together in the kitchen. Gadgetology not only introduces readers to a multitude of kitchen gadgets, but also suggests new and exciting ways in which they can be used. Whether it’s using a juicer to make some old fashion lemonade or a box grater to create “crayon stained glass,” Gadgetology is guaranteed to provide fun that is educational and imaginative.

 

Adventures with Jonny Angles Gold

 

In addition to the tale of young Jonny and his father’s outdoor antics, Adventures with Jonny: Let’s Go Fishing! by Michael DiLorenzo offers everything one needs to know for a fun-filled fishing escapade. Inventive illustrations catch the eyes of readers while they sift through an abundance of helpful information. Whether its casting a reel, tying a knot, or hooking a fish, Adventures with Jonny  can show you how to do it safely and with a smile on your face. So what are you waiting for? Find your reel, grab a friend, and Let’s Go Fishing!

 

 

 

 Adventures with Jonny: Let’s Go Fishing! was the gold medal winner in the Best First Book category.

 

Click Here to visit the author’s website.

 

“Friendship is a Single Soul Dwelling in Two Bodies.” ~Aristotle

Our Friendship Rules, written by Peggy Moss and Dee Dee Tardif, is a gold medal winner in the 2007 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards in the Picture Book for All Ages division. Peggy is a former hate- violence prosecutor and Dee Dee, her inspiration and subject of study, is a ninth grade student. This book is about a friendship broken by betrayal and the code of conduct that accompanies all substantial relationships.   

 Peggy Moss

 http://books.google.com/books

Evelyn Coleman, a Moonbeam Winner, Sends Her Thanks

Dear Mr. Jenkins and staff: 

Thank you for honoring me with the Moonbeam Children’s Book Silver Medal in the Multicultural Fiction Category for my book Shadows on Society Hill, an American Girl, Addy Mystery. I will cherish it always. 

I would like to thank your Book Awards Assistant, Amy Shamroe, and anyone else on your staff directly working with the Moonbeam Awards, because I suspect it was a daunting task to handle so many books. I do appreciate their work.

  I love the work you do to encourage writers as well as readers. I especially appreciated that you had such knowledgeable judges for your award. It makes the honor all the more special. I wrote to the Kohl Education Foundation to thank them as well.  

Please forgive the formality of a computerized letter, but my handwriting is difficult to read. And there is nothing more ironic than to be “thanked” and you have no idea what I’m writing. 

Again, thank you. The medal is lovely by the way. It has inspired me to continue writing for children for a few more years. This is such a rough business I am always threatening to quit and then an award comes along that says, not only do we recognize your work, we’re proud of it. I am sure your newly founded Moonbeam Awards lifted many spirits. 

With warmest friendship,  

Evelyn Coleman,  Author of Shadows on Society Hill  

 

 http://www.evelyncoleman.com/childhome1.htm

Moonbeam Peacemaker Award

Soul Sunday, a novel by Carrie Brown-Wolf, has won the gold medal in the Moonbeam Peacemaker Category. This book is a family guide for teaching children about faith and tolerance.

http://www.soulsunday.org/awards.html

Sheryl McFarlane, The Smell of Paint, Wins the Young Adult Fiction Portion of the Awards

This truly moving and inspirational story of a young girl struggling with the illness of her mother and the need for independence, won over the hearts of our judges to become a Moonbeam winner. 

http://sherylmcfarlane.ca/ya/paint.html