Press Release: March 23, 2013
Brattle’s The Silver Rings Named A 2015 IBPA Ben Franklin Award Finalist
DALLAS, Tx., March 23, 2015 – Dallas-based Brattle Publishing Group (BPG) announced today that The Silver Rings has been selected as one of three finalists for an Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) 2015 Benjamin Franklin Gold Award. The award is one of the highest national honors for independent publishers. Nearly 1,400 books were entered into this year’s program. Finalists were chosen for excellence in book editorial and design. The Gold Award winner will be chosen on Friday, April 10, 2015, at IBPA’s annual Publishing University in Austin, Texas.
As a finalist, The Silver Rings has already received an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Award for its Young Reader: Fiction category.
“It is a tremendous honor to be chosen as a finalist for an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Gold Award,” said Richard A. Lena, President and Founder of Brattle Publishing Group, “Our mission is to create products that motivate and encourage enthusiastic learning, and we are proud to be recognized by one of our nation’s most prestigious organizations for independent publishers.”
The Silver Rings was authored and illustrated by Samuel Valentino. The book also received the prestigious Moonbeam Children’s Book Gold Award in October 2014. Valentino and his 7-year old daughter are currently crowdfunding The Silver Rings and the newly published The Early Readers’ Fairy Tale Collection in an effort to support the Ronald McDonald House.
“As an author and illustrator, I am grateful for the IBPA’s recognition of The Silver Rings,” said Valentino. “To be among the finalists for this high honor is nothing short of inspiring.”
The Silver Rings is Valentino’s first authored book. He has illustrated The Last Akaway, another BPG title, which was awarded a 2013 Moonbeam Children’s Book Bronze Award.
Both Lena and Valentino will attend the awards ceremony at the IBPA’s Publishing University and will be available for interviews.
For more information, please visit Brattle Publishing Group at brattlepublishing.com, and follow BPG on Twitter Facebook, and Google Plus.
About the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)
Founded in 1983, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) is the largest not-for-profit trade organization for publishers in the United States. IBPA’s mission is to lead and serve the independent publishing community by providing advocacy, education, and tools for success.
About Sam Valentino
Samuel Valentino has a love for telling children’s tales. For almost 10 years, he has created his unique books as personalized gifts for each of his children. These books were his inspiration in writing The Silver Rings, a full-length children’s fairy tale—which he also illustrated.
Valentino is the author and illustrator of the upcoming Early Readers’ Fairy Tale Collection and the illustrator of the award-winning title, The Last Akaway, by Gary Karton. Valentino lives in the Greater Boston Area with his wife and their three children.
About Brattle Publishing Group
Brattle Publishing Group (BPG) is a provider of innovative educational and entertainment products and services. Led by experts with decades of experience in education and literacy, BPG creates products that encourage enthusiastic learning. BPG publishes children's books by award-winning authors and illustrators.
BPG also creates educational programs, designed to motivate preK–12 students through inspired learning, and provides professional development for preK–12 educators.
Date: Monday, March 23, 2015
Author: Patrick Kobler