Dallas, TX— Dallas-based Brattle Publishing Group LLC (BPG) announced today that A Raccon’s Tale: Seven Saves the Notch was selected as a finalist for an Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) 2017 Benjamin Franklin Gold Award in the Young Reader: Fiction (8–12 years) category. The Gold Award winner will be chosen on Friday, April 7, 2017, at IBPA’s annual Publishing University in Portland, Oregon.
The award is one of the highest honors given by independent publishers nationwide. Finalists are chosen on the basis of excellence in book editorial and design. As a finalist, A Raccoon’s Tale: Seven Saves the Notch has already received an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Award.
“We are thrilled to once again be chosen as a finalist for this prestigious award,” said Richard A. Lena, President and Publisher of Brattle Publishing Group. “A Raccoon’s Tale: Seven Saves the Notch was our first collaboration with author Fran Hodgkins and well-known illustrator Donnachada Daly. We were excited with the results—it’s a great story with a powerful message and a creative shift in our illustration style.”
A Raccoon’s Tale is Hodgkin’s first work of fiction. “I’m so pleased and excited that the IBPA has recognized my book. It means a great deal to me as an author,” said Hodgkins. “In our world, small animals have no control over their environments. . .humans don’t think about how we so easily alter animal habitats. I wanted to write about a bright spirit who navigated her changing environment with resiliency. That spirit turned out to be Seven Rings Moon, our heroine. She never gives up.”
Enhancing Hodgkin’s narrative are the charming illustrations of Donnachada Daly, who has more than 30 years of experience illustrating and animating books and feature films. His credits include Shrek, Shrek 2, Madagascar, and Antz.
For more information, please visit Brattle Publishing Group at brattlepublishing.com, and follow BPG on Instagram and Facebook.
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 Fran Hodgkins
As a child, Fran loved animals and books—especially books! The neighborhood branch library was one of her favorite haunts, and she spent hours there, reading her way through the children’s collection.
After years of working for educational publishers, Fran authored more than 20 books for young readers. Her titles include The Secret Galaxy (Tilbury House, 2014), a Junior Library Guild recommended book, and Little Loon (Down East Books, 2015). With A Raccoon’s Tale: Seven Saves the Notch, Fran has written her first animal fantasy title in the spirit of Watership Down and the Warrior series.
Fran lives in Maine with her family.
About Brattle Publishing Group
Brattle Publishing Group LLC (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. The company also creates educational programs designed to motivate preK–12 students through inspired learning and provides professional development for preK–12 educators.
