Hedgehog Books Announces Hedgie Award Winners; Olivia by Ian Falconer and Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo named best read aloud books.News Desks/Publishing Writers SANTA CRUZ Santa Cruz, city, United States Santa Cruz (săn`tə kr  z), city (1990 pop. 49,040), seat of Santa Cruz co., W Calif., on the north shore of Monterey Bay; inc. 1866. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 5, 2001 Hedgehogbooks.com has announced the winners of the Hedgie Awards for 2000. The Hedgie Award is presented annually to the best read-aloud picture book and the best read aloud chapter book for children. This year's winners are: for best picture book, Olivia by Ian Falconer, the story of an irrepressible little pig who lives life to the fullest whether it involves building sandcastles or designing artwork on the walls at home, and, for best chapter book, Because of Winn-Dixie Because of Winn-Dixie is a best selling children's novel by Kate DiCamillo published in 2000 and winner of a Newbery Honor distinction the following year. It also won the 2000 Josette Frank Award. by Kate DiCamillo. Because of Winn-Dixie tells the story of a young girl named Opal who has just moved to Florida with her preacher Father. She adopts a dog that she finds in the Winn-Dixie grocery store. The dog, that she names Winn-Dixie, provides her a much-needed friend. Opal knows she can tell Winn-Dixie just about anything, including how much she misses her mother who left her when she was three. The awards were presented to the authors, to Candlewick can·dle·wick n. 1. The wick of a candle. 2. a. A soft heavy cotton thread similar to that used to make wicks for candles. b. Embroidery made of tufts of this thread. Press, publisher of Because of Winn-Dixie and to Simon and Schuster, a unit of Viacom via (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : VIA), publisher of Olivia. "I've read Olivia to children under the age of 5 and they want me to read it over and over again," says Kristen Barrett, one of the founders of Hedgehog Books, "I find that children can relate to the unbridled enthusiasm of Olivia and this is clearly the best, most endearing read aloud picture book from last year." "Each time I read Because of Winn-Dixie to a class, I'm overwhelmed by the degree of empathy the children feel with the motherless Opal," declares Vanya Jackowski, President and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Hedgehog Books. "There was no question in our minds that this was going to be a Hedgie winner. It was humorous, heartfelt, and totally unexpected. I just came out of nowhere and grabbed us. What's even better, is this is one of those books that makes you think and feel." Hedgehogbooks.com focuses on read aloud books - books that are read to children, either one on one - parent to child -- or for teachers to read to their classes; hence the Hedgie Award for the best read aloud books. See 'Why You Should Read to Your Children' (http://www.hedgehogbooks.com/whyread.html). About Hedgehogbooks.com Building on their years of experience teaching and reading to the children in their classrooms, the Hedgehog founders have created an online bookstore featuring online advice from teachers, reading lists, teacher and kid reviews, and forums to discuss issues in reading. Hedgehogbooks.com is located at www.hedgehogbooks.com. About Ian Falconer Ian Falconer began his career as an artist in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . He has since illustrated fourteen covers for The New Yorker magazine and designed sets for the New York City Ballet New York City Ballet, one of the foremost American dance companies of the 20th cent. It was founded by Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine as the Ballet Society in 1946. , the Los Angeles Opera The Los Angeles Opera is an opera company in Los Angeles, California, United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center. , the Boston Ballet, Chicago Lyric, and the San Francisco Operas, among others. Olivia is his first book. Originally from Rowayton, Connecticut, Mr. Falconer lives in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . About Candlewick Press/Kate DiCamillo Kate DiCamillo now lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, though she lived in the South for much of her childhood and received her bachelor's degree from the University of Florida University of Florida is the third-largest university in the United States, with 50,912 students (as of Fall 2006) and has the eighth-largest budget (nearly $1.9 billion per year). UF is home to 16 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes. in Gainesville. She is a recipient of the 1998 McKnight Artist Fellowship for Writers. Kate DiCamillo currently divides her time between writing for children and adults and working in a bookstore. |
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