CHANDLER, AZ (June, 2014)—The judges of the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards contest, which recognizes excellence in children’s literature, have spoken, and Duck Dreams: City Boy to Farmer Boy written by Elizabeth Segel and illustrated by Anni Matsick, won first place in the Middle Grade Fiction category and second place in the Cultural Diversity category.

“Winning any place in the Purple Dragonfly Contest is a huge honor because in order to maintain the integrity of the Dragonfly Book Awards, a minimum score is required before a First or Second place or Honorable Mention will be awarded to the entrant – even if it is the sole entry in a category,” explains Linda Radke, president of Five Star Publications, the sponsor of the Dragonfly Book Awards. “Competition is steep, too, because there is no publication date limit as long as the book is still in print.”

Duck Dreams: City Boy to Farmer Boy tells the story of Simon Hirsh, living in 1910 in a crowded Boston tenement, wants to be a farmer when he grows up. “Who ever heard of a Jewish farmer?” his uncle scoffs. But after Simon’s little brother almost gets stepped on by a huge carthorse in the street teeming with traffic, Simon’s parents decide to buy a house away from the city’s dangers. Simon works hard after school to make their new home a real farm, so that his father doesn’t have to work so hard in the clothing business, but he encounters many setbacks, among them a chicken-cheater, duck disasters, and a challenging friendship.

Author Elizabeth Segel taught children's literature at Pitt and co-authored with Margaret Mary Kimmel a book about reading to children: For Reading Out Loud: a Guide to Sharing Books with Children (Dell, 3 editions). She has published more than 30 articles and reviews on children's literature, and co-founded and directed Beginning with Books, a pioneering program that developed many ways to increase the number of children who became capable lifelong readers. After all this work with children's books, she decided it was time to try one of her own, which resulted in two prestigious awards. Duck Dreams: City Boy to Farmer Boy can be purchased at most major bookstores and online retailers.

For a complete list of winners including all first and second place and honorable mention recipients, visit www.FiveStarBookAwards.com and click on “Winners.”

The next Purple Dragonfly Book Awards contest is already underway. Submissions postmarked March 1, 2015 or earlier are eligible for the Early Bird reward: a free e-copy of The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing or Promote Like a Pro: Small Budget, Big Show written by Radke. Final deadline for submissions is May 1, 2015. The Early Bird deadline for the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards Contest, which recognizes outstanding literature in all categories, is August 1, 2014. October 1, 2014 is the final deadline. For complete rules and submission forms for either contest, visit www.FiveStarBookAwards.com and click on the contest of choice.

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