Record High of 17 Perfect Scores Achieved by Dragonfly Book Contest Entries

CHANDLER, AZ (June, 2013) - A children's book contest in which judges seldom give more than a few perfect scores recently concluded with 17 entries receiving 80 out of 80 possible points, awarding them and two others first-place designations in the 2013 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards.

"This year's competition was the stiffest ever, with an unprecedented number of entries from all over the world including England, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Israel, France, Canada, Dubai, the United States and others," says Linda F. Radke, president of Five Star Publications, Inc., the sponsor of the Dragonfly Book Awards. "We pride ourselves on using a point system, which is the fairest way to judge. If five entries in one category share the same first-place score, for example, we award all five of them first-place certificates rather than draw straws and penalize the other four entries. Plus, a minimum score of 72 out of 80 is required to be considered for a first-place award, 64 out of 80 for a second place and 56 out of 80 for an honorable mention - even if there is only one book entered in a category - which means the scores are truly reflective of the quality of the books that win."

First-place perfect scores were given to: The Gift by Yolande Nicholson Spears in the Family Matters and Biography/Autobiography/Memoir categories, also the $300 grand-prize winner; The Puppy's Soul by Rochelle Monique Brandon, which tied with Who's in That Shell? by Anita Elco and Katherine Stelmach in the Animals/Pets category and won the $100 drawing of first-place winners; Quinn's Search for the Samurai, written by Eugene H. Rotberg and Iris C. Rotberg and illustrated by Bryn Barnard, in the Best Illustrations category; The Adventures of Detective Luke: The Disappearing Dog Bowl by Wilson Hickman for Chapter Books; Peaches! Peaches! by Jackie Ferrell for the eBook: Animals/Pets and eBook: Picture Books-5 & Younger categories; Eat It!: Food Adventures with Marco Polo by Gracie Cavnar for the Food-Related category; Coyote Winds by Helen Sedwick for Historical Fiction; Celia the Great - Tricks for Being a Happy Kid by Abby Jacobs, Mama's Purse by AJ Irving and Who Knows the Seasons? by Geoffrey Haas in a three-way tie for the Picture Books-5 & Younger category for printed books; Granny's Clan by Dr. Sally Hodson, Will You Fill My Bucket? by Carol McCloud and Karen Wells, and Dreamy Space Cadet by Summer Flier in a three-way tie for Picture Books-6 & Older; and Wee Three Kings by Brent L. Anderson for Spiritual/Religious.

The other two books that earned first-place awards but did not receive perfect scores were Island of the Invisible Being by Madelain Westermann for Cultural Diversity and Mama's Purse, which was illustrated by Rick Thomson, for Best Cover Design.

Also part of the Five Star Dragonfly Book Awards family of contests is the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards, which honors all genres of books in 52 categories including a new Youth Author category for published writers ages 17 and younger. The deadline to enter is October 1, 2013; however, Royal Dragonfly submissions postmarked Aug. 1, 2013 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.

The 2014 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards contest is already underway with a March 1, 2014 early bird deadline and May 1, 2014 final deadline. There is no publication date restriction as long as the titles entered are still in print.

For a complete list of winners including second placers and honorable mentions, rules and entry forms for either contest, visit www.FiveStarBookAwards.com. For more details on Five Star Publications, celebrating 27 years of publishing and marketing excellence, email info@FiveStarPublications.com or call 480-940-8182.

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