USA

Dallas, TX— Dallas-based Brattle Publishing Group LLC (BPG) announced today that A Raccoon’s Tale: Seven Saves the Notch won first place in the Middle School Fiction category of the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards. The adventure story for 8-to-12-year-olds was written by Fran Hodgkins and illustrated by Donnachada Daly. The Purple Dragonfly Book Awards recognize excellence in children’s literature. 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 F. Radke, president of Story Monsters LLC, the sponsor of the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards. “Competition is steep, too, because there is no publication date limit as long as the book is still in print.” In April, A Raccoon’s Tale: Seven Saves the Notch won an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Award. “We are excited that A Raccoon’s Tale has been recognized by the Dragonfly Book Awards. This win, combined with the Benjamin Franklin Award earlier this year, proves what a great story Fran wrote and Donnachada illustrated. We hope that teachers and children across the country will enjoy the story,” said Barbra Lena of the Brattle Publishing Group. A Raccoon’s Tale: Seven Saves the Notch is Hodgkins’s first work of fiction and her 22nd book overall. Illustrator Daly has more than 30 years of experience illustrating and animating books and feature films. His credits include Shrek, Shrek 2, Madagascar, and Antz. The book can be purchased through Brattle Publishing, the Ingram’s catalog, Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com. For more information, please visit Brattle Publishing Group at brattlepublishing.com, and follow BPG on Facebook, and Instagram. About Story Monsters LLC To learn more about Story Monsters LLC, celebrating more than 30 years of business in Chandler, Arizona, visit www.StoryMonsters.com, email info@storymonsters.com, or call 480-940-8182. About Fran Hodgkins Fran was born in Massachusetts, the youngest of four children. As a child she 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). A Raccoon’s Tale: Seven Saves the Notch is Fran’s 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. BPG also creates educational programs designed to motivate preK–12 students through inspired learning and provides professional development for preK–12 educators.