Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Children’s Books

  • The TOOTH COLLECTOR FAIRIES: Home From Decay Valley, Book 2 by Denise Ditto – Children’s Fairy Tales, Children’s Folktales/Folk lore

    The TOOTH COLLECTOR FAIRIES: Home From Decay Valley, Book 2 by Denise Ditto – Children’s Fairy Tales, Children’s Folktales/Folk lore

    A Blue and Gold Badge that reads: Little Peeps Children's Books 2018 Grand Prize The Tooth Collector Fairies Home from Decay Valley Denise DittoThe need for good dental care and its effect on the tooth fairies working behind the scenes is colorfully highlighted in this action-packed book for children of all ages.

    Author Denise Ditto has created a delightful fantasy realm where fairies — like the prankster Jolene, the dedicated Batina, and proud, fast-flying Lucas — learn to collect and process teeth left for them by children everywhere. Jolene has finally gotten her Tooth Collector credentials and can join friends in their assignments. The story follows Batina into the messy room of a boy named Scooter, whose tooth shows signs of deplorable brushing habits. When she brings the tooth back to Brushelot for inspection, she fears the worst.

    Sure enough, Batina is banished to Decay Valley until Scooter learns how to treat his teeth better, based on a letter she will leave for him encouraging better habits. Meanwhile, Jolene, who tried to help Batina by painting the ugly tooth white, is in big trouble with Crown Mistress Molar. Lucas, the fastest flyer, delivers Batina’s note to Scooter. But who will collect Scooter’s next tooth and rescue Batina from Decay Valley?

    Ditto’s enjoyable story is made all the more accessible with bright pictures provided by Gabhor Utomo. Both author and illustrator are experienced, award-winning practitioners in their fields. Each fairy has distinctive clothing and wing coloration, harmonizing neatly with the narrative depicting their vibrant, differing personalities. Children will take the messages conveyed seriously as they learn that good teeth produce rewards and happiness, not only for themselves but also for the tooth fairies that take their offerings. It’s a happy melding of pleasant fantasies with the essential lessons embedded in the plot.

    Ditto’s imaginative story will make an enjoyable read-to for a younger audience. At the same time, older readers will catch hints of romance and friendly fellowship along with reminders to take school seriously, help those in need, and, of course, take good care of their teeth.

    The Tooth Collector Fairies: Home From Decay Valley, Book 2 won GRAND PRIZE in the CIBAs 2018 LITTLE PEEPS Awards for Children’s Literature. Ditto’s first book in the series, Batina’s First Day, won Grand Prize in the 2016 Little Peeps Awards.

     

  • YOGA FOX by Sylva Fae – Children’s Animal Books, Children’s Fox Books, Children’s Lit.

    YOGA FOX by Sylva Fae – Children’s Animal Books, Children’s Fox Books, Children’s Lit.

    Self-respect and determination provide the themes for this cheerful children’s book by English author Sylva Fae.

    When he was little, Scaredy Fox was scared of everything: the dark, his shadow, thunder. But now he’s older and the only animal in the forest with a negative nickname. There’s Funny Bear, Bright Owl, Running Deer, and even Scaredy’s own brother, Lucky Fox. Lying at the edge of a park, Scaredy spies some girls doing something they call “yoga.”

    The young fox is inspired. He returns to the forest and begins to assume strange postures, naturally inciting curiosity among the animals. He invents what he calls the Swaying Willow posture, boldly imitates a charging position he calls Warrior Wolf, and many more. It isn’t long before his wish comes true: his animal companions rename him Yoga Fox.

    Fae has constructed this vibrant tale imaginatively. The yogic postures depicted, with simple cartoon illustrations, are so engaging that once they are part of the story, readers will want to see what strange shape comes next. This sense is enhanced with a final page in which all poses are repeated, inviting children to try them and invent their own names for each one. Fae’s creation makes a genuinely satisfying read for youngsters and for their parents or grandparents. The central idea – striving for self-improvement – can be discussed in the process, making this a multi-layered experience for all.

    Yoga Fox won First Place in the CIBA 2018 Little Peeps Awards for Early Readers Books.

  • HENRY CASTLEWAITE and the PORTRAIT of DOOM by Richard Groseclose – Children’s Fantasy Books, Paranormal & Urban Fantasy for Children, Children’s Fantasy & Magic Books

    HENRY CASTLEWAITE and the PORTRAIT of DOOM by Richard Groseclose – Children’s Fantasy Books, Paranormal & Urban Fantasy for Children, Children’s Fantasy & Magic Books

    When 11-year-old orphan Henry Castlewaite is delivered to his new foster family in tiny, rural Terwilliger Tennessee, the only sure thing is he is back in the town where he grew up, but that’s about it. After a terrible accident, Henry is suffering from amnesia and doesn’t remember that he’s a wizard, no matter how many times his chaperone from the Castle Family Trust tells him that this is so.

    But Henry is a wizard who doesn’t remember anything about his powers or his past, only that he will see his best friend Gwendolyn on the school bus in the morning. It is also clear that while Henry may not remember much about Terwilliger, the residents of the little town remember a lot about him. Especially his new family, where the other boys tease him unmercifully and the local gossip girls haven’t decided whether they have crushes on him or want to vilify him at every turn.

    He even has mortal enemies he does not recall. But he also has another friend, Ben, who seems to come from an even stranger background than Henry. And who appears to have amnesia as well.

    On the run from those bullies, Henry and Ben discover the old mining tunnels under the school along with the evil wizard who seems to have convinced most of the teachers that Henry needs to be captured and brought to him – clearly not for Henry’s own good.

    Once Henry, Ben, and Gwendolyn realize that they have all lost parts of their memories, they stop trusting the adults around them and are determined to find out the truth for themselves. They are all in danger.

    The development of this world where our hero can see the magic hidden in plain sight certainly weaves its own spell. In short, Groseclose presents a fun, adventure-filled new series that promises to fill the gap in children’s fantasy literature left by Rowling’s last book in the Harry Potter series. That’s a big gap, but readers who zipped through the Potter world and those who’ve not had the opportunity to dive in will surely feel at home here. After all, it’s not every day readers experience the pandemonium that ensues when a two-headed dragon is brought to life in the middle of an art museum!

    As Henry and his friends delve ever deeper into the strangeness of the world that the adults are attempting to hide from them, they uncover deep secrets, hidden depths, and evil witches and wizards who look to Henry to resurrect a long-dead mystery. And they’re not planning to let anyone stand in their way.

    In this world of candle spirits, hidden portals, memory enhanced letters, and time-traveling magical creatures, Henry and his friends take on a quest that will save the world – or end it. Each twist and turn in the story opens up a new world of adventure, even as it shakes our heroes’ world to its foundations.

    Readers seeking stories that weave magic, adventure, friendship, and danger surrounding a Boy-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, complete with evil wizards and desperate quests, need to look no further than Henry Castlewaite for their next reading adventure.

     

  • POSTHUMOUS by Paul Aertker – Children’s Death & Dying Books, Children’s Books about Death, Grief & Bereavement, Children’s Books about Libraries & Reading

    POSTHUMOUS by Paul Aertker – Children’s Death & Dying Books, Children’s Books about Death, Grief & Bereavement, Children’s Books about Libraries & Reading

    Can a book about a loved one’s death be life-affirming and uplifting? If it comes from the award-winning, middle-grade author, Paul Aertker, the answer is a resounding yes.

    Sometimes, occasionally, life is perfect. So it is for 12-year-old Ellie Kerr who lives with her mother and father in a Paris apartment with a view of La tour Eiffel and attends an international school. Her wealthy, well-connected father manages the vast financial interests of a former King of France. Her talented, glowing mother, a writer, has an ambition to see her little novels called “Explore the World” published. The household is completed with Munda, their Au pair/nurse from the French West Indies whose charm and worldliness adds additional warmth to the already close family.

    A perfect life indeed, until the mother is diagnosed with incurable ovarian cancer.

    From the beginning, we know about Ellie’s mother’s condition, but this is not what the book is about. Instead, it’s the story of how Ellie deals with her mother’s illness and her commitment to seeing her mother’s books published posthumously, a promise that is central to the strength and wisdom of Paul Aertker’s latest middle-grade novel.

    After the death of her mother, the family moves from Paris to the other side of the Atlantic. Ellie’s mission to get her mother’s books published become central to her ability to heal from the devastating loss. Few words are wasted on the process of healing itself. Aertker focuses his attention on Ellie’s quest to recover her mother’s books from a password-protected computer.  Thankfully, she doesn’t have to do this alone. The friendship from Ellie’s classmates in her new school helps her find the courage to get the book published. This is ultimately a celebration of one mother’s life and the fire she lit in the mind and heart of her remarkable young daughter.

    Reading about the death of a loved one, much less writing about it, can be painful. Posthumous succeeds admirably in its depiction of that process by telling it straight-forward with little gush or unwarranted drama. Aertker tells Ellie’s story with exactitude and dignity, honoring his audience with the handling of a very difficult subject. The details of how, and how well, the family copes with the loss of life are keenly drawn in a manner that celebrates the life of the mother while pointing out the path through life that her daughter will follow.

  • VAMPIRE BOY by Aric Cushing – Middle-Grade Books, Halloween Children’s Books, Y/A Fairy Tales & Fables

    VAMPIRE BOY by Aric Cushing – Middle-Grade Books, Halloween Children’s Books, Y/A Fairy Tales & Fables

    Full of fun and quirky characters, author Aric Cushing invites readers to join him in a world where Halloween never ends. The tale begins with the prophesied birth of the white-haired Alex Vambarey, who draws the attention of a darkling vampire named The Deleter.

    After being saved by all the citizens of Hillock Green, the plot then shoots forward to the eve of Alex’s departure to school. He is an adventurous boy who takes this new chapter in his life in stride, and after saying goodbye to his parents, Alex begins the rather long journey to school. There he meets a whole cast of absurd characters and makes fast friends who help him solve the school riddle.

    Creative influences such as any of the Tim Burton films show up strongly in the book’s visual imagery, most notably when Alex travels through a tree and descends a terrifying staircase. Even though the inspiration of Tim Burton is strong, Cushing still creates a unique land of Halloween.

    Cushing’s Vampire Boy is also fairly unapologetic about how heavily it is inspired by Harry Potter. Whether that is done on purpose to draw in children who enjoyed that series, or as a way to poke fun at itself is hard to tell. It is good to note that the areas of the story where it diverts from the tropes of Harry Potter are some of its strongest moments.

    The narrator of Vampire Boy is somewhat unreliable because they repeatedly interject into the story to hint at a future event, which most of the time does not play out by the end of the book. When thinking about the art of storytelling, this narrative strategy does not necessarily make sense, but it keeps readers on their toes.

    It has to be noted that this story ends on a cliffhanger. A lot of the book is spent on Alex getting to school and ends right around the cusp of the story’s climactic moment, and some may find that to be an unsatisfactory ending. Overall there is a lot of humor throughout and this humor is the best quality of Vampire Boy, especially the comedic moments of Alex and his classmates learning about the human world.

    Kids who love Halloween, and have active imaginations, will have fun reading Vampire Boy and will laugh as Alex and his friends misunderstand the human world during their quest to crack their school’s riddle.

    Vampire Boy won First Place in the 2018 CIBAs, GERTRUDE WARNER Awards for Middle-Grade Fiction.

     

     

  • The ADVENTURES of RUG BUG – Volume I: The Revolution by Kay M. Bates – Children’s Bug & Spider Books, Children’s Mouse & Rodent Books, Children’s Action/Adventure Books

    The ADVENTURES of RUG BUG – Volume I: The Revolution by Kay M. Bates – Children’s Bug & Spider Books, Children’s Mouse & Rodent Books, Children’s Action/Adventure Books

    In this imaginative middle-grade reader from Kay Bates, a friendly nomadic beetle gets caught up in a conflict between a city of hospitable mice and the tyranny of rat overlords. Here the amiable insect puts his knowledge and training to good use by joining forces with his murine allies in an all-out effort to bring peace to their domain.

    Rug Bug is a blue-bellied, green-shelled hexapod who is injured while trying to get away from the swatting wrath of humans and a feline he’s encountered while flying about The House. To escape, Rug Bug (or, Rug to his friends) slips into a baseboard hole and soon finds himself in the bustling world of Mousetopia. In this miniature anthropomorphized setting, Rug finds help and treatment at the City Health Center, then locates a safe haven at the “Cheeze Wheel,” a local eatery/catering establishment. Here he befriends a motley crew of employees and quickly learns of the long-standing feud between the greater rodent populace led by Fat Rat Bart and his army and how they terrorize Mousetopia and its inhabitants.

    With no military forces or means of retaliation, Mousetopians are forced to live under the thumb (or rather a paw) of rat rule. While a monthly acorn & cheese tax holds the city in fear, additional threats from Bart lead the Cheeze Wheel owners and staff to contemplate the liberation of Mousetopia. Using Rug’s past technical training as a member of the fighting Beetle Brigade, plans for a revolution begin. Unfortunately, vermin spies are at large, and Mousetopia experiences a significant defeat. Notorious Bart is not above mouse-napping, which suddenly brings the younger generation into the conflict. Meanwhile, Rug and the adults look for additional reinforcement from outside sources to deal with their plight.

    While Bates offers up this engaging rodent utopia by showcasing thematic contrasts of good vs. evil, at its heart, this proves a relatable story with a beautiful medley of furry, long-tailed characters exuding human qualities. Readers experience the likes of a tap-dancing young mouse who marches to his own drum; school bullies who strike within the halls of mouse academia; a pacifist rat soldier who longs for a gentler career; and a down-trodden mouse community choosing to rise above its oppressor.

    Using witty footnotes sprinkled throughout the narrative, Bates’ humorous notations readily provide definitions for vocabulary words that may be new to some readers. From a quick-thinking Rug pulling on a cat’s whiskers to release a mouse from its grip to arthropods in training donning fighting-stick helmets that resemble toilet plungers, Bates detailed writing also conjures comical images Middle-Graders will giggle about.

    Within this likable story highlighting unexpected friendships, Bates provides a heroic little character who not only finds solace in an unfamiliar kingdom but who also works diligently to bring about peace and harmony in a conflicted world. The lesson behind this rodent revolution reveals charming, authentic, and creative entertainment. An adventure destined to win young readers and those who love them!

    The Adventures of Rug Bug: The Revolution won 1st Place in the 2018 CIBAs, in the Gertrude Warner division for Middle-Grade Fiction.

  • The Semi-Finalists Announcement for the Little Peeps Book Awards for Early Readers and Picture Books – a division of the 2019 CIBAs

    Early Readers and Picture booksThe Little Peeps Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Early Readers and Children’s Picture Books. The Little Peeps Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience for Early Readers. Storybooks, Beginning Chapter Books, Picture Books, Activity Books & Educational Books that appeal to children to compete in the Little Peeps Awards that discover today’s best children’s books.

    These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to the 2019 LONG LIST to the Little Peeps Shortlist and have now advanced to the Little Peeps Semi-Finalists positions.

    Congratulations to all of these 2019 Little Peeps Book Awards for Early Readers and Picture Books Semi-Finalists

    • Sylva Fae and Katie Weaver – Elfabet
    • Lauren Mosback – In Grandpaw’s Pawprints
    • Lauren Mosback – My Sister’s Super Skills
    • Dawn Marie Thompson – Double Trouble
    • Trevor Young & Eleanor Long – Galdo’s Gift: The Boovie
    • Norma Lewis – Let All Things Now Living
    • Norma Lewis – Totem Pole
    • Kizzie Jones – A Tall Tale About Dachshunds in Costumes: How MORE Dogs Came to Be
    • Robert Wright Jr – Mummy in the Museum
    • Marianne Andresen Magin – The Legend of Santa’s Sleighbells
    • Angie McPherson – My Mom Is Sick and It’s Okay
    • Justine Avery – What Wonders Do You See… When You Dream?
    • Lucy Patterson Murray – Dream Island
    • Shana Hollowell – When the Squirrel Sings 
    • Oleg Kush – 1 & 0, Lion & Mouse, Aries the Sheep and Other Fairy-Tales
    • Kasey J. Claytor – Pinky and The Magical Secret He Kept Inside
    • Juliette Douglas – We Are Awesome Possums
    • Johnny Ray Moore – Anthill for Sale
    • Melodie Tegay – Hannah’s Two Homes: life in a “blended” family; a 5-year-old’s perspective

    These titles are now in the running for the First Place positions of the 2019 Little Peeps Book Awards for Early Readers and Picture Books.

    Semi-Finalists will be recognized at the 2020 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2019 CIBA banquet and ceremony. The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 16 CIBA divisions Semi-Finalists. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.

     

    The 16 divisions of the 2019 CIBAs’ Grand Prize Winners and the Five First Place Category Position award winners along with recognizing the Semi-Finalists will be announced at the April 18th, 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Annual Awards Gala, which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.

    We are now accepting entries into the 2020 Little Peeps Book Awards.

    As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.

  • The Semi-Finalists Announcement for the GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards for Middle-Grade Readers – a division of the 2019 CIBAs

    Gertrude Warner Children's Chapter Books

    The GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of middle-grade readers, fiction and non-fiction, that compel children to read and explore. The Gertrude Warner Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs).

    Named in honor of the author of the quintessential children’s series – The Boxcar Children by  Gertrude Warner.

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience between the ages of about eight to twelve. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Historical, Adventure we will put them to the test and choose the best Middle-Grade Books among them.

    These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to the 2019 Gertrude Warner Book Awards LONG LIST to the Shortlist and now have progressed to the 2019 Semi-Finalists positions.

     Presenting the 2019 Gertrude Warner Book Awards for Middle-Grade Fiction Semi-Finalists:

    • Carolyn Watkins – The Knock…a collection of childhood memories
    • Joyce Major – The Orangutan Rescue Gang
    • Nancy McDonald – Boy from Berlin
    • B.L. Smith – Bert Mintenko and the Serious Business
    • Mobi Warren – The Bee Maker
    • Amber L. Wyss – Phoenix Rising
    • Wendy Leighton-Porter – The Shadow of the Tudor Rose
    • Sue Bough – Norman Snodgrass Saves the Green Planet 
    • Kit Bakke – Dancing on the Edge
    • M.J. Evans – PINTO!
    • M.J. Evans – The Stone of Wisdom – Book 4 of the Centaur Chronicles
    • Jeff Orlowski – Avery Green And The Nightmare Busters
    • Beth Stickley – Tarnation’s Gate
    • Catherine Mallette – Don’t Ask Me
    • Wendy Leighton-Porter – The Shadow of the Volcano
    • C.R. Stewart – Britfield and the Lost Crown
    • Kay M. Bates’ – ‘B’ is for Baylee
    • Susan Brown – Sammy and the Devil Dog
    • Laura M. Kemp – Skye’s Journey
    • Wendy Leighton-Porter – The Shadow of the Pyramid
    • Rey Clark – Legends of the Vale
    • Maria Ashworth – SUSHI KITTY
    • Gregory Saur – Diving Catch
    • Liana Gardner – 7th Grade Revolution
    • Trayner Bane – Windhollow and the Axe Breaker (Windhollows, Book 3)
    • Leanne M. Pankuch – Dragon’s Truth
    • Alex Paul – The Valley of Death, Book 5, Arken Freeth and the Adventure of the Neanderthals

    These titles are in the running for the First Place positions of the 2019 Gertrude Warner Book Awards for Middle-Grade Readers.

    Semi-Finalists will be recognized at the 2020 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2019 CIBA banquet and ceremony. The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 16 CIBA divisions Semi-Finalists. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.

    Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

    The 16 divisions of the 2019 CIBAs’ Grand Prize Winners and the Five First Place Category Position award winners along with recognizing the Semi-Finalists will be announced at the April 18th, 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Annual Awards Gala, which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2020 Gertrude Warner Awards Book Awards. The deadline for submissions is May 30th, 2020. The winners will be announced in April 2021.

    Please click here for more information.

    Don’t Delay! Enter Today!

    As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.

  • The Little Peeps Book Awards for Early Readers and Picture Books – the SHORTLIST for the 2019 CIBAs

    The Little Peeps Book Awards for Early Readers and Picture Books – the SHORTLIST for the 2019 CIBAs

    Early Readers and Picture booksThe Little Peeps Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Early Readers and Children’s Picture Books. The Little Peeps Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience for Early Readers. Storybooks, Beginning Chapter Books, Picture Books, Activity Books & Educational Books that appeal to children to compete in the Little Peeps Awards that discover today’s best children’s books.

     

    These works have advanced to the 2019 Little Peeps Book Awards Shortlist!

    • Sylva Fae and Katie Weaver – Elfabet
    • Lauren Mosback – In Grandpaw’s Pawprints
    • Lauren Mosback – My Sister’s Super Skills
    • Cheree Finley – W-B-C Team
    • Dawn Marie Thompson – Double Trouble
    • Dawn Marie Thompson – Barnyard Bully
    • M. Lisa Rinaca – Nate and The Nanticoke Clipper
    • Trevor Young & Eleanor Long – Galdo’s Gift: The Boovie
    • Norma Lewis – Let All Things Now Living
    • Norma Lewis – Totem Pole
    • Norma Lewis – The Canter Beary Tales
    • Kizzie Jones – A Tall Tale About Dachshunds in Costumes: How MORE Dogs Came to Be
    • Robert Wright Jr – Mummy in the Museum
    • Marianne Andresen Magin – The Legend of Santa’s Sleighbells
    • George Yuhasz – Imagine That: The Magic of the Mysterious Lights
    • Angie McPherson – My Mom Is Sick and It’s Okay
    • Stephanie Dreyer – Not A Purse
    • Justine Avery – What Wonders Do You See… When You Dream?
    • Lucy Patterson Murray – Dream Island
    • Ellie Smith – Tex the Explorer: Journey Around the Earth
    • Shana Hollowell – When the Squirrel Sings
    • Mary Troxclair Adamson – Yo, Ho! Armadilleaux!
    • Gregory Pohl – The Impossible
    • Linda Bledsoe – Pigs Can’t Skate
    • Oleg Kush – 1 & 0, Lion & Mouse, Aries the Sheep and Other Fairy-Tales
    • Kasey J. Claytor – Pinky, And The Magical Secret He Kept Inside
    • Edyta McQueen – Girly Girl Adventure: Rescue on the Ski Hill
    • Ann Riley Cooper – Catch and Release
    • Juliette Douglas – We are Awesome Possums
    • M.J. Evans – Percy-The Racehorse Who Didn’t Like to Run
    • J. Steven Young – Gus and the Winter Sprite
    • Johnny Ray Moore – Anthill for Sale
    • Melodie Tegay – Hannah’s Two Homes: life in a “blended” family; a 5-year-old’s perspective
    • Keri T Collins – You Can Call Me Katelyn

    These entries have now advanced to the  2019 Little Peeps Shortlist from the Long List. 

    The ShortListers’ works will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions for the 2019 Little Peeps Book Awards. 

     Semi-Finalists in attendance will be announced and recognized at the CAC20 banquet and ceremony.

    The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 16 CIBA divisions Semi-Finalists.

    We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. The CIBA Banquet and Ceremony is sponsored by the Chanticleer Authors Conference.

    Which of these works will advance to the Semi-Finalists’ positions? The excitement continues to build for the 2019 CIBAs! 

     

    The 16 divisions of the 2019 CIBAs’ Grand Prize Winners and the Five First Place Category Position award winners along with recognizing the Semi-Finalists will be announced at the April 18th, 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Annual Awards Gala, which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash. 

    We are now accepting entries into the 2020 Little Peeps Book Awards. 

    As always,  please contact us at Chanticleer@ChantiReviews.com with any questions, concerns, or suggestions!

     

  • The 2019 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards for Middle-Grade Readers – The Short List

    The 2019 GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards for Middle-Grade Readers – The Short List

    Gertrude Warner Children's Chapter Books

    The GERTRUDE WARNER Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of middle-grade readers, fiction and non-fiction, that compel children to read and explore. The Gertrude Warner Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs).

    Named in honor of the author of the quintessential children’s series – The Boxcar Children, Gertrude Warner.

     

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience between the ages of about eight to twelve. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Historical, Adventure we will put them to the test and choose the best Middle-Grade Books among them.

    These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to the 2019 Gertrude Warner Book Awards LONG LIST and now have progressed to the 2019 SHORTLIST. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions. The Semi-Finalists will be announced and recognized at the CAC20 banquet and ceremony. The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 16 CIBA divisions Semi-Finalists. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. 

    These titles have been Shortlisted for the 2019 Gertrude Warner Book Awards for Middle-Grade Fiction

    • Carolyn Watkins – The Knock…a collection of childhood memories
    • Joyce Major – The Orangutan Rescue Gang
    • Nancy McDonald – Boy from Berlin
    • Veronica Myers – Flight of Maldar 
    • B.L. Smith – Bert Mintenko and the Serious Business
    • B.L. Smith – Bert Mintenko and the Minor Misdemeanors
    • Mobi Warren – The Bee Maker
    • Amber L. Wyss – Phoenix Rising
    • Wendy Leighton-Porter – The Shadow of the Tudor Rose
    • Sue Bough – Norman Snodgrass Saves the Green Planet
    • Kit Bakke – Dancing on the Edge
    • M.J. Evans – PINTO!
    • M.J. Evans – The Stone of Wisdom – Book 4 of the Centaur Chronicles
    • Beth Stickley – Tarnation’s Gate
    • Lis Anna-Langston – Maya Loop
    • Lexi Rees – Eternal Seas
    • Catherine Mallette – Don’t Ask Me
    • Wendy Leighton-Porter – The Shadow of the Volcano
    • Diane Rios – Return of the Evening Star
    • C.R. Stewart – Britfield and the Lost Crown
    • Kay M. Bates’ – ‘B’ is for Baylee
    • Alexander Usher – Katie Hope: Blood Bonds
    • Susan Brown – Sammy and the Devil Dog
    • Wendy Leighton-Porter – The Shadow of the Pyramid
    • Rey Clark – Legends of the Vale
    • L.S. Barron – Harper T and the Timewave
    • Maria Ashworth – SUSHI KITTY
    • Gregory Saur – Diving Catch
    • Liana Gardner – 7th Grade Revolution
    • Liana Gardner – The Journal of Angela Ashby
    • L.M. Kemp – Skye’s Journey
    • Trayner Bane – Windhollow and the Axe Breaker (Windhollows, Book 3)
    • Leanne M. Pankuch – Dragon’s Truth
    • Alex Paul – The Valley of Death, Book 5, Arken Freeth and the Adventure of the Neanderthals

    Which of these works will move forward in the judging rounds for the 2019 Gertrude Warner Book Awards for Middle-Grade Readers?

    These titles are in the running for the Semi-Finalists positions of the 2019 Gertrude Warner Book Awards for Middle-Grade Readers.

    Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

    The 16 divisions of the 2019 CIBAs’ Grand Prize Winners and the Five First Place Category Position award winners along with recognizing the Semi-Finalists will be announced at the April 18th, 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Annual Awards Gala, which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash. 

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2020 Gertrude Warner Awards Book Awards. The deadline for submissions is May 30th, 2020. The winners will be announced in April 2021.

    Please click here for more information.

    Don’t Delay! Enter Today! 

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