Tag: Grand Prize Winner

  • The 2025 I&I Hall of Fame for Instruction & Insight

    Seeking to spread wisdom and knowledge?

    The Instruction & Insight Awards are here to help!

    The Insight & Instruction Awards celebrate exceptional books that provide valuable knowledge, guidance, and enlightenment across a wide range of subjects. From alternative remedies to self-help, these awards acknowledge authors who have made significant contributions to the fields of education, self-improvement, and understanding the world around us. This diverse collection of books foster learning, personal development, and a deeper understanding of the world around us. Enrich lives and contribute to the non-fiction landscape by submitting today!

    ***Submit your Book Today***

    You have until September 30th to Share your Book and Submit to the 2025 CIBAs!

    I&I or Instruction & Insight Awards CIBA Badge

    Looking for something to learn? The I&I Awards have what your looking for! We’ve got categories for Travel, Crafts, Cooking, Motivation, Self-Help and More!

    We’re always looking for reasons to celebrate our past winners. You can see the Grand Prize and First Place Winners from 2024 here, but let’s hope into our time machine and recognize our past I&I Grand Prize Winners!

    Honoring the Grand Prize Winners of the Instruction & Insight Awards!

    Success with Hydrangeas cover by Lorraine Ballato

    Success with Hydrangeas- A Gardener’s Guide
    By Lorraine Ballato

    Our review for the newest Grand Prize Winner is forthcoming. Here’s an excerpt from Amazon:

    Finally, a Book with All the Secrets to Growing Great Hydrangeas!

    This book reveals all the ins and outs to growing hydrangeas. If you’re at all confused about pruning this shrub – and who isn’t? – this book will clear things up. If you’re worried about how much water to give it especially when it droops in the sun, this book explains it all. And what about transplanting: when is the best time to do that? Chapter four has the answers to that one and covers it all.

    How to get your plant to bloom

    Let’s not forget the most common issue people have with this plant: how can I get it to flower reliably? You’ll get the scientific insight needed to better site your plant, and how to care for it. Then you can just sit back and watch it flower for you.

    Read More Here

     

    Eating Together, Being Together
    By Julian C.E. Clauss-Ehlers and Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers

    Eating Together, Being Together is a rare, enlightening book that teaches the importance of family dining, both on the culinary side and in its benefits for childhood and young adult development beyond the kitchen walls.

    Co-authored by master Chef and Dad, Julian C.E. Clauss-Ehlers, and Ph.D. Psychologist and Mom, Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers, Eating Together, Being Together offers up their parental wisdom and expertise from the heart of the home—the kitchen.

    With informative but relaxed conversations about food choices, preparation, and related activities, the two provide great insight into how family mealtime promotes well-being in a child’s life. As involved adults, they incorporate thoughtful discussions about spending quality time with their children, sharing and mitigating bad feelings, and making wonderful memories. Ultimately, they showcase family meals as nourishment for both the body and soul.

    Within the pages of the book readers will find ways food can serve as a message of care and support, as well as a way to model kindness in the face of questions and concerns.

    Read More Here

     

    Emotional Magnetism Cover

    Emotional Magnetism
    By Sandy Gerber

    Emotional Magnetism: How to Communicate to Ignite Connection in Your Relationships is a self-help and marketing book in one—in fact, it’s a self-marketing book.

    A seasoned marketing professional, author Sandy Gerber uses common elements in marketing theory to aid those who wish to enhance their communication skills and ability to get along with people around them. It’s easy to be misunderstood or unheard, and it’s even easier to be at cross-purposes, leading to frustration and animosity. But using Gerber’s SAVE technique, understanding what we mean and what we need becomes clear.

    In this work, we learn what emotional magnetism is, and how well we can communicate when we learn how to harness it. We also learn about how emotional magnetism can be repelled when it’s not done right. But in order to use emotional magnetism, we must first learn what the emotional magnets are, using the acronym SAVE—short for safety (S), achievement (A), value (V), and experience (E)—and how they are reflected in our personalities.

    Read More Here

     

    The Black Foster Youth Handbook Cover

    The Black Foster Youth Handbook
    By Ángela Quijada-Banks

    The Black Foster Youth Handbook: 50+ Lessons I Learned to successfully Age-Out of Foster Care and Holistically Heal is a distinguished compilation of award-winning author Ángela Quijada-Banks’ insights, seeking to assist those in foster care to stay optimistic and triumph over traumatic experiences.

    The text features the author’s candid revelations regarding the disarray she encountered in foster care and the overwhelming emotional roller coaster she underwent through family upheavals and a heart-breaking rift between her siblings.

    Foster care had seen her forget her goals and aspirations, as traumas and emotional misfortunes spread their venom in her soul. Banks had found herself misplaced, perplexed, wounded, irate, and unloved. Her background, past wounds, and pessimistic beliefs ruled over her. In a painful recap, she reveals how she became accustomed to constant alarming incidents, creating in her a perpetual state of survival.

    Read More Here

     

    Independent Living with Autism Cover

    Independent Living with Autism
    By Wendela Whitcomb Marsh

    Author and autism counselor Wendela Whitcomb Marsh has created a specialized guide for those with autism, seen through the eyes of five characters of different ages, with differing needs and aspirations in her book, Independent Living with Autism: Your Roadmap to Success.

    Boldly launching her work with the ambitious chapter, “Solutions,” Marsh depicts some of the possible departure points for her readers: those just out of school, those who were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder or who self-diagnosed, and all who face the challenges of ASD, whether alone or with family or social supports.

    Marsh relays her story, focusing on the lives of five individuals with ASD.

    Read More Here


    Now that you’re set on your next reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of I&I Winners is to submit today!

    Those who submit and advance will have the chance to win the Overall Grand Prize of the CIBAs and $1000!

    Best Book Award Badge

    Submit to the CIBAs Today!

    Now is your chance to touch the hearts of readers everywhere. Your Non-fiction story deserves to be discovered, and you can submit to the 2025 Instruction and Insight Awards by the end of the September. Don’t miss this chance to give your book the recognition it deserves.

    The I&I Awards is your chance to shine!

  • The 2024 I&I First Place Round Up for How-To and Self Help Guides

    I&I or Instruction & Insight Awards CIBA BadgeThe Instruction and Insight Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Instructional Non-Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Lorraine Ballato’s Success with Hydrangeas: A Gardeners Guide, will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the I&I contest page year ’round!

    The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention you get all year ‘round!

    The 2024 I&I Winners were announced at the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference in April, and you can see the official winners post here!

    Join us in celebrating the 2024 First Place I&I Winners!

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Margaret C. Beeler – Tropetails

    Tropetails is the world’s first cocktail (and mocktail!) book centered around all your favorite bookish themes and literary tropes!

    Featuring a whopping 50 carefully curated specialty drinks, Tropetails is the perfect book to add to your bar cart, coffee table, nightstand, heck, you could even snuggle with it in bed! Is that appealing? Perhaps you’d be better off leaving it in the kitchen…but I won’t tell anyone if you decide otherwise 😉

    Each page of Tropetails has a hand-drawn illustration from “Chosen One”, to “Enemies to Lovers”, and “Who Done It”—all from your favorite genres across fiction and a unique recipe mixed to match the vibe of each different trope!

    Find it on Amazon!

    Tania Isreal – Facing the Fracture

    Foster resilience in the face of political polarization

    Unsettled by provocative news, clashing politicians, and social fragmentation, Americans struggle to navigate the challenges of living in a divided country. Facing the Fracture offers a path out of the distress and disempowerment plaguing everyday people. Grounded in psychological research, this book offers readers strategies to foster resilience in the face of political polarization.

    In this valuable book, Israel moves beyond explaining the problem of polarization to demonstrate how individuals can cope with the political divide, which seems widen with each passing day. Readers will find guidance to reduce toxic input from media, manage polarizing thoughts and feelings, and engage effectively with others. And they will learn that they have the power to improve their personal wellbeing, relationships, community, and country.

    Find it on Amazon!

    Katherine Fabrizio – The Good Daughter Syndrome

    You love your mother, but she drives you crazy.

    She controls, criticizes, and butts into your life constantly. Then, when you try to set boundaries, the pushback and resulting guilt is so bad that you tell yourself… it’s just not worth it.

    Is your mother narcissistic, borderline, or just plain difficult?

    Are you empathetic, sensitive, and kind?

    Do you feel stuck in your relationship with Mom:

    • Trying to please her but never feeling good enough?
    • Feeling responsible for Mom’s emotional well-being?
    • Struggling to set boundaries without feeling guilty or getting so much pushback that you end up thinking… it’s just not worth it?

    If so, chances are you have fallen into the hidden psychological traps that constitute The Good Daughter Syndrome.

    Many self-aware daughters of narcissistic, borderline, or just plain difficult mothers know they need to stand up to their mothers and set healthy boundaries. Yet, they can’t bring themselves to do it and don’t know why.

    They are caught in unconscious traps they can’t see or fully understand… Trapped by their difficult mother’s needs, the empathetic daughter can’t see a way to break free and still feel like a good person.

    She can’t see these traps that keep her parallelized with guilt… or going round and round having the same arguments and getting nowhere with Mom, but I can.

    Even better, I know how to escape them.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Bob Dahms – Let’s Talk About This

    Bob Dahms has had a long and diverse career in business and in business advisory roles.

    In this book he shares 50 Things You Need to Know About Starting and Managing a Small Business. Everyone who reads this book will learn something that they didn’t know before. Actually, it’s way more than 50; check it out.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Douglas A Burton – The Heroines Labyrinth

    For decades, the hero’s journey has had a major influence on storytelling and story structure. Now, Douglas A. Burton presents a groundbreaking new paradigm for writers everywhere. Sourced entirely from heroine-led fiction—a unique narrative arc has been hidden in plain sight, complete with recurrent patterns and powerful archetypes. Burton offers writers a full fledges alternative that’s both original in its presentation, yet stunningly familiar. Discover the dynamism of story, conflict, and character development in a fresh new light. From myth to literature to TV to film, The Heroine’s Labyrinth explores story structure as modeled by heroic women in fiction. Burton’s theory on story has the potential to turn prevailing views of story structure upside down.

    Inside, you’ll encounter 18 archetypal designs that form a distinctive narrative arc, each one rich with profound insights and powerful new perspectives. Discover the Masked Minotaur, the Sacred Fire, the Beast as Ally, the Poisoned Apple, and more. Novelists, screenwriters, RPG gamers, and memoirists will gain immediately useful insights in The Heroine’s Labyrinth. A must-read for writers.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Jacqui Clarke – Stop Worrying About Money

    Stop Worrying About Money Cover

    Also the Chanticleer 2024 Harvey Chute Award Grand Prize Winner!

    Take control of your money, avoid common financial pitfalls, and prepare for whatever life throws at you

    In Stop Worrying about Money, Jacqui Clarke, Australia’s best-kept money secret, delivers smart and sure-fire guidance that will see you through life’s financial ups and downs. You’ll learn to clarify your values, set goals, and be upfront and honest about your money―both with yourself and with others.

    Fact: Money comes in and goes out. The cost of living is ever increasing, big changes can come as big surprises and sometimes you’re stuck just trying to keep on top of everything. It’s time to hit pause on the distractions and get wise with your finances. With Stop Worrying about Money, you’ll re-assess what financial independence and freedom mean to you. This is the guide that will help you build a less stressful, more empowering relationship with money, starting today.

    From Chanticleer:

    Stop Worrying About Money by Jacqui Clarke serves as a lucid and candidly insightful guide to understanding the cornerstones of financial literacy, whether for a working professional, business owner, or anyone seeking to better manage their savings and investments.

    This practical and insightful approach to financial awareness endeavors to decode the mystifying fundamentals of financial freedom, wealth management, and money psychology. Rather than merely presenting facts on numbers and investments, it adopts a holistic perspective, covering principles of earning, understanding, and wisely managing money.

    Written by an experienced professional and fiscal guardian to many, Clarke’s Stop Worrying About Money paves a clear and accessible roadmap for navigating the often-chaotic terrain of financial planning.

    Read More Here

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!


    Thank you for joining us to celebrate the 2024 I&I First Place Winners!

    I&I or Instruction & Insight Awards CIBA Badge

    Watch for our Spotlight and Hall of Fame Articles that will feature incredible books, including Lorraine Ballato’s amazing Success With Hydrangeas: A Gardeners Guide!

    Your book can join the Tiers of Achievement, but only if you submit to the I&I Awards!

     

    Got a great Instructional Book?

    The 2025 I&I Book Awards are open through the end of September!

    Blue button that says Enter a Writing Contest
    Submit to the I&I Awards Today!
  • 7 days Left! Book Awards for Young Readers Close at the End of September!

    Time is almost up for these Back-to-School reads!

    Don’t let your book miss out!

    Only 7 days remain to enter your books to these CIBA Divisions and embark on an extraordinary journey to success!

    The Chanticleer International Book Awards provide ongoing recognition that amplifies authors’ digital footprints through high-traffic website features, social media promotion, newsletter spotlights, and long-tail marketing that continues promoting winners throughout the year and beyond!

    The Dante Rossetti, Gertrude Warner and The Little Peeps Awards are still open!Best Book Grand Prize for the Chanticleer Int'l Book Awards

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Little Peeps Awards for Early Readers!

    • Kristen J Anderson – Lorelei the Lorelei: The First of Many Firsts
    • Raven Howell – Keep Trucking
    • Julie Lomax – Melissa Moo Moo’s Special Lesson
    • Dr. Gerry Haller – Will’s Adventure to the Candy Mountain
    • Shaziya M. Jaffer, Jessica Alexanderson and Brad W. Rudover – A Recycling Adventure to The Scrapyard!
    • Mike Mirabella and Lenny Lipton – I Used to Be Shy

    And a huge round of applause to our 2024 Early Peeps Grand Prize Winner:

    Island Moon

    By Ruth Amanda

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Gertrude Warner Award for Middle Grade Fiction!

    • Thomas Kuhn – Tommy Rocket and the Goober Patrol
    • Debbie Noble Black – Deetjen’s Closet
    • M.J. Evans – Coal Dust and Dreams
    • M.C. Dingman – Samantha Smee: A Pirate’s Life
    • Maggie Lynch – The Power of S.A.D.
    • Sue C. Dugan – Mayday
    • Carolyn Armstrong – No Time To Waste
    • Sandy Grubb – Just Like Click

    And a huge round of applause for our 2024 Gertrude Warner Grand Prize Winner:

    Back to Bainbridge

    By Norah Lally

    Back to Bainbridge Cover

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Dante Rossetti Award for Young Adult Fiction!

    • Mark Kraver – The Willow
    • C.H. Brown – The Appearance of Power
    • Eileen Charbonneau and Jude Pittman – Spectral Evidence
    • J.A. Nielsen – The Winter Heir (Fractured Kingdoms, Book 2)
    • John Middleton – The Pool of Initiation
    • E. L. Werbitsky – The Marsh Keeper

    And a huge round of applause for our 2024 Dante Rossetti Grand Prize Winner:

    The Realm of Gods

    By Glen Dahlgren

    The Realm of the Gods cover by Glen Dahlgren

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The CIBAs offer a ladder to success with a range of achievement tiers and expert long tail marketing strategies. From the highly anticipated Long List to the prestigious Overall Grand Prize Winner, the CIBA lists energize both authors and readers, maximizing your digital footprint and expanding your fan base.

    We are always eager to support the Best Books through the CIBAs. Join the ranks of celebrated authors who have already taken this critical step in their publishing.

    Your book deserves to be discovered, celebrated, and shared with the world. Don’t miss the chance to showcase your talent and gain valuable exposure at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (April 17-19, 2026) where Winners from all 28 Book Award Divisions will be announced and honored.

    In a world hungry for good books, your story deserves to be heard. Submit now and leave a lasting impression.

    Let’s celebrate exceptional storytelling together!

    Blue button that says Enter a Writing Contest

    Your book deserves to be discovered

    Don’t Delay! Enter Today!

  • 10 Days left for September Non-Fiction that Guides

    Non-Fiction Closes Soon!

     

    Don’t let your book miss out!

    Only 10 days left to submit your books to these prestigious CIBA Divisions and embark on an extraordinary journey to success.

    The Chanticleer International Book Awards provide ongoing recognition that amplifies authors’ digital footprints through high-traffic website features, social media promotion, newsletter spotlights, and long-tail marketing that continues promoting winners throughout the year and beyond!

    The I&I, Harvey Chute and The Mind and Spirit Awards are still open!

    Best Book Grand Prize for the Chanticleer Int'l Book Awards

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Mind & Spirit Awards for Spirituality and Enlightenment!

    • Shari Biery – It’s Your Turn How To Rediscover Yourself Prioritize Your Well-Being Thrive with Purpose
    • Damian Fozard – Disbelief
    • Eileen Marlowe – The Call to Connect With Spirit
    • Anne Kiehl Friedman – Higher Love: A Psychedelic Travel Memoir of Heartbreak and Healing
    • Jane Kim Yu – Journey of Awakening and Higher Consciousness

    And a huge round of applause to our 2024 Mind & Spirit Grand Prize Winner:

    Naked in the Now

    By Marijke McCandless

    Naked in the Now Cover

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the I&I Award for Guides and How-tos!

    • Margaret C Beeler – Tropetails: A Cocktail and Mocktail Book for Bookworms
    • Tania Israel – Facing the Fracture How To Navigate the Challenges of Living in a Divided Nation
    • Katherine Fabrizio – The Good Daughter Syndrome: Help For Empathic Daughters of Narcissistic, Borderline, or Difficult Mothers Trapped in the Role of the Good Daughter
    • Bob Dahms, MBA, CPA, CMA – Let’s Talk About This: 50 Things You Need to Know About Starting and Managing a Small Business
    • Douglas A. Burton – The Heroine’s Labyrinth: Archetypal Designs in Heroine-Led Fiction
    • Jacqui Clarke – Stop Worrying about Money

    And a huge round of applause for our 2024 I&I Grand Prize Winner:

    Success with Hydrangeas: A Gardener’s Guide

    By Lorraine Ballato

    Success with Hydrangeas cover by Lorraine Ballato

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Harvey Chute Award for Business and Enterprise!

    • Roger Spitz – Disrupt With Impact: Achieve Business Success in an Unpredictable World
    • Jenny Li Fowler – Organic Social Media: How to Build Flourishing Online Communities
    • Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel – Cultural Intelligence for Marketers: Building an Inclusive Marketing Strategy
    • Neal Schaffer – Digital Threads: The Small Business and Entrepreneur Digital First Marketing Playbook
    • Melina Palmer – The Truth About Pricing  

    And a huge round of applause to our 2024 Harvey Chute Grand Prize Winner:

    Stop Worrying About Money

    By Jacqui Clarke

    Stop Worrying About Money Cover

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The CIBAs provide a ladder to success with a range of achievement tiers and expert long tail marketing strategies. From the highly anticipated Long List to the prestigious Overall Grand Prize Winner, the CIBA lists energize both authors and readers, maximizing your digital footprint and expanding your fan base.

    We are always eager to support the Best Books through the CIBAs. Join the ranks of celebrated authors who have already taken this critical step in their publishing.

    Your book deserves to be discovered, celebrated, and shared with the world. Don’t miss the chance to showcase your talent and gain valuable exposure at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (April 17-19, 2025) where Winners from all 28 Book Award Divisions will be announced and honored.

    In a world hungry for good books, your story deserves to be heard. Submit now and leave a lasting impression.

    Let’s celebrate exceptional storytelling together!

    Blue button that says Enter a Writing Contest

    Your book deserves to be discovered

    Enter Today!

  • The 2025 I&I Spotlight for Self-Help and How-To

    Mastering Life’s Skills

    I&I or Instruction & Insight Awards CIBA Badge

    The I&I Awards can show you how!

    In an era where knowledge is power and practical skills unlock new possibilities, readers are seeking guides that deliver real results. From mastering specific crafts and hobbies to developing personal growth strategies and exploring the world through informed travel, the best instructional works combine expert knowledge with clear, actionable guidance. The Instruction & Insight Awards for How-To and Self-Help celebrate the exceptional authors who transform complex subjects into accessible learning experiences, empowering readers to expand their capabilities and enrich their lives.

    Celebrating Our Grand Prize Winner!

    Success with Hydrangeas cover by Lorraine Ballato

    We’re proud to celebrate our 2024 I&I Division Grand Prize Winner, Lorraine Ballato for her comprehensive guide Success with Hydrangeas: A Gardener’s Guide. This expertly crafted work addresses one of gardening’s most beloved yet challenging plants, providing gardeners with the scientific insights and practical techniques needed to achieve reliable blooms and healthy growth. Ballato, who serves as the resident hydrangea expert at the New York Botanical Garden and has been teaching hydrangea classes for over a decade, brings both professional expertise and real-world teaching experience to this thorough guide.

    What makes Success with Hydrangeas exemplary is its comprehensive approach to solving common gardening challenges. The book features over 150 photos and illustrations across thirteen color-coded chapters that cover everything from propagation and fertilizing to pruning techniques, pest management, and achieving desired flower colors. Ballato addresses the most frequent gardener concerns like proper pruning timing, optimal watering practices, and transplanting strategies paired with clear scientific explanations and practical solutions. The inclusion of garden design applications and a detailed index ensures readers can quickly find answers when they need them most. Ballato will receive a Chanticleer Editorial Review and be invited to participate in an Author Interview, offering deeper insights into her expertise and approach to hydrangea cultivation.

    The I&I Awards recognize the remarkable breadth of instructional and self-improvement literature, encompassing categories from Travel Guides and Culinary arts to Health & Fitness, Writing Guides, and Home & Garden expertise. This comprehensive scope reflects our understanding that learning takes many forms, whether through Arts & Crafts tutorials, Nature & Environment education, Psychology insights, or Business & Money strategies that enhance personal and professional development.

    Explore All Business & Self-Help Divisions

    The I&I Awards are part of Chanticleer’s comprehensive celebration of transformative non-fiction:

    We’d love for you to join us in reading about some of our favorite guides that we’ve reviwed!

    Eating Together, Being Together Cover

    Eating Together, Being Together
    By Julian C.E. Clauss- Ehlers and Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers

    Chanticleers 2023 I&I Grand Prize Winner!

    Eating Together, Being Together is a rare, enlightening book that teaches the importance of family dining, both on the culinary side and in its benefits for childhood and young adult development beyond the kitchen walls.

    Co-authored by master Chef and Dad, Julian C.E. Clauss-Ehlers, and Ph.D. Psychologist and Mom, Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers, Eating Together, Being Together offers up their parental wisdom and expertise from the heart of the home—the kitchen.

    With informative but relaxed conversations about food choices, preparation, and related activities, the two provide great insight into how family mealtime promotes well-being in a child’s life. As involved adults, they incorporate thoughtful discussions about spending quality time with their children, sharing and mitigating bad feelings, and making wonderful memories. Ultimately, they showcase family meals as nourishment for both the body and soul.

    Within the pages of the book readers will find ways food can serve as a message of care and support, as well as a way to model kindness in the face of questions and concerns.

    Read More Here

    What's Your Name Cover

    What’s Your Name?
    By Albert Jung

    Albert Jung’s What’s Your Name?, subtitled How to Write Your Name in Han’gŭl Without Learning the Korean Language, is more than a primer for learning how to write in the Han’gŭl script — it’s a study of the evolution of the Korean writing system and, through it, the history of Korea itself.

    What’s Your Name? offers a crash course in how to write your name in Han’gŭl for anyone who attends international conferences, hosts Korean exchange students, or simply has Korean speakers in their social sphere. Although the reader quickly plunges into the components of the Han’gŭl alphabet, Jung suggests a light read for the basics, and a comprehensive read for those seeking a deeper understanding of Han’gŭl and its evolution.

    From absolute beginners to linguistics scholars and students, readers will find valuable reference material and guidance for practice in this extensive text.

    Read More Here

    Disability is Human Cover

    Disability is Human
    By Stephanie W. Cawthon, PhD

    In Disability is Human: The Vital Power of Accessibility in Everyday Life, Dr. Stephanie W. Cawthon advocates for the rights and needs of a group that is often underrepresented, ignored, or misunderstood.

    Disability is Human offers a broad scope of examples and advice that has proven to enhance lives through accessibility, whether implemented in programs, institutional practice, or daily life. The book also has a companion workbook for those interested in incorporating its ideas into programs, institutional practice, or daily life.

    Cawthon contrasts ableism against accessibility, including her own experiences as a person born deaf who uses hearing aids and sign language to communicate. She tells of a time before anti-discrimination laws were enacted to protect disabled peoples’ rights and make the world available to everyone.

    Cawthon comes to this conversation with deep, personal knowledge of the issues faced by disabled people.

    Read More Here

    Dementia Home Care
    By Tracy Cram Perkins

    An I&I First Place Winner!

    Dementia Home Care: How to Prepare Before, During, and After, by Tracy Cram Perkins, offers the lived experience of a caregiver, sharing the experiences that impressed upon her the enormity of the physical, emotional, and psychological task she undertook.

    These same experiences made Perkins aware of the dearth of practical resources for the novice embarking on this journey. She hopes to fill that gap with this comprehensive, “user-friendly” guide that goes well beyond the limits of a self-help book, impersonal how-to manual, or clinical tome. From Dementia Home Care, readers will gain new insights into human behavior and how to become an effective caregiver without sacrificing their own well-being.

    Perkins’ written voice captivates from the beginning. Her first-person accounts of caring for afflicted loved ones are both relatable and authentic. The reader will find themself laughing aloud, or filled with dread, as the author recounts actual experiences that are otherwise hard to imagine happening to oneself.

    Read More Here

    These reviews represent just a glimpse of the practical expertise and transformative guidance waiting to be discovered in today’s instructional and self-help literature.


    See the Chanticleer Difference for Yourself!

    We’re excited about all the outstanding instructional and self-help works we receive every year for both the CIBAs and for our Editorial Reviews. Throughout this year’s I&I Book Awards, we had the pleasure of promoting numerous valuable guides as they advanced through our competition tiers. The Chanticleer International Book Awards provide ongoing recognition that amplifies authors’ digital footprints through high-traffic website features, social media promotion, newsletter spotlights reaching thousands of industry professionals, and long-tail marketing that continues promoting winners throughout the year and beyond!

    This is the journey from beginning to end for the CIBAs! Every list you make means more promotion for you and your work as each advancement tier is posted right here on our website, on our social media, and also out in our newsletter! Your book deserves to be discovered.

    Don’t Let Your Expertise Go Unrecognized!

    The instructional and self-help market continues to thrive as readers seek trusted guidance for improving their skills, expanding their knowledge, and enhancing their quality of life. Whether your work provides step-by-step craft tutorials, transformative self-help strategies, comprehensive travel insights, or specialized knowledge in areas from cooking to psychology, the I&I Awards provide the recognition and promotional platform your expertise deserves.

    Instructional literature has the unique power to unlock human potential, solving problems and opening new worlds of possibility. From practical guides that help readers master tangible skills to self-help works that facilitate personal transformation, every well-crafted instructional book has the potential to become an indispensable resource. Don’t let your knowledge remain untapped—submit to the I&I Awards today and join the skilled authors who’ve found their eager audience through Chanticleer!

    I&I or Instruction & Insight Awards CIBA Badge

    Enter the I&I Awards today! Deadline: September 30th

    You know you want it…
  • Chanticleerians in the News: Award Winners Take Center Stage at LA Kids Book Festival

    When your mission is to Discover Today’s Best Books, you come across good news regarding authors!

    Five Chanticleer International Book Award winners are headed to the LA Kids Book Festival, showcasing the caliber of children’s literature our awards recognize.

    LA Children’s Book Fest is coming up!

    Find Chanticleer Award winning authors Norah Lally, Ruth Amanda, M.C. Dingman, Julie Lomax, and our 2024 Overall Grand Prize Winner Reenita Malhotra Hora!

    LA’s first and largest event celebrating early education, bilingualism, and multiculturalism will feature an impressive lineup of Chanticleer talent.

    Back to Bainbridge cover by Norah Lally

    Norah Lally, Gertrude Warner Grand Prize Winner for middle grade fiction, will be representing #1 Amazon bestselling novel Back to Bainbridge about fourteen-year-old Vicki navigating life on Bainbridge Avenue as she searches for her place in the world while discovering that her imperfect family and friends might just be the treasures she’s been looking for all along.

    M.C. Dingman, First Place Gertrude Warner Winner, Samantha Smee: A Pirate’s Life, tells the story of Mr. Smee’s daughter who grows up disguised on Captain Hook’s pirate ship, embarking on hilarious adventures that celebrate inclusivity and girl power as she discovers her true self in Neverland.

    Julie Lomax, First Place Little Peeps Winner, will showcase Melissa Moo Moo’s Special Lesson from The JuJu Series. When little cow Melissa Moo Moo overhears other cows gossiping about her lack of milk, she learns an important lesson about self-confidence and being herself after a magical encounter with some fallen berries.

    Reenita Malhotra Hora, our 2024 Overall Grand Prize Winner for the incredible literary romance Vermilion Harvest, will be there with the much different tale of Sundri and Mundri’s Lohri Adventure. When Badi Ma wraps the sisters in her magical Lohri shawl, they’re whisked away to a bustling village from the past where they invent gadgets, dodge a grumpy king, and call on the famous bandit hero Dulla Bhatti for help—all while celebrating the joyous festival of Lohri.

    While Ruth Amanda won’t be attending the festival herself, her award-winning books Geckos in the Garden and Little Peeps Grand Prize Winner Island Moon will be represented. Geckos in the Garden takes young readers on a delightful counting adventure through hidden geckos in a garden, while Island Moon captures the magical tranquility of nighttime on the island of Barbados, following a narrator who witnesses fairies dancing in the moonlight and a sea turtle coming ashore to lay eggs.


    We are honored to have so many Award-Winning Authors and Books that we have had the chance to promote and recognize at the LA Children’s Book Fest! If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by and say hello to them!

    Two little chicks, fresh from their egg

    Our Little Peeps Awards celebrate the artistry and educational value of picture books

    The Boxcar Children from the famed series by Gertrude Warner

    The Gertrude Warner Awards honor outstanding middle grade fiction that engages young readers during crucial developmental years

    Ready to join the ranks of these celebrated authors?

    Whether you’re crafting picture books for our Little Peeps Awards or middle grade fiction for the Gertrude Warner Awards, Chanticleer recognition opens doors to major festivals, bookstore partnerships, and reader communities nationwide. We are proud to be a part of the extraordinary literary careers of these five wonderful authors!

    You know you want it…

    Discover which division is right for your children’s book today!

  • The 2025 Clue Long List for Suspense/Thriller

    The 2025 Clue Long List for Suspense/Thriller

    Thriller Suspense Fiction AwardThe Clue Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Suspense and Thriller Mysteries. The Clue Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (The CIBAs).

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is seeking the best books featuring suspense, thrilling adventure, detective work, private eye, police procedural, and crime-solving, we will put them to the test to discover the best! (For lighter-hearted Mystery and Classic Cozy Mysteries please check out our Mystery & Mayhem Awards, and for High Stakes Suspense Novels please check out our Global Thriller Awards).

    These titles have moved forward in the first look rounds from all 2025 CLUE entries to the 2025 Clue Book Awards LONG LIST. These entries are now in competition for the 2025 Clue Short List. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions. FINALISTS will be chosen from the Semi-Finalists and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference, CAC26.

    We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2026 in beautiful Bellingham, WA sponsored by the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference

    These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2025 Clue Book Awards novel competition for Suspense and Thriller!

    Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works!

    • A.J. Mccarthy – The Boy on the Dock
    • Aja Holland – Casco Bay
    • Ana Manwaring – Kickback
    • Angela Greenman – The Child Riddler
    • Arthur Coburn – Murder in Concrete
    • Ashley Thomas Sheikh – Kentucky Blood: Book I of the Kentucky Blood Series
    • Avanti Centrae – The Picasso Job: A Phoenix Thriller
    • Becky Anyanwu – Mind the Blinds
    • Bill Bennett – Swimming with Manatees
    • Brandon Lawniczak – Home Envy
    • Brian Cuban – The Body Brokers
    • Carlo J. Emanuele – The Sins We Inherit
    • Carolyn Summer Quinn – Fate Can Toss a Boomerang
    • Cathi Stoler – No Good Time: A Nick Donahue Adventure
    • Charlotte Stuart – Unicorns Can Be Deadly a Discount Detective Mystery 5
    • Cheryl Campbell – Bodies in the Bayou
    • Chris Chan – Well-Behaved Children Seldom Make History
    • Chuck Morgan – Preserve Protect and Defend
    • Dan Ramm – Long Branch: Never Let the Truth Stand in the Way of a Good Story
    • Danielle M. Wong – Tiny Wild Things
    • David Tenenbaum – Premonition
    • Diana Louise Webb – Last of the Autumn Rain
    • Dwight Holing – The Thunder Head
    • E. Alan Fleischauer – The Dark and Evil Sky
    • Ellis K. Popa – Awaken the Dawn
    • Ephrem Paredes – Pasadena Confidential
    • Eric Magun – Thank God for the Sinners
    • Francesco Paola – Left on Rancho
    • Frank J. Edwards – Doctor Witch
    • Holly Harrison – Death in the Land of Enchantment
    • Italia Tornabene – Femme Fatale: Shades of Retribution
    • Jack Luellen – Someone Had to Lie
    • Jeannée Sacken – The Women Who Stand Between
    • Jl Spears – Daemon Protocol
    • Joe Salerno – The Decision
    • Julie Lomax – A Pawn’s Game
    • Kathleen Troy – Never Believe a Lie Twice
    • Kd Sherrinford – The Whistle of Revenge
    • Kevin Hwang – The Regression Strain
    • Kit Karson – Savage Malice
    • Larry Weindruch and Richard A. Yach – Nicky V: A Chicago Crime Story
    • Leslie Liautaud – Butterfly Pinned
    • Lew Paper – Legacy of Lies
    • Marian Exall – Loners
    • Matthew John Parker – The Lost Last Prophecy
    • Melanie Anagnos – Nightswimming: A Jamie Palmieri Mystery
    • Michael Wendroff – What Goes Around
    • Mike Van Horn – The Ivy Leaguers
    • Miriam Verbeek – The Bank
    • Nannette Potter – Deception’s Edge
    • Otho Eskin – Black Sun Rising
    • Paty Jager – Crapshoot
    • Paty Jager – Wolverine Instincts
    • Paul Levine – Midnight Burning
    • Phillip Vega – Death in Utopia
    • Sarah P. Blanchard – Grabtown
    • Sean Hagerty – Cabal
    • Sharon Lynn – Dark Web Gaslight
    • Sheila Sharpe – Artist, Lover, Forger, Thief
    • Stephen G. Eoannou – After Pearl
    • Stephen J Wallace – Hazardous Lies
    • Susan Rogers and John Roosen – Warrior Pose
    • T.O. Paine – The Crisis
    • Tamar Anolic – This Side of the Law
    • Theresa Janson – Reservations: A Samantha Wright Crime Series
    • TJ Stecker – Redacted
    • William Forester – The Secret Book

    PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

    This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the Facebook post. However, it is easier for us to tag authors when they have Liked and Followed us.

    Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE.

    We will also be promoting this list in our Newsletter, which you can sign up for here!

    Congratulations once more to the 2024 Clue Grand Prize Winner

    Enemies Domestic

    By John DeDakis

    Enemies Domestic Cover by John DeDakis

     

    Click here to see the full list of 2024 Clue Book Award Winners for Suspense and Thriller Mysteries.

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2026 Clue Book Awards for Suspense and Thriller Mysteries.

    Please click here for more information.

    Winners will be announced at the 2025 CIBA Awards Ceremony that is sponsored by the 2026 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

    April 17 – 19, 2026! Save the Date for Registration!

    Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

    Join us for our annual conference as we enter our second decade and discover why!

  • The 2025 Gertrude Warner Hall of Fame for Middle Grade Fiction

    Know a kid looking for that Middle Grade winner?

    The Boxcar Children from the famed series by Gertrude WarnerEveryone likes a good book, and kids are no different.

    The Gertrude Warner Awards celebrate Middle Grade Fiction, which means books aimed for kids of ages 8-13. This isn’t our only Division aimed for younger readers! For Young Adult (14-18), see Dante Rossetti, and for Children’s see Little Peeps.

    Lets take a look at and celebrate the Past Grand Prize Winners of the Gertrude Warner Awards for Middle Grade Fiction!

    Back to Bainbridge
    By Norah Lally

    Back to Bainbridge cover by Norah Lally

    Our review of the newest Gertrude Warner Grand Prize Winner is still upcoming. In the meantime, here is what GoodReads readers have been saying:

    From the opening moments, this book grabs your attention and does not let go!

    Vicki’s family suddenly faces eviction after her single mother is unable to pay the bills. The story opens as she, her mom, and her two younger siblings scramble out of the house, on the sheriff’s orders, lost with nowhere to go. We slowly learn more about Vicki’s character and past- her father had left the, six years earlier and her mother struggled ever since. Vicki is a determined, fierce, but confused young lady. Full of energy and personality, but lacking direction. This coming of age novel takes us on her journey of self-discovery. Its personal, touching, and heartfelt.

    But the lessons of this book aren’t solely for teens. Its a story about family and love, and its morals apply to all ages. Everyone, regardless of age group, should read this book at least once.” -Phin

    Back to Bainbridge was a delight to read from the breezy beginning to the satisfying and endearing end. Told in the first person, the reader is immediately intrigued by fourteen-year-old Vicki’s voice: leery, weary, and wise beyond her years, or so she thinks. Vicki’s impatience with her single mother and two younger siblings is in full throttle when their family has to move (yet again!) and this time she’ll be forced to share a room with a needy 10-year-old brother and a sarcastic 12-year-old sister.” -M.C.

    Excellent, unique coming of age story set in the vibrant environment of the Bronx, NY. The story includes many interesting, diverse characters and vivid depictions of the city that really bring the whole scene to life. The prose is well-written and engaging — youth and adults alike should enjoy this book!” -R.

    Buy it here!

    EXOSTAR
    By Rae Knightly

    A piece-of-scrap. That’s how the townsfolk on Trinket’s planet label her. The twelve-year-old is determined to prove that she’s more than just a discarded android, but her prosthetic leg and blue veins in her hands make her wonder about her true identity. Trinket knows that she must get off-world before the cruel and powerful Remnants send her to the scrap yard, but things take a turn for the worse when the Remnant Supreme Leader discovers her existence.

    Trinket could be the key to a lost spaceship that is rumored to hold the greatest hoard of gems in the galaxy, and the Supreme Leader wants it. As the alien civilizations of the Magnus Star Cluster wake up to the possibility that the legendary treasure exists, a frantic hunt for the lost spaceship – and its key – pits Trinket against an enemy that will stop at nothing to get what they want.

    To uncover the truth about her identity, Trinket must confront the evil Supreme Leader or get to the treasure first. But what if the truth is too shocking to bear?

    Award-winning author Rae Knightly presents EXOSTAR, Book 1 in The Lost Space Treasure Series, which thrusts a young girl into a universe full of alien civilizations and an epic hunt to uncover the greatest treasure of all. This witty upper middle-grade science fiction story with a cast of unforgettable characters is perfect for the space explorers of tomorrow and fans of Alita, The Prometheus Project, Hana Hsu, and Dragon Pearl. Ideal for readers aged 10+.

    Find it here!

    Mystery Force: Volume 1
    By Ted Neill and Suzi Spooner

    Mystery Force - Volume One Cover

    Set in a world where magical talking creatures are a normal part of society, the Mystery Force series by Ted Neill is a must-read for any animal-loving kid.

    Book One, Mystery Force, Assemble!, begins with warehouses of previously unheard-of magical creatures being discovered and freed. Out of fear, these new creatures continue to hide, and a group of curious kids – Rasheed, Jonathan, and Jojo – decide to get to the bottom of the mystery!

    In book two, The Case of the Stolen Horn, Rasheed, Jonathan, and Jojo are on the case after their unicorn drama teacher, Mr. Twinkles, is attacked, with their pegasus geometry teacher Ms. Weymont being arrested for the crime. The Mystery Force kids are determined to clear Ms. Weymont’s name by finding the real culprit.

    Read More Here

    Fishing For Luck
    By Murray Richter

    Fishing for Luck Cover

    During the pre-internet era of 1980, Kevin and his friends just want to enjoy a good fishing adventure, but troubles from the past come back to complicate their carefree boyhood in Murray Richter’s novel, Fishing for Luck.

    As the group prepares their fishing raft for its maiden voyage, Kevin tries to solve these problems himself before anyone else knows of them, but no matter what he tries, the situation only gets worse. His parents seem on the verge of a divorce, his mentor struggles to find his long-lost love, and his sister just wants her bike back already. As Kevin takes on more and more responsibility to avoid what seem to be inevitable consequences, will he be able to see that this is all too much for one kid to handle and ask those he trusts for help?

    Fishing For Luck is a wild ride of pre-teen hijinks reminiscent of the golden age of coming-of-age comedies and sitcoms we all know and love. Our young main character gets into a situation where everything goes wrong, and scrambles to fix it before anyone notices. Kevin’s predicament becomes engrossing with an extra dose of danger.

    Read More Here

    Kassy O’Roarke Cub Reporter
    By Kelly Oliver

    Cover of Kassy O'Roarke Cub Reporter by Kelly Oliver

    In this first installment from the new Kassy O’Roarke Pet Detective Series, award-winning author Kelly Oliver delivers a fun and engaging kid-friendly literary experience. Here is a story intended for middle-graders, Cub Reporter proves a quality blend of adventure and mystery involving a smart, inquisitive 12-year old with aspirations of becoming a spy.

    As a reporter for her school paper, Kassy’s hoping to nab a front-page scoop and win the honorable Thompson Award for Journalism. Unfortunately, help from her pesky, but the well-intentioned younger brother, sets in motion a roller coaster of calamities she never expected. From animal-nappings and a mixed-bag of clues to car chases and rescues from entrapment, ultimately the constant reinforcement from family, friends, and a menagerie of furry companions bring positive lessons to the forefront of this likable tale.

    Amidst popular classics like Emil and the Detectives and the resurgence of the Nancy Drew mysteries, Oliver has hit the mark with this bright and entertaining series opener. Though geared toward a younger audience, readers of all ages can look forward to more investigative capers on the horizon featuring the creative escapades of Kassy and company. Highly recommended!

    Read More Here


    Remember to add your next reads to your StoryGraph or Goodreads account! Now that you’re set on your next five reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Chatelaine Winners is to submit today! 

    Those who submit and advance will have the chance to win the Overall Grand Prize of the CIBAs and $1000!

    The Boxcar Children from the famed series by Gertrude Warner is the background badge for these Middle Grade Fiction Awards
    Enter Here!
  • Five Days Remain! August Historical Fiction to Close!

    Our 4 Historical Fiction divisions close soon!

    From left to right we have badges for Chaucer, Goethe, Laramie, and Hemingway

    Don’t let your book miss out!

    Only 5 days left to submit your books to these prestigious CIBA Divisions and begin your journey to discovery. The deadline is 8/31/25. Now is the time to make your mark!

    The Chaucer, Goethe, Laramie and Hemingway Awards are still open!

    Best Book Grand Prize for the Chanticleer Int'l Book Awards

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Chaucer Award for Early Historical Fiction!

    • Dean Cycon – A Quest for God and Spices
    • Liz Sevchuk Armstrong – To Remain Vigilant
    • Rozsa Gaston – Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s Court
    • C.V. Lee – Betrayal of Trust
    • Logan D. Irons – Sands of Bone
    • Jean Gill – Among Sea Wolves
    • Laura C. Rader – Hatfield 1677

    And a round of applause for the 2024 Chaucer Grand Prize Winner!

    Maid Of Honour

    Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s Court

    By Rozsa Gaston

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Goethe Award for Late Historical Fiction!

    • Janis Robinson Daly – The Path Beneath Her Feet
    • Sandra Wagner-Wright – Sea Tigers & Merchants: A New American Generation
    • James Conroyd Martin – Napoleon’s Shadow Wife: A Novel of Countess Marie Walewska
    • Florence Reiss Kraut – Street Corner Dreams, A Novel
    • Leo Daughtry – Talmadge Farm
    • Jeza Belle – Blood Rouge
    • R.W. Meek – The Dream Collector, Book II “Sabrine & Vincent van Gogh”
    • Sherry V. Ostroff – The Wall at the Sugar Factory

    And a round of applause for our 2024 Goethe Grand Prize Winner!

    Abigail’s Song

    By Alina Rubin

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Laramie Award for Americana Fiction!

    • David Fitz-Gerald – First Drive
    • Georgina Hogue – Cloud Cap
    • Heather Miller – Yellow Bird’s Song
    • C.M. Huddleston – Esther
    • Karen Lynne Klink – At What Cost, Silence? Book 1 of The Texian Trilogy
    • Charlie Steel – Tom Sharp: The Man and the Legend
    • Daniel Greene – Northern Shadows (Northern Wolf Series Book 5)

    And a round of applause for our 2024 Laramie Grand Prize Winner!

    Sarita

    By Natalie Musgrave Dossett

    Sarita cover by Natalie Musgrave Dossett with a majestic horse galloping

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Congratulations to the 2024 Winners of the Hemingway Award for 20th and 21st Century Wartime Fiction!

    • R L Pace – Rising Son
    • Katherine Koch – The Sower of Black Field: Inspired by the True Story of an American in Nazi Germany
    • Tim Turner and Moisey Gorbaty – The Reluctant Conductor
    • Kay Smith-Blum – Tangles
    • Kathryn Gauci – Midnight in Istanbul
    • Travis Davis – One of Four: World War One Through the Eyes of an Unknown Soldier
    • Bharati Sen – My War, My Child
    • H. W. “Buzz” Bernard – When Heroes Flew

    And a round of applause for our 2024 Hemingway Grand Prize Winner!

    Of White Ashes

    By Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto

    Of White Ashes cover by Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    The CIBAs offer a ladder to success with a range of achievement tiers and expert long tail marketing strategies. From the highly anticipated Long List to the prestigious Overall Grand Prize Winner, the CIBA lists energize both authors and readers, maximizing your digital footprint and expanding your fan base.

     

    We are always eager to support the Best Books through the CIBAs. Join the ranks of celebrated authors who have already taken this critical step in their publishing.

    Your book deserves to be discovered, celebrated, and shared with the world. Don’t miss the chance to showcase your talent and gain valuable exposure at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (April 17-19, 2026) where Winners from all 28 Book Award Divisions will be announced and honored.

    Your story deserves to be heard. Submit now and leave a lasting impression.

    Let’s celebrate exceptional storytelling together!

    Blue button that says Enter a Writing Contest

    Your book deserves to be discovered

    Don’t Delay! Enter Today!

  • The 2024 Gertrude Warner First Place Round Up for Middle Grade Fiction!

    The Boxcar Children from the famed series by Gertrude WarnerThe Gertrude Warner Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Middle Grade Fiction. The Grand Prize Winner, Norah Lally’s book, Back to Bainbridge will be promoted for years to come in our annual Hall of Fame article, as well as be featured on the Gertrude Warner contest page year ’round!

    The best part about being a Chanticleer Int’l Book Award Winner is the love and attention all year ‘round!

    The 2024 Gertrude Warner Winners were announced at the 2025 Chanticleer Authors Conference in April, and you can see the official winners’ post here!

    Join us in celebrating the 2024 First Place Gertrude Warner Winners!

    A Gold Ribbon dividing this section from the next

    Thomas Kuhn – Tommy Rocket and the Goober Patrol

    Tommy Rocket and the Goober Patrol Cover

    When Nate Turner, a more or less average well-intentioned 10-year-old, receives via robot-helicopter an encoded invitation from the secluded, anti-social, and enigmatic child prodigy, Tommy Rocket, promising free Doritos, Twinkies, and adventure, he can’t resist. Tommy’s gift for making gadgets and robots further fascinates Nate, most especially Tommy’s Goober Patrol, a small group of robots possessing the Prometheus Chip, the sentience-granting, epic invention of Tommy’s father. However, when someone—or something—begins spying and hunting the boys, something capable of murder, they join forces to discover the identity of their mysterious stalker. Who, or what, is it, and why is he so interested in Tommy’s father and his fabulous Prometheus Chip? Together, the boys must join forces, along with Tommy’s marvelous robots, to solve the mystery of their unknown adversary, a mystery whose outcome holds the key to the continued survival of the human race itself.

    From Chanticleer:

    Tommy Rocket and the Goober Patrol by Thomas R. Kuhn follows Nate, a young boy growing up in the 1970s, whose friendship with the kid genius robot builder, Tommy Rocket, leads him into mysterious adventures.

    Tommy’s father invented the Prometheus chip that gives sentience to robots, and from a young age Tommy started creating a gang of robots called the Goober Patrol. Eccentric and wheelchair-bound, Tommy prefers to tinker with his robots at home. But he befriends Nate after he saves Tommy from bullies.

    When Tommy’s aptly named ‘Monster-bot’ gets loose, Nate is tasked with finding and securing the rogue bot before anyone finds out. But the two boys soon find out there is more at work than one missing robot. There’s another tinkerer in town and they’re building their own special group of robots—which look just like one of Tommy’s creations. Nate and Tommy have to find out who has gotten their hands on the Prometheus chip before it’s too late.

    Filled with 1970s nostalgia, Tommy Rocket and the Goober Patrol explores the best parts of childhood.

    Read More Here

    Find it on Amazon!

    Debbie Noble Black – Deetjen’s Closet

    It’s bad enough being the new kid in class, but Sara’s secret belief in magic is about to go viral all over school, thanks to the Terrible Twins.

    How on earth can she prove magic exists? And fast!

    Help comes from some ghostly allies she literally stumbles into in a most unexpected place. Hidden deep in an old hotel closet, Sara discovers Silas (an abandoned Civil War coat). He introduces her to six ghosts of clothes worn by real-life people in history whose stories the clothes are eager to tell.

    But that’s not all they have to share. Together, the ghost clothes help Sara come up with a plan to save her own skin and even magic itself. It just might work! Now, whether Sara has the courage to carry it out…that’s another matter. But what really does matter? Being right, or being a friend?

    Deetjen’s Closet is a captivating historical fantasy with splashes of magic for readers 8-12. At the end of the book, they’ll find bonus material from the story—including how to bake fortune cookies, tie a Bowline knot and fold a dollar-bill into a heart.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    M.J. Evans – Coal Dust and Dreams

    Young Bethan is living a peaceful life in a coal mining town in South Wales. But her world crumbles when her father is badly injured after a section of the mine collapses. Setting her dreams aside for the time being, Bethan must help support her family. Defying the laws forbidding it, she goes to work 2,000 feet underground in the dark, damp, and terrifying coal mine. Her only source of comfort comes in the form of Dobbin, the very pit pony who saved her father’s life.

    Through this gripping historical fiction novel for pre-teens and teens, you will experience the grueling work, ever-present dangers, and rampant sexism faced by Bethan as Dobbin becomes her strength and guiding light.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    M.C. Dingman – Samantha Smee: A Pirates Life

    Before Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, there was Samantha Smee and her philosopher fairy, Florafauna. Growing up on Captain Hook’s pirate ship in the 1800s, Samantha Smee, daughter of Mr. Smee, doesn’t face the usual challenges for young girls. Disguised since infancy, Sammi embarks on hilarious, action-packed adventures on the high seas where she develops the skills to navigate Neverland and save her family. This funny tale celebrates inclusivity, girl power, and the importance of friendship, as Sammi discovers her true self. This award-winning book is a fantastic addition to any middle grade kid’s reading list. Through Samantha Smee’s journey, young readers will be inspired to imagine their own dreams and forge their own futures.

    Find it on Amazon!

    Maggie Lynch – The Power of S.A.D.

    Akna Sales has used her smarts, planning, strength and determination to keep her family together since her beloved grandparents died two years ago. The day the social worker takes Akna and her two sisters to a foster home, all her plans for helping Mama get well and saving her family are upended. It seems that calling on her ancestors to help her use the power of S.A.D. (strength and determination) are not working any more.

    Although every foster kid living with the Bohns at Mariposa Lane has problems, they’ve somehow created a resilient, loving family life Akna never could have imagined. But the more secure her situation becomes, the more she fears her real family will be lost.

    Despite her resistance, Akna discovers how to weave the complex legacy of her past into opportunities for a promising future. With the help of a caring teacher, a new friend at school, Akna’s own determination, and the love of her foster family, she learns how to once again welcome the goodness in life, even when some things will always feel broken.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Sue C. Dugan – Mayday

    THERE IS NO DISTRESS CALL FOR TIME TRAVEL!

    Jessica “Jessie” Holbrook and her father, Adam, are flying to a favorite vacation spot in Bermuda in her father’s Cessna for spring break. During a rouge storm, Jessie’s father bangs his head and sees double. Jessie will have to fly the plane and safely land if and when they see an airport.

    Jessie spots land, but it doesn’t look like Bermuda. Have they blown off course to someplace in Central America or Mexico? Jessie thinks they have traveled through a time warp because they find themselves back in Mayan times without knowing how they got there!

    The clock is ticking for them to leave and get home, but they need fuel, and with the language barrier, it’s hard to convey their needs to the inhabitants of this island. They enlist the help of a WWII pilot who has been guarding his fuel supply for many years.

    There is no compass to show the way back from time travel! Their situation seems all but hopeless. Or is it?

    From Chanticleer:

    In Sue C. Dugan’s middle grade adventure, Mayday: Land, Sea, and Air Series Book 2, thirteen-year-old Jessie and her father, Adam, take an unexpected detour when their plane crashes on a secluded island.

    On their final vacation before Adam begins chemotherapy for thyroid cancer, Jessie and her father take off in their Cessna aircraft over the boundless, azure Atlantic Ocean. Jessie’s anxiety about her father’s health is on high-alert during the trip, especially when she remembers her mother’s cancerous death.

    Twenty minutes into their flight, the sky grows gloomy, and the wind picks up speed from all sides.

    The storm rocks their plane, and her father hits his head, giving him a concussion and vision problems. With her father incapacitated, Jessie quickly realizes she needs to find a makeshift landing strip and get the plane safely to the ground.

    Read More Here

    Find it on Amazon!

    Carolyn Armstrong – No Time To Waste

    Fresh from their Arctic adventure of saving polar bears, eleven-year-old twins Sydney and Sierra visit a sea kelp habitat off the coast of California. While scuba diving, Sydney meets her animal contact, a sea otter named Sunny, who enlists Sydney’s help. Ocean plastic pollution has entangled another otter, and it needs to be rescued. Even if the girls are able to release the otter from its plastic prison, there’s a much greater threat in the ocean.

    Together, they’ll have to use all of their wits, ingenuity, and determination to somehow help their animal friends. But as they try and fail again and again, Sydney has a sinking feeling that she’s in over her head. One thing is clear: there’s literally no time to waste.

    Find it Locally and on Amazon!

    Sandy Grubb – Just Like Click

    Nick Townley has lived his entire life— all eleven years— at Black Butte Ranch, nestled in the foothills of the snow-capped Cascade Mountains. While his parents push him to study, practice sports, and make friends, Nick prefers to retreat into his superhero universe and create exciting Adventures of Click comics. When a string of robberies threatens Dad’ s job, forcing them to move across the country, Nick’ s world implodes. He loves his home, and what will he do about the 237,000 dollars in cash under his bed that Great Gramp gave him before he died?
     
    Desperate to stop the move, Nick steps off his comic book pages and ventures into the night as Click, an undercover superhero. Catching thieves would be a lot easier if he had actual superpowers. When three new kids discover his identity and want to join him, Nick vows to stay undercover… until he realizes even a superhero needs friends. But can he ask them to put their lives in danger to save his home?
     Find it Locally and on Amazon!


    Thank you for joining us to celebrate the 2024 Gertrude Warner First Place Winners!

    The Boxcar Children from the famed series by Gertrude Warner

     

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    Your book can join the Tiers of Achievement, but only if you submit to the Gertrude Warner Awards!

     

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