The Best Children's Books of the Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Best Children's Books of the Year

The winners from the 21st annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards have been named

NEW YORK, New York—Today, June 19th, 2020, Leo Gray Books is proud to announce that Leo Gray and the Lunar Eclipse has been named a winner in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards.

Foreword Reviews, a book review journal focusing on independently published books, has announced the winners of its INDIES Book of the Year Awards. The INDIES recognize the best books published in 2019 from small, indie, and university presses, as well as self-published authors. You can view all of the winners here: forewordreviews.com/awards/winners/2019/.

“For a couple of months a year, our editorial team gathers together for the collaborative work of reading through the thousands of worthy INDIES submissions we receive, whittling categories down to the few books that best represent the spirit and potential of independent publishing,” says Managing Editor Michelle Anne Schingler. “The task of judging books is never easy—our impulse, as readers, is to embrace all titles—but it’s work that we take seriously, as do the librarians and booksellers who further narrow the categories after us.

“The end result are short lists of winners that represent the best of the best—independent titles that you absolutely should not miss. In these troubled times of tremendous change, we hope that you’ll find these selections inspiring—a reminder of what we’re all working toward together.”

“Now, more than ever, children need books that will help them find themselves as they try to make sense of our newly changed planet,” said K.J. Kruk, author-illustrator and INDIES award winner. “Leo Gray and the Lunar Eclipse is a book that will do just that. Not only will it fulfill a child’s thirst for creative adventure, but it will equip them with the courage and hope they need to push through these difficult and trying times together.”

Over 2,100 entries were submitted in 55 categories, with Foreword’s editors choosing approximately 9 finalists per genre. Those finalists were then mailed to individual librarians and booksellers charged with picking the Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention winners.

K.J. Kruk is the author and illustrator of the award-winning middle-grade science fiction novel Leo Gray and the Lunar Eclipse, published March 19th, 2019 with Greenleaf Book Group Press. Kruk is also the creator of TOL Academy, an online educational resource for teachers, parents, and librarians to pair with the book, and is the principal grantor of The Super Stellar Dream Scholarship, an international opportunity that offers young minds pursuing innovative, altruistic goals in the Arts and STEM the chance to bring their dreams to fruition. For more on K.J. Kruk and Leo Gray Books visit kjkruk.com.

Contact:

Cindy Black, Black Speck PR

blackspeckpr@gmail.com

408.809.0210

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