Mom’s Choice Awards

February 17 2009

Florida Kids Press, Inc. recently received exciting news.  Two of my books, Adventures on Amelia Island: A Pirate, A Princess, and Buried Treasure (2007) and Trouble on the St. Johns River (2008) are both recipients of the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award for 2009 in the juvenile fiction category.

The Mom’s Choice Awards; is known for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. This annual competition recognizes authors, inventors, companies, parents and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media products and services.

Both of these books may be ordered through my website.  Discounts are offered to schools.  Schools interested in an Author Visit may contact me at 904-268-9572 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Adventures on Amelia Island: A Pirate, A Princess, and Buried Treasure is also the recipient of a Benjamin Franklin Award in 2008, and is included on the Accelerated Reader program.

Mom’s Choice Awards

February 01 2009

Florida Kids Press, Inc. received exciting news this week.  Two of my books, Adventures on Amelia Island: A Pirate, A Princess, and Buried Treasure (2007) and Trouble on the St. Johns River (2008) are both recipients of the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award for 2009 in the juvenile fiction category.

The Mom’s Choice Awards®  is known for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. This annual competition recognizes authors, inventors, companies, parents and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media products and services.

Parents, educators, librarians and retailers rely on its evaluations when selecting quality materials for children and families. The Mom’s Choice Awards® seal helps families and educators navigate the vast array of products and services and make informed decisions.

For more information about each of these books, visit http://www.janewoodbooks.com.  Books may be ordered through my website or through Amazon.com.  Discounts are offered to schools through my website.  Schools interested in an Author Visit may contact me at 904-268-9572 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Adventures on Amelia Island: A Pirate, A Princess, and Buried Treasure is also the recipient of a Benjamin Franklin Award in 2008, and is included on the Accelerated Reader™ program.

2008 – A Very Good Year!

January 06 2009

It was indeed a very good year for me and my books.

I especially enjoyed meeting with students and teachers during my Author Visits to 38 schools in 6 states, including South Carolina, Maryland, Nevada, California, Colorado and of course, Florida.  I also participated in book festivals in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Amelia Island, and Decatur, Georgia.  My company, Florida Kids Press, Inc., has now sold more than 10,000 books in its short history.

My third book, Trouble on the St. Johns River, was released on Earth Day, April 15, 2008.  With an environmental theme, it has been very popular with schools across the country, and it will go into its second printing this month.

Adventures on Amelia Island: A Pirate, A Princess, and Buried Treasure, was selected as a finalist for a Benjamin Franklin Award in Juvenile Fiction given by the Independent Book Publishers Association.  It is also now included in the Accelerated Reader program subscribed to by many schools.  It has just gone into its third printing.

And Voices in St. Augustine, published originally in 2004, still continues to be popular with many 4th grade classes in Florida, as that’s where they study Florida history. However, I continue to get orders from individuals and schools from all over the country.  Voices in St. Augustine is now in its 3rd edition, and is sporting a brand new cover.

I look forward to the New Year with hopes that many more young readers will discover my books and that I’ll get to visit even more schools in 2009. 

Any school interested in an Author Visit can contact me at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Happy New Year!

Local TV show with Danielle Dolan

July 24 2008

I was recently the guest on a local TV show with Danielle Dolan, the Education Director for the St. Johns Riverkeeper.  She talked about the wonderful things that organization is doing in the community regarding education and awareness about our river.  I, of course, talked about Trouble on the St. Johns River, which has been endorsed by the St. Johns Riverkeeper.  For those of you living in the Jacksonville area, First Coast Family will air on cable channel 29 at 7:00 PM on two consecutive Fridays—July 25 and Aug 1.  I hope you’ll tune in.

Speaking of the St. Johns Riverkeeper… they are offering a Family River Ride on August 9, from 9:30-11:30 AM.  This is a great way to see the river, learn about its history and ecology, and have some fun with hands-on activities.  It costs $25 per family and leaves from downtown Jacksonville near Friendship Fountain on the south bank of the St. Johns River.  Bring the kids and enjoy a morning on the water. You must make a reservation in advance.  For more information and to make a reservation, go to: http://www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org/calendar.asp

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center, which is also featured in Trouble on the St. Johns River, released another loggerhead turtle on June 30.  Dylan was rescued as a hatchling in 1998.  Like Spitfire, who was released in May, you can track Dylan online by going to www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org.  Tracking these turtles is a great way to make science come alive for kids.

School will be starting in another month.  For teachers who are planning ahead, feel free to contact me if you’d like to schedule an Author Visit to your school.  I can be reached at 904-268-9572 or at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Enjoy the rest of your summer by reading a good book!

Off to California

June 10 2008

I’m off to California again to visit some schools on the west coast. I just returned from BookExpo America in Los Angeles where I met many new people and enjoyed the excitement of the publishing world. My book, Adventures on Amelia Island: A Pirate, A Princess and Buried Treasure, was one of three finalists for a Benjamin Franklin Award from the Independent Book Publishers Association. My book did not win, but I am honored to be recognized at the national level.
     
My newest book, Trouble on the St. Johns River, recently received a good review from The Midwest Book Review.  One comment included, “Trouble on the St. Johns River is a call to action for young children, and highly recommended for community library children’s fiction collections.” I’m told the review was done through the University of Wisconsin, where the book will be made available to Wisconsin’s public school system and community libraries.  I’m excited about expanding into other states.
     
I recently spoke to a group of very environmentally-conscious students at Fletcher Middle School in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.  They had read my book and were engaged in a number of projects, encouraged by science teacher Kathy Poe.  Not only did the students create songs, raps, poems, websites, posters, and a variety of hands-on activities, several of them wrote Letters to the Editor to several local publications, listing things people can do the help the environment.  These kids “get it.”  Let’s hope their generation does a better job of protecting and preserving the environment than the previous one.  I’m proud of these students, and commend Kathy Poe on her enthusiastic and creative way of making learning exciting and relevant for kids.
     
I’m off to California, and hopefully some cooler weather.

Last weekend my two book signings were outdoors in the sun, sand and wind.

May 09 2008

Saturday found me and my husband, Terry, on Jekyll Island for the Nest Fest launching the beginning of the sea turtle nesting season.  The highlight of the day was the release of three rehabilitated turtles from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.  A crowd gathered to celebrate their release. Check out the video of the release of Spitfire, a large loggerhead turtle fitted with a transmitter, on the Center’s website at  http://www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org . The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is one of the places Joey, Bobby and Katy visit in Trouble on the St. Johns River.  I know they would highly recommend a visit there to everyone.

I was with my pirate friends on Sunday at the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival on Amelia Island. The weather was great…the seafood tasty…and the pirates were up to the old tricks…always fun! I enjoyed seeing many of you who stopped by my table. The Shrimp Festival is featured in my second book, Adventures on Amelia Island: A Pirate, A Princess, and Buried Treasure.

April was an exciting month.

May 01 2008

Trouble on the St. Johns River was released on April 15. Since then I have done presentations and book signings at seven schools, three libraries, three book stores, Jacksonville’s Earth Day Celebration, and the Much Ado About Books book festival. It’s been fun meeting so many people who care about our environment. The response from kids has been especially rewarding. Some students are already forming Greenies groups.

May will be another busy month. Check out my Event Schedule if you want to know where I’ll be. I’m especially looking forward to Nest Fest on Jekyll Island on May 3, and the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival on Amelia Island on May 4. Both of these places are featured in my books.

Remember to keep reading and Think Green!

Trouble on the St. Johns River to be released on April 15, 2008

April 01 2008

Hi, I’m Jane Wood. I’m excited about my newest kids’ book, Trouble on the St. Johns River, which will be released on April 15, 2008. The Johnson family, Joey, Bobby and Katy, are back to their adventurous ways, but this time, instead of chasing history, they’re making it.

In my third book the kids start their summer vacation by going fishing in a neighborhood pond and ending up leading a crusade to clean up the environment when they find it covered in green muck and dead fish. Their summer becomes a time of discovery, awareness, and inspiration to “do something” about making a positive impact on their environment – even if they are only kids.

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