Susan Dudley Gold’s The Grandma Star has won second place for children’s fiction in the National Federation of Press Women’s 2017 communications contest. The contest is the most comprehensive international competition for all areas of communications.
In making the award, the NFPW judge noted:
“The exceptional aspect of this text is that it deals with the difficult topic of death in an original way. First it confronts the reader head on with the reality of loss. ‘My grandma died and I won’t see her anymore.’ After sharing all the special things that the granddaughter and grandma shared together, the story takes an unexpected twist. The father takes the daughter out to see the stars and contrasts the stars to the memory of her grandma. Children wrestle with accepting and understanding the loss of a loved one. What a comforting story to uplift and encourage and preserve the special memories of a loved one.”
The illustrations in the book are based on photographs taken by Colleen Morrison, Gold’s daughter-in-law. They depict Gold’s granddaughter and other members of the family.
Both the Maine Hospice of Southern Maine and the Center for Grieving Children include the book in their lists of useful resources for clients.
Gold and her husband, John Gold, own Custom Communications Inc., a publishing and web design firm with offices in Saco and Portland.
Awards were presented at the 2017 NFPW national conference in Birmingham, Alabama, NFPW is an organization of professional journalists and communicators in journalism, public relations, education, publishing, and other fields. For 80 years, it has promoted the highest ethical standards in communications, professional development, youth programs, networking, and protection of First Amendment rights.
The Grandma Star can be purchased through Amazon.com or directly from the author (for an autographed copy) at GrandmaStar.com.