Press Release

ASPCA^® Announces 2008 Henry Bergh Children's Book Award Winners

Houghton Mifflin to Receive ASPCA Roger Caras Achievement Award at 2009 American Library Association Conference

May 1, 2009

ASPCA Media Contact

NEW YORK—The ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) has announced the winners of the 2008 ASPCA Henry Bergh Children's Book Awards.

Named in honor of ASPCA founder Henry Bergh, the annual awards recognize books based on their exemplary handling of subject matter pertaining to animals and the environment. The winning authors will be honored at a ceremony at the American Library Association's Annual Conference in Chicago, Ill. on July 13, 2009.

Houghton Mifflin will also be awarded the 2008 Roger Caras Achievement Award for children's literature at the upcoming awards. Named in honor of past ASPCA President Roger Caras, the award honors an outstanding individual or organization that has inspired children and made a contribution to the animal community through literature, actions or other means.

"Nothing is more essential to the future of America's pets than educating our children about animal awareness," says ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. "Through honoring both an outstanding publisher and the works of several distinguished authors, the ASPCA is able to continue its quest to create a more humane nation."

This year's nine award winners and honorees covered seven categories. They include:

Winners of the 2008 ASPCA^® Henry Bergh Children's Book Award are:

Non-Fiction Companion Animals Award:
Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival by Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery, Walker & Company

Non-Fiction Companion Animals Honor:
How To Speak Dog! by Sarah Whitehead, Scholastic

Non-Fiction Environment and Ecology:
Wild Tracks! A Guide to Nature's Footprints by Jim Arnosky, Sterling Publishing

Non-Fiction Humane Heroes:
Molly the Pony by Pam Kaster, Louisiana State University Press

Fiction Companion Animals Award:
It's Raining Cats and Cats! by Jeanne Prevost, Gryphon Press

Fiction Companion Animals Honor:
A Home for Dakota by Jan Zita Grover, Gryphon Press

Fiction Environment and Ecology:
The Wolves are Back by Jean Craighead George, Dutton Children's Books

Fiction Humane Heroes:
Dolphins on the Sand by Jim Arnosky, G.P. Putnam's Sons

Young Adult:
The Last Wild Place by Rosa Jordan, Peachtree

To qualify for consideration for the ASPCA Henry Bergh Children's Book Awards, the following criteria must be met:

Books must be written in English;
Books must be written for an audience of children up to and including the age of 12 (age 17 for the young adult award);
Books must be works of fiction, non-fiction, or collections of short stories, essays, or poetry; and
Books must be published between January and December of the previous year.

Self-published books are eligible, provided that the author/publisher also publishes titles by other authors.

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Founded in 1866, the ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) is the first humane organization established in the Americas and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animal welfare. One million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501 [c] [3] not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, offers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.

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