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Madison's Beccia to Judge National Principals' Award for Children's Literature

Judging Panel to select outstanding books for elementary-age readers by independent authors

The Children’s Literature Independently Published Principals’ Award, CLIPPA, has announced the judging committee for the 2014 prizes for independently published children’s books. The committee comprises elementary school principals, educators and authors from across the U.S., including Ann Beccia, director of the Madison (CT) School for Young Children.

“We are thrilled to have a panel of high-caliber judges like Ann assessing the entries for the first-ever CLIPPA awards,” said Lisa Hayes, of Kabuki Helps, sponsor of the awards. “This roster of leading educators from across the U.S. will ensure we honor authors who are meeting the highest standards of originality, learning quality and language in their children’s literature.”

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Awards will be presented in two categories: children’s books for Grades K-2 and children’s books for Grades 3-4.  Entries will be accepted through July 31, 2014. For more information, official rules and an entry form, visit http://www.clippaward.com.

Beccia is founder and director of Madison CT School for Young Children, a NAEYC-accredited early childhood program. Over the course of her career, she has been a middle and high school language arts and English teacher, a mentor teacher, a language arts curriculum specialist, and principal of a private special education school for children in grades k-12.  Early in her career she worked as assistant director of an English language school in Osaka Japan.

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The other judges are Susan Dillard Espiritu, principal of Pond Gap Elementary School in Knoxville, TN; Mary Beth Gaertner,  principal of Salem Lutheran School in Tomball, TX; Jessica Johnson, elementary school principal, Dodgeland, WI; Gail Kinsey, principal of Fairfax Villa (VA) Elementary School; Jon Konen, principal of Lincoln Elementary School, Great Falls, MT;  Eunice Lasala, retired teacher and children’s reading advocate, Branford, CT; Jean Marzollo, educator and author of the award-winning I SPY  children’s series( NY); and Alternate: Beth Kolehmainen, early childhood educator and children’s author, Grantham, NH.

About the CLIPPA

The Children’s Literature Independently Published Principals’ Award (CLIPPA) awards were created to recognize and encourage independent authors who self-publish outstanding children’s books that offer fun, learning and creativity. To be eligible, books must be self-published by the author between 2011 and 2014, in English, printed in hard copy and available for purchase in the U.S. Two awards will be presented: one each for children’s books for Grades K-2 and children’s books for Grades 3-4. Award winners will receive a cash prize of $250, a consultation session on promoting self-published books with brand-builder Mike Michalowicz, author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur (valued at $450) and other prizes.  For more information, official rules and an entry form, visit http://www.clippaward.com

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