FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media kits and book review copies available. Visit: www.wozabooks.com
Contact: Amy Wachspress (707) 468-4118
Message of Nonviolence a Winner for The Call to Shakabaz Author
Ukiah, CA – Amy Wachspress, author of the award-winning children’s fantasy adventure The Call to Shakabaz, has received the 2009 Spirit of Youth Award from Artists for a Better World in Hollywood, CA. The award is one of several awards presented each year to artists who are changing conditions in society through their aesthetic and social contributions. The Spirit of Youth Award recognizes an artist who inspires young people to make the world a better place. Amy is being honored both for the message of her book and her ongoing work as a grant writer. She has raised over $100 million for worthy causes nationwide, the majority of which are projects serving underserved children and youth living in poverty (and their families).
The Call to Shakabaz has won numerous national and regional awards and is available in audio book format from Legacy Audio Books, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio. The Call to Shakabaz is unusual both in message and content. It features all Black characters; a rare occurrence in the children’s fantasy adventure genre. In the book, the recently orphaned Goodacre children travel to the land of Faracadar on a quest to retrieve the powerful Staff of Shakabaz from the malevolent enchanter Sissrath. When they discover that violence is foredoomed to fail against Sissrath, they must use their wits and imagination to defeat him. The book demonstrates the fundamental principles of nonviolence as practiced by Dr. King and Gandhi within the context of a cliff-hanger that has the reader hooked from the beginning right through to the unexpected, magical climax. Amy has combined her passion for children’s fantasy stories and a heartfelt belief in the power of nonviolence with a love of African American culture to create a rip-roaring ride with magic, depth, and soul for readers of all ages (a great cross-generational read-aloud). Reviewers promise that if you like the Narnia books and Harry Potter, you’ll love The Call to Shakabaz.
In 2009, Amy received a grant from the Mendocino County Arts Council to conduct author visits in the schools. She and students made fold-out books printed with her Everyday Practices for Young People Who Want to Help Save the World. Amy teaches that creativity is the opposite of violence because it requires imagination to build a peaceful solution to a complex conflict.
“The Call to Shakabaz is a children’s book that is important for everyone to know about. I suggest you buy it and read it together with the whole family.” – Bev Smith, nationally syndicated talk radio host
“First and foremost, The Call to Shakabaz is a highly readable, entertaining fantasy that anyone can enjoy. But beyond that, it fills some important holes in fantasy literature. It’s about time that a good fantasy came along featuring characters that African-American children can identify with.”– Sheila Ruth, Wands and Worlds
The Call to Shakabaz by Amy Wachspress Published by Woza Books
$15.50 US • ISBN 978-0-9788350-2-6 • 6″ X 9″ 272 pages Trade Paperback
Available through Follett Library Resources, Baker & Taylor, and Reach and Teach
Visit www.wozabooks.com
The Call to Shakabaz Audio Book Produced by Legacy Audio Books, Inc.
$29.99 US • ISBN 978-0-9779883-9-6 • Available through Follett Library Resources, Quality Books Inc., BCH, Brodart Co., Baker & Taylor, and Legacy. Visit www.legacy-audiobooks.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media kits and review copies available. Visit www.legacy-audiobooks.com
Legacy Contact: Andrew L. Barnes (866) 499-2049 a.barnes@legacyaudiobooks.com
Woza Contact: Amy Wachspress (707) 468-4118 amy@wozabooks.com
(URL: www.wozabooks.com)
Action-filled Children’s Fantasy Featuring Black Characters and Positive Message Released in Audio Book
Cincinnati, OH – The audio book version of The Call to Shakabaz by Amy Wachspress has just been released by Legacy Audio Books, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio. A joint venture of Woza and Legacy, the read-aloud features the versatile voices of Andrew L. Barnes and Adilah Barnes as well as original music composed by Timothy Barnes. The Call to Shakabaz recently received a Bay Area Independent Publishers Association (BAIPA) 2008 Award for Best Juvenile Fiction and has also won three national and two regional awards (including Children’s Fiction Finalist USA Book News Best Books 2007). It is a five-star favorite on Amazon. Stephanie Vela, children’s books manager at Black Oak Books in Berkeley, California, reports that the book was one of her top 10 children’s books sold this spring. Reviewers promise that if you like the Narnia books and Harry Potter, you’ll love The Call to Shakabaz.
In The Call to Shakabaz, the recently orphaned Goodacre children travel with their pesky parrot to the distant land of Faracadar on a quest to retrieve the powerful Staff of Shakabaz from the evil enchanter Sissrath. When the young protagonists discover that violence is foredoomed to fail against Sissrath, they must use their wits and imagination to defeat him. A terrific romp with cross-generational appeal, this story demonstrates the fundamental principles of nonviolence as practiced by Dr. King and Gandhi within the context of a real cliff-hanger that has the reader hooked from the beginning all the way to the unexpected, magical climax.
The Call to Shakabaz is filled with adventure, colorful endearing characters, magic and enchantment, thought-provoking threads to spark discussion, children on a hero’s journey, and of course, an epic struggle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. Author Amy Wachspress has combined a passion for children’s fantasy stories and a heartfelt belief in the power of nonviolence with a love of African American culture to create a rip-roaring ride with magic, depth, and soul for readers of all ages.
“The Call to Shakabaz is a children’s book that is important for everyone to know about. I suggest you buy it and read it together with the whole family.” – Bev Smith, nationally syndicated talk radio host
“First and foremost, The Call to Shakabaz is a highly readable, entertaining fantasy that anyone can enjoy. But beyond that, it fills some important holes in fantasy literature. It’s about time that a good fantasy came along featuring characters that African-American children can identify with.”– Sheila Ruth, Wands and Worlds
The Call to Shakabaz Audio Book
Produced by Legacy Audio Books, Inc.
$29.99 US • ISBN 978-0-9779883-9-6
Available through Follett Library Resources, Quality Books Inc., BCH, Brodart Co., Baker & Taylor, and Legacy Audio Books, Inc. – visit www.legacyaudiobooks.com