Message of Nonviolence a Winner for "The Call to Shakabaz" Author

Online, November 17, 2009 (Newswire.com) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media kits and book review copies available. Email [email protected]
Contact: Amy Wachspress (707) 468-4118

Message of Nonviolence a Winner for The Call to Shakabaz Author

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. 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 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 distant fantasy 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. A rip-roaring ride with enchantment, depth, and soul for readers of all ages, the book is a terrific cross-generational family read-aloud and a good bet as a holiday gift that will afford hours of family entertainment. Reviewers promise that if you like the Narnia books and Harry Potter, you'll love The Call to Shakabaz.
Amy teaches that creativity is the opposite of violence because it requires imagination to build a peaceful solution to a complex conflict. 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 (available for free online at her website).

"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 Woza Books on the web

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 Legacy Audio Books on the web