Voting Now Open -- ABC's Children's Picture Book Competition - Bella Upside Down

Online, September 20, 2009 (Newswire.com) - The ABC Book Competition is a competition for authors and illustrators of children's books. Summer K. Hall's entry entitled "Bella Upside Down" made it to the final round of the nationwide competition.

Ms. Hall has been an educator for 14 years in Westminster School District. Ms. Hall says she entered this contest because she wanted to show her own daughter and her students that to love stories not only means to read them but to write them as well. Ms. Hall would love for all children to be given the opportunity to enjoy exploring their world in new and creative ways.

In "Bella Upside Down," our protagonist is faced with a world where everything is always right side up, top to bottom, left to right and in a row. One day, she decides to make a change. Bella teaches children that it's OK to take risks in their lives: to shake things up a little, even if in the end, they decide that things were OK just the way they were. Children need to be encouraged to experience the possibilities that await them.

"Bella Upside Down" is illustrated by Michelle Henninger.
Ms. Henninger really enjoyed drawing the spunky, risk taking, Bella. According to Ms Henninger, the greatest thing an illustrator can do is inspire a love of reading in children. Books can open up new worlds to children that they might otherwise have never known. She has dreamed of the day when she can read a book, , that she has helped bring to life,
to her own children.

You may go to the ABC Book Competition website to vote, once daily, beginning September 20 -October 4th. The author/illustrator team with the most votes will receive a royalty-based publishing contract for their winning entry.

The address is http://www.abcbookcompetition.org/5th_comp/bellaUpsideDown.html