More Honors For Stephanie Sorkin

BY JOE SCOTCHIE
jscotchie@antonmediagroup.com
Roslyn author Stephanie Sorkin’s latest success is her children’s book, Frenemy Jane, The Sometimes Friend.
The picture book, which addresses the problem of bullying, has been named as a Foreword Reviews’ 2015 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards winner, taking a bronze medal.
“I’m honored to have my book named an INDIEFAB award winner,” Sorkin told The Roslyn News. “It’s a huge accomplishment to be among the finest talent in the indie book market. Knowing that my book will now reach a larger audience is very exciting. With a portion of my proceeds going to a Bully Prevention Campaign (www.pacer.org/bullying) it’s that much more rewarding, as the increased exposure will surely lead to more money raised for The Pacer Center.
“Frenemy Jane, The Sometimes Friend is a picture book, for ages 3-8, designed to help children navigate difficult social situations such as bullying,” Sorkin added, describing the book. “I’m not the first author to tackle this subject and I surely won’t be that last. What sets my book apart from other kid lit bullying books is that rather that have a stereotypical ‘mean kid’ that we typically see on TV or in literature as a main character, I have an adorable little girl with pigtails and a pink dress that doesn’t look the part. Furthermore, this character is sometimes nice, but not always. This is a very hard concept for children to grasp, as it’s a gray area when someone that you consider a friend isn’t treating you properly. I coined the phrase ‘sometimes friend’ in hopes that children will now have a tool to describe such situations. During my school visits I use the classroom discussion questions that are included in the book to open the floor for conversation. This has proven to be an extremely useful tool for parents, caregivers, teacher and students.”
Any contestant for the INDIEFAB awards faces formidable competition. Up to 2,000 entries are submitted each year. A panel of librarians and booksellers, along with Foreword Reviews’ editorial staff, then chooses winners in 66 categories, honoring the year’s best books published by independent publishers, university presses and self-published authors.
“Foreword’s INDIEFAB judges are the key to our winners’ selection process, and, in our minds, the most foolproof way to choose award-winning books,” said Victoria Sutherland, publisher of Foreword Reviews. “We work with a librarian and bookseller in each category to provide us with an insider’s perspective on what would do well on consumer and library shelves. Using industry professionals confirms the trade quality of a book.”
Sorkin’s other books include Nutley, The Nut-Free Squirrel and Chocolate Shoes with Licorice Laces. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Sorkin notes that most of the proceeds of her books are donated to organizations that help children around the world. And hopefully, this award will give her latest effort the audience it deserve