10-Yr-Old Author - 2006 Recipient Mom’s Choice Literary Award!
(Kingsport, Tennessee) -- 10-year-old McKenna Andrews, is a recipient of 'The 2006 Mom’s Choice Award' for her literary accomplishments as a child author regarding her first published book ‘Riding The Storm Out.’
Riding The Storm Out is a fictional tale inspired by true events that occurred when the dolphins of The MarineLife Oceanarium were swept from their aquarium and out to sea by Hurricane Katrina. (photo below courtesy of noaa)
In her book, McKenna has Noah as a young dolphin who knows a big storm is coming but he hasn't been moved like some dolphins to a safer hotel pool. He has heard the word Katrina but doesn't understand it. Soon he is out in the open sea, and worse - still alone. This changes when he meets a wild dolphin called Zack who introduces him to his pod and begins the rudiments of teaching him how to survive. This story follows real life events in that the domesticated dolphins were quite keen to return to their unnatural life. No so long and thanks for all the fish' from Noah and friends. Noah soon finds that a lot of things in the ocean STING and you have to use teamwork to catch - GOSH - live fish!
McKenna has a simple story, with plenty of emotion and wonderment in it. The prose is matched by a series of photographs, some color and some black and white and it’s book-ended by two quotes from D.H. Lawrence. McKenna’s account is told from the perspective of one dolphin whose courage enables him to survive in the unfamiliar ocean and reunite with his pod.
These dolphins that inspired her story now reside at The Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas! This young author accepted an invitation from The Atlantis Resort to come and visit these Katrina Dolphins this past June. She was very excited to see some of her old friends that she used to visit every summer at MarineLife Oceanarium before Hurricane Katrina.
McKenna also has first-hand experience in Riding Storm’s Out. She along with her family also rode ‘Hurricane Katrina’ out in their former Petal, Mississippi home located less than an hour from the MS Gulf Coast. She wrote ‘Riding The Storm Out’ at the young age of 9 after viewing a news story about the plight of these dolphins after Katrina. Her book hit #1 on her publisher’s website, (Lulu.com - a self-publishing web site) in April 2006 and even garnered a commendation letter from President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush as well as The First Lady of Tennessee.
The ‘2006 Mom’s Choice Awards’ red carpet gala (a filmed event) will be held October 13th, 2007 in New York, New York at the beautiful Marriott Marquis. Celebrity presenters will present the awards. http://www.momschoiceawards.com
Media Inquires:
Andrews Publishing
Contact Michael Andrews at: michaelandrews5@aol.com
http://www.lulu.com/mckennaandrews
http://www.myspace.com/mckennaandrews
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