Books for Brats™ Announces 2005 Heroes and Zeros Awards
First annual Media, Education and Military Brat of the Year Awards encourage awareness of military community.
Miramar Beach, FL (PRWEB) January 3, 2006
Little Redhaired Girl Publishing's Books for Brats™ (www. booksforbrats. net) series of books and more for children of military and public service personnel announces its First Annual Books for Brats™ Heroes & Zeros Awards. Our awards are in line with our mission to provide content for the military brat that encourages a child’s pride in family and community, as well as awareness and tolerance of the military family in the media and society at large. These awards are meant to highlight positive images of military brats in the news and encourage fair treatment of military families and their children in the media and educational institutions. We hope to eliminate the perception of our soldiers and their families as villains or victims, but service personnel who make great sacrifices on behalf of their fellow citizens everyday. Hero Award winners create opportunities for understanding between military and civilian communities, while Zero Award winners are perceived to encourage negative stereotypes and abuse of military families. Because our military is not a political organization, politicians or political figures are not considered for recognition.
Books for Brats™ Educator Zero Award
Alex Kunhardt & Julie Fitzpatrick
Teaching Hate
We hope the classroom is a safe place for all children, including children of our troops. Alex Kundhart, a sixth-grade teacher in Park Slope, Brooklyn, assigned his students a class project of writing to PFC Jacobs, stationed in Korea awaiting deployment to Iraq. Jacobs received numerous letters from Kundhart’s students suggesting he was "being forced to kill innocent people", "destroying holy places like mosques" and would likely die. Meanwhile teacher Julie Fitzpatrick of Frank Allis Elementary School in Milwaukee required her third-graders to write their state and federal leaders demanding the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. While teachers are entitled to their opinions, these institutionalized attacks on our soldiers are making classrooms abusive and unsafe for the children of our soldiers.
Books for Brats™ Media Zero Award
Linda K. Foley, President of the Newspaper Guild
Don’t “Journalists” Check Facts?
On May 13, 2005 while speaking at the National Conference For Media Reform Linda K. Foley made the following statement: “the brutality and the cavalier nature of the US military toward the killing of journalists in Iraq. I think it's just a scandal…They (U. S. soldiers) target and kill journalists” In addition to calling our troops “brutal” and “cavalier”, she offers no proof or factual basis for this accusation. Foley also ignores the fact that our troops are making sacrifices everyday to defend and protect journalists, all while attempting to accomplish their mission in trying circumstances. While Foley has defended this as her “opinion”, ethical journalists are required to stick to the facts and use disclaimers such as “alleged” in their reporting of unproven crimes to protect the innocent. In her all-powerful media position, Foley sits as accuser, judge and jury slandering our military in the media. Her abuse leaves no recourse for our troops or their families for calling their loved one or parent criminal in a public forum.
Books for Brats™ Media Hero Award
TLC's "Operation Homecoming" & CMT's "American Soldier"
The Military Families' Reality
Cable networks have developed reality programming that provides insight and enlightenment for the general public about the military family experience. Finally putting a face to the effects of deployment on the family, TLC's "Operation Homecoming" follows families as they go from separation to reuniting. CMT's "American Soldier" also gives voice to the troops on the ground and their families at home.
Books for Brats™ Educator Hero Award
MCEC - Military Child Education Coalition
For the Sake of the Child
MCEC brings educators, parents, military leaders and community leaders together to help create the best possible educational environment for children of military personnel in DOD and civilian schools around the world. They create initiatives and provide resources for educators that help facilitate the special needs of students who endure countless school transitions and separation from parents. They are also working to ensure that children of military personnel receive the same opportunities as all American children including the basic educational right of in-state tuition at State Universities and consistency of educational standards. (www. militarychild. org)
Books for Brats™ Military Brat of the Year Award
Shannon Elizabeth
Celebrity Brat
Elizabeth recently expressed her commitment to military families in US Magazine "My dad was in the Navy, so anything having to do with the military is very close to my heart." She has proven that commitment through her charitable work to benefit Fisher House which aids wounded soldiers and their families. She recently appeared at Bodog. com's Fisher House fundraiser and has visited troops at military hospitals. We not only admire Elizabeth's charity work, but applaud her willingness to "come out" in Hollywood as a military brat and show pride and support of her community.
Little Redhaired Girl Publishing released two titles from its Books for Brats™ series in 2003, “Daddy, You’re My Hero!” and “Mommy, You’re My Hero!”. Acclaimed by educators and childcare professionals, both children’s picture books are written and illustrated by Michelle Ferguson-Cohen. Ferguson-Cohen, a self-professed military “brat”, wrote the books from a child’s perspective to help children coping with deployment. Ferguson-Cohen is the child of a Vietnam Veteran and career Army officer and her grandfather was killed in action in WWII. Books for Brats™ and Little Redhaired Girl™ and www. booksforbrats. net are the trademarked property of Little Redhaired Girl Publishing, Inc.
# # #
