A book for grieving children has earned its Maple Ridge author her second industry accolades of the year.
Ligia Carvalho was picked as a finalist in the 2020 American Book Fest awards, this for her creation of “Grandma is a Star.”
“It’s surreal what is happening,” she said. “This book was written with a lot of love. It is beyond special to know that it is inspiring other kids and families in some of the most difficult times.”
She was first runner-up in the children’s mind/body/spirit category of the awards, beat out by “The Dirt Girl” written by Jodi Dee.
Earlier this month, Carvalho’s book also earned her a similiar finalist position in the International Book Fest awards competition.
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When Carvalho wrote the book, she never imagined some of the “highly significant people in the industry would recognize my work,” she said.
“This gives me the strength and courage to keep writing my next stories and trying to inspire more kids.”
Carvalho calls herself an aspiring children’s book author, who started her writing career with the publication of her first book, “Max Loves Cupcakes,” in 2017. This most recent title, receiving all the accolades in August, was published in 2018.
Born in Brazil, Carvalho has lived in Canada since 2009, where she continued her studies in business writing.
Working as a freelance writer, the mother of three young boys enjoys travelling and reading as much as she can.
The American Book Fest awards were announced in mid-August and included 70 genre-specific categories, explained Jeffrey Keen, president and CEO.
“Our success begins with the enthusiastic participation of authors and publishers and continues with our distinguished panel of industry judges who bring to the table their extensive editorial, PR, marketing, and design expertise,” Keen said.
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