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YourHub.com \\ Parker \\ Stories \\ Kudos & Milestones \\ Awards

Award goes to children's book on divorce

On 3/23/2007

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Contributed by: Sarah Doyle on 4/12/2007

The Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) awarded their annual 1st Place EVVY Award for Best Children's Book to The Most Important Thing, a picture book about divorce by local author Rhonda Roth and illustrated by local artist Shane Grajczyk.

The Most Important Thing (Crossing Guard Books, 2007) is the story of Sadie, a 3rd grader who can tell that something is definitely wrong with her family. Her parents are always sad, and she is constantly being asked to leave the room so the adults can talk. Mom, Dad, Grandma, and now even her teacher keep whispering about "the most important thing."

But Sadie, like a lot of children going through divorce, has no idea what "the most important thing" really is.

Rhonda Roth, a resident of Parker, Colorado, wrote the story ten years ago when she was teaching elementary school in Florida and going through her own divorce. Just as prevalent an issue then as it is today, divorce affected over half the students in her classroom every year.

She observed that children, especially at young ages, are often victims simply because of misunderstanding. Those going through divorce find themselves isolated because parents often feel it is too difficult to discuss the situation openly with them. And classmates with no experience of divorce sometimes react negatively to what they don't understand.

Now a decade later, her first book has been released by her daughter's publishing company, parents across the country are purchasing it on the publisher's website and on Amazon.com, elementary schools as far away as Florida are using her book in their classrooms and for bibliotherapy, and Rhonda finds herself an award-winning children's book author. Is she excited? Absolutely. Is she content to stop at one resource for children going through divorce? Absolutely not.

"Helping your children through divorce requires continuous effort and communication. Even when it's relatively simple, it's complicated. Everyone's goal is to move on as healthily and happily as you can, but you still have to work together when there are children involved," she says.

The next Sadie book, on having two homes, is currently in production and due out in 2009, and Rhonda is now writing a third story about one of Sadie's parents remarrying.

Beautiful and poignant, Rhonda Roth's award-winning first book is the perfect introduction to family and classroom conversations about changing families. Let your little one discover, as Sadie does, the wonderful truth of The Most Important Thing.

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Showing 1-2 of 2 comments

Submitted By: Tammy Vonderharr

posted on 4/14/2007 @ 12:00:11 AM

Rated Story

I would highly recommend this award-winning book for all school age children!

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Submitted By: Ed Doyle

posted on 4/13/2007 @ 10:08:45 PM

(Not Rated)

Congratulations Rhonda!

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Sarah Doyle

Loveland , CO

Sarah Doyle has posted 1 story and 0 comments since joining on 4/12/2007. Sarah Doyle 's average story rating is 5.

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