Children's Author Dawn Menge Announces the Release of Her Latest Book

Online, November 8, 2009 (Newswire.com) - Pinon Hills, CA - October 29, 2009. Author Dawn Menge introduced Queen Vernita to readers last year with the publication of her first book Queen Vernita's Visitors. In this initial offering filled with fun text and beautiful illustrations, Queen Vernita invites a different friend to visit her every month and the pair then determine a new activity for each day of the week. Dawn Menge continues this educational and engaging format with her sophomore release Queen Vernita Visits the Blue Ice Mountains (ISBN 978-1-4327-1169-6). This time around, Queen Vernita takes her guests to a new location and together they learn details about the natural world around them.

Dawn Menge brings impressive accolades from her first book to the writing of her new release. She was awarded First Place in the Children's category of the 2009 EVVY Awards, a competition sponsored by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. Dawn also earned an Honorable Mention in the Readers Views Awards. Her new release is already earning praise, as her publisher has nominated Queen Vernita Visits the Blue Ice Mountains for another EVVY award!

One of the central themes of the Queen Vernita books is the intention of teaching young readers the twelve months and the days of the week. With a page dedicated to each month at the beautiful Blue Ice Mountains, Queen Vernita and her current guest learn a fun fact about a specific place or animal in nature for every day of the week. The repetition used in listing the days, along with the well-researched information about the flora and fauna, makes Queen Vernita Visits the Blue Ice Mountain a great learning tool couched in a fun setting.

A special aspect of Queen Vernita and the friends who visit her with each flip of the calendar page is the fact that Dawn Menge based the characters on the real friends and family members with whom she clearly has special relationships. Menge's decision to transform actual people, such as her mother and grandmother, into the book's characters helps to portray the friendships that Queen Vernita enjoys as genuine and valued. Children will enjoy reading about two friends who have a wonderful time simply being together.
Author Dawn Menge also brings professional credentials to her writing. She holds a Masters Degree in Special Education and is working towards her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction. She has worked in the field of education for a dozen years, and the content of Queen Vernita Visits the Blue Ice Mountains benefits from her experience.

"I am so excited to introduce the next book in the Queen Vernita series to my young readers and their parents," shares Dawn Menge concerning her latest release. "While the important concepts of days and months are still central to the writing, I believe the additional feature of exploring the natural world will be of great interest to kids as well."

Queen Vernita Visits the Blue Ice Mountains is written by Dawn Menge and is published by Outskirts Press. The collection can be purchased through Amazon.com, at the publisher's website, or by request at your favorite bookstore.