Barker Creek Publishing of Poulsbo recently announced that it has received a 2001 Benjamin Franklin Award for its novel, Oonawassee Summer. Written by Florida resident Melissa Forney, the book received the award for juvenile-young adult fiction.

The award was presented at the annual Book Expo America Conference in Chicago by Publishers Marketing Association. It celebrates excellence in editorial and design for titles published in 2000.

Oonawassee Summer is the delightful tale of Addie and Tanner, two 12-year-old cousins, who are spending the summer with their grandmother and great-uncle on the banks of the Oonawassee River in southern Florida where they engage in exploration, discovery, and find intrigue and adventure.

One judge of the Ben Franklin Award wrote that Oonawassee Summer is “a jewel. This is a fun and engaging novel.”

Although the river is fictitious, Forney’s novel is enhanced with a wealth of factual information about life in southern Florida. Young readers learn, about Jon boats, river otters, cypress trees, alligators, and many other interesting derails in a fully illustrated glossary. Oonawassee Summer was also featured in the May issue of “Children’s Bookwatch” and was “highly recommended” reading for boys and girls ages 8 to 12.