CLEVELAND, Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Right alongside offerings from companies like Hooked On Phonics, Chicken Soup for the Soul, publisher Health Communications Inc., and the American Cancer Society, BarbarAnn Fitzgerald's The Champion Behind the Champion has been awarded a Silver Medal by the prestigious Mom's Choice Award for Children's Picture Books: Values and Life Lessons.

The message of BarbarAnn Fitzgerald's illustrated young person's book The Champion Behind the Champion is that being a champion isn't just about winning. It's about doing your best, learning to excel, thriving through adversity including injuries, and understanding both how to win and how to lose with grace and good character. And if you do all this, you're still a champion, even if someone else walks away with the gold medal.

Suitable for all child athletes (especially skaters), The Champion Behind the Champion follows a lamb through her career as a competitive skater, starting with falling in love with the sport as a toddler watching skating on TV, and going all the way to the national championships as a teenager. LambieAnn walks the reader through a scrapbook of her skating life in a playful, straightforward style, accompanied by endearingly cute original illustrations.

The Mom's Choice Awards (MCA) recognizes authors, toymakers, software developers, and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media, products and services. Expert judges scored entries on production quality, design, educational value, entertainment value, originality, appeal and cost.

Parents, educators, librarians and retailers rely on MCA evaluations to select quality materials for children and families. The Mom's Choice Award seal helps families and educators navigate the vast array of products and services and make informed decisions.

GUEST AVAILABLE - WINTER OLYMPICS TIE-IN (February 12-28): Why Kids Don't Need to WIN to Succeed at Sports

CLEVELAND, OH (and worldwide via phone): Interview BarbarAnn Fitzgerald on the real meaning of success in children's sports

• Master Rated skating coach and ballet instructor
• Former competitive skater
• Breast cancer survivor
• Author and illustrator of the Mom's Choice Award-winning book The Champion Behind the Champion (Llumina Kids)
• Experienced media interviewee and presenter

Timely News Hook: Winter Olympics takes place February 12-28, Vancouver, Canada. The figure skating competition will be held at Pacific Coliseum between February 14 and 27, 2010. Speed skating: Richmond Olympic Oval, from the 13th to 27th.

Interview Questions/Photo: Posted at http://www.ChampionBehindTheChampion.com/press.php

"What a great gift ... The love of figure skating permeates this beautiful book."

-- Joel Fuhrman, M.D., former member, U.S. World Figure Skating Team, author of six books, including Eat to Live. (Please see full quote and several others at http://ChampionBehindTheChampion.com/reviews.php)

    Contact:

    Kathleen Fitzgerald, 727-776-1877 (mobile)
    Kathleen.Fitzgerald@InfoRad.com
    http://www.ChampionBehindTheChampion.com

    The Champion Behind the Champion
    Written and illustrated by BarbarAnn Fitzgerald
    ISBN 978-1-933626-41-0
    Publisher: Llumina Kids (Div. Llumina Books), Coral Springs, FL
    8-1/2 x 8-1/2, paperback, $23.95

This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE BarbarAnn Fitzgerald