Bully Frog, A Teaching Story for Early Childhood Understanding of Bullying, won a prestigious national award this week as the outstanding book for children.

The book, written by educational authors and Plainview residents Roni Benson and Ginger Lieberman and published by Royal Fireworks Press, was honored at the 2004 Legacy Book Awards in Dallas at the Professional Development Conference for Educators and Parents on November 18. The award was presented by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented to Royal Fireworks' President, Dr. Thomas Kemnitz.

"Bully Frog addresses the problem of bullying in a way that young children can understand," said Dr. Kemnitz. "Unlike other books on the subject, it addresses the issue from a young child's perspective and can be bought as a story book or coloring book, or as a classroom package, with an illustrated poster and extensive teacher material. We believe that if schools tackle the subject early enough, children can find happier, safer and more productive ways of interacting than force and intimidation."

The annual Legacy Book Awards honor outstanding books that have long-term potential, especially for positively influencing the lives of gifted children. The awards are presented in several categories, and Bully Frog was one of three Royal Fireworks books that became finalists.

The largest publisher for gifted children in the world, Royal Fireworks Press has been publishing educational books and novels since 1977, when it was founded as Trillium Press. Its specialist books and programs have been adopted by school districts nationwide.

Authors Roni Benson and Ginger Lieberman are national experts on parenting, bullying and youth related issues and coordinate a nationally acclaimed annual conference on preventing youth violence. They are residents of Plainview and are co-directors and founders of the Long Island Professional Education Network and of the 21st Century Save Our Kids Task Force. Their work has received recognition from members of the United States Senate and Congress and from members of the New York State Senate and Assembly.

"Every year 160,000 students miss school because of their fear of being bullied," said Benson. "Children who are afraid cannot learn. In Bully Frog, the bully, rather than being chastised and then thrown away by society, is rehabilitated and reclaimed into the group."

Bully Frog is geared to students in kindergarten through third grade and explains the reasons and remedies for bullying. It is a story of young frogs in the town of Lily Pond during their first days of school in Leapfrog Elementary School. Bully Frog wreaks havoc on the lives of two youngsters and soon the adults step in to help remedy the situation. But it is the students who must solve the problem by becoming proactive about caring, acting responsibly and being inclusive.

Illustrations are by Chris Dodge, noted children's book cover artist and illustrator. The teacher's material is by Myrna Kemnitz, an experienced classroom teacher and Program Director in New York City.

The complete Bully Frog package with teacher material, classroom poster and two student books costs $60. The book printed in color is $9.95. The coloring books are $6.99 each with discounts for class sets.