Prestigious Book Award Goes to "Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame," by Seattle Author Michael S. Class

Seattle, WA - Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame, by Seattle author and publisher Michael S. Class, won the Independent Publisher Book Award for 'Most Original Concept of 2006' and was named one of the 'Ten Outstanding Books of the Year.' Class will receive the award at the 10th Annual IPPY Awards Presentation on May 19 in Washington D.C., during the BookExpo America Conference, the largest book publishing event in the United States.

What makes Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame original and outstanding? Class used digital composite photography to place his twelve year-old son, Anthony, in the cockpit of the Spirit of St. Louis with Charles Lindbergh, on the moon with Neil Armstrong, in the laboratories of Thomas Edison and Jonas Salk, and on Normandy beach on D-Day. In this way, Anthony time-travels into America's past. Father and son labored for nearly four years in their garage filled with props from an army surplus store; the garage walls covered with blue bed sheets. The result: It looks like Anthony really did meet Thomas Edison, Jonas Salk, FDR, Lou Gehrig, Charles Lindbergh, and Audie Murphy. The Web site, www.MagicPictureFrame.com, displays some of the book's captivating photographs.

"I wanted to capture the interest of today's kids," says Class, "by turning American history into a grand time travel adventure. I am honored to receive this prestigious award in recognition of my unique approach to teaching American history." The book is recommended for young adults, Grade 6 to Grade 12.

Class designed the book to help parents and teachers, too. Years of meticulous research went into the book: Class spoke with relatives of famous scientists and inventors, Holocaust survivors, award-winning biographers, and others to ensure that the facts of the book were both accurate and vivid. Historical accuracy rules every page: even Anthony’s conversations with the people of the past are based on things they really said, all properly footnoted. Class also included built-in curriculum aids: recommendations for hundreds of books, movies, songs, and places to visit - keyed to the subjects of each chapter. His Web site offers a fun final exam.

"The storyline is fictional, but the history is authentic," says Class.

Anthony's adventures in American history come with a moral lesson, another facet of the book with strong appeal for parents and teachers. The chapter about Lindbergh’s flight is really about choosing one’s destiny. The story of Lou Gehrig is one of a virtuous life. The chapter about Thomas Edison is really about business and the benefits of hard work. The story of Apollo 11 is about wonder, taking risks, and courage. The story of Dr. Jonas Salk is really about dedicating one’s life to a higher purpose. Anthony’s observation of D-Day and the liberation of the death camps during the Holocaust is a testament to the reality of evil and the need to fight it.

"Every kid should read this book," says Anthony, the time-traveler. "My favorite chapter is when I go back in time to meet my great-grandfather at Ellis Island. I am with him the day he becomes an American." Personal family photographs were used in Anthony's favorite chapter.

The Independent Publisher Book Awards are presented every year by the Jenkins Group to "recognize and encourage the work of publishers who exhibit the courage and creativity necessary to take chances, break new ground, and bring about changes, not only to the world of publishing, but to our society." For more information, visit www.IndependentPublisher.com.

"It was a risk and a challenge," says Class, a retired dot-com executive. "I made my career in the business world. I had to go back to school to learn digital photography and compositing. But I had a dream: to let the heroes of the past speak directly to the children of today and teach them the lessons of history. Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame is the result of that dream."

Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame (hardcover, 225 pages, $35) is available at www.MagicPictureFrame.com, by calling toll-free 1-800-247-6553, at select bookstores, and on www.amazon.com.

The book is published by Magic Picture Frame Studio, the author's new publishing company in the Pacific Northwest, dedicated to telling the stories of the past to the children of today in exciting new ways. Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame is the first book in a planned series of historical time-travel adventures.

See the book and meet the author at BookExpo America in Washington D.C., booth #4521.

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Note to editors and book reviewers: Author and son are available for interviews. Photographs and review copies are available.

Contact: Michael Class, 425-890-4894, class@MagicPictureFrame.com or Maryann Karinch (publicist), 970-577-8500, maryann@karinch.com.