"Phillis Wheatley, Young Revolutionary Poet" Earns Honorable Mention as "Most Inspirational to Youth" in the "Ten Outstanding Books of the Year" book award competition

"Phillis Wheatley, Young Revolutionary Poet" by Kathryn Borland and Helen Speicher, Volume 10 in the Young Patriots Series, has earned an Honorable Mention award as "Most Inspirational to Youth" in the "Ten Outstanding Books of the Year" category of the ninth annual Independent Publisher Book Awards.

Focusing on Phillis's early years, this profile reveals her illiterate beginnings in the Wheatley family and the turbulent pre–Revolutionary War climate in which she became an avid student and young poet. Vivid illustrations accent this window into an exciting era in which Phillis found strength in the face of adversity and became a celebrated poet.

Originally published 50 years ago, the Young Patriots Series titles, published by Patria Press, Inc., were known by millions of baby-boomers as the “orange biographies” due to their bright orange covers. Publisher Florrie Binford Kichler founded her company with the mission of reintroducing the old series, long since out of print, to today’s children.

The "IPPY" Awards, open to all independent publishers and university presses in North America, are presented annually by Independent Publisher magazine to the year's best independently published titles. The awards honor "those who exhibit the courage, innovation, and creativity to bring about change in the world of publishing. Independent spirit and expertise comes from publishers of all sizes and budgets, and books are judged with this in mind."