Idaho Writer Garners Award For Book Dealing With Disabilities

MOSCOW, ID—Idaho author Annette Bay Pimentel recently received notification her children's book, "All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything" was awarded the 2021 Schneider Family Book Award.

“The awards committee had our publisher arrange a Zoom call to break the news to us. It was a thrill to listen with Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, who the book is about, as committee members talked about why they valued the book,” said Pimentel. “We are excited that this award will help connect more kids with our book.”

The book, designed for children 0-8 years of age, chronicles Keelan-Chaffins when she was eight-years old and her efforts in capturing Congress's attention in her support of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“The best nonfiction picture books are true stories, well-told,” Pimentel said. “I like to get people to tell me their own stories. I worked closely with Jennifer, interviewing her often, to get all the details I needed to tell the story in ‘All the Way to the Top.’”

In addition to being an author, Pimentel is an online lecturer in McDaniel College's Writing for Children and Young Adults program. The Schneider Family Book Awards honors authors and illustrators for the artistic expression of children with disabilities.