Congratulations Jodee Kulp

2009 4 Time Award Winner of Mom's Choice Awards

Winner Multicultual Fiction by Readers' View

The Whitest Wall by Jodee Kulp

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (1/09)

“The Whitest Wall” begins with the murder of a popular local man and the arrest of a transient. The transient obviously has some mental health issues, so we are left uncertain as to whether or not he really committed the crime. The story focuses on discovering his secrets and it also delves deeply into the lives of the people who are affected by this murder. Even if the individuals did not know the man killed, the situation opens up a lot of wounds and forces people to take looks at their own lives and events from their pasts. I found this aspect of the novel to be fascinating. So many internal issues are being brought to the present and dealt with. Some of these issues involve past childhood abuse, past and present racism, gang issues and the severely life altering affects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD).
The author Jodee Kulp does an incredible job of character development. She takes us into the minds and hearts of each of the people directly related to the story. She not only demonstrates how lives can be negatively affected by abuse and disrespect, she also demonstrates how people’s lives can be turned around with acceptance and friendship.
In the back of the book, she offers references and discussion topics regarding the story and FASD. I think that this material makes “The Whitest Wall” by Jodee Kulp an excellent choice for support groups dealing with this issue. It would also make good reading material for classes involving substance abuse. For myself, I just really enjoyed the story and look forward to the next two books that will follow in this series.

Check out the 2009 Winners
Multicultural
First The Oyster Cocktail, AuthorHouse Tomas Sancio
Second The Invincible Anita, iUniverse Lisa Lynn Ramos
Honorable Mention The Whitest Wall, Better Endings, New Beginnings Jodee Kulp

A Grand Slam of 2009 Gold for Mom's Choice Awards

Four awards seems unbelievable to me, but the emails kept coming announcing Best Fiction-Adult, Best Fiction-Young Adult, Best Non-Fiction-Adult and Best Young Author. Better Endings New Beginnings is excited to announce the following awards to build awareness of fetal alcohol spectrum dirorders (FASD).


The Mom’s Choice Awards® (MCA) is an annual awards program that recognizes authors, inventors, companies, parents and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media, products and services.

Parents, educators, librarians and retailers rely on MCA evaluations when selecting quality materials for children and families. The Mom’s Choice Awards® seal helps families and educators navigate the vast array of products and services and make informed decisions.

MCA judges are bound by a strict code of ethics which ensures expert and objective analysis free from any manufacturer association. The evaluation process uses a propriety methodology in which entries are scored on a number of elements including production quality, design, educational value, entertainment value, originality, appeal and cost.

To be considered for an award, each entrant submits five identical samples of a product. Entries are matched to judges in the MCA database. Judges perform a thorough analysis and submit a detailed assessment. Results are compiled and submitted to the MCA Executive Committee for final approval. The end result is a list of the best in family-friendly media, products and services that parents and educators can feel confident in using.

2009 Gold Recipient: Fiction - Young Adult
2009 Gold Recipient: Fiction - Adult
The Whitest Wall:
Bootleg Brothers Trilogy - Book 1
by Jodee Kulp
Better Endings New Beginnings


2009 Gold Recipient: Outstanding Young Author
Liz Kulp
Author Of The Best I Can Be:
Living With Fetal Alcohol Syndrome And Effects
Better Endings New Beginnings





2009 Gold Recipient: Non-Fiction
The Long Way To Simple:
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
by Stephen J. Neafcy
Better Endings New Beginnings





We also continue to congratulate Ann Yurcek for her
2007 Gold Recipient: Non-Fiction
Tiny Titan
by Ann Yurcek
Better Endings New Beginnings





Congratulations to all!

An inside view of FASD

The Whitest Wall by Jodee Kulp is a story of a young man suffering with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the life challenges he faces on a daily basis. The disability is one that crosses many barriers such as race and socioeconomic status. This novel gets to the heart of FASD and gives the reader an inside view of what a person with this disability experiences through Kevin’s fight with the social and justice systems. Jodee is able to subtly incorporate the manner in which FASD manifests itself without making the reader uninterested with the details.

I am overcome with the manner in which Jodee was able to thread together racism, poverty, abuse, fetal alcohol, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder with smoothness that did not confuse the reader. This book leaves the reader absorbed in the challenge to discover how each of the preceding issues will come together on common ground and allow for a better understanding of FASD.

The overall perspective of this book takes the reader to a true understanding of what a person struggling with an FASD may be facing on a daily basis. The analogies to other disabilities and inequities lead the reader to get a feel for the inner workings of the brain of a person who is affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. The issues at hand were made very clear and with such emotion it left the reader feeling very melancholy but with hope for redemption. The Whitest Wall is a book that will be appreciated by anyone who reads it. It is a great work of fiction with a touch of reality that leaves the reader waiting for the next book.

Ruth A. Rice FASD Program Director, White Earth

The Hurricane of Publishing The Whitest Wall

I should have realized that getting this book into my hands was going to be "one of those."

Good books are like that, they take time
...a lot of time!

There will be no special book signing today,
there will be no release party.
...good books are a battle that begins with the conception of the idea and the process of growing each word into a healthy form - ready for birth to the world, much like the birth of a child - they require toil and pain and attentiveness to detail - every small detail. They arrive when they are ready.

Today is FASD Awareness Day and we celebrate the 10th anniversary of an idea birthed by three parents Brian Philcox and Bonnie Buxton (author of Damaged Angel - highly recommended! http://www.fasday.com/ ) and Teresa Kellerman (www.come-over.to/FASCRC/ a tenancious advocate who has crossed this continent ringing out the truth of fetal alcohol.

Since 1999 - actually 9.9.99 at 9:09 am bells began ringing in New Zealand and rung on the hour around the globe.

What begin with just a few has grown to an international bell concordance ringing out warnings of Fetal Alcohol and the damage it does to a person's brain. The efforts of a united world must be applauded.

Excerpt from Teresa Kellerman (www.come-over.to/FASCRC/ website

On Sept.9, we would like to ring bells in every time zone to mark the "magic minute" at 9:09 a.m. We call this, the "FAS Bell Concordance."

In early August, we learned that the only carillon in Africa, the historic 37-bell War Memorial Carillon in Cape Town, South Africa will be ringing in the Moment of Reflection. Installed in 1924 in memory of those who fell in World War I, in 1924, the carillon has rung out on numerous historic occasions, including the release from prison of Nelson Mandela. The carillon is the largest musical instrument in existence, and its music can be heard for miles. Inspired by Cape Town's efforts, our volunteers have arranged FAS Day carillon music in Toronto, Niagara Falls, Hastings, NE, and Austin, and San Antonio, TX. Other church bells will be playing around the world.
We have come up with the bell idea as there is a purity about bells that reminds us of the innocence of children. As well, bells are historically associated with warnings, alarms, marking important moments, and simply pealing for the joy of connecting with the community. FAS Day is all of these things.

(From the Oxford English Dictionary:
Concordance:
1. The fact of agreeing or being concordant; agreement, harmony...
4. An agreeable or satisfactory blending of musical sounds or notes; harmony.)

I want to thank the tireless efforts of professionals and parents, friends and families who work towards a healthier and safe future for those affected with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

For our sweet daughter - one of 100 live births in the USA each year - 1 of over 40,000 each year. Once again I stroke her battered wings and once again she will shake me free to try to fly. We have seen growth - and love - and a settling that was not there are a teen - a rebelliousness of fighting her disability, but of accepting it and working to understand it. Her last fall was sharp and hard, she was bruised and battered in body, mind and spirit. But like so many of us who have faced diffcult life experiences she has come through stronger and wiser. Our daughter is not a book learner, though she can read - she does not learn from videos - though she can see - she learns from walking and doing and being - and that style of learning comes at a very high cost to everyone - her, her parents and our society.

May God Bless all the children born with Fetal Alcohol today across the world. May God grant us mercy and favor to change this 100% perventable disability and all work toward Building Better Baby Brains.

Visit http://www.betterendings.org/ if you would like our free public awareness quilt.