Palm Coast resident Dr. Robert Ernst has received two national awards for his fifth children’s book, Harry and the Hurricane. He was given the Florida Authors and Publishers Association’s President’s gold medal in two categories for his book, an honor that was open to works from around the country.
Prior to Harry and the Hurricane, three other works of Ernst’s have also won FAPA awards: Hurry Up Harry, Harry and the Hooligans, and Harry and the Kidnappers. The awards are judged by librarians, educators, and publishers according to a release on the honors. The awards given to Ernst were in the categories of Middle Grades Fiction and Children’s Chapter Book.
The story in this newest book is one that imparts good lessons to young readers, with a particularly local twist. “It was inspiring how everyone pitched in to help save the Town Hall, to aid the visitors from Florida and to deal with the hurricane. The book underscores the importance of friendship, teamwork and ingenuity to succeed in any quest,” Ernst said about his latest work. “It’s a great honor for Harry and the Hurricane to be considered one of the top books in these categories in the U.S. – I just love to delight children as well as adults with great stories and relatable characters.”
Just seven years into his career as author, Ernst is already hard at work on the sixth installment in his bibliography. At 85 years old, this was his second major life endeavor, following a long run as an orthodontist. He also served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force in the Vietnam War Ernst has the unique distinction of having not one but three fields in which he’s notched distinguished accomplishments.
“The FAPA President’s Book Award exists to promote excellence in the publishing industry and is proud to be a champion of authors and publishers,” said FAPA President Robert Jacobs. “This year’s winners truly embody the excellence this award was created to celebrate. Their works are representative of creative storytelling, bold concepts, and innovative ideas which make the President’s Book Awards so well respected by librarians and those in the publishing industry. We salute all of our winners for their fine work,”
