Award-Winning Author C.M. Harris Honored with IBPA Silver Award for “Seen”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Purple Diamond Press

Email: info@cmharrisbooks.com

Website: www.cmharrisbooks.com

LOS ANGELES, CA — May 17, 2025 — Seen, a heartfelt children’s book written by award-winning author C.M. Harris and illustrated by Ratu Megawangi, has been named a 2025 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Award Winner for excellence in children’s literature. Published by Purple Diamond Press, the book continues to spark powerful conversations around inclusion, kindness, and disability representation.

Blending vibrant illustrations with an uplifting narrative, Seen follows a young girl who navigates friendship and identity, revealing her use of a wheelchair only at the end of the story. The subtle approach encourages empathy and reminds readers that we don’t need to explain our differences to deserve respect and visibility.

“Being seen for who we truly are—without judgment or explanation—is one of the most powerful things we can offer children,” says author C.M. Harris.

Harris, a disabled author and founder of Purple Diamond Press, is widely recognized for championing inclusive storytelling. Her books have been featured by ABC7 News, the BBC, and endorsed by the San Francisco 49ers, who purchased over 2,000 copies of her debut title What If We Were All The Same! to donate to Bay Area schools.

Seen is now available in paperback and eBook formats. The story is part of Purple Diamond Press’s growing catalog of socially impactful books for children, focused on teaching kindness, empathy, and embracing differences.

What Is The IBPA?

"The IBPA Book Awards (formerly the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards) are regarded as one of the highest national honors for independent publishers since 1985. The awards are administered by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) with help from over 170 book publishing professionals including librarians, bookstore owners, reviewers, designers, publicity managers, and editors.

The IBPA Book Award program is the oldest, most established, and recognized national honor in independent publishing. The awards are unique in that the verbatim judging forms are returned to all participating publishers, providing entrants with direct feedback on each submission.

Each year, a gala award ceremony is held in conjunction with the IBPA Publishing University conference where one Gold and two or three Silver award winners are announced in each category. "

ISBN: 978-1-63918-986-1

To learn more or request an interview, visit: www.cmharrisbooks.com

Purchase the book here: Amazon