Author and human rights activist Patrick Atkinson established The GOD’S CHILD project in the early 1990s. Since then, he has worked to assist people in regions of conflict throughout the world, with a particular focus on Central America. Patrick Atkinson’s now-classic inspirational poem, A Message for My Child, has recently been republished in a new book with the title The Powerful You! and is the recipient of a major 2019 publishing award.

The Powerful You!, available in a bilingual English and Spanish edition from Beaver’s Pond Press, was presented with a National Gold Medal “IPPY” from the Independent Publisher Book Awards. This organization has drawn attention to noteworthy books for almost a quarter of a century. Each year, its committees consider entries from independent and academic presses as well as those from self-published authors.

In addition to its 2019 IPPY, The Powerful You! was among the finalists for a Next Generation Indie Book Award from the world’s largest international independent publishers award group. This program honors the best books in English across 70 publishing categories.

The Powerful You! was also a finalist for a 2019 da Vinci Eye Eric Hoffer Award for books featuring outstanding cover art. Patrick Atkinson’s son, Ernesto Atkinson, served as the illustrator for both the original “A Message for My Child” and the new edition of The Powerful You!, which makes this acknowledgment all the more meaningful for father and son.