LOCAL AUTHOR PROMOTES MESSAGE OF HOPE,

SELF-EMPOWERMENT TO THE DETROIT AREA

"Nain Rouge" Wins 2010 Young Voices Foundation Book Award

ROYAL OAK – The City of Detroit faces economic despair

as an urban legendary red devil seeks to destroy it. It will take two young

protagonists to persevere and overcome impending disaster through the power

of positive thinking. Thus is the theme and setting for author Josef

Bastian's new, award-winning book, "Nain Rouge."

Just in time for Halloween, the soon-to-be-released 2nd edition will proudly

feature the 2010 Seal of Approval for Historical Nonfiction for

Juveniles/Young Adults, just awarded by the Young Voices Foundation

–recognizing the book's role in inspiring and educating youth and their

families.

Aimed at young adults, "Nain Rouge" adeptly mixes historical and modern day

fiction with fact, including references to the city's founding French

fathers and early roots to more recent Detroit landmarks – from the Detroit

Institute of Arts and Michigan Fairgrounds to Compuware and Campus Martius.

"This story came to me in 2009 as I very suddenly and unexpectedly joined

the ranks of the unemployed. Ever perceptive, my children immediately picked

up on the fear and despair in our household," says Bastian. "From that

experience, I created a tale centered around two middle schoolers who

acknowledge that bad things can happen to good people – and then resolve to

take control of what seems like an uncontrollable situation. This story

carries a powerful message of self-empowerment and perseverance for all of

us, young and old."

Recognized as a harbinger of doom, the "red dwarf"/antagonist from which the

book takes its name is said to often appear in advance of negative events.

There are, in fact, documented sightings of the Nain Rouge just prior to the

Detroit riots and as recently as the 1970s.  Last Spring, his 300th

anniversary was marked with a Marche du Nain Rouge event in the city.

Northwood Elementary School in Royal Oak is incorporating "Nain Rouge" into

their Michigan History and Life Management curriculums and has also entered

the new edition into its current "Battle of the Books" campaign.