Children's literature author and illustrator, Kit Grady, of Southern Pines, has completed a new children's book, "Just One More, Mom."

The story details the bedtime ritual of a young panda who can't resist reaching for a few more toys before he falls asleep.

From educational publisher Kaeden Books, "Just One More, Mom" is an engaging guide to counting and is the newest addition to Kaeden's early and transitional reading program for ages 2 to 8.

Grady, who is known for her whimsical illustrations and engaging story lines, is also the author of "Jiggy's Necklace," another children's book. She is currently working on projects for Cokesbury Books and The United Methodist Publishing House.

Grady, a Moore County native, studied art at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., and has an associate degree in respiratory therapy from Sandhills Community College.

Her next project, another children's book, is under consideration with Boulden Books for the fall of 2007.

Grady plans to visit local schools this spring to share "Just One More, Mom."

For more information about her books or speaking engagements, contact Grady at dgrady@nc.rr.com.

Medallion Winner

Dena Harris of Madison has won the International Cat Writer's Association highest honor, the Muse Medallion, for her humorous short story, "Jingle Ball Horrors."

Harris is the author of the humor short story collection, "Lessons In Stalking," in which the award-winning work appears. Her work also appears in "Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul" and the newly released coffee table book, "For The Love of Cats."

Harris was on hand to receive the award at the Cat Writer's yearly banquet held in Foster City, Calif., on Nov. 18.

Harris says she is most proud of earning the award with "only minimal and poorly received bribe attempts." "Lessons In Stalking" is available at all major bookstores, or autographed copies are available through the Web site at www.lessonsinstalk ing.com.

Although allergic to felines, Harris is the proud caretaker of two strays and is constantly trying to figure out how to get a third cat into the house without her husband noticing.

Authors Awarded

Two of the recipients of the 2006 North Carolina Awards, the highest civilian honor given in the state, have ties to The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Michael Parker, a novelist and professor of creative writing and literature at UNCG, and writer Emily Herring Wilson, a 1961 graduate of Woman's College, received the awards from Gov. Mike Easley on Nov. 8, in Raleigh. The awards are made annually in the categories of fine arts, literature, public service and science. Both Parker and Wilson were honored for their contributions to literature.

Parker, a Siler City native who now lives in Greensboro, has published three novels and several short story collections. His novels include "Hello Down There," "Towns Without Rivers," "Virginia Lovers" and "If You Want Me to Stay." His works have already earned him the Pushcart Prize, the Goodheart Prize for Fiction and the O. Henry Award. He has received fellowships from the North Carolina Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

"My work is set here," Parker says. "Almost all of it is set here in North Carolina. To get some recognition from the state is really wonderful."

Parker, who joined the English department and MFA Creative Writing Program faculty in 1992, is currently working on another collection of stories, "Don't Make Me Stop Now." That collection will be published by Algonquin Press of Chapel Hill in January. He began writing in high school and quickly fell in love with his craft.

"That's what I always wanted to do," he says. "I guess if you're persistent and stubborn enough, things work out in the end. Stories are important to our spiritual health. There's great value in storytelling."

Wilson, who studied poetry with Randall Jarrell while at Woman's College, has published poetry collections, books on philanthropy and oral histories. A recent project was the book "Two Gardeners: Katharine S. White and Elizabeth Lawrence -- A Friendship in Letters." Wilson was later offered a contract for a Lawrence biography, published in 2005 as "No One Gardens Alone." She is working to preserve Lawrence's house and garden in Charlotte.

"I think there is a mystery about her because she lived a private life," Wilson says of Lawrence, a gardener and writer. "I wanted to pay homage to a woman I thought had been slighted in history -- not just Elizabeth Lawrence, but also women like her."

Wilson has served on the boards of the North Carolina Writers' Network, the People for the American Way and the advisory panel for the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. She has been a fellow of the MacDowell Colony and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She and her husband, Ed, live in Winston-Salem.

Other honorees this year were Dr. Charles A. Sanders of Durham, for science; Thomas K. Hearn of Winston-Salem, James E. Holshouser Jr. of Pinehurst and Roy Parker, Jr. of Fayetteville, all for public service; and William T. Williams of New York City, for fine arts. An awards committee chaired by Jack Cozort selected the recipients from nominations submitted by the public. Other committee members were Nick Bragg, Jean W. McLaughlin, Hal Crowther and Shirley T. Frye.

Created by the General Assembly in 1961, the North Carolina Awards have been presented annually since 1964. More than 200 outstanding North Carolinians have been selected as recipients from citizen nominations from across the state.