Anna Age Eight Published in Print and eBook
For immediate release
The broken systems that led to her tragic death, and put all our children at risk today, are revealed by Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dominic Cappello in Anna, Age Eight: The data-driven prevention of childhood trauma and maltreatment. The authors describe our nation’s epidemic of adverse childhood experiences, which are ten forms of abuse and neglect. The landmark Adverse Childhood Experiences Survey of 1998 warned the nation that we faced an epidemic of childhood and adult trauma. Their urgent call to action was greeted with deafening silence.
The short life of eight-year-old Anna was the catalyst for Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dominic Cappello writing the book Anna, Age Eight. Anna is a fictional character based on very real children within the child welfare system. While working in New Mexico’s Child Protective Services — Research, Assessment and Data Bureau, Ortega Courtney and Cappello heard of a child that had been in and out of the system eight times, only to be returned to her deeply troubled mother who kicked her to death. The authors knew that this tragic death, and many others like it, were predictable and preventable. They advocated for data-driven strategies to stop more child maltreatment and fatalities from happening. At first, the authors felt like the Greek heroine Cassandra, cursed by the gods to know the future but never to be believed — at least not by powers that be. After many years and road trips to book talks across New Mexico, community stakeholders and elected officials are rallying around the lessons of Anna, Age Eight and a movement to ensure trauma-free childhoods is growing.
To contact the authors about this press release, please email info@tenvitalservices.org.
What do readers say about Anna, Age Eight?
“Congratulations to Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dominic Cappello on the publication of their powerful and important book.”
—Alan Webber, Mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and co-founder of Fast Company magazine
“The book asks that we educate ourselves about this hidden epidemic of trauma and mobilize our cities and towns around evidence-based solutions. The book is a blueprint for creating family-friendly and trauma-free communities across the nation.”
—Pepper Schwartz, PhD, Author and Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington
“Quite simply, everyone who has a child or works with children in any capacity should read this book. All of us—parents, educators, physicians, those in all walks of social work and law enforcement.”
—Heather Race, former educator
“This book brought data to a place of relevancy for social change. It was written in an easy to follow, plain-speak format which made the read not only informative, but very enjoyable and motivating.”
—Dr. Melissa Hardin, Program of Social Work, Eastern New Mexico University
“I love this book because it’s recommendations are actionable, at what ever level of public engagement you begin from.”
—Robin Swift, New Mexico Public Health expert
“I appreciate the genuine and authentic approach to creating a narrative for a very emotionally charged social and public health issues.”
—Xenia G Becher, MSW, Syracuse University
“Anna, Age Eight should be required reading for every teacher, every parent, and every public leader from health official to mayor—because this epidemic of trauma is real and must be taken seriously.”
—Yarrott Benz, teacher and author of The Bone Bridge: A Brother’s Story, IPPY gold medal winner