Testimonials & Awards

“Editor Joy Stocke and designer Tim Ogline jointly allowed me to gather my “stories from life” and to arrange them to be ready for their close-up. Joy listens to the voice of the writer. Tim designs the covers and places the writing on the page in a way that is both accessible and aesthetically satisfying. Thank you, both!”

— Virginia Knoud Nalencz, author of I See You: Stories from Life

Awards & Honors

  • 2024 American Library Association’s YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens List

    2024 JewCE Finalist for Autobiographical and Biographical Content

    2024 JewCE Finalist for Historical Narrative

    2023 Excellence in Graphic Literature Finalist for Young Adult Non-Fiction

  • Creative Quarterly 83 (Winner)

    Creative Quarterly 38–39 (Winner)

    2026 Graphis Design Annual – Honorable Mention

    2022 Graphis Design Annual – Honorable Mention

    2024 American Graphic Design Awards

    2020 American Graphic Design Award

    2015 American Graphic Design Award

    2023 Hermes Creative Awards

    2022 Muse Awards – Silver Winner

    2021 Indigo Design Awards – Bronze Award

"As an author, you often seek a publisher who is not only enthusiastic about your work but also guides you in a way that makes you feel comfortable. That is Tree of Life. I could not be more pleased. You will be too.”

— Frank W. Baker, author of Risk, Resilience, and Redemption

“Joy Stocke and the rest of the team at the Tree of Life did a phenomenal job publishing my book: No Perfect Love. The reason I selected to use them as opposed to a larger, more well-known publisher was because of Joy’s warmth and personable nature, and her ability to really “get” the book I was creating. My experience with the whole team was incredible, from the fabulous cover design to the editing and their superb attention to detail. The result was an award-winning book, which I am incredibly proud of, that has gotten great reviews from colleagues in the field as well as patients and members of my community. I am extremely grateful that I used Tree of Life Books as my publisher.”

— Dr. Alyson Nerenberg, author of No Perfect Love

  • “You listened to my vision and helped me bring it to life. More than your incredible editing and writing skills, you have been a dear friend and a listening ear as I shed, transformed, and morphed into a new version of myself. No easy feat. There were times I wanted to quit, pull my hair out, and jump off a cliff. You were there every step of the way, encouraging me, listening to me, and helping me remember “My Why!” Thank you, Tree of Life, for the gift of creating music together. I’ve loved our journey and look forward to the next one.”

    — Marlyn Diaz, author of Beyond Radiant: The Modern Woman’s Guide to Health, Healing and Happiness

  • “Joy and the writers, editors, designers, and publishers at Tree of Life Books, an outgrowth of Wild River Books, put their expertise and talent together to bring out the best in their writers. Their books are sensitively edited with respect for the author’s voice, and are beautifully copyedited and designed.”

    — Edmund Keeley, author of The Megabuilders of Queenston Park, Charles Barnwell Stout Professor Emeritus of English, Princeton University

  • “Thank you, Joy, and the entire Tree of Life team. Your expertise is unmatched, but what I appreciate most is how you work closely with one another, how you trust your authors to make the revisions necessary to write award-winning books, and how your editorial and design work is unmatched in the publishing world. The Cha Cha Babes of Pelican Way became an Amazon bestseller, and I look forward to publishing the second in the series.”

    — Frances Metzman, author of The Cha Cha Babes of Pelican Way, Amazon Bestseller, 2019