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Award Winners and Finalists

Current Finalists, last year's Winners, this year's Nominees
Past Finalists and Winners by Year, 1988-2008
Minnesota Book Artist Award
Kay Sexton Award
Readers' Choice
Other Special Awards

Finalists for the 22nd Annual Minnesota Book Awards

Chosen on Saturday, January 30, by 24 judges from around the state, the finalists in the following categories are:

Children’s Literature:
- The Longest Night (Holiday House) by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Ted Lewin
- Red Sings from Treetops: a year in colors (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski
- Song of Middle C (Candlewick Press) by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Scott Menchin
- Stampede! Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School (Clarion Books) by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Steven Salerno

General Nonfiction:
- Drink This: Wine Made Simple (Ballantine Books/The Random House Publishing Group) by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl
- I Go to America: Swedish American Women and the Life of Mina Anderson (Minnesota Historical Society Press) by Joy K. Lintelman
- Journeywell: A Guide to Quality Aging (Beaver’s Pond Press) by Trish Herbert
- Richard Parkes Bonington: The Complete Paintings (Yale University Press) by Patrick Noon

Genre Fiction, sponsored by Wellington Management, Inc.:
- Frag Box (Poisoned Pen Press) by Richard A. Thompson
- Jelly’s Gold (Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press) by David Housewright
- Rough Country (G. P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Group) by John Sandford
- The Silent Governess (Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group) by Julie Klassen

Memoir & Creative Nonfiction:
- The Bullhead Queen: A Year on Pioneer Lake (University of Minnesota Press) by Sue Leaf
- Going Blind: A Memoir (excelsior editions/State University of New York Press) by Mara Faulkner, OSB
- Kevin Kling's Holiday Inn (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press) by Kevin Kling
- The Wolf at Twilight: An Indian Elder’s Journey through a Land of Ghosts and Shadows (New World Library) by Kent Nerburn

Minnesota, sponsored by Xcel Energy:
- Honor Bright: A Century of Scouting in Northern Star Council (Northern Star Council, Boy Scouts of America) by Dave Kenney
- Jewel of Como: The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory (Afton Historical Society Press) by Leigh Roethke and Bonnie Blodgett
- Minneapolis in the Twentieth Century: The Growth of an American City (Minnesota Historical Society Press) by Iric Nathanson
- Opening Goliath: Danger and Discovery in Caving (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press) by Cary J. Griffith

Novel & Short Story:
- The Annunciations of Hank Meyerson, Mama’s Boy and Scholar (Hooded Friar Press) by Scott Muskin
- The Book of Night Women (Riverhead Books/Penguin Group) by Marlon James
- A Travel Guide for Reckless Hearts (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press) by N. M. Kelby
- The Turtle Catcher (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) by Nicole Helget

Poetry:
- Faith Run (The University of Arizona Press) by Ray Gonzalez
- I Wish I Had a Heart Like Yours, Walt Whitman (University of Notre Dame Press) by Jude Nutter
- Skirmish (Graywolf Press) by Dobby Gibson
- Unrest (Graywolf Press) by Joanna Rawson

Young People’s Literature, sponsored by 3M Company:
- Crows & Cards (Houghton Mifflin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)by Joseph Helgerson
- Lucy Long Ago: Uncovering the Mystery of Where We Came From (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) by Catherine Thimmesh
- The Magician’s Elephant (Candlewick Press) by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Yoko Tanaka
- The Sky Always Hears Me and The Hills Don’t Mind (Flux/Llewellyn Publications) by Kirstin Cronn-Mills

Award winners will be announced at the 22nd Annual Minnesota Book Awards Gala on Saturday, April 17, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in downtown Saint Paul. The opening reception begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40 and are available by clicking here or calling 651-222-3242.

All Minnesotans are invited to take part in voting for the Readers’ Choice Award. During the month of March, readers can visit TwinCities.com to choose one of the Minnesota Book Award finalists from all eight categories. The finalist with the most votes will be awarded the Readers’ Choice Award at the Gala. The award is sponsored by the Pioneer Press and TwinCities.com.

Two special awards for contributions to the literary and artistic community in Minnesota will be given on April 17, as well. Wilber H. “Chip” Schilling is the recipient of the third annual Book Artist Award, presented with Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA). Schilling is the owner of Indulgence Press, which specializes in hand-bound, letterpress printed fine press books, artist books, and limited edition fine art prints. He has lectured at many universities, juried for several arts organizations, and currently teaches workshops at MCBA. A reception featuring Schilling’s work will be held on Friday, February 26, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at MCBA, in the Open Book Literary Arts Center. The Kay Sexton Award, sponsored by Common Good Books, honors a lifetime contribution to the literary community, and will be announced later in February.

The Minnesota Book Awards is a project of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, in consortium with the Saint Paul Public Library and the City of Saint Paul. Outreach partners and supporting organizations include: Beaver’s Pond Press; Lerner Publishing; MELSA; Minnesota Center for Book Arts; Minnesota Crime Wave; Minnesota Department of Education—State Library Services; Minnesota Educational Media Organization; Minnesota Library Association; and Library Networks for Literature—a project of the Public Programs Office of the American Library Association. Media sponsors include Pioneer Press, MinnPost.com, Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN), and TPT-Minnesota Channel. Generous support has been provided by the F.R. Bigelow Foundation, The Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts, The Huss Foundation, The Katherine B. Andersen Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation, a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, and The Saint Paul Foundation.

Winners of the 21st Annual Minnesota Book Awards

APRIL 26, 2009 - The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is pleased to announce the winners of the 21st annual Minnesota Book Awards. In addition to winners in eight categories, the Book Awards presented the Readers’ Choice Award, which was selected by over 2,000 online voters from across Minnesota. A sold-out crowd of 700 people attended the gala award ceremony on Saturday, April 25, hosted by Tom Crann of Minnesota Public Radio.

Announced at the gala, the winners of the 2009 Minnesota Book Awards are:

Award for Children’s Literature, sponsored by MLBA Children's Fund: *The House in the Night* by Susan Marie Swanson, Illustrated by Beth Krommes Published by Houghton Mifflin Company In this bedtime story, the rhythmic text and glowing pictures explore the origins of light that make a house a home. The book lifts up nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing to young readers including a key, a bed, a book, a light, and the moon. Susan Marie Swanson has been teaching poetry writing to children for more than 20 years.		Award for General Nonfiction: The Compassionate Carnivore: Or, How to Keep Animals Happy, Save Old MacDonald’s Farm, Reduce Your Hoofprint, and Still Eat Meat by Catherine Friend Published by Da Capo Press/Perseus Books Group Once Catherine Friend and her partner bought a farm and started raising sheep, her attitude about eating meat began to change. The author’s farming and livestock journey offers critical and witty insight, for meat lovers and vegetarians alike, into how our meat is raised, where and from whom we buy it, and why a change in our meat choices is possible and desirable. Friend has written several books for both adults and children..

The House in the Night

Award for Children’s Literature,
sponsored by MLBA Children's Fund:
The House in the Night
by Susan Marie Swanson,
Illustrated by Beth Krommes
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company

In this bedtime story, the rhythmic text and glowing pictures explore the origins of light that make a house a home. The book lifts up nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing to young readers including a key, a bed, a book, a light, and the moon. Susan Marie Swanson has been teaching poetry writing to children for more than 20 years.

The Compassionate Carnivore: Or, How to Keep Animals Happy, Save Old MacDonald’s Farm, Reduce Your Hoofprint, and Still Eat Meat

Award for General Nonfiction:
The Compassionate Carnivore: Or, How to Keep
Animals Happy, Save Old MacDonald’s Farm,
Reduce Your Hoofprint, and Still Eat Meat
by Catherine Friend
Published by Da Capo Press/Perseus Books Group

Once Catherine Friend and her partner bought a farm and started raising sheep, her attitude about eating meat began to change. The author’s farming and livestock journey offers critical and witty insight, for meat lovers and vegetarians alike, into how our meat is raised, where and from whom we buy it, and why a change in our meat choices is possible and desirable. Friend has written several books for both adults and children..

Award for Genre Fiction, sponsored by Wellington Management, Inc: Stalking Susan by Julie Kramer Published by The Doubleday Publishing Group Twin Cities investigative television reporter, Riley Spartz, discovers that a serial killer is targeting women named Susan, and is killing one on the same day each year. In her attempt to crack the case, Spartz goes up against an uncooperative news director and a politician who fears a serial killer story will hurt Minneapolis’ convention business. Julie Kramer is a freelance television news producer for NBC.		Award for Memoir & Creative Nonfiction: The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang Published by Coffee House Press* Born in a refugee camp in Thailand, Kao Kalia Yang immigrated to Saint Paul when she was six years old. This is the story of her family’s harrowing escape from Laos, their life in refugee camps, and the hardships and joys that came with carving out a life in America. Yang is the co-founder of Words Wanted, an agency dedicated to helping immigrants with writing, translating, and business services.

Stalking Susan

Award for Genre Fiction,
sponsored by Wellington Management, Inc:
Stalking Susan
by Julie Kramer
Published by The Doubleday Publishing Group

Twin Cities investigative television reporter, Riley Spartz, discovers that a serial killer is targeting women named Susan, and is killing one on the same day each year. In her attempt to crack the case, Spartz goes up against an uncooperative news director and a politician who fears a serial killer story will hurt Minneapolis’ convention business. Julie Kramer is a freelance television news producer for NBC.

The Latehomecomer

Award for Memoir & Creative Nonfiction:
The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir
by Kao Kalia Yang
Published by Coffee House Press*

Born in a refugee camp in Thailand, Kao Kalia Yang immigrated to Saint Paul when she was six years old. This is the story of her family’s harrowing escape from Laos, their life in refugee camps, and the hardships and joys that came with carving out a life in America. Yang is the co-founder of Words Wanted, an agency dedicated to helping immigrants with writing, translating, and business services.

Award for Minnesota, sponsored by Xcel Energy: Hard Work and a Good Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Minnesota by Barbara W. Sommer Published by Minnesota Historical Society Press* The Civilian Conversation Corps, born out of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal at the height of the Great Depression, supplied jobs to more than 77,000 Minnesotans. Hundreds of interviews complement the author’s text in this account of the workers’ lasting legacy, visible today in Minnesota’s thriving forests, state parks, and soil conversation practices. Barbara Sommer is a founder of the Oral History Association of Minnesota.		Award for Novel & Short Story: The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich Published by HarperCollins Publishers The unsolved murder of a farm family haunts the small, white, off-reservation town of Pluto, North Dakota. Bound by love and torn by history, the collective stories of two communities come together in a wrenching truth that is revealed in the novel's final pages. Louise Erdrich is the acclaimed author of novels, volumes of poetry, children’s books, and a memoir. She also owns the independent bookstore, Birchbark Books.

Hard Work and a Good Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Minnesota

Award for Minnesota,
sponsored by Xcel Energy:
Hard Work and a Good Deal: The Civilian
Conservation Corps in Minnesota
by Barbara W. Sommer
Published by Minnesota Historical Society Press*

The Civilian Conversation Corps, born out of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal at the height of the Great Depression, supplied jobs to more than 77,000 Minnesotans. Hundreds of interviews complement the author’s text in this account of the workers’ lasting legacy, visible today in Minnesota’s thriving forests, state parks, and soil conversation practices. Barbara Sommer is a founder of the Oral History Association of Minnesota.

The Plague of Doves

Award for Novel & Short Story:
The Plague of Doves
by Louise Erdrich
Published by HarperCollins Publishers

The unsolved murder of a farm family haunts the small, white, off-reservation town of Pluto, North Dakota. Bound by love and torn by history, the collective stories of two communities come together in a wrenching truth that is revealed in the novel's final pages. Louise Erdrich is the acclaimed author of novels, volumes of poetry, children’s books, and a memoir. She also owns the independent bookstore, Birchbark Books.

Award for Poetry: National Monuments by Heid E. Erdrich Published by Michigan State University Press The depths of national identities and the real people who live them are explored through these poems. There are arguments with historians, archeologists, William Carlos Williams, and the deeply rooted, conflicting myths of what being American is all about. Heid E. Erdrich, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibway, won a Minnesota Voices award for her first poetry collection, Fishing for Myth.		Award for Young People's Literature, sponsored by Tarrant, Drummer & Liska, PLLC: Twelve Long Months by Brian Malloy Published by Scholastic Press/Scholastic, Inc. Molly Swain is hopelessly in love with Mark, the only thing she finds of interest in their small Minnesota town. She starts to wonder if she and Mark will ever be more than lab partners, and then she discovers they will both be moving to New York following high school graduation. In New York, however, Molly discovers that Mark’s been keeping a secret, and it turns out she’s not his type at all. This is Brian Malloy’s third novel.

National Monuments

Award for Poetry:
National Monuments
by Heid E. Erdrich
Published by Michigan State University Press

The depths of national identities and the real people who live them are explored through these poems. There are arguments with historians, archeologists, William Carlos Williams, and the deeply rooted, conflicting myths of what being American is all about. Heid E. Erdrich, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibway, won a Minnesota Voices award for her first poetry collection, Fishing for Myth.

Twelve Long Months

Award for Young People's Literature,
sponsored by Tarrant, Drummer & Liska, PLLC:
Twelve Long Months
by Brian Malloy
Published by Scholastic Press/Scholastic, Inc.

Molly Swain is hopelessly in love with Mark, the only thing she finds of interest in their small Minnesota town. She starts to wonder if she and Mark will ever be more than lab partners, and then she discovers they will both be moving to New York following high school graduation. In New York, however, Molly discovers that Mark’s been keeping a secret, and it turns out she’s not his type at all. This is Brian Malloy’s third novel.

The Latehomecomer

The Readers’ Choice Award sponsored by Pioneer Press and TwinCities.com:
The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir
by Kao Kalia Yang
Published by Coffee House Press*

In search of a place to call home, thousands of Hmong families made the journey from the war-torn jungles of Laos to the overcrowded refugee camps of Thailand and onward to America, but their history remains largely unknown. Driven to share her family’s story after her grandmother’s death, Kao Kalia Yang’s memoir is a tribute to the remarkable woman whose spirit held them all together.

Beginning in the 1970s, as the Hmong were being massacred for their collaboration with the United States during the Vietnam War, Yang recounts the harrowing story of her family’s captivity in Laos, the daring rescue undertaken by her father and uncles, and their narrow escape into Thailand where Yang was born in the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp.

When she was six years old, Yang’s family immigrated to America. She evocatively captures the challenges of adapting to a new place and a new language, and also gives voice to the dreams, wisdom, and traditions passed down from her grandmother and shared by an entire community.

* Indicates a Minnesota-based publisher

Nominees for the 22nd Annual Minnesota Book Awards

Nominated book titles, their publishers and authors are listed below.

JUMP TO CATEGORY:

Children’s Literature
General Nonfiction
Genre Fiction
Memoir & Creative Nonfiction
Minnesota
Novel & Short Story
Poetry
Young People’s Literature

Children's Literature
Alfred Noble: The Man Behind the Peace Prize (Sleeping Bear Press), by Kathy-jo Wargin. Zachary Pullen, Illustrator
Always (Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing), by Alison McGhee. Pascal Lemaitre, Illustrator
B is for Battle Cry: A Civil War Alphabet (Sleeping Bear Press), by Patricia Bauer. Illustrated by David Geister
Ballyhoo Bay(Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster), by Judy Sierra. Derek Anderson, Illustrator
The Bee Book: Where Dreams Begin (Outskirts Press), by Michael Willert. Michelle Dziatzko, Illustrator
Big Brother Has Wheels (Beaver’s Pond Press), by Patrick “Paddy” Mader. Andrew Holmquist, Illustrator
The Christmas Baby (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing), by Marion Dane Bauer. Richard Cowdrey, Illustrator
A Farm Country Halloween (Beaver’s Pond Press), by Gordon W. Fredrickson. Michaelin Otis, Illustrator
The Glass Monkey (Calyx Press Duluth), by Cecilia Lieder
If I Were a Farmer: Nancy’s Adventure (Beaver’s Pond Press), by Gordon W. Fredrickson. David Jewell, Illustrator
Henrietta Stays Out All Night! (Tom Broadbent), by Tom Broadbent. Lisa Kosmo, Illustrator
The Longest Night (Holiday House), by Marion Dane Bauer. Ted Lewin, Illustrator
Miss Little’s Gift (Candlewick Press), by Douglas Wood. Jim Burke, Illustrator
Monkey with a Tool Belt and the Noisy Problem (Carolrhoda Books/Lerner Publishing Group), by Chris Monroe
Moose on the Loose (Sleeping Bear Press), by Kathy-jo Wargin. John Bendall-Brunello, Illustrator
Muktar and the Camels (Henry Holt and Company), by Janet Graber. Scott Mack, Illustrator
No Snow for Christmas (Picture Window Books), by Jill Kalz. Sahin Erkocak, Illustrator
Once Upon a Time: Writing Your Own Fairy Tale (Picture Window Books/Capstone Publishers), by Nancy Loewen. Christopher Iyles, Illustrator
Princess Candy Sugar Hero (Stone Arch Press), by Michael Dahl. Jeff Crowther, Illustrator
Q.T. Patootie (Mirror Publishing), by Sally A. Scheckel
Red Sings from Treetops (Houghton Mifflin Children’s Books), by Joyce Sidman. Pamela Zagarenski, Illustrator
Song of Middle C (Candlewick Press), by Alison McGhee. Scott Menchin, Illustrator
Stampede!: Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School (Clarion Books), by Laura Purdie Salas. Steven Salerno, Illustrator
Start Saving, Henry! (Viking/Penguin Young Readers Group), by Nancy Carlson
Think Happy! (Carolrhoda Books/Lerner Publishing Group), by Nancy Carlson
The Twelve Days of Christmas in Minnesota (Sterling), by Constance Van Hoven. Mike Wohnoutka, Illustrator
The Ugly Duckling: The Graphic Novel (Capstone Press), by Martin Powell. Aaron Blecha, Illustrator
Y is for Yowl!: A Scary Alphabet (Capstone Press), by Laura Purdie Salas
Zinc Alloy Coldfinger (Stone Arch Books), by Donald Lemke. Douglas Holgate, Illustrator

General Nonfiction
Absinthe and Flamethrowers: Projects and Ruminations on the Art of Living Dangerously (Chicago Review Press), by William Gurstelle
Ambassadors from Earth: Pioneering Explorations with Unmanned Spacecraft (University of Nebraska Press), by Jay Gallentine
Approaching God: The Way of Abraham Joshua Heschel (Liturgical Press), by John C. Merkle
Bridge to the Afterlife: A Medium’s Message of Hope & Healing (Llewellyn Worldwide), by Troy Parkinson
Coached for Life (Bronze Bow Publishing), by Ed Flaherty and Jack Uldrich
The Courage of Faith: Some Philosophical Reflections (Liturgical Press), by Steven T. Ostovich
The Crooked Mile: Through Peak Oil, Biofuels, Hybrid Cars, and Global Climate
Change to Reach a Brighter Future (Demontreville Press Inc.), by Kevin Clemens
Cultivating Hope: Weekly Readings to Open Your Heart and Mind (Hazelden), by Karen Casey
Damn Good Food: 157 Recipes from Hell’s Kitchen (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press), by Mitch Omer and Ann Bauer
Drink This: Wine Made Simple (Ballantine Books), by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl
Feisty Lydia: Memoirs of a German War Bride (Minnesota Heritage Publishing), by Edna Thayer
Glass Ceilings & 100-Hour Couples: What the Opt-Out Phenomenon Can Teach Us about Work and Family (The University of Georgia Press), by Karine Moe & Dianna Shandy
Good Grief: Finding Peace After Pet Loss (Healy House Books), by Sid Korpi
The Happy Medium: Awakening to Your Natural Intuition (Llewellyn Worldwide), by Jodi Livon
Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients (Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press), by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. & Zoё François
Homilies for Weekdays: Solemnities, Feasts, and Memorials (Liturgical Press), by Don Talafous
The Hooked X: Key to the Secret History of North America (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Scott. F. Wolter
I Go to America: Swedish American Women and the Life of Mina Anderson (Minnesota Historical Society Press), by Joy K. Lintelman
Intriguing Owls: Exceptional Images and Insight (Adventure Publications), by Stan Tekiela
Invasion Biology (Oxford University Press), by Mark A. Davis
Journeywell: A Guide to Quality Aging (Beaver’s Pond Press), by Trish Herbert
K-9 Nation Biscuit Book: Baking for Your Best Friend (Minnesota Historical Society Press), by Klecko
Launching Your Teen into Adulthood: Parenting Through the Transition (Search Institute Press), by Patricia Hoolihan
Learning from the Children: Reflecting on Teaching (Redleaf Press), by Cindylee Villareale
A Man’s Way Through the Twelve Steps (Hazelden), by Dan Griffin, M.A.
The Northlands Winter Greenhouse Manual: A Unique, Low-Tech Solution to Vegetable Production in Cold Climates (Garden Goddess Publications), by Carol Ford & Chuck Waibel
Norwegian Handknits: Heirloom Designs from Vesterheim Museum (Voyageur Press), by Sue Flanders and Janine Kosel
A People’s History of the Hmong (Minnesota Historical Society Press), by Paul Hillmer
Prairie Homestead to Wall Street: A History of the Jones Family and Metropolitan Financial Corporation (Hobar Publications/Finney Company), by Hiram M. Drache
Psychic Empowerment for Everyone: You Have the Power, Learn How to Use It (Llewellyn Worldwide), by Carl Llewellyn Weschcke & Joe H. Slate, Ph.D.
Richard Parks Bonington: The Complete Paintings (Yale University Press), by Patrick Noon
Road Show: Art Cars and the Museum of the Streets (Fulcrum Publishing), by Eric Dregni and Ruthann Godollei
We Will Have Gained Ourselves: Narrative Experiences of African Women Pursuing Higher Education in the United States of America (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Mumbi Mwangi
Winners Persevere (Matthew R. Crowe), by Matthew R. Crowe
You Can’t Do That!: Marv Davidov, Nonviolent Revolutionary (Nodin Press), by Carol Masters & Marv Davidov

Genre Fiction
The Black Minute (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Christopher Valen
Blue Bells of Scotland (Gabriel’s Horn Publishing), by Laura Vosika
Cold Lonely Courage (Black Rose Writing), by Soren Paul Petrek
Deadly Stillwater (Beaver’s Pond Press), by Roger Stelljes
Devils Island (Echelon Press Publishing), by Carl Brookins
Eggs Benedict Arnold (Penguin/Berkley Prime Crime), by Laura Childs
First Come Twins (Harlequin), by Helen Brenna
Frag Box (Poisoned Pen Press), by Richard A. Thompson
From the Outside (Harlequin), by Helen Brenna
A Grand Ol’ Murder (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Brian Landon
Harvest of Souls (E-Booktime, LLC), by Michael Wayne
Heaven’s Keep (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster), by William Kent Krueger
Hogdoggin’ (Bleak House Books), by Anthony Neil Smith
In the Dark (Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press), by Brian Freeman
Jelly’s Gold, (Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press), by David Housewright
Magic & Madness (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Amy Gregg
Minnesota Cold (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Cynthia Kraack
The Mirror and the Mask (St. Martin’s Press), by Ellen Hart
Missing Mark (Doubleday/Random House), by Julie Kramer
The Mormon Conspiracy: A Flying Adventure (Seitview Publishing), by Dale M. Seitzer
Murder on Warbler Weekend (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Jan Dunlap
Next Comes Love (Harlequin), by Helen Brenna
Rough Country (G.P. Putnam’s Sons), by John Sandford
The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu (HarperCollins), by Michael Stanley
September Fair (Midnight Ink/Llewellyn Worldwide), by Jess Lourey
The Sharing Knife (Eos), by Louis McMaster Bujold
Secrets (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by David P. Holmes
Sherlock Holmes: In Search of the Source (Xlibris Corporation), by Jeff Falkingham
The Silent Governess (Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group), by Julie Klassen
Then Comes Baby (Harlequin), by Helen Brenna
Thy Father’s Will (Kirk House Publishing), by Kirsten Jacobson Stasney
Where’s Billie? (Nodin Press), by Judith Yates Borger
Wicked Prey (G.P. Putnam’s Sons), by John Sandford
Wormwood, Nevada (St. Martin’s Press), by David Oppegaard

Memoir & Creative Nonfiction
Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life (RID Press), by Raymond Luczak
The Bullhead Queen: A Year on Pioneer Lake (University of Minnesota Press), by Sue Leaf
The Daughter of L’arsenal (SterlingHouse Publisher, Inc.), by Jacqueline Regis
Eat the Grapes Don’t Fight the Battles (Beaver’s Pond Press), by Craig R. Johnson
Everything Happened in Vietnam: The Year of the Rat (Blue Moon Publishing), by Robert Peter Thompson
Farther Up the Mountain: The Death of a Son (Tasora), by Phyllis Jensen Campbell
Fujiyama Trays & Oshibori Towels: Recalling a Time When Passenger Flight was an Adventure and the Boeing Stratocruiser Ruled the Skies (Lady Skywriter Publications), by Anne Billingsley Kerr
Gentle Trekking: This Wide Land, One Café at a Time (Bearly Artworks Publishing), by Victor John Faith
Getting a Jump on Life: 90 Years of Flying in the Face of Obstacles, Overcoming Hardships and Making My Own Way (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Aileen Fritsch and Jacqueline Mosio
Going Blind (State University of New York), by Mara Faulkner, OSB
I’m Sorry You Feel That Way: The Astonishing but True Story of a Daughter, Sister, Slut, Wife, Mother, and Friend to Man & Dog (G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Group), by Diana Joseph
In a good and perfect World…I’m still IMPERFECT and other opinions (SUZ Z Enterprises Incorporated), by Suzi Otto
In Pursuit of Joy (Eloquent Books), by Gary Green
It’s Uphill Most of the Way Down: A Journey of Adventure and Faith (Tate Publishing and Enterprises), by Jodi L. Raisl and Dr. Barry L. Lane
It Was Quite a Ride: Moving Through the Twentieth Century (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Bonnie Graham
Kevin Kling’s Holiday Inn (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press), by Kevin Kling
Knife Island: Circling a Year in a Herring Skiff (Nodin Press), by Stephen Dahl
Knitting the Threads of Time: Casting Back to the Heart of Our Craft (New World Library), by Nora Murphy
Let My Words Be Sweet Upon You: Messages from Grandmother God (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Emma Hofstede
Lost and Found: A Memoir of Mothers (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Kate St. Vincent Vogl
Never Trust a Thin Cook and Other Lessons from Italy’s Culinary Capital (University of Minnesota Press), by Eric Dregni
The Nine of Us: A Lighthearted Memoir (AuthorHouse), by Jerry Hines
Purge: Rehab Diaries (Seal Press), by Nicole Johns
Spirits Out of Time: True Family Ghost Stories and Weird Paranormal Experiences (Llewellyn Worldwide), by Annie Wilder
Tenacity Well Directed: The Inside Story of How a Publishing House Was Created and Became a Sleeping Giant in Its Field - Well, Not Exactly (First Avenue Editions/Lerner Publishing Group), by Harry Lerner
Varmints in My Vinegar Cup: A Childhood at Gillette State Hospital 1945-1950 (Duluth Benedictine Books), by Lucille Geisinger
Walking on Air in a Field of Greens: An Italian-American Collage (Nodin Press), by Emilio DeGrazia
The Wild Garden: A Journey of Loss and Renewal (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Peter P. Bundy
The Wolf at Twilight: An Indian Elder’s Journey through a Land of Ghosts and Shadows (New World Library), by Kent Nerburn
What the Poem Wants: Prose on Poetry (Carnegie Mellon University Press), by Michael Dennis Browne

Minnesota
50 Years of Music: The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (Nodin Press), by Dave Kenney
61 Gems on Highway 61 (Adventure Publications), by Kathryn Mayo and William Mayo
Ant Farm: Glimpses of Daily Life in Minnesota (Nodin Press), by Ben Garvin
The Children Remember: Stories of Minnesota Children During World War II (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Sharon Schulte
The Dakota Uprising: A Pictorial History (Beaver’s Pond Press), by Curtis A. Dahlin
Historic Photos of Minnesota (Turner Publishing), by Susan Marks
Home: Tom Arndt’s Minnesota (University of Minnesota Press), by Tom Arndt
Honor Bright: A Century of Scouting in Northern Star Council (Northern Star Council, Boy Scouts of America), by Dave Kenney
I Love Brett Favre, I Hate Brett Favre (Triumph Books), by Ross Bernstein
Jewel of Como: The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory (Afton Historical Society Press), by Leigh Roethke and Bonnie Blodgett
Legacies of Faith: The Catholic Churches of Stearns County (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by John Roscoe and Robert Roscoe
Legendary Homes of Lake Minnetonka (Minnesota Historical Society Press), by Bette Jones Hammel. Karen Melvin, Photographer
Maroon & Gold Forever: Celebrating 125 Years of Gopher Football (Bernstein Books), by Ross Bernstein
Minneapolis in the Twentieth Century: The Growth of an American City (Minnesota Historical Society Press), by Iric Nathanson
The Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway: A Photographic History (University of Minnesota Press), by Don L. Hofsommer
Minnesota County Fairs: Kids, Cows, Carnies, and Chow (University of Minnesota Press), by Susan Lambert Miller
Minnesota Prints and Printmaker: 1900-1945 (Minnesota Historical Society Press), by Robert L. Crump
Mr. Environment: The Willard Munger Story (Cloquet River Press), by Mark Munger
The Neighborhood by the Falls: A Look Back at Life in Longfellow (Longfellow Community Council), by Eric Hart
Opening Goliath: Danger and Discovery in Caving (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press) by Cary J. Griffith
Power & Stride: The Nancy Burggraf Story (Pogo Press/Finney Company), by Merrie Sue Holtan
Recounting Minnesota: Blogging the Al Franken Election Saga (Melange Press), by Carl “WineRev” Eeman
Subterranean Twin Cities (University of Minnesota Press), by Greg Brick
Suburban Dawn: The Emergence of Richfield, Edina and Bloomington (Richfield Historical Society), by Frederick L. Johnson with Thomas U. Tuttle
The Twins at the Met (Beaver’s Pond Press), by Bob Showers
Walking Twin Cities (Wilderness Press), by Holly Day and Sherman Wick
Wildflowers of the Boundary Waters: Hiking Through the Seasons (Minnesota Historical Society Press), by Betty Vos Hemstad

Novel & Short Story
Abercrombie Trail (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Candace Simar
Abraham Lincoln in New Orleans (Rae Katherine Eighmey), by Rae Katherine Eighmey
The Annunciations of Hank Meyerson, Mama’s Boy and Scholar (Hooded Friar Press), by Scott Muskin
The Book of Night Women (Riverhead Books/Penguin Group), by Marlon James
A Christmas Blizzard (Penguin Group), by Garrison Keillor
Dieter Stumpf: A Man Imprisoned by War (Turnpike Press of Northfield), by Jim Reiley
Encampment: A Novel of Race and Reconciliation (Melange Press), by Carl Eeman
Eve (Bantam Books), by Elissa Elliott
Every Boat Turns South (The Permanent Press), by J.P. White
German for Travelers: A Novel in 95 Lessons (Coffee House Press), by Norah Labiner
The Grass: A Young Man’s Journey to the Korean War (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Paul Zerby
Heading North (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Joseph Van Nurden
Heartache & Sin (BookSurge Publishing), by Charles Soto
The Hospital for Bad Poets (Milkweed Editions), by J.C. Hallman
Jennifer Johnson Is Sick of Being Single (HarperCollins), by Heather McElhatton
Men with Their Hands (Rebel Satori Press/Queer Mojo), by Raymond Luczak
My Life with Stella Kane (Regal Crest Enterprises), by Linda Morganstein
Pike Point and the Good Lord’s Earth (Author House), by Greg Suhonen
Pilgrims: A Wobegon Romance (Penguin Group), by Garrison Keillor
The Red Convertible: Selected and New Stories (HarperCollins), by Louise Erdrich
Remedies (G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Group), by Kate Ledger
Retribution (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Dean Urdahl
The Rose Variations (Soho Press), by Marisha Chamberlain
Somewhere in Lorraine (Capio), by Capio
Total Oblivion, More or Less (Spectra, an imprint of Random House), by Alan DeNiro
A Travel Guide for Reckless Hearts (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press), by N. M. Kelby
The Turtle Catcher (Houghton Mifflin), by Nicole Helget
When to Go into the Water (Sarabande Books), by Lawrence Sutin
Whiskey Heart (New Rivers Press), by Rachel L. Coyne
Whiteout (Beaver’s Pond Press), by Brian Duren

Poetry
Ace (The Word Works), by Richard Carr
All This and More: New and Selected Poems (Nodin Press), by Carol Connolly
Before You Know It: Prose Poems 1970-2005 (Will o’ the Wisp Books), by Louis Jenkins
Between (Nodin Press), by Morgan Grayce Willow
Bird Eating Bird (Perennial), by Kristin Naca
Ceremonies of the Spirit (Plain View Press), by Wendy Brown-Báez
The Chain Letter of the Soul: New and Selected Poems (Milkweed Editions), by Bill Holm
Coal Mountain Elementary (Coffee House Press), by Mark Nowak
Cool Auditor (BOA Editions), by Ray Gonzalez
Dark Dreaming, Global Dimming (Red Dragonfly Press), by Joe Paddock
The Dark Honey: New & Used Poems (Clover Valley Press), by Ellie Schoenfeld
Driving Gravel Roads (Red Dragonfly Press), by Jim Johnson
Faith Run (The University of Arizona Press), by Ray Gonzalez
Fallibility (New Rivers Press) by Elizabeth Oness
Flying (Nodin Press), by Beverly Rollwagen
God Drops and Loses Things (Liturgical Press), by Kilian McDonnell
The Gravity of Flesh (Nodin Press), by Jill Breckenridge
I Wish I Had a Heart Like Yours, Walt Whitman (University of Notre Dame Press), by Jude Nutter
Love or Lust (Two Harbors Press), by Ott Lukk
Obama Rising (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Larry Christianson
Once Upon a Neighborhood (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Evelyn D. Klein
The Plum-Stone Game (Ahsahta Press), by Kathleen Jesme
Radioactive City (Bellday Books), by Richard Robbins
Rock Worn By Water (Plain View Press), by Florence Chard Dacey
Stompin’ at the Grand Terrace: A Jazz Memoir in Verse (Blueroad Press), by Philip S. Bryant
Stone Poems (Starhaven), by Douglas Skrief
Skirmish (Graywolf Press), by Dobby Gibson
South of Contrary (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Larry Christianson
Unrest (Graywolf Press), by Joanna Rawson
Writer’s Block: Poetry and Food for Thought (AuthorHouse), by Carlotta Arradondo, Chance Arradondo, and K. Caprice Arradondo

Young People's Literature
Batman: The Man Behind the Mask (Stone Arch Books), by Michael Dahl. Dan Schoening, Illustrator
The Bracelet (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Betsy Johnson-Miller
Chrissa (American Girl Publishing Co.), by Mary Casanova
Chrissa Stands Strong (American Girl Publishing Co.), by Mary Casanova
The Civil War: An Interactive History Adventure (Capstone Press), by Matt Doeden
Climate Fever: Stopping Global Warming (Compass Point Books/Capstone Press), by Rachael Hanel
Crows & Cards (Houghton Mifflin), by Joseph Helgerson
Drive Me Crazy (Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing), by Erin Downing
The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading (Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing), by Charity Tahmaseb & Darcy Vance
The Gifted Kids’ Survival Guide (Free Spirit Publishing), by Judy Galbraith
Girl Talk: 52 Weekly Devotions (Zondervan Press), by Lois Walfrid Johnson
How to Draw 104 Cartoons with Gary Harbo (Kutie Kari Books, Inc.), by Gary Harbo
Let’s Meet a Marine Educator! (Winward Publishing, an imprint of Finney Company), by Tasha Jacobson
Lucy Long Ago: Uncovering the Mystery of Where We Came From (Houghton Mifflin Children’s Books), by Catherine Thimmesh
The Magician’s Elephant (Candlewick Press), by Kate DiCamillo. Yoko Tanaka, Illustrator
Mudville (Random House Children’s Books), by Kurtis Scaletta
The Painting that Wasn’t There (Stone Arch Books/Capstone Publishers), by Steve Brezenoff
The Phantom of the North Shore (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by John Koblas
The Secret History of Lake Amikota (North Star Press of St. Cloud), by Jody G. Russell
The Secret of Zoom (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers), by Lynne Jonell
The Sky Always Hears Me and the Hills Don’t Mind (Flux/Llewellyn Worldwide), by Kirstin Cronn-Mills
Superman: The Shrinking City, (Stone Arch Books), by Michael Dahl. Gregg Schigiel and Lee Loughridge, Illustrators
TANGO: The Tale of an Island Dog (Bloomsbury U.S.A.), by Eileen Beha
The Tear Collector (Walker & Company), by Patrick Jones
Toby Martin: Pet Detective (Cambridge Books), by Barbara Grengs
Top of the Order (Fiewel and Friends/Macmillan), by John Coy
The White Witch (Roaring Brook Press), by Janet Graber
Will Spring Come? (Royal Fireworks Press), by Esther Allen Peterson
Zillah’s Gift (Beaver’s Pond Press), by Lois West Duffy

21st Annual Minnesota Book Awards Finalists

Chosen on Saturday, January 31, by 24 judges from around the state, the finalists in the following categories are:

JUMP TO CATEGORY:

Children’s Literature
General Nonfiction
Genre Fiction
Memoir & Creative Nonfiction
Minnesota
Novel & Short Story
Poetry
Young People’s Literature

Children’s Literature (Sponsored by MLBA Children's Fund):

	*Henry’s Amazing Imagination!* Nancy Carlson Henry has had some amazing adventures. He’s met aliens, built a snowman as big as a house, and seen a live dinosaur. Henry shares these stories during show and tell, but there’s one problem – everyone thinks he’s a fibber! Nancy Carlson has written and illustrated several books about Henry the mouse.
	*The House in the Night* Susan Marie Swanson, Illustrated by Beth Krommes In this bedtime story, the rhythmic text and glowing pictures explore the origins of light that make a house a home. The book lifts up nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing to young readers including a key, a bed, a book, a light, and the moon. Susan Marie Swanson, an award-winning author, has been teaching poetry writing to children for more than 20 years.
	*Monkey with a Tool Belt* Chris Monroe Whether you need a needle nose pliers or a chisel, Chico Bon Bon's your monkey. He can build or fix just about anything including a dock for the ducks and a roller coaster for local chipmunks. But will Chico’s tools and his sharp wit save him when an organ grinder sets his sights on making Chico a circus star? Chris Monroe, a resident of Duluth, is the author and illustrator of the long-running comic strip Violet Days.
	*My Friend, the Starfinder* George Ella Lyon, Illustrated by Stephen Gammel A young girl, captivated by the colorful stories her old neighbor tells of when he was young, believes every single one, no matter how strange. There’s the story of when he followed and caught a falling star, but nothing compares to his adventure with the rainbow. Stephen Gammel, a Caldecott award-winning illustrator, is a long-time resident of Saint Paul.

General Nonfiction:

	The Compassionate Carnivore: Or, How to Keep Animals Happy, Save Old MacDonald’s Farm, Reduce Your Hoofprint, and Still Eat Meat Catherine Friend Once Catherine Friend and her partner bought a farm and started raising sheep, her attitude about eating meat began to change. The author’s farming and livestock journey offers critical and witty insight, for meat lovers and vegetarians alike, into how our meat is raised, where and from whom we buy it, and why a change in our meat choices is possible and desirable. Friend has written several books for both adults and children.
	A Hard-Water World: Ice Fishing and Why We Do It Greg Breining, Photography by Layne Kennedy Photographs and essays combine to capture the quirky world of ice fishing – its natural beauty and solitary subzero vigils – along with its oddball practices and practitioners. Readers are taken to fun-filled festivals and unique ice houses that range from a plastic bag cocoon to a luxurious ice residence with a front porch and wet bar. Layne Kennedy’s photographs appear in many magazines including National Geographic Traveler and Sports Illustrated. Greg Breining writes about the outdoors for national publications, and has authored several books.
	*Potluck Paradise: Favorite Fare from Church and Community Cookbooks* Rae Katherine Eighmey and Debbie Miller The authors combed through thousands of pages of folksy cookbooks, tested scores of the most popular recipes, and then arrived at the 125 tastiest, crowd-pleasing dishes. Favorite potluck recipes include Golden Glow Salad, Oven Barbecue Spareribs, and Hot Coconut-Covered Cake. Rae Katherine Eighmey, a food historian, has written several books. Debbie Miller, also a historian, is a reference specialist at the Minnesota Historical Society.
	*“You Have Been Kind Enough to Assist Me”: Herman Stern and the Jewish Refugee Crisis* Terry Shoptaugh This is the compelling story of a North Dakota clothier who rescued more than 100 German Jews from the impending holocaust in Europe. Herman Stern began by sponsoring the immigration of relatives, and expanded his efforts during the 1930s until he had developed a plan to settle hundreds of Jewish refugees in North Dakota. Terry Shoptaugh is a professor of history and the archivist at Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Genre Fiction: (Sponsored by Wellington Management)

	*A Carrion Death* Michael Stanley Detective Kubu debuts in this thriller set amid the beauty and darkness of contemporary Africa. A murdered body, partially eaten by hyenas, leads Kubu from the riverbanks of the Kalahari to the highest offices of an international conglomerate, where he uncovers a chain of crimes leading to the most powerful figures in the country. Michael Stanley is the writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip.
	*Phantom Prey* John Sandford Lucas Davenport’s newest case starts when a widow returns to her large suburban home to find blood on the walls and her college-age daughter, a member of the Goth scene, missing. Soon other Goths are found murdered, and Davenport is on the look out for a young female Goth who mysteriously keeps appearing and then vanishing. John Sandford is the author of eighteen Prey novels and seven other books.
	*Red Knife* William Kent Krueger The newest book in the award-winning Cork O’Connor series finds the private investigator caught in the middle of a racial gang war that’s turning Minnesota’s picturesque Tamarack County into a bloody battlefield. When the head of Red Boyz, a gang of Ojibwe youths, is murdered in a way that suggests execution, the gang mobilizes, and the citizens of Tamarack County brace themselves for war, white against red.
	*Stalking Susan* Julie Kramer Twin Cities investigative television reporter, Riley Spartz, discovers that a serial killer is targeting women named Susan, and is killing one on the same day each year. In her attempt to crack the case, Spartz goes up against an uncooperative news director and a politician who fears a serial killer story will hurt Minneapolis’ convention business. Julie Kramer is a freelance television news producer for NBC.

Memoir & Creative Nonfiction:

	*The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir* Kao Kalia Yang Born in a refugee camp in Thailand, Kao Kalia Yang immigrated to Saint Paul when she was six years old. This is the story of her family’s harrowing escape from Laos, their life in refugee camps, and the hardships and joys that came with carving out a life in America. Yang is the co-founder of Words Wanted, an agency dedicated to helping immigrants with writing, translating, and business services.
	*Madness: A Bipolar Life* Marya Hornbacher At age twenty-four, Marya Hornbacher was diagnosed with the most severe form of bipoloar disorder. In this memoir, the author shares her desperate attempts to counteract violently careening mood swings through self-starvation, substance abuse, numbing sex, and self-mutilation. Hornbacher’s national bestseller, Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia, was a Pulitzer Prize nominee.
	*Renaming the Earth: Personal Essays* Ray Gonzalez The author reflects on the American Southwest, a place that tugs at him, from its arid desert landscapes to its polyglot cities – part Mexican, part Anglo, and part something-in-between. He writes of borders, both real and surreal, borders that are themselves historical, spiritual, personal, and universal. Ray Gonzalez teaches in the MFA program at the University of Minnesota, and is the author of several books including ten poetry collections.
	*Swallow the Ocean* Laura M. Flynn Set in 1970s San Francisco, this is the true story of what it is like to experience a parent’s schizophrenia through the lens of a child. Laura and her two sisters retreat to books, stories, and elaborate games, creating a powerfully protective world of imagination as a way of coping with their mother’s illness and parents’ divorce. Laura M. Flynn is a graduate of the University of Minnesota’s MFA program, where she now teaches. This is her first book.

Minnesota (Sponsored by Xcel Energy):

	*Crossing the Canal: An Illustrated History of Duluth’s Aerial Bridge* Tony Dierckins Duluth’s aerial bridge has been called “Duluth’s Eiffel Tower” and “the gateway to the world.” This complete history of the bridge, from cutting the canal through the bridge’s 100th anniversary, separates facts from myths, creating a vivid picture of the life of Duluth’s iconic landmark. Duluth resident Tony Dierckins has authored more than a dozen books.
	*Hard Work and a Good Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Minnesota* Barbara W. Sommer The Civilian Conversation Corps, born out of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal at the height of the Great Depression, supplied jobs to more than 77,000 Minnesotans. Hundreds of interviews complement the author’s text in this account of the workers’ lasting legacy, visible today in Minnesota’s thriving forests, state parks, and soil conversation practices. Barbara Sommer is a founder of the Oral History Association of Minnesota.
	*Landscapes of Minnesota: A Geography* John Fraser Hart and Susy Svatek Ziegler Minnesota’s natural wonders have had an effect on and been changed by people who call this state home. Illustrated with hundreds of maps and photographs, the book traces the state’s natural environment, including land formations, plants and animals, documenting how things have and will continue to change. John Fraser Hart and Susy Svatek Zielger teach geography at the University of Minnesota.
	*Minnesota on the Map: A Historical Atlas* David A. Lanegran Maps have made a difference in many fascinating controversies that have shaped the state’s history. Readers learn about Duluth’s port war with Superior, Wisconsin, how railroads dictated the shape of cities like Brainerd, the importance of the state’s first 1919 highway map, and how Boundary Waters maps created a tourism bonanza. David A. Lanegran chairs the geography department at Macalester College.

Novel & Short Story:

	Famous Suicides of the Japanese Empire David Mura Ben Ohara, a struggling historian, is the sole surviving member of his family. As he retraces his steps through a childhood colored by tough Chicago streets, horror movie monsters, sci-fi villains, Japanese folk tales, TV war heroes, and family tragedy, he comes to understand the profound personal reach of history. David Mura is an acclaimed essayist, poet, playwright, and performance artist.
	The Plague of Doves Louise Erdrich The unsolved murder of a farm family haunts the small, white, off-reservation town of Pluto, North Dakota. Bound by love and torn by history, the collective stories of two communities come together in a wrenching truth that is revealed in the novel's final pages. Louise Erdrich is the author of novels, volumes of poetry, children’s books, and a memoir. She also owns the independent bookstore, Birchbark Books.
	Shelter Half Carol Bly A murder in a small town invites readers into the culture of this Northern Minnesota community. Town life is seen through the eyes of a number of characters: the cop and the rector, the town bully and the town doctor, and a marvelously realized do-gooder who only in the end realizes that he has not been helpful at all. Published posthumously, this is award-winning author Carol Bly’s only novel.
	The Soul Thief Charles Baxter During Nathaniel’s first months as a graduate student in upstate New York, he is drawn into a tangle of relationships with people who seem to hover just beyond his grasp. It is mysterious Jerome who seems to trigger the events that lead to Nathaniel’s breakdown, and who 30 years later reappears, suggesting that Nathaniel’s identity may not be is own. Charles Baxter won a Minnesota Book Award in 2008 for The Art of Subtext: Beyond Plot.

Poetry:

	Milk and Tides Margaret Hasse These poems investigate the meaning of motherhood, the territory of biracial adoption, and the surprises of aging. From the tenderness of bonding with a new baby, to the humor and aggravations of raising teenagers, through memories of her South Dakota childhood, the poet holds a mirror to the revelations of family life. Margaret Hasse is the author of three books of poetry, and was the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowship.
	National Monuments Heid E. Erdrich The depths of national identities and the real people who live them are explored through these poems. There are arguments with historians, archeologists, William Carlos Williams, and the deeply rooted, conflicting myths of what being American is all about. Heid E. Erdrich, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibway, won a Minnesota Voices award for her first poetry collection, Fishing for Myth.
	The Sound of It Tim Nolan This poetry revels in the music of everyday life. The familiar streets and landmarks throughout the book will resonate with Minneapolis natives, and even some New Yorkers. The sounds of the poems cover a full octave—from childhood to "Almost Fifty," Diamond Lake Road to Palestine, brussels sprouts to Holy Thursday. Tim Nolan has an MFA from Columbia University and practices law in Minneapolis.
	Yellowrocket Todd Boss This collection, set in the Midwest, alternately features a childhood Wisconsin farm, the record-breaking storm that destroyed it, and the marriage that recalls it. Whether the poems are dealing with rural youth, the tensions of marriage, or the loneliness of disappointment, a zest for life bubbles beneath the surface. This is the first poetry collection for Todd Boss, who earned his MFA at the University of Alaska, Anchorage.

Young People’s Literature (Sponsored by Tarrant, Drummer & Liska, PLLC):

	Black Box Julie Schumacher Elena is much quieter than her fun and unpredictable older sister, Dora, but they have always been close. When Dora is diagnosed with depression and hospitalized, Elena is committed to making her sister better, but the responsibility becomes too much to bear. Julie Schumacher writes for both young readers and adults, and her book, The Book of One Hundred Truths, won a Minnesota Book Award in 2007.
	Julia Gillian (and the Art of Knowing) Alison McGhee Nine-year-old Julia Gillian is good at many things, including making predictions. One prediction she makes is that the green covered book she is reading ends sadly, and she is afraid to finish it. Julia goes to amusing lengths to avoid pressure from her parents to finish the book. What will happen if she discovers the actual ending? Alison McGhee has won multiple awards for her books for adults and young readers.
	Saturday Night Dirt Will Weaver It is a sizzling summer Saturday, and Headwaters Speedway has suddenly become the place to be. In the first book of the Motor Novel series, a cast of car-obsessed teens and adults are all out to prove themselves, both on and off the quarter-mile track, as they move through their day on a collision course to finally meet on Saturday night dirt. Will Weaver’s awards for writing include a Minnesota Book Award for Defect in 2008.
	Twelve Long Months Brian Malloy Molly Swain is hopelessly in love with Mark, the only thing she finds of interest in their small Minnesota town. She starts to wonder if she and Mark will ever be more than lab partners, and then she discovers they will both be moving to New York following high school graduation. In New York, however, Molly discovers that Mark’s been keeping a secret, and it turns out she’s not his type at all. This is Brian Malloy’s third novel.

Award winners will be announced at the 21st Annual Minnesota Book Awards Gala on Saturday, April 25, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in downtown Saint Paul. The opening reception begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40 and are available by clicking here or by calling 651-222-3242.

Readers' Choice

All Minnesotans are invited to take part in voting for the Readers' Choice Award each year in the weeks leading up to the Minnesota Book Awards gala. Please, only one vote per person.

In spring of 2009, more than 2,000 readers visited TwinCities.com to vote for their favorite among the 32 Minnesota Book Award finalists. This year's Readers' Choice Award went to Kao Kalia Yang for her book, The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir, published by Coffee House Press* Yang also won this year's Minnesota Book Award for Memoir and Creative Nonfiction.

Jill Kalz celebrates winning the Readers' Choice Award

Previous Winners:

2008 Minnesota Book Awards Readers' Choice Award:
Jill Kalz – Farmer Cap - Published by Picture Window Books

2007 Minnesota Book Awards Readers' Choice Award:
Matthew Sanford – Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence - Published by Rodale

The Minnesota Book Awards is a Capital City project, led by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library,
in consortium with the Saint Paul Public Library and the Mayor’s office in the City of Saint Paul.
Outreach partners for the Book Awards include the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA)
and the Minnesota Library Association (MLA).

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