Minnesota Book Awards Finalists

The Minnesota Book Awards was created over two decades ago by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as part of a larger festival of the book.

Books created by writers, illustrators or book artists who are Minnesotans are eligible for Minnesota Book Awards.  The Awards are given each year for books published in the previous year.  For instance, the winners in 2010 were books published in 2009.  

The award process begins with nominations, which are received from authors, publishers and others from throughout the state. From the nominated works, Award finalists are chosen by panels of preliminary round judges. Award winners are then selected by different, final round, judging panels.  Over the years of the Book Awards program, the categories of Award winners and the number of finalists has varied from year to year.

The Friends maintain an excellent web site that is well worth a visit. It includes a page offering downloads of reading notes about for the Minnesota Book Award Winners for the last few years, very thoughtful.

For vistors from outside the USA, Minnesota is the 12th biggest state in the country with a population of about 5 million. The capital is St. Paul.

The nominees for 2011 have been posted. By Tragic's reckoning this will be the 23rd time around the block for the prize. 

Tragic list past winners over at Book Awards US

Finalists

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

Sponsored by Books for Africa

"-1+1=5 and Other Unlikely Additions" by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Brenda Sexton (Sterling Publishing)

"Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty" by Linda Glaser, paintings by Claire A. Nivola (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

"My Heart Is Like a Zoo" by Michael Hall (Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins Publishers)

"A Night on the Range" by Aaron Frisch, illustrated by Chris Sheban (The Creative Company)
GENERAL NONFICTION
Sponsored by Minnesota AFL-CIO

"The Assassination of Hole in the Day" by Anton Treuer (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press)

"The Nature of College: How a New Understanding of Campus Life Can Change the World" by James J. Farrell (Milkweed Editions)

"The Opposite of Cold: The Northwoods Finnish Sauna Tradition" by Michael Nordskog, photography by Aaron W. Hautala (University of Minnesota Press)

"Paddle North: Canoeing the Boundary Waters-Quetico Wilderness" by Greg Breining, photography by Layne Kennedy (Minnesota Historical Society Press)

"Silencing Sam" by Julie Kramer (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster)

"The Taking of Libbie, SD" by David Housewright (Minotaur Books)

"The Tale of Halcyon Crane" by Wendy Webb (Henry Holt)

"Vermilion Drift" by William Kent Krueger (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster)

"Carrier: Untangling the Danger in My DNA" by Bonnie J. Rough (Counterpoint)

"Crossing the Barriers: The Autobiography of Allan H. Spear" by Allan H. Spear (University of Minnesota Press)

"News to Me: Adventures of an Accidental Journalist" by Laurie Hertzel (University of Minnesota Press)

"She Looks Just Like You: A Memoir of (Nonbiological Lesbian) Motherhood" by Amie Klempnauer Miller (Beacon Press)
MINNESOTA
Sponsored by Xcel Energy

"North Country: The Making of Minnesota" by Mary Lethert Wingerd (University of Minnesota Press)

"Prairie, Lake, Forest: Minnesota's State Parks" by Chris Niskanen, photography by Doug Ohman (Minnesota Historical Society Press)

"This is Not Florida: How Al Franken Won the Minnesota Senate Recount" by Jay Weiner (University of Minnesota Press)

"We're Gonna Win, Twins!: 50 Years of Minnesota's Hometown Team" by Doug Grow (University of Minnesota Press)

"Dogfight, A Love Story" by Matt Burgess (Doubleday/Random House Inc.)

"The House of Tomorrow" by Peter Bognanni (G. P. Putnam's Sons/The Penguin Group)

"Losing Camille" by Paul Kilgore (Black Lawrence Press/Dzanc Books)

"Vestments" by John Reimringer (Milkweed Editions)
POETRY
Sponsored by Wellington Management Inc.

"Dreaming Man, Face Down" by Mark Conway (Dream Horse Press)

"Find the Girl" by Lightsey Darst (Coffee House Press)

"On Speaking Terms" by Connie Wanek (Copper Canyon Press)

"Sin Eater" by William Reichard (Mid-List Press)
YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE
Sponsored by Sit Investment Associates

"Blank Confession" by Pete Hautman (Simon & Schuster)

"Hamster Magic" by Lynne Jonell, illustrated by Brandon Dorman (Random House Children's Books/Random House Inc.)

"The Shadows: The Books of Elsewhere; Volume I" by Jacqueline West (Dial Books for Young Readers/ The Penguin Group)

"Split" by Swati Avasthi (Random House Children's Books/Random House Inc.)