The Finalists were announced over the weekend for the Minnesota Book Awards. I was so happy to see some books I love recognized and surprised to see other books I love NOT recognized. But I guess that’s how it goes. If a few books won every award, fewer books would get love. I also wondered which of these writers were, like me last year, totally stunned and didn’t even know this was the weekend the Finalists were announced. That was one of the best days of my life, I think, being totally unaware and coming home to congratulatory emails. I was sure it was a mistake!
Anyway, congratulations to all the Finalists in the Children’s and YA Categories:
Children’s
1+1=5 and Other Unlikely Additions, by David LaRochelle (Sterling Publishing)
Emma’s Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty, by Linda Glaser (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)
I have read and loved the first two, and will have to get ahold of the other two!
Young People’s
Blank Confession, by Pete Hautman (Simon & Schuster)
Hamster Magic, by Lynne Jonell (Random House Children’s Books/Random House, Inc.)
The Shadows: The Books of Elsewhere; Volume I, by Jacqueline West (Dial)
Split, by Swati Avasthi (Random House Children’s Books/Random House, Inc.)
I loved Split! I haven’t read Hamster Magic yet, but Lynne is a fantastic writer, so I’ve got to get to that one soon. And I’ve really liked several of Pete Hautman’s books, so ditto on that. I don’t normally read fantasy trilogies, but I’m going to at least look at The Shadows as well, and see if it draws me in.
And the Star Tribune’s Books editor, Laurie Hertzel, was nominated in the Memoir category for her book, News to Me: Adventures of an Accidental Journalist. I have heard this is terrific and have been meaning and meaning to read this. My TBR stack is just towering!
Congratulations, everyone! I’m excited for all of you!