Books submitted for the 2024-2025, 37th Minnesota Book Awards. Last updated 11/19/24.
Anthology:
A Darker Wilderness: Black Native Writing from Soil to Stars edited by Erin Sharkey (Milkweed Editions)
Even the River Starts Small: A Collection of Stories from the Movement to Stop Line 3 edited by Line 3 Anthology Team (Haymarket Books)
Latin Art in Minnesota edited by William G. Franklin (Afton Press)
Locker Room Talk: Women in Private Spaces edited by Margret Aldrich & Michelle Filkins (Spout Press)
Raised by Wolves: Fifty Poets on Fifty Poems edited by Carmen Gimenez and Jeff Shotts (Graywolf Press)
Rondo: History & Values edited by Dr. Artika Tyner (Planting People Growing Justice)
We Look West, Poets of the Northfield, Minnesota, Public Library edited by Tom Driscoll (Up On Big Rock Poetry Series/ Shipwreckt Books)
What Wakes Her in the Night edited by Tracy Rittmueller, Susan Thurston, and Karen Herseth Wee (The Blackhat Press)
Yooper Poetry: On Experiencing Michigan's Upper Peninsula edited by Raymond Luczak (Modern History Press)
Children’s Literature:
Andrew Does His Dance by Andrew Brundidge & Sheletta Brundidge; illustrated by Darcy Bell-Myers (Beaver's Pond Press)
Author vs. Illustrator by Donald Lemke; illustrated by Bob Lentz (Capstone, Capstone Editions)
Birth of the Bicycle: A Bumpy History of the Bicycle in America 1819-1900 by Sarah Nelson; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno (Candlewick)
The Brave Space by Anna Clavin, MA, LMFT, IECMH-E, PMH-C; illustrated by Bonnie Lemaire (Halo Publishing)
Caged by Kao Kalia Yang; illustrated by Khou Vue (Penguin Random House/Kokila)
Do Not Brig Your Dragon to Grandma's by Julie Gassman; illustrated by Andy Elkerton (Capstone/Capstone Editions)
A Family Tree by Staci Lola Drouillard; illustrated by Kate Gardiner (Harper Collins/Clarion)
Firefly Galaxy by Sarah Nelson; illustrated by Estrellita Caracol (Barefoot Books)
Go and Get with Rex by David LaRochelle; illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka (Candlewick)
Grandpa Loved Wild Things by Melissa Rousu; illustrated by Chaterine Piese (self-published)
Grandpa Used to Drive Big Trucks: A Book About Parkinson's Disease by Martha Nance, MD & Steve Witebsky; illustrated by Matthew Karren (Wise Ink)
Half a World Away by Jamie Kalakaru-Mava (self-published)
How the Birds Got Their Songs by Travis Zimmerman; retold in Ojibwemowin by Marcus Ammesmaki/Aanikanootaagewin; illustrated by Sam Zimmerman/Zhaanwanoogiizhik (Minnesota Historical Society Press)
How We Heal by Adam Schmitt, MD, MS; illustrated by Michelle Simpson (North Star Editions/North Star Kids)
I Don't Think So! by Tom Listul; illustrated by Jenna Douglas (Beaver's Pond Press)
J is for Juneteenth by Jamariah Cross, Kimani Prince, & Ariyah Webster; illustrated by Reyhana Ismail (Planting People Growing Justice)
James Finds the Beat by Ty Chapman; illustrated by Anastasia Magloire Williams (Free Spirit Publishing)
Jayden's Secret Ingredient by Mélina Mangal; illustrated by Ken Daley (Free Spirit Publishing)
Just Us by Molly Beth Griffin; illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan (Charlesbridge Publishing)
The Kindness Booth by Laura K. Murray; illustrated by Andrea Boatta (Capstone/Capstone Editions)
Kwame Votes by Dr. Artika Tyner; illustrated by CJ (Planting People Growing Justice Press)
Lessons fro the Coop by Stacy DeCorsey (self-published)
Linden: The Story of a Tree by Colleen Muske (Marble Press)
Line Leads the Way by Laura Purdie Salas; illustrated by Alice Caldarella (Capstone/Capstone Editions)
Lizzy the Pizzly by Meghan DesLauriers; illustrated by Amanda Letcher (Lind & Lo Books, LLC)
Loaf the Cat Goes to the Powwow by Nicholas DeShaw; illustrated by Tara Audibert (Penguin Random House/Nancy Paulsen Books)
The Moons by Chan Poling; illustrated by Lucy Michell (Minnesota Historical Society Press)
Mr. Fox's Game of "No!" by David LaRochelle; illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka (Candlewick)
Oskar's Voyage by Laura Purdie Salas; illustrated by Kayla Harren (Minnesota Historical Society Press)
Pizza and Taco: Best Christmas Ever! by Stephen Shaskan (Random House RHGraphic)
The Right Thing to Do: The Joe Mauer Story by Joe Schmit & Joe Mauer; illustrated by Kevin Cannon (Wise Ink)
The Rock in My Throat by Kao Kalia Yang; illustrated by Jiemei Lin (Lerner Publishing Group/Carolrhoda Books)
So Cold! by John Coy; illustrated by Chris Park (Minnesota Historical Society Press)
Snow Steps by Karen Latchana Kenney; illustrated by Irina Avgustinovich (WorthyKids/Hatchette Book Group)
Stokes: The Brief Career of the NBA's First Black Superstar by Ty Chapman & John Coy (Lerner Publishing Group/Millbrook Press)
The Sunflowers Babushka Planted by Beatrice Rendon; illustrated by Olga Baumert (Capstone Editions)
Touch the Sky by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic; illustrated by Chris Park (Lerner Publishing/Carolrhoda Books)
A Voice Like Yours by Frank Murphy & April Groman; illustrated by Kayla Harren (Cherry Lake Publishing Group, Sleeping Bear Press)
We Are the Dreams of Our Ancestors by Imani Brown-Ajayi, Mariama Dibba, Dazariah Ellis, Nalah Fearce, Nandi Mawusi, Wisdom Mawusi & Dr. Artika Tyner; illustrated by Reyhana Ismail (Planting People Growing Justice)
Waleed The Skinny Hippo: Being Brave by Denis J. LaComb; illustrated by Jubayda Sagor (self-published)
We Miss You, George Floyd by Shannon Gibney; illustrated by Leeya Rose Jackson (University of Minnesota Press)
What Lolo Wants by Cristina Oxtra; illustrated by Jamie Bauza (Kids Can Press)
Wisdom Weavers by James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw; illustrated by Marcus Trujillo (Quarto, becker & mayer! kids)
General Nonfiction:
12 Voices: A Global Coterie Makes the Case for Cultural Diversity by Mark Bornhoft (Grosbeak Publishing, LLC)
About Power by George Crocker (Calumet/Wisdom Editions)
Appetite for Change: Soulful Recipes from a North Minneapolis Kitchen by Appetite for Change, Inc (University of Minnesota Press)
Cafe Cool: Feel-good Inspiring Designs by Robert Schneider (Images Publishing)
Cardinal Dreams: The Legacy of Charlie Peete and a Life Cut Short by Danny Spewak (Rowman & Littlefield)
The College Student's Guide to Mental Health by Mia Nosanow (New World Library)
The Farmer, the Gastronome, and the Chef: In Pursuit of the Ideal Meal by Daniel Philippon (University of Virginia Press)
Fiscal Follies: A Little Fun with Economics (and Economists) by Daniel C. Munson (Keynote Books)
Leadership Legacy: Discover, Create, Live Your Best Life! by Kerry K. Fierke (self-published)
The Minneapolis Reckoning: Race, Violence, and the Politics of Policing in America by Michelle S. Phelps (Princeton University Press)
Pauline Kruger Hamilton: The End of an Era by James Gerlich (self-published)
Red Stained: The Life of Hilda Simms by Jokeda "JoJo" Bell (Minnesota Historical Society Press)
There Was Nothing You Could Do: Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The U.S.A.” and the End of the Heartland by Steven Hyden (Hachette Books)
Travels of Terror: Strange and Spooky Spots Across America by Florence Kelly & Meg Hafdahl (Sourcebooks)
We Are the Evidence: A Handbook for Finding Your Way After Sexual Assault by Cheyenne Wilson (Balance/Grand Central Publishing)
You Contain Multitudes: Tackling Unconscious Bias Using Poetry, Creative Writing, and Psychology by Jayson Iwen (Oprelle Publications)
Genre Fiction:
Backwashed by Pete Gallagher (Beaver's Pond Press)
Bellosio: An Age of Miracles by John Shekleton (self-published)
Big in Sweden by Sally Franson (Mariner Books)
Black Cordite, White Snow by Nate Granzow (self-published)
Black Rose by L.T. Ryan & Kristi Belcamino (Liquid Mind Media)
A Brief History of Olivarra by James Stitt (self-published)
Busted Bootleg by Jonathan W. Sweet (Brick Pickle Pulps)
Conflict of Interest by Dean L. Hovey (BWL Publishing, Inc.)
The Day He Never Came Home by Andrew DeYoung (Sourcebooks, Poisoned Pen Press)
Dead Catch by Cary J. Griffith (Adventure Publications/AdventureKEEN)
Fish Out of Water by Kate Ruggle (Sourcebooks/Casablanca)
Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer (Penguin Random House/G.P. Putnam's Sons)
The Foxhole Victory Tour by Amy Lynn Green (Baker Publishing Group/Bethany House)
The Haunted House of Hillman by Frank F. Weber (self-published)
Incel by Brian Lutterman (Oak Ridge Press)
The Jewel Between Heaven and Earth by Dick Frost (Barnes and Nobel Press)
Letter From An Assassin by Lisa Lundquist (self-published)
A Lucky Man: An Anthony Rogue Novel by Pete Rogan (self-published)
Man in the Water by David Housewright (St. Martin's Publishing Group/Minotaur Books)
Monsters We Have Made by Lindsay Starck (Penguin Random House/Vintage Books)
Mysterious Tales of Old St. Paul: Three Cases Featuring Shadwell Rafferty by Larry Millett (University of Minnesota Press)
The Next Breath by Laurel Osterkamp (Drama, Drama)
Oxana and the Red Dress by LaWayne Leno (Greenleaf Book Group/River Grove Books)
Rainier's Legacy by Chad Corrie (Dark Horse Books)
The Random Terrorist by Richard Wielkiewicz (self-published)
Scandal of Vandals by Frank F. Weber (self-published)
Shepherd and the Fox by Brian Shea and Kristi Belcamino (Severn River Publishing)
The Side Project by Laurel Osterkamp (The Wild Rose Press)
Through the Midnight Door by Katrina Monroe (Sourcebooks/Poisoned Pen Press)
Whispers on the Stairs by Renee Ross (self-published)
The Witches of Santo Stefano by Wendy Webb (Amazon/Lake Union)
Memoir & Creative Nonfiction:
An Improbable Series of Risky Events: The Memoirs of Gary Lindberg by Gary Lindberg (Calumet/Wisdom Editions)
Beyond Terminal: Processing Childhood Trauma to Reclaim Self by Megan Goodrich (self-published)
Bodies in Transition by G. Gazelka (Amazon KDP)
The Braille Encyclopedia: Brief Essays on Altered Sight by Naomi Cohn (Rose Metal Press)
Core Samples: A Climate Scientist's Experiments in Politics and Motherhood by Anna Farro Henderson (University of Minnesota Press)
Crazy Like a Fox by Christi Furnas (Street Noise Books)
Escaping to Nature: Safety From Abuse by Scott Wurdinger (KDP)
Deeper Blues: The Life, Songs, and Salvation of Cornbread Harris by Andrea Swensson (University of Minnesota Press)
Emotional Eater: How I Lost 200 Pounds and Have Kept It Off for 20 Years by Eric Johnson (self-published)
Finding Faith in Life's Beautiful Cracks by Devlyn Brooks (Forum Communications Publishing)
Friendly Fire: A Fractured Memoir by Paul Rousseau (HarperCollins Focus, Harper Horizon)
The God of Wild Places: Rediscovering the Divine in the Untamed Outdoors by Tony Jones (Rowman & Littlefield)
Grieving Parent: The Journey Will Never End by mick laBriola (self-published)
I Hope I Get Well: A Memoir of Bipolar Disorder by Adam Gerhardstein (self-published)
I'm All Better Now by Tari Johnson (Wise Ink)
Impermanence: Life and Loss on Superior's South Shore by Sue Leaf (University of Minnesota Press)
It's About Time (Millions of Copies Sold for Dad) by Mark Connor (Connemara Patch Press)
Jewish Tracks by Alan Milavetz (Wise Ink)
A Migraine in the Light by Tony Peluso (self-published)
Moving Mountains by Brian Chang (self-published)
North American Odyssey by Amy & Dave Freeman (Milkweed Editions)
Out of the Basement: Beyond Surviving Sexual Assault by Deborah Halverson (self-published)
Paris Lost and Found: A Memoir of Love by Scott Carpenter (Travelers' Tales)
Patient by Akshay Rao (Page Publishing)
Perennial Ceremony: Lessons and Gifts from a Dakota Garden by Teresa Peterson (University of Minnesota Press)
Radical Endurance: Growing Old in an Age of Longevity by Andrea Gilats (University of Minnesota Press)
Radio Head Gal: A Memoir of Hearing Loss and Self-Worth by Rebecca Knill (JMT Press)
The Release: Creativity and Freedom After the Writing is Done by Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew (Skinner House Books)
The Runaway Learning Machine by James J. Bauer (Calumet Editions)
A Season for That: Lost and Found in the Other Southern France by Steve Hoffman (Crown/Penguin Random House)
Should've Been Dead: Lessons from a Crack-Addict Who Broke Free by Sweta Patel (self-published)
Traumatizing Linda: Riding Cumulative Psychic Shocks into Dementia and Alzheimer's by William Dyer (Salty Books Publishing)
Traveling Without Moving: Essays from a Black Woman Trying to Survive in America by Taiyon J. Coleman (University of Minnesota Press)
When Skies Are Gray: A Grieving Mother's Lullaby by Lindsey Henke (She Writes Press)
Where Rivers Part: A Story of My Mother's Life by Kao Kalia Yang (Atria Books)
Wild Coin Hunting: The Recovery of Joy While Living with Depression by Robert W. Griggs (The Pilgrim Press)
Middle Grade Literature:
50 True Tales from Our Great National Parks by Stephanie Pearson; illustrated by Madeline Kloepper (Quarto, Wide Eyed Editions)
Addison's Canadian Caper by Laura James (self-published)
Agent Ace by Hayuu Seeroo (self-published)
The Bonedigger's Daughter: Sara "Sadie" Ellen Felch by Sheryl Peterson (Filter Press, LLC)
Chasing Stars by Meg Gaetner (North Star Editions/Jolly Fish Press)
The Diamond Explorer by Kao Kalia Yang (Penguin Random House/Dutton Books for Young Readers)
Dinosaurs for Kids by James Kuether (Adventure Publications/AdventureKEEN)
It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand (Sourcebooks Young Readers)
Just Keep Walking by Erin Soderberg Downing (Scholastic Press)
Matt Sprouts and the Day Nora Ate the Sun by Matt Eicheldinger (Andrews McMeel Publishing)
Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu (Walden Pond Press/HarperCollins Children's Books)
Samira's Worst Best Summer by Nina Hamza (HarperCollins/Quill Tree Books)
Santa's Last Ride by Maggie McCoy & James Schmitt (Atmosphere Press)
Telephone of the Tree by Alison McGhee (Penguin Random House/Rocky Pond Books)
The Three-Berry Academy by Joseph Helgerson (self-published)
True Colors by Abby Cooper (Astra Books for Young Readers)
She Can STEM: 50 Trailblazing Women in Science from Ancient History to Today by Liz Lee Heinecke (Quarto, Quarry Books)
Minnesota Nonfiction:
A.J. Underwood, Pioneer of Print: The Story of Minnesota Newspaper Man by Ben Underwood (Beaver's Pond Press)
An American Outpost: The Minnesota Art Scene 1840 -1989 by Katherine Goertz (Afton Historical Society Press)
Breeding Birds of Minnesota: History, Ecology, and Conservation by Lee A. Pfanmuller, Gerald J. Niemi, Janet C. Green (University of Minnesota Press)
Dodge County, Incorporated: Big Ag and the Undoing of Rural America by Sonja Trom Eayrs (University of Nebraska Press/Bison Books)
Exploring the St. Croix River Valley: Adventures on and off the Water by Angie Hong (University of Minnesota Press)
Fur Trade Nation: An Ojibwe's Graphic History by Carl Gawboy (Animikii Mazina'iganan: Thunderbird Press)
Gallery Days Memories from the Artists' Quarter in Historic Downtown Minneapolis by Judith C. Stern (PJ Penguin Publishing)
Grace & Grit: A History of Ballet in Minnesota by Georgia Finnegan (Afton Historical Society Press)
Gunflint Falling: Blowdown in the Boundary Waters by Cary J. Griffith (University of Minnesota Press)
It Took Courage: Eliza Winston's Quest for Freedom by Christopher P. Lehman (Minnesota Historical Society Press)
The Last Entry Point: Stories of Danger and Death in the Boundary Waters by Joe Friedrichs (Minnesota Historical Society Press)
A Murder on the Hill: The Secret Life and Mysterious Death of Ruth Munson by Roger Barr (Minnesota Historical Society Press)
Separating Church and State: How the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union Led the Nation in Religious Liberty by Bruce J. Dierenfield (Friends of the Bill of Rights Foundation)
Sowing Seeds: The Minnesota Literary Renaissance & Robert Bly by Mark Gustafson (Calumet Editions)
They Would Not Be Moved: The Enduring Struggle of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe to Keep Their Reservation by Bruce White (Minnesota Historical Society Press)
To Banish Forever: A Secret Society, the Ho-Chunk, and Ethnic Cleansing in Minnesota by Cathy Coats (Minnesota Historical Society Press)
Twin Ports Trains: The Historic Railroads of Duluth and Superior, 1870-1970 by Tony Dierckins (Zenith City Press)
The Ultimate Minnesota Cookie Book: 100 Recipes from the Star Tribune's Holiday Cookie Contest by Lee Svitak Dean & Rick Nelson (University of Minnesota Press)
Novel & Short Story:
Annika Rose by Cheri Johnson (Red Hen Press)
Ashes, Ashes by Fredrick Soukup (Vine Leaves Press)
The Cello Maker and Other Stories of Creative People by David Anderson (self-published)
Clouds Are the Mountains of the World by Alan Davis (Woodhall Press)
Daisy Sale Forever by Catherine Dehdashti (Causy Taylor Literary Publishing)
The Day the World Burned by Kristina Shuey (self-published)
Destiny Springs by Elliot Foster (Calumet Editions)
Doorman Wanted by Glenn R. Miller (Koehler Books)
Edison by Pallavi Sharma Dixit (Third State Books)
The Fighters: A Trilogy by Robert Johns (River Grove Books)
The Fox by Karen Engstrom (Salty Books Publishing)
Hitchhiking from Fort Lewis & Other Stories by Daryl Lanz (Rocket Science Press/Shipwreckt Books)
Honeymoons in Temporary Locations by Ashley Shelby (University of Minnesota Press)
In the Exile Zone by George Rabasa (Calumet/Wisdom Editions)
In Wells' Time by David Nash (Unsolicited Press)
The Outlaw Shuffle by Kurt Johnson (Street Level Press)
The Point Man and the Peacenik: America in 1968 by R.W. Holmen (self-published)
Poised by Cheryl Bailey (Calumet Editions)
The Sirens of Soleil City by Sarah C. Johns (Random House)
Sister Lumberjack by Candace Simar (North Star Press)
Stories from the Great River by Michael N. Felix (Black Mountain Press)
Too Many Stones by Rodney Nelsestuen (BookBaby)
The Wonders of the Little World by Bill Meissner (Stephen F. Austin State University Press)
Yet, Here We Are by Brenda K. Massman (Koehler Books)
You Can't Go Home Again by Christian Hendrix (Grass Valley Publishers, LLC)
Poetry:
Aerie by Dan Butterfass (Up On Big Rock Poetry Series/Shipwreckt Press)
Animals Out-There W-i-l-d: A Bestiary in English & ASL Gloss by Raymond Luczak (Unbound Edition Press)
Anishinaabe Songs for a New Millennium by Marcie Rendon (University of Minnesota Press)
Black Swallowtail by Arleta Little; illustrations by Ta-coumba T. Aiken (Duluth Art Institute)
Blue Rose by Kait Quinn (self-published)
Bluff by Danez Smith (Graywolf Press)
Boating on the Styx by Joel Van Valin (Kelsay Books)
Ceremonies for No Repair by Paula Cisewski (Beauty School Editions)
Chamber After Chamber by Saara Myrene Raappana (University of Massachusetts Press)
Chiaroscuro by Mary & Peter Denzer (Up On Big Rock Poetry Series/Shipwreckt Books)
Creatures of Promise by Mary Junge (Kelsay Books)
DEED by torrin a. greathouse (Wesleyan University Press)
Geranium Lake: Poems on Art and Art-Making by Leslie Schultz (Kelsay Books)
Hold Everything by Dobby Gibson (Graywolf Press)
Jazz at the International Festival of Despair by Michel Steven Krug (Broadstone Books)
The Loneliness of a Planet Without a Moon by Kathleen Jesme (Finishing Line Press)
Theophanies by Sarah Ghazal Ali (Alice James Books)
Time Remaining by James P. Lenfestey (Milkweed Editions)
no matter the diagnosis by luna rey hall (Game Over Books)
On Radical Noticing by David Breeden (Shanti Arts Publishing)
On the Verge by Marie Rickmyer (Kelsay Books)
Pickles and Paradise: Poems for Pickleballers by Kristin Johnson (Fourscore Poems/KFJ Books)
River Language by JD Fratzke (self-published)
Run From Your Now by Ben Westlie (Kelsay Books)
Skenographia by David Gardiner (Salmon Poetry)
Stars Unseen by Greg Watson (Holy Cow! Press)
Tender One by G. Galzelka (Finishing Line Press)
Terra Incognita by Mary Logue; paintings by Dodie Logue (Wood Pulp Press)
Young Adult Literature:
As the Sparrow Flies by Chad Corrie (Dark Horse Books)
Cassandra's Tears by Patrick Jones (self-published)
Dispatches from Parts Unknown by Bryan Bliss (Harper Collins/Greenwillow Books)
Escaping Limbo by Mike F. Elliot (Beaver's Pond Press)
Haunting Melody by Chloe Spencer (Tiny Ghost Press)
Heroes of the Empire: The General by Israh Azizi (Page Turner Press, LLC)
Hurricane Misty by Patrick Jones (self-published)
Kings Of Quest: A Tale Of Bros by Miles Asberry-Wallace (self-published)
Out of Blue Comes Green by M.E. Corey (Page Street Publishing/Page Street YA)
A Place Called Home: The Story of German Immigrants from Cincinnati, Ohio to New Ulm, Minnesota 1856-1862 by Nancy Silcox (self-published)
The Prime Moment by Lawrence Waechter (NYDB Books)
Rules for Camouflage by Kristin Cronn-Mills (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Scorpio Rising by Anthony Scott (self-published)
Starfire by Naomi Hughes (self-published)
We Got The Beat by Jenna Miller (HarperCollins/Quill Tree Books)
Wildfire: The Culture, Science, and Future of Fire by Ferin Davis Anderson (Lerner Publishing Group, Twenty-First Century Books)