The Washington Center for the Book administers the annual Washington State Book Awards (formerly the Governor’s Writers Awards), given for outstanding books published by Washington authors the previous year.
Join the Seattle Public Library for the 50th year of the Washington State Book Awards on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, 7 to 9 p.m. at the Central Library! This celebration is free and open to the public.
A book award is given based on the strength of the publication’s literary merit, lasting importance and overall quality. The awards and celebration are sponsored by The Seattle Public Library Foundation.
Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Oct. 8.
Which books are you rooting for most?
2016 BOOK AWARD FINALISTS (FOR BOOKS PUBLISHED IN 2015):
Fiction
- Black River by S.M. Hulse
- Language Arts by Stephanie Kallos
- Me and My Daddy Listen to Bob Marley by Ann Pancake
- American Copper by Shann Ray
- The Sasquatch Hunter’s Almanac by Sharma Shields
Poetry
- 88 Maps by Rob Carney
- Tributaries by Laura Da’
- Her Animals by Emily Johnston
- Reconnaissance by Carl Phillips
- Hive by Christina Stoddard
Biography/Memoir
- Wondering Who You Are by Sonya Lea
- Pure Act: The Uncommon Life of Robert Lax by Michael N. McGregor
- Road Trip by Mark Rozema
- Reclaimers by Ana Maria Spagna
- Orchard House: How a Neglected Garden Taught One Family to Grow by Tara Austen
History/General Nonfiction
- The Triumph of Seeds by Thor Hanson
- Ozette: Excavating a Makah Whaling Village by Ruth Kirk
- Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
- Of Orcas and Men: What Killer Whales Can Teach Us by David Neiwert
- Ancient Places: People and Landscape in the Emerging Northwest by Jack Nisbet
SCANDIUZZI CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD FINALISTS
Picture Book
- Boats for Papa written and illustrated by Jessixa Bagley
- Strictly No Elephants written by Lisa Mantchev, illustrated by Taeeum Yoo
- Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah written by Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrated by Sean Qualls
Books for Early Readers (ages 6 to 8)
- Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones
- Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat by Deborah Underwood
Books for Middle Readers (ages 9 to 12)
- Waiting for Unicorns by Beth Hautala
- Red Butterfly by A.L. Sonnichsen
Books for Young Adults (ages 13 to 18)
- The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough
- Ruthless by Carolyn Lee Adams
The jury for the adult awards: Linda Andrews, instructor, English, Walla Walla Community College; Lisa Bitney, adult services librarian, Tacoma Public Library; Pam Cady, manager, University Book Store; Lisa Gresham, collection support manager, Whatcom County Library System; and Paul Hanson, general manager, Village Books, Bellingham.
The jury for the Scandiuzzi Children’s Book Awards: Thomas Brown, librarian, Laurelhurst Elementary School in Seattle; Judy Hobbs, retired children’s book buyer, Third Place Books; and Carmine Rau, children’s librarian, Bainbridge Public Library, Kitsap Regional Library.