Awards season is in full swing, that's for sure. The Minnesota Book Awards gala was Saturday night, the Pulitzers will be announced today ... and in between, here are the finalists for the Midwest Book Awards. The nearly 200 nominees come from the 12-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota.

The invitation-only awards ceremony will be held May 13 in St. Paul.

Congratulations to the finalists, and good luck to all.

Arts/Coffee Table Books/Photography

A Settler’s Year by Kathleen Ernst, photographs by Loyd Heath (Wisconsin Historical Society Press, Madison, WI)

Cranberries Revealed by Wayne R. Martin (Martin PhotoMedia, Plymouth, MN)

Visibility: Ten Miles by Ken Smith and Sharon Chmielarz (North Star Press, St. Cloud, MN)

Autobiography/Memoir

Hillsider by Don Ness (Hillside Publishing, Duluth, MN)

Letters to Isabella by Marley Kaul (Mill Studio Press, Bemidji, MN)

The War Came Home With Him by Catherine Madison (University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN)

Biography

Hidden Treasure: The Life and Art of Theodore Czebotar by Patricia Hamilton (Borderland Books, Madison, WI)

Surgeon of the “Old Sixth” by M.P. McConnell (Ellen Carson Publishers, Afton, MN)

Tunnel, Smuggle, Collect: A Holocaust Boy by Jeffrey N. Gingold (HenschelHAUS Publishing, Milwaukee, WI)

Business

Bullseye Breach by Greg Scott (Beaver’s Pond Press, Edina, MN)

Leadership Briefs by Dick Daniels (Beaver’s Pond Press, Edina, MN)

The Road to Self by John B. Goodman (The Goodman Group, Chaska, MN)

Children’s Picture Books

If an Elephant Went to School by Ellen Fischer, illustrations by Laura Wood (Mighty Media Press, Minneapolis, MN)

Monster Needs Your Vote by Paul Czajak, illustrations by Wendy Grieb (Mighty Media Press, Minneapolis, MN)

One Gorilla by Joy Dey, illustrated by Nikki Johnson (SWAK Publishing, Duluth, MN)

Children’s Fiction

Gorgon by Geoffrey Saign (KiraKu Press, Saint Paul, MN)

Red Cloud’s War, written and illustrated by Paul Goble (Wisdom Tales, Bloomington, IN)

The Land Without Color by Benjamin Ellefson, illustrated by Kevin Cannon (Beaver’s Pond Press, Edina, MN)

Children’s Nonfiction

Great Girls in Michigan History by Patricia Majher (Wayne State University Press, Detroit, MI)

Saint Anthony the Great by John Chryssavgis & Marilyn Rouvelas, Illustrated by Isabelle Brent (Wisdom Tales, Bloomington, IN)

The Kids’ Book of Simple Machines by Kelly Doudna (Mighty Media Press, Minneapolis, MN)

Cookbooks/Crafts/Hobbies

Cranberries Revealed by Wayne R. Martin (Martin PhotoMedia, Plymouth, MN)

Extreme Survival Meat by Tamarack Song (Snow Wolf Publishing, Three Lakes, WI)

The Norske Nook Book of Pies and Other Recipes by Jerry Bechard and Cindee Borton-Parker (University of Wisconsin Press,

Madison, WI)

Education/Learning

They Call Me Buddy by Dave Harrison, illustrated by Gladys Tripp (Beaver’s Pond Press, Edina, MN)

Educating Milwaukee by James K. Nelsen (Wisconsin Historical Society Press, Madison, WI)

Family/Parenting

Ma Doula by Stephanie Sorensen (North Star Press, St. Cloud, MN)

Pockets of Joy by Roxane Battle (Beaver’s Pond Press, Edina, MN)

Fiction – Fantasy/SciFi/Horror/Paranormal

No Such Thing as Evil by Andrew Hunkins (Beaver’s Pond Press, Edina, MN)

The Devereaux Decision by Steve McEllistrem (Calumet Editions, Minneapolis, MN)

The Land Without Color by Benjamin Ellefson, illustrated by Kevin Cannon (Beaver’s Pond Press, Edina, MN)

Fiction – Contemporary/Historical/Literary

Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse by Faith Sullivan (Milkweed Editions, Minneapolis, MN)

Shelterbelts by Candace Simar (North Star Press, St. Cloud, MN)

The Lost Journals of Sylvia Plath by Kimberly Knutsen (Switchgrass Books, Northern Illinois University Press, DeKalb, IL)

Fiction – Mystery/Thriller

Beneath Still Waters by Cynthia A. Graham (Blank Slate Press, St. Louis, MO)

Blind Spots by Patrick M. Garry (Kenric Books, Eagan, MN)

Weepers by Nick Chiarkas (Three Towers Press, Milwaukee, WI)

Fiction – Romance

Hearts Made Whole by Jody Hedlund (Bethany House, Minneapolis, MN)

Power Play by Nikki Vilendrer (Beaver’s Pond Press, Edina, MN)

The Spirit of the Dark Island by Audrey McClellan (Amber Skye Publishing, Eagan, MN)

Fiction – Short Story/Anthology

Garden for the Blind by Kelly Fordon (Wayne State University Press, Detroit, MI)

Meet Me Halfway by Jennifer Morales (Terrace Books, Madison, WI)

The Hungry Coast by Marlais Olmstead Brand, woodcuts by Noah Prinsen (North Star Press, St. Cloud, MN)

Health

Camp Chemo by Camille Scheel (Beaver’s Pond Press, Edina, MN)

Life with a Traumatic Brain Injury by Amy Zellmer (Amy Zellmer, Saint Paul, MN)

Your Glasses Are on Top of Your Head by Brenda Elsagher (Wise Ink Creative Publishing, Minneapolis, MN)

History

Folksongs of Another America by James P. Leary (University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, WI)

Malcolm X’s Michigan Worldview, edited by Rita Kiki Edozie and Curtis Stokes (Michigan State University Press, East Lansing, MI)

Those Who Belong by Jill Doerfler (Michigan State University Press, East Lansing, MI)

Humor

Snow Globes and Hand Grenades by Kevin Killeen (Blank Slate Press, St. Louis, MO)

Snowplow Polka by Ambrose McGuine, illustrated by Kevin Cannon (Romanesque Press, West St. Paul, MN)

Your Glasses Are on Top of Your Head by Brenda Elsagher (Wise Ink Creative Publishing, Minneapolis, MN)

Inspiration

A Father’s Kiss by Jack Uldrich, illustrated by Dani Melin (Beaver’s Pond Press, Edina, MN)

Bitter or Better by Caryn Sullivan (RockPaperStar Press, Minneapolis, MN)

The Leader’s Journal by Dr. Artika R. Tyner (American Bar Association, Chicago, IL)

Nature

Extreme Survival Meat by Tamarack Song (Snow Wolf Publishing, Three Lakes, WI)

Portage by Sue Leaf (University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN)

Water and What We Know by Karen Babine (University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN)

Poetry

The Orange Tree by Jane Dickerson (Levins Publishing, Saint Paul MN)

Vessel by Parneshia Jones (Milkweed Editions, Minneapolis, MN)

Visibility: Ten Miles by Ken Smith and Sharon Chmielarz (North Star Press, St. Cloud, MN)

Recreation/Sports/Travel

Crossing the Driftless by Lynne Diebel, Illustrated by Robert Diebel (Terrace Books, Madison, WI)

Ike: Minnesota Hockey Icon by Willard Ikola with Jim Hoey (Nodin Press, St. Louis Park, MN)

Minnesota Gold by Patrick “Packy” Mader with Joel Rippel (Wise Ink Creative Publishing, Minneapolis, MN)

Religion/Philosophy

A Treasury of Sufi Wisdom, edited by Peter Samsel (World Wisdom, Bloomington, IN)

The Rabbi Who Knew Too Much by David Y. Kopstein (Beaver’s Pond Press, Edina, MN)

Social Science/Political Science/Culture

Monster Hunters by Tea Krulos (Chicago Review Press, Chicago, IL)

The Great Sympathetic, edited by J.D. Schraffenberger (North American Review Press, Cedar Falls, IA)

You’re Dead—So What? by Cheryl L. Neely (Michigan State University Press, East Lansing, MI)

Young Adult Fiction

Enchantment Lake by Margi Preus (University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN)

Journey’s Crossroads by B.K. Parent (iUniverse, Bloomington, IN)

My Pixie Dixie by Niza P. Schear (Nodin Press, Minneapolis, MN)

Illustration – Graphic

Hoot-Hoot, Goodnight by Scott McNally, illustrated by Robyn McNaull (Beaver’s Pond Press, Edina, MN)

Pine and the Winter Sparrow by Alexis York Lumbard, illustrated by Beatriz Vidal (Wisdom Tales, Bloomington, IN)

Whispers of the Wolf, written and illustrated by Pauline Ts’o (Wisdom Tales, Bloomington, IN)

Interior Design

Just Like Me, Climbing a Tree, written and illustrated by Durga Yael Bernhard (Wisdom Tales, Bloomington, IN)

Red Cloud’s War, written and illustrated by Paul Goble (Wisdom Tales, Bloomington, IN)

The Thunder Egg by Tim J. Myers, illustrated by Winfield Coleman, design by Stephen Williams (Wisdom Tales, Bloomington, IN)

Cover Design

The Ephesian Artifacts by Patrick W. Ledray, cover design by Kim Gordon (Romanian Dragons, Brooklyn Park, MN)

The Land Without Color by Benjamin Ellefson, illustrated by Kevin Cannon (Beaver’s Pond Press, Edina, MN)

The Uncommitted by Margaret M. Goss, cover design by Clarissa Yeo (Three Towers Press, Milwaukee, WI)

Total Book Design

Letters to Isabella by Marley Kaul (Mill Studio Press, Bemidji, MN)

One Gorilla by Joy Dey, illustrated by Nikki Johnson (SWAK Publishing, Duluth, MN)

Surgeon of the “Old Sixth”: The Life and Times of Dr. Norman Smith and the Civil War’s 6th Massachusetts by M.P. McConnell

(Ellen Carson Publishers, Afton, MN)

The Adventures of Happy Bunny by Howard B. Famous, edited by J.G. Olafson, illustrated by Melissa Marroquin (Beaver’s Pond

Press, Edina, MN)