Best Books of Indiana 2007 Results
Children/Young Adult - Best Book
Georgie's Moon
by Chris Woodworth
(Farrar, Straus, and Giroux)
"Georgie's Moon tells the story of a young troubled girl, Georgie, growing up with a father who is missing in action while fighting in the Vietnam War. Georgie struggles with anger issues and expressing her feelings. The book also reveals the turmoil in America during the Vietnam era. This troubled teen learns about family and friendship when she moves to Glendale, Indiana and befriends Lisa whose family is splitting over whether the troops should stay in Vietnam. The characters are believable and very appealing to any reader. By viewing the conflict and struggles of the Vietnam War through the eyes of teenagers, Chris Woodworth has given a unique, effective, and refreshing viewpoint to the Vietnam War that hasn't been written about too often." (Best Books of Indiana 2007 -- Children/Young Adult Judges)
Finalists
Evie Finds Her Family Tree
by Ashley B. Ransburg
(Indiana Historical Society Press)
"This book illustrates the concept of the family tree by looking at different trees in an original and inviting method that will be an asset to any lesson about heredity, genetics, family, or trees. The leaves in the book are very realistic and encouraging. Children will delight in trying to find trees to represent their family members. Though the book is not Indiana specific in its context, the book has a long lasting appeal to many students living in various states." (Best Books of Indiana 2007 -- Children/Young Adult Judges)
The Soldier's Friend: A Life of Ernie Pyle
by Ray E. Boomhower
(Indiana Historical Society Press)
"Many Hoosiers have heard the name of Ernie Pyle, but few may not know what he did to earn this notoriety. This non-fiction book associates his journalism and support for the troops in World War II with his name. Teenagers will discover a point of view of World War II, Pyle's work, which has rarely been revealed to them. They will get an understanding of the soldier's view and hardships." (Best Books of Indiana 2007 -- Children/Young Adult Judges)
Fiction - Best Book
Triple Cross
by Kit Ehrman
(Poisoned Pen Press)
Greed, blackmail, pageantry. This novel has it all. The actual horse race is the anti-climax to the human interactions. This Hoosier author captures the worlds of horses and intrigue with realism, creating a compelling experience. The author creates a solid mystery in the horse racing world with suspense and wonderful characters. (Best Books of Indiana 2007 -- Fiction)
Finalists
Love in a Small Town
by Betty Jo Schuler
(Hard Shell Word Factory)
"Against the backdrop of a tender love story, the author depicts a realistic commentary of a small town in the Midwest, struggling to maintain its identity. An Illinois representation of small town Indiana at its best. The Hoosier author introduces you to real people, who can become good friends. This romance warms the heart and leaves you wanting more." (Best Books of Indiana 2007 -- Fiction Judges)
Tainted
by JD Phillips
(Art in the Heartland)
"A surreal and unpredictable read that forces one to question pre-conceptions and assumptions. Author, J. D. Phillips, dangles truths and half-truths to keep the reader turning the page. ambiguity about the narrator, both in gender and reliability. Suspenseful and intriguing with deeply developed characters you want to know." (Best Books of Indiana 2007 -- Fiction Judges)
Non-Fiction - Best Book
Getting Open: The Unknown Story of Bill Garrett and the Integration of College Basketball
by Tom Graham and Rachel Graham Cody
(Atria Books)
"Getting Open is the compelling story of Bill Garrett, who as a young and talented Indiana basketball player in the 1940s paved the way for the integration of the Big Ten. Tom Graham and Rachel Graham Cody have created a compassionate snapshot of the realities of daily life in Indiana at a time when a few brave souls were beginning to breach formal barriers to integration. Although the details of Garrett's story expose a society willing to accept both overt and unspoken racial discrimination, the treatment of the issues and individuals involved is exceptionally fair and even-handed. Every page of this book is skillfully and smoothly written and deserves attention by those, even native Hoosiers, who would not ordinarily consider reading a "basketball book." Skillfully weaving the author's recollections with the story of the breaking of the Big Ten's "gentlemen's agreement," Tom Graham and Rachel Graham Cody have provided us with an inspiring account of courage amidst great social change." (Best Books of Indiana 2007 -- Non-Fiction Judges)
Finalists
The Nature Conservancy's Guide to Indiana Preserves.
Photographs by Christopher Jordan and Ron Leonetti
(Quarry Books)
"For nearly fifty years, the Indiana Nature Conservancy has been setting aside and preserving lands important to the natural history and ecology of Indiana. Generally open to the public, these lands represent natural Indiana at its best, surprisingly wild and wonderfully varied. Spectacular photographs of Indiana's natural resources will draw readers into The Nature Conservancy's Guide to Indiana Preserves immediately, but the pleasures of this book only begin there. In essays that weave informative details about flora and fauna with human stories of land use and restoration, the text enriches understanding and appreciation of the small remnants of our natural history that remain accessible to twenty-first century citizens. Quite unlike a typical tour book or field guide, Guide to Indiana Preserves gives Hoosiers access to these wild areas through vivid photography, excellent descriptions, and clear directions." (Best Books of Indiana 2007 -- Non-Fiction Judges)
Painting Indiana II: The Changing Face of Agriculture.
Indiana Plein Air Painters Association, Inc. and Center for Agricultural Science & Heritage, Inc.
(Quarry Books)
Part agricultural history and part Plein Air painting portfolio, Painting Indiana II demonstrates the greatness that can be achieved when disparate disciplines work together. The paintings showcased here, created by artists of the Indiana Plein Air Painters Association, celebrate Indiana's rich agricultural heritage, and even more importantly, portray the energy, diversity, and innovation that define Indiana farming in the twenty-first century. The breathtaking loveliness of rural and pastoral landscapes that will always come to mind when one thinks of Indiana farms is celebrated here as well. Thoughtful text emphasizes changes that have altered agricultural practices through time and discusses emerging technological ones that are shaping the future. As a result, Painting Indiana II leaves one with a collection of complex, superb impressions that can only deepen feelings of respect and admiration for the state's rural communities. Equally at home on the farm or fine art bookshelf, this book is a treasure and a uniquely apt tribute to Indiana agriculture. (Best Books of Indiana 2007 -- Non-Fiction Judges)
Poetry - Best Book
Cross this Bridge at a Walk
by Jared Carter
(Wind Publications)
"Jared Carter's Cross this Bridge at a Walk is a serious and ambitious volume of poetry. Works in this collection often combine a storyteller's knack for narrative with a poet's careful crafting of language. The book displays original subject matter and contains poems that particularly appeal to Indiana readers interested in historical information and folklore." (Best Books of Indiana 2007 -- Poetry Judge)