150 Award Genres
Children
- Children - Action
- Children - Adventure
- Children - Animals
- Children - Audiobook
- Children - Christian
- Children - Coming of Age
- Children - Concept
- Children - Educational
- Children - Fable
- Children - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
- Children - General
- Children - Grade 4th-6th
- Children - Grade K-3rd
- Children - Mystery
- Children - Mythology/Fairy Tale
- Children - Non-Fiction
- Children - Picture Book
- Children - Preschool
- Children - Preteen
- Children - Religious Theme
- Children - Social Issues
Christian
- Christian - Amish
- Christian - Biblical Counseling
- Christian - Devotion/Study
- Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
- Christian - Fiction
- Christian - General
- Christian - Historical Fiction
- Christian - Living
- Christian - Non-Fiction
- Christian - Romance - Contemporary
- Christian - Romance - General
- Christian - Romance - Historical
- Christian - Thriller
Fiction
- Fiction - Action
- Fiction - Adventure
- Fiction - Animals
- Fiction - Anthology
- Fiction - Audiobook
- Fiction - Chick Lit
- Fiction - Crime
- Fiction - Cultural
- Fiction - Drama
- Fiction - Dystopia
- Fiction - Fantasy - Epic
- Fiction - Fantasy - General
- Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
- Fiction - General
- Fiction - Graphic Novel/Comic
- Fiction - Historical - Event/Era
- Fiction - Historical - Personage
- Fiction - Holiday
- Fiction - Horror
- Fiction - Humor/Comedy
- Fiction - Inspirational
- Fiction - Intrigue
- Fiction - LGBTQ
- Fiction - Literary
- Fiction - Magic/Wizardry
- Fiction - Military
- Fiction - Mystery - General
- Fiction - Mystery - Historical
- Fiction - Mystery - Legal
- Fiction - Mystery - Murder
- Fiction - Mystery - Sleuth
- Fiction - Mythology
- Fiction - New Adult
- Fiction - Paranormal
- Fiction - Realistic
- Fiction - Religious Theme
- Fiction - Science Fiction
- Fiction - Short Story/Novela
- Fiction - Social Issues
- Fiction - Southern
- Fiction - Sports
- Fiction - Supernatural
- Fiction - Suspense
- Fiction - Tall Tale
- Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
- Fiction - Thriller - Environmental
- Fiction - Thriller - Espionage
- Fiction - Thriller - General
- Fiction - Thriller - Legal
- Fiction - Thriller - Medical
- Fiction - Thriller - Political
- Fiction - Thriller - Psychological
- Fiction - Thriller - Terrorist
- Fiction - Time Travel
- Fiction - Urban
- Fiction - Visionary
- Fiction - Western
- Fiction - Womens
Non-Fiction
- Non-Fiction - Adventure
- Non-Fiction - Animals
- Non-Fiction - Anthology
- Non-Fiction - Art/Photography
- Non-Fiction - Audiobook
- Non-Fiction - Autobiography
- Non-Fiction - Biography
- Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
- Non-Fiction - Cooking/Food
- Non-Fiction - Cultural
- Non-Fiction - Drama
- Non-Fiction - Education
- Non-Fiction - Environment
- Non-Fiction - Genealogy
- Non-Fiction - General
- Non-Fiction - Gov/Politics
- Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
- Non-Fiction - Health - Fitness
- Non-Fiction - Health - Medical
- Non-Fiction - Historical
- Non-Fiction - Hobby
- Non-Fiction - Home/Crafts
- Non-Fiction - Humor/Comedy
- Non-Fiction - Inspirational
- Non-Fiction - LGBTQ
- Non-Fiction - Marketing
- Non-Fiction - Memoir
- Non-Fiction - Military
- Non-Fiction - Motivational
- Non-Fiction - Music/Entertainment
- Non-Fiction - New Age
- Non-Fiction - Occupational
- Non-Fiction - Parenting
- Non-Fiction - Relationships
- Non-Fiction - Religion/Philosophy
- Non-Fiction - Retirement
- Non-Fiction - Self Help
- Non-Fiction - Short Story/Novela
- Non-Fiction - Social Issues
- Non-Fiction - Spiritual/Supernatural
- Non-Fiction - Sports
- Non-Fiction - Travel
- Non-Fiction - True Crime
- Non-Fiction - Womens
- Non-Fiction - Writing/Publishing
Poetry
Romance
Young Adult
- Young Adult - Action
- Young Adult - Adventure
- Young Adult - Coming of Age
- Young Adult - Fantasy - Epic
- Young Adult - Fantasy - General
- Young Adult - Fantasy - Urban
- Young Adult - General
- Young Adult - Horror
- Young Adult - Mystery
- Young Adult - Mythology/Fairy Tale
- Young Adult - Non-Fiction
- Young Adult - Paranormal
- Young Adult - Religious Theme
- Young Adult - Romance
- Young Adult - Sci-Fi
- Young Adult - Social Issues
- Young Adult - Thriller
Illustration Award
Recommend this book:
Who's Afraid of Red
A Story Cycle in Three Parts
Alessandra Gelmi
2014 Bronze Medal
122 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
Who’s Afraid of Red: A Story Cycle in Three Parts by Alessandra Gelmi is a philosophical read that will leave the reader pondering life and love. Right away in the start of the book, the reader meets Leon and Sylvia and becomes engrossed in their relationship and their individual searches for meaning in life. Leon was a theology student and then he spent time in Rwanda as a reporter covering the genocides; however, he has been unable to find meaning in life and move on. Sylvia is an art professor and looking for love in life, a love that is fulfilling and true. Although Leon and Sylvia are on separate paths seeking answers, finding closure and fulfillment, their connection with each other remains even when others, including Leon’s daughter, become involved in their lives as well.
Alessandra Gelmi has written a very thought-provoking and philosophical read. The main characters in the book, Leon and Sylvia, are both seeking fulfillment in their lives in more ways than one and feel lost on their journeys through life. This was a very interesting book as I felt I was able to live through these characters and try to sort through their thoughts and feelings. At times, I felt as if I was reading a journal as the writing is in that style – one’s personal thoughts and feelings, nothing being held back or censored. I also liked how the story is divided into three sections as it highlighted defining moments and time periods in the characters’ lives. This is a book that will stick with you and leave you thinking about the characters and one’s own life long after you finish reading.
Recommend this book:
If I Never Went Home
Ingrid Persaud
2014 Silver Medal
304 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
If I Never Went Home tells the story of two Trinidadian women, Bea and Tina, and the separate yet inextricably linked lives they lead in two separate places. Told mostly through flashbacks switching between Tina and Bea, we learn just how tumultuous their lives were and how each woman’s tenacity led her to where she ultimately ends up. Ingrid Persaud writes a fantastic tale of survival and triumph without making the story too sweet or melodramatic. Bea ripped herself from the brink of suicide and turned her life around, helping others as a clinical psychologist. Tina, in her authentic Trini dialect, defines the caricature of a defiant teenager with a yearning for more underneath her tough exterior.
While it would be easy to chalk If I Never Went Home up to some uplifting chick lit, it would be doing both the author and the story a great disservice. Persaud tackles issues that touch the lives of many women: divorce, infidelity, incest, estrangement, and a deep desire to belong. The paths trodden by both Bea and Tina are different yet similar for, in their desire to achieve similar goals, both women must learn some hard truths for a hard-won happiness. Ingrid Persaud weaves a tale of pain and heartache with a rich Caribbean backdrop that serves as the perfect contrast to the sometimes emotional narrative she blends together.
If I Never Went Home answers a few important questions about returning to the scene of the crime, as it were, to find that things weren’t exactly as you remembered them. Without that reflection, one must wonder if Tina or Bea would have found the lives and happiness that awaited them.
Recommend this book:
Scattered Links
Michelle Weidenbenner
2014 Gold Medal
256 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
Scattered Links by M. Weidenbenner takes you into the neighborhood of an eastern European town with orphans. This is a fictional account of the pain that tore at the hearts of many in the post-Soviet era, dealing with issues of abandonment and self worth that seem to plague those who do not have a family. You never realize how important family is until you no longer have one. While I personally have never experienced the issues that are laid out in this story, I know many who have. I also know some people who live in the post-Soviet world.
This story rings so true and so close that it is sometimes hard to remember that it is fiction. This book is good for all ages and opens your eyes as you follow the journey of the main character, an orphan who at times may seem bratty to those who have not had to tread a mile in her shoes. Really, how could any of us understand the extent of what happened? The story itself is written very well and you can tell that not only did much research go into it, but also editing and attention to writing detail. The entire story is constructed to make it an experience for the reader and it is one I enjoyed. From the very first page until the last, I was riveted. This is a read-again story and even with the emotional charge in it, I recommend it.
Recommend this book:
Across the Mekong River
Elaine Russell
2013 Bronze Medal
285 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
Across the River by Elaine Russell, is powerful reading. It is the harrowing tale of a family’s escape from the horrors of the Vietnam war.
At the time, Nou is a child. It is her family's story. Freedom is when the Americans leave the country. All they can do is escape across the river Mekong, into Laos and to a refugee camp. If that fails, they are dead. Reaching Laos is their only hope. The story is told through the eyes of little Nou, or Laura as she chooses to be known much later, of her parents and family members. You become embroiled in the nightmarish battle for survival. Nou’s brothers are lost along the way, as are more family members. The journey to Laos is laced with tragedy, and what follows is equally heart-wrenching. She grows up confused and scarred. Born into an Asian farming culture, she has to adapt to Western civilization. Along the way and to avoid derision, she changes her name. She no longer wants to be identified as an alien in America.
When her father discovers what she has done, traditional methods are used to rid her of the spirits of disrespect and dishonor. She has disgraced her family and must pay the price. Her struggles, and those of her parents, hold the reader captive as they encounter one obstacle after another. It is hard to put the book down. Nou’s daily challenges became my own. I felt her pain as she strove to change and become another person – to fit in with the culture around her. It is not a sad read – tragic, yes, but enthralling. Nou takes you along on her frantic journey to escape the country of her birth, and into the world of refugees and eventual freedom to a new country.
Recommend this book:
Destiny Denied
Rosemary Gard
2013 Gold Medal
163 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
It is the early years of the last century and Stefan Vladeslav leaves his family's Croatian home, running away from constant family problems. Stefan's father announces his illegitimate son Ivan as an heir and Stefan's mother is obsessed with the family's monetary inheritance. Stefan sells his horse and saddle and buys a ticket on the Orient Express to Istanbul and meets up with older woman Magda who he knows from a local gambling house that offers prostitution. Magda and Stefan tour Europe gambling and passing themselves off as a wealthy aunt travelling with her nephew. Madga dies in Italy in 1909 and leaves her money and her gambling house to Stefan. Stefan returns home hoping for forgiveness but he finds that his father is not speaking to him and that his mother is dead. Stefan's aunt Sophie, his father's sister, has an adopted daughter, Katya, who loves Ivan, Stefan's step-brother, but Ivan's mother calls red-haired Katya a witch. The local Gypsies agree with her and trail Katya's every move.
"Destiny Denied" is an intriguing story of a family's deep secrets coming to light and leaving them with choices that they'd rather not make. That the late local parish priest Father Lahdra kept a journal telling of those secrets is a good writing ploy and makes "Destiny Denied" above-average as an exciting read. The characters of Stefan, Katya, Ivan, Magda, Anton who is Stefan's father, Valina the Gypsy, Sophie and Alexie are totally believable. The plot line runs smoothly to the last pages as Stefan leaves home once again and Katya and Ivan are faced with an unexpected destiny. "Destiny Denied" is good historical fiction and should appeal to most readers.
Recommend this book:
The Complete Mystery of Matthew Alcott
Heritage of Secrets
Michael Oborn
2013 Honorable Mention
339 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
"The Complete Mystery of Matthew Alcott" is so much more than your usual mystery! This novel is a loaded cannon you won’t want to miss!
Matt Alcott is a journalist who works in the records department on archives for the Mormon Church when he discovers some very dark and shocking secrets from the early days of the church as he follows the history of Joseph Smith. Some of these secrets will shock you where he uncovers sexual promiscuity with the prophet among other evils. He will also go on to reveal the secret societies that are alive and well today within the church. He decides to write a expose with all that he has found. The information will rock the Mormon world. While finishing his novel he finds romance within a most forgiving town. He continues to battle old demons and ones he knows personally from his past. The head honchos at the church find out about the novel and will stop at nothing to keep this book off the shelves. In an attempt to do so, they serve up an offer Matt surely can’t refuse.(Shades of a Godfather here?) When he discovers who is behind this scheme he backs off and this is when it gets down and dirty!
J M Oborn is well-versed in the history of the Mormon Church. I was so engaged in this book that I could not, and did not, put it down. It was so interesting to learn about this intriguing religion. I love the way Oborn’s character is portrayed as a strong man who is able to handle an enduring romance in the midst of all the turmoil he faces. I believe this novel is on its way to becoming a best seller!
Recommend this book:
Court of Miracles
A Human Comedy of 17th Century France
Brigitte Goldstein
2013 Finalist
363 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
Brigitte Goldstein has created in "Court of Miracles" a story version of the Greek myth of Pygmalion and Galatea. And as Lerner and Lowe did with the musical "My Fair Lady", she has formed a brilliant story based upon the theme of a sculptor who creates a masterpiece from a woman. It is Paris in the 1600's and Antoine, the Marquis de Valinquette, has taken a beggar girl with a spectacular voice from her home in the slum called Court of Miracles, refines her looks and education, marries her and calls her Galatee rather than her given name of La Fauvette. Galatee is a social success in upper class Paris for her looks and abilities are incomparable. But Antoine neglects to give his Marquise the love and devotion that she needs and Galatee has an affair with his best friend, Guibert, the Count of Mallac. Pregnant with Guibert's child, Galatee runs away, back to her natural home in the Court of Miracles. Will Antoine ever win his lady back into his life? "Court of Miracles" must be read and savored to find out.
Brigitte Goldstein has created an enchanting version of the old Greek myth of Pygmalion and Galatea which is highly well-written, well-edited and well-formatted. All characters are believable and three-dimensional. For instance, when Galatee or La Fauvette is distressed by her pregnancy and runs back to her mother's one room home in the slums, her decision makes sense. The book's plot is well-crafted and runs true to the theme of Pygmalion and Galatea which will delight the reader."Court of Miracles" is not to be missed.
Recommend this book:
Gabriel's Daughters
Janet Jensen
2013 Silver Medal
328 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
Gabriel’s Daughters by Janet Kay Jensen captured my attention from the first page and held it to the last. This is the story Zina Martin, sixteen years old, pregnant and abandoned by the man she thought loved her. Now she has no choice but to leave the only home she has ever known. Raised in a fundamentalist polygamous community, she was in all reality promised to another man. When she is offered a ride by a man and wife over the road team, she ends up in Chicago with a beautiful family to take care of her. Losing her baby and facing many trials and a distrust of men, she makes a go of her life and becomes quite a master chef. Missing her family, she finally, after ten years, connects with her sister who, as a doctor, also left the compound. Now that she has made this leap, can she also connect with her family in Utah and gain back her trust in men?
The author did a fantastic job developing the plot of this book. Janet Jensen breathed life into her characters. The characters are easy to connect to and the situations they face are very realistic. The quotes and scriptures before each chapter relate to the content of that chapter. This book never gets boring as we follow Zina on her journey: from her travels with Simon her roommate, to hiding out in her sister's barn to Miss Carolina, the old country healer from the hills of Kentucky. This book is appropriate for any age. I highly recommend Gabriel’s Daughters by Janet Kay Jensen.
Recommend this book:
The Duke Don't Dance
Richard Sharp
2012 Bronze Medal
257 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
"The Duke Don't Dance" by Richard Sharp is a fascinating journey following the lives of a group of friends and acquaintances we first meet at Annapolis in 2011. They are attending the wake of one of their own, who has recently passed away. From there we return to High School in 1960, to begin learning about the people with whom we will be very well acquainted by the time the story concludes. This 50+ year journey ends as we accompany one of the friends back home after the burial at Arlington, the day after the wake. It is a poignant reflection on real life, which will resonate with everyone who lived - and lives - during the years of the so-called "silent generation". Mr. Sharp paints a vivid, pointillist mural of that era.
"The Duke Don't Dance" is a story of real life. Every reader will associate with one or more of the characters, and will recall friends long past in the lives of the other characters. You will love, and you will hate in turn. The story is reminiscent of happier times, and times of grief. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry. It will make you wonder how friends from your youth are doing, and might even prompt you to look up a few of them. Perhaps it will give you strength to resolve some long-standing issues in your own life. Above all, you will feel the richer for having read it.
Recommend this book:
The Lucky Cake
Anna Prokos
2012 Honorable Mention
24 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
"The Lucky Cake," written by Anna Prokos and illustrated by Christina Tsevis, is the wonderful telling of a Greek tradition. Billy is very excited as it is New Year's Day and he cannot wait until the cake is cut into as he is hoping that the lucky coin is in his slice of cake. Billy is hoping for a year of good luck just like his brothers have had in the last two years when they had the coin in their slices of cake. While the family is participating in this tradition, the story of how this tradition began and the significance it has to Greek culture is shared.
This is a well-written story with cute illustrations. I was aware of this tradition prior to reading the book; however, I had no idea of how the tradition began or about the significance of it. This book is a great resource for anyone whom would like to learn more about a specific tradition or would like to help their children learn more about a culture. The story is easy to follow and a child's attention will be held throughout the book as it is a mix of learning about the tradition and discovering who is the lucky one to end up with the coin this year. This is a nice way to share a new tradition with children, especially since the cake recipe is included at the end of the book. After reading this book, your child will be asking to make this a tradition as a part of your family's New Year's celebration!