Award Finalists

Ohioana Award finalists from the years 2008-2024. For the winners, please visit the Past Award Winners page.

2024 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
Cunningham, MichaelFictionDayHamilton
Hyde, AllegraFictionThe Last Catastrophe: StoriesLorain
McBride, JamesFictionThe Heaven and Earth Grocery StoreLorain
McDaniel, TiffanyFictionOn the Savage SidePickaway
Thai, ThaoFictionBanyan MoonFranklin
Umrigar, ThrityFictionThe Museum of FailuresCuyahoga
Dawidziak, MarkNonfictionA Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan PoeSummit
Gay, RossNonfictionThe Book of (More) DelightsMahoning
Judd, RobinNonfictionBetween Two Worlds: Jewish War Brides after the HolocaustFranklin
Lohman, SarahNonfictionEndangered Eating: America’s Vanishing FoodsMedina
Smith, MaggieNonfictionYou Could Make This Place Beautiful: A MemoirFranklin
Bordewich, Fergus M.About Ohio/An OhioanKlan War: Ulysses S. Grant and the Battle to Save Reconstruction
Grush, LorenAbout Ohio/An OhioanThe Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts
Meckler, LauraAbout Ohio/An OhioanDream Town: Shaker Heights and the Quest for Racial EquityCuyahoga
Schneider, AmyAbout Ohio/An OhioanIn the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious LifeMontgomery
Weatherford, Carole Boston. Illus. by Frank MorrisonAbout Ohio/An OhioanHow Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee
Byas, TaylorPoetryI Done Clicked My Heels Three TimesHamilton
Glaser, EltonPoetryGhost VariationsSummit
Hessenauer, Anita M.PoetryLet GoFranklin/Delaware
Reeves, PhoebePoetryHelen of BikiniHamilton
Robinson, NicolePoetryWithout a Field GuideSummit
Stephens, Dior J.PoetryCRUEL/CRUELHamilton
Adams, Richard. Adapted by James Sturm. Illus. by Joe SutphinMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureWatership Down: The Graphic NovelFairfield
Chen, Kara H. L.Middle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureLove and ResistanceCuyahoga
Erebia, FedericoMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteraturePedro & DanielOttawa
Leahy, Elisa StoneMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureTethered to Other StarsFranklin
Rex, AdamMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureA Little Like WakingMontgomery
Woodson, JacquelineMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureRemember UsFranklin
Awan, JasharJuvenile LiteratureI'm Going to Build a SnowmanSummit
Bentley, TadghJuvenile LiteratureOne Chicken NuggetAthens
Gray, Gary R. Illus. by Oge MoraJuvenile LiteratureI'm FromFranklin
Hillenbrand, WillJuvenile LiteratureThe Voice in the HollowHamilton
Lee, Chiquita Mullins and Carmella Van Vleet. Illus. by Jennifer Mack-WatkinsJuvenile LiteratureYou Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce! The Storied Life of Folk Artist Elijah PierceFranklin

2023 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
Hyde, AllegraFictionEleutheriaLorain
Ng, CelesteFictionOur Missing HeartsCuyahoga
Okorafor, NnediFictionNoorHamilton
Scalzi, JohnFictionThe Kaiju Preservation SocietyDarke
Umrigar, ThrityFictionHonorCuyahoga
Brinkley, DouglasNonfictionSilent Spring Revolution: John F. Kennedy, Rachel Carson, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and the Great Environmental AwakeningFranklin
Gay, RossNonfictionInciting Joy: EssaysMahoning
Macy, BethNonfictionRaising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America’s Overdose CrisisChampaign
Millard, CandiceNonfictionRiver of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the NileRichland
Mufleh, LumaNonfictionLearning America: One Woman’s Fight for Educational Justice for Refugee ChildrenFranklin
Celeste, Richard F.About Ohio or an OhioanIn the Heart of It All: An Unvarnished Account of My Life in Public ServiceCuyahoga
Dyer, JoyceAbout Ohio or an OhioanPursuing John Brown: On the Trail of a Radical AbolitionistSummit
Ervick, KelceyAbout Ohio or an OhioanThe Keeper: Soccer, Me, and the Law That Changed Women's LivesHamilton
Jarrett, Gene AndrewAbout Ohio or an OhioanPaul Laurence Dunbar: The Life and Times of a Caged Bird
Schulz, KathrynAbout Ohio or an OhioanLost & Found: Reflections on Grief, Gratitude, and HappinessCuyahoga
Schwartzman, Nancy, and Nora ZelevanskyAbout Ohio or an OhioanRoll Red Roll: Rape, Power, and Football in the American Heartland
Fagan, KathyPoetryBad HobbyFranklin
Freeman, SiaaraPoetryUrbansheeCuyahoga
Jones, SaeedPoetryAlive at the End of the WorldFranklin
Hindi, NoorPoetryDear God. Dear Bones. Dear Yellow.Summit
Wagner, Sara MoorePoetrySwan WifeButler
Campbell, Marcy, Illus. by Francesca SannaJuvenile LiteratureThe More You GiveWayne
Hale, Shannon, Illus. by Tracy SubisakJuvenile LiteratureThis Book is Not for You!Franklin
Hoefler, Kate, Illus. by Jessixa BagleyJuvenile LiteratureCourage HatsMuskingum
Wang, Andrea, Illus. by Hyewon YumJuvenile LiteratureLuli and the Language of TeaGreene
Woodson, Jacqueline, Illus. by Rafael LópezJuvenile LiteratureThe Year We Learned to FlyFranklin
Brown, EchoMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureThe Chosen One: A First-Generation Ivy League OdysseyCuyahoga
Haddix, Margaret PetersonMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureThe School for WhatnotsFayette
McCarthy, CoryMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureMan O' WarAthens
Nelson, MarilynMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureAugusta Savage: The Shape of a Sculptor’s LifeCuyahoga
Van Vleet, CarmellaMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureNothing is LittleFranklin
Warga, JasmineMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureA Rover's StoryHamilton

2022 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
Bethea, JesseFictionFellow TravellersFranklin
Doerr, AnthonyFictionCloud Cuckoo LandCuyahoga
Gornichec, GenevieveFictionThe Witch's HeartCuyahoga
Stine, AlisonFictionTrashlandsRichland
Walter, Laura MayleneFictionBody of StarsCuyahoga
Abdurraqib, HanifNonfictionA Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black PerformanceFranklin
Butcher, AmyNonfictionMothertrucker: Finding Joy on the Loneliest Road in AmericaFranklin
Haygood, WilNonfictionColorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White WorldFranklin
Orlean, SusanNonfictionOn AnimalsCuyahoga
Schillace, BrandyNonfictionMr. Humble & Dr. Butcher: A Monkey’s Head, the Pope’s Neuroscientist, and the Quest to Transplant the SoulCuyahoga
Abbott, AnnelieseAbout Ohio or an OhioanMalabar Farm: Louis Bromfield, Friends of the Land, and the Rise of Sustainable AgricultureFranklin
Alexander, BrianAbout Ohio or an OhioanThe Hospital: Life, Death, and Dollars in a Small American TownFairfield
Baier, Bret, and Catherine WhitneyAbout Ohio or an OhioanTo Rescue the Republic: Ulysses S. Grant, the Fragile Union, and the Crisis of 1876
Broome, BrianAbout Ohio or an OhioanPunch Me Up to the Gods: A MemoirTrumbull
Shesol, JeffAbout Ohio or an OhioanMercury Rising: John Glenn, John Kennedy, and the New Battleground of the Cold WarFranklin
Spencer, EmilyPoetryEast Walnut HillsButler
Bracken, ConorPoetryThe Enemy of My Enemy is MeCuyahoga
Iris, ManuelPoetryThe Parting Present / Lo que se iráHamilton
Kim, Joey S.PoetryBody FactsLucas
Zamora, FeliciaPoetryI Always Carry My BonesHamilton
Campbell, Marcy, Illus. by Corinna LuykenJuvenile LiteratureSomething GoodWayne
Dawson, Keila V., Illus. by Alleanna HarrisJuvenile LiteratureOpening the Road: Victor Hugo Green and His Green BookHamilton
Gorman, Amanda, Illus. by Loren LongJuvenile LiteratureChange Sings: A Children’s AnthemHamilton
Wang, Andrea, Illus. by Jason ChinJuvenile LiteratureWatercressGreene
Wynter, Anne, Illus. by Oge MoraJuvenile LiteratureEverybody in the Red Brick BuildingFranklin
Carson, RaeMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureAny Sign of LifeFranklin
Draper, Sharon M.Middle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureOut of My HeartHamilton
Kiely, BrendanMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureThe Other Talk: Reckoning with Our White Privilege
Wang, AndreaMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureThe Many Meanings of MeilanGreene
Warga, JasmineMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureThe Shape of ThunderHamilton

2021 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
Martin, LeeFictionYours, JeanFranklin
McDaniel, TiffanyFictionBettyPickaway
Nesbit, TaraSheaFictionBeheldHamilton
Schultz, ConnieFictionThe Daughters of ErietownAshtabula/Licking
Sickels, CarterFictionThe Prettiest StarButler
Downs, MaggieNonfictionBraver Than You ThinkAthens
Jones, SaeedNonfictionHow We Fight For Our LivesFranklin
Nezhukumatathil, AimeeNonfictionWorld of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other AstonishmentsFranklin
Ricca, BradNonfictionOlive the Lionheart: Lost Love, Imperial Spies, and One Woman’s Journey into the Heart of AfricaCuyahoga
Sutter, Paul M.NonfictionHow to Die in SpaceFranklin
Backderf, DerfAbout Ohio or an OhioanKent State: Four Dead in OhioSummit
Genshaft, Carole, ed.About Ohio or an OhioanRaggin’ On: The Art of Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson’s House and JournalsFranklin
Giffels, DavidAbout Ohio or an OhioanBarnstorming Ohio to Understand AmericaSummit
Goldbach, Eliese ColetteAbout Ohio or an OhioanRust: A Memoir of Steel and GritCuyahoga
Heyman, StephenAbout Ohio or an OhioanThe Planter of Modern Life: Louis Bromfield and the Seeds of a Food Revolution
Black, AliPoetryIf It Heals at AllCuyahoga
Chan, MariannePoetryAll HeathensHamilton
Gay, RossPoetryBe Holding: A PoemMahoning
Lambert, Paula J.PoetryHow to See the World (Harmony)Franklin
Majmudar, AmitPoetryWhat He Did in Solitary: PoemsCuyahoga/Franklin
Hubbard, Rita Lorraine, Illus. by Oge MoraJuvenile LiteratureThe Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to ReadFranklin
Metcalf, Lindsay H., Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley, eds. Illus. by Jeannette BradleyJuvenile LiteratureNo Voice Too SmallHamilton
Muth, Jon J.Juvenile LiteratureAddy’s Cup of Sugar: Based on a Buddhist Story of HealingHamilton
Rex, AdamJuvenile LiteratureOn Account of the GumMontgomery
Umrigar, Thrity, Illus. by Khoa LeJuvenile LiteratureSugar in MilkCuyahoga
Creech, SharonMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureOne TimeCuyahoga
Reynolds, Justin A.Middle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureEarly DeparturesCuyahoga
Taylor, Mildred D.Middle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureAll the Days Past, All the Days to ComeLucas
Woodson, JacquelineMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureBefore the Ever AfterFranklin

2020 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
DiFrancesco, AlexFictionAll CityCuyahoga
Hurley, KameronFictionThe Light BrigadeMontgomery
Montgomery, JessFictionThe WidowsMontgomery
Scibona, SalvatoreFictionThe VolunteerCuyahoga
Woodson, JacquelineFictionRed At the BoneFranklin
Abdurraqib, HanifNonfictionGo Ahead in the Rain: Notes to a
Tribe Called Quest
Franklin
Brinkley, DouglasNonfictionAmerican Moonshot: John F.
Kennedy and the Great Space Race.
Franklin
Salamon, JulieNonfictionAn Innocent Bystander: The Killing of
Leon Klinghoffer.
Adams
Vanasco, JeannieNonfictionThings We Didn't Talk About When I Was a GirlErie
Abbott, Karen (Kahler, Abbott)About Ohio or an OhioanThe Ghosts of Eden Park: The Bootleg
King, the Women Who Pursued Him, and the
Murder That Shocked Jazz-Age America.
Brouwer, SigmundAbout Ohio or an OhioanMoon Mission
Grunenwald, JillAbout Ohio or an OhioanReading Behind Bars: A True Story of
Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian.
Cuyahoga
McCullough, DavidAbout Ohio or an OhioanThe Pioneers
Ruffner, HowardAbout Ohio or an OhioanMoments of Truth: A Photographer’s
Experience of Kent State 1970.
Portage
Abdurraqib, HanifPoetryA Fortune for Your DisasterFranklin
Atkins, RusselPoetryWorld’d Too Much: The Selected
Poetry of Russell Atkins.
Cuyahoga
Selcer, Anne LesleyPoetrySun CycleFranklin
Townsend, AnnPoetryDear DelinquentFranklin
Weigl, BrucePoetryOn the Shores of Welcome HomeLorain
Daigneau, JeanMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureCode Cracking for Kids: Secret
Communication Throughout History, with 21 Codes
and Ciphers
Portage
Davis, RonniMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureWhen the Stars Lead to YouCuyahoga
McGinnis, MindyMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureHeroineMorrow
Takei, George, with Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott,
Illus. by Harmony Becker
Middle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureThey Called Us EnemyFranklin
Warga, JasmineMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureOther Words for HomeHamilton
Guidroz, Rukhsanna, Illus. by Dinara MirtalipovaJuvenile LiteratureLeila in SaffronCuyahoga
Hoefler, Kate, Illus. by Sarah JacobyJuvenile LiteratureRabbit and the MotorbikeMuskingum
Houts, Michelle, Illus. by Bagram IbatoullineJuvenile LiteratureSea Glass SummerMercer
Mora, OgeJuvenile LiteratureSaturdayFranklin
Salas, Laura Purdie, Illus. by Angela MattesonJuvenile LiteratureIn the
Middle of the Night: Poems from a Wide-Awake
House
Franklin

2019 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
Felver, BradFictionThe Dogs of Detroit: StoriesWood
Ford, JeffreyFictionAhab's Return: or, The Last Voyage Delaware
Markley, StephenFictionOhio: A NovelKnox
Rothman-Zecher, MorielFictionSadness is a White BirdMontgomery
Sittenfeld, CurtisFictionYou Think It, I'll Say It: StoriesHamilton
Umrigar, ThrityFictionThe Secrets Between UsFranklin
Giffels, DavidNonfictionFurnishing EternitySummit
Haygood, WilNonfictionI, Too, Sing America: The Harlem Renaissance at 100Franklin
Kuusisto, StephenNonfictionHave Dog, Will TravelFranklin
Macy, BethNonfictionDopesickWood
Orlean, SusanNonfictionThe Library BookCuyahoga
Congdon, JaneAbout Ohio or an OhioanHow the "Wild" Effect Turned Me into a Hiker at 69Hamilton
Hazelgrove, WilliamAbout Ohio or an OhioanWright Brothers, Wrong Story
Haygood, WilAbout Ohio or an OhioanTigerlandFranklin
Jackson, Lawrence P.About Ohio or an OhioanChester B. Himes: A Biography
Van Haaften, JuliaAbout Ohio or an OhioanBerenice Abbott: A Life in Photography
Barngrover, AnnePoetryBrazen CreatureHamilton
Bentley, RoyPoetryWalking with Eve in the Loved CityMontgomery
Jackson, MarcusPoetryPardon My HeartLucas
Nezhukumatahil, AimeePoetryOceanicFranklin
Campbell, Marcy, Illus. by Corinna LuykenJuvenile LiteratureAdrian Simcox Does NOT Have a HorseWayne
Fleming, DeniseJuvenile LiteratureThis is the Nest That Robin BuiltLucas
Genshaft, Carole MillerJuvenile LiteratureAminah's WorldFranklin
Mora, OgeJuvenile LiteratureThank You, Omu!Franklin
Woodson, JacquelineJuvenile LiteratureThe Day You BeginFranklin
Arnold, DavidMiddle Grade & Young Adult LiteratureThe Strange Fascinations of Noah HypnotikHamilton/Ashland
Draper, Sharon M.Middle Grade & Young Adult LiteratureBlendedCuyahoga
Houts, MichelleMiddle Grade & Young Adult LiteratureCount the Wings: The Life and Art of Charley HarperMercer
Klages, EllenMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureOut of Left FieldFranklin
Woodson, JacquelineMiddle Grade & Young Adult LiteratureHarbor MeFranklin

2018 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
Ford, JeffreyFiction A Natural History of Hell: Stories Delaware
Lang, Ruth EmmieFictionBeasts of Extraordinary CircumstancesCuyahoga
Ng, CelesteFictionLittle Fires EverywhereCuyahoga
Olmstead, RobertFictionSavage CountryDelaware
Umrigar, ThrityFictionEverybody's SonCuyahoga
Batchelor, BobNonfictionStan Lee: The Man Behind MarvelPortage
Bowers, JenniferNonfictionBetrayer's WaltzCuyahoga
Logsdon, GeneNonfictionLetters to a Young FarmerWyandot
Ricca, BradNonfictionMrs. Sherlock HolmesCuyahoga
Stillman, DeanneNonfictionBlood Brothers: The Story of the
Strange Friendship between Sitting Bull and Buffalo
Bill
Cuyahoga
Alexander, BrianAbout Ohio or an OhioanGlass HouseFairfield
Blunk, JonathanAbout Ohio or an OhioanJames Wright: A Life in Poetry
Chernow, RonAbout Ohio or an OhioanGrant
Merry, Robert W.About Ohio or an OhioanPresident McKinley: Architect of the American Century
Reston, James, Jr.About Ohio or an OhioanA Rift in the Earth: Art, Memory, and the Fight for a Vietnam War Memorial
Award, RuthPoetrySet to Music a WildfireFranklin
Fagan, KathyPoetrySycamoreFranklin
Nordgren, Sarah RosePoetryDarwin's MotherHamilton
Pitinii Davis, AllisonPoetryLine Study of a Motel ClerkMahoning
Smith, MaggiePoetryGood BonesFranklin
Carson, Mary KayJuvenile LiteratureMission to Pluto: The First Visit to an Ice Dwarf and the Kuiper BeltHamilton
Daywalt, DrewJuvenile LiteratureThe Legend of Rock, Paper, ScissorsSummit
Derby, SallyJuvenile LiteratureA New School Year: Stories in Six VoicesMontgomery
Dougherty, ShawnJuvenile LiteratureWakeHamilton
Rylant, CynthiaJuvenile LiteratureLifePortage
Bundy, TamaraMiddle Grade/Young Adult LiteratureWalking with Miss MillieFranklin
McCahan, ErinMiddle Grade & Young Adult LiteratureThe Lake EffectFranklin
Rogerson, MargaretMiddle Grade & Young Adult LiteratureAn Enchantment of RavensHamilton
Rubini, Julie K.Middle Grade & Young Adult LiteratureVirginia Hamilton: America's StorytellerLucas
Springstubb, TriciaMiddle Grade & Young Adult LiteratureCody and the Rules of LifeCuyahoga

2017 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
Gustine, Amy
FictionYou Should Pity Us Instead
Lucas
McDaniel, Tiffany
FictionThe Summer That Melted Everything
Pickaway
Pollock, Donald Ray
FictionThe Heavenly Table
Ross
Silver, Marisa
FictionLittle Nothing
Cuyahoga
Woodson, Jacqueline
FictionAnother Brooklyn
Franklin
Brinkley, Douglas
NonfictionRightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America
Lucas/Franklin
Macy, Beth
NonfictionTruevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother’s Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South
Champaign
Mezurek, Kelly D.
NonfictionFor Their Own Cause: The 27th United States Colored Troops
Lorain
Millard, Candice
NonfictionHero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape and the Making of Winston Churchill
Richland
Phillips, Christopher
NonfictionThe Rivers Ran Backward: The Civil War and the Remaking of the American Middle Border
Hamilton
Collins, Martha
PoetryAdmit One: An American Scrapbook

Lorain
Davis, Terri Ellen Cross
PoetryHaint
Cuyahoga
Hartsock, Katie
PoetryBed of Impatiens
Mahoning/Hamilton
Matthias, John
PoetryComplayntes of Doctor Neuro & Other Poems
Franklin
Siegel, James J.
PoetryHow Ghosts Travel
Lucas
Fries-Gaither, Jessica
JuvenileNotable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings
Franklin
Lewis, J. Patrick
JuvenileThe Navajo Code Talkers
Franklin
Long, Loren
JuvenileOtis and the Kittens
Hamilton
Payne, C.F. (illus.)
JuvenileMiss Mary Reporting
Hamilton
Macy, Sue
JuvenileMiss Mary Reporting
Stanek, Linda
JuvenileOnce Upon An Elephant
Franklin
Creech, Sharon
Middle Grade / Young AdultMoo: A Novel
Cuyahoga
Derby, Sally
Middle Grade / Young AdultJump Back, Paul: The Life and Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar
Hamilton
Knight, Mary
Middle Grade / Young AdultSaving Wonder
Hamilton
Salamon, Julie
Middle Grade / Young AdultMutt's Promise
Adams
Wiechman, Kathy Cannon
Middle Grade / Young AdultEmpty Places
Hamilton
Cenziper, Debbie
About Ohio/An OhioanLove Wins: The Lovers and Lawyers Who Fought the Landmark Case for Marriage Equality
Obergefell, Jim
About Ohio/An OhioanLove Wins: The Lovers and Lawyers Who Fought the Landmark Case for Marriage Equality
Hamilton
Connors, Joanna
About Ohio/An OhioanI Will Find You: A Reporter Investigates the Life of the Man Who Raped Her
Cuyahoga
McDonough, James Lee
About Ohio/An OhioanWilliam Tecumseh Sherman: In the Service of My Country: A Life
Vance, J.D.
About Ohio/An OhioanHillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and a Culture in Crisis
Butler/Warren
White, Ronald C.
About Ohio/An OhioanAmerican Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant

2016 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
Russell, Mary Doria
FictionEpitaph: A Novel of the OK CorralCuyahoga
Batiuk, Tom

FictionRoses in December
Medina
Ayers, Chuck
FictionRoses in December
Summit
McClain, Paula
FictionCircling the Sun
Cuyahoga
Roether, Barbara
FictionThis Earth You'll Come Back To
Hancock
Stewart, Leah
FictionThe New Neighbor
Hamilton
Haygood, WilNonfictionShowdown: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination That Changed AmericaFranklin
Bahney, Jennifer Bowers
NonfictionStealing Sisi's Star
Pickaway
Dirda, Michael
NonfictionBrowsings: A Year of Reading, Collecting, and Living with Books
Lorain
Greenwald, Marilyn
NonfictionPauline Frederick Reporting: A Pioneering Broadcaster Covers the Cold War
Franklin/Athens
Norris, Mary
NonfictionBetween You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen
Cuyahoga
Andrews, Nin

PoetryWhy God Is a WomanMahoning
Ross, Gay
PoetryCatalog of Unabashed Gratitude
Mahoning
Golden, Tasha
PoetryOnce You Had Hands
Washington
Greenway, William
PoetrySelected Poems
Mahoning
Gundy, Jeff
PoetryAbandoned Homeland
Allen
Long, Loren
JuvenileLittle TreeHamilton
Borden, Louise
JuvenileKindergarten Luck
Hamilton
Ebbeler, Jeffrey
JuvenileClick!
Hamilton
Peot, Margaret
JuvenileCrow Made a Friend
Montgomery
Pilkey, Dav (illus.)
JuvenileOne Today
Portage
Pearsall, ShelleyMiddle Grade / Young AdultThe Seventh Most Important ThingCuyahoga
Draper, Sharon
Middle Grade / Young AdultStella By Starlight
Hamilton
McGinnis, Mindy
Middle Grade / Young AdultA Madness So Discreet
Morrow
Rosen, Michael J.
Middle Grade / Young AdultThe Tale of Rescue
Franklin
Wiechman, Kathy Cannon
Middle Grade / Young AdultLike a River: A Civil War Novel
Hamilton
McCullough, David
About Ohio/An OhioanThe Wright Brothers
Heath, William
About Ohio/An OhioanWilliam Wells and the Struggle for the Old Northwest
Mahoning
Rove, Karl
About Ohio/An OhioanThe Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters
Steinem, Gloria
About Ohio/An OhioanMy Life on the Road
Lucas
Stockwell, Mary
About Ohio/An OhioanThe Other Trail of Tears: The Removal of the Ohio Indians
Lucas

2015 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
Doerr, Anthony
FictionAll the Light We Cannot See
Cuyahoga
Chiaverini, Jennifer
FictionMrs. Lincoln's Rival
Hamilton
McFawn, Monica
FictionBright Shards of Someplace Else
Lucas
Ng, Celeste
FictionEverything I Never Told You
Cuyahoga
Umrigar, Thrity

FictionThe Story Hour
Cuyahoga
Hagedorn, Ann
NonfictionThe Invisible Soldiers: How America Outsourced Our Security
Montgomery
Gilbert, Richard
NonfictionShepherd: A Memoir
Franklin
Pramuk, Christopher
NonfictionHope Sings, So Beautiful: Graced Encounters Across the Color Line
Hamilton
Rall, Ted
NonfictionAfter We Kill You, We Will Welcome You Back as Honored Guests
Montgomery
Zola, Gary Phillip
Nonfiction
"We Called Him Rabbi Abraham: Lincoln and
American Jewry: A Documentary History"
Hamilton
Friebert, Stuart
PoetryFloating HeartLorain
Ankney, Christopher

PoetryHearsay
Defiance
Bilgere, George
PoetryImperial
Hamilton
Greenway, William
PoetryThe Accidental Garden
Mahoning
Grubbs, Gerry
PoetryThe Hive is a Book We Read for Its Honey
Lewis, J. Patrick
JuvenileHarlem Hellfighters
Franklin
Kennedy, Anne Vittur
JuvenileThe Farmer's Away! Baa! Neigh!
Franklin/Delaware
Long, Loren
JuvenileOtis and the Scarecrow
Hamilton
Rosen, Michael J.
JuvenileThe Forever Flowers
Franklin
Woodson, Jacqueline
JuvenileThis is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration
Franklin
Woodson, Jacqueline
Middle Grade / Young AdultBrown Girl DreamingFranklin
Carson, Mary Kay
Middle Grade / Young AdultPark Scientists: Gila Monsters, Geysers, and Grizzly Bears in America's Own Backyard
Hamilton
Creech, Sharon
Middle Grade / Young AdultThe Boy On the Porch
Cuyahoga
Houts, Michelle
Middle Grade / Young AdultWinterfrost
Mercer
Lewis, J. Patrick
Middle Grade / Young AdultVoices from the March On Washington
Franklin
Gold, Betty
About Ohio/An OhioanBeyond Trochenbrod: The Betty Gold Story
Cuyahoga
Hodermarsky, Mark
About Ohio/An OhioanBeyond Trochenbrod: The Betty Gold Story
Cuyahoga
Huhn, Rick
About Ohio/An OhioanThe Chalmers Race: Ty Cobb, Napoleon Lajoie, and the Controversial 1910 Batting Title That Became a National Obsession
Franklin
Logsdon, Gene
About Ohio/An OhioanGene Everlasting: A Contrary Farmer's Thoughts On Living Forever
Wyandott
Leonard, Lee
About Ohio/An OhioanJames A. Rhodes: Ohio ColossusFranklin
Diemer, Tom
About Ohio/An OhioanJames A. Rhodes: Ohio ColossusFranklin
Oller, John
About Ohio/An OhioanAmerican Queen: The Rise and Fall of Kate Chase Sprague
Sandusky

2014 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
Hoffman, Beth
FictionLooking For MeHamilton
Bog, Justin
FictionSandcastle and Other Stories
Licking
Brazaitis, Mark
FictionJulia & Rodrigo
Cuyahoga
Gass, William H.
FictionMiddle C.
Trumbull
Stewart, Leah
FictionThe History of Us
Hamilton
Weisgarber, Ann
FictionThe Promise
Montgomery
Ricca, Brad
NonfictionSuper Boys: The Amazing Adventures of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster--The Creators of SupermanCuyahoga
Barnett, Joseph
NonfictionMr. Joe: Tales from a Haunted Life
Warren
Congdon, Jane
NonfictionMr. Joe: Tales from a Haunted Life
Bashor, Will
NonfictionMarie Antoinette’s Head: The Royal Hairdresser, the Queen, and the Revolution
Franklin
Davis, William E., Jr.
NonfictionAlexander Wilson: The Scot Who Founded American Ornithology
Burrt, Edward H., Jr.
NonfictionAlexander Wilson: The Scot Who Founded American Ornithology
Alexander Wilson: The Scot Who Founded American Ornithology
Taxel, Laura
NonfictionCleveland’s West Side Market: 100 Years and Still Cooking
Cuyahoga
Suszko, Marilou
NonfictionCleveland’s West Side Market: 100 Years and Still Cooking
Lucas
Williams, Geoff
NonfictionWashed Away: How the Great Flood of 1913, America's Most Widespread Natural Disaster, Terrorized a Nation and Changed It Forever
Montgomery
Ali, Kazim
PoetrySky WardLorain
Baker, David
PoetryHunger to Hunger: Hungry/Foame
Licking
Giovanni, Nikki
PoetryChasing Utopia: A Hybrid
Hamilton
Harvey, Yona
PoetryHemming the Water
Hamilton
Stone, Myrna
PoetryIn the Present Tense: Portraits of My Father
Darke
Cheng, Andrea
PoetryEtched in Clay: The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and PoetHamilton
Charlton-Trujillo
JuvenileFat Angie
Hamilton
Goldsmith, Suzanne
JuvenileWashashore
Franklin
Klein, Lisa
JuvenileLove Disguised
Franklin
Lewis, J. Patrick
JuvenileWhen Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders
Franklin
McGinnis, Mindy
JuvenileNot a Drop to Drink
Morrow
Goodwin, Doris Kearns
About Ohio/An OhioanThe Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism
Anderson, Melanie R.

About Ohio/An OhioanSpectrality in the Novels of Toni Morrison
Sferrazza Anthony, Carl
About Ohio/An Ohioan"Ida McKinley: The Turn-
of-the-Century First Lady through War,
Assassination, and Secret Disability"
Hatch, Thom
About Ohio/An OhioanGlorious War: The Civil War Adventures of George Armstrong Custer
Tocquigny, Rick
About Ohio/An Ohioan"When Core Values
Are Strategic: How the Basic Values of Procter &
Gamble Transformed Leadership at Fortune 500
Companies"
Hamilton
Butcher, Andy
About Ohio/An Ohioan"When Core Values
Are Strategic: How the Basic Values of Procter &
Gamble Transformed Leadership at Fortune 500
Companies"

2013 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
Olmstead, Robert
FictionThe Coldest NightDelaware
Morrison, Toni
FictionHome
Lorain
Chaon, Dan
FictionStay Awake: Stories
Cuyahoga
Umrigar, Thrity
FictionThe World We Found
Cuyahoga
Zickefoose, Julie
NonfictionThe Bluebird Effect: Uncommon Bonds with Common Birds
Washington
Frye, Joanne S.
NonfictionBiting the Moon: A Memoir of Feminism and MotherhoodWayne
Sanders, Scott Russell
NonfictionEarth Works: Selected Essays
Portage
Gibbs, Nancy
NonfictionThe Presidents' Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity
Duffy, Michael
NonfictionThe Presidents' Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity
Martin, Lee
NonfictionSuch a Life
Franklin
Logsdon, Gene
NonfictionA Sanctuary of Trees: Beechnuts, Birdsongs, Baseball Bats, and Benedictions
Wyandott
Waggoner, David
PoetryAfter the Point of No Return
Stark
Weems, Mary E.
PoetryFor (e) closure
Cuyahoga
Hilles, Rick
PoetryA Map of the Lost World
Stark/Portage
Looney, George
PoetryMonks Beginning to Waltz
Hamilton
Collins, Martha
PoetryWhite PapersLorain
Woodson, Jacqueline
JuvenileEach Kindness
Franklin
Hillenbrand, Will
JuvenileKite Day: A Bear and Mole Story
Hamilton
Lewis, J. Patrick
JuvenileLast Laughs: Animal Epitaphs
Franklin
Yolen, Jane
JuvenileLast Laughs: Animal Epitaphs
Clayton, Colleen
JuvenileWhat Happens Next
Cuyahoga
Kiser, Joy
About Ohio/An OhioanAmerica's Other AudubonSummit
Ziff, Katherine
About Ohio/An OhioanAsylum on the Hill: History of a Healing Landscape
Athens
Caps, John
About Ohio/An OhioanHenry Mancini: Reinventing Film Music
Cuyahoga
LaBarbara, Jim
About Ohio/An OhioanThe Music Professor: A Life Amplified Through Radio and Rock ‘n’ Roll
Hamilton
Meyers, David
About Ohio/An OhioanOhio Jazz: A History of Jazz in the Buckeye State
Franklin
Watkins, Candice
About Ohio/An OhioanOhio Jazz: A History of Jazz in the Buckeye State
Franklin
Howard, Arnett
About Ohio/An OhioanOhio Jazz: A History of Jazz in the Buckeye State
Franklin
Loeffler, James
About Ohio/An OhioanOhio Jazz: A History of Jazz in the Buckeye State
Franklin
Bush, Perry
About Ohio/An OhioanRust Belt Resistance: How a Small Community Took on Big Oil and Won
Allen
Vreeland, SusanBook Set in Ohio (Special Category)
Clara and Mr. Tiffany: A Novel
Chevalier, Tracy
Book Set in Ohio (Special Category)
The Last Runaway

2012 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
McClain, Paula
FictionThe Paris WifeCuyahoga
Pollock, Donald Ray
FictionThe Devil All the Time
Ross
Cline, Ernest
FictionReady Player One
Ashland
Castillo, Linda
FictionBreaking Silence
Lucas
Russell, Mary Doria
FictionDoc: A Novel
Cuyahoga
Wilson, Tom (II)
FictionZiggy
Cuyahoga
Orlean, Susan
NonfictionRin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend
Cuyahoga
Bialosky, Jill
NonfictionHistory of a Suicide: My Sister's Unfinished Life
Cuyahoga
Haas, Jacqui Greene
NonfictionDance Anatomy
Hamilton
Kritsky, Gene
NonfictionThe Quest for the Perfect Hive: A History of Innovation in Bee Culture
Hamilton
Coan, Peter Morton
NonfictionToward a Better Life: America's New Immigrants in Their Own Words--from Ellis Island to the Present
Cuyahoga
Gallaher, John
PoetryYour Father on the Train of Ghosts
Athens
Waldrep, G.C.
PoetryYour Father on the Train of Ghosts
Lucas, Dave
PoetryWeather: PoemsCuyahoga
Miltner, Robert
PoetryHotel Utopia
Cuyahoga
Stine, Alison
PoetryWait
Licking
Ramspeck, Doug
PoetryMechanical Fireflies
Allen
Adoff, Arnold
JuvenileRoots and Blues: A Celebration
Franklin
Cheng, Andrea
JuvenileWhere Do You Stay?Hamilton
Carson, Rae
JuvenileGirl of Fire and ThornsFranklin
Dutton, Sandra
JuvenileMary Mae and the Gospel Truth
Hamilton
Roth, Ty
JuvenileSo Shelly
Erie
Zimmer, Tracie Vaughn
JuvenileCousins of Clouds: Elephant Poems
Hamilton
Markle, Sandra
JuvenileButterfly Tree
Wood
Brown, Dale
About Ohio/An OhioanLiterary Cincinnati: The Missing Chapter
Hamilton
Charry, Michael
About Ohio/An OhioanGeorge Szell: A Life of Music
Cuyahoga
Horowitz, Tony
About Ohio/An OhioanMidnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War
Millard, Candice
About Ohio/An OhioanDestiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a PresidentRichland
Tolzman, Don Heinrich
About Ohio/An OhioanOver-the-Rhine Tour Guide: Cincinnati's Historic German District, Over-the-Rhine, and Environs
Hamilton

2011 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
Weisgarber, Ann
FictionThe Personal History of Rachel DuPree
Montgomery
Cunningham, Michael
FictionBy Nightfall
Ha
Buckley, Carla
FictionThe Things That Keep us Here
Franklin
King, James
FictionBill Warrington's Last Chance
Cuyahoga
Doerr, Anthony
FictionMemory WallCuyahoga
Black, Lisa
FictionTrail of Blood

Cuyahoga
Gup, Ted
NonfictionA Secret Gift: How One Man’'s Kindness – And a Trove of Letters – Revealed the Hidden Story of the Great Depression Stark
Heimlich, Jane
NonfictionOut of Step
Hamilton
Meyer, David L.
NonfictionA Sea Without Fish
Hamilton
Davis, Richard Arnold
NonfictionA Sea Without Fish
Hamilton
Schulz, Katherine
NonfictionBeing Wrong
Cuyahoga
Schiff, Thomas
NonfictionWright Panorama
Hamilton
Johnson, Daniel
PoetryHow to Catch a Falling Knife
Columbiana
Stone, Myrna
PoetryThe Casanova Chronicles
Darke
Young, David
PoetryField of Light & Shadow: Selected New PoemsLorain
Bilgere, George
PoetryThe White Museum
Hamilton
Suarez, Lou
PoetryTraveler
Franklin/Stark
Klein, Lisa
JuvenileCate of the Lost Colony
Franklin
Draper, Sharon
JuvenileOut of My Mind
Hamilton
Springstubb, Tricia
JuvenileWhat Happened on Fox Street
Cuyahoga
Nelson, Marilyn
JuvenileSnook Alone
Cuyahoga
Markle, Sandra
JuvenileHip-pocket Papa
Wood
Millen, C.M.

JuvenileThe Ink Garden of Brother Theophane
Lucas
Philbrick, Nathaniel
About Ohio/An OhioanThe Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn
Adoff, Arnold
About Ohio/An OhioanVirginia Hamilton: Speechs, Essays and Conversations Franklin
Cook, Kacy
About Ohio/An OhioanVirginia Hamilton: Speechs, Essays and Conversations Summit
Nuxhall, Phil
About Ohio/An OhioanBeauty in the Grove: Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum
Hamilton
Morgan, Michael
About Ohio/An OhioanOver-the-Rhine: When Beer Was King
Hamilton
Dyer, Joyce
About Ohio/An OhioanGoosetown: Reconstructing an Akron Neighborhood
Portage

2010 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
Umrigar, Thrity
FictionThe Weight of Heaven
Cuyahoga
Chaon, Dan
FictionAwait Your ReplyCuyahoga
Morgan, C.E.
FictionAll the Living
All the Living
Olmstead, Robert
FictionFar Bright Star
Delaware
Patterson, Richard North
FictionThe Spire
Delaware
Thorndike, John
NonfictionLast of His Mind
Athens
Haygood, Wil
NonfictionSweet Thunder
Franklin
Brinkley, Douglas
NonfictionWilderness Wonder
Lucas/Franklin
Sanders, Scott Russell
NonfictionThe Conservationist Manifesto
Portage
Collins, Gail
NonfictionWhen Everything Changes: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the PresentHamilton
Dove, Rita
PoetrySonata Mulattica: PoemsSummit
Ali, Kazim
PoetryBright Felon
Lorain
Baker, David
PoetryNever-Ending Birds
Licking
Oliver, Mary
PoetryEvidence
Cuyahoga
Nelson, Marilyn
JuvenileSweethearts of Rhythm
Cuyahoga
Rosen, Michael J.
JuvenileCuckoo's HaikuFranklin
Creech, Sharon
JuvenileUnfinished Angel
Cuyahoga
Durrant, Lynda
JuvenileImperfections
Summit
Smith, Jeff
JuvenileLittle Mouse Gets ReadyFranklin
Garsee, Jeannine
JuvenileSay the Word
Cuyahoga
McCormac, Jim
About Ohio/An OhioanWild Ohio: The Best of Our Natural HeritageSummit
Meszaros, Gary
About Ohio/An OhioanWild Ohio: The Best of Our Natural HeritageFranklin
Robenalt, James
About Ohio/An OhioanThe Harding Affair
Marion
Metzger, Lynn
About Ohio/An OhioanCanal Fever
Summit
Bobel, Peg
About Ohio/An OhioanCanal Fever
Summit
Nelson, Daniel
About Ohio/An OhioanPassion for the Land
Summit

2009 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
Clarke, Brock
FictionAn Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England
Hamilton
Sittenfeld, CurtisFictionAmerican WifeHamilton
Kluge, P.F.
FictionGone TomorrowKnox
McGraw, Erin
FictionThe Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard
Franklin
Morrison, Toni
FictionA Mercy
Lorain
Scibona, Salvatore
FictionThe End
Cuyahoga
Dean, John W.
NonfictionPure Goldwater
Summit
Mansoor, PeterNonfictionBaghdad at Sunrise: A Brigade Commander's WarFranklin
Dodd, Elizabeth
NonfictionIn the Mind's Eye: Essays Across the Animate World
Athens
Mullen, Patrick B.
NonfictionThe Man Who Adores the Negro
Franklin
Salamon, Julie
NonfictionHospital
Adams
Arroyo, Rain
PoetryThe Roswell Poems
Lucas
Greenway, William
PoetryEverywhere at OnceMahoning
Howard, Richard
PoetryWithout Saying
Cuyahoga
Spires, Elizabeth
PoetryThe Wave-Maker
Fairfield
Weems, Mary E.
PoetryAn Unmistakable Shade of Red
Cuyahoga
Adoff, Jaime
JuvenileThe Death of Jason Porter
Greene
Cheng, Andrea
JuvenileWhere the Steps Were
Hamilton
Qamar, Amjed
JuvenileBeneath My Mother's FeetFranklin
Rosen, Michael J.
JuvenileOur Farm
Perry
Zimmer, Tracie Vaughn
JuvenileThe Floating Circus
Trumbull
Albacete, M.J.
About Ohio/An OhioanClyde Singer's America
Stark
Borowiec, Andrew
About Ohio/An OhioanCleveland
Summit
Flischel, Robert A.
About Ohio/An OhioanThe University of Cincinnati
Hamilton
Giffels, David J.
About Ohio/An OhioanAll the Way Home: Building a Family in a Falling-Down HouseSummit
Vazzano, Frank P.
About Ohio/An OhioanPolitician Extraordinaire
Stark

2008 Finalists


NameAward CategoryTitleCounty
Corbett, David
FictionBlood of Paradise
Franklin
Norman, Howard
FictionDevotion
Lucas
Olmstead, Robert
Fiction
Coal Black HorseDelaware
White, Edmund

FictionHotel de Dream
Hamilton
Zink, William
FictionOhio River Dialogues
Summit
Dean, John
NonfictionBroken Government
Summit
Doerr, Anthony
NonfictionFour Seasons in Rome
Cuyahoga
Hagedorn, Ann
NonfictionSavage Peace: Hope and Fear in America 1919Montgomery/Brown
Schultz, Connie
Nonfiction…And His Lovely Wife
Cuyahoga
Tevis, Joni
NonfictionThe Wet Collection
Belmont
Andrews, Nin
PoetrySleeping with Houdini
Mahoning
Gallaher, John
PoetryThe Little Book of Guesses
Athens
Giovanni, Nikki
PoetryAcolytes
Hamilton
Martin, Herbert Woodward
PoetryInscribing My Name
Montgomery
Sporluck, Larissa
PoetryEmbryos and Idiots
Wood
Zimmer, Paul
PoetryCrossing to Sunlight: RevisitedStark
Babbitt, Natalie
JuvenileJack Plank Tells Tales
Montgomery
Draper, Sharon
JuvenileFire from the Rock
Hamilton
Haddix, Margaret Peterson
JuvenileUprisingFayette/Delaware
Fitzgerald, Dawn
JuvenileVinnie and Abraham
Cuyahoga
Johnson, Angela
JuvenileWind Flyers
Portage
Garis, Leslie
Book About Ohio/an OhioanHouse of Happy Endings
Griffith, Deborah , ed.
Book About Ohio/an OhioanOut of the Woods
Haverstock, Mary Sayre
Book About Ohio/an OhioanGeorge Bellows: An Artist in Action
Lorain
Lowenfish, Lee
Book About Ohio/an OhioanBranch Rickey: Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman
Sullivan, George
Book About Ohio/an OhioanBerenice Abbott: Photographer
Watts, Lisa, ed.
Book About Ohio/an OhioanGood Roots: Writers Reflect on Growing Up in Ohio