Kate DiCamillo, Kelly Barnhill lead field of Minnesota Book Award finalists

A collection of short stories by Newbery Medal winner Kelly Barnhill, a novel by two-time Newbery winner Kate DiCamillo and a young-adult novel by Bryan Bliss that was longlisted for the 2018 National Book Award were among the finalists announced Saturday for this year's Minnesota Book Awards.

The University of Minnesota Press had seven titles among the finalists.

A group of 27 judges from around the state chose four finalists in each of nine categories.

Genre fiction

"Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories," by Kelly Barnhill (Algonquin Books); "Leave No Trace," by Mindy Mejia (Atria Books); "The Shadows We Hide," by Allen Eskens (Mulholland Books); and "The Voice Inside," by Brian Freeman (Thomas & Mercer).

Poetry

"The Body of the World," by Mary Moore Easter (MadHat Press); "GeNtry!fication: or the scene of the crime," by Chaun Webster (Noemi Press); "Not Here," by Hieu Minh Nguyen (Coffee House Press); and "Wilder," by Claire Wahmanholm (Milkweed Editions).

Young adult literature

"Dream Country," by Shannon Gibney (Dutton); "Hooper," by Geoff Herbach (Katherine Tegen Books); "We'll Fly Away," by Bryan Bliss (Greenwillow); and "What I Leave Behind," by Alison McGhee (Atheneum Books for Young Readers).

Children's literature

"Best Friends in the Universe," by Stephanie Watson, illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Orchard Books); "Hush Hush Forest," by Mary Casanova, illustrated by Nick Wroblewski (University of Minnesota Press); "The Rabbit Listened," by Cori Doerrfeld (Dial Books); and "Small Walt and Mo the Tow," by Elizabeth Verdick, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal (Paula Wiseman Books).

Minnesota nonfiction

"The Children of Lincoln," by William D. Green; "The Crusade for Forgotten Souls," by Susan Bartlett Foote; "Gichi Bitobig, Grand Marais," by Timothy Cochrane; and "Gunflint Burning," by Cary J. Griffith. All four finalists were published by the University of Minnesota Press.

General nonfiction

"Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed and Sick," by Maya Dusenbery (HarperOne); "The Relentless Business of Treaties," by Martin Case (Minnesota Historical Society Press); "A Stranger's Journey," by David Mura (University of Georgia Press); and "Whaleback Ships and the American Steel Barge Company," by C. Roger Pellett (Wayne State University Press).

Middle grade literature

"The Collectors," by Jacqueline West (Greenwillow Books); "The Key to Every Thing," by Pat Schmatz (Candlewick Press); "Louisiana's Way Home," by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick Press); and "Otherwood," by Pete Hautman (Candlewick Press).

Memoir and creative nonfiction

"The Art of the Wasted Day," by Patricia Hampl (Viking); "Chinese-Ness," by Wing Young Huie (Minnesota Historical Society Press); "The I-35W Bridge Collapse," by Kimberly J. Brown (University of Nebraska Press); and "Wild Mares," by Dianna Hunter (University of Minnesota Press).

Novel and short story

"A Lady's Guide to Selling Out," by Sally Franson (Dial Press); "Laurentian Divide," by Sarah Stonich (University of Minnesota Press); "Oranges," by Gary Eldon Peter (New Rivers Press); and "The Patron Saint of Lost Girls," by Maureen Aitken (Southeast Missouri State University Press).

Winners will be announced April 6 at the annual Minnesota Book Awards gala event in downtown St. Paul.

Laurie Hertzel • 612-673-7302 @StribBooks