糖心vlog

With its 14th annual competition now complete, the Florida Book Awards has announced winners for books published in 2020. More than 100 eligible publications were submitted across the 11 categories of competition.

Coordinated by 糖心vlog Libraries, the Florida Book Awards is the nation鈥檚 most comprehensive state book awards program. It was established in 2006 to celebrate the best Florida literature. Authors must be full-time Florida residents, except in the Florida nonfiction and visual arts categories, where the subject matter must focus on Florida.

Setting the standard for future cash prizes, the 鈥淕wen P. Reichert Gold Medal for Children鈥檚 Literature,鈥� now in its seventh year, was awarded to Miami resident Silvia Lopez for 鈥淨ueen of Tejano Music: Selena鈥� (Little Bee Books). This $1,000 cash award is in memory of Gwen P. Reichert and serves as a lasting tribute to honor her accomplishments as a rare book collector, nurturer of authors and their audience, and her commitment to children鈥檚 education.

Due to continued COVID-19 restrictions, authors from across the state will be honored this year in a virtual awards ceremony.

Florida Book Awards 2020 Winners by Category

Young Children鈥檚 Literature

Gwen P. Reichert Gold Medal: 鈥淨ueen of Tejano Music: Selena鈥� (Little Bee Books) by Silvia Lopez (Miami)

Silver: 鈥淔eliz New Year, Ava Gabriela!鈥� (Albert Whitman & Company) by Alexandra Alessandri (Miami)

Older Children鈥檚 Literature

Jean E. Lowrie Gold Medal: 鈥淏eastly Bionics: Rad Robots, Brilliant Biomimicry, and Incredible Inventions Inspired by Nature鈥� (National Geographic Kids) by Jennifer Swanson (Jacksonville)

Silver: 鈥淭he Mathematical Investigations of Dr. O and Arya鈥� (Tumblehome, Inc) by Arya Okten and Giray Okten (Tallahassee)

Bronze: 鈥淒RAGONFLIES: Water Angels and Brilliant Bioindicators鈥� (Eifrig Publishing) by Marta Magellan (Miami)

Cooking

Gold: 鈥淢y Life in Gluttony: A Culinary Adventure鈥� (Studio Spear) by Jeffrey Spear (Jacksonville Beach)

Florida Nonfiction

Phillip and Dana Zimmerman Gold Medal: 鈥淭he Governors of Florida鈥� (University Press of Florida) edited by R. Boyd Murphree and Robert A. Taylor (Quincy)

Silver: 鈥淔lorida鈥檚 Healing Waters: Gilded Age Mineral Springs, Seaside Resorts, and Health Spas鈥� (University Press of Florida) by Rick Kilby (Orlando)

Bronze: 鈥淛acksonville and the Roots of Southern Rock鈥� (University Press of Florida) by Michael Ray FitzGerald (Jacksonville)

General Nonfiction

Gold: 鈥淧HARMA: Greed, Lies, and the Poisoning of America鈥� (Simon & Schuster / Avid Reader Press) by Gerald Posner (Miami Beach)

Silver: 鈥淏lack Panther in Exile: The Pete O鈥橬eal Story鈥� (University Press of Florida) by Paul J. Magnarella (Gainesville)

Bronze: 鈥淪till Invisible?: Examining America鈥檚 Black Male Crisis鈥� (Inspira Communications) by Elvin J. Dowling (Miramar)

Poetry

Gold: 鈥淟ove Song to the Demon-Possessed Pigs鈥� (University of Iowa Press) by William Fargason (Tallahassee)

Silver: 鈥淓arnest, Earnest?鈥� (University of Pittsburgh Press) by Eleanor Boudreau (Tallahassee)

Bronze: 鈥淪acrificial Metal鈥� (Conduit Books & Ephemera) by Esther Lee (Jacksonville)

Popular Fiction

Gold: 鈥淎ssassin鈥檚 Strike鈥� (TOR/Forge) by Ward Larsen (Sarasota)

Silver: 鈥淪hadow Ridge鈥� (Crooked Lane Books) by M.E. Browning (Stuart)

Bronze: 鈥淭he Key Lime Crime鈥� (Crooked Lane Books) by Lucy Burdette (Key West)

Spanish Language

Gold: 鈥淧arece una rep煤blica鈥� (katakana editores) by Francisco Larios (Miami)

Silver: 鈥淧鈥� (Ediciones Furtivas) by Mar铆a Cristina Fern谩ndez (Miami)

Bronze: 鈥淭res semillas de granada. Ensayos desde el inframundo鈥� (Vaso Roto) by Rose Mary Salum (Miami)

Visual Arts

Richard E. Rice Gold Medal: 鈥淐aptivated鈥� (Sandpiper Press) by Steve Saari (Sanibel)

Young Adult

Gold: 鈥淚t鈥檚 My Life鈥� (Sourcebooks Fire, an imprint of Sourcebooks) by Stacie Ramey (Wellington)

Silver: 鈥淒og Girl鈥� (Swoon Romance) by Gabi Justice (Safety Harbor)

Bronze: 鈥淐amper Girl鈥� (Regal House Publishing/Fitzroy Books) by Glenn Erick Miller (Naples)

Submissions for the 2020 awards were read by juries of two to three members, each nominated from across the state by co-sponsoring organizations. Jurors are authorized to select up to three medalists (including one gold winner, one silver runner-up and one bronze medalist) in each of the 11 categories; jurors are also authorized to make no selections in a given year.

Co-sponsors of the competition include humanities organizations from across the state, such as the State Library and Archives of Florida and the Florida Humanities.

Learn more about the Florida Book Awards at .