NOBA Medallion

  Winners of the 2006
  National Outdoor Book Awards
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 History/Biography Category

 

Last   Season
Winner.  The Last Season.  By Eric Blehm.  HarperCollins Publishers, New York.  ISBN 9870060583002

Randy Morgenson is an experienced backcountry ranger in Kings Canyon National Park of the California Sierras.  He leaves on a routine patrol to an area, which after 28 seasons, he knows as well as anyone alive, but Morgenson never returns.  An extensive air and ground search ensues.  No sign of the ranger is found.  Was it an accident?  Was it foul play?  Or was it all just a ruse?  Could Morgenson still be alive?  In this outstanding work of investigative journalism, author Eric Blehm pieces together a fascinating story of an individual comforted by his solitary time in the wilderness but who is increasingly troubled by life in civilization.  Blehm spent eight years researching this book and it clearly shows.  He sets the stage, draws you in, and slowly unravels the truth of this absorbing mystery of the Sierra mountains.

 
 Outdoor Literature Category

Being CaribouWinner.  Being Caribou.  By Karsten Heuer.  The Mountaineers Books, Seattle.  ISBN 1594850100

Karsten Heuer has just married and he has an idea for the perfect honeymoon: a five-month, thousand mile journey following the caribou migration from their winter range to their calving grounds in the Arctic and back again.  No stranger to wilderness adventure herself, his wife and film maker, Leanne Allison readily agrees.  Being Caribou is Karsten's sensitively done book of the couple's adventurous and inspiring journey.  This a book full of heart and soul, capturing, like no other, the exquisite beauty and stark realities of that timeless and most celebrated of all mammal migrations. 

 
 Natural History Literature

Condor

Winner.  Condor:  To the Brink and Back.  By John Nielsen.  HarperCollins Publishers, New York.  ISBN 9780060088620

This book is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the efforts to save the condor, North America's largest flying land bird.  Condor is a story waiting to be told, and there could have been no better person for the job than John Nielsen.  Nielsen has penned a natural history book that is fun to read, mixing humor, science and human interest in just the right portions.  In short, it's a brilliant telling of a compelling environmental saga.

 

 
 Nature & the Environment Category

Sea   TurtlesWinner.  Life in the Underground.  By David Attenborough.  Princeton University Press, Princeton.  ISBN 0691127034

Beautifully illustrated, this book takes the reader on a tour of the cloak-and-dagger underworld of creatures without backbones, the invertebrates.  The tour guide is naturalist David Attenborough, prolific author and producer of popular nature documentaries for television.  In Life in the Underground, Attenborough guides us past scampering scorpions, albino termites, sex-starved slugs, blood sucking ticks, and ravenous, lizard-eating spiders.  Well, you get the picture.  It's a scary world down there at our feet.  But it's also a wondrous world, and the ever-curious Attenborough is clearly in his element telling us about it.



Illustrated   Atlas
Winner.  Illustrated Atlas of the Himalaya.  By David Zurick and Julsun Pacheco.  University of Kentucky Press, Lexington.  ISBN 9780813123882

The Himalayas: the word itself can send our thoughts soaring to dizzy heights, and now there's a reference work worthy of the range's summits.  The Illustrated Atlas is the first full-color comprehensive atlas to the entire 2,700 kilometer length of the Himalaya.  It's attractively designed and includes 300 specially created maps, including maps of the range's national parks and preserves.  The facts are there too, of course.  Along with a wealth of photographs, the book includes textual information on the natural environment, conservation, resources, exploration, and culture and society. 

 

Carving Grand CanyonHonorable Mention.  Carving Grand Canyon: Evidence, Theories, and Mystery.  By Wayne Ranney.  Grand Canyon Association, Grand  Canyon, AZ.  ISBN 0938216821

How and when was the Grand Canyon formed?  For nearly a century and a half, scientists have debated that question, but the answer remains elusive.  They do, however, agree on one thing:  the canyon was carved by the Colorado River.  In this stylish, full-color book by the Grand Canyon Association, Wayne Ranney describes and summarizes the various geological theories of the canyon's origins. 


 
 Design & Artistic Merit 

wings of Spring
Winner.  Wings of Spring: Courtship, Nesting and Fledging.  Photographs by Tom Vezo.  Text by Chuck Hagner.  Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA.  ISBN 9780811701419

Wings of Springs represents some of the finest photography of birds ever published:  a Great Egret tossing a stream of brightly lit water droplets, a Wilson's Snipe standing on one leg forlorn in June snowfall, a Western Screech-Owl dangling a lizard from its beak.  One is amazed at the days and countless hours photographer Tom Vezo spent patiently waiting for these moments that he has so elegantly captured.  Complementing Vezo's photography is a comfortable and inviting design, and just the right amount of text to make the book useful as a bird guide as well as work of artistry.


100   CaterpillarsWinner.  100 Caterpillars.  By Jeffrey C. Miller, Daniel H. Janzen and Winifred Hallwachs.  The Belnap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge. 
ISBN  0674021908

This is an exquisite book portraying the caterpillars of Costa Rica in impressively sharp and brilliant color photographs.  The lay-out and design is flawless.  The accompanying text is complete and satisfying.  The authors clearly want to share their discoveries and wonders of their work with everyone—not just with fellow biologists, but with all who are fascinated with the infinite variety of the natural world—and in that effort, they have succeeded beyond measure. 




 Children's Category


Kelly of Hazel Ridge

Winner.  Kelly of Hazel Ridge.  Text by Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuysen.  Illustrations by Gijsbert van Frankenhuysen.  Sleeping Bear Press, Chelsea, MI 
ISBN #1585362689

Kelly is in trouble.  Her fourth grade teacher has asked her to write about something that's been important in her life.  But she can't think of a thing until her father tells her to take a walk around their small farm.  As she walks, she sees all the wild animals that share the farm, and she remembers helping her parents dig ponds, create wetland areas, and, oh yeah, plant a gazillion little trees!  This book is a pure delight with a suffused gentle innocence, heartfelt text, and warm, luminous illustrations, all of which will surely excite young minds and imaginations.  Ages 4-10.

Leaf Man

Winner.  Gaia Girls Enter the Earth.  By Lee Welles.  Daisyworld Press, Corning, NY.  ISBN 1933609001

In this 320-page novel, a young girl takes on a corporation that threatens to pollute the air and water of her upstate New York home.  She is helped by a fantasy creature by the name of Gaia who she learns is the embodiment of the earth and of all living things.  But can she, only a fourth grader (but soon to be a fifth grader!), stop a big corporation?  Find out in Lee Welles' page-turner for young girls.  Ages 9 to 14. 




 Instructional Category


Extreme Kids

Winner. Extreme Kids: How to connect with your children through today's extreme (and not so extreme) outdoor sports.  By Scott Graham.  Wilderness Press, Berkeley.  ISBN 0899973736

Healthy, adventurous outdoor activities are a great way to connect with your children.  And here's a book to help you make that happen.  Extreme Kids has the low-down on how parents and children can safely participate together in sports like rock climbing, surfing, canoeing, mountain biking, hiking, kayaking and many others.



 Outdoor Adventure Guidebook Category

Middle   Fork

Winner.  The Middle Fork of the Salmon River: A Comprehensive Guide.  By Matt Leidecker.  Idaho River Publications, Hailey, ID.  ISBN 1424302668 

More than any, river guidebooks get used—and abused.  All day, they are in and out of ammo cans, passed around, and used to keep track of mileage, to re-check routes through rapids, and to find the night's camp.  They have to be tough, conveniently sized, able to withstand a soaking or two, have easy-to-read maps, and clear and concise descriptions.  Matt Leidecker's Middle Fork guidebook fits the bill perfectly.  If you have a trip planned on Idaho's Middle Fork of the Salmon, this is the guide written and built for the job.

 
 Nature Guidebook Category

Yellowstone Expedition

Winner.  Yellowstone Expedition Guide: The Modern Way to Explore America's Oldest National Park.  By Charissa Reid.  TravelBrains, Inc., Bedford, NH.  ISBN 1933763000

This is a state-of-the-art, technologically savvy guidebook for visitors of Yellowstone National Park.  It's packed full of beta, including information on the area's geology, its hydrothermal features, plants, animals, and hiking trails.  Topping it off are two included CD's:  one is an audio tour which can be played as you visit different parts of the park, and the other contains movies and panoramic photo tours which can be viewed on your computer.


Caterpillars
Winner.  Caterpillars of Eastern North America.  By David L. Wagner.  Princeton University Press, Princeton.  ISBN # 0691121443

It's a caterpillar lover's delight:  a copiously illustrated guide to the caterpillars of nearly 700 butterflies and moths found east of the Mississippi.  Many of the caterpillars included in the volume have never been photographed.  The guide is nicely designed and easy to use with clear and crisp photographs of both the larva and adult stages.




 Classic Category

Sleeping IslandHonorable Mention.  Sleeping Island:  A Journey to the Edge of the Barrens.  By P.G. Downes.  Heron Dance Press, New Ferrisburg, VT.  ISBN 1933937033

Sleeping Island is the story of P.G. Downes' 1939 canoe expedition through unmapped country in the remote northern corner of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.  His journey takes him to the edge of the Canadian Barrens, a desolate arctic wasteland known to the Indians as the "Land of Little Sticks."  What helps elevate this book over many of the chronicles of early twentieth century canoe excursions is Downes' intimate knowledge of the trappers, traders, and especially the Indians who live off the land.  This is what it was like on the cusp of change, just before the advance of civilization and titanic forces that would forever transform the face of Canada's north country.

Official NOBA reviews prepared by Ron Watters.  Reviews are based on comments and insights provided by members of the judging panels.  A special thanks to Katherine Daly for her editorial work. 

 

End of Listing: 2006 National Outdoor Book Awards

 


Judges

Natalie Bartley, Boise, ID
Idaho Outdoors columnist for the Idaho Statesman, adjunct faculty at Boise State University, certified Nordic ski instructor, and active member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America.  Doctorate in Recreation and Leisure Services from University of Utah.

Jeffrey S. Cramer, Lincoln, MA
Curator of Collections at the Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods.  Editor of Thoreau on Freedom: Attending to the Man, Selected Writings of Henry David Thoreau, and an annotated edition of Walden.

Mary Kay Cunningham, Portland, OR
Environmental interpretation consultant and specialist.  Has provided training and consulting services for over 30 different institutions.  Author of The Interpreter's Training Manual for Museums.  Served as Manager of Interpretive Programs for Chicago's new Nature Museum. 

Val Cunningham, St. Paul, MN
Naturalist, freelance writer and editor.  Author of The Gardener's Hummingbird Book.  Regular columnist for Outdoor News.  Contributor of articles to local, regional and national nature and bird-oriented publications.

Dave Devoe, Walhalla, SC
Vice President and co-founder of emapstore.com specializing in maps and outdoor and travel books.  Licensed South Carolina and Georgia geologist.  Former environmental geology consultant.

Jerry Dixon, Seward, AK
Biologist, former smokejumper, guide, author (South Fork of the Salmon: Wild and Free), teacher of gifted children, and Alaska's Christa McAuliffe Fellow.

Susanne Dubrouillet, State College, PA
Program Director at Penn State University Shaver's Creek Environmental Center.  Oversees wilderness orientation programs, teaches adventure programming and outdoor leadership courses and directs community service orientation programs.  Past program director with Clemson University's Clemson Expeditions. Masters of Education in Outdoor Education.

Liam Guilar, Queensland, Australia
Writer, poet, musician and whitewater kayaker.   Has made the first kayaking forays into Soviet Central Asia.  Liam's reading material on kayaking outings has known to include Beowulf, Paston Letters, and nineteenth century novels.

Steve Guthrie, Lock Haven, PA
Assistant Professor in Outdoor Recreation Management at Lock Haven University.  Former President, of the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education.  Journal Advisory Board for Journal of Experiential Education.  Former outdoor program coordinator, University of Nebraska at Omaha.  Co-author of Outdoor Recreation in America.

Jim Fullerton, Pocatello, ID
Former Outdoor Program Director at University of Nebraska.  Past President of the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education.  Current Leadership Program Director at Idaho State University.

Dale Harrington, Boone, NC
Biology instructor at Caldwell Community College.  Trip leader and naturalist for Appalachian State University.  Avid mountaineer and hiker.

Rob Jones, Salt Lake City, UT
Director of the University of Utah Outdoor Recreation Program.  Former president Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education.  Certified Utah river guide and Leave No Trace Master Educator.

Paul Kallmes, Oak Park, CA
Editor of  Summit: The Photographs of Vittorio Sella, 1879-1909. Organized a subsequent  photographic exhibition of Sella's mountain photography.  Leader of the 1998 Siniolchu Himalayan Expedition.  For 10 years has been the "art guy" at the Telluride Mountainfilm Festival.

Rodney Ley, Fort Collins, CO
Director for Outdoor Adventure, Campus Recreation at Colorado State University.  Columnist for local Gannett newspaper, ten years of retail outdoor experience and founder of a backcountry ski yurt system.

John Miles, Bellingham, WA
Director of the Center for Geography and Environmental Social Sciences, Huxley College, Western Washington State.  Executive Editor of the Journal of Environmental Education.  Author/Editor (North Cascades, Guardians of the Parks, and Adventure Education, etc.).

James Moss, Littleton, CO
Editor, Outdoor Recreation & Fitness Law Review.  Outdoor Industry Attorney, author (Lawyer's Adviser), organizes outdoor liability workshops for such groups as the Western River Guides, Boy Scouts of America, Wilderness Education Association and federal land agencies.

Tom Mullin, Unity ME
Fellow of the National Association for Interpretation and currently on its Board of Directors. Assistant Professor of Park, Recreation and Ecotourism at Unity College in Maine. Consultant for a series of twenty Time-Life nature books. 1987 Thru-hiker of the 2,100+ mile Appalachian Trail.

Jim Paruk, Ashland, WI.
Professor of Biology at Northland College.  Doctoral dissertation on the behavioral ecology of the Common Loon. Author of Sierra Nevada: Tree Identifier and is currently working on a collection of nature writings.

Tammie L. Stenger, Bowling Green, KY
Assistant Professor of Leisure Studies at Western Kentucky University.  Teaches outdoor leadership and outdoor education courses.  Board member of the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education.

Ron Watters, Pocatello, ID
Chairman, National Outdoor Book Awards.  Author of eight outdoor books (Never Turn Back, Ski Camping, The Whitewater Book, etc.)  Formerly, Director of the Idaho State University Outdoor Program (25 years).

Melanie Wulf, Geneva, IL
Full-time mom. Former director of the Outdoor Program at Texas Tech University in Lubbock (5 years).  Presently working in outdoor retail at REI-Oakbrook.  Masters in Outdoor Education (Northern Illinois University).

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