37th Annual Oklahoma Book Awards Finalists Announced

Finalists have been selected for the 37th Annual Oklahoma Book Awards, recognizing outstanding books published in 2025 by Oklahoma authors and creators, or works with an Oklahoma theme. This year’s competition received 160 entries from across the state, showcasing Oklahoma’s strong literary community. Finalists represent the best in Oklahoma writing, illustration, and design across multiple categories. Join us for an evening celebrating Oklahoma authors, books, and readers.

The event will begin with a book signing and cash bar at 6:00 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony and banquet dinner at 7:00 p.m. on May 16, 2026, at the Oklahoma History Center (800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK). Guests will have the opportunity to meet the authors, purchase their books, and have them signed during the evening’s festivities.

The Center will also present the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing an individual’s years of creativity and service. This year, the award will be presented to Carol Haralson, an award-winning book designer and writer and 10-time recipient of an Oklahoma Book Award in the design, illustration, and photography category.

Tickets are required for the Oklahoma Book Awards ceremony, and seating is limited. To reserve your seat, download the reservation card and follow the instructions included on the form.

The following titles have been selected as finalists in each category, listed alphabetically by title:

Braided Roots
Pasha Westbrook, Madelyn Goodnight |  Scholastic, Orchard Books

The Good Shepherd and the Stubborn Sheep
Hannah E. Harrison  |  Zonderkidz

Mary Had a Little Jam
Tammi Sauer  |  Hachette Book Group, Union Square Kids

Vampirita and the Musical Mayhem (Vampirita Book 2)
Mariana Llanos  |  Reycraft Books

Woody's Words
Lisa Rogers  |  Astra Publishing House, Calkins Creek

Aubrey Helps a Ghost
Desiree Webber  |  G. Markle Publishing

Augmented (The Hybrid Series Book 3)
Candace Kade  |  Enclave Escape Publishing

August Rain
Marlo Holly  |  Balboa Press

Careful What You Hear (Do You Hear What I Hear? Book 2)
Helen Dunlap Newton  |  Yorkshire Publishing

Gittel
Laurie Schneider  |  Regal House Publishing

Blood Wolf Moon
Elise Paschen  |  Red Hen Press

Oh, I Think I Have A Poem About That
Jim Spurr  |  Spurline Productions

Quantum Entanglement
Gary Reddin  |  Mouthfeel Press

This Is the Truth
Jennifer Kidney  |  Clare Songbirds Publishing House

Making of the Killers of the Flower Moon
Authors and Photographers, Shannon Shaw Duty, Benny Polacca, Chelsea T. Hicks, Allison Herrera, Ruby Hansen Murray, Tristan Joseph Espinoza, Cody Hammer, Sherry Stinson, Echo Reed, Louise Red Corn  |  Osage News

Route 66: The First 100 Years
Author Jim Ross, Photographer Shellee Graham  |  Reedy Press

Totally Possum
Author Trey Hays, Illustrator Eli Corbin  |  White Dog Press

Filling Station
Vanessa Miller  |  Thomas Nelson

The Kennedy Girl
Julia Bryan Thomas  |  Sourcebooks Landmark

Low April Sun
Constance E. Squires  |  University of Oklahoma Press

A Rare Obsession
Sheldon Russell  |  Cynren Press

Shadow of the Solstice
Anne Hillerman  |  HarperCollins, Harper

Belle Starr: The Truth about the Wild West Legend
Michael Wallis  |  W.W. Norton and Company

Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State
Caleb Gayle  |  Riverhead Books

History of the Cherokee Nation
Author Rachel Caroline Eaton, Editors David Berry, Martha Berry, and Patricia Dawson  |  University of Oklahoma Press

Justice For All: Dick T. Morgan, Frontier Lawyer and Common Man’s Congressman
Michael J. Hightower  |  University of Oklahoma Press, 2 Cities Press

One Lucky Cowboy
Bob Burke and Gary Shutt  |  Oklahoma Hall of Fame

Peyote Politics
Lisa D. Barnett  |  University of Oklahoma Press

Sooner Doughboys Write Home
David W. Levy  |  University of Oklahoma Press

Tulsa, 2021: A Massacre’s Centennial and a Nation's Reckoning
Randy Krehbiel  |  University of Oklahoma Press

Questions? Email info@libraries.ok.gov.