St. Edward LEAD
What book will all Nebraskans be encouraged to read in 2023?
We will all find out on October 22nd at the Celebration of Nebraska Books.
Two generational family novels by a Nebraska authors, a nonfiction work on POW camps in Nebraska, a mystery set in the Sand Hills —all stories with ties to Nebraska and the Great Plains— are the finalists for the 2023 One Book One Nebraska statewide reading program.
The finalists are:
• Haven’s Wake by Ladette Randolph, Bison Books, 2013.
• The Mystery of Hunting’s End by Mignon Eberhart, Bison Books, 1998.
• Nebraska POW Camps: A History of World War II Prisoners in the Heartland by Melissa Amateis Marsh, The History Press (Arcadia Publishing), 2014.
• The Plain Sense of Things by Pamela Carter Joern, Bison Books, 2008.
The One Book One Nebraska reading program, now in its nineteenth year, is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, and Nebraska Library Commission. It encourages Nebraskans across the state to read and discuss the same book, chosen from books written by Nebraska authors or that have a Nebraska theme or setting. A Nebraska Center for the Book committee selected the three finalists from a list of twenty-eight titles nominated by Nebraskans. In the coming weeks, Nebraska Center for the Book board members will vote on the 2023 selection.
The Celebration of Nebraska Books, on October 22nd, will also honor winners of the 2022 Jane Geske and Mildred Bennett awards.
The 2022 Mildred Bennett Award will be presented to Lois Todd-Meyer. The award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to fostering the literary tradition in Nebraska, reminding us of the literary and intellectual heritage that enriches our lives and molds our world.
The 2022 Jane Geske Award will be presented to the Nebraska Writers Collective, a Nebraska organization known for exceptional contributions to literacy, books, reading, libraries, and literature in Nebraska. It commemorates Geske’s passion for books, and was established in recognition of her contributions to the well-being of the libraries of Nebraska.
Nebraskans are invited to take part in the Celebration of Nebraska Books on October 22nd, at the Nebraska History Museum in downtown Lincoln, where the choice for the 2023 One Book One Nebraska will be announced.
This year’s One Book One Nebraska selection will be featured in a key note presentation by author Jonis Agee on her novel The Bones of Paradise (William Morrow, 2018.) See http://onebook.nebraska.gov or https://www.facebook.com/ OneBookOneNebraska for more information about ongoing 2022 One Book One Nebraska activities.
The Celebration of Nebraska Books will include readings by the winners of the 2022 Nebraska Book Awards, with book signings by the authors after the event. A list of Nebraska Book Award winners is posted at http://centerforthebook. nebraska.gov/awards.html.
The Celebration of Nebraska Books is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book and Nebraska Library Commission with support from History Nebraska’s Nebraska History Museum. Humanities Nebraska provides support for the One Book One Nebraska keynote presentation. As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans.
Participant Receive
Scholarship from
Nebraska Farm
Bureau Foundation
In keeping with its mission to support the future of Nebraska agriculture, the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation has awarded scholarships to three participants of the Nebraska LEAD program.
“These agricultural professionals contribute daily to the good life in Nebraska,” said Megahn Schafer, executive director of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation. “We are proud to support them as they invest time and energy to become even better equipped to serve their communities through the Nebraska LEAD program.”
The LEAD Scholarship awards agricultural stakeholders that participate in the Nebraska LEAD program. The LEAD program improves leadership skills and abilities of Nebraska’s future agricultural leaders through exposure to diverse topics, issues, concerns, points of view, and innovative ideas. The winners of the LEAD Scholarship are current Farm Bureau members that commit to serving in a leadership role with Farm Bureau upon completion of the program.
The three winners are Kari Christensen, Arthur County (Authur); Dylan Haas, Boone County (St. Edward); and Jonathan Lechtenberg, Chase County (Imperial).
The mission of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is to engage youth, educators, and the general public to promote an understanding of the vital importance of agriculture in the lives of all Nebraskans. The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. For more information about the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation, visit www.nefbfoundation. org.