Every year, the Hawai’i Book Publishers Association presents the Ka Palapala Po’okela Awards, honoring the best books of Hawai’i book publishing from the previous year. We were honored to attend this fantastic event for the first time this year and would like to give a big mahalo to the HBPA and everyone involved for allowing us this privilege. The ceremony took place at Bishop Museum’s Atherton Hālau and was hosted by the hilarious duo of Kirk Matthews and Linda Coble.
Nominated books are judged in thirteen categories of Excellence. These nominees are then voted on ballot by members in the literary community. Here are the 2010 winners along with the honorable mention for each category.
CHILDREN’S HAWAIIAN CULTURE
Winner – No ka Wai o ka Puna Hou / The Water of ka Puna Hou by Kawehi Avelino / illust. by Eve Furchgott (Kamehameha Press)
Hon. Mention – ‘O Kaina Ke Kumu Koa / Kaina the Koa Tree by Kawai’ae’a, Ka’awa, Keolanui, Kruger / illust. by Furchgott (Kamehameha Press)
CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATIVE OR PHOTOGRAPHIC BOOKS
Winner – When the Cassowary Pooped by Tamara Montgomery / illust. by Joseph Dodd (Calabash Books)
Hon. Mention – Too Many Mangos by Tammy Paikai / illust. by Don Robinson (Island Heritage)
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
Winner – Pulelehua and Mamaki by Janice Crowl / illust. by Harinani Orme (Bishop Museum Press)
Hon. Mention – Too Many Mangos by Tammy Paikai / illust. by Don Robinson (Island Heritage)
HAWAIIAN CULTURE
Winner – Wayfinding Through The Storm by Gavan Daws and Na Leo o Kamehameha (Watermark Publishing)
Hon. Mention – Ho’okupu: An Offering of Literature By Native Hawaiian Women compiled and edited by Miyoko Sugano and Jackie Pualani Johnson (Mutual Publishing)
LITERATURE
Winner – The Bone Hook by Ian Macmillan (Mutual Publishing)
Hon. Mention – Ho’okupu: An Offering of Literature By Native Hawaiian Women compiled and edited by Miyoko Sugano and Jackie Pualani Johnson (Mutual Publishing)
ILLUSTRATIVE/PHOTOGRAPHIC BOOKS
Winner – Big Island Journey: An Illustrated Narrative of the Island of Hawai’i by Sophia V. Schweitzer & Bennett Hymer (Mutual Publishing)
Hon. Mention – Pacific Images: Views from Captain Cook’s Third Voyage, Second Edition by Eleanor C. Nordyke in collaboration with James A. Mattison, Jr. (Eleanor C. Nordyke, distributed by UH Press)
NATURAL SCIENCE
Winner – Amy Greenwell Garden Ethnobotanical Guide to Native Hawaiian Plants by Noa Lincoln (Bishop Museum Press)
Hon. Mention – Plants of the Canoe People: An Ethnobotanical Voyage Through Polynesia by W. Arthur Whistler (UH Press)
TEXT OR REFERENCE BOOKS
Winner – Amy Greenwell Garden Ethnobotanical Guide to Native Hawaiian Plants by Noa Lincoln (Bishop Museum Press)
Hon. Mention – Ethnobotany of Pohnpei, Plants, People, and Island Culture ed. by Michael J. Balick (UH Press)
COOKBOOKS
Winner – Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands by Arnold Hiura (Watermark Publishing)
Hon. Mention – What Hawaii Likes to Eat – Hana Hou by Muriel Miura & Gaylyn Wong (Mutual Publishing)
SPECIAL-INTEREST BOOKS
Winner – Crochet Lei-Making in Hawaii, Volume 3 by Judy Dela Cruz (Mutual Publishing)
Hon. Mention – Daniel’s Ocean Views: Inspirations of a Young Hiker compiled by Joyce Cassen, Norman, and Sarah Levey (Mutual Publishing)
NONFICTION
Winner – Ben: A Memoir, From Street Kid to Governor by Benjamin Cayetano (Watermark Publishing)
Hon. Mention – Talking Hawaii’s Story: Oral Histories of an Island People ed. by Michi Kodama-Nishimoto; Warren S. Nishimoto; Cynthia A. Oshiro (UH Press)
DESIGN
Winner – Kailua: In the Wisps of the Malanai Breeze by Kailua Historical Society
Hon. Mention – Contemporary Hawai’i Woodworkers: the Wood, the Art, the Aloha by Tiffany DeEtte Shafto and Lynda McDaniel (Contemporary Publications)
Hawai'i Book of the Year Winner
ALOHA FROM BEYOND HAWAI’I
Winner – The Last Aloha by Gaellen Quinn (Lost Coast Press)
Hon. Mention – Ben Norris: American Modernist, 1910-2006 by Ben Norris (UH Press)
HAWAIIREADERS.COM READERS’ CHOICE
Winner – Under Maui Skies by Wayne Moniz (Koa Books)
JOHN DOMINIS HOLT AWARD (to an individual for lifetime contribution to the Hawai’i book publishing community)
Winner – Maile Meyer of Native Books/Na Mea Hawaii
SAMUEL M. KAMAKAU AWARD (for the Hawai’i Book of the Year)
Winner – Ben: A Memoir, From Street Kid to Governor by Benjamin Cayetano (Watermark Publishing)
Congratulations to all the award winners, honorable mentions and nominees! Hawaii Book Blog looks forward to more excellent output from all of our Hawaii authors and publishers in the future. Thank you to Bishop Museum and the HBPA for hosting this great event.
