Nevada Humanities and its Nevada Center for the Book have selected two books written by Nevada authors to represent Nevada at the 2023 Library of Congress National Book Festival as a part of the Great Reads from Great Places program.
Every year, a list of books representing the literary heritage of the 50 states and the six U.S. territories is distributed by the Library of Congress’s Center for the Book during the National Book Festival.
Books may be written by authors from the state, take place in the state, or celebrate the state’s culture and heritage. This year's Great Reads from Nevada celebrate the smallest creatures of the sea to the grandest fish of our lakes and rivers: Nudi Gill: Poison Powerhouse of the Sea by author and illustrator Bonnie Kelso, and Chasing Giants: In Search of the World's Largest Freshwater Fish by Zeb Hogan and Stefan Lovgren.
“This year, we are delighted to have two books representing our state at the 2023 National Book Festival that spark imagination and curiosity about the creatures big and small who live in our aquatic ecosystems,” says Christina Barr, executive director of Nevada Humanities. “Living in the American West, we are especially conscious of the condition of our watersheds both in times of drought and times of plenty. These books heighten our awareness of the importance and interconnected nature of all of our water systems across the world.”
Books Representing Nevada at the 2023 National Book Festival:
Nudi Gill: Poison Powerhouse of the Sea by Bonnie Kelso
Meet Gill, a flashy nudibranch (noo-de-brank) living a fierce and fascinating life in the ocean without a shell and completely…NAKED! When a curious young snorkeler stumbles upon Gill, she learns there is more than meets the eye when it comes to her sassy new friend. This soft-bodied mollusk is anything but vulnerable, turning a diet of dangerous ocean creatures into a poisonous sting of its own. Found in unique shapes and colors in every ocean throughout the world, Gill and his diverse family of nudibranchs serve as a reminder that being small doesn’t mean you can’t have it all. With illustrations as striking and colorful as Gill himself, this is an underwater adventure like no other where young readers can see for themselves what makes Gill and his fabulous family of nudibranchs tiny, but mighty poison powerhouses of the sea.
Chasing Giants: In Search of the World's Largest Freshwater Fish by Zeb Hogan and Stefan Lovgren
Chasing Giants: In Search of the World’s Largest Freshwater Fish combines science, adventure, and wonder to provide insights into the key role the massive fish of our lakes and rivers play in our past, present, and future. Zeb Hogan and Stefan Lovgren take you for a journey around the world in search of the world's largest freshwater fish. This exciting read takes the reader to the Amazon, Mongolia, Southeast Asia, and beyond over their 20-year quest.
To learn more about these books and their authors, visit nevadahumanities.org/nevada-center-for-the-book
