GREAT MIDWEST BOOK FESTIVAL HONORS A YOUNG ADULT FANTASY NOVEL
 

LOS ANGELES_ A fantasy world discovered via a magical book is the winner of the 2026 Great Midwest Book Festival, which honors the best work of the late winter/spring.

Author Kris Kramer’s The Book of Sapphire and Shadow (Echoes of the Old World 1) (Kindle) is the story of 12-year-old Beth Egan, who seeks refuge from her loneliness in a dusty, old-fashioned bookstore.

There she finds a mysterious blue book named ‘Sapphire and Shadow’, and is pulled into a breathtaking fantasy world where she is a princess and her late mother is alive as the beautiful Queen Elara. This perfect wish fulfillment is shattered when the kingdom is attacked by monstrous creatures called the Dirgesworn, forcing Beth to flee the castle and the only safety she has known in this magical realm.

Beth discovers she possesses a strange power tied to her own memories and emotions. To save her new friends and the kingdom, Beth must journey to the desolate Vale of Shadows to confront the source of the darkness, forcing her to find a strength she never knew she had and to face a grief that feels as monstrous as the creatures of the story.

This fast-paced and inventive tale is a first-rate world-builder and well worthy of top honors.

Other winners in the competition:


GENERAL NONFICTION:

WINNER: Before Their Crimes - Dr. Wendy Smith

RUNNER-UPS:

• True Crime and Consequences - David Lyons
• A Life in the Sunshine - J. Everett Prewitt

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

•  Being Broken - Geoffrey R. Jonas
• Two Remarkable People David & Erna Robinson - Florita Robinson

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Barack Obama - Patricia Duncan
• A Taste of the Past - Patricia Duncan

HOW-TO:

WINNER: They’re Coming For Your Elders and Your Inheritance - Léonie Rosenstiel


CHILDREN’S BOOKS:

WINNER: Our Garden of Friendship - Jennifer Rogers

RUNNERS-UP:

• Deer Diary - Lauren E. Persons
• The Heart of a Leader - Dr. Josh McConkey

HONORABLE MENTION:

• Champions, We Are - Beth Watter

GENERAL FICTION:

WINNER: Something About Ann - J. Everett Prewitt

RUNNERS-UP:

• Breathe Easy - Tammy Donahue
• Overtwixt: We;come to the World of Bridges - R.L. Akers

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• There’s a Tortoise in My Hair - Calvin Barry Schwartz
• Protocol Wars/Book 2 of the Alex Morgan FBI Thrillers - Jessie Clark
• Shilpa’s Blue Crayon - Crystal Charlotte (CC) Lane
• BarnYard Heroes: A Half-Baked Origin - Samuel A. McAdams
• Richard: A Dragon’s Destiny - Michael W. Hickman
• I Slept with Lucy! - Montgomery K. Ambrose
• He Was Given No Choice - Roy Dussouy

MEMOIR:

WINNER: Grace Revealed - Greg Archer


YOUNG ADULT:

WINNER: The Book of Sapphire and Shadow - Kris Kramer

RUNNER-UP: The Greenbriar River Adventures: JoJo the Dragon - Rusty McQuade


HISTORY:

WINNER: Murder in Victorian Western Michigan - Michael Delaware

RUNNER-UP: Bishop McNamara Catholic School A 100-Year History - Kevin McNulty Sr.


SELF-HELP:

WINNER: Embrace Your Shadows - Christina Prokos


WILD CARD:

WINNER: Before Their Crimes - Dr. Wendy Smith