. Outdoor Literature Category .

. Natural History Literature .

Winner.  Condor:  To the Brink and Back.  By John Nielsen.  HarperCollins Publishers, New York.  ISBN 9780060088620

. Nature & the Environment Category .

Winner.  Life in the Underground.  By David Attenborough.  Princeton University Press, Princeton.  ISBN 0691127034

The Himalayas: the word itself can send our thoughts soaring to dizzy heights, and now there's a reference work worthy of the range's summits.  The Illustrated Atlas is the first full-color comprehensive atlas to the entire 2,700 kilometer length of the Himalaya.  It's attractively designed and includes 300 specially created maps, including maps of the range's national parks and preserves.  The facts are there too, of course.  Along with a wealth of photographs, the book includes textual information on the natural environment, conservation, resources, exploration, and culture and society. 

How and when was the Grand Canyon formed?  For nearly a century and a half, scientists have debated that question, but the answer remains elusive.  They do, however, agree on one thing:  the canyon was carved by the Colorado River.  In this stylish, full-color book by the Grand Canyon Association, Wayne Ranney describes and summarizes the various geological theories of the canyon's origins. 

Wings of Springs represents some of the finest photography of birds ever published:  a Great Egret tossing a stream of brightly lit water droplets, a Wilson's Snipe standing on one leg forlorn in June snowfall, a Western Screech-Owl dangling a lizard from its beak.  One is amazed at the days and countless hours photographer Tom Vezo spent patiently waiting for these moments that he has so elegantly captured.  Complementing Vezo's photography is a comfortable and inviting design, and just the right amount of text to make the book useful as a bird guide as well as work of artistry.

Winner.  100 Caterpillars.  By Jeffrey C. Miller, Daniel H. Janzen and Winifred Hallwachs.  The Belnap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge.  ISBN  0674021908

This is an exquisite book portraying the caterpillars of Costa Rica in impressively sharp and brilliant color photographs.  The lay-out and design is flawless.  The accompanying text is complete and satisfying.  The authors clearly want to share their discoveries and wonders of their work with everyone—not just with fellow biologists, but with all who are fascinated with the infinite variety of the natural world—and in that effort, they have succeeded beyond measure. 

Winner.  Kelly of Hazel Ridge.  Text by Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuysen.  Illustrations by Gijsbert van Frankenhuysen.  Sleeping Bear Press, Chelsea, MI  ISBN #1585362689

Kelly is in trouble.  Her fourth grade teacher has asked her to write about something that's been important in her life.  But she can't think of a thing until her father tells her to take a walk around their small farm.  As she walks, she sees all the wild animals that share the farm, and she remembers helping her parents dig ponds, create wetland areas, and, oh yeah, plant a gazillion little trees!  This book is a pure delight with a suffused gentle innocence, heartfelt text, and warm, luminous illustrations, all of which will surely excite young minds and imaginations.  Ages 4-10.

Winner.  Gaia Girls Enter the Earth.  By Lee Welles.  Daisyworld Press, Corning, NY.  ISBN 1933609001

In this 320-page novel, a young girl takes on a corporation that threatens to pollute the air and water of her upstate New York home.  She is helped by a fantasy creature by the name of Gaia who she learns is the embodiment of the earth and of all living things.  But can she, only a fourth grader (but soon to be a fifth grader!), stop a big corporation?  Find out in Lee Welles' page-turner for young girls.  Ages 9 to 14. 

Winner.  Extreme Kids: How to connect with your children through today's extreme (and not so extreme) outdoor sports.  By Scott Graham.  Wilderness Press, Berkeley.  ISBN 0899973736

Healthy, adventurous outdoor activities are a great way to connect with your children.  And here's a book to help you make that happen.  Extreme Kids has the low-down on how parents and children can safely participate together in sports like rock climbing, surfing, canoeing, mountain biking, hiking, kayaking and many others.

. Outdoor Adventure Guidebook Category .

More than any, river guidebooks get used—and abused.  All day, they are in and out of ammo cans, passed around, and used to keep track of mileage, to re-check routes through rapids, and to find the night's camp.  They have to be tough, conveniently sized, able to withstand a soaking or two, have easy-to-read maps, and clear and concise descriptions.  Matt Leidecker's Middle Fork guidebook fits the bill perfectly.  If you have a trip planned on Idaho's Middle Fork of the Salmon, this is the guide written and built for the job.

. Nature Guidebook Category .

Winner.  Yellowstone Expedition Guide: The Modern Way to Explore America's Oldest National Park.  By Charissa Reid.  TravelBrains, Inc., Bedford, NH.  ISBN 1933763000

This is a state-of-the-art, technologically savvy guidebook for visitors of Yellowstone National Park.  It's packed full of beta, including information on the area's geology, its hydrothermal features, plants, animals, and hiking trails.  Topping it off are two included CD's:  one is an audio tour which can be played as you visit different parts of the park, and the other contains movies and panoramic photo tours which can be viewed on your computer.

Winner.  Caterpillars of Eastern North America.  By David L. Wagner.  Princeton University Press, Princeton.  ISBN # 0691121443

Honorable Mention.  Sleeping Island:  A Journey to the Edge of the Barrens.  By P.G. Downes.  Heron Dance Press, New Ferrisburg, VT.  ISBN 1933937033

Sleeping Island is the story of P.G. Downes' 1939 canoe expedition through unmapped country in the remote northern corner of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.  His journey takes him to the edge of the Canadian Barrens, a desolate arctic wasteland known to the Indians as the "Land of Little Sticks."  What helps elevate this book over many of the chronicles of early twentieth century canoe excursions is Downes' intimate knowledge of the trappers, traders, and especially the Indians who live off the land.  This is what it was like on the cusp of change, just before the advance of civilization and titanic forces that would forever transform the face of Canada's north country.