“For a self-conscious moose, it’s a start!” said Joy Morgan Dey, quoting her own book after it took the award for Best Children’s Literature at the Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards (NEMBA). The 20th annual awards were given Sunday evening at University of Minnesota Duluth’s Weber Music Hall.
 
Agate: What Good Is a Moose? was authored by Dey, illustrated by Nikki Johnson and published by Lake Superior Port Cities Inc. All are from Duluth.
 
It’s been a big week for Agate … the book was also honored at the Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA) event in St. Paul last week on May 14 when it was named the Best Children’s Book for 2007.
 
NEMBA was established in 1988 to recognize books that best represent Northeastern Minnesota in the areas of history, heritage, culture and lifestyle. This year there were 44 books nominated in 4 categories.
 
Lake Superior Port Cities Inc. has published other NEMBA winners as well. In 1994 Howard Sivertson’s historical art book The Illustrated Voyageur and again in 2001 his Schooners, Skiffs and Steamships won top honors. Minnesota’s Iron Country: Rich Ore, Rich Lives by Marvin Lamppa received a NEMBA award in 2004.
 
Lake Superior Port Cities is a family-owned publisher based in Duluth, Minnesota. It currently has 25 book titles and also publishes Lake Superior Magazine and the annual Lake Superior Travel Guide. Its offices are at 310 E. Superior St. You can contact the publisher at 1-888 BIG LAKE (888-244-5253), 218-722-5002 or log onto www.lakesuperior.com.