Books by U.P. authors and about the U.P. to be honored
MARQUETTE, MI (January 2, 2026)— The Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association (UPPAA) announces the 7th Annual U.P. Notable Books List this week. The UPPAA first initiated the effort in 2019 as a response to the lack of representation of U.P. writers in other Michigan state literary circles. They developed the program because traditionally, recognition of Michigan books had been dominated by the university presses downstate. As a non-profit organization that has represented U.P. authors for more than 25 years, UPPAA was in a unique position to highlight locally themed literature. An index of all past Lists can be found on the UPNotable.com website.
Evelyn Gathu, Director of the Crystal Falls District Community Library, will continue the library’s alliance with UPPAA to co-sponsor the U.P. Notable Book Club. The club is available to any interested reader and has featured monthly Zoom meetups with national bestselling U.P. Notable authors such as Karen Dionne (The Wicked Sister), Sue Harrison (The Midwife’s Touch), and Steve Lehto (Death’s Door). Members borrow the books from their local libraries or purchase them at local stores prior to discussions. Presentations often include author readings, a conversation on the making of the book, and a live Q&A with the audience. The next meeting will convene on January 22, 2026, and the full year-long calendar will be announced shortly.
Ms. Gathu went on to add: “What I found most surprising this year was the almost 50 wonderful submissions to U.P. Notable. We had more books to choose from than ever before, and the competition was steep! This year’s list reflects a diverse grouping of ever-popular U.P. authors, such as Tyler Tichelaar and Sue Harrison, along with some refreshing new writers, including Helen Raica-Klotz and Ellen Lord. You will also find Jon C. Stott and Mikel B. Classen, who really do a nice job representing the nostalgic U.P. In their works. And what a treat it is to have Deborah Fronteria and Frederick Stonehouse both awarded as recipients of U.P. Notable Classic distinctions. Debbie wrote Living on Sisu, a wonderful young adult tale told in journal entries about the 1913 Copper Union Strike and its heartbreaking Christmas Eve Italian Hall disaster. Frederick wrote the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzerald, and he has dedicated much of his life to learning about and sharing his research with the world about this well-known U.P. historical tragedy. This year’s winning authors can be found in Marquette as well as in smaller towns from Pickford to Calumet. I am proud to say that this year’s list truly has something for every reader.”
To build this seventh annual list, UPPAA created a unique panel of jurists of Upper Michigan booksellers, book reviewers, librarians, academics, authors, and publishers to winnow down the list to just the ten best books. You can find reviews of many of these books on the UP Book Review. The award committee emphasizes that the list is unranked, each title deserves equal merit as a U.P. Notable Book. These ten books have been deemed essential reading for every lover of U.P. literature, and we highly recommend you ask your local librarian or booksellers for them today!
7th Annual U.P. Notable Books List
- Straw Horse: A Kat Wilde U.P. Mystery by Terri Martin
- Superior Stories by Helen Raica-Klotz
- The Mysteries of Marquette by Tyler R. Tichelaar
- Enduring Legacies: People of the 1926 Barnes-Hecker Mine Disaster by Mary V. Tippett
- Wild Blueberry Summer: More Upper Michigan Moments and Memories by Jon C. Stott
- Piracy on the Great Lakes: True Tales of Freshwater Pirates by Mikel B. Classen
- The Caving Grounds: Poems by Kathleen Heideman
- Vigil: Poems by Ellen Lord
- Garden Sleeping, Garden Growing: In and Around All Year Long by Diana Magnuson
- Rescuing Crash, the Good Dog by Sue Harrison
This Year’s U.P. Notable Classics
The U.P. Notable Books Committee continues its U.P. Notable Classics initiative, which highlights significant U.P.-themed literature that has remained essential for 10 years or more. The committee hopes that these books can bring enjoyment to a new generation of readers.
- The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – 50th Anniv. Ed. by Frederick Stonehouse
- Living On Sisu: The 1913 Union Copper Strike Tragedy by Deborah K. Frontiera
The U.P. Notable Books List will also appear in the upcoming 10th volume of U.P. Reader, UPPAA’s own annual literary anthology featuring short stories, poetry, and essays by its members. This successful publication helps spread the word about the organization, raises money for educational programming, and encourages people in the Upper Peninsula and beyond to read U.P. writers. Complimentary copies of the U.P. Reader are available to all U.P. educators and media upon request. The on-sale date is scheduled for April 15, 2026. Consult your local bookseller for availability or purchase at Amazon.
Established in 1998 to support authors and publishers who live in or write about Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, UPPAA is a Michigan nonprofit association with more than 175 members, many of whose books are featured on the organization’s website at www.uppaa.org. UPPAA welcomes membership and participation from anyone with a U.P. connection who is interested in writing and publishing books.