ECPA Announces Christian Book Awards Finalists


May 21, 2007, -- The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) announces the finalists for the 2007 Christian Book Awards.  Presented annually to the finest in Christian publishing since 1978, the Christian Book Awards honor titles in six categories – Bibles, Bible Reference & Study, Christian Life, Fiction, Children & Youth, and Inspiration & Gift.  The winner in each category will be announced during the International Christian Retail Show in Atlanta on Monday, July 9th.  One title will be selected from the finalists to receive the top honor: Christian Book of the Year.  The Christian Book of the Year award considers both editorial excellence and sales achievements.

The 2007 Christian Book Award finalists are as follows:

Bibles

• Archaeological Study Bible NIV (Zondervan, 9780310926054)
• Family Foundations Study Bible NKJV (Thomas Nelson, 9780718016937)
• New Women’s Devotional Bible NIV, Zondervan with Livingstone Corporation (Zondervan, 9780310936138)
• The English-Greek Reverse Interlinear New Testament: English Standard Version, ESV, John Schwandt, Editor, C. John Collins, ESV Text Editor (Crossway Books, 9781581346282)
• TNIV Study Bible (Zondervan, 9780310934813)

Bible Reference & Study

• Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, William D. Mounce (Zondervan, 9780310248781)
• Preaching, Calvin Miller (Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 9780801012907)
• Proverbs, Tremper Longman III (Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 9780801026928)
• Psalms, Volume 1: Psalms 1-41, John Goldingay (Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 9780801027031)
• The IVP Atlas of Bible History, Paul Lawrence (IVP Academic, a division of InterVarsity Press, 9780830824526)

Children & Youth

• A Young Woman’s Walk with God, Elizabeth George (Harvest House Publishers, 9780736916530)
• Heaven for Kids, Randy Alcorn (Tyndale House Publishers, 9781414310404)
• Sexy Girls, Hayley DiMarco (Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 9780800730840)
• Technical Virgin, Hayley DiMarco (Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 9780800730857)
• Your Special Gift, Max Lucado (Crossway Books, 9781581346985)

Christian Life

• Captured by Grace, David Jeremiah (Thomas Nelson, 9781591453895)
• Finding God Beyond Harvard: The Quest for Veritas, Kelly Monroe Kullberg (InterVarsity Press, 9780830833870)
• Just Walk Across the Room, Bill Hybels (Zondervan, 9780310271727)
• Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?  Philip Yancey (Zondervan, 9780310271055)
• The Papa Prayer, Larry Crabb (Thomas Nelson, 9781591454243)
• What Jesus Demands from the World, John Piper (Crossway Books, 9781581348453)

Fiction

• Ever After, Karen Kingsbury (Zondervan, 9780310247562)
• Magdalene, Angela Hunt (Tyndale House Publishers, 9781414310282)
• The Nativity Story: A Novelization, Angela Hunt [based on motion picture written by Mike Rich], (Tyndale House Publishers, 9781414314624)
• When Crickets Cry, Charles Martin (Thomas Nelson, 9781595540546)
• When the Heart Cries, Cindy Woodsmall (WaterBrook Press, 9781400072927)

Inspiration & Gift

• Battlefields and Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the Civil War, Terry Tuley (Living Ink Books, an imprint of AMG Publishers, 9780899570433)
• Pearls of Great Price, Joni Eareckson Tada (Zondervan, 9780310262985)
• Praying: Finding Our Way Through Duty to Delight, J.I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom (InterVarsity Press, 9780830833450)
• The Nativity Story, New Line Cinema, Jaimie Trueblood, Photographer (Tyndale House Publishers, 9781414314631)
• Through the Bible, Through the Year, John Stott (Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 9780801012679)

“The Christian Book Awards consistently honor the best of the best in religious publishing,” says ECPA President Mark Kuyper. “We recognize the highest quality in books—whether fiction, non-fiction, Bibles or gift books.”

ECPA is partnering with Christianity Today Inc. (CTi) to run free magazine advertisements, featuring the lists of winners, in ten of its consumer publications such as Christianity Today, Today’s Christian Woman and Today’s Christian magazines during the fall of 2007, reaching thousands of book buying consumers.  The value of the advertising is nearly $80,000 and the ads will be seen by nearly 2.1 million readers.

ECPA has also confirmed support from national retail outlets to create in-store and consumer promotions to increase awareness of the Christian Book Awards.  The initial group of participants includes LifeWay Christian Stores, Family Christian Stores, Lemstone Christian Stores, The Parable Group, Berean Christian Stores, The Munce Group, CBD/Christianbooks.com, Crossings Book Club (Doubleday), Amazon.com, Borders and Barnes & Noble.

“We are using wide-spread marketing efforts to bolster the reputation of the award program and expand retail and consumer recognition for award winners,” adds Kuyper.

The Christian Book Awards, established in 1978 as the Gold Medallion Book Awards by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, recognize the absolute highest quality in Christian books. Based on excellence in content, literary quality, design, and significance of contribution, the Christian Book Awards are the oldest and among the most prestigious in the religious publishing industry.

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