MNHS Press books and authors will be at the Minnesota State Fair.
The Great Minnesota Get-Together is just around the corner. The Minnesota State Fair starts on August 27, and MNHS Press authors, illustrators, and staff look forward to celebrating with fairgoers. Find us at the Alphabet Forest, History On-A-Schtick, the Minnesota Star Tribune booth and stage, and the Minnesota Historical Society booth.
Since 2010, Alphabet Forest, on the corner of Wright Avenue and Cosgrove Street on the fairgrounds, has celebrated the state's vibrant children's book scene, with activities and story times led by Minnesota authors. Attendees can win their own blue ribbons through fun and interactive games. A different author or artist is featured each day. On September 2, MNHS Press illustrator Jonathan Thunder will present Blue Bearies, the much anticipated sequel to the bestseller Bowwow Powwow, both written by Brenda J. Child (Bíne). On September 5, author Thomas Peacock will present his award-winning MNHS Press picture book The Naming of Aki. The Minnesota Historical Society Press is a proud cosponsor for Alphabet Forest, in recognition of the valuable contributions authors, artists, and books make to the creative community.
Sponsored by the Minnesota Historical Society, History On-A-Schtick is a lively stage performance that combines music, humor, and state history. Young audience members have a chance to win a copy of MNHS Press children's book Star Party by Polly Carlson-Voiles and Consie Powell at every performance. This fun-filled show runs every day of the fair at 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM on the Pryes Stage at Schilling Amphitheater.
Dish and Tell author Sarah Peterson will give cooking demonstrations for the Minnesota Star Tribune at the Cambria Kitchen in the Creative Activities Building on September 1 at noon and 2:00 PM. She will serve blue-ribbon dishes from the cookbook. Get your free samples while they last!
No trip to the State Fair is complete without a stop at the Minnesota Historical Society's booth in the DNR complex, where you can learn about MN250 Road Trips, State Fair History Walking Tours, and the MNHS Press children's book The Great Get-Together by Karlyn Coleman and Cori Doerrfeld. We'll see you during the twelve best days of summer!
8/13/2026, 6:30 PM, Meg Gorzycki, Remember the Main, Minnesota History Center, St. Paul
Tara Perron and Holly Young, Our Sacred Land of Phežúta, "A Treasure Trove of 109 Picture Books | SLJ 2026 Stars So Far," School Library Journal
Before settlers came to what is now Minnesota, Indigenous people stewarded forests by setting fires. These controlled burns eliminated dead trees and underbrush that could have fueled unstoppable, more destructive fires. Although settlers continued this practice in the 1800s, they did so as industrial expansion was building up ignitable fuel. The Hinckley Fire of 1894 and the Cloquet Fire of 1918, caused by this buildup as well as drought, rank among the deadliest forest fires in recorded history.
For more than a century (1839–1949), commercial logging reshaped Minnesota’s environment, transforming its land and water as well as its people. Although logging boosted economic enterprise before statehood and helped form Minnesota’s cultural identity, the pursuit of old-growth forests drove the dispossession of Dakota and Ojibwe people from their lands between the 1830s and the early 1900s.
Our fall season kicks off next month, when MNHS Press will release three powerful and engaging books, including the sequel to a bestselling children's book, a memoir by a beloved former governor, and a rich volume of original art paired with stories. Preorder your copies today at shop.mnhs.org.
Story by Brenda J. Child (Bíne), illustrations by Jonathan Thunder, translation by Gordon Jourdain
In Blue Bearies Brenda J. Child (Bíne) reprises the adventures of Windy Girl and her dog Itchy Boy with a focus on history and ecology, while Jonathan Thunder’s lively illustrations teem with playful humor. Anishinaabe educator Gordon Jourdain retells the story in Ojibwemowin. This much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning Bowwow Powwow celebrates the wonders of a time when humans lived closely with our animal relatives, to our mutual benefit.
Pub date: September 8, 2026
Mark Dayton, foreword by Hillary Rodham Clinton
This entertaining, insightful, and revealing account of Minnesota's fortieth governor provides a candid look behind the curtain at contemporary politics in the state and the nation. From Mark Dayton's first elected state office, to his time in the US Senate, to his two terms as Minnesota’s governor, Perseverance provides occasion for conversations of consequence and substance, today and for years to come.
Pub date: September 15, 2026
Sam Zimmerman / Zhaawanoogiizhik
“Walking My Ancestors’ Path is a gorgeous collection of engaging Woodlands-style paintings, personal and familial memoir, cultural memory, and the complex dance of an artist balancing his own space between English and Ojibwemowin, including both. The arc of seasons informs Zimmerman’s work, along with constant lunar cycles, images illuminated with symbols both universal and deeply personal. This engrossing, rich volume welcomes us to witness one intersection of time and memory, allowing us to glimpse this singular artistic spirit and its place in the universe.” —Eric Gansworth Sˑha-weñ na-saeˀ (Onondaga, Eel Clan), author of Apple (Skin to the Core)
Pub date: September 22, 2026
The Great Get-TogetherStory by Karlyn Coleman, illustrations by Cori Doerrfeld
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Mashkiki RoadStory by Elizabeth S. Barrett, illustrations by Jonathan Thunder
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How the Birds Got Their SongsStory by Travis Zimmerman, illustrations by Sam Zimmerman / Zhaawanoogiizhik
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