Washington State Book Awards winners

The Washington Center for the Book at The Seattle Public Library announced the winners of the 2007 Washington State Book Awards on Friday. They are:

• Fiction: Charles D'Ambrosio, a Seattle native now living in Portland, for his short-story collection, "The Dead Fish Museum" (also a 2007 PEN/Faulkner Award finalist).

• Poetry: Madeline DeFrees, a Seattleite, for her poetry collection, "Spectral Waves."

• History/biography: Julie Phillips, formerly of Mercer Island and now living in Amsterdam, for her biography "James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon" (also winner of a Hugo Award and a special James Tiptree Award).

• General nonfiction: William D. Layman, of Wenat-

chee, for "River of Memory: The Everlasting Columbia."

• The Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award: Jack Prelutsky, of Bainbridge Island, for his picture book, "Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant and Other Poems" (illustrated by Carin Berger), and Brent Hartinger, of Tacoma, for his young-adult novel, "Grand & Humble."

The six authors and one illustrator will receive $1,000 each. A free public ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle (information, 206-386-4636 or www.spl.org).

Michael Upchurch, Seattle Times book critic