The Carnival at Bray
The Carnival at Bray is a young adult novel by Jessie Ann Foley. The book was an Honor Book shortlisted for the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Award for literary merit in 2015.[1][2] The association's young adult division also named the book one of the 10 "Best Fiction for Young Adults"[3] and had short-listed it for the 2015 William C. Morris Award for debut novels for young adults.[4]
Author | Jessie Ann Foley |
---|---|
Language | English |
Publication date | October 2014 |
Media type | Print (Paperback) |
ISBN | 978-0-9895155-9-7 |
The manuscript had previously won multiple contests. It was published after being entered into a contest to solicit submissions to Elephant Rock Books, and became the first young adult novel published by the small independent publisher[5] An earlier manuscript had won the Chicago Reader annual fiction contest.[6]
Reception
Kirkus Reviews gave the book a starred review, saying "The narrative subtly and carefully interweaves peer and family drama...with the highs and lows of the grunge music scene, from the transformative glory of a Nirvana concert to the outpouring of grief around the death of Kurt Cobain."[7]
Chicago Reader named Carnival of Bray on its list of favorite books of 2014,[6] describing the book as "a lovely coming-of-age story set on the northwest side and in Dublin, which got its start five years ago as the winner of our annual fiction contest".
It was a finalist for the 2015 Chicago Writers Association Traditional Fiction Book of the Year.[8]
References
- Chicago book news: Jessie Ann Foley, Charles Finch receive honors by Jeremy Mikula Chicago Tribune February 12, 2015
- The best children's books: Newbery, Caldecott winners announced by Ashley Strickland, CNN June 25, 2015.
- YALSA names 2015 Best Fiction for Young Adults 02/03/2015 ALA News
- ALA 'Gabi, a Girl in Pieces' wins 2015 William C. Morris Award 02/02/2015 ALA News
- Elephant Rock Books enters Y.A. with 'The Carnival at Bray By Donald Liebenson, Printer's Row Preview section, The Chicago Tribune, June 20, 2014
- Our favorite books of 2014: A look back at the year in words, from the best reads by Chicago authors to new bookstores and live-lit events by Aimee Levitt December 22, 2014 Chicago Reader
- The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley, October 1, 2014, Kirkus Reviews
- "Congratulations to CWA's 2015 Book Award Finalists!". Chicago Writers Association. Retrieved December 8, 2015.