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]

The Carnival at Bray
AuthorJessie Ann Foley
LanguageEnglish
Publication date
October 2014
Media typePrint (Paperback)
ISBN978-0-9895155-9-7

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]

Controversy

In 2022, The Carnival at Bray was listed among 52 books banned by the Alpine School District following the implementation of Utah law H.B. 374, “Sensitive Materials In Schools,"[9] many of which were removed because they were considered to contain pornographic material according to the new law, which defines porn using the following criteria:

  • "The average person" would find that the material, on the whole, "appeals to prurient interest in sex"[10]
  • The material "is patently offensive in the description or depiction of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, sadomasochistic abuse, or excretion"[10]
  • The material, on the whole, "does not have serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value."[10]

The book has also been removed from public libraries in Martin County, Florida.[11]

References
  1. Chicago book news: Jessie Ann Foley, Charles Finch receive honors by Jeremy Mikula Chicago Tribune February 12, 2015
  2. The best children's books: Newbery, Caldecott winners announced by Ashley Strickland, CNN June 25, 2015.
  3. YALSA names 2015 Best Fiction for Young Adults 02/03/2015 ALA News
  4. ALA 'Gabi, a Girl in Pieces' wins 2015 William C. Morris Award 02/02/2015 ALA News
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley, October 1, 2014, Kirkus Reviews
  8. "Congratulations to CWA's 2015 Book Award Finalists!". Chicago Writers Association. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  9. "Ban on 52 Books in Largest Utah School District is a Worrisome Escalation of Censorship". PEN America. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  10. Mullahy, Brian (28 July 2022). "Alpine School District pulls dozens of books from school library shelves". KUTV. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  11. "These books are banned in Martin County, Florida". 13 March 2023.
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