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Elana K. Arnold

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Elana K. Arnold
OccupationAuthor
NationalityAmerican
Website
elanakarnold.com

Elana Kuczynski Arnold is an American children's and young adult author. Her 2017 novel What Girls Are Made Of was a finalist for the 2017 National Book Award for Young People's Literature,[1][2] and her 2018 novel Damsel was named a Michael L. Printz Award Honor title in 2019.[3][4]

In 2022, three of Arnold's books (Damsel, Red Hood, and What Girls Are Made Of ) were listed among 52 novels banned by the Alpine School District following the implementation of Utah H.B. 374, “Sensitive Materials In Schools."[5]

Biography

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Arnold obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative Literature from University of California, Irvine.[6] In 1998, she Master of Arts degree in English and Creative Writing from the University of California, Davis.[7][6]

Arnold now teaches with Hamline University's Master of Fine Arts program focusing on Writing for Children and Young Adults.[8]

She lives in Southern California.[8]

Awards and honors

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Nine of Arnold's book are Junior Library Guild selections: A Boy Called Bat (2017),[9] Bat and the Waiting Game (2018),[10] Damsel (2018),[11] Bat at the End of Everything (2019),[12] The House That Wasn't There (2021),[13] Red Hood (2021),[14] Starla Jean (2021),[15] and Just Harriet (2022).[16]

In 2021, Publishers Weekly named Red Hood one of the top ten young adult novels of the year.[14]

Awards for Arnold's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref
2015 Infaduous Moonbeam Children's Book Award for Young Adult Fiction - General Winner [17]
2016 Amelia Bloomer Book List Selection [18]
Westchester Fiction Award Winner [19]
2017 What Girls Are Made Of California Book Award Finalist [8]
National Book Award for Young People's Literature Finalist [8]
2018 Amelia Bloomer Book List Selection [20]
Damsel Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth Selection [21]
2019 Amelia Bloomer Book List Top 10 [22][23]
Michael L. Printz Award Honor [3][4]
2021 Red Hood Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Selection [24]
Amelia Bloomer Book List Top 10 [25]

Publications

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Young adult novels

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  • Sacred (2012)
  • Burning (2013)
  • Splendor (2013)
  • Infandous (2015)
  • What Girls Are Made Of (2017)
  • Damsel (2018)
  • Red Hood (2020)
  • The Blood Years (2022)

Middle grade books

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  • The Question of Miracles (2015)
  • Far from Fair (2016)
  • The House That Wasn't There (2021)
  • Just Harriet (2022)

A Boy Called Bat series

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  • A Boy Called Bat (2017)
  • Bat and the Waiting Game (2018)
  • Bat and the End of Everything (2019)

Starla Jean series

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  • Starla Jean, illustrated by A. N. Kang (2021)
  • Starla Jean Takes the Cake (2022)
  • Starla Jean Cracks the Case (2023)

Picture books

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  • What Riley Wore (2019)
  • All by Himself? (2022)
  • Pip and Zip (2022)

Reception

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In 2024 the Republican-dominated Utah Legislature passed a law[26] mandating the removal of books deemed objectionable from all Utah public schools (including charter schools). On 2 August 2024 the Utah State School Board released its first list of banned books. Elana K. Arnold's young adult novel What Girls Are Made Of was on this list.[27]

References

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  1. ^ Charles, Ron (October 4, 2017). "Jesmyn Ward and David Grann among finalists for National Book Awards". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  2. ^ Ramstad, Evan (November 11, 2017). "For family-owned Lerner Publishing, accolades and internal change mark a watershed year". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 2018-08-13. Retrieved 2018-08-12.
  3. ^ a b "Michael L. Printz Winners and Honor Books". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2007-03-15. Archived from the original on 2022-08-07. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  4. ^ a b Communications and Marketing Office (2019-01-28). "The Poet X Wins 2019 Printz Award". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 2021-11-28. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  5. ^ "Ban on 52 Books in Largest Utah School District is a Worrisome Escalation of Censorship". PEN America. 2022-08-01. Archived from the original on 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  6. ^ a b "Elana K. Arnold (she/her)". The Author Village. Archived from the original on 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  7. ^ "Creative Writing Grad Finalist for National Book Award". College of Letters and Science. University of California, Davis. October 5, 2017. Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d "Elana K. Arnold". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  9. ^ "A Boy Called Bat (Audiobook) by Elana K. Arnold". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  10. ^ "Bat and the Waiting Game by Elana K. Arnold". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  11. ^ "Damsel by Elana K. Arnold". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  12. ^ "Bat and the End of Everything by Elana K. Arnold". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  13. ^ "The House That Wasn't There by Elana K. Arnold". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  14. ^ a b "Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  15. ^ "Starla Jean by Elana K. Arnold". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  16. ^ "Just Harriet by Elana K. Arnold". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  17. ^ "2015 Winners". Moonbeam Children's Book Awards. Archived from the original on 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  18. ^ "Infandous | Awards & Grants". American Library Association. 2019-03-05. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  19. ^ "Westchester Fiction Award". Westchester Fiction Award. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  20. ^ "What Girls Are Made Of | Awards & Grants". American Library Association. 2019-02-28. Archived from the original on 2022-12-21. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  21. ^ "Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2018". Booklist. 2019-01-01. Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  22. ^ "Damsel | Awards & Grants". American Library Association. 2019-03-01. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  23. ^ Jarnagin, Briana (2019-02-01). "2019 Amelia Bloomer List presents top ten feminist books for young readers". News and Press Center. Archived from the original on 2021-04-24. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  24. ^ "2021 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2021-01-04. Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  25. ^ Chapman, Monica (2021-04-20). "2021 Rise Book Project presents Top Ten feminist books for young readers". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  26. ^ Libbey Hanson (29 March 2024). "Book Banning Bill H.B. 29". The Daily Utah Chronicle. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  27. ^ "These are the 13 books now banned statewide from Utah schools". KUER. 2024-08-02. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
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