Shannon Hale
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shannon Hale is a newly recognized author of Young Adult/Adult crossover fantasy fiction. She writes books targeted to teenagers and young adults, especially girls. She studied at the University of Montana where she received a Masters in Creative Writing. She has been writing since the age of 10 and has continued ever since, but met with numerous rejections until her first book The Goose Girl was finally published in 2003. In 2004 her second novel, Enna Burning, which follows Enna, a minor character from The Goose Girl, was published. The third installment in the series arrived in 2006 in the form of River Secrets. By then Hale had earned numerous awards for her 2005 release, Princess Academy, including the prestigious Newbery Honor (the 2005 Newberry Medal went to Lynne Rae Perkins for Criss Cross). Ms. Hale lives with her husband and toddler son in Salt Lake City. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She has many projects in the works, and she is noted for having a very methodical and well-developed writing process, which she provides details about on the website, www.squeetus.com.
[edit] Bibliography
- The Goose Girl, 2003 (Josette Frank Award Winner)
- Enna Burning, 2004
- Princess Academy, 2005 (Newbery Honor Book)
- River Secrets, 2006
- Austenland, 2007
- Book of a Thousand Days, 2007
- Rapunzel's Revenge, 2008 (Graphic Novel)
[edit] Book Summaries
- Enna Burning (2004)
This sequel to The Goose Girl was well received by Shannon Hale fans and was eventually followed by River Secrets. The setting is still the country of Bayern, and Enna, a minor character from the first book, is its protagonist. Her brother discovers an ancient piece of vellum that describes how to create fire from within oneself, and ends up using this power in a war to defend his country. Ultimately he dies and Enna finds the ancient writings that her brother left behind. She learns to master the same power and soon finds herself drawn on the same path that her brother followed. The plot's leaves the reader wondering whether Enna will share her brother's fate.
- Princess Academy (2005)
This is a coming of age story about Miri, a girl from a mountain town in the kingdom of Danland. The town is taken by surprise when the priests of Danland decree that the prince must choose his bride from among the inhabitants of the small town. The town's uneducated girls are reluctantly whisked off to be trained at the newly established princess academy.
