CBS This Morning announced the National Book Award finalists on October 4, and Elana K. Arnold’s YA novel What Girls Are Made Of is one of the five finalists for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature!
How Elana found out
“I was with my friend Erin and our children at the beach, feeling grateful for the beautiful day and, honestly, pretty sad that I hadn’t heard from the National Book Awards, as I knew they would call finalists that day.
“I tucked away my phone to focus on my friend and our picnic as the kids explored the tide pools. After a while, I glanced at my phone–to find a missed call from an unfamiliar number. I looked up at Erin.
“‘Somebody called me,’ I said. It was either the call I’d been waiting for or a telemarketer. We held hands as I called the number, as it rang.
“‘National Book Foundation,’ came a voice.
“Here is a picture Erin snapped, moments later, when I heard the news.”
What Girls Are Made Of
Raw. Compelling. Unflinching. What girls are made of might just surprise you.
When Nina Faye was fourteen, her mother told her there was no such thing as unconditional love. Nina believed her. Now she’ll do anything for the boy she loves, to prove she’s worthy of him. But when he breaks up with her, Nina is lost. What is she if not a girlfriend? What is she made of? Broken-hearted, Nina tries to figure out what the conditions of love are.
Read a sample chapter today!
Praise for What Girls Are Made Of
★ “Unflinchingly candid, unapologetically girl, and devastatingly vital.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews
“Finally, finally, a book that is fully girl, with all of the gore and grace of growing up female exposed.” —Carrie Mesrobian, author of the William C. Morris Award finalist Sex & Violence
“With a deft hand, Elana K. Arnold opens up a conversation about how girls survive as a whole when they are too often acknowledged only for their parts.”—Christa Desir, author of Other Broken Things
“Shows the true, beautiful, and confounding complexity of women. This one will rip your heart out.”— Martha Brockenbrough, author of The Game Of Love and Death
“The author presents a hopeful conclusion as Nina learns that self-love and fulfillment can be found through helping others.”—School Library Journal
Order What Girls Are Made Of
What Girls Are Made Of is available through lernerbooks.com, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, IndieBound, and all major distributors.