Shannon Hale
Encyclopedia
Shannon Hale is an American author of young adult fantasy
and adult fiction.
, the "Books of Bayern" series, two adult novels, and two graphic novels that she and her husband co-wrote. They live with their four children in South Jordan, Utah
.
Before writing professionally, she wrote while pursuing acting in television, stage and improv comedy, as well as studying in Mexico
and the United Kingdom
. She spent a year and a half as an unpaid missionary
in Paraguay
, then returned to the United States to earn her bachelor's degree in English from the University of Utah
and a master's in creative writing
from the University of Montana.
Her first published book, The Goose Girl, was an American Library Association
Top Ten Book for Young Adults and Josette Frank Award
winner. Princess Academy is a Newbery Honor Book and a New York Times Best Seller.
and a Master's Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Montana. Hale worked as an instructional designer, developing web-based training for Avaltus and Allen Communication until her writing career took off.
. She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
She has published two adult novels, Austenland and The Actor and the Housewife. She and her husband Dean Hale have also published a graphic novel, Rapunzel's Revenge. A sequel, entitled Calamity Jack, was published in 2010.
A young adult fantasy novel and the fourth book in the Books of Bayern series, titled Forest Born, came out in 2009.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
and adult fiction.
Biography
Shannon Hale is the author of ten novels, including the best-selling Newbery Honor book Princess AcademyPrincess Academy
Princess Academy is a fantasy novel exploring themes of families, relationships and education by Shannon Hale published on June 16, 2005 by Bloomsbury. It tells the story of fourteen-year-old Miri who attends a princess academy which will determine who wins the hand of the prince...
, the "Books of Bayern" series, two adult novels, and two graphic novels that she and her husband co-wrote. They live with their four children in South Jordan, Utah
South Jordan, Utah
South Jordan is a city in the U.S. state of Utah. The city lies in the Salt Lake Valley between the peaks of the Oquirrh Mountains and the peaks of the Wasatch Mountains and is part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area...
.
Before writing professionally, she wrote while pursuing acting in television, stage and improv comedy, as well as studying in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. She spent a year and a half as an unpaid missionary
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
in Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, then returned to the United States to earn her bachelor's degree in English from the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
and a master's in creative writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
from the University of Montana.
Her first published book, The Goose Girl, was an American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
Top Ten Book for Young Adults and Josette Frank Award
Josette Frank Award
The Josette Frank Award is an annual children's literary award for fiction that honors a book or books of "outstanding literary merit in which children or young people deal in a positive and realistic way with difficulties in their world and grow emotionally and morally".Known as the Children's...
winner. Princess Academy is a Newbery Honor Book and a New York Times Best Seller.
Early life and education
Shannon Bryner was born in Salt Lake City, where she attended elementary school. She went on to West High School. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in English from the University of UtahUniversity of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
and a Master's Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Montana. Hale worked as an instructional designer, developing web-based training for Avaltus and Allen Communication until her writing career took off.
Family
Shannon has four children with husband Dean Hale: son Max (b. 2003), daughter Magnolia (b. 2006), and twin girls Dinah and Wren (b. 2010). The family resides in South Jordan, UtahSouth Jordan, Utah
South Jordan is a city in the U.S. state of Utah. The city lies in the Salt Lake Valley between the peaks of the Oquirrh Mountains and the peaks of the Wasatch Mountains and is part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area...
. She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Career
Hale has been writing since the age of 10, 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 Bayern series, River Secrets, was released in September 2006. By then Hale had earned numerous awards for her 2005 release, Princess Academy, including the prestigious Newbery Honor.She has published two adult novels, Austenland and The Actor and the Housewife. She and her husband Dean Hale have also published a graphic novel, Rapunzel's Revenge. A sequel, entitled Calamity Jack, was published in 2010.
A young adult fantasy novel and the fourth book in the Books of Bayern series, titled Forest Born, came out in 2009.
Works
- Books of Bayern series
- The Goose GirlThe Goose Girl (novel)The Goose Girl is a fantasy novel by Shannon Hale based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the same title. The book won the 2003 Josette Frank Award for youth fiction.-Plot summary:...
(2003), ISBN 158234843X - Enna BurningEnna BurningEnna Burning is a fantasy novel by Shannon Hale. It is the second book in her Books of Bayern series, following the character Enna, who befriends the title character in The Goose Girl.-Plot summary:...
(2004), ISBN 1582348898 - River SecretsRiver SecretsRiver Secrets is a fantasy novel by Shannon Hale. It is the third book in the Books of Bayern series.-Plot:The story begins as the main character, Razo, is watching a meeting. The king and queen of Bayern speak with a Tiran ambassador and agree that they should exchange ambassadors to promote peace...
(2006), ISBN 1582349010 - Forest BornForest BornForest Born is a fantasy novel by Shannon Hale. It is the fourth book in the Books of Bayern series. The main character is Rin, Razo's 15-year-old sister. In the book, the thought to be quiet and sensible Rin decides to leave ma and all her relatives in the forest and pursue after her brother and...
(2009), ISBN 1599901676
- The Goose Girl
- Princess AcademyPrincess AcademyPrincess Academy is a fantasy novel exploring themes of families, relationships and education by Shannon Hale published on June 16, 2005 by Bloomsbury. It tells the story of fourteen-year-old Miri who attends a princess academy which will determine who wins the hand of the prince...
(2005), ISBN 1582349932 - AustenlandAustenland-Plot summary:Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare...
(2007), ISBN 1596912855 - Book of a Thousand DaysBook of a Thousand DaysBook of a Thousand Days is a fantasy novel by Shannon Hale. It is her second novel based on a fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, this time based on Maid Maleen.-Plot summary:...
(2007), ISBN 1599900513 - Rapunzel's Revenge (2008), ISBN 1599902885
- The Actor and the Housewife (2009), ISBN 159691288X
- Calamity Jack (2010), ISBN 9781599900766
Awards
- 2003 Josette Frank AwardJosette Frank AwardThe Josette Frank Award is an annual children's literary award for fiction that honors a book or books of "outstanding literary merit in which children or young people deal in a positive and realistic way with difficulties in their world and grow emotionally and morally".Known as the Children's...
, Goose Girl - 2006 Newbery Honor, Princess Academy
- 2007 Whitney AwardWhitney AwardsThe Whitney Awards are awards given annually for novels by LDS authors. The Whitney Awards are a semi-independent non-profit organization affiliated with the LDStorymakers, a guild for LDS authors.-Categories:There are currently seven genre categories:...
, Book of a Thousand Days