NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 Percival Everett's 鈥淛ames,鈥 a reworking of Mark Twain's 鈥淭he Adventures of Huckleberry Finn鈥 from the enslaved Jim's perspective, is among the fiction finalists for the 11th annual Kirkus Prize.
Kirkus Reviews, a leading book review publication, announced finalists Wednesday in fiction, nonfiction and young reader's literature, with winners in each category receiving $50,000. Other nominees range from new novels by Richard Powers and Louise Erdrich, to nonfiction works on abortion rights, the Iraq War and the space shuttle Challenger tragedy, to a picture book by Jason Reynolds.
Besides 鈥淛ames,鈥 fiction finalists include Erdrich's "The Mighty Red," Powers' 鈥淧layground,鈥 Jennine Cap贸 Crucet's 鈥淪ay Hello to My Little Friend,鈥 Paul Lynch's 鈥淧rophet Song" and Rufi Thorpe's 鈥淢argo鈥檚 Got Money Troubles.鈥
Steve Coll's 鈥淭he Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the CIA, and the Origins of America鈥檚 Invasion of Iraq鈥 and Adam Higginbotham's 鈥淐hallenger: A True Story of Heroism And Disaster on the Edge of Space鈥 are nonfiction nominees, along with Tessa Hull's 鈥淔eeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir,鈥 Olivia Laing's 鈥淭he Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise,鈥 Shefali Luthra's 鈥淯ndue Burden: Life and Death Decisions in Post-Roe America鈥 and Carvell Wallace's 鈥淎nother Word for Love: A Memoir.鈥
Among the finalists for young reader's literature were two picture books: Joanna Ho's 鈥淲e Who Produce Pearls,鈥 illustrated by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya; and Reynolds' Langston Hughes tribute, 鈥淭here Was a Party,鈥 illustrated by brothers Jerome and Jarrett Pumphrey. Nominees also include two middle grade books, Hiba Noor Khan's 鈥淪afiyyah鈥檚 War鈥 and Sherri Winston's 鈥淪hark Teeth,鈥 and two young adult releases, Kenneth M. Cadow's 鈥淕ather鈥 and Safia Elhillo's 鈥淏right Red Fruit.鈥
Winners will be announced Oct. 16 during a ceremony in Manhattan.
