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Soman Chainani

Soman Chainani's first novel, The School for Good and Evil, debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List, has been on ABA's National Indie Bestseller List for 11 weeks, has been translated into languages across six continents, and will soon be a major motion picture from Universal Studios.

As a writer and film director, Soman's films have played at over 150 film festivals around the world, winning more than 30 jury and audience prizes, and his writing awards include honors from Big Bear Lake, New Draft, the CAPE Foundation, the Sun Valley Writers Fellowship, and the coveted Shasha Grant, awarded by a jury of international film executives.

When he's not telling stories or teaching in New York City, Soman is a die-hard tennis player who never lost a first-round match for ten years . . . until he started writing The School for Good and Evil. Now he loses all the time.

Genres: Children's Fiction, Fantasy

Series

School for Good and Evil
   1. The School for Good and Evil (2013)
   2. A World without Princes (2014)
   3. The Last Ever After (2015)
   Ever Never Handbook (2016)
   The School for Good and Evil: The Ever Never Handbook (2016)
   4. Quests for Glory (2017)
   5. A Crystal of Time (2019)
   6. One True King (2020)
   Beasts and Beauty (2020)

Rise
1. Rise of the School for Good and Evil (2022)
2. Fall of the School for Good and Evil (2023)

Series contributed to

Faraway collection
3. The Princess Game (2020)

Books containing stories by Soman Chainani

Hope Wins (2022)
A Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers
edited by
Rose Brock

Because You Love to Hate Me (2017)
13 Tales of Villainy
edited by
Ameriie

Flying Lessons (2017)
edited by
Ellen Oh

Soman Chainani recommends

The Magic Paintbrush (2024)
(Magic Paintbrush, book 1)
Eric Darnell and Kat Zhang
"Brimming with imagination and heart."

The Princess Protection Program (2024)
(Princess Protection Program , book 1)
Alex London
"The Princess Protection Program is a delightful tongue in cheek twist on fairy tales and the magic school genre. Mixing the modern with the magical, author Alex London skewers popular fairy-tale tropes with a sharp wit and a loving, lighthearted touch, telling an empowering story where princesses learn to be their own fairy godmothers. An action-packed fantasy romp that young readers won't want to put down."

Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans (2023)
(Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans, book 1)
Isi Hendrix
"Deep, piercing, and urgent, Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans marries historic heft with the soaring possibilities of magic to tell a spellbinding story of empowerment and liberation. Author Isi Hendrix makes a passion-packed entrance onto the middle grade stage, and readers of all ages will do well to pick up this first entry in a powerful new fantasy series."

The Manifestor Prophecy (2023)
(Nic Blake and the Remarkables, book 1)
Angie Thomas
"Thomas creates a new Afro-future world that feels steeped in history and lived in by generations of real flesh-and-blood families. The gravity of Thomas's world never weighs down the story, which zips along with wit, humor, and sparkling dialogue. The Manifestor Prophecy is a tantalizing first installment in what is sure to be a blockbuster series, and a remarkable achievement for a master author in a thrilling new arena."

Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria (2022)
(Shad Hadid, book 1)
George Jreije
"Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria is a heart-warming, mouth-watering tale packed to the brim with humor, action, and culinary delights. Alchemizing the magic school trope with traditional Lebanese culture, author George Jreije creates a rich one-of-a-kind world that readers won't want to leave. Like a delicious home-cooked meal, this book is straight from the heart, a touching tale about family and friendship that is sure to resonate with children and parents alike."

Black Magic (2022)
(Shadow of the Pack, book 1)
Nicole Austen
"SHADOW OF THE PACK is a thrilling tale about survival in the wild. Set in a world that is at once enchanting and dangerous, the story weaves a gripping drama of power, betrayal, and family. The Willow River wolves are real flesh-and-blood characters we care about, and the stakes in their fight for dominance are life and death. Austen's natural instinct for plot and action make her a wonderful new talent to watch."

The Marvellers (2022)
(Conjureverse, book 1)
Dhonielle Clayton
"The Marvellers is a rich, enchanted melting pot of magic, thrills, and color . . . filled with heart, wit, and humor. Reinventing the magic school trope is a tall order, but author Dhonielle Clayton is well up to the task . . . A tantalizing introduction to an exhilarating fantasy universe."

The Lock-Eater (2022)
Zack Loran Clark
"An epic tapestry threaded with rich lore, vibrant characters, and a twisting plot that will have readers tumbling through the pages. Marrying the zany inventiveness of Alice in Wonderland with the thorough magical world-building of Howl's Moving Castle, Clark creates a deeply immersive fantasy, full of both heft and humor, that's sure to stay with young readers long after its final page is turned."

Kingston and the Magician's Lost and Found (2021)
(Kingston, book 1)
Theo Gangi and Rucker Moses
"Inventive, authentic, and razor-sharp, Kingston and the Magician’s Lost and Found is at once an exhilarating fantasy and a moving tale of how far a father and son are willing to go for one another. Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi put aside familiar tropes to build something new, an underground New York City, filled with magic and secrets, that challenges readers to solve its mysteries alongside its main character. As for Kingston, we’ve never seen anything like him—a young Black superhero determined to put the magic back in Brooklyn. He’s sharp, feisty, funny, and always a step ahead. This is a special book, the kind that you fall in love with, because beneath the fun and twists, shining through is Kingston’s big, bold heart."

Escaping Ordinary (2020)
(Talespinners , book 2)
Scott Reintgen
"A love letter to stories and the characters who make them happen."

The Dragon Egg Princess (2020)
Ellen Oh
"Filled with strange terrains, creatures, and magic, this is an enthralling read!."

The Best at It (2019)
Maulik Pancholy
"Exuberant... Every middle schooler will find themselves in this book."

The Shores Beyond Time (2019)
(Chronicle of the Dark Star, book 3)
Kevin Emerson
"Thrillingly ambitious and imaginative."

Cinders and Sparrows (2019)
Stefan Bachmann
"Stefan Bachmann is a terrific, ambitious writer . . . Magic and mystery tied up with real stakes—readers won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough."

The DarkDeep (2018)
(DarkDeep, book 1)
Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs
"The stakes are huge, the action high-throttle, but what readers will remember most is its big, emotional heart. . . A truly spectacular adventure."

Nightbooks (2018)
(Nightbooks, book 1)
J A White
"Nightbooks is another winner from J.A. White. A creepy, thrilling reinvention of Hansel and Gretel that leaves us both frightened for our hero and also impressed by his resourcefulness. J.A. White is a fantastic writer and spins a dark fairy tale that will keep kids up all night."

The Frozen Telescope (2018)
(Uncommoners Trilogy, book 3)
Jennifer Bell
"Part Tim Burton, part J.K. Rowling!."

Fire the Depths (2017)
(Max Tilt trilogy, book 1)
Peter Lerangis
"A bold, big-hearted start to a groundbreaking new series."

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