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WORK TITLE: The Duke of Bannerman Prep
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.katieanelson.com/
CITY:
STATE: CA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: four.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Former high school English and speech and debate teacher; former piano teacher.
AVOCATIONS:Skiing and mountain biking.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Katie A. Nelson is a former high school English and speech and debate teacher who now lives in Northern California and has turned her attention to writing literature rather than teaching it. Her first novel, a young-adult tale, The Duke of Bannerman Prep, is “The Great Gatsby meets a prep school debate team,” as she explained to Books and Ladders Website writer Jamie Kramer. She further commented in the same interview on her decision to write for young adults: “Most of the ideas that I have for stories involve teenagers. I love the possibilities that come with that age: you’re figuring out who you are and how to find your place in the world, but also figuring out how your choices can re-make the world into the kind of place you want to live in.”
Nelson noted to online Writer Writer Pants on Fire contributor Mindy McGinnis that she was inspired to write The Duke of Bannerman Prep after years of teaching F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel to her students. Nelson remarked: “When I taught The Great Gatsby it was always a struggle to relate the story to my students’ personal lives. So I’d been thinking about the themes and characters in the book for years before the story really took shape.” A major theme of the novel is the questioning of the American dream and if hard work really does pay off. In her speech and debate class, Nelson noted that success was not always a matter of hard work. “It became obvious that there were issues of privilege at work in that area, just as there are in modern life. If your school has a large budget for Speech, if the students don’t have to work part time jobs and can spend their free time researching, etc. then that team has an advantage over less privileged schools.” Thus was born the idea for The Duke of Bannerman Prep.
The Duke of Bannerman Prep
Tanner McKay is at the center of The Duke of Bannerman Prep. He is a sixteen-year-old son of a single mother, and his strength in debate at his public high school pays off, taking his debate team to a championship trophy. This leads to a scholarship to prestigious and private Bannerman Prep, which desperately wants to claim the trophy this year. Tanner is excited about this opportunity, for it shows him a way out of his family’s struggling existence and a path to a scholarship at Stanford. Tanner is paired with Andrew Tate to lead the debate team. However, nobody at school calls him Andrew; he is “the Duke,” a seemingly wealthy son who enjoys partying and fast cars. Duke does as little as possible to get by, and soon he draws Tanner into his laissez-faire attitude, addicted to the Duke’s flashy world and edgy activities. Only slowly, however, does Tanner discover that the Duke is not really the person who he pretends to be; his fake world is built on a crumbling edifice. Now Tanner must save himself before it is too late and his dreams for the future are crushed.
Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Suanne B. Roush had a varied assessment of The Duke of Bannerman Prep, noting: “Parallels to The Great Gatsby are obvious, but the characters are not fully formed, especially Tanner and the Duke.” Others, however, found more to like. A Publishers Weekly reviewer termed The Duke of Bannerman Prep an “effective contemporary update of The Great Gatsby,” further praising “Tanner’s realistic voice and the situations he faces.” Similarly, a Kirkus Reviews critic called it a “satisfying examination of morality and the decisions that change our lives.” Another high assessment came from BookPage writer Sarah Weber, who observed: “The high-pressure world of Bannerman Prep, the intrigue of Tanner and the Duke’s strange friendship and the lavish social scene all harken back to Fitzgerald’s classic but stand on their own in this compelling new novel.” Likewise, Booklist reviewer Maggie Reagan felt that the “cutthroat world of scholarship competitions, and Tanner’s moral struggles ring heartbreakingly true” and concluded: “This debut is more homage to The Great Gatsby than retelling, and the story is better for it.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, May 15, 2017, Maggie Reagan, review of The Duke of Bannerman Prep, p. 49.
BookPage, May, 2017, Sarah Weber, review of The Duke of Bannerman Prep, p. 28.
Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2017, review of The Duke of Bannerman Prep.
Publishers Weekly, March 27, 2017, review of The Duke of Bannerman Prep, p. 102.
Voice of Youth Advocates, April, 2017, Suanne B. Roush, review of The Duke of Bannerman Prep, p. 63.
ONLINE
Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, http://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/ (June 22, 2017), Deborah Kalb, author interview.
Books and Ladders, http://booksandladders.blogspot.com/ (November 18, 2016), Jamie Kramer, author interview.
Katie Nelson Website, http://www.katieanelson.com (October 3, 2017).
School Library Journal Online, http://www.slj.com/ (May 25, 2017), Terri Lent, review of The Duke of Bannerman Prep.
Writer Writer Pants on Fire, http://writerwriterpantsonfire.blogspot.com/ (October 31, 2017), Mindy McGinnis, author interview.*
Katie Nelson has always loved words and stories. Formerly a high school English and Debate teacher, she now lives in Northern California with her husband, four children, and hyperactive dog.
QUOTE:
most of the ideas that I have for stories involve teenagers. I love the possibilities that come with that age: you’re figuring out who you are and how to find your place in the world, but also figuring out how your choices can re-make the world into the kind of place you want to live in.
THE GREAT GATSBY meets a prep school debate team.
Interview With... Katie A. Nelson!
by Jamie Kramer
I'm sure you're all watching with great anticipation for my 2017 Anticipated Releases weekly posts in which I gush over books coming out next year that I'm excited about. But there are some that I am even more excited about than others, so I contacted those authors and asked if I could interview them. Lucky me, they said yes. So I have a bunch of author interviews in November so that you guys can learn more about some super awesome sounding books and add them to your TBR!
Without further ado, here is a fantastic interview with the lovely KATIE A. NELSON, author of the forthcoming novel THE DUKE OF BANNERMAN PREP!
THE DUKE OF BANNERMAN PREP
Author: Katie A. Nelson
Series: N/A
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Publication Date: May 2, 2017
Summary:
Words are weapons. Facts can be manipulated. And nothing is absolute—especially right and wrong.
Tanner McKay is at Bannerman Prep for only one reason: the elite school recruited him after he brought his public school’s debate team to victory last year. Bannerman wants a championship win. Debate is Tanner’s life—his ticket out of his poor-as-dirt life and family drama, straight to a scholarship to Stanford and the start of a new, better future.
But when he's paired with the Duke, his plans for an easy ride seem as if they’ve hit the rails. The Duke is the quintessential playboy, beloved by everyone for his laissez-faire attitude, crazy parties, and seemingly effortless favors.
And a total no-show when it comes to putting in the work to win.
But as Tanner gets sucked into the Duke’s flashy world, the thrill of the high life and the adrenaline of existing on the edge becomes addictive. A small favor here and there seems like nothing in exchange for getting everything he ever dreamed of.
But the Duke’s castle is built on shady, shaky secrets, and the walls are about to topple down.
A contemporary retelling of The Great Gatsby, Katie Nelson’s taut debut is perfect for fans of John Green’s Looking for Alaska, Kate Brian’s Private series, and anyone who’s encountered the cut-throat world of competitive high school.
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD
Where do you like to write?
Katie A. Nelson: I spread out when I write, with notebooks and random post it notes covered in scribbles all over the place, so I have to write at a desk or table. We have a big desk downstairs where our family desktop computer is, so usually I write there. But if my kids and husband are home, it can be pretty distracting, so in those cases I take my laptop and lock myself in my room with my noise canceling headphones.
Why do you write for younger audiences?
Katie A. Nelson: So many reasons! From a purely practical standpoint, most of the ideas that I have for stories involve teenagers. I love the possibilities that come with that age: you’re figuring out who you are and how to find your place in the world, but also figuring out how your choices can re-make the world into the kind of place you want to live in. There’s a line in the song “I was a Teenage Anarchist” that asks, “Do you remember when you were young and you wanted to set the world on fire?” I wasn’t ever an anarchist, but I do remember that feeling, and writing about teenagers allows me to live in that state, even if it’s only vicariously.
Describe THE DUKE OF BANNERMAN PREP in 10 words or less.
Katie A. Nelson: THE GREAT GATSBY meets a prep school debate team.
What was the hardest part of writing a retelling?
Katie A. Nelson: For me, I think it was figuring out when to stay truthful to the source material and when to diverge, for the sake of my own characters and their emotional journey. The Duke of Bannerman Prep went through many, many drafts (I think I lost count of how many) while I figured out what I was doing. My very first draft was probably the loosest in following the Gatsby plot. As I re-wrote, I got closer and closer while I figured out who these characters were. I even wrote one draft in second person, which didn’t wind up working for the story, but it allowed me to really figure out who Tanner was. Once I was confident of that, it was easier to tell his story and let go of the elements that weren’t working.
How did you get into Tanner’s head while writing? Was it difficult to write from a male perspective?
Katie A. Nelson: I mentioned in the previous question writing a draft in second person. That helped a great deal in getting into Tanner’s head, because there was an intimacy there that hadn’t come out until that point. So even though it didn’t work as far as the final novel was concerned, it was really helpful and I don’t regret the months I spent writing it. (Well, now I don’t. At the time it was a little disappointing.)
I didn’t think it was difficult to write from a male point of view. I’ve been surrounded by guys all my life! I have three brothers and they were always around, along with their friends. Now I have three sons, so I have plenty of guys to eavesdrop on, and to ask questions of. While Tanner and I share plenty of character traits, writing from a male point of view made it easier for me to separate myself from the character and to concentrate on what he would think and do.
What was your favourite scene to write in the book?
Katie A. Nelson: That’s hard to answer without being too spoiler-y. I’ll just say it’s the state qualifying tournament. ;)
What do you hope readers take away from the book?
Katie A. Nelson: I really believe that books belong to readers, and that they each interpret and relate to them in different ways, so I know there will be different take aways for everyone. But I hope that readers will see that people aren’t good or bad, just like the issues that the characters debate in this book aren’t black or white. We’re all much more complicated than we appear, but that’s okay. The moments where we actually allow others to see our contradictions and vulnerabilities and nuances are the moments that matter. Just like real life, some characters get there; others don’t.
Katie Nelson has always loved words and stories. Formerly a high school English and Debate teacher, she now lives in Northern California with her husband, four children, and hyperactive dog. Katie taught piano lessons for several years and still plays, although not as well as she could if she'd practice more. She loves to ski and mountain bike, and makes a mean mint brownie!
QUOTE:
when I taught The Great Gatsby it was always a struggle to relate the story to my students’ personal lives. So I’d been thinking about the themes and characters in the book for years before the story really took shape.
it became obvious that there were issues of privilege at work in that area, just as there are in modern life. If your school has a large budget for Speech, if the students don’t have to work part time jobs and can spend their free time researching, etc. then that team has an advantage over less privileged schools.
uesday, October 31, 2017
Katie A. Nelson On Mixing Trial & Error With Inspiration
Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview. Always including in the WHAT is one random question to really dig down into the interviewees mind, and probably supply some illumination into my own as well.
Today's guest for the WHAT is Katie A. Nelson, author of THE DUKE OF BANNERMAN PREP, available from SkyPony. Formerly a high school English and Debate teacher, she now lives in Northern California with her husband, four children, and hyperactive dog.
Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?
In my former life, before I became a full-time writer, I was a high school English teacher. One of the challenges that high school teachers face is trying to find a way into classic literature for their students. I taught American Lit for years, and when I taught The Great Gatsby it was always a struggle to relate the story to my students’ personal lives. So I’d been thinking about the themes and characters in the book for years before the story really took shape.
One of the things we always discussed when I taught Gatsby was the idea of the American dream and the concept we have accepted as a society that if you just work hard enough, you can achieve anything you want. At the same time, I was coaching Speech & Debate. Speech & Debate is similar, in that it doesn’t take physical prowess to be successful, just a lot of hard work. And yet, as I taught and coached, it became obvious that there were issues of privilege at work in that area, just as there are in modern life. If your school has a large budget for Speech, if the students don’t have to work part time jobs and can spend their free time researching, etc. then that team has an advantage over less privileged schools. I thought it would be interesting to mash up the two ideas, and the initial idea for The Duke of Bannerman Prep was born.
Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?
Initially, I tried to stay pretty close to the plot of Gatsby, hitting the major plot events in the classic novel. I found out relatively early, though, that it wouldn’t work for my story. In Gatsby, the narrator, Nick, observes the story, but it isn’t his story. I didn’t want that for my book, partly because it was one of the things that always bugged me about the original. So I made my Nick character (Tanner, in my novel) more of a central player, and the plot changed as a result of it.
Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?
Definitely! My first draft of this novel was very different. It opened after the climax in the book, then flashed back to earlier scenes. While I like books that are written this way, it didn’t work for my story because it was hard for readers to care about these characters in crisis when they hadn’t met them yet.
I also wound up changing the plot of the last third of the book, so that required a massive rewrite as well. My critique partners were so patient with me, especially because I kept saying that I’d finished the book, only to re-write it six or seven more times.
Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?
Seeds for stories come to me all the time. I think I have four in various notebooks right now. I usually need a lot of time to think about them, to develop characters and see if there is any kind of plot that can come out of those seeds. I’ve been known to bring several first chapters to my critique group, only to set them aside and work on something else. I don’t know why, but that’s just how my brain works.
How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?
Usually through trial and error. I’ll start working on something, only to find that the story isn’t coming. Either I can’t quite hear the character’s voice yet, or I’m telling the story from the wrong point of view, or the story isn’t developed enough to be an actual story. When I find that I’m really struggling to write, usually that means that I need to set it aside and work on something else.
2016 was not an easy year. Do you draw any inspiration from the world around you, or do you use writing as pure escapism?
Both? I usually find that my story ideas come out of the “what if” questions that I often ask. I see a story on the news and wonder what could have happened if a choice had been different. Or I read or hear about a person and wonder what it was that led them to a crucial point in their lives. All of my novels have been contemporary novels, so there are usually seeds of the world around me in all of them.
At the same time, when I’m watching too much news or spending too much time on social media, it can be really scary and overwhelming. So I like to write to create a way out of darkness for my characters, which is invariably really what I need in my life at that particular time. 2016 was a difficult year, but I’ve also seen that out of all of the noise, some really amazing things have happened. People are speaking out more, getting involved and trying to make a difference. We’re having difficult conversations that we need to have. I’ve learned so much from the conversations that are happening, and I hope that my writing will be more empathetic as a result of it.
Posted by Mindy McGinnis at Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Q&A with Katie A. Nelson
Katie A. Nelson is the author of the new young adult novel The Duke of Bannerman Prep, a modern-day retelling of The Great Gatsby set at a prep school. She taught high school English and debate, and she lives in Northern California.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for The Duke of Bannerman Prep?
A: The idea for The Duke of Bannerman Prep took a long time to marinate in my mind. I used to teach high school English, so I was always trying to find parallels between the classic literature that we read in class and my students' lives.
When we were studying Gatsby, it was often hard for my students to understand the context of the novel, the new money vs. old money, and the idea that a young person could make a lot of money in a short time--at least enough to live the lifestyle of the old money crowd.
But they all knew who Mark Zuckerberg is, and know how much money the tech industry creates, so it made sense to me to move my story to the West Coast and into that world.
I'd always wanted to write a story about someone on the debate team, as it was such a central part of my high school experience. Once the idea for merging the two stories came together, I had the bones of the book.
Q: The book is described as a contemporary Great Gatsby. What appeals to you about The Great Gatsby, and why did you choose to set your book among prep-school students?
A: I have loved Gatsby since reading it for the first time in high school. I've always been fascinated with ideas about class. We have this American ideal that anyone can be anything if you work hard enough, but that isn't always the case.
Some people are born into privilege and while we applaud the stories of people who come from nothing and become successful, the reality is that those stories are pretty rare.
Gatsby does such a great job of analyzing that class structure vs. the American dream, but it was written at a different time in our country's history. I wanted to use that context to show what has changed about class in America, and what is the same.
The prep school was appealing to me because it works as a microcosm for those ideas. Even though there are scholarship students there, the majority of the people (at fictional Bannerman) come from a place of great privilege.
So I thought it lent itself well to the exploration of how that privilege works, in relation to hard work and talent.
Q: What's your writing process like? Do you work from an outline or change many things around as you write?
A: My writing process really varies. I tend to get an idea for a novel, but I don't actually sit down to write it until I've thought about it for several months. At that stage, I'll write ideas down in a notebook, but then I put it aside.
I like to have a strong sense of who my characters are, so I'll write dialogue and journal entries from their point of view as well. I usually don't have a solid outline, but I have plot points in my head that I know I want to hit. I'll then start drafting. I do many, many drafts.
For The Duke of Bannerman Prep, I played around with a past/present structure, as well as big chunks in second person point of view.
Neither of those drafts worked for the story, but they helped me figure out what I was trying to do and who my characters were, so I really believe that they weren't wasted (even though I scrapped tens of thousands of words each time).
Q: Who are some of your favorite writers?
A: I think I could fill a book with all of my favorite writers! My favorite classic writers are Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Victor Hugo, Willa Cather, and of course, F. Scott Fitzgerald!
I also love Anne Tyler, Anita Shreve, Maria Semple, and Anna Quindlen. In YA, I have so many writers I love: Melina Marchetta, Sara Zarr, Markus Zusak, Jennifer Donnelley, Rainbow Rowell, Matt de la Pena, Nova Ren Suma, and many, many more!
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I'm working on a story about a young woman who is trying to find her sister, and has to enlist the help of her sister's ex-best friend, who she hates. It's been a labor of love as so much of my heart is tied up in this story, and I *think* I've finally figured out how to tell it. Famous last words . . .
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Thanks so much for interviewing me! I love connecting with readers and other writers! You can find me on twitter and instagram at @MsKatieANelson, or reach out via my web site, katieanelson.com.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
QUOTE:
effective
contemporary update of The Great Gatsby,
Tanner's realistic voice and the situations he faces,
The Duke of Bannerman Prep
Publishers Weekly.
264.13 (Mar. 27, 2017): p102.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Duke of Bannerman Prep
Katie A. Nelson. Sky Pony, $17.99 (352p)
ISBN 978-1-5107-1040-5
When Tanner McKay, the 16-year-old son of a struggling single mother, receives a scholarship to Bannerman Prep
School, he believes that it's his ticket to a brighter future. Paired with Andrew "the Duke" Tate to lead the debate team
to victory, Tanner is initially put off by the Duke's cocky and seemingly lazy attitude. But Tanner slowly gets sucked
into the Duke's flashy world, full of fast cars, partying, trading favors, and money. Little does Tanner realize that the
Duke isn't who he says he is, and it isn't long before Tanner must figure out how to save himself. In an effective
contemporary update of The Great Gatsby, debut novelist Nelson accurately reflects the stresses high school students
face in both academics and extracurricular activities. Through Tanner's realistic voice and the situations he faces,
readers comes to believe that a place like Bannerman and a boy like the Duke could actually exist, though Nelson is
careful not to romanticize the Duke's criminal behavior or Tanner's role in it. Ages 14-up. Agent: Kirs ten Carle ton,
Prospect Literary. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"The Duke of Bannerman Prep." Publishers Weekly, 27 Mar. 2017, p. 102. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA487928224&it=r&asid=c69f4b211326247c74096904a210dbc4.
Accessed 22 Oct. 2017.
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QUOTE:
Parallels to The Great Gatsby are obvious, but the
characters are not fully formed, especially Tanner and the Duke.
Nelson, Katie A. The Duke of Bannerman Prep
Suanne B. Roush
Voice of Youth Advocates.
40.1 (Apr. 2017): p63.
COPYRIGHT 2017 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
3Q * 2P * J * S
Nelson, Katie A. The Duke of Bannerman Prep. Sky Pony, 2017. 352p. $17.99. 978-15107-1040-5.
Tanner McKay knows the only way to get to the future he wants is by scoring a scholarship to a top college, but he is
not an athlete; he is a debater. His win over a prestigious private school the previous year earned him a scholarship to
that school and his best chance at his dream college, Stanford. He finds himself paired with "the Duke," a popular,
charismatic legend on campus. Tanner does not like the Duke's laissez-faire attitude, but has to admit that he usually
comes through when it counts--sometimes through less-than-honest means. As time goes on, Tanner begins to trust the
Duke and ignore the methods by which he succeeds. That trust and the Duke's influence have a negative impact on
Tanner's relationships, self-esteem, and future.
Boarding school stories tend to be popular, especially when the protagonist does not easily fit in and struggles to find
acceptance. In Nelson's debut novel, the reader sees little of this conflict because the majority of the action takes place
in the debate class and the competitions. Everything is seen through the prism of Tanner's almost single-minded focus
on debate and winning, and that may limit the book's audience. Parallels to The Great Gatsby are obvious, but the
characters are not fully formed, especially Tanner and the Duke. The audience for this title will probably be limited; put
it in the collection if there is a strong debate tradition, or if boarding school books are popular.--Suanne B. Roush.
QUALITY
5Q Hard to imagine it being better written.
4Q Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses.
3Q Readable, without serious defects.
2Q Better editing or work by the author might have warranted a 3Q.
1Q Hard to understand how it got published, except in relation to its P rating (and not even then sometimes).
POPULARITY
5P Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday.
4P Broad general or genre YA appeal.
3P Will appeal with pushing.
2P For the YA reader with a special interest in the subject.
1P No YA will read unless forced to for assignments.
GRADE LEVEL INTEREST
M Middle School (defined as grades 6-8).
J Junior High (defined as grades 7-9).
10/22/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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S Senior High (defined as grades 10-12).
A/YA Adult-marketed book recommended for YAs.
NA New Adult (defined as college-age).
R Reluctant readers (defined as particularly suited for reluctant readers).
(a) Highlighted Reviews Graphic Novel Format
(G) Graphic Novel Format
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Roush, Suanne B. "Nelson, Katie A. The Duke of Bannerman Prep." Voice of Youth Advocates, Apr. 2017, p. 63.
General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA491949504&it=r&asid=2d8ac190f5e8eacb12719342fef5f4ab.
Accessed 22 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A491949504
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QUOTE:
satisfying examination of morality and the decisions that change our lives. (Fiction. 14-18)
Source Citation
Nelson, Katie A.: THE DUKE OF
BANNERMAN PREP
Kirkus Reviews.
(Apr. 1, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Nelson, Katie A. THE DUKE OF BANNERMAN PREP Sky Pony Press (Children's Fiction) $17.99 5, 9 ISBN: 978-1-
5107-1040-5
Debate is Tanner's talent, but is he good enough to succeed at his new school?If Tanner does well at Bannerman Prep,
he has a good chance at getting a scholarship to an elite college. It's just his luck to land Andrew Tate, or "the Duke," as
everyone calls him, as a debate partner. The Duke does very little in the way of preparation, leaving all the work to
Tanner, so Tanner is surprised when they actually perform really well together. The two white teens start to spend more
and more time together, along with the rest of the members of the debate team, a couple of whom are described as
people of color. But there's a price to this life, and Tanner, with worries about his overworked mom and disabled
younger brother, can't afford that price. In her debut novel, Nelson offers a contemporary retelling of The Great Gatsby
that goes beyond many of the themes of the original novel to make for a spirited look at what happens when a good kid
makes some bad choices in a place where consequences don't always follow. The private school setting is written with
an authentic mix of charm and weirdness, although the characters are perhaps overly iconic in their wealthy kid/poor
kid roles. A satisfying examination of morality and the decisions that change our lives. (Fiction. 14-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Nelson, Katie A.: THE DUKE OF BANNERMAN PREP." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Apr. 2017. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA487668630&it=r&asid=851ec933a4848e68a76a3581f37dc10c.
Accessed 22 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A487668630
10/22/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1508702031757 5/6
QUOTE:
The high-pressure world of Bannerman Prep, the intrigue of Tanner and the Duke's strange friendship and the lavish
social scene all harken back to Fitzgerald's classic but stand on their own in this compelling new novel.
The Duke of Bannerman Prep
Sarah Weber
BookPage.
(May 2017): p28.
COPYRIGHT 2017 BookPage
http://bookpage.com/
Full Text:
THE DUKE OF BANNERMAN PREP
By Katie A. Nelson
Sky Pony
$17.99, 352 pages
ISBN 9781510710405
Ages 14 and up
FICTION
When Bannerman Prep invites Tanner McKay to leave his public school and join their world-class debate team, he sees
it as his big chance to catch the eyes of Stanford recruiters and to set himself on the path to success. But when the
debate teacher partners Tanner with "The Duke," that clear-cut path no longer seems quite so straight and narrow.
The Duke is untouchable: He's a straight-A student who rarely cracks a book; he's adept at pulling strings and calling in
favors; and he's a notorious host of elaborate parties in the city. But the Duke isn't all he seems, and soon his carefully
crafted identity begins to unravel.
Katie A. Nelson's debut novel, a contemporary retelling of The Great Gatsby, captures the glitz, glamour and
mysterious emptiness of its predecessor with very few of the cheap winks and nudges so prevalent in modernizations.
Though Nelson's characters feel, at times, like incomplete renderings, she deftly recreates the high-stakes environment
of an elite prep school as well as the fierce competition for social status that will feel familiar to any young reader.
The high-pressure world of Bannerman Prep, the intrigue of Tanner and the Duke's strange friendship and the lavish
social scene all harken back to Fitzgerald's classic but stand on their own in this compelling new novel.
--Sarah Weber
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Weber, Sarah. "The Duke of Bannerman Prep." BookPage, May 2017, p. 28. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA492735162&it=r&asid=26eff7b5907f6e678e86c98f4e0c1032.
Accessed 22 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A492735162
10/22/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1508702031757 6/6
QUOTE:
This debut is more
homage to The Great Gatsby than retelling, and the story is better for it. The glitzy prep-school backdrop is offset by
cutthroat world of scholarship competitions, and Tanner's moral struggles ring heartbreakingly true.
The Duke of Bannerman Prep
Maggie Reagan
Booklist.
113.18 (May 15, 2017): p49.
COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
The Duke of Bannerman Prep. By Katie A. Nelson. May 2017.352p. Skyhorse/Sky Pony, $17.99 (9781510710405). Gr.
9-12.
Private school has never been a possibility for Tanner McKay; money is tight, and his single mom works long hours to
support Tanner's intellectually disabled brother. But Tanner is a debate team champion, and elite boarding school
Bannerman Prep wants him. Bannerman could mean a chance at college scholarships, and Tanner's ready to win. But
then Tanner is assigned his debate partner: the party-throwing school playboy everyone calls the Duke. The Duke
doesn't seem to have much of a work ethic, but he does have a flashy car and a string of people willing to do him
favors. He has also set his sights on Tanner's cousin, despite her jealous boyfriend, and as Tanner covers for them, he's
immersed in the Duke's high-stakes world as the Duke himself grows only more mysterious. This debut is more
homage to The Great Gatsby than retelling, and the story is better for it. The glitzy prep-school backdrop is offset by
the cutthroat world of scholarship competitions, and Tanner's moral struggles ring heartbreakingly true.--Maggie
Reagan
Reagan, Maggie
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Reagan, Maggie. "The Duke of Bannerman Prep." Booklist, 15 May 2017, p. 49. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA496084854&it=r&asid=15781694e2e8fcc79267651151830a53.
Accessed 22 Oct. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A496084854
NELSON, Katie A. The Duke of Bannerman Prep. 320p. Sky Pony. May 2017. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781510710405.
Gr 9 Up –Tanner McKay transfers to Bannerman Prep, an elite private school to which he has been awarded a scholarship after his public school’s debate victory. Once there, he is paired up with the rich and popular student called the Duke. The Duke is well liked for his easy manner, parties, connections, and ways of getting things for his friends, but doesn’t pull his weight when it comes to debate. When Tanner gets pulled into the Duke’s glamorous lifestyle, everything comes crashing down around him. Facing the consequences and learning about the Duke’s secrets almost cost Tanner everything he’s dreamed about. The realistic novel set in present-day California is a retelling of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Tanner is well developed, but the supporting characters are less so. The language is realistic given the setting, and the plot is nicely paced and well developed. High school students who love Gatsby will enjoy this novel, and it may encourage others to give the original a try. VERDICT A solid purchase for large collections, especially where YA retellings of classics are popular.–Terri Lent, Patrick Henry High School, Ashland, VA