Jessie Ann Foley and her book, "The Carnival at Bray." View Full Caption Jessie Ann Foley

JEFFERSON PARK — The first novel by Taft High School English teacher Jessie Ann Foley is among the best books written for young adults, the American Library Association announced Monday.

"The Carnival at Bray," set partially in a two-flat on the Northwest Side, was published after it won the 2014 Helen Sheehan Young Adult Book prize, and was picked to launch Elephant Rock Books' new young adult imprint.

The novel, which is set in 1993, tells the story of 16-year-old Maggie, who finds herself marooned in Ireland after her mother marries a man she has only known for a short time.

Heather Cherone discusses Foley's book:

Maggie struggles to adjust, falls in love, gets her heart broken and experiences the transformative power of music through Nirvana, which was then at the height of its popularity during the grunge era.

Foley, of Jefferson Park, said Monday she was "flabbergasted" by the honor from the American Library Association and left "speechless."

"I'm so happy today," Foley posted on Twitter.

"I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson won the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults, while "The Carnival at Bray" was one of four novels named Printz honor books.

Foley returned to teaching eighth grade as part of Taft's Academic Center program in January after taking maternity leave after the birth of her daughter, Roisin.

The novel began as a short story published in the Reader in 2010 that got the attention of an agent and drew encouragement from a professor who urged Foley to transform it into a novel.

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