Percival Everett, Louise Erdrich and Jason Reynolds among finalists for $50,000 Kirkus Prizes

Percival Everett’s “James,” a reworking of Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” from the enslaved Jim’s perspective, is among the fiction finalists for the 11th annual Kirkus Prize. Kirkus Reviews is a leading book review publication and announced finalists Wednesday in fiction, nonfiction and young reader’s literature. Winners in each category will be announced Oct. 16 and receive $50,000. Other nominees include new novels by Richard Powers and Louise Erdrich, nonfiction works on abortion rights, the Iraq War and the space shuttle Challenger tragedy, and a picture book by Jason Reynolds.