Ilona Bray, Author
Ilona Bray enjoys weaving factual matter into accessible, gently humorous fiction for middle graders. Her novel CAT TAKES QUEEN, co-authored with her husband Stephen Soong was published by Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan in October 2026.
Ilona Bray and Stephen Soong Meeting Young Readers
Young fans of cats, chess, or both are particularly eager to meet Ilona. Stephen has taught chess to both children and adults, and enjoys guiding them through the basics as well as discussing games and challenges.
Ilona Bray and Stephen Soong are Easygoing Public Speakers
Ilona and Stephen are experienced and naturally easygoing public speakers, based on past experiences as attorneys and (in Stephen’s case) as a radio interviewer.
Ilona Bray enjoys weaving factual matter into accessible, gently humorous fiction for middle graders.
Her novel Cat Takes Queen (co-authored with her husband Stephen Soong and published by Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan in October 2026) features the adventures of Morphy, a black cat of ‘‘astonishing genius.” This chess-playing stray, the book’s witty narrator, must elude a catnapper and other overbearing humans while bonding with and helping two tournament-bound schoolkids, Calla and Diego, to navigate life's challenges. Diagrams of actual chess games and puzzles are woven into the story, although readers who aren’t into chess can skip over these and simply enjoy the narrative.
School Library Journal placed Cat Takes Queen on its list of Highly Anticipated Middle Grade Fiction Releasing Fall 2026 and Early 2027, and Kirkus Reviews called it an “entertaining, upbeat story of friendship with an appealing cat protagonist that highlights the allure of chess.”
Ilona and Stephen are available for school and library presentations in the Finger Lakes region of New York and beyond. They're frequent visitors to Buffalo, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Their presentations, which are carefully tailored to each audience, includes discussions of cat intelligence and behavior, interactive chess puzzles, and stories of Stephen’s chess-competition experiences —from embarrassing to uplifting.
Ilona is represented by Kristen Terrette of Martin Literary.
Connect with Ilona on: Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/people/Cats-Teach-Chess/61585516492473/); BlueSky (@ilonakidscribe.bsky.social); and Instagram (@ilonamariame).
You van visit Ilona Bray at her website: https://cattakesqueen.com/