What Are the Kids Reading These Days?

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A husband and wife team --- comprised of a junior high Language Arts teacher and a children's librarian --- spend each episode discussing a current popular middle grade/young adult novel: Would kids like it? Should parents recommend it to their kids? How

What Are the Kids Reading These Days?


    • Jul 15, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 46m AVG DURATION
    • 14 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from What Are the Kids Reading These Days?

    'Throne of Glass' by Sarah J. Maas

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2024 39:31


    Tim & Taylor return after a long hiatus to discuss the the bestselling young adult fantasy novel Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. Tune in to hear them talk about their thoughts on the book, whether they think kids and teens would enjoy it, ideas for how the novel could be used in the classroom, recommendations for further reading, and much more! SPOILER WARNING! This episode is most enjoyable if you've either already read the book or simply want to hear some takes on it before recommending it to your students or children.

    'Smile' by Raina Telgemeier

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2023 32:06


    Tim & Taylor return with special guest Bennie, who is also the cause of their recent hiatus. But finally, they have returned to discuss the middle grade graphic novel (?) Smile by Raina Telgemeier and reminisce on braces, middle school friends, and growing up. Bennie also contributes with the occasional whimper or grunt. 

    "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" by Judy Blume

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2023 59:33


    Tim & Taylor are joined by special guest Mary, aka Tim's mom, to discuss Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, the beloved (and sometimes banned) coming-of-age middle grade novel by Judy Blume. With the movie coming out on April 28, it made sense to dive into this book. Tune into hear Tim, Taylor, and Mary's thoughts on the book, whether kids today would enjoy it, how it might be used in a classroom, and recommendations for further reading! Enjoy!SPOILER WARNING: This podcast is best enjoyed if you've already read the novel or if you are not planning on reading the novel or watching the movie and simply want to hear someone's opinions on it before recommending it to someone else. 

    'Amari & the Night Brothers' by B.B. Alston

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2023 49:08


    Tim & Taylor discuss their reactions to Amari & The Night Brothers, a best-selling and award-winning middle grade fantasy adventure novel. Tune in to hear them talk about their thoughts on the book, whether they think kids would enjoy it, ideas for how the novel could be used in the classroom, recommendations for further reading, and much more! SPOILER WARNING! This episode is most enjoyable if you've either already read the book or simply want to hear some expert takes on it before recommending it to your students or children.

    First Five Pages Discussion - 'Warcross' by Marie Lu

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2023 25:59


    Tim & Taylor discuss the first five pages of Warcross, Marie Lu's bestselling teen sci-fi novel. Find the book on your local library app (Hoopla, Libby, Overdrive, etc.)! You can sample it without renting it yet, read the first five pages, and come back here to listen!

    'Beasts & Beauty: Dangerous Tales' by Soman Chainani

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2023 50:00


    Tim & Taylor discuss Soman Chainani's collection of modernized and retold fairy tales. They share their personal reactions to the book as well as their professional opinions  on whether or not kids would like it, their ideas for using it in an English Language Arts classroom, and their recommendations for further reading. WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS! 

    "The Cousins" by Karen M. McManus

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2022 46:32


    Tim & Taylor discuss The Cousins by Karen M. McManus, a young adult mystery/thriller about a trio of cousins who spend a summer at their estranged grandmother's resort trying to find answers to some old family secrets. Tune in to hear Tim & Taylor's thoughts on the book, what young adults might like or dislike about it, ideas for how it might be used in the classroom, and recommendations for further reading!

    Discussion: "What Are Some Popular Horror/Thriller/Mystery Series for Kids?"

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2022 51:53


    Tim and Taylor get into the Halloween spirit with a discussion about young adult and middle grade horror/mystery. Tune in to hear them discuss the following series: The Box Car ChildrenScary Stories to Tell in the DarkCity of GhostsGoosebumpsThe Chilling Adventures of ChristinaFive Nights at Freddy's.

    "Ground Zero" by Alan Gratz

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2022 63:49


    Tim & Taylor discuss Alan Gratz's bestselling middle grade novel Ground Zero. Tune in to hear them discuss whether or not children would enjoy it, the pros and cons of a child reading it, possible ideas for use in the classroom, and recommend further reading as well! Skip to 23:10 if you've read the book already and don't need to hear our summary of the novel. 

    "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022 38:08


    Tim and Taylor discuss Root Magic, a middle grade historical fiction/fantasy/horror novel by Eden Royce. Listen in to hear their thoughts on the book, what they think kids would like about it, how teachers might want to use it in the classroom, plus recommendations for further reading!

    magic root eden royce
    Discussion: "Does Discussing Books' Themes with Students Kill the Joy of Reading?"

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2022 37:35


    English teachers really love talking about a novel's themes. But is that always a good thing? Should we just chill on the analysis sometimes? In this episode, Taylor and Tim discuss the pros and cons of focusing on larger themes of a text in an ELA classroom. Does it help kids get more out of reading? Or is it just a buzzkill? 

    "Unplugged" by Gordon Korman

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2022 45:00


    Tim and Taylor discuss Gordon Korman's 97th (!) book, Unplugged, a middle-grade novel about a spoiled rich kid sent against his will to a tech-free summer camp in the middle of rural Arkansas. What did we think? Would kids like it? What would ELA teachers want to focus on if using it in the classroom? Listen to the episode to find out our answers to those questions. WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS!

    Discussion: "Would Kids Today Like the Books We Liked as Kids?"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2022 57:26


    When we adults think about recommending a book to a kid, we tend to think of the books that we liked as kids. But do they hold up? Would kids like them? Would these books be good to use in an ELA classroom? Or are we just biased to our childhood favorites? Would kids be better off reading something more modern? In this episode, Tim and Taylor each bring up three books that they enjoyed as kids and attempt to answer all those questions. WARNING: We reveal minor spoilers for the books we bring up in this episode. 

    "Daughter of the Deep" by Rick Riordan

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2022 47:41


    For the podcast's inaugural episode, Tim and Taylor discuss Rick Riordan's latest middle grade sci-fi/fantasy adventure novel Daughter of the Deep. WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS!

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