POPULARITY
18 episodes with Elana K Arnold
4 episodes with Elana K Arnold
2 episodes with Elana K Arnold
3 episodes with Elana K Arnold
3 episodes with Elana K Arnold
2 episodes with Elana K Arnold
In this episode we are joined by Erin Entrada Kelly!Erin Entrada Kelly has received numerous awards and recognition for her work, including the 2025 Newbery Medal for The First State of Being, 2018 Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe, a 2021 Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space, the 2023 NAIBA Book of the Year Award for Those Kids From Fawn Creek, and 2017 APALA Award for The Land of Forgotten Girls, among many other honors. She is also a National Book Award Finalist and author/illustrator of Marisol Rainey and Felix Powell, stand-alone stories for younger readers. Her books are New York Times bestsellers.Before becoming a children's author, Erin worked as a journalist and magazine editor in her home state of Louisiana. She received numerous awards from the Louisiana Press Association and the Associated Press for community service journalism, feature writing, and editing. She has published more than thirty short stories and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Philippines Free Press Award for Short Fiction.Erin has a bachelor's degree in women's studies and liberal arts from McNeese State University and an MFA in fiction from Rosemont College. She lives in Delaware and teaches in the MFAC program at Hamline University.Buy Erin's books here: https://bookshop.org/contributors/erin-entrada-kelly This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Listen In: conversation & cultivation, a writing program from award-winning authors Elana K. Arnold and Nina LaCour @elanakarnold @nina_lacourLearn more at ninalacour.comSupport the show
In this episode we are joined by Neal Shusterman!Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty award-winning books for children, teens, and adults, including Challenger Deep, which won the National Book Award, Courage to Dream, a Sydney Taylor Honor Book, Scythe, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book, the Unwind Dystology, which won more than thirty domestic and international awards, and the highly acclaimed novels, Dry, and Roxy which he co-wrote with his son, Jarrod For his body of work, Neal won the 2024 Margaret A. Edwards Award, and the ALAN Lifetime Achievement Award. His novel, Unwind, has become part of the literary canon in many school districts across the country-and has won more than thirty domestic and international awards. Many of his novels are in development as TV series and movies.Shusterman has also received awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, and has garnered a myriad of state and local awards across the country. His talents range from film directing, to writing music and stage plays, and has even tried his hand at creating games.Shusterman has earned a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. As a speaker, he is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give him a unique approach to writing, and his novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor. Neal lives in Jacksonville, Florida, but spends much of his time traveling the world speaking, exploring, and signing books for readers. . Visit Neal at www.storyman.com, facebook.com/NealShusterman, and on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter @nealshustermanPurchase his latest book, All Better Now here: https://bookshop.org/a/19191/9781534432758This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Listen In: conversation & cultivation, a writing program from award-winning authors Elana K. Arnold and Nina LaCourLearn more at ninalacour.comSupport the show
October 10, 2023 - Elana K. Arnold
Inspired by her grandmother's childhood experiences in Holocaust-era Romania, Michael L. Printz honoree & National Book Award finalist Elana K. Arnold weaves an unforgettable tale of love and loss in the darkest days of the twentieth century. After their father abandoned the family seven years ago, Frederieke and Astra Teitler's grandfather did his best to provide for the sisters and shield them from antisemitism. But when war breaks out in Europe, their beloved home, Czernowitz, once considered a safe haven for Jewish people, becomes increasingly dangerous. First the Russians, then the Germans, invade. Almost overnight, Frederieke and Astra's world changes, and every day becomes a struggle: to keep their grandfather's business, their home, and their lives. As those that threaten Frederieke and her family close in around them, she must decide between holding on to her life or letting go of everything that has ever mattered to her—a choice she may not even have the chance to make.
Elana K. Arnold is the bestselling and award-winning author of many books for children and teens. Her latest release, 'The Blood Years' takes inspiration from her grandmother's childhood experiences in Holocaust-era Romania. It's a story whose tragedy mirrors that of true human conflict, but that also displays, without provocation, the resilience of the human spirit. She is a member of the faculty at Hamline University's MFA in writing for children and young adults program.https://elanakarnold.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Elana K. Arnold is the bestselling and award-winning author of many books for children and teens. Her latest release, 'The Blood Years' takes inspiration from her grandmother's childhood experiences in Holocaust-era Romania. It's a story whose tragedy mirrors that of true human conflict, but that also displays, without provocation, the resilience of the human spirit. She is a member of the faculty at Hamline University's MFA in writing for children and young adults program. https://elanakarnold.com
Inspired by her grandmother's childhood experiences in Holocaust-era Romania, Michael L. Printz honoree & National Book Award finalist Elana K. Arnold weaves an unforgettable tale of love and loss in the darkest days of the twentieth century. After their father abandoned the family seven years ago, Frederieke and Astra Teitler's grandfather did his best to provide for the sisters and shield them from antisemitism. But when war breaks out in Europe, their beloved home, Czernowitz, once considered a safe haven for Jewish people, becomes increasingly dangerous. First the Russians, then the Germans, invade. Almost overnight, Frederieke and Astra's world changes, and every day becomes a struggle: to keep their grandfather's business, their home, and their lives. As those that threaten Frederieke and her family close in around them, she must decide between holding on to her life or letting go of everything that has ever mattered to her—a choice she may not even have the chance to make.
EPISODE 1773: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Elana K. Arnold, author of THE BLOOD YEARS, about book banning, book burning and what we can learn from Second World War books about good and evilELANA K. ARNOLD is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning young adult novels and children's books, including the Printz Honor winner Damsel, the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and Global Read Aloud selection A Boy Called Bat and its sequels. Several of her books are Junior Library Guild selections and have appeared on many best book lists, including the Amelia Bloomer Project, a catalog of feminist titles for young readers. Elana teaches in Hamline University's MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program and lives in Southern California with her family and menagerie of pets. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.
October 10, 2023 - Elana K. Arnold
January LaVoy's narration creates a visceral world for Elana K. Arnold's feminist Little Red Riding Hood retelling. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile's Emily Connelly discuss how the second person point of view can be distancing, but LaVoy's skilled narration draws listeners right in. Bisou is a 16-year-old who gains incredible powers once she gets her first period—powers that help her face down werewolves. LaVoy's delivery makes the tension palpable as Bisou fights to save her own life and protect her community and works to understand her grandmother's dark secrets. January LaVoy shares about narrating this audiobook in her narrator video. Teens can download RED HOOD for free through AudioFile's SYNC program July 13-19, find out more at audiobooksync.com Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile's website. Published by Harper Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com Today's episode is sponsored by Dreamscape Publishing. Dreamscape Publishing is celebrating Audiobook Month with exciting giveaways! Learn more on their social media channels or at their website, dreamscapepublishing.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of the SCBWI Podcast, we are joined by Elana K. Arnold!ELANA K. ARNOLD is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning young adult novels and children's books, including the Printz Honor winner Damsel, the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and Global Read Aloud selection A Boy Called Bat and its sequels. Several of her books are Junior Library Guild selections and have appeared on many best book lists, including the Amelia Bloomer Project, a catalog of feminist titles for young readers. Elana teaches in Hamline University's MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program and lives in Southern California with her family and menagerie of pets. Follow Elana K. Arnold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elanakarnold/Buy An Ordinary Day here:https://bookshop.org/p/books/an-ordinary-day-elana-k-arnold/218301?ean=9781481472623SCBWI on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scbwi/SCBWI on Twitter: https://twitter.com/scbwiBecome an SCBWI member today: https://www.scbwi.org/join-scbwi/Shop the SCBWI Bookshop.org page: https://bookshop.org/shop/SCBWISupport the show
The #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast traveled west to be live at the 2022 #OrangeCountyChildrensBookFestival. While there we had a chance to speak with a number of authors, including Elana K Arnold. Elana shares her passion for stories and also tells us that 8 of her books have been banned in various locations. We also have a chance to chat with School Librarian Wendy Canfield. Click here to visit Elana's website - https://elanakarnold.com/ Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com
Today on the show we've got an hour of stories about anticipation and expectations, and about things not exactly turning out how we expected, for better or for worse. (4:05) Storyteller Antonio Sacre remembers a long road trip where countless billboards for something called "Pedro's South of the Border" built up impossible expectations. The story was recorded live in The Apple Seed Studio. (22:32) Did you ever agree to do a favor for a family member, but then it ends up being different than what you thought you were agreeing to? Host Sam Payne's got a story like that. It's today's entry in the Radio Family Journal. (30:50) True crime stories are all the rage right now, and we go back in time to bring you an OTR (Old-Time Radio) true crime story from the long-running radio show Gang Busters about a bunch of crooks that think they've got the perfect racket stealing from gangsters, but of course the scheme doesn't go as smoothly as they planned. (40:59) The book 'A Boy Called Bat' is a tender story about a boy with autism, and we'll hear from both author Elana K. Arnold and from a family that made a surprising discovery when they read the book together.
First Draft Episode #352: Elissa Sussman Elissa Sussman is the author of adult romance Funny You Should Ask, and YA novels Drawn That Way, Burn, and Stray. This episode is brought to you by Revision Season, the seven-week virtual master class in novel revision led by award-winning author Elana K. Arnold. The Spring 2022 course will run from May 1 to June 23 and enrollment is open now! Learn more at ElanaKArnold.com. Links to Topics Mentioned In This Episode: Elissa's previous interviews on First Draft here and here (with illustrator Arielle Jovellanos) Kate Spencer is the co-host of the award-winning podcast Forever35, and author of the memoir The Dead Moms Club. She joins to talk about her first novel, In a New York Minute. Jennifer E. Smith, author of YA novels The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between and more. She's here to talk about her first picture book, Creature of Habit (with illustrator Leo Espinosa), and her first adult novel, The Unsinkable Greta James. “Chris Evans: American Marvel,” by Edith Zimmerman for GQ “Tom Hiddleston on Taylor Swift, Heartbreak, and Great Bolognese,” by Taffy Brodesser-Akner for GQ “The Full Tatum,” by Jessica Pressler for GQ Thanks for Listening!
Today, on Hook of a Book, I review The House That Wasn't There, by Elana K. Arnold. I had heard some good things about this book, but it was complete luck that my mom happened to pick it out for me at the library. I'm SO glad she did! Listen to here more. Email me: hookofabookpodcast@gmail.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ellie-mano/message
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://forthenovellovers.wordpress.com/2020/08/16/damsel-by-elana-k-arnold/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Elana K. Arnold and I talk about the virtue of islands and plotting a mystery without knowing the ending in her newest novel, JUST HARRIET. We also discuss her series, A BOY CALLED BAT, writing about autism, questions of power, theme, the over prioritizing of plot, how to generate more ideas, making readers feel safe without patronizing them, how we all contain multitudes, author vs reader responsibilities, the random penguin slaughter of 2012, werewolves, an illegal ferret, and so much more. Elana K. Arnold is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning young adult novels and children's books, including the Printz Honor winner Damsel, the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and Global Read Aloud selection A Boy Called Bat and its sequels. Several of her books are Junior Library Guild selections and have appeared on many best book lists, including the Amelia Bloomer Project, a catalog of feminist titles for young readers. Elana teaches in Hamline University's MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program and lives in Southern California with her family and menagerie of pets.
On this episode of TWIWT, Michelle and Alley sit down with award-winning author, Elana K. Arnold, to discuss storytelling, creative vulnerability, un-schooling your kids, not talking to your parents, and more. Elana K. Arnold is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning young adult novels and children's books, including the Printz Honor winner Damsel, the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and Global Read Aloud selection A Boy Called Bat and its sequels. Elana teaches in Hamline University's MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program and also offers two awesome writing courses: a generative creative writing course called Vision Season; and a masterclass in novel revision called Revision Season. Learn more at elanakarnold.com.
First Draft Episode #335: Ayana Gray Ayana Gray, debut author of Beasts of Prey, which is being adapted into a Netflix film. Today's episode of First Draft is brought to you by Tonight We Rule the World by Zack Smedley, out from Page Street Publishing on October 5th. And by Revision Season, a seven-week virtual master class in novel revision led by award-winning author Elana K. Arnold. The Fall 2021 Session of Revision Season will run Oct 10 – Nov 28, and enrollment is now open! Links to Topics Mentioned In This Episode: As Told By Ginger (movie) Pete Knapp, literary agent with Park & Fine Literary and Media Stacey Barney, associate publisher of Nancy Paulsen Books Scrivener, writing software Beth Phelan, literary agent with Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency and founder of DiverseVoices Inc., (which is #DVpit / #DVart, DVcon, DVdebut and DVmentor) #MSWL is a twitter hashtag agents and editors use to let writers know what they are looking for. Pitch Wars Circe by Madeline Miller The Inklings interviews on Ayana's website
First Draft Episode #334: Kendare Blake Kendare Blake, New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series, Anna Dressed in Blood, and more, talks about her new historical thriller, All These Bodies, and her upcoming YA novel set in the universe of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, In Every Generation. This episode is brought to you by The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino, out from Page Street Press now! And by Revision Season, a seven-week virtual master class in novel revision led by award-winning author Elana K. Arnold. The Fall 2021 Session of Revision Season will run Oct 10 – Nov 28, and enrollment is now open! Links to Topics Mentioned In This Episode: Hear Kendare's previous episode of First Draft here, and watch the Tell Me Everything University Bookstore (Seattle, WA) event featuring Sarah Enni, Kendare, and Somaiya Daud, author of YA sci-fi book Mirage and Court of Lions. Antigoddess by Kendare Blake Stephanie Perkins, New York Times bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss and the horror novel There's Someone Inside Your House (watch the Netflix film adaptation Oct. 6!) talks about her newest scary book, The Woods Are Always Watching. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Murder in the Heartland (movie) Natural Born Killers (movie) Capote (movie) Infamous (movie) Interview With a Vampire by Anne Rice Jocelyn Davies, editor at Disney Kieran Viola, director of editorial for Disney Hyperion Roswell (TV show) LOST (TV show) Cobra Kai (TV show) Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning, and critically acclaimed author of many books, including the And I Darken trilogy, the Slayer series, the Camelot Rising trilogy, and her upcoming adult debut, Hide. Listen to her First Draft interview here.
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify First Draft Episode #315: Isaac Fitzsimons Isaac Fitzsimons is the debut author of The Passing Playbook. This episode was brought to you by Vision Season, a seven-week, virtual master class in tending your creative garden with award-winning author Elana K. Arnold (hear her First Draft interviews here and here). The Fall course of Vision Season will run from August 8th to September 25th. To learn more about Vision Season and to sign up for the Fall course, visit elanakarnold.com. Links to Topics Mentioned In This Episode: Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe Just Listen by Sarah Dessen The Writer's Center in Bethesda, Md. I am J by Cris Beam “Can't Help Falling in Love,” by Elvis Presley Jazz Jennings, author of Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen and start of “I Am Jazz” (TV show) Changing the Game (documentary)
In this episode of The Reference Desk, Katie is bewitched by the Duggar Family. To their adoring fans, the Duggar family is a close-knit, super-sized Christian family intent on raising their brood under a stringent set of beliefs and rules. But when we dig below the surface, we find so much more. From their affiliation with Bill Gothard's predatory Institute of Basic Life Principles, to their deeply sexist rules for their daughters, to their bizarre and troubling homeschool curriculum, the Duggar family's problems run deeper than just floor-length denim skirts and parent-supervised dates.Join us in this first part of a two-episode look at everything you wish you didn't know about the Duggar family.Recommended titles (available at our bookshop):What Riley Wore by Elana K. Arnold and Linda DavickAll Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages by Saundra MitchellThis is How it Always Is by Laurie FrankelSimon Vs. The Homosapien's Agenda by Becky AlbertalliLeah on the Offbeat by Becky AlbertalliKate in Waiting by Becky AlbertalliYou Should See Me in a Crown by Leah JohnsonLinks: Can Taking the Pill Cause a Miscarriage?A Comprehensive Guide to the Duggar FamilyBill Gothard's Lawsuit'Counting On': How Did the Duggar Family Get on Television?What Church Do the Duggars Go To?Institute in Basic Life Principles (hot garbage dump)Here's How the Duggars Really Make Their MoneyThe Fundamentalist TrapDuggar Family RulesThe Fundamentally Toxic ChristianityThe Cult Next Door (all about IBLP and super creep Bill Gothard)ATI Homeschool Curriculum Preview Duggar Family Website/BlogSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/thereferencedesk)
In this episode of The Reference Desk, Katie is bewitched by the Duggar Family. To their adoring fans, the Duggar family is a close-knit, super-sized Christian family intent on raising their brood under a stringent set of beliefs and rules. But when we dig below the surface, we find so much more. From their affiliation with Bill Gothard's predatory Institute of Basic Life Principles, to their deeply sexist rules for their daughters, to their bizarre and troubling homeschool curriculum, the Duggar family's problems run deeper than just floor-length denim skirts and parent-supervised dates.Join us in this first part of a two-episode look at everything you wish you didn't know about the Duggar family.Recommended titles (available at our bookshop):What Riley Wore by Elana K. Arnold and Linda DavickAll Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages by Saundra MitchellThis is How it Always Is by Laurie FrankelSimon Vs. The Homosapien's Agenda by Becky AlbertalliLeah on the Offbeat by Becky AlbertalliKate in Waiting by Becky AlbertalliYou Should See Me in a Crown by Leah JohnsonLinks: Can Taking the Pill Cause a Miscarriage?A Comprehensive Guide to the Duggar FamilyBill Gothard's Lawsuit'Counting On': How Did the Duggar Family Get on Television?What Church Do the Duggars Go To?Institute in Basic Life Principles (hot garbage dump)Here's How the Duggars Really Make Their MoneyThe Fundamentalist TrapDuggar Family RulesThe Fundamentally Toxic ChristianityThe Cult Next Door (all about IBLP and super creep Bill Gothard)ATI Homeschool Curriculum Preview Duggar Family Website/BlogSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/thereferencedesk)
First Draft Episode #309: Casey McQuiston Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of Red, White, and Royal Blue, talks about her latest queer rom-com, One Last Stop. Links to Topics Mentioned In This Episode: Hadestown (musical) The Royal We and its sequel The Heir Affair, by Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks, the writing duo otherwise known as Fug Girls. Hear their First Draft interview here. Louise Rettison, author of Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson and many more YA novels Eddie Izzard, actor and comedian A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hilary Rodham Clinton by Carl Bernstein My Date with The President's Daughter (movie) Chasing Liberty (movie) Derry Girls (TV show) Happy Endings (TV show) New Girl (TV show) Veep (TV show) Parks and Recreation (TV show) How I Met Your Mother (TV show) VIcki Lame, editor at St. Martin's Press The You're Wrong About podcast's series about Princess Diana Susie Q (movie) Doctor Who (TV show) LOST (TV show) TVTropes.org Oceans 11 (movie) Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett (hear her First Draft interview here) Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian (hear his First Draft interview here) “I'm Not Your Hero” by Tegan and Sara 10 Things I Hate About You (movie) co-written by Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith, hear her First Draft interview here Elana K. Arnold, author of YA books Damsel, What Girls Are Made Of, Infandous, and Middle Grade series A Boy Called Bat, and many more. Listen to her First Draft interviews here and here.
First Draft Episode #299: Jon Klassen Jon Klassen, Caldecott Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of the I Want My Hat Back series, is back with a book he wrote and illustrated: The Rock From the Sky. And by Revision Season, the seven-week virtual master class in novel revision led by award-winning author Elana K. Arnold. The Spring 2021 course will run from May 9 to June 26 and Enrollment opens April 1st! Learn more at ElanaKArnold.com. Links to Topics Mentioned In This Episode: Hear Jon’s first First Draft interview here Marla Frazee, two-time Caldecott Honor-winning author and illustrator of The Boss Baby, A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, All the World, and many more. She joins us to talk about the Farmer series: The Farmer and the Clown, The Farmer and the Monkey, and The Farmer and the Circus. Hear her First Draft interview here. George Saunder’s most recent book: A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life Samuel Beckett, Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator, most widely known for his play, Waiting for Godot. Sarah Boxer wrote about Jon’s new book for the New York Times with the headline, “Jon Klassen Meets Samuel Beckett in a Hilariously Dark Picture Book.” Mac Barnett is a New York Times bestselling author of books for children, including many books illustrated by Jon, like Caldecott-Honor books Extra Yarn and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, and the Shapes trilogy: Triangle, Square, and Circle. Carson Ellis, author and illustrator of Caldecott Honor book Du Iz Tak?, bestselling picture books Home, and many more visited First Draft to talk about In the Half Room. Listen to her FIrst Draft interview here.
First Draft Episode #297: Brittney Morris Brittney Morris, author of Slay and Miles Morales: Wings of Fury talks about her newest speculative YA, The Cost of Knowing. And by Revision Season, the seven-week virtual master class in novel revision led by award-winning author Elana K. Arnold. The Spring 2021 course will run from May 9 to June 26 and Enrollment opens April 1st! Learn more at ElanaKArnold.com. Links to Topics Mentioned In This Episode: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (listen to her First Draft interview here) The Piano (movie) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Papo & Yo (video game) Dave at Night by Gail Carson Levine Black Panther (movie) #PitMad National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) Brittney worked on video games The Lost Legend of Redwall and Subnautica: Below Zero The Redwall video game is based on Redwall by Brian Jacques
First Draft Episode #297: Marla Frazee Marla Frazee is the two-time Caldecott Honor-winning author and illustrator of The Boss Baby, A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, All the World, and many more. She joins us to talk about the Farmer series: The Farmer and the Clown, The Farmer and the Monkey, and The Farmer and the Circus, out now. This episode was brought to you by We Are the Fire, the YA fantasy by debut author Sam Taylor, out from Swoon Reads now! And by Revision Season, the seven-week virtual master class in novel revision led by award-winning author Elana K. Arnold. The Spring 2021 course will run from May 9 to June 26 and Enrollment opens April 1st! Learn more at ElanaKArnold.com. Links to Topics Mentioned In This Episode: The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Crockett Johnson Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendack You can order signed copies of Marla’s books from Vroman’s Bookstore You can order signed copies of Marla’s books from Once Upon a Time bookstore in Montrose, CA
This week Tayla is joined by Robin, Renata, and Martha from No Flying No Tights to talk about how their comic review site came to be! They also talk about reading dark titles in dark times, the CW, and how to be a better comics and graphic novel reader. During The Last Chapter, they discuss the types of comics/graphic novels they enjoy reading the most and why? Like what you hear? Rate and review Down Time on Apple Podcasts or your podcast player of choice! If you’d like to submit a topic for The Last Chapter you can send your topic suggestions to downtime@cranstonlibrary.org. Our theme music is Day Trips by Ketsa and our ad music is Happy Ukulele by Scott Holmes. Thanks for listening! Books Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore Komi Can’t Communicate by Tomohito Oda Restaurant to Another World by Junpei Inuzuka and Takaaki Kugatsu InvestiGators: Take the Plunge by John Patrick Green Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Understanding Manga and Anime by Robin Brenner Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang AV The Magnus Archives Episode 5: Thrown Away (podcast) The Witcher (2019- ) Trickster (2020- ) Teen Wolf (2011-2017) The Vampire Diaries (2009-2017) Riverdale (2017- ) Jeopardy (1984- ) QI (2003- ) Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1998-2007) Whose Line Is It Anyway? (2013- ) Other In Praise of a Scholarly Force: Rudine Sims Bishop (Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Doors) noflyingnotights.com
This week we break down our most recent reads and our all time favorite books. We discuss The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F* by Mark Manson, Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold, and The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. We cover self help books, what it means to identify with a character, coming of age novels, poetry-esque prose, and more. We recommend trying out any one of these books the next time you're looking for a great read! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/soul-sisters-podcast/message
First Draft Episode #284: Koa Beck Koa Beck, former editor-in-chief of Jezebel and co-host of “The #MeToo Memos” on WNYC’s The Takeaway, discusses her debut non-fiction work, White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind. This episode is sponsored by Revision Season, the seven-week, virtual master class in novel revision led by award-winning author Elana K. Arnold. The Winter 2021 session runs January 17 – March 4, with Week Zero work arriving January 10. Check out more details about Revision Season and sign up at www.elanakarnold.com. Links to Topics Mentioned In This Episode: Toni Morrison, author of Beloved, The Bluest Eye, Sula, and many more Jezebel - the website where Koa served as editor-in-chief Feministing Harvard Kennedy Shorenstein fellowship Michelle H. Mulligan, Koa’s editor at Atria Books Wall of Moms, which was formed in Portland and re-formed under Black leadership in August 2020, according to Vox
First Draft Episode #283: Dylan Meconis Dylan Meconis, cartoonist and writer, talks about her middle grade graphic novel Queen of the Sea. Its sequel, Prince of the City, will be out in 2022! This episode is sponsored by Revision Season, the seven-week, virtual master class in novel revision led by award-winning author Elana K. Arnold. The Winter 2021 session runs January 17 – March 4, with Week Zero work arriving January 10. Check out more details about Revision Season and sign up or Apply for 5 scholarships being offered through We need Diverse Books at www.elanakarnold.com. Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Raina Telgemeier is the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning creator of graphic memoirs Smile and Sisters, and the creator of Drama, which was named a Stonewall Honor Book, as well as Ghost. Vera Brosgol is an Eisner Award and Harvey Award winning cartoonist, and Caldecott Honor winner for Leave Me Alone! and the graphic memoir Be Prepared. Jen Wang, Eisner Award-winning author and illustrator of The Prince and the Dressmaker, In Real Life, and Koko Be Good stops by to talk about her new middle grade graphic novel, Stargazing. Listen to her First Draft episode here. Terry Jones’s Medieval Lives (the book) and Medieval Lives (the TV show) by Terry Jones, a former member of Monty Python Karen Cushman is the Newbery Award-winning children's book author of The Midwife's Apprentice, Catherine Called Birdy, and The Loud Silence of Francine Green. Monica Furlong was a British author, journalist, and activist, and author of award-winning novels Juniper and Wise Child. Susan Cooper is best known for her acclaimed five-book fantasy sequence The Dark is Rising, which won a Newbery Medal, a Newbery Honor Award, and two Carnegie Honor Awards. Her picture book The Shortest Day WAS illustrated by Carson Ellis, author and illustrator of bestselling picture books Home and Caldecott Honor book Du Iz Tak?, talks about her newest picture book, In the Half Room. (Listen to Carson’s episode of First Draft here.) I want to hear from you! Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998 or send an email to mailbag @ firstdraftpod dot com! Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jason Reynolds; Leigh Bardugo, author of Ninth House and the Grishaverse series; Creator of Sex and the City Candace Bushnell; YouTube empresario and author Hank Green; Actors, comedians and screenwriters Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham; author and host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast Linda Holmes; Bestselling authors and co-hosts of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast, Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish and co-host of the Sciptnotes podcast; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works. Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Track Changes If you’re looking for more information on how to get published, or the traditional publishing industry, check out the Track Changes podcast series, and sign up for the Track Changes weekly newsletter. Support the Show Love the show? Make a monthly or one-time donation at Paypal.me/FirstDraft. Rate, Review, and Recommend Take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you! Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post! Thanks again!
First Draft Episode #282: Matthew Burgess and Cátia Chien Matthew Burgess and Cátia Chien, artist and illustrator respectively, of picture book The Bear and the Moon. Matthew is a poet, picture book author, and Assistant Professor at Brooklyn College. Catia is a visual artist, illustrator, and founder of A Thousand Worlds, a picture book directory that connects readers to beautiful picture books written and illustrated by BIPOC authors and illustrators. This episode is sponsored by Revision Season, the seven-week, virtual master class in novel revision led by award-winning author Elana K. Arnold. The Winter 2021 session runs January 17 – March 4, with Week Zero work arriving January 10. Check out more details about Reivsion Season and sign up or Apply for 5 scholarships being offered through We need Diverse Books at www.elanakarnold.com. Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode Monica by Mauricio de Souza Cátia’s interview on PBS NewsHour Poet Frank O’Hara Poet John Ashbery, whose collection Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror won a Pulitzer Prize, among other accolades Teachers and Writers Collaborative Kate Sullivan, previously an editor at HMH and currently Senior Content Development Manager for New Leaf Literary & Media. She appears in the Track Changes podcast series (in Selling Your Book: Part 2 and Contracts). ArtCenter, the school where Cátia studied art and design Enormous Smallness: A Story of e e cummings by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo Drawing on Walls: A Story of Keith Haring by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Josh Cochran Roald Dahl Boy (and its sequel, Going Solo) Make Meatballs Sing: The Life and Art of Sister Corita King by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Kara Kramer Enchanted Lion Books The Brooklyn Museum Children’s Book Fair A Boy and a Jaguar, written by Alan Rabinowitz, illustrated by Cátia Chien The Truro Bear by Mary Oliver (poem) William Steig is the author and illustrator of the Caldecott-winning picture book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, as well as Shrek!, Dominic, and Newberry Honor book Abel’s Island Smudge, the moon bear I want to hear from you! Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998 or send an email to mailbag @ firstdraftpod dot com! Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jason Reynolds; Leigh Bardugo, author of Ninth House and the Grishaverse series; Creator of Sex and the City Candace Bushnell; YouTube empresario and author Hank Green; Actors, comedians and screenwriters Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham; author and host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast Linda Holmes; Bestselling authors and co-hosts of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast, Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish and co-host of the Sciptnotes podcast; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works. Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Track Changes If you’re looking for more information on how to get published, or the traditional publishing industry, check out the Track Changes podcast series, and sign up for the Track Changes weekly newsletter. Support the Show Love the show? Make a monthly or one-time donation at Paypal.me/FirstDraft. Rate, Review, and Recommend Take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you! Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post! Thanks again!
Purchase Nina's new novel, Watch Over Me.Register for a morning of writing with Nina to benefit Diesel, A Bookstore.Enroll in Writing, Reading, Responding: The art of drafting and critiquing, in which Nina and Elana K. Arnold will discuss the making of Watch Over Me. (Remember to read the novel first!)Subscribe to "Letters from Nina" for behind-the-scenes looks at her process and projects, and to be the first to learn about class offerings.
You can rent Gaslight here. (Highly recommended!)Purchase Nina's new novel, Watch Over Me.Register for a morning of writing with Nina to benefit Diesel, A Bookstore.Enroll in Writing, Reading, Responding: The art of drafting and critiquing, in which Nina and Elana K. Arnold will discuss the making of Watch Over Me. (Remember to read the novel first!)Subscribe to "Letters from Nina" for behind-the-scenes looks at her process and projects, and to be the first to learn about class offerings.
First Draft Episode #267: Jill Twiss Jill Twiss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo and Emmy winning comedy writer on Last Week Tonight, talks about her latest picture book, Everyone Gets a Say, with illustrator EG Keller. Today’s episode is brought to you by Caveda, which leads group focus sessions for a worldwide community everyday on Zoom. First Draft listeners can try a free, three hour cave with promo code "FIRSTDRAFT" at caveday.org/firstdraft This episode is sponsored by Revision Season, a seven-week, virtual master class in revising your novel, led by Elana K. Arnold, author of Printz honor winner Damsel and National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and more. Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode Laurie Kilmartin, comedian and writer for Conan Nell Scovell, writer, producer, director, and author of Just the Funny Parts and co-writer for Lean In with Sheryl Sandberg, writer for The Simpsons and creator of Sabrina: The Teenage Witch Marlon Bundo The New Yorker review of A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo E. G. Keller, illustrator of Marlon Bundo The Trevor Project AIDS United Brenda Bowen at The Book Group, Jill’s literary agent I want to hear from you! Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998 or send an email to mailbag @ firstdraftpod dot com! Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jason Reynolds; Leigh Bardugo, author of Ninth House and the Grishaverse series; Creator of Sex and the City Candace Bushnell; YouTube empresario and author Hank Green; Actors, comedians and screenwriters Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham; author and host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast Linda Holmes; Bestselling authors and co-hosts of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast, Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish and co-host of the Sciptnotes podcast; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works. Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Track Changes If you’re looking for more information on how to get published, or the traditional publishing industry, check out the Track Changes podcast series, and sign up for the Track Changes weekly newsletter. Support the Show Love the show? Make a monthly or one-time donation at Paypal.me/FirstDraft. Rate, Review, and Recommend Take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you! Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post! Thanks again!
First Draft Episode #266: Adele Griffin Adele Griffin, two-time National Book Award honoree and author of almost thirty books for Young Adult and middle grade readers, including The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone, The Becket List, and Sons of Liberty and Where I want to Be. Today’s episode is brought to you by Caveda, which leads group focus sessions for a worldwide community everyday on Zoom. First Draft listeners can try a free, three hour cave with promo code "FIRSTDRAFT" at caveday.org/firstdraft This episode is sponsored by Revision Season, a seven-week, virtual master class in revising your novel, led by Elana K. Arnold, author of Printz honor winner Damsel and National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and more. Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode Agatha Christie, author of Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, and more Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery OMG Book Festival Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Great Shelby Holmes, Past Perfect Life, and more Twilight by Stephenie Meyer John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, and many more Nancy Paulsen at Penguin Graphic novelist Lisa Brown collaborated with Adele on Picture the Dead Kate DiCamillo is one of six people to win two Newbery Medals, for her novels The Tale of Despereaux and Flora & Ulysses, and author of Newbery Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie, National Book Award finalist The Tiger Rising, as well as New York Times bestselling novels The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Magician’s Elephant, the Mercy Watson series, and more. DiCamillo was the U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature for 2014 and 2015. Listen to her First Draft interview here. Wilder Girls by Rory Power Sarah Mlynowski, author of Just a Girl and a Boy in a Little Canoe, the Whatever After series, and co-author of Upside-Down Magic Julia DeVillers is the author of Liberty Porter, First Daughter series and the coauthor of the Trading Faces series Michael Buckley, author of The Sisters Grimm series, the National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (N.E.R.D.S. I want to hear from you! Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998 or send an email to mailbag @ firstdraftpod dot com! Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jason Reynolds; Leigh Bardugo, author of Ninth House and the Grishaverse series; Creator of Sex and the City Candace Bushnell; YouTube empresario and author Hank Green; Actors, comedians and screenwriters Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham; author and host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast Linda Holmes; Bestselling authors and co-hosts of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast, Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish and co-host of the Sciptnotes podcast; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works. Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Track Changes If you’re looking for more information on how to get published, or the traditional publishing industry, check out the Track Changes podcast series, and sign up for the Track Changes weekly newsletter. Support the Show Love the show? Make a monthly or one-time donation at Paypal.me/FirstDraft. Rate, Review, and Recommend Take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you! Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post! Thanks again!
First Draft Episode #262: Kim Johnson Kim Johnson, college administrator and mentor of student activists, on her debut author of This is My America, out now! This episode is sponsored by Revision Season, a seven-week, virtual master class in revising your novel, led by Elana K. Arnold, author of Printz honor winner Damsel and National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and more. Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene Zora Neale Hurston, author of Their Eyes Are Watching God Black Lives Matter We Need Diverse Books I want to hear from you! Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998. Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; Linda Holmes, author and host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast; Jonny Sun, internet superstar, illustrator of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Gmorning, Gnight! and author and illustrator of Everyone’s an Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish, Charlie’s Angels, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works. Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It’s free! Rate, Review, and Recommend How do you like the show? Please take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you! Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Please share this episode on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or via carrier pigeon (maybe try a text or e-mail, come to think of it). Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post! Thanks again!
We welcome teen author Elana K. Arnold to speak live on all things writing, creating and geek out on books and more. Elana writes for a ranged of audiences, from picture books to young adult titles, including Red Hood and Printz Honor winner Damsel, and What Girls Are Made of, as well as other award winning teen and children's books. Elana also teaches in Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program. Speak On It is a program series connecting teens and authors virtually to have a conversation about what speaks to us and inspires us to create. This is the audio from a live interview on YOUmedia's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkAsxRZOajWfmQvwio2mH-J1dOKDezNGk
Today, Meredith and Mindy are discussing: Bookish Moments: the Patreon book club discussion and embracing the year of the re-read Current Reads: each host shares three books they’ve read recently and they are varied in level, theme, and setting Deep Dive: gems from the 70s, 80s, and 90s Book Presses: A few more “don’t call me a classic” backlist titles As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down! *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!* . . . . . Book of the Month Ad: (These are Goodreads links, since we hope you’ll use our Book Of The Month link to sign up if you’re interested!) 1:18 - A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight 1:45 - The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd 1:55 - Happy & You Know It by Laura Hankin 2:54 - Use our Link and the code CURRENTLYREADING to get your first book for just $9.99! Bookish Moments: 3:58 - Bookish Friends Still Life Book Club on Patreon 5:40 - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Current Reads: 7:41 - The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher (Mindy) 7:44 - Wolfmuller’s Books in Kerrville, TX 7:47 - COVID(eo) number 4 10:05 - Damsel by Elana K. Arnold (Meredith) 13:25 - Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool (Mindy) 15:53 - You Never Forget Your First by Alexis Coe (Meredith) 18:29 - The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal (Mindy) 21:13 - Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen 22:34 - Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan (Meredith) Deep Dive - Books from the 70s, 80s, and 90s: Gems from the 1970s 30:53 - Judy Blume books - Otherwise Known As Sheila the Great, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Freckle Juice, Blubber, Starring Sally J Friedman As Herself 32:21 - Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy 32:55 - Shogun by James Clavell 32:57 - Roots by Alex Haley 33:02 - Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi 33:14 - The Princess Bride by William Goldman 33:33 - Stephen King Books - The Shining, The Stand 33:46 - Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice Gems from the 1980s 34:37 - Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson 35:14 - James Herriot books - All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful 35:37 - Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews 36:48 - The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe 37:05 - The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood 37:17 - Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan 37:28 - Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet 37:34 - Patriot Games by Tom Clancy 37:53 - Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel 38:09 - A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving 38:44 - Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry 39:24 - Redwall by Bryan Jacques 39:43 - The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher Gems from the 1990s 40:41 - John Grisham books - Rainmaker, Pelican Brief, The Firm 41:07 - Nelson DeMille books - The General’s Daughter 42:25 - Michael Crichton - Jurassic Park, Andromeda Strain, Timeline 43:58 - Harry Potter by JK Rowling 44:29 - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 44:39 - Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones #1) by George R.R. Martin 45:03 - A Series of Unfortunate Events by Daniel Handler 45:35 - The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 46:02 - Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Felding 46:48 - The Red Tent by Anita Diamant 47:09 - The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks Books We Want to Press Into Your Hands: 48:20 - Watership Down by Richard Adams (Mindy) 51:02 - The Secret History by Donna Tartt (Meredith) 51:23 - The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt 52:43 - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Connect With Us: Meredith is @meredith.reads on Instagram Kaytee is @notesonbookmarks on Instagram Mindy is @gratefulforgrace on Instagram
Today we're talking about Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold, a modern day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/cyns-workshop/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/cyns-workshop/support
Eric and special guest Tirzah Price talk about music and pop culture in YA, and daydream about fictional bands. This episode is sponsored by Book Riot’s Read Harder 2020 Challenge, Tor Teen, and NOVL. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter! SHOW NOTES Damsel by Elana K. Arnold The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu Ziggy Stardust and Me by James Brandon I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert Our Stories, Our Voices by Amy Reed Three Day Summer by Sarvanaz Tash Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu So Punk Rock: And Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother by Micol Ostow Family by Micol Ostow Calvin by Martine Leavitt Pulp by Robin Talley The Babysitter’s Coven by Kate Williams The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi Autofocus by Lauren Gibaldi This Tiny Perfect World by Lauren Gibaldi You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn Who’s That Girl by Blair Thornburgh Audrey, Wait! By Robin Benway
Eric and Kelly come to you live, highlighting a ton of upcoming YA books, as well as audience recommended reads. This episode is sponsored by Book Riot Insiders, Tor Teen, and Flatiron Books, publisher of Anna K by Jenny Lee. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter! SHOW NOTES Big thank you to The Book Stall in Winnetka, Illinois, for hosting us! We Are The Wildcats by Siobhan Vivian Damsel by Elana K. Arnold Almost American Girl by Robin Ha We Didn’t Ask For This by Adi Alsaid War and Speech by Don Zolidis Fell of Dark by Caleb Roehrig Followers by Raziel Reid Deepfake by Sarah Darer Littman Smash It! by Francina Simone Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmerman Again Again by E. Lockhart Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus The Toll by Neal Shusterman Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore When The Stars Lead To You by Ronni Davis
Last November I had the esteemed privilege of moderating a panel at NCTE, the annual conference of the National Council of Teachers of English. The panel was titled “Redefining the Boy Hero: Empowering Sensitive Boys and Bucking Gender Stereotypes Through Middle Grade Fiction”. Sitting on the panel among a standing room only crowd were four exceptional children’s book authors: Elana K. Arnold, Erin Entrada Kelly, Kekla Magoon, and Katherine Marsh. We only had one mic and it was affixed to the podium, so I wasn’t sure how this recording would turn out. Thankfully my Zoom H4n Pro went above and beyond, allowing this panel and the noteworthy thoughts of my panelists to be recorded for others to hear. It gives me great pleasure to share this conversation with you. I sincerely hope you enjoy listening. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons.
Eric and Kelly highlight some of the undersung YA of 2019 and scream about what they’re reading this winter. This episode is sponsored by The Read Harder Journal, Regretting You by Colleen Hoover from Amazon Publishing, and Book Riot’s 2020 Read Harder Challenge. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter! SHOW NOTES Live Hey YA Show, February 25, 6:30 pm in Chicago We Used To Be Friends by Amy Spalding Almost American Girl by Robin Ha When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston Tarnished Are the Stars by Rosiee Thor The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee The Griefkeeper by Alexsandra Villasante I Hope You Get this Message by Farah Naz Rishi Who Put This Song on by Morgan Parker Better Than the Best Plan by Lauren Morrill The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven The Stars and The Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen Ruthless Gods by Emily Duncan The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindberg by Candace Fleming The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper Dancing at The Pity Party by Tyler Feder Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold We Unleash the Merciless Storm by Tehlor Kay Mejia Spellhacker by M.K. England How To Build A Heart by Maria Padian Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan
Karina and Matthew talk about representation of neurodiverse individuals, giving authentic voice in children's literature, and building empathy for all students. Joining is special guest Elana K. Arnold, author of A Boy Called Bat and its sequels. This episode is sponsored by our Book Riot Blind Dates with Books contest, by OwlCrate Jr, a subscription box for middle grade readers, and by Naked Mole Rat Saves the World by Karen Rivers, new from Algonquin Young Readers. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. To get even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! RELEVANT LINKS: National Symposium on Neurodiversity at Syracuse University NeuroWonderful - Ask an Autistic vlog with Amethyst Schaber Voices of Autism - Panel 1: Young Adults on the Spectrum (Seattle Pacific University) The Schneider Family Book Award Elana K. Arnold BOOKS DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW: Picture Books: The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh by Supriya Kelkar; illustrated by Alea Marley This Beach Is Loud! by Samantha Cotterill (Little Senses series) Nope. Never. Not for Me! by Samantha Cotterill (Little Senses series) Why Johnny Doesn’t Flap by Clay Morton and Gail Morton; illustrated by Alex Merry My Brother Otto by Meg Raby and illustrated by Elisa Pallmer Benji, the Bad Day and Me by Sally J. Pla and illustrated by Ken Min A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey and illustrated by Mika Song How to Build a Hug: Temple Grandin and Her Amazing Squeeze Machine by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville; illustrated by Giselle Potter Middle Grade: The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich by Ibi Zoboi The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida, translated by KA Yoshida Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World by Sy Montgomery and Temple Grandin Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling Let us know what books or topics you've been sharing this week, or if you have a suggestion or book recommendation for an upcoming episode. Find us on email (kidlitthesedays@bookriot.com), Twitter (@KarinaYanGlaser and @MatthewWinner), or Instagram (@KarinaIsReadingAndWriting and @MatthewCWinner).
First Draft Episode #200: Special Anniversary Episode For the 200th episode of the First Draft with Sarah Enni podcast, previous guests sent in answers to questions like, where do you turn for inspiration? What are you hopes and dreams at this moment in your career? What do you do besides writing that makes you a more skillful storyteller? And, of course, any advice! Listen in to hear tips, tricks, and reassurances and encouragement from dozens of bestselling and award-winning writers! People Featured, and Links and Topics Mentioned, In This Episode Podcasts I listened to obsessively, which inspired me to start this podcast, include Fresh Air with Teri Gross, WTF with Marc Maron, and You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes Veronica Roth, author of the Divergent series, Carve the Mark duology and the forthcoming short story collection, The End and Other Beginnings: Stories from the Future (listen to her First Draft podcasts here, here, and here) Kayla Cagan, author of Piper Perish and Art Boss (listen to her First Draft interview here) Will Hines, author of How to be the Greatest Improviser on Earth (hear his First Draft episode here) Sara Farizan, author of Here to Stay, Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel, If You Could Be Mine (hear her First Draft interview here) Kass Morgan, author of The 100 series and Light Years (stay tuned for her episode of First Draft!) Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Beasts Made of Night, Crown of Thunder, and War Girls series Tochi recommends playing narrative video games, like God of War, Assassin's Creed, or Red Dead Redemption Leigh Bardugo, author of the Shadow and Bone series and Six of Crows duology, and the forthcoming adult novel, Ninth House , and more (listen to her First Draft interviews here and here) Josh Gondelman, author of the forthcoming memoir Nice Try, writer and producer of “Desus and Mero” and Emmy-winning writer for “Last Week Tonight on John Oliver” (hear his First Draft interview soon!) Maris Kreizman, author of Slaughterhouse 90210 and host of LitHub’s The Maris Review podcast Ryan Graudin, author of the Wolf by Wolf, Invictus, The Walled City, and more (hear her First Draft interview here) Sabriel by Garth Nix Jason Reynolds, author of Look Both Ways, the Track series, Long Way Down, As Brave As You, All American Boys, and many more (stay tuned for his episode of First Draft) The New Yorker The Newberry Award; The National Book Award; The Pulitzer Prize Stephanie Garber, author of the Caraval series (listen to her First Draft episode here) Elana K. Arnold, author of A Boy Called Bat, Damsel, What Girls Are Made Of, Infandous, and more (listen to her First Draft episodes here and here) Lance Rubin, author of Denton's Little's Deathdate, Denton's Little's Still Not Dead, and Crying Laughing (listen to his First Draft episode here) Freedom (computer app) Deep Work Work by Cal Newport Courtney Summers, including Sadie, Cracked Up to Be, This Is Not a Test, Fall for Anything, All the Rage, Some Girls Are (hear her First Draft episodes here and here) “Real Romance,” The New Yorker profile about Nora Roberts Mary H. K. Choi, author of Emergency Contact and Permanent Record (stay tuned for her episode of First Draft) The Venice Biennale (La Biennale di Venezia) and Dia:Beacon Bridget Tyler, author of The Pioneer and The Survivor (listen to her First Draft episode here) Scientific American, which Veronica just subscribed to Samantha Mabry, author of A Fierce and Subtle Poison and All the Wind in the World (listen to her First Draft episode here) Elissa Sussman, author of Stray and Burn (listen to her First Draft interview here) Abdi Nazemian, author of Like a Love Story, The Authentics, and The Walk-In Closet (listen to his First Draft interview here) Madonna, the queen of Abdi’s book The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron Morgan Matson, author of he Date, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, The Unexpected Everything, and more! (listen to her First Draft interviews here and here) Julie Buxbaum, author of Tell Me Three Things, What to Say Next, and Hope and Other Punchlines (listen to her First Draft interview here) Danielle Paige, author of Dorothy Must Die, Stealing Snow and Mera: Tidebreaker (listen to her First Draft episode here) David Yoon, author of Frankly in Love (stay tuned for his episode of First Draft!) Zan Romanoff, author of Look (due Spring 2020) and A Song to Take The World Apart and Grace and the Fever (listen to her First Draft interview here) Writing Workshops LA Francesca Lia Block, author of Weetzie Bat, The Thorn Necklace, and so many more (listen to her First Draft episode here) Aminah Mae Safi, author of Not the Girls You're Looking For and Tell Me How You Really Feel (listen to her First Draft interview here) Alex London, author of Black Wings Beating, Proxy, The Wild Ones series and more (listen to his First Draft episodes here and here) Nina LaCour, author of We Are Okay, The Disenchantments, Everything Leads to You, Hold Still and more (hear her First Draft episodes here and here), and listen to Nina’s podcast, Keeping a Notebook Hamline University’s MFA program The Slow Novel Lab, Nina LaCour’s online course on writing Lilliam Rivera, author of Dealing In Dreams and The Education Of Margot Sanchez, (listen to her First Draft interviews here and here) Pseudonymous Bosch, aka Raphael Simon (author of the The Name of This Book is a Secret and the Bad Magic series, and more) and Shane Pangburn, who together created The Unbelievable Oliver and the Four Jokers (stay tuned for their First Draft episode!) Amy Lukavics, author of Daughters into Devils and The Ravenous (listen to her First Draft episode here) Maurene Goo, author of Somewhere Only We Know, I Believe in a Thing Called Love and The Way You Make Me Feel and Since You Asked (Listen to Maurene’s first, second, and third episodes of First Draft) That time Maurene interviewed Sarah Enni for this podcast! (The Sarah Enni episode of First Draft ) Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; Linda Holmes, author and host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast; Jonny Sun, internet superstar, illustrator of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Gmorning, Gnight! and author and illustrator of Everyone’s an Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too; Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish, Charlie’s Angels, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works. Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It’s free! Rate, Review, and Recommend How do you like the show? Please take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you! Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Please share this episode on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or via carrier pigeon (maybe try a text or e-mail, come to think of it). Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post! Thanks again!
*The best writing happens when you forget that you're a person. *-Elana K. Arnold On the second episode of this season, Nina shares an experience of self-doubt. Later on, she and fellow author Elana K. Arnold answer a listener question about facing self-doubt during the process of writing a novel. Elana and Nina talk about how self-doubt can be useful for a writer and how it can be channeled into characters for the work to be more authentic and resonant. Elana K. Arnold Sign up for the Slow Novel Lab! The American Library Association (ALA)
Book Bites are quick, five minute looks at a book from readers. Try a new book this week! Today’s book is Infandous, by Elana K. Arnold. Want to be a full book group member? Join us on Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you can support the podcast as well as helping to keep Official Office Dog, Lady Grey, in treats. We also have new episodes of our book group podcast: Reading With Libraries dropping every Thursday morning; subscribe to get it in your app, or stream it on our website.
Intro Hi everyone and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love. I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a teacher, a mom, and battling a cold this afternoon! So if I sound a little...off - that is why! This is episode #68 and Today I’m answering some questions about trends in middle grade and sharing with you some fabulous 2019 titles to look forward to this year! Q&A - Trends in Middle Grade Fiction Last month, my husband asked me some questions about trends in middle grade fiction. He teaches a class at Seton Hall all about trends in genre fiction and wanted some input on middle grade. So I thought I would share my responses with you. And I would be very curious about what YOU would answer. What genres or subgenres do you believe are the hottest right now? Well, it’s a format and not a genre but graphic novel memoirs like Hey Kiddo, Real Friends, and Be Prepared are still really popular. And also graphic novel adaptations of classics (like Anne of Green Gables) and popular novels (like Wings of Fire or Percy Jackson). And again, not genre, but I see more books that are based on the core experiences of the writer. Those novels that draw on the real-life backgrounds of the authors like Kelly Yang’s Front Desk, Tami Charles’ Like Vanessa, and Supriya Kellar’s Ahimsa. They’re not memoirs but they are books rooted in a very personal experience. To authors, I’d say - take those things that make you unique, that make you a bit quirky, that set you apart from most other people - and write THAT story. Like Kelly Yang taking the experiences of her family coming from China and running motels to write Front Desk. Jarrett Krosoczka writing the critically acclaimed graphic novel memoir Hey Kiddo about his life living with his grandparents after his mom lost custody of him due to drug addiction. Crack that door open and invite us inside. What genres or subgenres do you believe are passé or overexposed? I don’t know…. I do wonder how long the unicorn and narwhal craze will last but that seems to live more in picture books than middle grade. Magical realism - or rather realistic fiction with a magical twist - doesn’t seem to be slowing down. You know - anything can be new and fresh with the right spin. And also, authors from marginalized backgrounds are still underrepresented in just about every genre so those are stories that will likely have new points of view. I thought I was totally over zombie stories but Dread Nation popped up and whoa!! I’ve never read a zombie story like THAT before! If you had to predict, what genre or subgenre do you think is primed to be the next Big Thing in the next year or so? I would say stories about immigrants, refugees, and the unique experiences of marginalized groups (especially by #ownvoices authors) will continue to be popular. Over the last couple of years we’ve seen an explosion of critically acclaimed middle grade stories like Alan Gratz’s Refugee, Jacqueline Woodson’s Harbor Me, and Escape from Aleppo by N.H. Senzai among many more. We also have more and more books coming out that tell stories of police violence in developmentally appropriate ways like Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes and Blended by Sharon Draper. I’m also really excited about a new crop of middle grade #MeToo stories on the horizon like So Done by Paula Chase and the upcoming Barbara Dee novel Maybe He Just Likes You. Any comments about where you see genre fiction heading? In middle grade, like everywhere else, #ownvoices books are still underrepresented - everyone has a unique story to tell or a unique POV to offer. EVERYONE. So my advice to authors, take the spark of your unique life experiences and let that burn throughout your story. My advice to educators - scour those shelves to find a wider variety of books. Also - if you write for a YA/MG audience, librarians and educators are more and more eager to the ditch the old canon and form partnerships with authors. Look for opportunities like #KidsNeedMentors or reach out to your local schools and libraries. Book Talk - Most Anticipated Middle Grade Books of 2019 The last couple of episodes were all about looking back on some of the best that middle grade had to offer in 2018. (If you missed those, go check out episodes #66 and #67.) But today is all about looking forward into the new year. Last year, when I did our Most Anticipated MG of 2018, I went chronologically by month. But this year I’m going about it a little differently and discussing the new releases by category. First, we’ll chat about the new graphic novels coming up in 2019. And then we’ll talk about new releases from authors who debuted in 2018 and 2017 and see what they’re up to now. After that, I’ll give you a peek at some of the 2019 debut middle grade authors. Then we’ll see what new books are coming out in favorite series and what sequels we have to look forward to. And finally, we’ll finish up with the 2019 releases from more established authors. So, buckle up and get ready to add to your wish list. And remember - no need to go hunting for a pen and paper. You can find every book mentioned AND a picture of the available covers AND a link to pre-order them right on the Books Between post for this episode, #69, at MGBookVillage.com. I’ve got your back, I know you’re busy, so it’s all right there for you. And as I’ve said before, I’ve come to really love pre-ordering - it helps out favorite authors and it’s like a little surprise to your future self. Before we jump in, just remember that this is just a sampling of all the incredible books coming out this year. I’ll add some links to some other great resources in the show notes and on the website where you can find more complete listings of titles to browse through and the MGBookVillage website has a great release calendar so that’s one to bookmark for sure. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/111975.Middle_Grade_Novels_of_2019 http://novelnineteens.com/books/middle-grade-books https://mgbookvillage.org/2018releasedates/ http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2018/12/19-2019-middle-grade-books-to-have-on-your-radar/ https://www.readbrightly.com/middle-grade-books-2019/ https://www.bookish.com/articles/must-read-childrens-books-winter-2019/ http://www.popgoesthereader.com/target-audience-middle-grade/70-middle-grade-novels-i-cant-wait-to-read-in-2019/ Also - publication dates do occasionally change, so just be aware of that. Alright, get your Goodreads tab open, or your library website pulled up, or your Amazon/Indiebound shopping cart ready, or ….. print out the show notes and bring it to your favorite local bookstore! Alright - let’s get to it! The 2019 Graphic Novels This January, Lincoln Peirce, the author of Big Nate, has a new graphic/illustrated novel series set in the middle ages called Max and the Midknights that looks really, really cute. Also out on January 8th is Click by Kayla Miller - the story of 5th grader Olive who is having some trouble finding where she “clicks” in middle school. The sequel, called Camp, is being released this April so fans won’t have to wait long for the next one. A fantasy graphic novel that Mel Schuit recommended that I check out is The Chancellor and the Citadel by Maria Capelle Frantz so that’s on my radar now - and yours! Thank you, Mel! On January 29th another Hilo is coming our way! Hilo 5: Then Everything Went Wrong. And on that same day the 5th Bird & Squirrel is coming out called All Tangled Up. One graphic novel adaptation that has really piqued my interest is Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Modern Retelling of Little Women by Rey Tercerio and illustrator Bre Indigo. The classic is reimagined as a blended family living in modern-day New York City. I don’t think I’ve ever hit “pre-order” faster and will be eagerly stalking my delivery person on February 5th for that one! My mailbox is going to be brimming on February 5th because I also HAD to preorder New Kid by Jerry Craft! It’s about seventh grader Jordan Banks who loves drawing cartoons and dreams of going to art school. But his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school instead, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. Looks amazing!! 90-Second Newbery was singing its praises on Twitter last night and said this about it: “The amazing graphic novel New Kid by @JerryCraft should definitely be on everyone's tbr list and it has a full-cast (and all-star cast) audiobook released at the same time….perfect for rich, nuanced convos abt race, class, identity, school systems, how we share books, code switching, starting new school, just so much!” So, yeah… I’ll just wait here for a bit while you hit pause and go order that! We also get the second Wings of Fire graphic novel, The Lost Heir, on February 26th AND the second Mr. Wolf’s Class book called Mystery Club. And a heads up that the graphic novel of The Hidden Kingdom (Wings of Fire Book 3) is out in October 2019. For those Minecraft fans in your life, this March we get another Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior graphic novel - Forging Destiny. And for older middle grade kids - maybe 11 or 12 and up - look for the new graphic novel adaptations of The Iliad and The Odyssey this March as well. And fans of Terri Libenson’s Invisible Emmie and Positively Izzie will want to get their hands on Just Jaime - coming out May7th. There were lots of smiles among my students today when I told them that news! Bad Guys #9 - The Bad Guys in the Big Bad Wolf is out June 25th. Perfect launch for a fun summer read. This August brings us Best Friends, the sequel to Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham’s Real Friends - out on August 27th. And have you seen the cover? It’s Shannon at the top of a rollercoaster with this vibrant purple background. Love it, love it, love it! And Dog Man fans (like my daughter) will be psyched this August because we are getting Dog Man #7: For Whom the Ball Rolls! The seventh graphic novel adaptation of the Baby-sitters Club, Boy Crazy Stacey, illustrated by Gale Carrigan, will be out September 3rd. That’s one of those no-brainer preorders for my classroom library. Also - I was interested to hear that R.J. Palacio is publishing her first graphic novel Wonder story this fall called White Bird. This one is Julian’s grandmother’s story about her life as a young Jewish girl hidden away by a family in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. So be on the lookout for that one September 3rd as well. You want another don’t-even-have-to-think-about-it-just-preorder-it graphic novel? Guts - the long-awaited new Raina Telgemeier graphic memoir is out September 17th!! September also brings the latest from Tillie Walden - Are You Listening. The peeks I’ve seen of that online look incredible, so that one is definitely on my radar this fall. And then….….. Drumroll please…… Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl!! Ahhhh!! I knew it! That last page in Mighty Jack and the Goblin King was just too good not to be followed up with a joint adventure. Yay! Jen Wang - author of last year’s hit, The Prince & the Dressmaker, has a new graphic novel coming out in September called Stargazing. This one draws on her personal experiences and is the story of two friends - Moon and Christine. And this November we’ll get The Midwinter Witch - the third and final book in the trilogy that includes The Witch Boy and The Hidden Witch. And - wow, I’m just going to start saving up now for September because the graphic novel adaptation of Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover is also coming out on September 24th! It’s going to be a pancakes and ramen noodles for dinner kind of a month if I want to keep up with all these awesome books coming out! (And I haven’t even gotten past the graphic novels!) And…. I think, maybe, possibly.. that Amulet #9 (the final one of the series) will be released late this year. But I can’t find much info on it. No title, no date, no synopsis - nada! So, I’m cautiously optimistic that it will arrive in 2019. Finally - another graphic novel to be on the lookout for later in 2019 is Twins by author Varian Johnson who you may know from The Parker Inheritance and illustrator Shannon Wright. The publication date isn’t yet announced, but apparently it’s about twin sisters struggling to figure out individual identities in middle school and it’s based on Johnson’s own childhood experiences as a twin. New Releases from 2017 / 2018 Debut Authors Early February brings us the second in Anna Meriano’s Love, Sugar, Magic series called A Sprinkle of Spirits and oh is that cover gorgeous! And definitely snag a copy of the sequel to Jarrett Lerner’s EngiNerds - Revenge of the EngiNerds out on February 19th. It is EVEN FUNNIER than the first one. And that’s saying something! Another book I’m looking forward to is Jen Petro-Roy’s Good Enough - about a young girl with an eating disorder. Game of Stars by Sayantani DasGupta - the follow up to The Serpent’s Secret is out on February 26th. And the end of February also brings us Bone Hollow by Skeleton Tree author Kim Ventrella. Also be on the lookout for The Hunt for the Mad Wolf’s Daughter by Diane Magras on March 5th. That sequel is getting rave reviews so it’s definitely one to add to your library. Alyson Gerber, author of Braced, will have a new novel out called Focused. It’s about a middle school girl who loves chess and has been recently diagnosed with ADHD. Definitely a book a lot of my students will be able to connect with! In the last week of April we get the sequel to Roshani Chokshi’s Aru Shah and the End of Time called Aru Shah and Song of Death This April brings us the second novel from Rebecca Donnelly called The Friendship Lie. One book I’m excited to dip into this spring is Up for Air by Laurie Morrison. You might know her from last year’s Every Shiny Thing. From the author of 2017’s The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora and 2018’s Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish comes Each Tiny Spark. This is Pablo Cartaya’s third MG novel and this one features a young girl, a father recently returned from deployment, and… welding. So look for that one in August. And The Cryptid Keeper, the sequel to Lija Fisher’s 2018 The Cryptid Catcher is out this August as is Melissa Sarno’s A Swirl of Ocean. In September comes the sequel to Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling. It’s called Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus and follows Aven’s adventures as she heads into high school. At first I thought that might put it in the YA category, but from what I can tell, it’s still middle grade. This fall we’ll also be treated to Abby Cooper’s third novel - Friend or Fiction. Just like Sticks and Stones and Bubbles, this one is also magical realism. It’s about a girl named Jade. In the pages of her notebook, she writes all about Zoe--the most amazing best friend anyone could dream of. But when pretend Zoe appears in real life thanks to a magical experiment gone right, Jade isn't so sure if she likes sharing her imaginary friend with the real world. Another treat in store for you this fall is the third novel by Elly Swartz - Give and Take. This book is about 12 year-old Maggie whose grandmother’s recent death has triggered her to start hoarding things under her bed. 2019 Debut Authors So - I’ll just say right now that I could have had an ENTIRE show just dedicated to the amazing middle grade debuts coming our way this year but at some point, I had to cut myself off. So - I’ll include a link to the Novel19s website where you find many more middle grade debuts and discover some of your new favorite authors. The Whisperers is Greg Howard’s middle grade debut and one that has really caught my eye. Just listen to this description: “Eleven-year-old Riley believes in the whispers, magical fairies that will grant you wishes if you leave them tributes. Riley has a lot of wishes. He wishes bullies at school would stop picking on him. He wishes Dylan, his 8th grade crush, liked him, and Riley wishes he would stop wetting the bed. But most of all, Riley wishes for his mom to come back home.” Oooo…. This one is out January 15th. If you are looking for a new book for younger middle grade readers - something along the lines of Ramona Quimby or Stella Diaz - check out Meena Meets Her Match by Karla Manternatch. One book that keeps popping up into my radar is the middle grade debut of Padma Venkatraman called The Bridge Home about four children who discover strength and grit and family while dealing with homelessness. That one comes out Feb 5th so be on the lookout for that one. Another debut that I have been dying to read is The Simple Art of Flying by Cory Leonardo! Let me just read you the teaser: “Born in a dismal room in a pet store, Alastair the African grey parrot dreams of escape to bluer skies. He’d like nothing more than to fly away to a palm tree with his beloved sister, Aggie. But when Aggie is purchased by twelve-year-old Fritz, and Alastair is adopted by elderly dance-enthusiast and pie-baker Albertina Plopky, the future looks ready to crash-land.” My step-mother had parrots when I was growing up, so this one in particular I really am interested in reading! So I’ll be checking my mailbox for that one on February 12th. Another debut I am excited to read this year is Joshua Levy’s Seventh Grade vs. the Galaxy! Since one of my goals this year is to introduce my students to more science fiction, a story about a school on a spaceship orbiting Jupiter would be perfect! On March 12 we get Lisa Moore Ramée’s debut A Good Kind of Trouble about a girl who just wants to follow the rules. And sometime this spring we get rather the opposite in Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen by Niki Lenz. This one is about a “bully” who ends up living with her aunt who is a nun and tries to turn over a new leaf. This March is the debut of Julia Nobel with The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane about a girl who gets shipped off to a British boarding school and finds a box of medallions that might just be connected to the disappearance of her father. A graphic novel debut coming in March that looks fabulous is Red Panda & Moon Bear by Jarod Roselló. It’s about two Latinx kids who defend their neighborhood from threats both natural and supernatural. And in late April is the first book in a new MG detective series called Kazu Jones and the Denver Dognappers by Shauna Holyoak and a time-traveling action adventure that will transport readers to ancient Egypt called Jagger Jones & the Mummy’s Ankh by Malayna Evans. Hurricane Season by debut author Nicole Melleby comes out May 7th and oh how do I want to read this novel! On a recent #MGLitChat focused on the 2019 debut authors, the moderator asked, “What do you hope young readers take away from your book?” And Nicole Melleby said the following, “ I want them to take away that they’re not alone, that they’re seen, that mental illness is hard but manageable, and that love may have its limits, but help comes in all shapes and sizes. Also that Van Gogh was a brilliant man.” After reading Vincent & Theo last summer - uhhh…. gimme that book!! Another great middle grade debut to look for on May 7th is Just South of Home by Karen Stong which is described as Blackish meets Goosebumps. The story follows a rule-abiding girl who must team up with her trouble making cousin, goofy younger brother, and his best friend to unravel a mysterious haunting in their tiny Southern town. Also coming this spring is a book that I immediately knew I wanted to read. It’s called Planet Earth is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos. (So, I was pretty much ALREADY sold by the Bowie reference.) The book follows Nova, an autistic, nonverbal, space-obsessed 12-year-old who is awaiting the Challenger shuttle launch and the return of her big sister, Bridget, as she struggles to be understood by her new foster family. I was a 4th grader when The Challenger Disaster happened and vividly remember watching it happen live on tv, so I am really interested to see how that plays out in this book. Another debut to look for early this summer is All of Me by Chris Baron - a novel in verse about a 13 year old boy who is dealing with a big move, struggles in his parents’ marriage, and his own body image issues. So… if you are a close listener, you have probably figured out that I’m a sucker for books involving baking or cooking. Maybe that’s why Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca just leapt out at me when I stumbled across it last month. This is a contemporary-fantasy retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream about an 11 year old Indian American girl whose father is a food writer and whose mother is a successful businesswoman. But when she adds some rather…. unusual (and maybe magical?) ingredients to her baking, things get out of hand. So look for that one on June 4th. And if your kids are looking for a fun spooky read this summer, Ollie Oxley and the Ghost comes out on June 18th and looks really cute. It’s about a boy who moves to California and ends up becoming friends with a ghost from the Gold Rush era. Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega is another paranormal middle grade coming this September and it’s described as Coco meets Stranger Things. So, uh… yeah...gimme that for sure! Also coming out this September is The Light in the Lake by Sarah Baughman - a book about a young girl who finds herself caught between her love of science and her late twin brother's belief in magic. Sequels and Favorite Series This January 29th we’re getting two awesome books: a 4th in the Crime Biters series - Fangs for Everything AND I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 by Lauren Tarshis. And watching out for another I Survived book in September called I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919. Also in 2019 we are getting not one but TWO new Babysitting Nightmares books! The Phantom Hour this January 29th and The Twilight Curse on August 20th. February 5th brings another Stick Dog book - Stick Dog Gets the Tacos AND the third Frazzled book by Booki Vivat! This one is called Minor Incidents and Absolute Uncertainties. I just love her titles! In late February kids will be getting book 4 in the DC Comics Secret Hero Society - Science Fair Crisis! Lion Down by Stuart Gibb is out on February 26th. The second in his FunJungle series and the follow up to Panda-monium.) In March comes book five in The School for Good & Evil series: A Crystal of Time , a new Emily Windsnap novel called Emily Windsnap and The Pirate Prince, and another in the Fairy Tale Reform School series called Wished. In March we also get a seventh Jedi Academy Book called Revenge of the Sis. This one starts a new storyline and is written by Amy Ignatow with Jarret Krosoczka illustrating. And an as yet untitled 8th Jedi Academy novel is scheduled for September 2019. AND I’m really excited for the third BAT book: Bat and the End of Everything by Elana K. Arnold. My daughter’s 4th grade class read the first book and they - of course! - fell hard for this series! Jeff Kinney fans will be excited about Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid - a book told from Rowley’s point of view that is out this April. And that month also brings us another Unicorn Rescue Society novel - The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande. And my 9 year old is going to be thrilled when I tell her that Katherine Applegate’s sequel to The Endling is coming out May 7th. It’s called Endling: The First and is already in my cart. The second book in Laura Ruby’s York series - The Clockwork Ghost is also headed our way this May and so is Another Fenway & Hattie book - In the Wild! Natalie Lloyd’s sequel to The Problim Children - Carnival Catastrophe is due to be out June 25th. And not quite a sequel but more of a spin-off, is Dough Boys by Paula Chase - author of 2018’s So Done. Characters Simp and Rollie are the leads in this novel told in two voices. Also - Karina Yan Glaser’s third Vanderbeekers novel is coming this September - The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue! And finally - just announced this morning - is Kate DiCamillo’s new novel coming September 24th - Beverly, Right Here. And if you guessed that this is the Beverly from Raymie Nightingale - then you are correct! So now each of the three girls will have their own novel. By the way - if you haven’t seen it yet, the cover by Amy June Bates is stunning!! 2019 New Releases from Established Authors First up here is the book I am devouring right now - The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart which just came out on January 8th. And oh…. does this book live up to its hype! Brace yourself to hear lots more about this one later! Also out this January is a book my friend Sandy has been raving about - The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, U.S.A by Coretta Scott King honor nominee Brenda Woods. So I definitely need to add that one to my TBR list. This January readers will get a new Gordon Korman novel - Unteachables AND a new Andrew Clements novel - The Friendship War. January also brings us the first book in the really incredible Rick Riordan Presents Imprint - Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee. This is a space opera about thirteen-year-old Min, who comes from a long line of fox spirits. (By the way - if you have kids who love Rick Riordan’s novels or who love adventure books with a dash of humor and myth - then check out his Imprint site. I’ll include a link in the show notes so you can check them all out. From those lucky enough to read advanced copies, I haven’t heard anything but praise.) Pink Hair and Other Terrible Ideas by Andrea Pyros is one to watch out for this February. And another upper middle grade February release that caught my attention is a joint novel told in letters by Counting by 7s author Holly Goldberg Sloan and The Interestings author Meg Wolitzer. It’s called To Night Owl from Dogfish and it’s about two very different 12 year-old girls named Averie and Bett who are sent off to the same sleepaway camp in order to bond after their single dads fall in love with each other. February also bring us another novel by Anne Urso (author of the critically acclaimed The Real Boy) This novel, The Lost Girl, is about identical twins Lark and Iris. On March 5th we get another Lisa Graff novel called Far Away about a girl, CJ, whose aunt is a psychic medium who claims that she carries messages from the dead. And I’m really psyched for We’re Not From Here by Tapper Twins author Geoff Rodkey. This novel is also out March 5th and is about refugees from planet Earth who need to find a new home on a faraway planet. I had the opportunity to read an ARC of this one and it’s quirky and hilarious… and timely. Definitely add this one to your pre orders. March also brings us another Rick Riordan Present’s book called Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez. I’ve been hearing lots of great buzz about this one, so I’ll definitely need to pre-order a copy. On March 19th we get a new Kevin Henkes novel called Sweeping Up the Heart and this one is the story of the spring break that changes seventh-grader Amelia Albright’s life forever. In late March Natalie Lloyd fans will be treated to Over the Moon - a story about twelve-year-old Mallie who lives in a mining town where boys leave school at 12 to work in the mines, and girls leave to work as servants for the wealthy. But of course with that quintessentially Lloyd magic interwoven. And another Cynthia Lord book is coming out this March! She is the author of Rules and A Handful of Stars. This one is titled Because of the Rabbit and is about a young girl who starts public school for the first time after being homeschooled. Where the Heart Is by Jo Knowles is coming out April 2nd and a really interesting looking book called Summer of a Thousand Pies by Margaret Dilloway will be released April 16th. It’s about a girl who has to save her aunt’s pie shop. I think this one would be a winner for kids who enjoy shows like The Great British Baking Show. In early May, we get to read Lynda Mullaly Hunt’s next novel, Shouting at the Rain about a girl named Delsie who lives with her grandmother, loves tracking weather, and who starts to wish for a more “regular” family and life. You can’t go wrong with the author of Fish in a Tree and One for the Murphys so… just pop this one in your cart now! And another novel that is getting all kinds of early buzz is the latest from K.A. Reynolds called Spinner of Dreams. It’s being called “inventive, empathetic, and strange in all the best ways.” Plus - it has a really otherworldly cover that I just want to stare at... And finally - I know you all have heard me rave about this one before - but Barbara Dee’s Maybe He Just Likes You is going to be AMAZING! My students and I got the chance to read the first chapter and we were all already hooked. But let me give you a little taste from the teaser: “For seventh grader Mila, it starts with an unwanted hug on the school blacktop. The next day, it’s another hug. A smirk. Comments. It all feels…weird. According to her friend Zara, Mila is being immature, overreacting. Doesn’t she know what flirting looks like? They don’t understand why Mila is making such a big deal about the boys’ attention. When Mila is finally pushed too far, she realizes she can’t battle this on her own–and finds help in some unexpected places.” I can’t WAIT!! Phew!! Alright - I am both energized and - I gotta be honest - a little daunted! But - I am reminding myself and I hope you’ll remember too that it’s not about a mad dash to read all of these books. But to give you a taste of what’s to come so you can match readers with books they might like and get them excited about new releases. I hope you have a wonderful year reading and I would love to know - what are the books that you and your students are most looking forward to in 2019? You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or jump into the conversation on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between. Closing Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can find an outline of interviews and a full transcript of all the other parts of our show at MGBookVillage.org. And, if you have an extra minute this week, reviews on iTunes or Stitcher are much appreciated. Books Between is a proud member of the Lady Pod Squad and the Education Podcast Network. This network features podcasts for educators, created by educators. For more great content visit edupodcastnetwork.com Talk with you soon! Bye!
Elana K. Arnold, author of YA books Damsel, What Girls Are Made Of, Infandous, and Middle Grade series A Boy Called Bat, and many more, talks about working until the book feels worthy, reusing structure, and uncovering a deep well of rage in her writing. Elana K. Arnold Show Notes 2.0 Elana’s first First Draft interview His Dark Materials books by Philip Pullman Martha Brockenbrough, author of Unpresidented An Ordinary Day by Elana K. Arnold (picture book coming out next year)
Årets siste episode blir selvsagt viet jula som er rett rundt hjørnet. Vi har funnet frem noen høydepunkt fra årets lesing som vi tror kan glede mange andre også! Bøkene er allikevel litt utenom allfarvei og gode å ta til om du ønsker å unngå at den du gir gave til får 3 like av høstens store bestselger. Hovedbøker: Til ungdommen Det jenter er lagd av av Elana K. Arnold, oversatt av Vibeke Saugestad (Tine) Den historieinteresserte Hvitekrist av Tore Skeie (Linda) Romanleseren Convenience Store Woman av Sayaka Murata, oversatt til engelsk av Ginny Tapley Takemori (Nora) Barnebarnet Snokeboka : En forbløffende ballade om alt det folk kan skjule bak en kjedelig fasade av Lisa Aisato (T) Den samfunnsengasjerte Du som er i himmelen av Alf Kjetil Walgermo (N) Mot normalt av Bjørn Hatterud (N) På Samlagets nettside kan du lese om alle titlene i Norsk røyndom. Bøker nevnt: Medici av Mary Hollingsworth (L) Vegeterianeren av Han Kang, oversatt av Vivian Evelina Øverås (L) - Leserne er Nora Nordskar Hoel, Linda Aarvik & Tine Waag Fjeldstad. Produsert av Einar Stabenfeldt. Foto: Linda Aarvik - www.bokstabelen.com facebook.com/bokstabelen Instagram: @bokstabelen #bokstabelen
Tami Goveia talks with Elana Arnold about her book, "Damsel." A dark, twisted, unforgettable fairy tale from Elana K. Arnold, author of the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: When the king dies, his son the prince must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been. When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by [...] The post Elana Arnold discusses “Damsel” | Book Circle Online appeared first on Book Circle Online.
Tami Goveia talks with Elana Arnold about her book, "Damsel." A dark, twisted, unforgettable fairy tale from Elana K. Arnold, author of the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: When the king dies, his son the prince must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been. When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon or what horrors she faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome young man, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny of sitting on a throne beside him. It’s all like a dream, like something from a fairy tale. As Ama follows Emory to the kingdom of Harding, however, she discovers that not all is as it seems. There is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows, and the greatest threats may not be behind her, but around her, now, and closing in.
Ever feel lost in a patriarchal wilderness where "boys will be boys," but girls must be ladies? Then do we have a field guide for you! In a special behind-the-book episode, Cristen and Caroline sit down with senior producer Abigail to get up close ’n’ personal about the inspo, info and illustrations packed inside Unladylike: A Field Guide to Smashing the Patriarchy & Claiming Your Space. Hear exclusive bonus episodes of Unladylike on Stitcher Premium! Use promo code "UNLADYLIKE" at stitcher.com/premium for a free month trial. Unladylike: A Field Guide to Smashing the Patriarchy and Claiming Your Space is available now, wherever books and audiobooks are sold. Follow Unladylike on social @unladylikemedia. Subscribe to our newsletter at unladylike.co/newsletter. This episode is brought to you by Tommy John [tommyjohn.com/unladylike], Helix Sleep [helixsleep.com/unladylike], Daily Harvest [www.daily-harvest.com with code UNLADYLIKE], Damsel by Elana K. Arnold [epicreads.com] and I Feel Bad [on NBC Oct 4].
Ever feel lost in a patriarchal wilderness where "boys will be boys," but girls must be ladies? Then do we have a field guide for you! In a special behind-the-book episode, Cristen and Caroline sit down with senior producer Abigail to get up close ’n’ personal about the inspo, info and illustrations packed inside Unladylike: A Field Guide to Smashing the Patriarchy & Claiming Your Space. Hear exclusive bonus episodes of Unladylike on Stitcher Premium! Use promo code "UNLADYLIKE" at stitcher.com/premium for a free month trial. Unladylike: A Field Guide to Smashing the Patriarchy and Claiming Your Space is available now, wherever books and audiobooks are sold. Follow Unladylike on social @unladylikemedia. Subscribe to our newsletter at unladylike.co/newsletter. This episode is brought to you by Tommy John [tommyjohn.com/unladylike], Helix Sleep [helixsleep.com/unladylike], Daily Harvest [www.daily-harvest.com with code UNLADYLIKE], Damsel by Elana K. Arnold [epicreads.com] and I Feel Bad [on NBC Oct 4]. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week I am joined by Mrs. Barb Gillman, a 3rd grade teacher at St. Margaret Mary School in Omaha, Nebraska. Barb shares with the audience her love for books especially children’s literature. For this podcast, she summarizes the following books that are fantastic to start the conversation about exceptional learners in the classroom: Wonder by R.J. Palacio, A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold, Dearest Children: A Message Inspired by Father Flanagan by Eli Hernandez, Stanley Will Probably Be Fine by Sally J. Pla, and Caleb and Kit by Beth Vrabel. For more information, about Barb, please follow her on Twitter @BarbInNebraska or email her at barb.gilman@gmail.com.
Join Christen and Stephanie as they discuss Elana K. Arnold's What Girls Are Made Of on this month's episode of Young Adult at Heart: Great YA Reads for All Ages.
Eric and Kelly talk about this year’s slate of Norton Award titles and titles of years past, then dig into the differences between YA and middle grade, explore authors who write in both categories, and top it all off by highlighting YA with younger teen protagonists. Sponsored by The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert and I Stop Somewhere by TE Carter. Shownotes The Astonishing Color of After by Emily XR Pan The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk The Norton Awards list Alice Mary Norton (Andre Norton) Exo by Fonda Lee The Art of Starving by Sam J Miller Want by Cindy Pon September Girls by Bennett Madison Bone Gap by Laura Ruby Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older Dirty Wings by Sarah McCarry Love is the Drug by Alaya Dawn Johnson Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by AS King Updraft by Fran Wilde Zeroboxer by Fonda Lee Fair Coin by Eugene Myers Seraphina by Rachel Hartman So Done by Paula Chase How To Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake Shug by Jenny Han A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold The Careful Undressing of Love by Corey Ann Haydu The Rules for Stealing Stars by Corey Ann Haydu The Someday Suitcase by Corey Ann Haydu The Girl in the Well is Me by Karen Rivers All That Was by Karen Rivers Forever or a Long Long Time by Caela Carter My Life With The Liars by Caela Carter The Crossover by Kwame Alexander Solo by Kwame Alexander Written In The Stars by Aisha Saeed Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed The Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdoch The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdoch Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds Patina by Jason Reynolds Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi Peas and Carrots by Tanita S. Davis A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck Confessions of a High School Disaster: Chloe Snow’s Diary by Emma Chastain Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson Maresi by Maria Turtschaninoff Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel Estrella’s Quinceanara by Malin Alegria The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe
Intro Hey everyone! This is Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love. I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a teacher, a mom of two daughters, and ridiculously excited about the new twinkle lights on my Christmas tree this year. Sometimes - you have to take joy in the small things. This is Episode #39 and today we are celebrating some of the best middle grade books published in 2017. And today’s episode is brought to you by WriteAbout.com - a writing community and publishing platform perfect for classrooms. If you are like me and are looking for an engaging and authentic way for your students to share their ideas with a wider audience, you are absolutely going to want to visit WriteAbout.com to check it out. Main Topic - The Top 20 Middle Grade Books of 2017 This year has been another strong reading year for me so far. I read a lot more picture books thanks to participating in #ClassroomBookaDay but I still kept up with my middle grade reads. And as I look at my book list and genre tracker, I notice I read fewer fantasy books compared to last year and way more graphic novels thanks to the CYBILS. And also my plans to boost my nonfiction reading... failed. So this is an all fiction list. And I decided to separate out the graphic novels this year since I read so many more of them so be on the lookout for another best of podcast very soon featuring just the middle grade graphic novels. So, last year at this time, I read 75 total books including 60 middle grade books with 31 of those published in in 2016. And my top three books last year were Booked, Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, and The Wild Robot as my favorite read last year. (You can find that list here.) This year (2017), as of December 20th - I have read 91 books, not including picture books. 79 of those were middle grade with 55 of those published in 2017. A quick word before I begin. Picking JUST 20 was excruciating. And they are not necessarily the most “literary”. I read some beautifully written books this year, ones that are bound to get some top awards, but these are the ones I felt were both well-written and had that special spark that would appeal to young readers. Even with that - I could easily share with you another 20 (or more!) fabulous books, but then we’d be here all night. Alright here we go - these are my Top 20 middle grade novels of 2017: This Is Just A Test by Madelyn Rosenberg & Wendy Shang This novel is about a boy named David who is preparing for his bar mitzvah while trying to please both his Chinese and Jewish grandmothers. (Not a small feat!) Oh - and building a nuclear fallout shelter just in case things get out of hand with the Soviets. I loved this book because of its warmth and humor AND because it’s set in 1984. And I am all about that 80s nostalgia lately. (If you want to hear more about this book, check out episode 28 to hear an interview with Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Shang.) Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker by Shelley Johannes This book is about zany (and flexible!) 3rd grader Beatrice whose first day of school plans get derailed when her best friend, Lenny, shows up to school NOT wearing the matching ninja outfit they both agreed on. AND Lenny shows up with a new friend. I loved this book for it’s playful language, fun orange-tinted illustrations, and Beatrice’s great attitude. And since I have my own ninja-clad wall-climbing 8 year old gal at home, I have a special place in my heart for Beatrice. Enginerds by Jarrett Lerner Speaking of playful books - what is not to love about a robot that blasts cubes out of its butt? But don’t be fooled by the humor - this is one smart book that celebrates the engineering spirit. It’s about a kid named Kennedy who discovers a mysterious box on his front step that assembles itself into a rather demanding robot. And Kennedy and the rest of his enginerd friends have to figure out how to contain this band of rogue robots who have escaped into their town. Last week I had the honor of chatting with Jarrett Lerner about Enginerds - and lots of other things - so watch for that episode in January! A Rambler Steals Home by Carter Higgins This debut middle grade book by Carter Higgins is about Derby Clark who, along with her dad and younger brother, travel around in their Rambler car, selling Christmas trees in the winter. And hot chocolate and gingersnaps and cinnamon sugar donuts out of an old concession stand trailer. In the summers, they make their home in Ridge Creek, Virginia where they set up their concession stand in the parking lot of a minor league baseball team. But this year when they arrive - Derby discovers that her minor league family is different - with mysteries to solve, people to help, and wrongs to make right. This is ones of those books with characters that stay in your heart - and for me, reading so so many books - it’s a rare find when they’re this memorable. A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold One of my great reading pleasures this year was getting to know the sweet and quirky Bixby Alexander Tam - or BAT for short. And I was excited to hear that there is at least one more book coming! In this first one, Bat’s mother, who is a Vet, brings home an orphaned baby skunk to take care of and all Bat can think about is how to find a way to prove his responsibility and get to keep him. This book is adorable and poignant and a great fit for younger middle grade readers. Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart This incredible adventure is like Lord of the Flies meets Holes with a hint of The Ethan I Was Before. It’s about a kid named Jonathan who has been sent to an island prison for kids for a crime he admits to committing but does not reveal until the end. On the island he encounters this tough group of 14 misfit boys - all imprisoned on this Alcatraz-type reformatory school for their crimes. Then suddenly, an incident occurs and the adults are all gone and the boys have to figure out what to do. If this one passed you by this year - definitely check it out! It’s got adventure and cool literary references and secret tunnels and oh it keeps you turning those pages!! Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk This is Lauren Wolk’s second novel after her 2017 Newbery Honor book Wolf Hollow. And oh is this a masterful follow up! And one of those books that had me constantly pausing to research the historical details referenced. Beyond the Bright Sea is about a young girl called Crow who as an infant washed ashore in an old boat on one of the Elizabeth Islands off the coast of Massachusetts. Other than the reclusive fisherman who is raising her, the other people on the island shun her because they think she came from Penikese Island - the nearby leper colony. When one night Crow spots a campfire on that supposedly abandoned island, she decides to find out for herself what answers that place may hold. This book enveloped me in that world and was full of surprises. Midnight Without a Moon by Linda Williams Jackson This incredible, important, and beautifully written historical fiction novel takes place in rural Mississippi in the summer of 1955 right after the brutal murder of Emmett Till. That event and its aftermath has shifted the world of the main character - Rose Lee Carter, her family, and her community. But this isn’t just a Civil Rights story but the story of young girl dealing with self-doubt and family complications, and trying to decide how to balance making a better life for herself and making a better world for everyone to live in. And in a society that is asking us all to make those same calculations and bringing to light prejudices that some thought were on their way out, this is must read to understand our country and ourselves. I’d probably recommend this one for maybe ages 12 and up or perhaps a little younger with the understanding that the n-word is used. So some readers might need some context for that - which would be a fantastic opportunity for much-needed conversation. And the sequel, A Sky Full of Stars, is coming out on January 2nd - a perfect time to read or reread the first book and have the second one ready to go! Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry This is a novel told in alternating chapters of prose and poetry. The poetry sections are told from the point of view of Calli who is smart, sensitive, and into astronomy. She also has Tourette syndrome (TS) and was advised by her doctor and mom to hide that fact from people. But since she’s just moved to Utah with her mom, Calli is in this stressful position of starting a new school and trying to mask her tics and noises. The other chapters are from the point of view of her classmate and neighbor Jinsong. He is the student body president and the two of them form a fragile friendship that seems like it might be doomed when his friends start to target her. I adored this book and I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by it’s cover (but we all do) - and Forget Me Not has such a gorgeous and meaningful cover. Kudos to Anna Booth for the cover design. Funny Girl edited by Betsy Bird This collection of short stories is truly laugh-out-loud hilarious. Every one is written by women and about experiences young girls in particular can relate to. But - the boys in my class are loving this book, too! It’s a great mix of personal narratives, poetry, comics, quizzes, and all kinds of cool formats. Some of my favorites are “One Hot Mess by Carmon Agra Deedy, “Bad Hair Day” by Kelly DiPucchio and “Brown Girl Pop Quiz” by Mitali Perkins. You really can’t go wrong with this book. And if you want to hear more about it, check out my interview with Betsy Bird on episode 32. Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan This is a lovely and heartfelt story about a Pakistani-American Muslim girl, Amina, who is trying to navigate the complicated tides of middle school friendship where old friends are changing and old adversaries might be changing, too. Amina also has to deal with her rather traditional and more religiously strict uncle visiting their family and figuring out for herself how to express her beliefs and culture and voice in a way that feels right to her. This was Hena Khan’s debut middle grade, and I’m excited to see what else she has in store for us. The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie This book has taken my class by storm! I read it in one weekend and loved how much it creeped me the heck out. Every sentence - every detail in that first chapter ratchets up the tension as Tessa arrives at her new (possible haunted?) home in Chicago where things start to disappear, and mysterious figures are drawn in her sketchpad, and her brother’s ventriloquist dummy is… acting strangely. And I haven’t even told you about the cemetery part yet!! If you have young kids who love a scary mystery - get this book in their hands! Patina by Jason Reynolds This is Book 2 in the Track series and the follow up to Ghost. Here we the story of Patina “Patty” Jones - one of the new and fastest kids on the Defenders Track team. A girl who is running away from a lot - the taunts of the girls at her fancy new school. But also a girl who is running for a lot - for her mom who lost her legs to diabetes and won’t ever run again. And those stresses can sometimes manifest themselves in what looks like a bad attitude toward others and her teammates. So of course, her coach challenges her to run the event that requires the most cooperation - the relay. It’s a rare sequel captures my heart as much as the first book but this one absolutely did it. And that first chapter about false starts and false finishes is one that has stayed on my mind a lot this year. Wishtree by Katherine Applegate Did we have any doubt that this book would be wonderful? I have loved seeing how much my students are enjoyed this story about a brave and wise tree named Red and its loyal band of oddly-named tenants. The more subtle themes of immigration and racism take some coaxing and explaining and rereading to bring forth for them, but the the ideas about friendship are at the forefront of their minds. In a time when we all could use a dose of empathy and hope, Wishtree is the book we need. The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez I really fell hard for this story about a Mexican-American girl reluctantly moving to Chicago with her mom and trying to both fit in and stand out and figure out who she is and what’s worth standing up for. Her fashion choices put her at odds with both her new school and her mother who wishes she could be more “senorita” and less punk rock. But the oh how I loved Malú and her parents and her friends, and I just wanted to go hang out with them in Chicago coffee shops and record stores. And the many zine sections in this book add a uniqueness that makes this book really stand out. (If you want to hear more about The First Rule of Punk, check out episode 33 to hear an interview with Celia.) Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling This is a book that I came a little late to but when just about every single one of my middle grade Twitter friends are raving about a book, you know it’s something special. And they were right! And I’ll be honest with you - the moment I was sold on this book was the moment I took off the cover and saw the glorious undies - the cover underneath. But - I should tell you about the plot, too - right? This is a mystery centered around Aven - a girl with a fabulous (and sorta sick) sense of humor who likes to tell people that she lost her arms in a wildfire or an alligator attack. In reality, she was born without them and due to her adoptive parents’ vigilance - she can do just about anything that any other kid can do. But - when they all move so her parents can take over running the Stagecoach Pass theme park, Aven has to start a new school and deal with all that entails. Along the way, she meets a couple other “outcasts” who help her start to solve a major mystery at Stagecoach Pass. I loved this book because of how funny it was and how much research the author did to tell Aven’s story. Ban This Book by Alan Gratz I wish I had the guts that this main character has. But - she doesn’t start off so confident. Amy Anne is a shy, sweet fourth grader who loves the library, who loves to read, and who loves From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. It’s her favorite book - and one of my childhood favorites, too. But - when her favorite is banned from the school library - along with more and more books, she forms a secret banned book library that she runs out of her locker. Until…. well, I won’t tell you but it’s fantastic! With twists along the way, references to so many other books, and a special (cameo?) by Dav Pilkey who visits her school. Please get this book and has a great message that might be different than what you think. Posted by John David Anderson As I’ve mentioned before, when you get a new book by an author whose previous work blew you away (Ms. Bixby’s Last Day), you’re almost expecting to be let down.But Posted is incredible. It’s the story of four middle school friends whose equilibrium is shifted when two things happen. One - a new girl comes to school (Rose) and some of them want her in their group and some don’t. Two - cell phones have been banned due to a recent ‘incident” and one of the four main friends, DeeDee, inadvertently starts a trend of posting sticky notes on lockers to communicate instead. Those two catalysts jump start this series of events that lead to a bike. And a hill. And a post-it. And so much more that threatens to fracture their friendship forever. I loved this book and how the author structured it - how it brought forward past information in a flashback but then withheld the next step and then brought everything together at the end. It just was so well crafted. Refugee by Alan Gratz This book was the most powerful, most emotional I read all year. And I’ll admit that it left me a bit of a mess, and there were times I needed to pause. But how Alan Gratz braided the three stories of Josef and Isobel and Mahmoud together was brilliant and beautiful and raw. Bringing forward one strand and then another and another, binding them together. The three stories are - Josef a young Jewish boy, who is traveling with his family from 1930s Germany to Cuba on the infamous ship called the St. Louis. Then there is Isobel and her family who are traveling on a tiny makeshift raft from 1980s Cuba to Florida. And finally Mahmoud and his family who are making their way from war-torn Syria in 2015 to Austria. Since I read this book last summer, there hasn’t been a day that’s gone by where I haven’t thought of the courage and resilience of these characters and their brave parents in the face of the harshest realities. And… you know, it’s easy to be judgemental when reading about tragedies from the past, thinking to yourself, “Well, I would have done things differently - I would have stood up for those refugees.” We often talk about books that encourage empathy - well, to me, this book helped me move beyond just empathy to some action. And if you’re looking to do more as well, please read Gratz’s suggestions at the end of the book about how you can help refugees around the world today. And I’ll link to those resources in the show notes if you want to check those out as well. (Alan recommends donating to UNICEF and Save the Children.) Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder If you have spent any time with me over the past year, you have heard about this book. And if you’ve read it, I’ve probably cornered you for a long conversation to compare theories. And because I can’t stop thinking about it and talking about, and dwelling in the glorious uncertainty of it - my favorite book of 2017 is Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder! On this mysterious eden-like island there live nine children - no more and no less. And every year when the green boat arrives bearing a new young arrival, the eldest child goes. This year, Jinny is now the Eldest and charged with teaching her young Care, Ess, all the rules she needs to follow to survive on the island and maintain that balance. But… but. This is a beautiful and compelling novel about goodbyes and childhood and innocence, and so so much more. I was really honored have the chance to chat with Laurel Snyder on the podcast last May when this book was released and if you want in on that conversation, take a listen to episode 25. Alright there it is. And this list, just like any other, is flawed. It reflects my own preferences and biases and I know there is just no possible way that I could read all the fabulousness in middle grade that was published in 2017. So there will be some of your favorites that I missed. In fact, one of my loves of last year - The Girl Who Drank the Moon - you know, the winner of the Newbery - wasn’t even on my 2016 list. Because I didn’t finish it until after the episode aired. Right now, I am almost finished with The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish and the audio version of Jack Cheng’s See You in the Cosmos and both are turning out to be incredible! So a quick shout out to some 2017 middle grade releases that are on my To Be Read list: Top Want to Read Books from 2017 The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Bradley (but first I need to read The War Saved My Life) Me and Marvin Gardens by A.S. King Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams Garcia Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla Annnd…. lots more that I know I’m missing! So - I want to hear from YOU - what were your favorite 2017 reads and which ones should I prioritize in the new year? You can drop me an email at booksbetween@gmail.com or connect with me on Twitter or Instagram with the handle @Books_Between. Closing Alright, that’s a wrap! Look for our next episode featuring the top middle grade graphic novels of 2017. And, If you have a question about how to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love or an idea about a topic we should cover, I really would love to hear from you. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between. Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can get a full transcript of this show and all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com. And, if you are liking the show, please leave us some love on iTunes or Stitcher. And thanks again to WriteAbout.com for supporting the podcast this month - if you head over to their website you’ll find awesome ideas to get your students writing this year. Thanks and see you soon! Bye!
Elana K. Arnold (@ElanaKArnold) and Charles Santoso (@minitreehouse), author and illustrator, respectively, of A Boy Called Bat, stop by the podcast to talk about respecting the people whose lives you borrow from, feeling like autism is always in the foreground when talking about neurodiversity, and creating a book with a whole lot of heart.
Intro Hi and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect middle grade kids to books they’ll love. I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a 5th grade teacher, a mom of two daughters, and happy to be DONE with 2016 and onward to 2017! Typically we have a New Year’s Eve party at our house - last year was a disco theme - but this time my kids were not feeling so great and instead we had a quiet night. I set up my new bullet journal with my reading goals, played canasta with my kids, crocheted, and just cuddling on the couch under the heating blanket. I know - NOT a very cool New Year’s Eve celebration. But - it was wonderful and I hope yours was as well. So - hello to 2017! This is Episode #14 and today we are discussing some fun reading challenge ideas to kick off your new year, the most anticipated middle grade books coming out in 2017, and I’ll answer a question about what books to recommend for a 5th grader who has a high school reading level. Main Topic - Reading Challenges for the New Year One of the best things about the New Year is the reset that happens when December flips over into January and you have a full twelve months laid out in front of you with all the possibilities in the world! You’re past the indulgences of the holidays and ready to refocus, make some resolutions, build better habits, and set some goals. So today I’m going to talk about a few fun ideas for reading challenges this year that can help you connect with your community, keep you motivated, and maybe spur you to stretch yourself as a reader in 2017. Now our conversation today is geared toward personal reading goals for you, but these same ideas can be shared with the students and the children in your life. And as the lead reader in your library or classroom or home, sharing your own reading goals shows that you take your reading life seriously and that we’re all in this reading community together. I know that my first day back with my class, I’ll be sharing my Reading Challenge list with my students and helping them set up their own. So - if you are thinking about doing a reading challenge this year, here are a few ideas for you: Challenge Idea #1 - Set a number goal. Maybe that’s forty books or sixty books or a hundred books! Something that’s a bit of a stretch but still doable for you. Last year, I participated in the #SixtyBooks Challenge - I happened to see the hashtag last January and I thought, “I can do that!” And it’s been fantastic. One thing that kept me motivated was connecting to others doing the same challenge on Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads. So - if you decide to do any kind of challenge, connecting with other readers through social media helps keep you stay excited about it through the year. And if you want to join me this year, just check out #SixtyBooks and we can support each other! Challenge Idea #2 - Set a goal based on type of book. These can be found all over the internet this time of year. They are usually focused on adult books but you can easily read middle grade books within those categories and maybe make just a couple adjustments. A really great one is Book Riot’s yearly Read Harder Challenge which this year features tasks like read a debut novel, read a travel memoir, read a superhero comic with a female lead, or read a book by an immigrant or with a central immigration narrative. Those last two are definitely going on my list. I’ll leave a link to that in the show notes and what’s nice about the Book Riot challenge is that they have suggestions for each category, a Goodreads group, and in-person meetups throughout the year. Another Reading Challenge that my friend Emily told me about is the one from PopSugar. They feature 40 book categories with this year’s theme of diversifying and expanding your reading - love it! Some of their reading prompts are a book involving a mythical creature, a book recommended by a librarian (I love that one), a book by or about a person who has a disability, a book with a main character who is a different ethnicity than you, and some fun ones like a book with a red spine or a book set in a hotel. PopSugar also has an extra twenty prompts for those hardcore readers who finish early. They also have a Goodreads group and printable lists, and I’ll link to their site too so you can check that out. Another 2017 Reading Challenge that I discovered last week is one hosted by a site called Modern Mrs. Darcy. (Now - already with that name - I’m in!) What I really like about this challenge is that there are two paths you can follow: Reading for Fun or Reading for Growth. Each have just 12 tasks so they are doable and you might even have time to do both! On the Reading for Fun list are topics like a juicy memoir, a book you chose for the cover, and a book by a new favorite author. Those all sound comfy and great. On the other hand, if you want to stretch yourself and go for the Reading for Growth path there are options like a book that addresses current events, a book by an #ownvoices or #diversebooks author, or a Newbery Award winner or Honor book. That all sounds exactly what I need this year. Challenge Idea #3 - Create a Reading Time Capsule for the year. I wish I could remember where I saw this so I could give them proper credit, but this idea is similar to the practice of families jotting down happy memories throughout the year and tucking them into a jar to read on New Year’s Eve. This idea is to jot down favorite quotes and inspiring ideas from the books you’ve read throughout the year. I’m thinking that a nice adaptation would be instead of putting it in a jar, write it down in a journal or if you want to go more 21st century - challenge yourself to post on social media one inspiring quote or idea about every book you’ve read this year. And that could also make a very cool classroom project. Challenge Idea #4 - Do a Library Crawl! Unlike a pub crawl, which is typically done in one night and you can’t bring your kids. Or well, you really shouldn’t bring your kids. A Library Crawl can span the whole year, the summer, or maybe just Spring Break. And it’s way better when you bring your kids! Basically you challenge yourself to visit a set number of libraries in a set amount of time. Last summer, I was looking for some inexpensive things to do with my girls that would be fun, educational, and get us all out of the house and away from the electronics. So we challenged ourselves to visit 16 libraries during the summer of 2016. And we almost made it! I have a lot more to share with you about Library Crawls, how to do them, some fun ideas, and the unexpected benefits that I think I need to do a whole episode on it. Challenge Idea #5 - Little Free Library Challenge. Oh how I love Little Free Libraries! They are popping up all over my community, my friends are all getting them, my school is putting one up this spring, and that is our family summer project. There are a couple ways you could go about doing a Little Free Library Challenge. One idea is to simply visit as many as you can this year and maybe document your travels on social media. If you go to the Little Free Library website, you can find listings of all your local registered libraries shown right on a map. If you wanted to extend that into a Pay it Forward challenge, you could donate one book to each Little Free Library you visit. Challenge Idea #6 - Design Your Own Reading Challenge! Think of it as a 2017 Choose-Your-Own-Reading-Adventure. Take the best ideas of the options out there and create something for yourself. And these ideas are easy to layer. So you can set a number goal, participate in say, the Book Riot challenge or pick your own categories to read from the options you like, and maybe pick up those books while you do your library crawl. Whatever you decide, get your kids and students involved, too and I’d love to see what you’ve got planned for the year! You can send me an email at booksbetween@gmail.com or connect on Twitter or Instagram with the handle @Books_Between. Book Talk - Most Anticipated Middle Grade Books of 2017 In this segment, I share with you a few books centered around a theme. This week I’m highlighting some of the most anticipated books of the upcoming year. Some are new books in favorites series. Some are by favorite authors. Some are by debut authors. And some just sound fantastic! So, get ready to add to your wish list. And just a reminder - that you can find every book mentioned here AND a picture of the covers AND a link to pre-order them right through the Books Between Podcast link at AlltheWonders.com. So, no need to scurry and write things down. I’ve got your back, I know you’re busy, so it’s all right there for you. One quick note before I start - publication dates do change, so while I’ve mentioned the month each book is expected to release - things sometimes change. All right - let’s get to it! http://www.readbrightly.com/middle-grade-books-2017/ https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/74235.Middle_Grade_Novels_of_2017 Coming in January… Scar Island - a new action adventure by Dan Gemeinhart. So if you liked his other novels The Honest Truth or Some Kind of Courage (which I know you did!) , definitely get this one. A new Jerry Spinelli novel - The Warden’s Daughter. It’s set in 1959 Pennsylvania and oh it looks fantastic! Also in January, we’ll get the third Terrible Twos book - The Terrible Two Go Wild by Mac Barnett & Jory John. And the second Audacity Jones Book - Audacity Jones Steals the Show. AND another Victoria Coe Fenway & Hattie book - the Evil Bunny Gang! If you were a fan of Counting by 7s, like I am - then look for Holly Sloan’s new novel called Short - it’s about a small-for-her-age girl who gets cast as a Munchkin in a production of The Wizard of Oz. So fans of Oz will have something to love in this book, too! One book I’ve been really looking forward to this year is the short story collection put together in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. It’s called Flying Lessons & Other Stories and features authors like Grace Lin, Matt de la Pena, Jacqueline Woodson and so many others. If you’re like me, and part of your Reading Challenge this year is to read more nonfiction and to read more diversely, then there’s two books to look for this January Pathfinders: The Journeys of 16 Extraordinary Black Souls by Tonya Bolden Loving vs. Virginia by Patricia Powell. It’s the story of the civil rights case set up as a novel in verse. That should be amazing. Coming in February … This time I’ll start with nonfiction: We have Bats: Learning to Fly - the newest volume in the nonfiction graphic novel series called Science Comics. Then we have Kwame Alexander’s latest called The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life. A great nonfiction pairing for fans of Booked and The Crossover. Also in February, the highly anticipated Judd Winnick graphic novel Hilo 3 - huzzah! And the debut middle grade novel by picture book author and All the Wonders friend Carter Higgins. It’s called A Rambler Steals Home and it’s about baseball, and family, and friendship, and sweet potato fries - it’s incredible - you absolutely need to get this one! In fact, if you preorder A Rambler Steals Home from the Once Upon a Time Bookstore, Carter has offered to sign it for you before they ship it out to you. It’s a win-win-win! You get a signed copy of an awesome book, you support an independent bookstore, and you support an author you know and love. So, I’ll include that link in the show notes for you. In March, there are four books I am really looking forward to: Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse by Tamera Wissinger, which is the companion book to the 2015 book Gone Fishing. Forget Me Not by debut middle grade author Ellie Terry featuring a science-loving main character, Calliope, who has Tourette syndrome. A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold This one is about a kid who ends up caring for a baby skunk and tried to convince his mom to let him keep it. What could go wrong? And - we get a new Nathan Hale book this year! It’s not a Hazardous Tale’s book. In fact, it’s almost the opposite of that. It’s set in the future and Earth is being attacked by aliens who suck up the energy from electrical devices leaving our civilization under threat. And there’s a robot pony. It’s so different from Hale’s work that I’m familiar with, but it looks original and fresh and amazing and I can’t wait to read it. In April we have: The first book in a new mystery series by Adrienne Kress called The Explorers: The Door in the Alley. My students are really loving mysteries this year so this will make a great addition to my classroom library. Tito the Bonecrusher by Melissa Thomson. This is the story of a boy who seeks out the help of his favorite lucha-libre wrestler / action star to save his father from being deported to Mexico. That sounds fantastic and funny and... timely! May is going to be a stellar month for reading: Georgia Rules by Swing Sideways author Nanci Steveson And a new Lisa Graff novel called The Great Treehouse War. So if you liked Absolutely Almost or Lost in the Sun, look for this one this spring. A new Gordon Korman stand-alone novel called Restart about boy who was a bully who loses his memory and gets a fresh start. What an interesting premise! Another May release that I am so so excited about is Posted by Ms. Bixby’s Last Day author, John David Anderson. I loved Ms. Bixby so much - I can’t wait to see what Anderson has in store for us next! Then there’s a nonfiction book about Hamilton! It’s called Alexander Hamilton: How the Vision of One Man Shaped Modern America by Teri Kanefield And finally - mark your calendars and pre-order Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder because this book has been getting all the buzz. This novel keeps popping up everywhere I look! In June we have: A 6th Ranger in Time book called Escape from the Great Earthquake The third book in Phil Bildner’s Rip & Red series! This one is called Tournament of Champions. My students are going to psyched about this one! And a second book from A Distance to Home author Jenn Bishop called 14 Hollow Road. It’s about a 6th grade girl whose town is torn apart by a tornado and her family ends up living with the family of her crush, Avery, after both their houses are destroyed. A fun book in a new non-fiction series called Two Truths and a Lie: It's Alive! So, basically the reader is presented with three stories about the natural world and you have to guess which one is the lie. Sounds fun - and good practice for life. It’s a good thing I have July off from school, because there are some seriously awesome books being released that month: Including a new Comics Squad! Comics Squad #3: Detention I love these! They’re fun, they’re quick, and they introduce kids to new writers. Another book to look forward to in July is Our Story Begins : Children’s Authors and Illustrators Share Fun, Inspiring, and Occasionally Ridiculous Things They Wrote and Drew as Kids Oh - now that should be good! And also in July, we’ll get Spirit Hunters - the first middle grade novel by Ellen Oh - this one is the first of a new ghost story series. Can’t wait for that! And - I am also excited for July because that’s when Abby Cooper’s second novel, Bubbles, comes out! In this one, the main character can see other people’s thoughts. Oh god - can you imagine? August August is going to be fabulous because we get a new Cassie Beasley book. If you liked Circus Mirandus, her new novel is called Tumble & Blue and it’s about a curse, a swamp, and a golden alligator. So after August, publication dates get a little hazy. BUT - I hear there’s a new Katherine Applegate book coming called Wishtree. Also - there’s a fourth Al Capone at Alcatraz book coming out in the fall called Al Capone Does My Dishes. And the Rick Riordon’s third Magnus Chase book: The Ship of the Dead . And the third Mr. Lemoncello's Library - the Great Library Race And of course - I’ll keep you posted about all the amazing books headed our way so we can stay up to date. Those were some upcoming titles to look forward to in 2017. But. If I had to guess - the one book that you fall in love with this year, that one new book that your kids can’t put down. Is one that isn’t on this list and isn’t even on your radar right now. Most of my favorites of last year, I wasn’t even aware of them this early. And that’s exciting! There is so much to look forward to! Q & A Our final segment this week is Question & Answer time. Question: After sharing our Top 20 Middle Grade Books of 2016 list last week, I got this question from Jane: “Do you have an idea what book to get a 10-yr-old boy who reads on a 12th grade level?” And she added, “He is currently into the Warriors series.” Answer: That can be a tough situation. He CAN read Young Adult or Adult books, but you’ve got to be careful of the content, which might not be okay for a 5th grader. A quick example / horror story about that: when I used to teach 6th grade in a middle school, one of the reading assessments we gave was a computer program that would determine a reading level and would then print out a recommended list of titles for each kid. Sounds great, right? Well. I noticed that the kids who scored the highest were being recommended A CLOCKWORK ORANGE! I never ripped a piece of paper out of kid’s hand so fast! (Can you imagine if that went home?) So - anyway - just because the reading level is a good match, does not mean the book is a good fit. But - there are lots of middle grade books that have a higher reading level. And if he likes Fantasy, then there are some great books that I think he’ll like. I might try the Wings of Fire series. It has some similarities to Warriors - there are clans and battles and shifting alliances - but it’s dragons instead of cats. He might really like The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz or maybe The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin or even The Lord of The Rings which is more “high” fantasy. Another option that a friend recommended is The Riverman Trilogy by Aaron Starmer. So, Jane - let us know how things go and if you’ve found something that hits the mark. Closing Alright, that’s it for the Q&A section this week. If you have a question about how to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love or an idea about a topic we should cover, I really would love to hear from you. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between. Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can get a full transcript of this show and all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com. And when you are there, check out Matthew’s interview with Cozy Classics creators Jack and Holman Wang. I cannot stop reading and rereading these adorable little board books. And, if you are liking our show, I’d love it if you took a second to leave a rating or review on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks, Happy New Year, and see you in two weeks! Bye!
Some past and future First Draft interviewees share their stories about voting, how their characters would vote, love of stickers, and one story of a jujutsu-master suffragette! Special Election Podcast Show Notes Morgan Matson, author of THE UNEXPECTED EVERYTHING, AMY AND ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR, and more (listen to her First Draft interview here) Elana K. Arnold, author of INFANDOUS, FAR FROM FAIR, the forthcoming WHAT GIRLS ARE MADE OF, and more (listen to her First Draft interview here) Sabaa Tahir, author of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES and A TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT Mackenzi Lee, author of THIS MONSTROUS THING and THE GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE (listen to her First Draft interview here) Brandy Colbert, author of POINTE and the forthcoming LITTLE AND LION (listen to her First Draft interview here) Cat Winters, author of IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS, THE CURE FOR DREAMING, and THE UNINVITED, and more (listen to her First Draft interview here) Somaiya Daud, author of the forthcoming MIRAGE (listen to her First Draft interview here) Amy Plum, author of the DIE FOR ME series, the AFTER THE END series, and the forthcoming DREAMFALL (listen to her First Draft interview here) Marie Lu, author of the LEGEND series, the YOUNG ELITES trilogy (listen to her First Draft interview here) Maurene Goo, author of SINCE YOU ASKED and the forthcoming I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE (listen to her First Draft interview here) Claire Legrand, author of THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, SOME KIND OF HAPPINESS, and FOXHEART, and more (listen to her First Draft interview here) Amy Lukavics, author of DAUGHTERS UNTO DEVILS, THE WOMEN IN THE WALLS, and the forthcoming THE RAVENOUS (listen to her First Draft interview here) Lance Rubin, author of DENTON LITTLE'S DEATHDATE and DENTON LITTLE'S STILL NOT DEAD (listen to his First Draft interview here) Samantha Mabry, author of A FIERCE AND SUBTLE POISON and the forthcoming THE REAL MARVELOUS (listen to her First Draft interview here) Natalie C. Parker, author of the BEWARE THE WILD series and editor of the forthcoming anthology TRIANGLES: THE POINTS OF LOVE ANTHOLOGY Elissa Sussman, author of STRAY and BURN (listen to her First Draft interview here) Kirsten Hubbard, author of RACE THE NIGHT (out today!), WATCH THE SKY, WANDERLOVE and LIKE MANDARIN (listen to her First Draft interview imminently!)
Talking to Elana K. Arnold (author of FAR FROM FAIR, out now!, as well as INFANDOUS and THE QUESTION OF MIRACLES) about literal and metaphysical skin suits, sex on the page, whether we write FOR teens or ABOUT teens, and middle grade as a happy place. Elana K. Arnold Show Notes Cheryl Strayed, “The Love of My Life,” TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS Sarah MCarry (listen to her First Draft interview here) Madonna Cyndi Lauper ROOM (and the movie) Mark Childress CRAZY IN ALABAMA Thelma & Louise (movie) SPLENDOR by Elana K. Arnold Squaw Valley Community of Writers STORY by Robert McKee TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer Cheryl Strayed’s letter to a young writer ("Write Like a Motherfucker") Aimee Bender Carrie Mesrobian Stephanie Kuehn (listen to her First Draft interview here) Andrew Karre (editor with Dutton Books for Young Readers) Rubin Pfeffer Neil Gaiman Paul Auster
The Ringmaster unveils his side of a two-part carnival sideshow: Baxter Melvin, a professional wrestling manager who just can't seem to catch a break one exhausting and strange Halloween evening... For the rest of the story, check out "Malnourished," presented by Dead Palette.Featuring the voices of (in order of appearance) Matt Benson, Marissa Marinello, Katie Patterson, Davis Arnold, Elana K. Arnold, Dead Palette, Emma Goddard, Matt Holley, Joe Adams and Kaela Berry; the voice of the Ringmaster is Xander Mobus.Opening theme by CaptainInsanity.Mixed and edited by David King.Written for Midnight Marinara by Dead Palette.
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
