Podcasts about hena khan

Send us a textHappy New Year! Raise a glass as we celebrate the vibrant world of children's literature, featuring insights from 12 amazing authors and illustrators who have been guests on the pod. Savor these excerpts about the power of storytelling, the importance of connection, and the elephant in the room -- standing up for and celebrating the freedom to read. Grace Lin (1:20) and Vanessa Brantley Newton (4:05) explore storytelling's impact and the transformative power of literature. Don't miss The Gate, The Girl, and The Dragon and Shake It Off .Trudy Ludwig (10:40) and Hena Khan (13:54) on Anxiety It's no secret that we live in an anxious post-pandemic world. Trudy and Hena share how they approach anxiety in Brave Every Day and Drawing Deena.Jason Chin (16:29), Candace Fleming (18:38), and Carole Boston Weatherford (22:25) on Curiosity, Context, and Nonfiction Storytelling Alicia D Williams (25:06) on Novels in Verse, Overcoming the Poetry Stigma, and Mid-AirConnection with Gayle Forman (32:25) and James Ponti (39:31) How can storytelling foster intergenerational dialogue and shared experiences? Don't miss Not Nothing and Sherlock Society.The Elephant in the Room: Beth Ferry (45:20) and Katherine Applegate (51:35) on the Freedom to Read We celebrate public libraries and the fight against censorship with Beth's Roar for Reading and Katherine's Wishtree.Links to Episodes:Grace Lin Vanessa Brantley Newton Trudy LudwigHena KhanJason ChinCandace FlemingCarole Boston WeatherfordAlicia D WilliamsGayle FormanJames PontiBeth FerryKatherine ApplegateSupport the showSubscribe & Follow: Stay updated with our latest episodes and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and the Adventures in Learning website. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! *Disclosure: I am a Bookshop.org. affiliate.

It's official. Two years in a row makes it a tradition. The Reading Culture Yearbook is here. It's the year end celebratory episode where we look back and highlight some of our favorite moments in the form of awarding superlatives. Or, as we dubbed them last year and seemingly forgot, “The Readies”.This year's edition features awards such as “Best [Not] Meet Cute”, the “Owning It Award”, the “Merriam-Webster Award” (alternatively titled “most likely to know more words than Merriam-Webster”), and “The Teen Whisperer Award”.And just like last year, we promise to make you laugh, and potentially cry depending on how quickly you reach for the tissues.***Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. Show ChaptersChapter 1 - Best Alter EgoChapter 2 - The Teen Whisperer AwardChapter 3 - Full Circle Moment Chapter 4 - Best [Not] Meet CuteChapter 5 - Citizen of the World AwardChapter 6 - Odd Couple AwardChapter 7 - The All In AwardChapter 8 - Most Moving Dream Chapter 9 - Best Life Lesson From LiteratureChapter 10 - Owning It Award Chapter 11 - Most Likely to Rewrite the Stars Chapter 12 - Merriam-Webster AwardChapter 13 - Best Dinner Party GameLinksThe Reading CultureThe Reading Culture Newsletter SignupFollow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Beanstack resources to build your community's reading cultureJordan Lloyd BookeyHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Fairfield Public Library's monthly podcast helps you find your next great read. Fairfield Public Library, Fairfield, CT fairfieldpubliclibrary.org    Podcast host: Philip Bahr, Head of Adult Services Guests: Tamara Lyhne, Head of Children's Services, Stefanie Bergstrom, Woods Branch Children's Librarian and Emily Muller, Children's Librarian Thanks to our podcast editor Emma Jane Kennely for making us sound great! This month's FPL staff picks: Tamara: Detective Beans: and the Case of the Missing Hat Hardcover by Li Chen This Land: The History of the Land We Are On by Ashley Fairbanks Looking forward to: Fairy Door Diaries: Eliza and the Flower Fairies by Megan McDonald Your Places Series by Jon Klassen Stefanie: The Fairy Tale Fan Club: Legendary Letters Collected by C.C. Cecily by Richard Ayoade ill. David Roberts Doctor Fairytale by Catherine Jacob, ill. Hoang Giang Presidential Elections and Other Cool Facts by Syl Sobel Looking forward to: Keeper of the Lost Cities – Unraveled by Shannon Messenger Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell Emily: Trouble at the Tangerine by Gillian McDunn The Happy Shop by Brittany Long Olsen Scare School Diaries: Welcome to Scare School by Jarrett Lerner Looking forward to: Scare School Diaries: Forest Frights by Jarrett Lerner Best Wishes: Like a Boss by Sarah Mlynowski and Hena Khan, ill. Jennifer Bricking The Bad Guys in One Last Thing by Aaron Blabey

The Hero Next Door edited by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich October is Diversity Awareness Month. Learn more here: https://thediversitymovement.com/global-diversity-awareness-month/ Read-alikes: Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World edited by Penelope Bagieu Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black In America edited by Ibi Zoboi Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices edited by S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed The Door Is Open: Stories of Celebration and Community By 11 Desi Voices edited by Hena Khan

  Hena Khan is a prolific author of children's books including Amina's Voice and Amina's Song, the second of which won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Children's Literature in 2022. She has enjoyed great success with picture books and middle-grade novels, but today we're talking about her newest endeavor, graphic novels. We are Big Time is the story of a teen girl whose family moves from Florida to Wisconsin. She joins the girls' basketball team at her new high school, who then try to overcome low expectations from their fellow students and show their neighbors that Muslim girls can shoot the rock with the best of them. We Are Big Time is illustrated by Safiya Zerrougui and published by Knopf Books for Young Readers. 

Comic Reviews: DC o        Gotham City Sirens 1 by Leah Williams, Matteo Lolli, Triona Farrell Marvel o        Blood Hunters 1 by Erica Schultz, Robert Gill, Rain Beredo o        Spider-Man: Black Suit and Blood 1 by J.M. DeMatteis, Elena Casagrande; Alyssa Wong, Fran Galan; Dustin Nguyen; J. Michael Straczynski, Sumit Kumar, Craig Yeung, Dono Sanchez-Almara o        Uncanny X-Men 1 by Gail Simone, David Marquez, Matt Wilson o        Venom War 1 by Al Ewing, Iban Coello, Frank D'Armata; Al Ewing, Carlos Nieto, Frank D'Armata o        Marvel Unlimited §  Dogpool 3 by Mackenzie Cadenhead, Enid Balam §  Savage Wolverine 1 & 2 by Tom Bloom, Devmalya Pramanik Boom o        Garfield 1 by Ryan Estrada, Sarah Graley, Axur Eneas o        Red Before Black 1 by Stephanie Phillips, Goran Sudzuka, Ive Svorcina Dark Horse o        Arkham Horror: The Terror at the End of Time 1 by Cullen Bunn, Andrea Mutti, Valerio Alloro o        Prodigy: Slaves of Mars 1 by Mark Millar, Stefano Landini, Michele Assarasakorn IDW o        Godzilla Rivals: Vs. Manda by Jake Lawrence o        Monster High: New Scaremester 1 by Jacque Aye, Caroline Shuda Image o        C.O.W.L. 1964 1 by Kyle Higgins, Alec Siegel, Rod Reis o        Cyber Force: Shootout by Billy Muggelberg, Bruno Abdias, John Starr o        Ore: A Starhenge Graphic Novella by Liam Sharp o        Power Fantasy 1 by Kieron Gillen, Caspar Wijngaard Mad Cave o        Kosher Mafia 1 by David Hazan, Sami Kivela Oni o        EC: Cruel Universe 1 by Matt Kindt, Kano; Corinna Bechko, Caitlin Yarsky, Michael Atiyeh; Chris Condon, Jonathan Case; Ben H. Winters, Artyom Topilin, Brittany Peer OGN Countdown o        A Phone Call Away by Rich Douek, Russell Olson o        Cat on the Run Vol 2: Cucumber Madness by Aaron Blabey o        Life in the Present by Liz Climo o        HoverGirls by Geneva Bowers o        Beneath by Steven DeKnight, Michael Gaydos, Toben Racicot o        Bendy: Dreams Come to Life by Christopher Hastings, Adrienne Kress, Alex Arizmendi o        We are Big Time by Hena Khan, Safiya Zerrougul o        Unico: Awakening by Samuel Sattin, Osamu Tezuka, GuriHiru o        Molly and the Bear: An Unlikely Pair by Bob Scott, Vicki Scott o        Loving, OH by Matthew Erman, Sam Beck o        How it All Ends by Emma Hunsinger o        Pet Wizards by Kirk Scroggs Additional Reviews: My Neighbor Necromancer, Legends of Tomorrow final season, surprise reality TV review (Blue Ribbon Baking Championship), Trap, Stephen King's Holly News: David Lynch retirement, HBO sneak peak, Box Office records, D23, Avatar 3 title, Inside Out spinoff series, Monster Trucks movie, Toy Story 5 plot, Hoppers, Incredibles 3 by Brad Bird, Zootopia 2 details and casting, DD s2 confirmed, Iron Heart, Marvel animation news for X-Men/Spidey/What If, Disney Parks announcements, new Transformers all-ages OGN from Skybound, Omninews, James Wan rebooting Creature From the Black Lagoon Ray pitches Inside Out 3 Trailers: Moana 2, Win or Lose, Agatha All Along, Skeleton Crew, Snow White, Mufasa Comics Countdown (07 August 2024): 1.     Deviant 7 by 2.     Birds of Prey 12 by Kelly Thompson, Javier Pina, Sophie Campbell, Gavin Guidry, Jordie Bellaire 3.     Power Fantasy 1 by Kieron Gillen, Caspar Wijngaard 4.     Public Domain 7 by Chip Zdarsky, Rachael Stott 5.     Uncanny X-Men 1 by Gail Simone, David Marquez, Matt Wilson 6.     C.O.W.L. 1964 1 by Kyle Higgins, Alec Siegel, Rod Reis 7.     Boy Wonder 4 by Juni Ba, Chris O'Halloran 8.     Space Ghost 4 by David Pepose, Jonathan Lau, Andrew Dalhouse 9.     Kosher Mafia 1 by David Hazan, Sami Kivela 10.  Doctor Strange 18 by Jed MacKay, Pasqual Ferry  

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This week, award-winning author Hena Khan returns to the podcast. Known for her compassionate and relatable books for children that draw on her experiences as a Pakistani-American Muslim, Hena has 5 new books releasing in 2024.  We discuss the creative process behind this banner year of books, what she hopes young readers take away from these stories, the impact of book bans, and much more. If you're a teacher, librarian, or parent looking for summer reading titles for your kids, this would be a great episode to tune into.

The Mamas are headed to the library to kick off summer right with books set in their favorite public space. After fangirling over cherished library memories, the Mamas chat about Middle Grade books (for ages 8-12) where, in one school library, fictional villains jump out of books and, in another school library, books are banned until a secret library is created by kid heroes. Then Heather shares new picture books that will get little ones excited for summer library programs. And, of course, Margie has a grown up book set in a small town library where a serial killer is hiding out. It's always murder with her (insert eye roll - wait, maybe don't roll your eyes at Margie, might not be safe).If you're a fan of libraries and librarians, check out this episode! (pun intended)Book Chat:Picture BooksBehind My Doors: the Story of the World's Oldest Library by Hena Khan and illustrated by Nabila AdaniThe Loud Librarian by Jenna Beatrice, illustrated by Erika Lynne JonesNo Cats in the Library by Lauren EmmonsMiddle Grade BooksThe Story Thieves series by James RileyBan This Book by Alan GratzGrown Up BookHow Can I Help You by Laura Simswww.twolitmamas.com

Raise Your Words host Amani sits down with Author Hena Khan to talk about writing books for young readers. Hena Khan is the author of Zara's Rules, Zayd Saleem Chasing the Dream, and other books. You can follow Hena on Instagram @henakhanbooks. Follow Raise Your Words on IG @raiseyourwordspod! Stay tuned for more!

We love sharing thought provoking conversations with fascinating people on Reading With Your Kids. We beging by chatting with the CEO of Reash Out And Read Marty Martinez. Marty tells us Reach Out and Read,  trains pediatricians to integrate books into well-child visits to promote early literacy. He explained how shared reading helps children's brain development and bonding with parents. Later in the episode we meet author Hena Khan. Hena tells us her new anthology "The Door is Open" is a collection of stories written by South Asian American writers. She also shared about her upcoming graphic novel "We Are Big Time" based on a girls basketball team. Additionally, she talked about her middle grade novels "Drawing Deena" and co-authored book "Like a Boss." Throughout the episode, the importance of reading with children from a young age was emphasized, as well as using books to inspire creativity and build emotional connections between families. Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com  Click here to learn more about Read Out And Read - https://reachoutandread.org/ 

Here we talked about the history of numerology and give a list of life's path of numbers from 1 to 9. To discover your life's path of numbers take your birthday, birth month, and birth year and added all together. For example, June 15 1970; add 6+1+5+1+9+7+0 = 29 ==> 2+9 =11 ==> 1+1 = 2 and reduce the total by adding the digit to get to a single digit. Here we touched a bit on repeating angel's number, their significance and symbolic values. Lastly, a story of Muslim book of numbers called One Sun and Countless of Stars by Hena Khan. This was a tribute 7 gratitude to the father of Algebra and computer science Muhammad Ibn Al Khwarizimi.

Have you read a middle grade novel in verse recently? This month, we're reading Jasmine Warga's Other Words for Home (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), which is perfect for the Unabridged Reading Challenge 2024 category featuring a middle grade novel in verse. Jen and Ashley discuss the book club pick and share our pairings including Thanhhà Lai's Inside Out and Back Again (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), Hena Khan's Amina's Voice (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Janika Oza's A History of Burning (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).   We're continuing to add exclusive content over on Patreon. In addition to monthly bonus episodes, we are now releasing more content on Patreon for subscribers. We appreciate your support so much, and it helps cover the cost of maintaining our podcast. If you haven't joined us there yet, you can check the details out here.   Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.   Want to support Unabridged?     Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

In today's society, childhood anxiety is increasingly visible, as more young people and their families find themselves grappling with these silent battles. On this week's episode of the Adventures in Learning podcast, award-winning author Hena Khan discusses her latest book, Drawing Deena.  In Drawing Deena, Hena addresses the subtle onset of anxiety that is often overlooked by adults. We talk about the necessity of proper support systems within schools and how cultural stigmas can prevent access to these vital resources. Her portrayal of Deena is not just about the internal turmoil of anxiety but also about the external factors such as family dynamics, creativity, and the unique challenges faced by children of immigrants. One of the topics we explore is the impact of social media on today's youth. We talk about the intricacies of managing an online presence and the emotional toll it can take on us. Hena shares a poignant passage from Drawing Deena, depicting the character's surprise at the positive reception of her artwork online, highlighting the double-edged sword of social media validation. One of the many things I love about Hena Khan is the way she centers Muslim characters in many genres, allowing them to be proud of their cultures and identities while experiencing relatable middle grade pressures and struggles. A sampling of her work includes  Amina's Voice, Amina's Song, More to the Story, Zara's Rules for Living Your Best Life, One Sun and Countless Stars, Zain's Super Friday, Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets, Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, Under My Hijab, Like the Moon Loves the Sky, and Unicorn Rescue Society: Secret of the Himalayas.  Her transition from picture books to middle-grade novels reflects the growth of her own children and the feedback from her readers. In addition to Drawing Deena, Hena's upcoming projects are showcased, including Like a Boss, The Door is Open, We Are Big Time, and Behind My Doors: The Story of the World's Oldest Library. Hena shares her hopes and the inspiration she draws from young readers, highlighting their innate sense of fairness and potential to shape a better future. Support the showRead the full show notes, visit the website, and check out my on-demand virtual course. Continue the adventure at LinkedIn or Instagram. *Disclosure: I am a Bookshop.org. affiliate.

According to the CDC, anxiety affects approximately one in 11 children aged 3-17. A panel of experts recently recommended that all children 8 and older be screened for anxiety. Award-winning Pakistani American writer, Hena Kahn, hopes to help address America's mental health crisis among children in her middle grade novel, Drawing Deena. Deena is a lovable and relatable young artist who struggles with anxiety, who wants her parents to stop fighting and having money woes, and dreams of being a painter like her idol Vincent van Gogh. She learns to stand up against bullies of all ages and that it's okay to ask for help when you need it. Deena's never given a name to the familiar knot in her stomach that appears when her parents argue about money, when it's time to go to school, or when she struggles to find the right words. She manages to make it through each day with the help of her friends and the art she loves to make. While her parents' money troubles cause more and more stress, Deena wonders if she can use her artistic talents to ease their burden. She creates a logo and social media account to promote her mom's home-based business selling clothes from Pakistan to the local community. With her cousin and friends modeling the outfits and lending their social media know-how, business picks up. But the success and attention make Deena's cousin and best friend, Parisa, start to act funny. Suddenly Deena's latest creative outlet becomes another thing that makes her feel nauseated and unsure of herself. After Deena reaches a breaking point, both she and her mother learn the importance of asking for help and that, with the right support, Deena can create something truly beautiful.

Today I got to talk with an absolute powerhouse of a young readers writer. Hena Khan has done it all, middle grade, picture books, anthologies, graphic novels... there is no telling what she'll come up with next! Today I got to discuss her newest middle grade novel DRAWING DEENA. It was originally pitched to be a spin-off of one of her other novels (listen to the ep to find out which one...) and has turned into a delightful book of it's own after severing those ties. Hena is amazing and I highly recommend you check her and her works out! Follow Hena Follow On The Shelf Map of Indie Bookstores (now with Curious Iguana!) Get DRAWING DEENA Curious Iguana Books (MD) Quail Ridge Books (NC) Odyssey Books (MA)

On this episode, I talk with Hena Khan about her new middle grade book, Drawing Deena. We also talk about kids and anxiety, encouraging kids to write, and seeing all kids represented in children's literature.From the publisher: From the award-winning author of Amina's Voice and Amina's Song comes a tenderhearted middle grade novel about a young Pakistani American artist determined to manage her anxiety and forge her own creative path.I love audiobooks! If you do, too, consider switching to Libro.fm. For the same price as other major audiobook providers, you can find all your favorites as well as curated lists of audiobooks written by or recommended by guests of the Middle Grade Matters podcast. Click here to learn more! Consider buying your books from the Middle Grade Matters Bookshop, where proceeds support this podcast as well as independent bookstores everywhere. For bonus content and info on upcoming episodes, subscribe to the Middle Grade Matters newsletter here: Newsletter, and follow Middle Grade Matters on Instagram and Twitter.If you're enjoying this podcast, please be sure to follow us and please leave us a review.

According to the CDC, anxiety affects approximately one in 11 children aged 3-17. A panel of experts recently recommended that all children 8 and older be screened for anxiety. Award-winning Pakistani American writer, Hena Kahn, hopes to help address America's mental health crisis among children in her middle grade novel, Drawing Deena. Deena is a lovable and relatable young artist who struggles with anxiety, who wants her parents to stop fighting and having money woes, and dreams of being a painter like her idol Vincent van Gogh. She learns to stand up against bullies of all ages and that it's okay to ask for help when you need it. Deena's never given a name to the familiar knot in her stomach that appears when her parents argue about money, when it's time to go to school, or when she struggles to find the right words. She manages to make it through each day with the help of her friends and the art she loves to make. While her parents' money troubles cause more and more stress, Deena wonders if she can use her artistic talents to ease their burden. She creates a logo and social media account to promote her mom's home-based business selling clothes from Pakistan to the local community. With her cousin and friends modeling the outfits and lending their social media know-how, business picks up. But the success and attention make Deena's cousin and best friend, Parisa, start to act funny. Suddenly Deena's latest creative outlet becomes another thing that makes her feel nauseated and unsure of herself. After Deena reaches a breaking point, both she and her mother learn the importance of asking for help and that, with the right support, Deena can create something truly beautiful.

Hena Khan called in for a lively chat about her new book for young readers, Drawing Deena.HENA KHAN is a Pakistani American writer, and winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Children's Literature She is the author of the middle grade novels Amina's Voice, Amina's Song, and More to the Story, Drawing Deena, and the Zara's Rules series and picture books Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, Under My Hijab, and It's Ramadan, Curious George, among others. Hena lives in her hometown of Rockville, Maryland, with her family. You can learn more about Hena and her books by visiting her website at HenaKhan.com or connecting with her @HenaKhanBooks and https://www.instagram.com/henakhanbooks/

Jen and Ashley read and discuss Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, Little Women (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). This one is perfect for the Unabridged Reading Challenge category about a classic written before 1950! Check out our reading challenge here. We also share our pairings including Hena Khan's More to the Story (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Geraldine Brooks's March (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).   If you'd like to hear more about Little Women, be sure to tune in to hear our upcoming Patreon exclusive episode on February 1st when we share our thoughts about Greta Gerwig's film adaptation! We appreciate your support on Patreon so much, and it helps cover the cost of maintaining our podcast. If you haven't joined us there yet, you can check the details out here.   Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.   Want to support Unabridged?     Become a patron on Patreon. | Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

On Today's Show "There's these universal truths [...] specific details, but universal feelings and universal experiences that people hopefully can relate to. And that's what I go for in all of my books. Common humanity.” - Hena Khan Hena Khan didn't believe her perspective mattered. As a Pakistani-American Muslim, she grew up not seeing her or her family reflected in the media she was consuming. As any kid might do, she concluded that it was simply because her experience was not important, a realization that became clearer in hindsight. Recalling her childhood writing, she discovered she had unintentionally white-washed her own homemade family newspaper.Building confidence in her perspective was a gradual process, extending into adulthood. Initially lacking self-assurance, she began writing while toning down her cultural identity to conform to perceived publisher expectations. Over time, her confidence grew, and today, she is recognized for authentically portraying stories rooted in her culture and religion.Reflecting on her own reading experiences, Hena values shared human experiences that transcend cultural backgrounds. She aims to demonstrate that these relatable moments exist in stories featuring non-white characters and diverse cultures.Renowned for works such as "Amina's Voice," its sequel "Amina's Song," the "Zara's Rules" series, and "More to the Story," Hena Khan shares her journey of grappling with invisibility as a young reader and the evolution of her faith in herself and her unique perspective. She also recounts the unexpected connection to a book about Christian white sisters in the 1800s in her unconscious quest for stories reflecting her Muslim immigrant family.***Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. ***In Hena's reading challenge, "Read Desi" she encourages us to celebrate South Asian American writers.You can find her list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com.Today's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Allie Buffington, Library Media Specialist at  Holley Navarre Intermediate School in Santa Rosa County, Florida. She tells us about the importance of making the library a space that kids want to come back to.ContentsChapter 1 - “Religious Holiday” (2:38)Chapter 2 - Gogol Search (6:16)Chapter 3 - Little Women (and the Khanicles) (9:43)Chapter 4 - Three Cheers From Andrea (18:17)Chapter 5 - Just Living (22:18)Chapter 6 - Common Humanity (30:20)Chapter 7 - Curious About Curious George (33:50)Chapter 8 - The Door is Open (35:31)Chapter 9 - Read Desi (37:28)Chapter 10 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (38:54)Links The Reading Culture The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup (for bonus content) Hena Khan Little Women by Louisa May Alcott | Goodreads Hena Khan's More to the Story is a Love Letter to Little Women | School Library Journal Sikh temple shooting in Wisconsin  The Salam School for Girls  Alli Buffington's Library (this week's featured librarian) The Reading Culture on Instagram (to see reels of author conversations) Beanstack resources to build your community's reading culture Host: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

As things heat up between Amy and Laurie, we're joined by Alena Smith, creator and showrunner of Dickinson, a television show for the exact demographic of this podcast. Like, have you ever wept openly at a Mitski concert? Can you not shut up about how every 19th century literary figure was part of the #RainbowCommunity? Do you have feelings for Chloe Fineman despite her associations with Scientology? Dickinson is for you, and this episode is for you. Enjoy listening to Peyton and Alena pass the same brain cell back and forth for an hour. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith. Follow us on Instagram at @josboyspod.

Who better to chat with us about this Meg-centric chapter than Meg herself? On June 28, 2023, before the SAG-AFTRA strike, actor Willa Fitzgerald chatted with us about Meg's marital woes and her own time playing Meg in the 2017 Masterpiece adaptation of Little Women. You can see Willa this fall in Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher, the thrillers Desperation Road and Strange Darling, and Ethan Hawke's Wildcat. She's also starred in MTV's Scream, USA's Dare Me, and Amazon's Reacher. True heads will also remember her turn as Kitsey Barbour in The Goldfinch. In 2012, Willa graduated from Yale, where she studied psychology for three years before—luckily for all of us—changing her major to theatre studies. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith.

Bestie of the pod James Frankie Thomas is BACK this week, on the heels of the release of his critically acclaimed debut novel Idlewild, to discuss Laurie and Amy's newfound romance, in which Amy wields the reins and the whip and Laurie delights in submission. We also offer our official statement on Kylimothée's public début at the Renaissance World Tour. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith. Follow us on Instagram at @josboyspod!

Beth's Secret: Strong contender for gloomiest lingerie brand of all time. As Beth and Jo head to the seaside to convalesce, science and health journalist Hannah Seo joins us to break down the history and utility of the beach as medicine. Hannah was recently a fellow for the Well Desk at the New York Times, reporting on science, health, and the environment. Their work can be found in Wired, Scientific American, and the Walrus, among other publications. They're a graduate of New York University's science, health and environmental reporting program. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith.

An Alcott protagonist even more trans than Jo March? It's more likely than you think. Lou's 1876 sensation story "Enigmas" features a young man who's hired to spy on another young man - a man who is short and delicate and rather young-looking, all things considered. (See where this is going?) Our spy is swiftly overtaken by sexual attraction to the man he's been hired to report on. Before the story's over and the spy is unmasked, Alcott will take the gender binary and fold it into a Mobius strip. Here to dive deep into this delightful bit of Alcottiana is Alice Rutkowski, chair and associate professor of English at SUNY Geneseo. She often teaches the courses Literature and the Civil War, the Queer Nineteenth Century, Safe Zone Train-the-Trainer, Feminism and Pornography, and Major Authors: Melville, among others. Her research centers on the Civil War and Reconstruction as well as queer theory and trans politics. In 2013, she founded the LGBTQ Issues Working Group at SUNY Geneseo, and she's the coordinator of the college's Safe Zone Network. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith.

Jo narrowly skirts a marriage proposal by jetting - or carriage-ing - off to the Big Apple! There, she settles into boarding house life and gets to know her roommates: a couple of jerks who trash her fashion sense, a cultivated old spinster who takes her out to shows, and (sighs, groans, wailing and gnashing of teeth) Professor Bhaer. Here to walk us through it all is JP Brammer, a.k.a. Hola Papi! JP is a writer and artist from Oklahoma, now based in Brooklyn. Since he started his advice column Hola Papi! in 2017, he's answered thousands of letters and written a memoir-slash-guide-to-life called “Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Wal-Mart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons.” Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith.

This week on As the March Sisters Turn: Laurie's ready to pop the question. Jo would really rather he didn't--not least of all because she's sure Beth is in love with him. Why else would she gaze at him through the window all the time, sighing longingly? What a tangled web! Here to help us with detangling are acclaimed author Katie Heaney and journalist Lindsey Weber, co-host of Who? Weekly. They both hail from a long-running Little Women groupchat, in which Lindsey is Jo and Katie, somewhat reluctantly, is Beth. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith. Follow us on Instagram at @josboyspod!

Amy March's Hot Girl Summer is in full effect! This week, for Amy's whirlwind tour through Europe and flirtatious encounters with the dashing Fred Vaughan, we're joined by legendary trans scholar Susan Stryker. Dr. Stryker is professor emerita of gender and women's studies at the University of Arizona. She is a founding editor-in-chief of Transgender Studies Quarterly and the author of numerous books, including Transgender History. You can also see her onscreen in Netflix's Disclosure and FX's Pride. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith.

Hey, hey, let's go, Wakakusa monogatari! In this episode, we explore the ways Little Women and Louisa May Alcott have been represented in anime, from the long-running children's TV serials of the 80s and 90s to Louisa May Alcott's more recent turn as an anime heroine. Our guest and guide for this episode is Lio Min, author of the novel Beating Heart Baby. It was named one of the best books of 2022 by BuzzFeed, Publishers Weekly, BookPage, Kirkus Reviews, and the Chicago Public Library. Lio's writing has appeared in Nylon, Fader, Catapult, and many more. They've interviewed all of your faves: Mitski, Japanese Breakfast, Rina Sawayama, Caroline Polachek, and Soccer Mommy, to name just a few. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith.

This week, Amy makes an anti-slavery fair all about her, and wins a trip to Europe for it. Jo, meanwhile, wins bupkis. Joining us to break down these hijinks is Jason Lipshutz, the senior director of music at Billboard. He's written cover stories on Taylor Swift, Lorde, and U2, to name just a few, and he's appeared on Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, and the Today Show, among numerous other broadcast programs. He's also handled red carpet coverage at the Grammys, but he says he's more excited about coming on Jo's Boys than any of those things. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith. Follow Jo's Boys on Instagram at @josboyspod.

This week, Jo sticks her foot in her mouth and fumbles a trip to Europe, but at least she sticks it to the patriarchy while doing so. With us to dissect each and every one of Jo's social faux pas (which, I just learned, is in fact the plural form of "faux pas") is scholar and author Anne Boyd Rioux. Anne has written several books, most notably Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy, her acclaimed 2019 history of Little Women. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith. Follow Jo's Boys on Instagram @josboyspod.

Meg is shifting into baby mode - and here to help us pinpoint the exact moment of the twins' conception (yes, there is a sneaky, fade-to-black sex scene in this chapter!) is the poet and filmmaker Stephen Ira. Stephen is the author of the chapbook Chasers, and his poetry has appeared in the Paris Review, among other publications. He graduated from the Iowa Writers' Workshop in 2019 and he was a 2014 Lambda Literary Fellow. His film "I have to think of us as separate people" screened at OutFest, NewFest, and the New Orleans Film Festival, and he starred in the 2022 film Framing Agnes, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won both an Audience Award and an Innovator Prize. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith.

This week, Jo publishes her first novel... and it flops. Who better to guide Jo - and us - through this trial than renowned literary agent Bonnie Nadell? Bonnie is the president of the Hill Nadell Literary Agency, which represents a host of award-winning and best-selling books. Over the course of Bonnie's nearly 40-year career, her clients have been winners of or finalists for the Pulitzer Prize, Carnegie Medal, National Book Critics Circle Award, Kirkus Prize, and numerous PEN Awards, among others. You can visit Hill Nadell online and learn more at hillnadell.com. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith.

This week, we're joined by Hal Schrieve. Hal is the author of Out of Salem, which was longlisted for the National Book Award, and the forthcoming How to Get Over the End of the World. Ze is also a children's librarian at the New York Public Library. Together, we discuss Chapter 26: Artistic Attempts, in which Amy is bad at everything she tries, from charcoal sketches to lobster preparation. We spend a lot of time on the lobster. Both Consider the Lobster and Consider the Oyster are discussed. What do M.F.K., D.F.W., and L.M.A. have in common? Tune in to find out! Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith.

For this week's Scrap Bag, we're going deep with Anna Todd on her 2018 Little Women adaptation, The Spring Girls. Anna is the New York Times best-selling author of several novels. Her After series has been adapted into a trilogy of feature films. (Total box office gross to date, by the way: $150 million.) Together, we get into everything from Meg's sexuality to the military-industrial complex to the many definitions of fanfiction. It's some of the most fun I've ever had making this show, and I can't wait for Anna to drop The Spring Women. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith and transcribed by Lou Balikos. A transcript of this episode is available here. Follow us on Instagram: @josboyspod.

If the Dovecote's a-rockin', don't come a-knockin'! This week, Meg and John Brooke tie the knot, and we bust out the Victorian floral analysis to tell you exactly what her bouquet really means. We also get into Laurie's longing, Jo's spinsterhood, and the presence of a ghost among the celebrants. Joining us for the festivities is Michael Leali, the author of The Civil War of Amos Abernathy. We open the episode by chatting about Amos, the tale of a twelve-year-old boy who's falling in love and learning queer history from his post as a Civil War re-enactor. Did we mention most of the book is narrated via letters to Albert Cashier? Tailor-made for the Jo's Boys crowd. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith and transcribed by Lou Balikos. A transcript of this episode is available here.

This week, we're diving into the first chapter of the oft-maligned second volume of Little Women. The war is over, wedding bells are ringing, and the March girls are growing up -- but at what cost? Our guest this week is the legendary Sarah Schulman. Sarah is a writer, activist, and AIDS historian. She's written dozens of books, plays, and films. Her most recent book, Let the Record Show, won the Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Nonfiction. She was an active member of ACT UP and she co-founded the Lesbian Avengers, the direct action group the organized the first Dyke March. She's been named a Guggenheim Fellow in playwriting and a Fulbright Fellow in Judaic Studies. She's on the advisory board of Jewish Voice for Peace and she's an endowed chair in creative writing at Northwestern. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith and transcribed by Lou Balikos. A transcript of this episode is available here.

This week, we're diving into the final chapter of Volume 1 of Little Women: Aunt March Settles the Question. What question? A marriage proposal. Oh, god. How is Alcott gonna proto-feminist her way out of this one? Our special guest is Kim Tran, a writer and a consultant on transformative justice, sexual harassment prevention, and unlearning anti-Blackness in non-Black communities, among many other subjects. Her work has been featured in NPR, Slate, and the New York Times. She holds a PhD in Ethnic Studies with a designated emphasis in Women and Gender Studies from UC Berkeley, and she's currently writing a book titled The End of Allyship: A New Era of Solidarity. You can visit Kim online at kimtranphd.com and on her very good Twitter, @but_im_kim_tran. You can also now follow us on Instagram at @josboyspod. We'll be posting news, updates, and Katharine Hepburn thirst traps. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith.

This week, we're joined by Camryn Garrett, the acclaimed author of Full Disclosure, Off the Record, and Friday I'm In Love, which just dropped on January 10 — so, like, take your headphones out of your ears, run to your nearest bookstore, and buy it now. In 2019, Camryn was named one of Teen Vogue's 21 Under 21 and one of Glamour's College Women of the Year, and she recently graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Together, Camryn and I tackle the scene in which Dad March comes home, at last, from war. (No, he does not actually say, "My little women!" Sorry, Bob Odenkirk fans.) He says his "son Jo" has become a fine young lady - and boy, do Camryn and I have thinky thoughts about that. We also ask why the subject of slavery is so curiously absent in this most Civil War-y of Civil War novels, and Camryn gives me a full recap of Taylor Swift's commencement speech, which she got to see firsthand, as a 2022 Tisch grad. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith and transcribed by Lou Balikos. A transcript of this episode is available here.

This week, we're joined by Alex Marzano-Lesnevich. Alex is the author of the book slash cultural phenomenon The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir, which won several awards, including the Lambda Literary Award, and was named one of the best books of the year by Entertainment Weekly, the Times of London, the Guardian, and about a million other places. Alex earned their BA from Columbia, their MFA at Emerson College, and their JD at Harvard Law School. They're now an assistant professor at Bowdoin College, and their next book, Both and Neither, is forthcoming from Doubleday. Together, we dive into this rollercoaster of a chapter: Laurie plays Cupid, makes a mess, and tries to enlist Jo in a plot to run away from home. Jo would, if she were a boy, but as she's a miserable girl... Well, maybe with this haircut... On second thought, yeah; we're running away to India together, and we're doing it as boys. Gender! Can't live with it, can't live without it. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith and transcribed by Lou Balikos. A transcript of this episode is available here.

Zibby interviews award-winning children's author Hena Khan about Zara's Rules for Record-Breaking Fun, the first book in a humor-filled middle-grade series about neighborhood antics starring Zara, a young Muslim girl and the queen bee of it all! Hena talks about the childhood memories that inspired the story (it involves dreams of breaking a Guinness World Record and a tragic hula hoop incident) and her ultimate goal of adding diversity to children's literature (she is Pakistani American and Muslim, and never saw herself in books growing up!). She also discusses her writing, publishing, and touring experiences (and the impacts of the pandemic and imposter syndrome on it all). Purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: bit.ly/3hpbVsWBookshop: bit.ly/3VXM36FSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.Purchase Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books merch here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're joined by Ethan Evans, a PhD candidate at Cardiff University, to chat about George Eliot, a contemporary of Lou Alcott, and everything the two authors had in common. Ethan has written extensively on queer masculinity in Eliot's life and work, and his research applies recent developments in queer and trans studies to the lives of Eliot and her partner George Henry Lewes. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith and transcribed by Lou Balikos. A transcript of this episode is available here.

This week, we're joined by Jennifer Putzi. Dr. Putzi is a professor at the College of William & Mary, where she teaches English and Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies. Among her course offerings, she's taught both Transgender Fictions and a 400-level course called 150 Years of Little Women. She is the author of several books, including Fair Copy: Relational Poetics and Antebellum American Women's Poetry and Identifying Marks: Race, Gender, and the Marked Body in Nineteenth-Century America. Together, we discuss Chapter 20: Confidential, in which Meg and John Brooke's relationship really takes off, much to Jo's consternation. Also, we make an incredible discovery regarding the gender identity of Aunt March's pet parrot. Turns out Polly… is a he? Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith and transcribed by Lou Balikos. A transcript of this episode is available here.

This week, we're joined by Gregory Eiselein, current president of the Louisa May Alcott Society and Donnelly Professor of English and University Distinguished Teaching Scholar at Kansas State University. We're also joined by Anne Phillips, former president of the Louisa May Alcott Society and Associate Head of the Graduate Faculty of English at Kansas State University. Together, Dr. Eiselein and Dr. Phillips have co-edited four books on Alcott and Little Women. They bring entire lifetimes of expertise and experience to this episode, a deep dive into Chapter 19: Amy's Will, which sees Beth becoming sicker and Amy becoming… a Catholic bio queen? Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith and transcribed by Lou Balikos. A transcript of this episode is available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fi-jYI0rV-1dbiqeoOruYn4iKfUkVw4SiAQzpSH_u4Y/edit?usp=sharing.

This week, we're joined by Molly Horan, author of the delightful novel Epically Earnest, which is available now from Harper Collins. She is a professor at New York University, where her course offerings include Reading and Writing LGBT YA Fiction: From Annie On My Mind to They Both Die at the End. She's also edited and written for publications like BuzzFeed, Refinery29, and Bust, and she holds an MFA in writing for children and young adults from the New School. And she co-wrote a stage adaptation of Little Women for Brooklyn's Hedgepig Ensemble in 2019, which makes her very qualified to speak on this bleak chapter, wherein Beth gets sick, Jo gets drunk, and Laurie gets romantically rejected for the first time -- but not the last. You can visit Molly on Twitter at @molly_horan. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book “More to the Story,” with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith and transcribed by Lou Balikos. A transcript of this episode is available here.

This week, we're joined by special guest Tiffany Wayne, a historian and scholar of women, gender, and feminism. Dr. Wayne was an Affiliated Scholar at Stanford University's Clayman Institute and a professor of history at UC Santa Cruz and Cabrillo College. She's edited and authored several books, including Women's Suffrage: The Complete Guide to the Nineteenth Amendment, Women's Rights in the United States, and Feminist Writings from Ancient Times to the Modern World. We're so glad to have Dr. Wayne on hand as Beth returns from the Hummels with bad news and a worse fever. You can visit Dr. Wayne online at womanwriting.com. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book "More to the Story," with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith and transcribed by Lou Balikos. A transcript of this episode is available here.

Hena Khan is an award-winning author of picture books and middle grade fiction. Her middle grade novel Amina's Voice launched Simon & Schuster's groundbreaking Salaam Reads imprint and was named a Best Book of 2017 by the Washington Post, NPR, Kirkus Reviews, and others. The sequel, Amina's Song, won the 2021 Asian/Pacific Award for Children's Literature. Hena wrote the popular Zayd Saleem Chasing the Dream series, and More to the Story, a novel inspired by her all-time favorite book, Little Women. Hena's acclaimed picture books include Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, Under My Hijab, Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets, Night of the Moon, and It's Ramadan, Curious George. Today, Hena writes full time, often highlighting aspects of her culture, faith, community, friendship and family, and she draws heavily from own experiences. She loves exploring different formats to excite different readers, including a forthcoming graphic novel and new pick-your-path series. Hena enjoys presenting to children, educators, community members and others, and being a mom to two now teenaged boys. Whenever she gets the chance, Hena travels with her family, bakes, and reads books written by her favorite children's authors.For more info on Henna, visit her website.This episode was recorded on June 25, 2021.Follow on Instagram - @fiveauthorquestions Follow on Twitter - @5AQpodEmail 5AQ - podcasts@kpl.gov 5AQ is produced by Jarrod Wilson. The technical producer is Brian Bankston. 5AQ is hosted by Sandra Farag and Kevin King

This week, we're joined by special guest Eagan Dean, an award-winning Americanist in Rutgers' Department of English. Eagan is currently working toward his PhD in Literatures in English with a certificate in women's, gender, and sexuality studies. Their dissertation, "American Literary Gender (and Its Discontents): The Literary Production and Uses of Hermeneutic Gender in the Long Nineteenth Century in America," makes him the perfect person to break down this chapter of Little Women. With Marmee away in Washington, tending to father, Jo assumes the mantle of man of the house -- and the other March sisters have their own concerns. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book "More to the Story," with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith and transcribed by Lou Balikos. A transcript of this episode is available here.

This week, we're joined by special guest Vicki Johnson. Vicki is a former White House staffer and the author of the forthcoming picture book Molly's Tuxedo, due out in June 2023 from Little Bee Books. She's a 2022 Lambda Literary Fellow, a graduate of Smith College, and an MFA candidate at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. You can visit her online at vickijohnsonwrites.com, on Twitter at @vickijohnson, and on Instagram at @vickijohnsonwrites. Together, Vicki and I dive into Chapter 15: A Telegram, in which a telegram arrives, all hell breaks loose, and Jo gets the most famous literary haircut of all time. We do spend most of the episode talking about that haircut. Civil War? Never heard of her! Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book "More to the Story," with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith and transcribed by Lou Balikos. A transcription of this episode is available here.

This week, we're joined by special guest Erin Thomas, the author of more than half a dozen books for young people, including Forcing the Ace, Wolves at the Gate, and Overboard. She teaches creative writing to people of all ages, from Toronto schoolchildren to residents of the Oshawa Senior Citizens' Centre. She's a member of CANSCAIP, the Writers' Community of Durham Region, and the Canadian Children's Book Centre. Together, Erin and I dive into Chapter 14: Secrets, in which Jo publishes her very first story and enters into a footrace with Laurie, one with staggering Greek-mythic implications. You can visit Erin online at erinthomas.ca. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book "More to the Story," with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major. This episode was edited by Antoinette Smith.

This week, we're hosting the world premiere of RXK Nephew's new song "Saoirse Ronan." RXK Nephew is a rapper based in Rochester, New York. He's been profiled in Rolling Stone and the Washington Post, and his song "American tterroristt" came in at #44 on Pitchfork's list of the best 100 songs of 2021. Pitchfork also published a list of the best 100 RXK Nephew songs of 2021; Neph was the only artist to get his own list. I asked him to watch Greta Gerwig's Little Women and report back in a song. Here it is. Not safe for work. Do not listen if you have kids around or if you are my dad. Our cover art is by Mattie Lubchansky. It interpolates the cover art for Bethany C. Morrow's book "So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix," with permission from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. It also interpolates the cover art for Hena Khan's book "More to the Story," with permission from Simon & Schuster. Our theme music is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major.

This week, we're joined by special guest Hena Khan, an award-winning children's author who's written many books, including Amina's Voice, which was named one of the best books of 2017 by the Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, NPR, and many more. She also wrote More to the Story, a contemporary adaptation of Little Women that takes place in a Pakistani American family and centers on one Jameela Mirza and her quest for school paper greatness. Together, we take a look at Chapter 13: Castles in the Air - Hena's working title for More to the Story; fun fact! - and learn all about the March sisters' - and Laurie's - wildest dreams. Will any of these dreams come true? Shake this magic 8 ball with us to find out!

All hail Queen Judy Blume! Episode 192 is all about Judy's most autobiographical novel, Starring Sally J. Freedman As Herself. Published in 1977, Sally tells the story of a young Jewish girl navigating a move from New Jersey to Miami in the aftermath of World War II. The novel inspires conversations about Holocaust literature more broadly, how to best capture tragedy and humor simultaneously, old tech, teasing as flirting or flattery, writing about death for kids, our changing expectations for children, and the one language choice Alli struggled with in this book. Hena Khan is the award-winning author of many books for young readers, including Amina's Song, Amina's Voice, More to the Story, and most recently, Zara's Rules for Record-Breaking Fun. Follow her on Instagram (@henakhanbooks) and Twitter (@henakhanbooks).

Picture Bookstagang Podcast: Picture Books and Justice Show Notes PB&J Hena Khan Interview https://picturebookstagang.wordpress.com/ PB&J: Interview with Hena Khan & Guest host Rabia Khokar Episode summary:      Corrie and Rabia chat with author Hena Khan about her inspiration, experiences, and thoughts on her groundbreaking body of work as a Muslim picturebook and middle grade author. Topics… Continue reading Season 2 Episode 6: Hena Khan

Episode 100 Notes and Links to Susan Muaddi Darraj's Work        On Episode 100 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Susan Muaddi Darraj, and the two talk about their shared love for S.E. Hinton and public libraries, in addition to Susan's history with language and words. They also discuss, among other topics, Susan's versatile writing and knack for getting inside the heads of her characters and her reading public, her experience with Palestinan-American representation in literature, as well as her award-winning work for adults and middle-graders.        Susan Muaddi Darraj's short story collection, A Curious Land: Stories from Home, was named the winner of the AWP Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction, judged by Jaime Manrique.   It also won the 2016 Arab American Book Award, a 2016 American Book Award, and was shortlisted for a Palestine Book Award. Her previous short story collection, The Inheritance of Exile, was published in 2007 by University of Notre Dame Press. In 2018, she was named a Ford Fellow by USA Artists. Susan also is a two-time recipient of an Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council. She has also been awarded a Ruby's Artist Grant from the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance and a grant from the Sustainable Arts Foundation. In 2019, she launched the viral #TweetYourThobe social media campaign to promote Palestinian culture. Later that year, she was named winner of the Rose Nader Award, by the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), an award given by the Nader family to a person who “demonstrates an unwavering dedication and commitment to values of equality and justice.” In January 2020, Capstone Books launched her debut children's chapter book series, Farah Rocks, about a smart, brave Palestinian American girl named Farah Hajjar.   Buy Susan Muaddi Darraj's Work   "Memory, home and belonging in 'A Curious Land' "   Susan Muaddi Darraj's Articles for Middle East Eye   Necessary Fiction's Review of A Curious Land: Stories from Home At about 3:00, Pete asks Susan about her childhood relationship with language and reading   At about 8:45, Susan lists and describes some memorable books that have informed her work and that she loved as a kid    At about 10:20, Susan discusses representation and how she felt or didn't feel represented as an adolescent and beyond; she also describes her groundbreaking series, Farah Rocks   At about 11:55, Susan discusses how “demoralizing” it was in not seeing her experience in what she read as a kid, and the implications of a pertinent quote from Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop   At about 13:20, Susan describes in late high school and college how Naomi Shihab Nye's Habibi was shocking and transformative for her   At about 14:30, Pete references the Episode 94 kudos and appreciation for Naomi Shihab Nye   At about 15:45, Pete wonders about lack of representation or negative representation for Arab-Americans/Palestinians, and Susan details the negative stereotypes that often lead to/come from Aladdin   At about 18:55, Susan responds to Pete's question about inspirations and “ “Eureka' moments” that catapulted her writing career, and she cites writers like Sylvia Plath, bell hooks, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Sandra Cisneros, Isabel Allende, and more   At about 22:50, Pete inquires about Susan's relationship with Richard Wright's work   At about 23:55, Susan details her college experience and her parents' view of her studies; she references common career expectations in Arab-American/immigrant communities and how she began to write as she taught literature    At about 28:30, Susan references #5amwritersclub and Maya Angelou's philosophy about early morning writing   At about 29:35, Pete asks Susan about who she's reading now; she shouts out S.K. Ali, Aisha Saeed, Hena Khan, and Saadia Faruqi   At about 31:00, Susan describes the excellence of poetry that draws her back, including T.S. Elliott's “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”   At about 31:35, Pete wonders how being a successful published writer has affected the way she reads    At about 33:30, Susan talks about being “energized” by movies and TV and their structure and characterization   At about 35:10, Susan talks about the biographies for young readers she wrote for Chelsea House Publishing, as well as the phenomenon of “reluctant readers for preteen boys”   At about 37:50, Pete wonders about how Susan gets her work to the correct level for young readers   At about 38:40, Pete and Susan use S.E. Hinton's work as an example of an impeccable sense of what young readers are drawn to; Pete talks about the chills that came with the cyclical nature of the book, and Susan is reminded of the iconic Theme for English B by Langston Hughes   At about 40:50, Pete recommends That Was Then, This is Now   At about 41:15, Susan gives some background on the title character's name and significance for the Farah Rocks… Series, as well talking about her choices in translation   At about 45:00, Susan and Pete talk about ableism and “the new girl” as theme, as well as some subtle    At about 48:00, Susan talks about two upcoming projects   At about 48:40, Pete asks about the seeds for the book and the title of A Curious Land: Stories from Home, and Susan discusses the connection between the collection and her first book, The Inheritance of Exile: Stories from South Philly   At about 51:00, Susan discusses research done for A Curious Land: Stories from Home   At about 53:10, Pete wonders about any pressures Susan might feel in writing from the point-of-view of a member of the Palestianian diaspora, and in talking about her changing attitude regarding this, Susan quotes Jacqueline Woodson   At about 55:00, Pete asks Susan who else is “doing the work” in writing varied stories of the Palestinian community, including Eta Frum and Susan Abulhawa   At about 56:00, Susan gives background on the epigraphs for A Curious Land…   At about 58:00, Pete and Susan highlight the beginning of the collection in setting the scene for the thematically-linked collection and talk about themes of agency and women's role in society, and sacrifice   At about 1:00:45, Pete asks Susan about her goal/rationale for using the town of the collection as a “character,” almost like Faulkner's Yoknaptawpha County, including the effects of the Occupation   At about 1:03:00, Susan talks about the diversity of The Middle East and the ironies of people assuming that she needs to be taught about Christianity; she references an article on these misconceptions by Ryan al-Natour   At about 1:07:00, Susan describes a “family-tree effect” that she instituted for her collection   At about 1:08:30, Pete reads from a review of the collection   At about 1:10:00, Susan goes in-depth about upcoming projects   At about 1:13:25, Susan gives her contact info and social media info         You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.  This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form. The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com. Please tune in for the next episode, Episode 101 with Mia St. John, former five time world champion boxer and dedicated advocate for improved mental health facilities and care. She is the author of the recently-published Fighting For My Life: A Memoir about a Mother's Loss and Grief. The episode will air on January 25.   

Authors Hena Khan  and Grace Lin answer the question What do you know now that you wish you'd known before you published a book?  and book review club member Zeeva reviews Amina's Voice written by Hena Khan.

Today, I review a listener request sent in from Lucy, More to the Story, by Hena Khan. This book was so good, and I'm glad I can share it with you! Thirteen-year-old journalist Jameela Mirza wants to prove that she is worthy of the title of features editor for the school newspaper, but when her younger sister has serious health problems, her world is turned upside-down! Can Jameela piece it back together? If you have a book you want me to review on the show, email me at hookofabookpodcast@gmail.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ellie-mano/message

Narrator Soneela Nankani returns to voice seventh grader Amina, whom listeners met in Hena Kahn’s AMINA’S VOICE. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss Nankani’s skill at bringing the characters to life and conveying all of Amina’s joy and delight in visiting family in Pakistan. When Amina returns home to the U.S., she’s surprised to find her friends aren’t as interested in hearing about her time in Pakistan, and her classmates are fearful after a presentation she gives on Malala Yousafzai’s life and activism. Listeners will enjoy hearing Amina’s creative ways to help others see beyond the stereotypes of her family and their country, and her growing confidence in herself. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com AudioFile is hosting a webinar at 12 ET on May 6th featuring children’s and teen audiobooks to inspire conversations around immigration in schools and at home. Join to hear live readings and discussions with narrators Priya Ayyar, Marisa Blake, and Anthony Rey Perez, and Kirsten Cappy of I’m Your Neighbor Books. Sponsored by Dreamscape Audio. Register here. Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Unabridged podcast episode, we share some retellings of classics that we've enjoyed reading. We share our picks including Hena Khan’s More to the Story, Patricia Park’s Re Jane, Rachel Hawkins’s The Wife Upstairs. These recommendations are perfect for the retellings category on our Unabridged Reading Challenge for 2021!   Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.   Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.   Want to support Unabridged? Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Tune in to hear Nicole and Nusrah talk about excellent children’s literature in verse, alongside a conversation with the wonderful Charles Waters, the co-author of Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship. For even more kidlit news and recommendations, sign up for our The Kids Are All Right newsletter! This post contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Book Riot may earn a commission. Charles Waters Recommendations Crossover by Kwame Alexander  The Land of the Cranesby Aida Salzaar You Can Fly by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Jeffery Boston Weatherford  Garvey’s Choice by Nikki Grimes  Bronx Masqueradeby Nikki Grimes (Young Adult)  Forget Me Notby Ellie Terry  Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia Mccall (Young Adult) Books Discussed Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors by Hena Khan, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini Starfish by Lisa Fipps What Are You Glad About? What Are You Mad About? Poems for When a Person Needs a Poem by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Lee White The Magical Yet by Angela DiTerlizzi, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhhà Lai  One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes  The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Shane W. Evans Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ART THIEL: Too Many Analytics in Baseball?... and HENA KHAN: Shining a Light on the Muslim Community

Guest Art Thiel chat with Paul about 'Too Many Analytics in Baseball'... and Hena Khan sheds a 'Shining a Light on the Muslim Community'

Like her heroine, Amina, author Hena Khan knows firsthand what life is like for a Pakistani- American middle schooler. The challenges Amina faces as a Muslim American torn between two parts of her identity, were very much a part of Kahn’s childhood and serve as the impetus for Kahn’s children’s stories. In Amina’s Song, the sequel to her well received Amina’s Voice, Kahn continues to explore a multi-cultural identity, shining a light on both the cultural landscape many immigrant children face today, while also capturing the universal challenges faced during these formative middle school years.

Like her heroine, Amina, author Hena Khan knows firsthand what life is like for a Pakistani- American middle schooler. The challenges Amina faces as a Muslim American torn between two parts of her identity, were very much a part of Kahn’s childhood and serve as the impetus for Kahn’s children’s stories. In Amina’s Song, the sequel to her well received Amina’s Voice, Kahn continues to explore a multi-cultural identity, shining a light on both the cultural landscape many immigrant children face today, while also capturing the universal challenges faced during these formative middle school years.

Discover books about Muslim American kids that will resonate with every kid.

Everything is changing now that Amina is in middle school. It's always been just her and her best friend, but Soojin is suddenly sitting with a "popular" girl and talking about changing her name to sound more "American" leaving Amina wondering if she needs to start changing as well. This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Simon & Schuster. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.

Hena Khan and I discuss her career thus far in children’s publishing and her wide range of books from IT’S RAMADAN, CURIOUS GEORGE to ZAYD SALEEM, CHASING THE DREAM to her most recent MORE TO THE STORY and the upcoming AMINA’S SONG. We discuss how she strives to create the representation in children’s literature that was lacking when she was a young reader and the importance of writing stories about Muslims rather than stories solely about being Muslim. All this and so much more await Esteemed Audience. Hena Khan is a Pakistani-American who was born and raised in Maryland, where she still lives. She enjoys writing about her culture as well as all sorts of other subjects, from spies to space travel. She is the author of the middle grade novels Amina’s Voice, Amina’s Song, and More to the Story and picture books Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, Under My Hijab, and It’s Ramadan, Curious George, among others.

This week Seth and Rebecca are joined by special guest Sadaf Siddique for a conversation about their favorite kids books about Islam and featuring Muslim characters.  Show Notes: 1:57- Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, by Hena Khan 5:10-  Ramadan Around the World, by Ndaa Hassan 14:06- What Color is my Hijab, by Hudda Ibrahim 16:45- The Proudest Blue, by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali 16:55- Under My Hijab, by Hena Khan 17:04- Mommy’s Khimar, by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow 20:56 - Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holliday Story, by Hena Khan 28:33 - Every Month is a New Year, by Marilyn Singer 34:16- Big Red Lollipop, by Rukhsana Khan 57:58-  My Grandma and Me, by Mina Javaherbin 1:02:09- Like the Moon Loves the Sky, by Hena Khan 1:05:51- Yo Soy Muslim, by Mark Gonzales 1:07:29 - The Unexpected Friend, by Raya Rahman   Follow Sadaf: https://lanternreads.org/about/   Find us on the web! Rad Child Podcast: www.radchildpodcast.com Facebook Twitter Instagram Contact us: radchildpodcast@gmail.com Be a guest Donate Buy Rad Merch Shift Book Box: https://www.shiftbookbox.com/ Facebook Instagram Twitter       

#TellYourStory With Hena Khan

#TellYourStory With Hena Khan

This week I'm joined by children's book author Hena Khan. Her latest middle grade novel, More to the Story, has been called a love letter to Little Women.   You can also listen on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.   Books Mentioned On This Episode: More to the Story Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns Under … Continue reading Ep. 51: Hena Khan On More to the Story →

Matthew and Nicole discuss combatting xenophobia by adopting a stance of cultural humility and helping shape children’s understanding of a broader world, rich with hundreds of cultures, languages, and people both very similar and very different from their own. This episode is sponsored by: Book Riot’s Read Harder 2020 Challenge Get Booked: The Handsell Libro FM 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: Countering Islamophobia Through Education Speaking Up Against Racism Around the New Coronavirus Books to Help Kids Understand What It’s Like to Be a Refugee In the Face of Xenophobia: Lessons to Address Bullying of South Asian American Youth How to Support Immigrant Students and Families: Strategies for Schools and Early Childhood Programs Asking For A Friend: Help! My Kids Only Have White Friends Antiracist Book Festival They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott; illustrated by Harmony Becker Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust by Loic Dauvillier, Marc Lizano, and Greg Salsedo BOOKS DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW: PICTURE BOOKS: Under My Hijab by Hena Khan; illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad with  S. K. Ali; illustrated by Hatem Aly Mommy’s Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow; illustrated by Ebony Glenn Where Are You From? by Yamile Saied Méndez,; illustrated by Jaime Kim Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale by Duncan Tonatiuh The Journey by Francesca Sanna I Am Not A Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer, illustrated by Gillian Newland MIDDLE GRADE: The Only Road by Alexandra Diaz The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande (The Unicorn Rescue Society #4) by Adam Gidwitz and David Bowles; illustrated by Hatem Aly Front Desk by Kelly Yang Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis with Traci Sorell CLOSING NOTE: 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) or Twitter (@MatthewWinner and @ittybittyny).

Hena Khan is a critically-acclaimed Pakistani-American Children's Author of Amina's Voice; Power Forward; On Point; Bounce Back; It’s Ramadan, Curious George; Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns; and The Night of the Moon. Her newest book, MORE TO THE STORY, is a Little Women inspired and takes on the concerns of a Muslim Pakistani-American family in 2019, just launched in September through Simon & Schuster's Salaam Reads imprint. https://www.amazon.com/More-Story-Hena-Khan/dp/1481492098 https://twitter.com/henakhanbooks

Hena Khan is an award winning Pakistani American children’s author. Her middle grade novel Amina’s Voice was named a Best Book of 2017 by the Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, NPR, and others. She is the author of the Zayd Saleem: Chasing the Dream series: Power Forward, On Point, and Bounce Back. Hena has written several acclaimed picture books including Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, Night of the Moon, It’s Ramadan Curious George, Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets and Under My Hijab. Her newest book, More to the Story, is a middle grade novel inspired by Little Women. Hena began writing for children with Scholastic book clubs, publishing books for a number of popular series. She went on to write several choose-your-own format books including adventures to Mars and the Amazon. But, as a young mother, Hena yearned to see books that represented kids like her children, and decided to write them. Today, Hena writes full time, often highlighting aspects of her culture, faith, community, friendship and family, and she draws heavily from own experiences. She enjoys presenting to children, educators, community members and others, and being a mom to two now teenaged boys. Whenever she gets the chance, Hena travels with her family, bakes, and reads books written by her favorite children’s authors.

In this episode we discuss our struggle to find "mirror" books for our students. In particular we address the lack of books with rural settings featuring children of color. If you have book suggestions, please add to our Padlet of Rural Mirror Books.  Cathy shares a fun, light adult fiction book about a modern school librarian, The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms. And Laura shares a middle grade book, More to the Story by Hena Khan, which is a modern retelling of Little Women.  Tech tips include resources related to The 1619 Project, the Book Creator app, and National Novel Writing Month Young Writers Program. Diverse Books Articles and Resources  https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=can-diverse-books-save-us https://diversebooks.org/ https://diversebooks.org/resources/where-to-find-diverse-books/ The Benefits & Limits of Diversity Audits by Jenna Friebel How to do a library diversity audit by Katy Farber & Jeanie Philips Other stuff we reference Pearltrees for curation Common Sense Media Lessons --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/techplusbooks/message

Hena Khan (@henakhanbooks) shares MORE TO THE STORY, a novel is inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women and centering on a Pakistani-American family with four daughters: Jameela, Aleeza, Bisma, and Maryam. We experience the story through Jameela, a writer and budding journalist who passionately wants to make her mark on the school’s newspaper. The story is a lens through which readers experience that how we are in the world and how we react and respond to things going on in the world has everything to do with who we are and who we are becoming. There are so many moments throughout MORE TO THE STORY where a side of our characters is revealed and they must confront what this truth means. Fairness, microaggressions, exploitation, trauma. They are part of life, and our reactions to them communicate our values. You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/podcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors: Little Feminist Storyteller Academy Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons.

Amanda and Jenn discuss dark fiction, humorous SF/F, women breaking down barriers, and more in this week’s episode of Get Booked. This episode is sponsored by Book Riot Insiders, Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh, and Blinkist. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. QUESTIONS 1. I’m getting married in the fall and am looking for books that portray marriage in a positive light. So many books use marriage as the plot twist, ie, murder, infidelity, etc. I want to read about good marriages and what will bring positive feelings in my marriage, not the negative portrayal usually used. I like historical fiction, magical realism, Mary Roach type of non-fiction, fantasy, romance. -Angela 2. I have been reading Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center, and realized that I need more stories in my life about women working in high testosterone settings. I work in a job that involves carpentry, electrical work, and a lot of physical labor. In some ways I was originally drawn to the job because of the boys’ club atmosphere. I love confounding expectations; I love the challenge of proving myself, but some days that challenge is more daunting than others. Could you point me in the direction of some other books that capture this? -Sasha 3. I have a bit of an itch I need scratched, and I’m having a hard time finding books with this specific description in mind. Earlier this year, I was very depressed and, although I love really dark fiction, I couldn’t bring myself to read it. I’m doing better now, and I want to plunge back in. I’m specifically wanting to read a fantasy/horror/thriller that’s really strange and doesn’t make a whole lot of sense but you’re just going with it? Something unsettling and stress-inducing possibly with a magical or supernatural element to it. I want to be so scared and confused and horrified that I feel like I’m going to throw up. The only examples I can think of that kind of have given me similar feelings (but maybe not quite as high of a distress level as I want or as strange as I want) have been Sawkill Girls, Baby Teeth, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, The Call, and, notably for it’s weirdness, Mouthful of Birds. Please no short story collections or anything too experimental (nothing has frustrated me more than trying to piece my way through House of Leaves). Please also no pregnancy horror, miscarriage, or child death. Thanks!! -Anon 4. Hello Amanda & Jenn! I am looking for a two-part recommendation. One of my favorite parts of being a parent is having a built-in “book buddy”! She is a voracious little book worm despite being only two and a half, and I’ve loved using books as tools to talk about new topics. My husband and I haven’t yet traveled as much as we’d like to with our daughter. In order to bring a bit of the world to us, I’ve started choosing both my books and her children’s books by authors from a specific country or that take place in that country. For example: We’re focusing on Nigeria right now and I’m reading Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor and Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria by Noo Saro-Wiwa, while my daughter and I have read Chicken in the Kitchen by Nnedi Okorafor and Why The Sky Is Far Away by Mary-Joan Gerson. Could you recommend a book for me (any genre) to couple with a children’s book for her to help us learn about a new country? The World is Your Oyster! -Amber 5. Hi there! I’m looking for some recommendations for my sister, who enjoys SF/Fantasy and a dash of humor. She’s also an interior/graphic designer so she tried Horrostor by Grady Hendrix at my recommendation – she said that she really enjoyed the unique format and worldbuilding but that it also totally freaked her out. (She read it alone while home with a fever. Oops.) I’m thinking of trying Night Film by Marisha Peesl next – too much you think? Some of her favorites include: Mogworld by Yahtzee Croshaw, The Martian by Andy Weir, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, Seconds by Brian Lee O’Malley, and the Finder Series by Carla Speed McNeil. Thank you!! -Melanie 6. I’m looking for some recommendations for my husband. He wants to get back into reading, but he doesn’t really know where to begin. He only reads nonfiction titles. He’s an attorney and former history teacher, so he enjoys both political and historical biographies. Some of his other interests include sports and standup comedy. He’s also expressed interest in reading stories about Mexico or Mexican immigrants. I realize these subjects are kind of all over the board, but I’m hoping you guys can pull something amazing out of your brains. Thanks so much, I appreciate your help! -Sarah 7. Hello, I’ve been listening to your podcast for a while, and I’m always looking forward to new episodes! For a while now I’ve been trying to find a good book to give to my mother in law. I’m a woman of colour, and my partner’s family is white. my mother in law is very open and willing to listen to my experiences as a woman of colour but I find that most – if not all – of the stories she finds most powerful are told from white men and women. While I’m sure the stories she loves are powerful and well-told, I wanted to find a book that offers the perspective of a person of colour and their experiences. Some of her favourite books are Still Alice, My Secret Sister, and A Dog’s Purpose. I hope you are able to help me out either on the podcast or by email. Happy reading! – Sandi BOOKS DISCUSSED An Affair Before Christmas by Eloisa James The Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst Cork Dork by Bianca Bosker Documentary: SOMM Shoot Like a Girl by Mary Jennings Hegar (tw: sexual assault, family abuse, misogyny) Hegar’s viral ad Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, transl by Nancy Forest-Flier (TW: child abuse, violence) White Is For Witching by Helen Oyeyemi (tw: disordered eating, self-harm) Frida Kahlo and her Animalitos by Monica Brown Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera, transl. by Lisa Dillman Under My Hijab by Hena Khan, illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel The Faithful Scribe by Shahan Mufti The Parasol Protectorate series (Soulless #1) by Gail Carriger Unraveling by Karen Lord Pit Bull by Bronwen Dickey (tw: animal abuse) The River of Doubt by Candice Millard The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward

Sally welcomes to the studio the author of Amina’s voice, named best book of 2017 by the Washington Post, and the author of Planet Omar, featured on the BBC’s Cebeebies Story-time. Hena Khan and Zanib Mian talk captivating stories as a gateway to new worlds, and the power of inclusivity and representation. Listen to #Pulse95Radio in the UAE by tuning in on your radio (95.00 FM) or online on our website: www.pulse95radio.com ************************ Follow us on Social. www.facebook.com/pulse95radio www.twitter.com/pulse95radio www.instagram.com/pulse95radio

This week, we're talking to author Hena Khan, whose book Amina's Voice was one of the launch titles for Simon & Schuster's Salaam Reads imprint. She's also written a series of middle grade books about Zayd Saleem - "Chasing the Dream" - a 4th grader with dreams of basketball stardom, a few board books that spotlight Muslim traditions, and even a book starring Curious George! On this episode, we talk to Khan about getting attached to Salaam Reads, using her and her children's experiences as a foundation for her books, recognizing the differences between those experiences, and telling diverse stories where the characters aren't being marginalized or overcoming dramatic adversity - they're just being kids. Oh, and we also talk about Spain and Skor toffee bits.

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!

Hena Khan is an award-winning picture book and middle grade author whose work includes an Islam-themed picture book for the Curious George books. Hena was tapped to write the first release of Simon & Schuster’s groundbreaking imprint Salaam Reads, where she wrote the highly acclaimed middle grade novel “Amina’s Voice”. Hena and I discuss the inspiration behind “Amina’s Voice” and her universal story of self-acceptance and the acceptance of others. Hena walks us through how she introduces Islam to her young readers and we continue to talk about how important it is to have diverse representation in children’s literature.   Further into our conversation, Hena unpacks how she strengthens her character’s voice by knowing exactly what they want, and we touch on ways that writers can instill accountability to inspire a finished story. For those of you who are currently looking for writing groups to be a part of, Hena shares the specific characteristics of writing groups you should look out for when finding your perfect group. Say 'Hi' to Hena on Twitter and check out the books/resources mentioned in her episode over at her shownotes page by clicking here! Happy listening! Xo PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word! --- If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page! --- Meet fellow members in our community and check in about your WIP, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things! You can really feel the love and support in our Facebook community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group! IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to have a clear profile picture of yourself. If not, send over links to either your Twitter or Instagram. And also fill out the 3 questions that pop up as soon as you join. To protect our group's safe space, these steps help us weed out any spam/fake profiles/creepers. Can't wait to meet you! --- Would you love to support our show with some 88 Cups of Tea swag? Grab our limited edition mug (signed by yours truly) here! --- Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here! --- “Stories have the power to change hearts and minds.” -Hena Khan (Click to tweet) “We are not a monolith and one story can’t represent all of us.” -Hena Khan (Click to tweet) “Having people say that these books…matters to them and it made a difference to them in some way is how I define success.” -Hena Khan (Click to tweet) “I realized I couldn’t understand other people’s loss until I had experienced it myself.” -Hena Khan (Click to tweet) --- WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:  The importance of the imprint Salaam Reads in our current political climate Hena shares how she introduces Islam to her young audience How to strengthen your character’s voice by knowing what they want Ways you can instill accountability to inspire you to finish your story The characteristics of writing groups you should search for when finding your perfect group How Hena got the opportunity to write “It’s Ramadan, Curious George”   The importance of diverse representation in children’s literature Finding empathy after experiencing loss

Intro Hello everyone and welcome to the Books Between podcast! If you love to read, if you are a fan of middle grade, if you want to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love, then you have found the podcast for you! I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a mom of an 8 and 10 year old, a 5th grade teacher, and lately - spending a lot of time on the sidelines of lacrosse fields and tennis courts. But - that gives me more time to read! This is Episode #29 and today I am welcoming author Corey Ann Haydu to the show to chat about her recent middle grade novel, The Someday Suitcase, and then in the book talk segment, I’ll be chatting about two fantastic new books about friendship. Main Topic - Interview with Corey Ann Haydu This week I am excited to welcome to the show Corey Ann Haydu. She is both a Young Adult AND Middle Grade author.  Her most recent YA novel The Careful Undressing of Love was released just this past January. And you might know her from her debut middle grade book Rules for Stealing Stars.  On today’s show, we chat about snow globes, guilt reading, cheese and - of course! - her latest middle grade novel The Someday Suitcase. The Someday Suitcase Tell us about The Someday Suitcase - what is this book about? One of the aspects of this book that I loved was how it shows that a true, deep best friend can bring a little magic into your life.    Did you have a best friend growing up? Clover is a very science-minded person. Do you have a science background? There is often this mix and a bit of tension between magic & science in the book.   Do you see science and magic as compatible? I loved all the metaphors in this book - like the snow globe! At one point Clover’s teacher says, “Sometimes you have to turn something over and upside down to really see it.”   How did you pick the snow globe to be a central part of the story? This is a book about so many things! Friendship, and science, and codependency, and snow, and but maybe ultimately about realizing that a loss can also help reveal a different part of yourself that has been dormant.  I don’t want to reveal too much of what form that loss takes for Clover and Danny, but… Can you talk a bit about how you decided on the ending?   Writing Life You recently moved… I can imagine that a move might be fairly disruptive to writer. What were the top three things you had to have in place so that you felt like you had a writing space again? I saw somewhere (maybe Instagram) that you had posted this really inspiring quote from the book BONE by Yrsa Daley-Ward and it says, “If you’re afraid to write it, that’s a good sign. I suppose you know you’re writing the truth when you’re terrified.” Did any part of writing The Someday Suitcase scare you? When we first started talking a few months ago, you mentioned how your first school visits were a combination of exhausting and exhilarating. When you are visiting schools, how do you keep that balance between bringing your full passionate self and also maintaining your energy level?   Your Reading Life What have you been reading lately that you’ve liked? How do you decide what to read next?   Book Talk - Two Fantastic Books about Friendship In this part of the show, I share with you a few books centered around a theme and discuss three things to love about each book. (Yes - I love the number three! But also - I just need limits!) This week I can’t wait to share with you two books that have been on my mind lately. Both feature girls just venturing into middle school. Both are about what happens when friendships collide over crushes. And both are ultimately about reclaiming a part of yourself that was lost. So, they are - 14 Hollow Road by Jenn Bishop and Bubbles by Abby Cooper. 14 Hollow Road First up this week is 14 Hollow Road by Jenn Bishop. You might know her from her previous middle grade book, The Distance to Home. This novel is about Maddie. And the night of the sixth-grade dance, a tornado hits parts of her town and destroys her home. And the home of her neighbor and crush, Avery. So - it turns out that a kind couple in the area with rooms to spare lets both families stay in their home for the summer. So - Maddie has to live with her crush. And somehow convince him to like her back instead of that other girl he asked to slow dance with.  Here are three things to love about 14 Hollow Road: The parts about Hank, her sweet dog who goes missing the night of the tornado. And I won’t reveal what happens there but even though things can’t get resolved exactly happily, how that situation plays out with the collar and with Avery was touching. When Maddie gets her period! Oh. My. Gosh. And - oh the aftermath when she wants to go swimming but thinks people will see the pad but she’s not ready for a tampon and then wonders if people will know why she’s not swimming. And then she doesn’t even want to go to the pool party at all! The gals reading will either really laugh in recognition or get a sample of what’s to come. And - I just want to say one thing. Please don’t discourage boys from reading this book just because it of the period thing. Guys need to know what’s up - and really, what better way than a light moment in a story to start to figure things out? Let’s please work to end that stigma. Throughout this book there are these small tender moments. I don’t want to say too much but, there’s a scene where one character is feeling devastated and vulnerable and the other character in that situation just holds their hand. And it was a small moment, but exceptionally sweet. 14 Hollow Road is a fabulous realistic fiction novel about friendship and change and resiliency. And - I wish I could remember who it was to give them credit - but I heard another author say that the last page of 14 Hollow Road is perfection. And, oh -  were they right! Bubbles Our second book this week is Bubbles by Abby Cooper! (You might remember her debut novel Sticks & Stones from last year.) This book makes me appreciate the term “speculative fiction” because the premise of this is - what if you could see people’s thoughts above their heads? What insights could you gain? What obligations would that put you under? How accurate is it? And...do you even want to know? Even before reading this book, I was firmly in the camp of “I don’t want to know what people are thinking!”  I’ve read those Sookie Stackhouse books - I know the bad is going to outweigh the benefit of knowing people’s thoughts. (By the way - Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire series - not middle grade! Do NOT get those for your 8-12 year old. But you, adult listener - they’re fun. Especially #4 when the witches erase Eric’s memory and he doesn’t realize he’s the bad guy/vampire! Ahhh…. Okay - I digress!) Anyway - on to Bubbles!  This book is about 12 year-old Sophie Mulvaney whose life is in turmoil when her mom loses both her job and her boyfriend within a very short period of time. And then Sophie get assigned a school project to do something that pushes herself to take a risk at a time when she’s not feeling very adventurous. And then - she starts seeing thought bubbles above people’s heads - and everything takes off from there! So, here are three things to love about Abby Cooper’s Bubbles. The little nuggets of history and trivia! It’s a small thing, but makes this book clever and unique. And when Sophie starts to feel a little stressed, remembering and connecting her life to historical facts is a way she copes. For example, at one point she says, “I was crankier than Napoleon must have been after the battle of Waterloo, which he lost really bad.” And then, actually earlier - at the beginning of Chapter 7, Sophie is considering whether or not to go see a therapist about her bubble issue. The natural portrayal of characters working on their mental health. Sophie’s mother is dealing with some depression after leaving her job as a TV reporter and a tough breakup with a guy who still lives nearby. And that manifests itself in ways that will be familiar to some kids - tiredness and withdrawal from the things she used to love. Sophie and her mom were the Adventurous Girls and now, she would rather stay home. And the solutions to those struggles are not presented as quick or easy, but doable with help. I really think this is a type of book that could help lessen the stigma of mental health issues and a book kids can relate to either because they see themselves or they might recognize things their friends or family are going through. How this book helps you realize that even if you could read people’s thoughts, you still don’t know the backstory behind those thoughts. And what’s really motivated people. This book really gives readers a lot to think about in that way. It would be a great book club read. Bubbles and 14 Hollow Road both brought me back to those middle school days when your relationship with your friends is everything. And how threatening and scary and socially isolated you can feel when a friend seems to be slipping away from you. In Bubbles, Sophie’s friend Kaya seems to be taken over by another girl, Viv. And in 14 Hollow Road  Maddie’s feel left out when her best friend Kiersten is spending more time with Gabriella. And then throw an in-common crush into that mix and ugh! It’s awkward and confusing and just one of those rocky experiences you have to figure out. Also - both of these books get that shaving your legs dynamic absolutely right! At least - it resonated with me. When suddenly your friends start shaving and you feel a hairy troll and how it’s just hard to talk to your mom about. I think I snuck my mom’s razor and shaved my legs like a year before she technically allowed me to. (My mom listens to the podcast, so… sorry mom!) These two books would be great options for a mother-daughter book club. My friend, Julie, did that with Abby Cooper’s first book Sticks & Stones and oh I just love that idea!     Closing Alright - that wraps up our show this week. If you have a question or an idea about a topic we should cover, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or connect on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between. There’s always lots of great conversations happening there so, please jump in! 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 along with all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com.  And, while you are there, please take a listen to Matthew Winner’s latest episode of the All the Wonders podcast (#372) where he chats with Hena Khan - the author of Amina’s Voice.   And, if you like what you hear and value the podcast, I would really appreciate a quick review or rating on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks again and see you soon!  Bye!   Episode Links: Corey Ann Haydu's website Other middle grade books we chatted about: The Girls from Ames: A story of women and a forty-year friendship by Jeffrey Zaslow Braced by Alyson Gerber My Life with the Liars by Caela Carter The Remarkable Journey of Charlie Price by Jennifer Maschari A young adult book we chatted about: We Are Okay by Nina LaCour   Author Leanne Shapton's website

Hena Khan (@henakhanbooks), author of Amina's Voice, stops by the podcast to talk about a sense of betrayal over names, helping a character feel comfortable in her own skin, and a deeper ideas of assimilation and acceptance.

Intro Hi and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect middle grade kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love.  I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a mom of an 8 and 10 year old, a teacher to eighteen 11 year olds, and we are all in the home stretch for summer vacation. It’s almost here. And - if any of you of are headed to the ALA Conference in Chicago this summer, I will be be there on Saturday and Sunday to interview author Mira Bartok about her new middle grade book The Wonderling. So - if you will be there, look for that and I hope we can meet in person. This is Episode #26 and Today I am welcoming author Caroline Starr Rose to the show and then in honor of Father’s Day coming up, chatting about some of our favorite fictional dads and two fabulous new books featuring awesome fathers. But first I am excited to tell you that today’s episode is supported by OwlCrate Jr. - a book subscription box just for kids 8-12. My daughters and I have been loving it! Every month has a different theme and it is such a treat to have a package waiting on your doorstep with a box full of - not only an awesome newly released book but fun little items all connected to the theme of that middle grade book.  If you head over to owlcrate.com you can see some samples of past boxes, and if you use the code BOOKSBETWEEN, you can save 15%. I hope you check them out - I really think you’re going to love it!   This week I am welcoming to the show Caroline Starr Rose - author of the recently released middle grade historical adventure Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine. We chat about the inspirations behind her latest novel, encouraging kids to read more, and we reminisce about Little House on the Prairie. Caroline Starr Rose - Interview Outline  Your latest middle grade novel, Jasper and The Riddle of Riley’s Mine, was just released this past February. Is this your first novel that is not written in verse? Tell us about this new historical adventure - what is Jasper & the Riddle of Riley’s Mine about?   One of the things I really loved about this book was they way the boys speak - using “ain’t” and “them” instead of “those”, “it’s his own dern fault”... How did you capture the voices of Jasper and Melvin? I just noticed that you have a new picture book on the Pony Express coming out this fall, yes?  I saw that you taught Social Studies and English.   A lot of our listeners who are teachers and librarians and homeschooling parents are always trying to find ways to connect subjects to really maximize the limited time we all have. When you were teaching full time, how were you connecting social studies and English? Is there anything that you used to do as a teacher that now, looking back - you regret?   Anything you would go back and change? Even though you aren’t in the classroom anymore, your passion for connecting readers and educators with the right book is clear. I especially love the “Classroom Connections” section on your website where you interview authors about their books and include a specific section on how that book would be a good fit in a classroom. How do you think that we as parents and teachers can raise kids who love reading? How is having a teenager reader different than having a middle grade reader at home? As someone who has gone through those years and is now out the other side, what can we expect?   You recently posted on your website a quote from Donalyn Miller (one of my inspirations as well!). It said, “I am as much a composite of all the book characters I have loved as of the people I have met.” Which book characters are you a composite of?  What have you been reading lately that you’ve liked?   Book Talk - Two Novels Featuring Fantastic Fathers In this section of the show, I share with you a few books centered around a theme and discuss three things to love about each book. This week, with Father’s Day coming up, I thought I would focus on books with great dads. I know it’s such a trope with kids books that the parents get killed off or are otherwise out of the picture so that the main characters can go off on adventures unimpeded, but we’re breaking away from those books today. First, I’ll go into some detail about two newer releases that I have been loving - Amina’s Voice and Beyond the Bright Sea. And then chat about other favorite dads from both modern and classic books. Amina’s Voice This week I am starting with Amina’s Voice by an author who is new to middle grade - 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 strict uncle visiting their family and figuring out for herself how to express her beliefs and culture. Here are three things to love about Amina’s Voice: Amina’s family! Her father - who is rather strict, does NOT care if he embarasses his kids by asking a million questions at Open House, but stands up for his daughter at a moment when she needs it. At first I wasn’t sure about him, but oh he grew on me! Her mom, who spends days preparing tons of traditional Pakistani food for their visiting uncle. That doesn’t quite go as planned. And Amina’s older brother, Mustafa, whose interest in trying out for the basketball team instead of joining something like Chess Club causes some friction at home. There was so much to relate to in those family moments in Amina’s Voice. That ending! I don’t want to give away too much but something bad happens in Amina’s Muslim community and the way things come together in the end makes me wish that every kid could read this story as a template of what to do in that kind of situation. It  didn’t shy away from difficult realities or make problems seem easy to solve yet it was uplifting and perfect. That this novel offers Muslim students and students from the Middle East with a main character whose background and customs might be a reflection of their own, or have pieces they can relate to. I so wish that I had this book six years ago to offer to my own Amina. She was a student of mine when I taught 6th grade and Muslim. And may have connected to this Amina’s story but she was from Bosnia so although the religious details about the Imam and Sunday school and learning passages from the Quran may have been a connection, the food and other cultural details might not have been. So while this book is absolutely a great addition to any library, I just hope that people don’t stop there and think they’ve covered a niche. It’s one girl’s story and I just can’t wait to see what else this new imprint of Simon & Schuster, Salaam Reads, will bring to the kidlit community so we have more and more stories to offer kids.     Beyond the Bright Sea Our second book this week is Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk whose novel Wolf Hollow won a Newbery Honor last year. And this book is, I think, another contender. It reminded me a little bit of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society with a touch of Orphan Island in there. This book about a 12 year old girl called Crow who as an infant washed ashore in an old boat on one of the Elizabeth Islands off the coast of Massachusetts. She is now 12 and being raised by a reclusive fisherman and painter who she calls Osh. And the other people on this tiny close-knit island essentially shun her and will not touch her or touch anything she has touched because they think she came from Penikese Island - the nearby leper colony. And this chain of events suddenly takes off when Crow sees a fire on that nearby island and starts to get curious about where she came from. It’s so good! Here are three things to love about Beyond the Bright Sea.   The timeless quality of the setting. It reminded me of Pax in that way because there are very few clues at first in the way the islanders dress or how technology is described. Eventually, you do discover precisely when everything is happening but the journey of figuring that out is part of what I liked about the book. It brought to light some real history.  It took me until half-way through to realize that the leper hospital described in the novel actually existed. And they did really dynamite it and burn it down and transform it into a bird sanctuary for awhile. But the small cemetery does remain. I love a book that brings to light a forgotten story from history. Crow’s adoptive father who she calls Osh. He has his own secrets, his own complicated backstory, but his quiet, earnest protection of her makes you love him immediately. He’s from another land, speaks in a native language that no one on this New England island knows and we really feel for him as he is so deeply afraid of losing Crow - the one thing that has keep him anchored and steady. And as she ventures out to attempt to find her parents, it’s hard for him at first. And - I don’t want to spoil anything for you but oh when you find out what his name means…. Love him!   Both Amina’s Voice and Beyond the Bright Sea are outstanding reads. If you have a kid who enjoyed Finding Perfect or Like Magic or Sticks & Stones - Amina’s Voice would be great next book to introduce them to. And if you have a child who enjoyed Midnight Without a Moon or Wolf Hollow - Beyond the Bright Sea might be the perfect next book.   Q & A Our third and final segment this week is Question & Answer time.  Question: This question stems from a conversation I had with some students who have started to notice that in lots of books they are reading the parents are missing, dead, or otherwise out of the picture. So that had me thinking about counter examples and I came up with some but wanted other opinions, too. So I put the question out there on social media and asked: “Which middle grade books have you read that had great dads?”   Answer: And actually - there were a ton! Let’s start with some classics: Obviously one of the first mentioned was Ramona and Her Father. Loved him! I still remember that scene when he’s trying to draw his foot… Pa Ingalls from the Little House series Mr. Weasley from Harry Potter - such an honorable man who took on so much risk to protect Harry And some more modern novels with dads we love: Papa (Hans Hubermann) from The Book Thief is one of my all-time favorite fathers And one new book that came up over and over again and one that has been a classroom favorite with my 5ths is The Crossover - what a great relationship he had with his twin boys. Another book that was mentioned a lot was The Family Fletcher series and the two awesome dads heading up that family. I haven’t read it yet but that title is moving up my TBR list. Melanie Conklin’s Counting Thyme and the newly released Moon Shadow by Erin Downing are both books that I’ve been dying to read that so many mentioned as having a great fathers. The dad from Gertie’s Leap to Greatness and the dad in The Penderwicks and Mr. Pullman from Wonder and the dad from Ida B and Wolf Hollow!   I know there are tons and tons more - so I hope you jump on social media share your favorite middle grade dads. Closing Alright - that wraps up our show this week. If you have a question or an idea about a topic we should cover, I 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 find an outline of interviews and a full transcript of all the other parts of our show along with all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com. And thanks again to OwlCrateJr for supporting the podcast this month - don’t forget to head over to owlcrate.com and use code BOOKSBETWEEN to get 15% percent off your subscription! And, if you are liking the show, please help others find us too by telling a friend, sharing on social media, or leaving a rating on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks again and see you soon!  Bye!   Episode Links: Caroline's Official Website: https://carolinestarrrose.com Jasper and the Riddle of Riley's Mine Teaching Guide Where in the World Are We Reading? Activity Stone Mirrors: The Sculpture and Silence of Edmond Lewis (Jeannine Atkins) Wonder: A novel (Emma Donoghue) Insight (Tasha Eurich) Three Pennies (Melanie Crowder)  

Unsung Heroes, Ep 13 – Life is a Rough Draft Part I The first in our series highlighting Muslim American authors, Saba talks to writer Hena Khan about diversifying the American literary landscape with her children’s books including Its Ramadan Curious George and her newest chapter book Amina’s Voice.

Amina's Voice by Hena Khan

American Muslim and Children's Author Hena Khan joins me to talk about her newest book, “Amina's Voice.” I am very excited to have her back on the podcast to talk about her book, the long and arduous writing process, what she would like readers to take away from the book and more. Some Links and Topics... The post EP 199 – Hena Khan appeared first on Greed for Ilm.

Youth Lit authors Hena Khan and Sara Farizan talk about writing young Pakistani and Iranian characters, and wonder why every single book set in South Asia includes samosas. Plus, they give Ahmed some writing advice and read from their own work. Hena shares an excerpt from her forthcoming novel "Amina's Voice," and Sara reads from "Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel". Follow Hena at @henakhanbooks Follow Sara at @SaraFarizan Find a list of books recommended by Hena and Sara here. Follow Ahmed at @radbrowndads. Follow the show at @seesomething and facebook.com/seesomethingpodcast Find more episodes at buzzfeed.com/seesomethingsaysomething Email us at saysomething@buzzfeed.com. Our music is by The Kominas. Follow them at @TheRealKominas and kominas.bandcamp.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently, my cousin and his wife took their daughters to a “meet the author” event where they met Children's Author, and American Muslim, Hena Khan, author of Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns. After the event they contacted me and asked if I could reach out and invite sister Hena on the podcast. So I did... The post EP 180 – Hena Khan appeared first on Greed for Ilm.