Podcasts about sayantani dasgupta

In this episode, Krish and Ari from the US, dive into "The Secrets of the Sky: The Chaos Monster" by the New York Times bestselling author Sayantani Dasgupta.The story follows Kinjal and Kiya, twin siblings who discover that their father's stories of the Kingdom Beyond Seven Oceans and Thirteen Rivers are not just tales, but real places where magical creatures live. When their Labrador, Thums-up, is kidnapped, they team up with flying horses, Snowy and Raat, to rescue him. Using their scientific and linguistic skills, the duo also tackle challenges, including saving bees and protecting the nectar that sustains the pakkhiraj horses.In a special segment of Authors Corner, Krish sits down with the brilliant author, Sayantani Dasgupta herself, to unravel the secrets behind "The Secrets of the Sky: The Chaos Monster." Krish also brings his signature Word Wonders and Riddle Time segments to keep you engaged and entertained throughout this episode. Tune in to listen now!

We're thankful to every person who reads aloud to a child. To mark this holiday devoted to giving thanks, we're bringing back an episode we recorded during the pandemic.  We asked three children's authors — Traci Sorell, Ann Clare LeZotte, and Dr Sayantani DasGupta — to read aloud their own stories of gratitude, and we're grateful to share those stories with you again.

In this special bonus episode, Brendan Kiely speaks with Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Sayantani DasGupta, and Joanna Ho about the recent censorship controversy involving Scholastic Education and the picture book LOVE IN THE LIBRARY. See complete show notes at www.bookfriendsforever.com. Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1. Educators! Pre-order Chinese Menu for the Carle Museum and receive a FREE virtual classroom visit with Grace to celebrate the Moon Festival on Sept 29th! Not an educator? Want something different? Pre-order Chinese Menu from Porter Square Book and receive an enamel dragon pin (perfect for the upcoming Year of the Dragon)! All info here: https://gracelin.com/news-events/

https://jaymcdonald.com/http://www.sayantanidasgupta.com/https://www.cathayreta.com/Jay McDonald MBA, Executive Leadership Coach and Author of Strategic Jaywalking: The Secret Sauce To Life & Leadership Excellence. Jay is a veteran executive and business leader, with 40 years of experience as a CEO, Entrepreneur and Corporate Advisor. He is a graduate of Stanford University's Executive Leadership Program and has been an executive leadership expert source and contributor for NBC News, Forbes and Fast Company. https://jaymcdonald.com/Dr. Sayantani Dasgupta is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed, Bengali folktale and string theory-inspired Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond books, the first of which, The Serpent's Secret, was a Booklist Best Middle Grade Novel of the 21st Century and an E. B. White Read Aloud Honor Book. Sayantani is a pediatrician by training, but now teaches at Columbia University. http://sayantanidasgupta.com/Cathay Reta shares her passion of writing life's experiences and observations into relatable lessons for her readers such as in her book Keep Walking, Your Heart Will Catch Up, the story of the pilgrimage she made on the 483-mile Camino de Santiago in Spain, alone, at age 64, after her husband passed away. Cathay has a B.A. in music, almost 40 years of a career in adult literacy, and a lifetime of co-ministry with her late husband. https://www.cathayreta.com/

Mini: Sayantani DasGupta by NewberyTart

Reimagining Jane Austen's 1813 Pride & Prejudice, New York Times bestselling author Sayantani DasGupta gives us her debut YA novel -  Debating Darcy. Sayantani moves the story to the 21st century. It's set in the ultra competitive world of high school speech and debate tournaments. Debating Darcy explores the class conflict between private and public schools and the diverse world of American high school culture. Pride vs persistence. Sayantani allows her female characters to do all the things that their 1813 counterparts couldn't. Sayantani DasGupta is the author of the critically acclaimed, Bengali folktale and string theory - inspired Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond books. She is also the author of She Persisted: Virginia Apgar, a part of Chelsea Clinton's She Persisted series. A pediatrician by training, Sayantani currently teaches at Columbia University.

James and Melissa read Sayantani DasGupta's Debating Darcy (and also Fire Island from Hulu), discussing narrative ownership, why regency media is so popular, and Melissa's high school forensics experience.Join us next month for She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick.

Sayantani DasGupta is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed, Bengali folktale and string theory-inspired Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond books, the first of which -- The Serpent's Secret -- was a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, a Booklist Best Middle Grade Novel of the 21st Century, and an E. B. White Read Aloud Honor Book. Sayantani is a pediatrician by training, but now teaches at Columbia University."Debating Darcy" is Sayantani DasGupta's reinterpretation of beloved Jane Austen classic "Pride and Prejudice."

James and Melissa discuss Freya Marske's A Marvellous Light, through themes of family, belonging, and chance. Content warning for our younger viewers; some NC-17 chapters in here again.Join us next month for Debating Darcy by Sayantani DasGupta (with a dash of Hulu's Fire Island for good measure).

Pride and Prejudice Meets A High School Speech Team In Sayantani DasGupta's Modern Mashup: Debating Darcy.

Originally trained in pediatrics and public health, Sayantani DasGupta teaches in the Graduate Program in Narrative Medicine, the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society and the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race, all at Columbia University. She writes and speaks on issues of race, gender, health and social justice. New York Times bestselling author and physician, Sayantani DasGupta, brilliantly re-imagines the beloved classic, Pride and Prejudice, to reflect the complex, diverse world of American high school culture. The book is already receiving rave reviews, and you need not be an Austen-head, to love it and the conversations around the many issues Sayantani weaves in and addresses. “Studded with references to U.S. and South Asian pop culture as well as Jane Austen–related Easter eggs, DasGupta's astute, buoyant comedy of manners employs witty, rat-a-tat dialogue alongside social commentary about subjects including classism, colorism, and sexism.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review MORE: getthefunkoutshow.kuci.org

Professor, physician, and New York Times best-selling author, Dr. Sayantani DasGupta, speaks with us to discuss her young adult debut novel, Debating Darcy. Her story is a retelling of Jane Austen's classic, Pride and Prejudice, and her heroine is Leela Bose, a member of her high school's speech and debate club, who has met her Read More

Dieter and Ian talk with Dr Sayantani DasGupta about her work in health humanities/narrative medicine, particularly her work at the intersection of narrative, health and social justice. Sayantani will discuss the importance of pedagogy in her scholarly work, and the impact of her identity as a children's and YA author to her scholarship, and vice versa. Click here for the article by Maria Sachiko Cecire that Sayantani discusses at 22:30. Dr. Sayantani DasGupta is Senior Lecturer in the Master's Program in Narrative Medicine, the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race, and the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society, all at Columbia University. Originally trained in pediatrics and public health, she is the author or co-author of several academic books including The Principles and Practices of Narrative Medicine. Her work has appeared in The Lancet, JAMA, Pediatrics, The Hastings Center Report, Teaching and Learning in Medicine, and the Journal of Medical Humanities, and other venues. Her current interests are in issues of abolition medicine, racial justice and health, diaspora studies, and science fiction/health futurities. She is also a New York Times bestselling children's author, and you can learn more about her work at www.sayantanidasgupta.com.

Frankie's guests include author of "Your Money Mentality" Ted Oakley, author of "Debating Darcy" Dr. Sayantani DasGupta, and to talk about the YMCA with Trish Kitchell.J. Ted OakleyBOOK: YOUR MONEY MENTALITY How You Feel About Risk, Losses and GainsJ. Ted Oakley, founder and managing partner of Oxbow Advisors, began his career in the investment industry in 1976. His latest book, Your Money Mentality: How You Feel About Risk, Losses and Gains explains how investing is not linear and that successful investing sometimes goes against conventional wisdom. The “Oxbow Principles” and the firm's proprietary investment strategies are founded on the unique perspective he has gained during his decades-long tenure advising high-net-worth investors. He is the author of eight books including $20 Million and Broke, Crazy Time: Surviving the First 12 Months After Selling Your Company, and The Psychology of Staying Rich. https://oxbowadvisors.com/Dr. Sayantani DasGuptaBOOK: Debating Darcyhttps://shop.scholastic.com/parent-ecommerce/books/debating-darcy-9781338797695.htmlEVENT: May 24, 2022 7:00pm Eastern: Chelsea Clinton event with Politics and Prose bookstore (Washington D.C.) https://www.politics-prose.com/event/book/pp-live-sayantani-dasgupta-debating-darcy-chelsea-clintonDr. Sayantani Dasgupta is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed, Bengali folktale and string theory-inspired Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond books, the first of which, The Serpent's Secret, was a Booklist Best Middle Grade Novel of the 21st Century and an E. B. White Read Aloud Honor Book. Sayantani is a pediatrician by training, but now teaches at Columbia University. http://sayantanidasgupta.com/Trish Kitchellymca.org/hkdhttps://www.ymca.org/what-we-do/healthy-living/family-time/healthy-kids-dayTrish Kitchell works as a Vice President, Youth Development at YMCA of Greater Cincinnati founded in 1853. She joins the program to discuss how the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati brought a strong summer remote learning experience to their community achieving scholar gains in Math and ELA by partnering with BellXcel. Their webinar Playlist to Adapt Your Afterschool and Summer Programming covers the essential ingredients for remote learning. https://myy.org/

Host Cyrus Webb welcomes author Sayantani Dasgupta to #ConversationsLIVE to discuss her literary success and new book DEBATING DARCY. 

On this episode of Ethics Talk, Zahra Kahn, Yoshiko Iwai, and Dr Sayantani DasGupta outline how “abolition medicine” can motivate critical responses to medicine's expressions of hyper-punitive, deeply racialized exercises of state authority. Recorded November 12, 2021

Authors Sayantani DasGupta and Grace Lin answer the question Did your parents tell you stories when you were young? and kid reviewer Zahra reviews The Serpent's Secret by Sayantani DasGupta.

I was recently reading the January/February 2022 issue of “Science Scope” a publication of the National Science Teaching Association.  In this issue, I read the article listing the “2022 Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students.”  In this podcast, we look at 13 “Outstanding Science Trade Books” recommended for students in grades 3-5: “The Body Book” Illustrated by Hannah Alice “Pooper Snooper” by Jennifer Keats Curtis “The Dirt Book” by David Harrison “Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America's Doctor” by Kate Messner “History Smashers: Plagues and Pandemics” by Kate Messner “Fearless World Traveler: Adventures of Marianne North, Botanical Artist” by Laurie Lawlor “Fossils from Lost Worlds” by Helene Rajcak and Damien Laverdunt “Masters of Disguise: Camouflaging Creatures and Magnificent Mimics” by Marc Martin “Summertime Sleepers” by Melissa Stewart “Disasters by the Numbers” by Steve Jenkins “A Life Electric: The Story of Nikola Tesla” by Azadeh Westergaard “She Persisted: Virginia Apgar” by Dr. Sayantani DasGupta and Chelsea Clinton “Scientists: Inspiring Tales of the World's Brightest Scientific Minds” by Isabel Thomas

My guest today, Mansi Shah, spent years building a stunning career as a lawyer in the fast-moving world of Hollywood entertainment, working with some of the most iconic storytellers in the industry. But, behind her success as an entertainment lawyer, a lifelong yearning was brewing. She felt deeply called to not just help others tell their stories, often built around narratives that didn't resonate with her background, but to actually be the storyteller, herself. And, to focus her lens on bringing the authentic immigrant experience, her own personal and family story, to a wide audience. So, she started writing her own stories, eventually penning the book that would become the groundbreaking and beautiful new novel, The Taste of Ginger. But that journey was anything but easy or linear. Over the 10-years since she started writing, the story and the book took countless turns. The early manuscript was, in fact, rejected by the very editor who, years later, would circle back to acquire and then champion it. Along the way, Mansi's lens on what the story could be and needed to be, and how she needed to honor her creative impulse, commitment to advocacy, and desire to speak to people who were so often left out of the popular storytelling narrative, evolved and became centered in a way that only time and reflection could have crafted. We explore all of this in today's conversation, including how her personal evolution. You can find Mansi at: Website | InstagramIf you LOVED this episode:You'll also love the conversations we had with Dr. Sayantani DasGupta about writing stories that expand the landscape of popular narratives.My new book Sparked.Check out our offerings & partners: Outschool: Inspire kids to love learning with Outschool classes. It's 100% fun, live & teacher-led. Explore over 100,000 topics and learn in small groups via Zoom. Perfect for ages 3-18. Join for free. To learn more about all Outschool has to offer and to save $15 off your child's first class go to Outschool.com/GOODLIFEParachute: Premium quality sheets, towels, robes and more. Like nothing you've ever felt. Make staying in more comfortable with our modern home collections. Responsibly manufactured. Visit ParachuteHome.com/GOODLIFE for free shipping and returns on Parachute's very comfortable home essentials.Bean Box: Give the coffee fanatic in your life an unforgettable coffee-tasting experience with Bean Box. Our coffee is expertly curated and always fresh, with fast delivery and free shipping. Order today at beanbox.com/GOODLIFE and get 15% off purchases of $40 or more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's chat is about Sayatani Dasgupta's fantastic Kiranmala series, which just finished (started?) with a fourth volume - a prequel. Find all four books on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/books?keywords=Sayantani+Dasgupta

According to the Scholastic Teacher & Principal School Report, more than 60% of educators notice a learning loss among students—also known as the “summer slide”—at the start of the academic year. Educators overwhelmingly agree that reading books when school is out supports students' academic success. The Scholastic Summer Reading program was designed to help meet this need. The free, annual initiative keeps kids motivated to read all summer long, while expanding access to books. The program hosts virtual author events, provides e-books, and empowers kids to unlock a donation of 100,000 print books from Scholastic that are distributed in rural communities by Save the Children. In this episode, host Suzanne McCabe talks with Lizette Serrano and Dr. Sayantani DasGupta about the Scholastic Summer Reading program and how kids can enjoy all of the free resources on Scholastic Home Base. Lizette is the vice president of educational marketing and event planning at Scholastic. She has a wealth of experience motivating kids to read for pleasure—not just in the summer months, but all year long. Sayantani, who is a pediatrician by training, is the New York Times-bestselling author of Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond, a wildly-popular middle-grade fantasy series. Her latest book, a stand-alone novel from The Kingdom Beyond, is called Force of Fire. She teaches at Columbia University in the Graduate Program in Narrative Medicine, the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society, and the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race. “If there's ever been a time that all of us—young readers, teenage readers, adult readers—need the healing power of story, it's this summer,” Sayantani says. “There is so much loss and confusion and anguish that we've all been through.” Resources: Scholastic Summer Reading (https://www.scholastic.com/site/summer/home.html): Gain access to a fun, free, and safe program for kids. Check out Home Base (https://kids.scholastic.com/kid/homebase/), a free 3D interactive world that celebrates favorite stories through book-based games, live author events, and a community of readers. Learn more about New York Times-bestselling author Sayantani DasGupta (http://www.sayantanidasgupta.com/). *Special Thanks: * *Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl * Producer: Bridget Benjamin * Associate Producer: Connie Gibbs * Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan

The eleventh episode of ARC Nemesis is a review of the 2018 Middle Grade Novel by Sayantani Dasgupta, The Serpent's Secret: Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond. Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It is episode 11 of the 'Read It Right' show, and we finally have a woman. The delay is not by design, but by accident. Sayantani Dasgupta is the author of 'Women Who Misbehave'. The book is a collection of short stories about women of all ages, from different times, who "misbehaved" in their own ways. Sayantani teaches Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. She lives and teaches in the USA. This is her third book. Watch the interview to know more about the author's journey, her background, her work with the book, and creative writing teaching experiences. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/subh-dasgupta/message

It is episode 11 of the 'Read It Right' show, and we finally have a woman. The delay is not by design, but by accident. Sayantani Dasgupta is the author of 'Women Who Misbehave'. The book is a collection of short stories about women of all ages, from different times, who "misbehaved" in their own ways. Sayantani teaches Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. She lives and teaches in the USA. This is her third book. Watch the interview to know more about the author's journey, her background, her work with the book, and creative writing teaching experiences. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/subh-dasgupta/message

Hi! In the 5th episode of 'The Read It Right' Show, I feature Sayantani Dasgupta's collection of short stories 'Women Who Misbehave'. The book is available as a hardcover in India. It has been published by Penguin. Hope you enjoy this book review. An author interview with follow shortly. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/subh-dasgupta/message

This Women's Day, two books about rebellious women are slated to hit the stands: 'Impetuous Women' by Shikhandin, and 'Women Who Misbehave' by Sayantani Dasgupta. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://eshe.in/2021/03/01/shikhandin-sayantani-dasgupta/

It’s the third ever, ridiculously long mega-sized Middle Grade Ninja clips show, featuring snippets from episodes 60 through 100. New episodes are scheduled to return January 30th. Until then, enjoy this compilation of clips from conversations with AUTHORS Catherine Linka, Barbara Shoup, Kaela Noel, Sayantani DasGupta, Avi, Anna Meriano, Anne Bustard, Rob Harrell, Joy McCullough, Mitali Perkins, Carlie Sorosiak, Claire Swinarski, Josh Berk, Saundra Mitchell, Hugh Howey, Anne Nesbet, Tracy Wolff, Dorothy A. Winsor, Lillie Evans, Tony Perona, C.L. Shore, Janet E. Williams, Paula Chase, Preeti Chhibber, Annie Sullivan, MarcyKate Connolly, Laura Stegman, Daniel Kraus, Patrick Huellery, Margi Preus, Hayley Chewins, Marcella Pixley, Tonya Duncan Ellis, Victoria Bond, John Gallagher, Hena Kahn, Melissa de la Cruz, G. Neri, LITERARY AGENTS Kristy Hunter, Kiana Nguyen, Jim McCarthy, EDITORS Sarah LaPolla, Sara-Jayne Slack, Mari Kesselring, Elizabeth Law, Cheryl Klein, and PUBLIC RELATIONS EXPERT Sarah Miniaci.

Reading aloud brings people together, and we thank every person who reads aloud to a child.  To mark this holiday devoted to giving thanks, we asked three children’s authors — Traci Sorell, Ann Clare LeZotte, and Dr Sayantani DasGupta — to read aloud their own stories of gratitude.

Rajani and Artemis talk to physician and children's book author Sayantani DasGupta about narrative medicine, fantasy and "kids like me".Learn more about Christine and her books on her website: http://www.sayantanidasgupta.com/Purchase Kiranmala and the Kingdom BeyondBooks recommended on this episode:100 Bugs!: A Counting Book (Narita/Kaufman)Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Melifera (Fleming/Rohmann)A Ring of Endless Light (L'Engle)For more info about the hosts and their books, check out: ArtemisRoehrig.com and RajaniLaRocca.comRajani's booksArtemis' books

Listen to why youth librarian, Lisa K, thinks you should read The Serpent's Secret by Sayantani DasGupta. Written For: 5th & 6th Graders Genre: fantasy Themes: Indian mythology, adoption, family, friendship, science Check it out here: https://search.westervillelibrary.org/iii/encore/search/C__St%3A%28the%20serpent%27s%20secret%29__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold

Jennie and Marcy talk with children's book author - and doctor! - Sayantani DasGupta about the importance of mythology and story. Show notes and more at http://www.newberytart.com/mini-episode-sayantani-dasgupta/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Essayist, short-story writer, and author of 'House of Nails', and 'Fire Girl', Sayantani Dasgupta speaks to Ayushi Mona about her childhood experiences – from being an avid-reader to enjoying the dynamics of Delhi, from getting emotional to evolving as a person who places everything in contexts, from what moved her about Delhi to books that you should read, and more. Tune in now.  "Fire Girl," is her debut collection of essays, where she examines her personal story against the history, religion, popular culture and mythology of South Asia and her current home in the American West.

Essayist, short-story writer, and author of 'House of Nails', and 'Fire Girl', Sayantani Dasgupta speaks to Ayushi Mona about her childhood experiences – from being an avid-reader to enjoying the dynamics of Delhi, from getting emotional to evolving as a person who places everything in contexts, from what moved her about Delhi to books that you should read, and more. Tune in now. "Fire Girl," is her debut collection of essays, where she examines her personal story against the history, religion, popular culture and mythology of South Asia and her current home in the American West.

New York Times bestselling author Sayantani takes time out of her busy schedule to chat about her childhood home, inspiration and today's world. Sayantani holds nothing back, and shares her true feelings about the state of the world. Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sayantani16?s=21 Instagram: https://instagram.com/princesskiranmala?igshid=lbo0vm01ewdy Website: http://www.sayantanidasgupta.com/writer/

Thursday 09 April 2020: COVID19 series Resa speaks with Dr. Emily Silverman creator and host for the Nocturnists. In March 2020, she and her team put out a call for people who are interested in keeping an “audio diary” about their experience working on the front lines of the COVID19 pandemic. Dr. Sayantani DasGupta is a Pediatrician by training, a subject matter expert in Narrative Medicine, and a NYTimes best selling author of a children's book series: Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond (photo credit Chris X. Carroll). Episode image with permissions quiles_artworks

Dr. Sayantani Dasgupta has a foot in three worlds: medicine, teaching and writing. Growing up the daughter of Indian immigrants, she fell in love with writing at an early age. But she decided to focus on medicine as her early career, eventually becoming a pediatrician and then a professor, teaching med-students and others about the power of listening and peoples’ stories as a faculty member in Columbia University’s Master’s Program in Narrative Medicine (http://www.narrativemedicine.org/), and co-chair of Columbia’s University Seminar on Narrative, Health and Social Justice (http://universityseminars.columbia.edu/seminars/narrative-health-and-social-justice/).All the while, she was writing. She started with a memoir, then collaborated with her mother on a collection of Bengali folk tales, before creating her own fantasy series designed to not only capture the imagination of young adults but also feature a heroin with brown skin that her kids could relate to. Now with 3 books out, including The Serpent’s Secret, Game of Start and the Chaos Curse, and a NYT bestseller in the mix, she splits her time between the world of medicine, teaching and writing, all the time focused on reconnecting people with stories that allow them to see themselves as they are in the world.You can find Sayantani DasGupta at: Website http://www.sayantanidasgupta.com/| Twitter https://twitter.com/@sayantani16Check out our offerings & partners: Seed: Start your path to a healthy gut: Visit seed.com/GOODLIFE or use code GOODLIFE for 15% off your first month of the Daily Synbiotic.OMGyes!: The Science of Women's Pleasure. Go to OMGyes.com/goodlife for a special discount.Skylight Frame: Get $10 off your purchase of a Skylight Frame when you go skylightframe.com and enter code GLP.

Sayantani DasGupta and I discuss her series, KIRANMALA AND THE KINGDOM BEYOND, celebrating the release of its third installment, THE CHAOS CURSE. She shares information about being involved with WE NEED DIVERSE BOOKS. We discuss the importance of representation and how a lack of mirrors can give the misguided impression of a monster, not unlike a vampire. We chat about narrating her own audiobooks, using humor and absurdity to make observations about the world in middle grade fiction, plotting vs pantsing, writing while cooking, in-depth editing, the qualities of a great writers critique group, the glory of knowledge, and so much more. Sayantani DasGupta is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed, Bengali folktale and string theory-inspired KIRANMALA AND THE KINGDOM BEYOND books, the first of which—THE SERPENT'S SECRET—was a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, a Booklist Best Middle Grade Novel of the 21st Century, and an EB White Read Aloud Honor Book. Sayantani is a pediatrician by training, but now teaches at Columbia University. When she’s not writing or reading, Sayantani spends time watching cooking shows with her trilingual children and protecting her black Labrador retriever Khushi from the many things that scare him, including plastic bags. She is a team member of WE NEED DIVERSE BOOKS, and can be found online at sayantanidasgupta.com and on Twitter at @sayantani16.

On this special episode - The Woman Episode, sponsored by Sourcebooks - director and screenwriter Jan Eliasberg discusses her debut novel, Hannah’s War, a thrilling story inspired by the life of the brilliant unsung woman who discovered nuclear fission. Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week, including books from Sayantani DasGupta, David Enrich, and Quan Barry.

Dr. Sayantani DasGupta '92, physician, scholar, and children's book author, shares her insights on unconventional career paths, the intersection of art and social justice, the power of narrative medicine, and more.

Scholastic surveys thousands of kids and their families across the U.S. biennially for our Kids & Family Reading Report, gaining special insight into the latest trends in children's reading habits. The second of three installments, Finding Their Story, focuses on what kids want in books and characters, the rising demand for diversity in children's books, and the importance of access to books. This week, you'll hear from four of our in-house experts — as well as some kids themselves! — about what the data tells us that kids and their families are looking for in the books they read. Additional resources: See all of the findings from the Kids & Family Reading Report: Finding Their Story Learn more about Game of Stars by Sayantani DasGupta Learn more about the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis Learn more about the Power of Story initiative and download the catalog See the full digital catalog on Edelweiss Read Lizette Serrano's blog post about Esperanza Rising  Guests: Lauren Tarshis is the Vice President and Editor-in-Chief/Publisher of Scholastic Classroom Magazines. She's also the author of the bestselling I Survived series. Andrea Davis Pinkney is a Vice President, Executive Editor of Scholastic Trade books and an award-winning children's book author. Michael Haggen is the Chief Academic Officer at Scholastic. Lizette Serrano is the Executive Director of Educational Marketing and Event Strategy at Scholastic. Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula Produced by Emily Morrow, Mackenzie Cutruzzula, Suzanne McCabe

Scholastic surveys thousands of kids and their families across the U.S. biennially for our Kids & Family Reading Report, gaining special insight into the latest trends in children's reading habits. The second of three installments, Finding Their Story, focuses on what kids want in books and characters, the rising demand for diversity in children's books, and the importance of access to books. This week, you'll hear from four of our in-house experts — as well as some kids themselves! — about what the data tells us that kids and their families are looking for in the books they read. Additional resources: See all of the findings from the Kids & Family Reading Report: Finding Their Story Learn more about Game of Stars by Sayantani DasGupta Learn more about the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis Learn more about the Power of Story initiative and download the catalog See the full digital catalog on Edelweiss Read Lizette Serrano's blog post about Esperanza Rising  Guests: Lauren Tarshis is the Vice President and Editor-in-Chief/Publisher of Scholastic Classroom Magazines. She's also the author of the bestselling I Survived series. Andrea Davis Pinkney is a Vice President, Executive Editor of Scholastic Trade books and an award-winning children's book author. Michael Haggen is the Chief Academic Officer at Scholastic. Lizette Serrano is the Executive Director of Educational Marketing and Event Strategy at Scholastic. Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula Produced by Emily Morrow, Mackenzie Cutruzzula, Suzanne McCabe

Intro Hi everyone and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love.  I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a teacher, a mom, and battling a cold this afternoon! So if I sound a little...off - that is why! This is episode #68 and Today I’m answering some questions about trends in middle grade and sharing with you some fabulous 2019 titles to look forward to this year! Q&A - Trends in Middle Grade Fiction Last month, my husband asked me some questions about trends in middle grade fiction. He teaches a class at Seton Hall all about trends in genre fiction and wanted some input on middle grade. So I thought I would share my responses with you. And I would be very curious about what YOU would answer. What genres or subgenres do you believe are the hottest right now? Well, it’s a format and not a genre but graphic novel memoirs like Hey Kiddo, Real Friends, and Be Prepared are still really popular. And also graphic novel adaptations of classics (like Anne of Green Gables) and popular novels (like Wings of Fire or Percy Jackson).  And again, not genre, but I see more books that are based on the core experiences of the writer. Those novels that draw on the real-life backgrounds of the authors like Kelly Yang’s Front Desk, Tami Charles’ Like Vanessa, and Supriya Kellar’s Ahimsa.  They’re not memoirs but they are books rooted in a very personal experience. To authors, I’d say - take those things that make you unique, that make you a bit quirky, that set you apart from most other people - and write THAT story. Like Kelly Yang taking the experiences of her family coming from China and running motels to write Front Desk. Jarrett Krosoczka writing the critically acclaimed graphic novel memoir Hey Kiddo about his life living with his grandparents after his mom lost custody of him due to drug addiction. Crack that door open and invite us inside. What genres or subgenres do you believe are passé or overexposed? I don’t know…. I do wonder how long the unicorn and narwhal craze will last but that seems to live more in picture books than middle grade. Magical realism - or rather realistic fiction with a magical twist - doesn’t seem to be slowing down. You know - anything can be new and fresh with the right spin.  And also, authors from marginalized backgrounds are still underrepresented in just about every genre so those are stories that will likely have new points of view. I thought I was totally over zombie stories but Dread Nation popped up and whoa!!  I’ve never read a zombie story like THAT before!   If you had to predict, what genre or subgenre do you think is primed to be the next Big Thing in the next year or so? I would say stories about immigrants, refugees, and the unique experiences of marginalized groups (especially by #ownvoices authors) will continue to be popular. Over the last couple of years we’ve seen an explosion of critically acclaimed middle grade stories like Alan Gratz’s Refugee, Jacqueline Woodson’s Harbor Me, and Escape from Aleppo by N.H. Senzai among many more. We also have more and more books coming out that tell stories of police violence in developmentally appropriate ways like Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes and Blended by Sharon Draper.  I’m also really excited about a new crop of middle grade #MeToo stories on the horizon like So Done by Paula Chase and the upcoming Barbara Dee novel Maybe He Just Likes You.   Any comments about where you see genre fiction heading? In middle grade, like everywhere else,  #ownvoices books are still underrepresented  - everyone has a unique story to tell or a unique POV to offer.  EVERYONE. So my advice to authors, take the spark of your unique life experiences and let that burn throughout your story.  My advice to educators - scour those shelves to find a wider variety of books. Also - if you write for a YA/MG audience, librarians and educators are more and more eager to the ditch the old canon and form partnerships with authors. Look for opportunities like #KidsNeedMentors or reach out to your local schools and libraries.   Book Talk - Most Anticipated Middle Grade Books of 2019   The last couple of episodes were all about looking back on some of the best that middle grade had to offer in 2018. (If you missed those, go check out episodes #66 and #67.)  But today is all about looking forward into the new year. Last year, when I did our Most Anticipated MG of 2018, I went chronologically by month. But this year I’m going about it a little differently and discussing the new releases by category.     First, we’ll chat about the new graphic novels coming up in 2019. And then we’ll talk about new releases from authors who debuted in 2018 and 2017 and see what they’re up to now. After that, I’ll give you a peek at some of the 2019 debut middle grade authors.  Then we’ll see what new books are coming out in favorite series and what sequels we have to look forward to. And finally, we’ll finish up with the 2019 releases from more established authors.   So, buckle up and get ready to add to your wish list. And remember - no need to go hunting for a pen and paper. You can find every book mentioned AND a picture of the available covers AND a link to pre-order them right on the Books Between post for this episode, #69, at MGBookVillage.com.  I’ve got your back, I know you’re busy, so it’s all right there for you. And as I’ve said before, I’ve come to really love pre-ordering - it helps out favorite authors and it’s like a little surprise to your future self.   Before we jump in, just remember that this is just a sampling of all the incredible books coming out this year. I’ll add some links to some other great resources in the show notes and on the website where you can find more complete listings of titles to browse through and the MGBookVillage website has a great release calendar so that’s one to bookmark for sure.   https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/111975.Middle_Grade_Novels_of_2019 http://novelnineteens.com/books/middle-grade-books https://mgbookvillage.org/2018releasedates/ http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2018/12/19-2019-middle-grade-books-to-have-on-your-radar/ https://www.readbrightly.com/middle-grade-books-2019/ https://www.bookish.com/articles/must-read-childrens-books-winter-2019/ http://www.popgoesthereader.com/target-audience-middle-grade/70-middle-grade-novels-i-cant-wait-to-read-in-2019/   Also - publication dates do occasionally change, so just be aware of that.   Alright, get your Goodreads tab open, or your library website pulled up, or your Amazon/Indiebound shopping cart ready, or ….. print out the show notes and bring it to your favorite local bookstore!   Alright - let’s get to it! The 2019 Graphic Novels This January, Lincoln Peirce, the author of Big Nate, has a new graphic/illustrated novel series set in the middle ages called Max and the Midknights that looks really, really cute. Also out on January 8th is Click by Kayla Miller - the story of 5th grader Olive who is having some trouble finding where she “clicks” in middle school. The sequel, called Camp, is being released this April so fans won’t have to wait long for the next one. A fantasy graphic novel that Mel Schuit recommended that I check out is The Chancellor and the Citadel by Maria Capelle Frantz so that’s on my radar now - and yours! Thank you, Mel! On January 29th another Hilo is coming our way! Hilo 5: Then Everything Went Wrong. And on that same day the 5th Bird & Squirrel is coming out called All Tangled Up. One graphic novel adaptation that has really piqued my interest is Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Modern Retelling of Little Women by Rey Tercerio and illustrator Bre Indigo. The classic is reimagined as a blended family living in modern-day New York City. I don’t think I’ve ever hit “pre-order” faster and will be eagerly stalking my delivery person on February 5th for that one! My mailbox is going to be brimming on February 5th because I also HAD to preorder New Kid by Jerry Craft!  It’s about seventh grader Jordan Banks who loves drawing cartoons and dreams of going to art school. But his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school instead, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. Looks amazing!!  90-Second Newbery was singing its praises on Twitter last night and said this about it: “The amazing graphic novel New Kid by @JerryCraft should definitely be on everyone's tbr list and it has a full-cast (and all-star cast) audiobook released at the same time….perfect for rich, nuanced convos abt race, class, identity, school systems, how we share books, code switching, starting new school, just so much!”   So, yeah… I’ll just wait here for a bit while you hit pause and go order that! We also get  the second Wings of Fire graphic novel, The Lost Heir, on February 26th AND the second Mr. Wolf’s Class book called Mystery Club. And a heads up that the graphic novel of The Hidden Kingdom (Wings of Fire Book 3) is out in October 2019. For those Minecraft fans in your life, this March we get another Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior graphic novel - Forging Destiny. And for older middle grade kids - maybe 11 or 12 and up -  look for the new graphic novel adaptations of The Iliad and The Odyssey this March as well. And fans of Terri Libenson’s Invisible Emmie and Positively Izzie will want to get their hands on Just Jaime - coming out May7th. There were lots of smiles among my students today when I told them that news! Bad Guys #9 - The Bad Guys in the Big Bad Wolf is out June 25th.  Perfect launch for a fun summer read. This August brings us Best Friends, the sequel to Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham’s Real Friends -  out on August 27th. And have you seen the cover? It’s Shannon at the top of a rollercoaster with this vibrant purple background. Love it, love it, love it! And Dog Man fans (like my daughter) will be psyched this August because we are getting Dog Man #7: For Whom the Ball Rolls! The seventh graphic novel adaptation of the Baby-sitters Club, Boy Crazy Stacey, illustrated by Gale Carrigan, will be out September 3rd. That’s one of those no-brainer preorders for my classroom library. Also - I was interested to hear that R.J. Palacio is publishing her first graphic novel Wonder story this fall called White Bird. This one is Julian’s grandmother’s story about her life as a young Jewish girl hidden away by a family in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. So be on the lookout for that one September 3rd as well. You want another don’t-even-have-to-think-about-it-just-preorder-it graphic novel? Guts - the long-awaited new Raina Telgemeier graphic memoir is out September 17th!! September also brings the latest from Tillie Walden - Are You Listening.  The peeks I’ve seen of that online look incredible, so that one is definitely on my radar this fall. And then….….. Drumroll please…… Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl!! Ahhhh!!  I knew it! That last page in Mighty Jack and the Goblin King was just too good not to be followed up with a joint adventure. Yay! Jen Wang -  author of last year’s hit, The Prince & the Dressmaker, has a new graphic novel coming out in September called  Stargazing. This one draws on her personal experiences and is the story of two friends - Moon and Christine. And this November we’ll get The Midwinter Witch - the third and final book in the trilogy that includes The Witch Boy and The Hidden Witch. And - wow, I’m just going to start saving up now for September because the graphic novel adaptation of Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover is also coming out on September 24th!  It’s going to be a pancakes and ramen noodles for dinner kind of a month if I want to keep up with all these awesome books coming out!  (And I haven’t even gotten past the graphic novels!) And…. I think, maybe, possibly.. that Amulet #9 (the final one of the series) will be released late this year. But I can’t find much info on it. No title, no date, no synopsis - nada! So, I’m cautiously optimistic that it will arrive in 2019. Finally - another graphic novel to be on the lookout for later in 2019 is Twins by author Varian Johnson who you may know from The Parker Inheritance and illustrator Shannon Wright. The publication date isn’t yet announced, but apparently it’s about twin sisters struggling to figure out individual identities in middle school and it’s based on Johnson’s own childhood experiences as a twin. New Releases from 2017 / 2018 Debut Authors   Early February brings us the second in Anna Meriano’s Love, Sugar, Magic series called A Sprinkle of Spirits and oh is that cover gorgeous! And definitely snag a copy of the sequel to Jarrett Lerner’s EngiNerds - Revenge of the EngiNerds out on February 19th. It is EVEN FUNNIER than the first one. And that’s saying something! Another book I’m looking forward to is Jen Petro-Roy’s Good Enough - about a young girl with an eating disorder. Game of Stars by Sayantani DasGupta - the follow up to The Serpent’s Secret is out on February 26th. And the end of February also brings us Bone Hollow  by Skeleton Tree author Kim Ventrella. Also be on the lookout for The Hunt for the Mad Wolf’s Daughter by Diane Magras on March 5th. That sequel is getting rave reviews so it’s definitely one to add to your library. Alyson Gerber, author of Braced, will have a new novel out called Focused. It’s about a middle school girl who loves chess and has been recently diagnosed with ADHD. Definitely a book a lot of my students will be able to connect with! In the last week of April we get the sequel to Roshani Chokshi’s Aru Shah and the End of Time called Aru Shah and Song of Death This April brings us the second novel from Rebecca Donnelly called The Friendship Lie. One book I’m excited to dip into this spring is Up for Air by Laurie Morrison. You might know her from last year’s Every Shiny Thing. From the author of 2017’s The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora and 2018’s Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish comes Each Tiny Spark. This is Pablo Cartaya’s third MG novel and this one features a young girl, a father recently returned from deployment, and… welding. So look for that one in August. And The Cryptid Keeper, the sequel to Lija Fisher’s 2018 The Cryptid Catcher is out this August as is Melissa Sarno’s A Swirl of Ocean. In September comes the sequel to Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling. It’s called Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus and follows Aven’s adventures as she heads into high school. At first I thought that might put it in the YA category, but from what I can tell, it’s still middle grade. This fall we’ll also be treated to Abby Cooper’s third novel - Friend or Fiction. Just like Sticks and Stones and Bubbles, this one is also magical realism. It’s about a girl named Jade. In the pages of her notebook, she writes all about Zoe--the most amazing best friend anyone could dream of. But when pretend Zoe appears in real life thanks to a magical experiment gone right, Jade isn't so sure if she likes sharing her imaginary friend with the real world.   Another treat in store for you this fall is the third novel by Elly Swartz - Give and Take. This book is about 12 year-old Maggie whose grandmother’s recent death has triggered her to start hoarding things under her bed. 2019 Debut Authors   So - I’ll just say right now that I could have had an ENTIRE show just dedicated to the amazing middle grade debuts coming our way this year but at some point, I had to cut myself off.  So - I’ll include a link to the Novel19s website where you find many more middle grade debuts and discover some of your new favorite authors.   The Whisperers is Greg Howard’s middle grade debut and one that has really caught my eye. Just listen to this description: “Eleven-year-old Riley believes in the whispers, magical fairies that will grant you wishes if you leave them tributes. Riley has a lot of wishes. He wishes bullies at school would stop picking on him. He wishes Dylan, his 8th grade crush, liked him, and Riley wishes he would stop wetting the bed. But most of all, Riley wishes for his mom to come back home.” Oooo…. This one is out January 15th. If you are looking for a new book for younger middle grade readers - something along the lines of Ramona Quimby or Stella Diaz - check out Meena Meets Her Match by Karla Manternatch. One book that keeps popping up into my radar is the middle grade debut of Padma Venkatraman called The Bridge Home about four children who discover strength and grit and family while dealing with homelessness. That one comes out Feb 5th so be on the lookout for that one. Another debut that I have been dying to read is The Simple Art of Flying by Cory Leonardo!  Let me just read you the teaser: “Born in a dismal room in a pet store, Alastair the African grey parrot dreams of escape to bluer skies. He’d like nothing more than to fly away to a palm tree with his beloved sister, Aggie. But when Aggie is purchased by twelve-year-old Fritz, and Alastair is adopted by elderly dance-enthusiast and pie-baker Albertina Plopky, the future looks ready to crash-land.”  My step-mother had parrots when I was growing up, so this one in particular I really am interested in reading! So I’ll be checking my mailbox for that one on February 12th. Another debut I am excited to read this year is Joshua Levy’s Seventh Grade vs. the Galaxy! Since one of my goals this year is to introduce my students to more science fiction, a story about a school on a spaceship orbiting Jupiter would be perfect! On March 12 we get Lisa Moore Ramée’s debut A Good Kind of Trouble about a girl who just wants to follow the rules. And sometime this spring we get rather the opposite in Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen by Niki Lenz. This one is about a “bully” who ends up living with her aunt who is a nun and tries to turn over a new leaf. This March is the debut of Julia Nobel with The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane about a girl who gets shipped off to a British boarding school and finds a box of medallions that might just be connected to the disappearance of her father. A graphic novel debut coming in March that looks fabulous is Red Panda & Moon Bear by Jarod Roselló. It’s about two Latinx kids who defend their neighborhood from threats both natural and supernatural. And in late April is the first book in a new MG detective series called Kazu Jones and the Denver Dognappers by Shauna Holyoak and a time-traveling action adventure that will transport readers to ancient Egypt called Jagger Jones & the Mummy’s Ankh by Malayna Evans. Hurricane Season by debut author Nicole Melleby comes out May 7th and oh how do I want to read this novel!  On a recent #MGLitChat focused on the 2019 debut authors, the moderator asked, “What do you hope young readers take away from your book?”  And Nicole Melleby said the following, “ I want them to take away that they’re not alone, that they’re seen, that mental illness is hard but manageable, and that love may have its limits, but help comes in all shapes and sizes. Also that Van Gogh was a brilliant man.”  After reading Vincent & Theo last summer - uhhh…. gimme that book!! Another great middle grade debut to look for on May 7th is Just South of Home by Karen Stong which is described as Blackish meets Goosebumps. The story follows a rule-abiding girl who must team up with her trouble making cousin, goofy younger brother, and his best friend to unravel a mysterious haunting in their tiny Southern town. Also coming this spring is a book that I immediately knew I wanted to read. It’s called Planet Earth is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos. (So, I was pretty much ALREADY sold by the Bowie reference.) The book follows Nova, an autistic, nonverbal, space-obsessed 12-year-old who is awaiting the Challenger shuttle launch and the return of her big sister, Bridget, as she struggles to be understood by her new foster family.  I was a 4th grader when The Challenger Disaster happened and vividly remember watching it happen live on tv, so I am really interested to see how that plays out in this book. Another debut to look for early this summer is All of Me by Chris Baron - a novel in verse about a 13 year old boy who is dealing with a big move, struggles in his parents’ marriage, and his own body image issues. So… if you are a close listener, you have probably figured out that I’m a sucker for books involving baking or cooking.  Maybe that’s why Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca just leapt out at me when I stumbled across it last month. This is a contemporary-fantasy retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream about an 11 year old Indian American girl whose father is a food writer and whose mother is a successful businesswoman. But when she adds some rather…. unusual (and maybe magical?) ingredients to her baking, things get out of hand. So look for that one on June 4th. And if your kids are looking for a fun spooky read this summer, Ollie Oxley and the Ghost comes out on June 18th and looks really cute. It’s about a boy who moves to California and ends up becoming friends with a ghost from the Gold Rush era. Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega is another paranormal middle grade coming this September and it’s described as Coco meets Stranger Things. So, uh… yeah...gimme that for sure! Also coming out this September is The Light in the Lake by Sarah Baughman - a book about a young girl who finds herself caught between her love of science and her late twin brother's belief in magic. Sequels and Favorite Series This January 29th we’re getting two awesome books: a 4th in the Crime Biters series - Fangs for Everything AND I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 by Lauren Tarshis.  And watching out for another I Survived book in September called I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919. Also in 2019 we are getting not one but TWO new Babysitting Nightmares books! The Phantom Hour this January 29th and The Twilight Curse on August 20th. February 5th brings another Stick Dog book - Stick Dog Gets the Tacos AND the third Frazzled book by Booki Vivat! This one is called Minor Incidents and Absolute Uncertainties. I just love her titles! In late February kids will be getting book 4 in the DC Comics Secret Hero Society - Science Fair Crisis! Lion Down by Stuart Gibb is out on February 26th. The second in his FunJungle series and the follow up to Panda-monium.) In March comes book five in The School for Good & Evil series: A Crystal of Time , a new Emily Windsnap novel called Emily Windsnap and The Pirate Prince, and another in the Fairy Tale Reform School series called Wished. In March we also get a seventh Jedi Academy Book called Revenge of the Sis. This one starts a new storyline and is written by Amy Ignatow with Jarret Krosoczka illustrating. And an as yet untitled 8th Jedi Academy novel is scheduled for September 2019. AND I’m really excited for the third BAT book: Bat and the End of Everything by Elana K. Arnold.  My daughter’s 4th grade class read the first book and they - of course! - fell hard for this series! Jeff Kinney fans will be excited about Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid - a book told from Rowley’s point of view that is out this April. And that month also brings us another Unicorn Rescue Society novel - The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande. And my 9 year old is going to be thrilled when I tell her that Katherine Applegate’s sequel to The Endling is coming out May 7th. It’s called Endling: The First and is already in my cart. The second book in Laura Ruby’s York series - The Clockwork Ghost is also headed our way this May and so is Another Fenway & Hattie book - In the Wild! Natalie Lloyd’s sequel to The Problim Children - Carnival Catastrophe is due to be out June 25th. And not quite a sequel but more of a spin-off, is Dough Boys by Paula Chase - author of 2018’s So Done. Characters Simp and Rollie are the leads in this novel told in two voices. Also - Karina Yan Glaser’s third Vanderbeekers novel is coming this September - The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue! And finally - just announced this morning - is Kate DiCamillo’s new novel coming September 24th - Beverly, Right Here. And if you guessed that this is the Beverly from Raymie Nightingale - then you are correct!  So now each of the three girls will have their own novel. By the way - if you haven’t seen it yet, the cover by Amy June Bates is stunning!!     2019 New Releases from Established Authors   First up here is the book I am devouring right now - The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart which just came out on January 8th. And oh…. does this book live up to its hype! Brace yourself to hear lots more about this one later! Also out this January is a book my friend Sandy has been raving about - The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, U.S.A by Coretta Scott King honor nominee Brenda Woods. So I definitely need to add that one to my TBR list. This January readers will get a new Gordon Korman novel - Unteachables AND a new Andrew Clements novel - The Friendship War. January also brings us the first book in the really incredible Rick Riordan Presents Imprint - Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee. This is a space opera about thirteen-year-old Min, who comes from a long line of fox spirits. (By the way - if you have kids who love Rick Riordan’s novels or who love adventure books with a dash of humor and myth - then check out his Imprint site. I’ll include a link in the show notes so you can check them all out. From those lucky enough to read advanced copies, I haven’t heard anything but praise.) Pink Hair and Other Terrible Ideas by Andrea Pyros is one to watch out for this February. And another upper middle grade February release that caught my attention is a joint novel told in letters by Counting by 7s author Holly Goldberg Sloan and The Interestings author Meg Wolitzer. It’s called To Night Owl from Dogfish and it’s about two very different 12 year-old girls named Averie and Bett who are sent off to the same sleepaway camp in order to bond after their single dads fall in love with each other. February also bring us another novel by Anne Urso (author of the critically acclaimed The Real Boy) This novel, The Lost Girl, is about identical twins Lark and Iris.   On March 5th we get another Lisa Graff novel called Far Away about a girl, CJ, whose aunt is a psychic medium who claims that she carries messages from the dead. And I’m really psyched for We’re Not From Here by Tapper Twins author Geoff Rodkey. This novel is also out March 5th and is about refugees from planet Earth who need to find a new home on a faraway planet. I had the opportunity to read an ARC of this one and it’s quirky and hilarious… and timely. Definitely add this one to your pre orders. March also brings us another Rick Riordan Present’s book called Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez. I’ve been hearing lots of great buzz about this one, so I’ll definitely need to pre-order a copy. On March 19th we get a new Kevin Henkes novel called Sweeping Up the Heart and this one is the story of the spring break that changes seventh-grader Amelia Albright’s life forever. In late March Natalie Lloyd fans will be treated to Over the Moon - a story about twelve-year-old Mallie who lives in a mining town where boys leave school at 12 to work in the mines, and girls leave to work as servants for the wealthy. But of course with that quintessentially Lloyd magic interwoven. And another Cynthia Lord book is coming out this March! She is the author of Rules and A Handful of Stars. This one is titled Because of the Rabbit and is about a young girl who starts public school for the first time after being homeschooled. Where the Heart Is by Jo Knowles is coming out April 2nd and a really interesting looking book called Summer of a Thousand Pies by Margaret Dilloway will be released April 16th. It’s about a girl who has to save her aunt’s pie shop. I think this one would be  a winner for kids who enjoy shows like The Great British Baking Show. In early May, we get to read Lynda Mullaly Hunt’s next novel, Shouting at the Rain about a girl named Delsie who lives with her grandmother, loves tracking weather, and who starts to wish for a more “regular” family and life. You can’t go wrong with the author of Fish in a Tree and One for the Murphys so… just pop this one in your cart now! And another novel that is getting all kinds of early buzz is the latest from K.A. Reynolds called Spinner of Dreams. It’s being called “inventive, empathetic, and strange in all the best ways.”  Plus - it has a really otherworldly cover that I just want to stare at... And finally - I know you all have heard me rave about this one before - but Barbara Dee’s Maybe He Just Likes You is going to be AMAZING!  My students and I got the chance to read the first chapter and we were all already hooked. But let me give you a little taste from the teaser: “For seventh grader Mila, it starts with an unwanted hug on the school blacktop. The next day, it’s another hug. A smirk. Comments. It all feels…weird. According to her friend Zara, Mila is being immature, overreacting. Doesn’t she know what flirting looks like? They don’t understand why Mila is making such a big deal about the boys’ attention. When Mila is finally pushed too far, she realizes she can’t battle this on her own–and finds help in some unexpected places.” I can’t WAIT!!   Phew!!  Alright - I am both energized and - I gotta be honest - a little daunted! But - I am reminding myself and I hope you’ll remember too that it’s not about a mad dash to read all of these books. But to give you a taste of what’s to come so you can match readers with books they might like and get them excited about new releases.   I hope you have a wonderful year reading and I would love to know - what are the books that you and your students are most looking forward to in 2019?   You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or jump into the conversation on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between.      Closing   Thank you so much for joining me this week.  You can find an outline of interviews and a full transcript of all the other parts of our show at MGBookVillage.org.   And, if you have an extra minute this week, reviews on iTunes or Stitcher are much appreciated.   Books Between is a proud member of the Lady Pod Squad and the Education Podcast Network. This network features podcasts for educators, created by educators. For more great content visit edupodcastnetwork.com   Talk with you soon!  Bye!  

We are a nation of immigrants. And they have stories to tell. Today, we invite you to listen to stories from authors and illustrators who are creating work that shares the immigrant experience and what it means to leave your home in search of a better life.  Featured authors: Kelly Yang, author of Front Desk Edwidge Danticat, author of Untwine  Alan Gratz, author of Refugee Sayantani DasGupta, author of The Serpent's Secret Rashin Kheiriyeh, author of Saffron Ice Cream Carmen Agra Deedy, author of The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! Additional resources: See the note from Kelly Yang's teacher about promoting her to second grade See a photo of the dress Carmen Agra Deedy wore when her family left Cuba Listen to Edwidge Danticat on the Scholastic Reads, podcast episode #18: "Edwidge Danticat: Beating the Darkness" Listen to Alan Gratz on the Scholastic Reads podcast, episode #42: "Telling the Stories of Refugees" Listen to Sayantani DasGupta on the Scholastic Reads podcast, episode #58: "Sayantani DasGupta and The Serpent's Secret" Listen to Carmen Agra Deedy on the Scholastic Reads podcast, episode #32: "The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet: Giving Children a Voice" Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Chris Johnson Produced by Emily Morrow  

We are a nation of immigrants. And they have stories to tell. Today, we invite you to listen to stories from authors and illustrators who are creating work that shares the immigrant experience and what it means to leave your home in search of a better life.  Featured authors: Kelly Yang, author of Front Desk Edwidge Danticat, author of Untwine  Alan Gratz, author of Refugee Sayantani DasGupta, author of The Serpent's Secret Rashin Kheiriyeh, author of Saffron Ice Cream Carmen Agra Deedy, author of The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! Additional resources: See the note from Kelly Yang's teacher about promoting her to second grade See a photo of the dress Carmen Agra Deedy wore when her family left Cuba Listen to Edwidge Danticat on the Scholastic Reads, podcast episode #18: "Edwidge Danticat: Beating the Darkness" Listen to Alan Gratz on the Scholastic Reads podcast, episode #42: "Telling the Stories of Refugees" Listen to Sayantani DasGupta on the Scholastic Reads podcast, episode #58: "Sayantani DasGupta and The Serpent's Secret" Listen to Carmen Agra Deedy on the Scholastic Reads podcast, episode #32: "The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet: Giving Children a Voice" Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Chris Johnson Produced by Emily Morrow  

After a long layoff, we are back with an interview with Sayantani Dasgupta, author of the middle grade novel The Serpent's Secret!

For our March Narrative Medicine Rounds, we welcome Sayantani DasGupta, MD MPH, who teaches in the Master’s Program in Narrative Medicine, the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race, and the Institute of Comparative Literature and Society at Columbia University. Dr. DasGupta will be speaking about writing her novel, The Serpent’s Secret, which is the first book in the new Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond series just published by Scholastic Press. March Narrative Medicine Rounds are co-sponsored by the Program in Narrative Medicine, the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race and Reflexions: The Literary and Fine Arts Journal of Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. DasGupta, the daughter of Indian immigrants, wanted to share her love of books with her own kids but was saddened by the lack of heroes that looked like her family and neighbors. She decided to write her own stories, returning to the folktales filled with bloodthirsty demons and enchanted animals that she heard on childhood trips to India. Originally trained in pediatrics and public health, Dr. DasGupta is also the author, co-author or co-editor of several books, including a book of Bengali folktales, The Demon Slayers and Other Stories (Interlink 1995), and the recent Principles and Practice of Narrative Medicine (Oxford 2016).

Intro Hi and welcome to the Books Between Podcast! I believe in the power of stories to inspire us and to change our lives for the better. And I know that being a reader encourages us to be more empathetic and to be better citizens in our world.  And I want to help you connect kids with those amazing, life-changing stories and bring you inspiring (and fun!) conversations with the authors and educators who make that magic happen.  Every other Monday, I bring you book talks, interviews, and ideas for getting great books into the hands of kids between 8-12. I am Corrina Allen - a mom of two tween girls, a teacher to 23 fifth graders, and I’ve been planning a baby shower this week! My brother (who is also a teacher) and his wife (who is a librarian) are expecting their first this April. So - of course, I had to throw them a picture book themed baby shower. This is Episode #44 and today I’m sharing with you a conversation with author Jack Cheng about his debut middle grade novel (and the MG at Heart February Book Club pick) See You in the Cosmos! And then I’ll end with a Q&A. A few quick announcements. For those participating in the MG at Heart Books Club - the Twitter Chat to discuss See You in the Cosmos will be on Monday, March 6th at 8pm EST. Just follow the Hashtag #mgbookclub and I’ll see you there! Also, the March book is The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser. And the April book is The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson. If you want to know the rest of the schedule along with other great middle great content, please head over to MGBookVillage.org - we have a book-release calendar and a great blog. One of my favorites from this past week is the post from Sayantani Dasgupta (author of The Serpent’s Secret) called “Nothing About Us Without Us: Writing #OwnVoices Fantasy in the Age of Black Panther”  - if you haven’t read it yet - it’s great. (And go see Black Panther - it was phenomenal!!) So - there’s lots going on at MGBookVillage. It’s where all the transcripts of this podcast can be found. And - Kathie and Jarrett and Annaliese and I have been cooking up something pretty awesome for March. So stayed tuned! Jack Cheng - Interview Outline Joining me this month to ask Jack Cheng questions is one of the founders of the MG at Heart Book Club - and an author herself , Cindy Baldwin. Her novel, Where the Watermelons Grow, is out this July. We got the chance to connect with Jack on Skype last week and here is our conversation... See You in the Cosmos CA: For our listeners who haven’t yet read the novel, can you tell us a bit about Alex’s journey in See You in the Cosmos? CA: The premise of this book is that the entire thing is recorded on Alex’s Golden iPod.  What were some aspects of writing the novel that were challenging because of that decision? CB: Did you ever consider writing it another way? CB: Alex is such a pitch-perfect balance of being really naive but also really precocious and shouldering a lot of adult responsibility. How did you strike that sweet spot in his voice between a kid who's shouldering adult responsibilities but also being really clueless? CB: How did you figure out how to assign time logs to the recorded entries? Did you read any of them aloud or was it all random guesswork?   CA: Where you a fan of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos?   JL: Yours is the second recently released kidlit book I’ve read in the past few months that features the Voyager Golden Record and spacecraft centrally. (The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole is the other one.)  Carl Sagan said that “the launching of this ‘bottle’ into the cosmic ‘ocean’ said something very hopeful about life on this planet. I’d love to know what YOU think it is about the Golden Record project, and the launching of it out into space, that so captures and ignites the imagination, and why it might be a powerful thing for young people in particular to learn about. CB: Have you ever built a rocket? And what kind of research did you do? Your Writing Life / See You on the Bookshelf Podcast CA: I just loved your podcast - See You on the Bookshelf - where you interview all the different people who helped make See You in the Cosmos as reality - from your agent and editor and copyeditor to the audio people. Why did you decide to create podcast to document the journey of your novel? CA: Did I hear that See You in the Cosmos was originally written as an adult book? If so - what changes did you make to angle your writing more toward middle grade? CB: You tackle some serious topics in this book. You touch on child neglect, mental illness, running away, infidelity… What made you decide to explore these issues in this book? Why do you think it's important to address difficult, mature topics like this in middle grade? CB: Do you feel like you'll continue to experiment with unusual formats in your work in the future? CA: What are you working on now? Your Reading Life CA: One of the goals of this podcast is to help educators and librarians inspire kids to read more and connect them with amazing books. Did you have a teacher or librarian in your life who helped you grow into a reader? CB: What role did reading have on your decision to be a writer? CA: What are you reading now? Thank You! Links: Jack’s website - https://jackcheng.com Jack on Twitter and Instagram Jack’s See You on the BookShelf Podcast Original Cosmos Series Information about the Voyager Golden Record Audio version of See You in the Cosmos Books & Authors We Chatted About: Pale Blue Dot (Carl Sagan) The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole (Michelle Cuevas) The Kid Who Only Hit Homers (Matt Christopher) Orphan Island (Laurel Snyder) Origin of Species (Charles Darwin) Q & A This week I’m going to end by addressing some questions and comments that I have been getting a lot over the last two weeks. In the wake of the most recent school shooting, at the Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14th - many many people have emailed and messaged me to express their anguish and to simply ask, “How is everyone doing?”  I know a lot you listening have been reaching out to me and to each other and hoping that maybe something’s different this time. Every time I record a show I start by saying that I am a mom and I am a teacher.  And living in this society that glorifies gun violence and seems to tolerate it against its most vulnerable, I want to tell you what that means. So as a mom, it means that my husband and I send our girls to school and we hope and feel lucky when they come home safely. As a mom, it means that your heart shreds a little more every time your child comes home and tells you where they hid during that day’s drill.  And as a mom, it means all too often I need to pull over to the side of the road on the way home from work to dry my tears at the latest news of yet another shooting of a child - in a school or in a neighborhood where all they’ve done wrong is wear a hooded sweatshirt. But as mom, you pull yourself together so you can listen to your children tell you about their day without dimming their smiles. And I am also a teacher living in a culture where we and our students have become prey. And I want to tell you what that means. It means that twice a year my students and I practice a lock down in case a shooter is in the school. They hide. Try to be quiet. And I shut the lights and hover near that locked door and plan how I might react if it wasn’t a drill. How could I use my body to shield theirs. Is there something nearby I can grab and use as a weapon? A stapler?  Should I have grabbed that screwdriver out of the science kit?   And I know it would never stop them. But it might just slow them down, a little. So that some could escape and there might be one less family to suffer that unimaginable grief of losing a child.   But being that shield would mean that my own children would be left without a mother.  And yet - all teachers I know do it willingly and gladly. Because we protect our kids - no matter what. That is the deal. And I know my own teachers would have done the same. I know my daughters’ teachers would do the same. They’d protect those lives with their own.  But our society has broken that promise of protection. And it is a heavy heavy burden placed on the shoulders of our children and our teachers. And it is too much. And I’ve even been asked - well, hey - what if you had a gun? Couldn’t you save more kids? First of all, a handgun is no match for assault weapon. And even a highly trained professional only averages an 18-25% accuracy rate in that kind of situation. When I think of where those other bullets might go in a school? For that reason and for a thousand more - NO! If you want to arm us, arm us with more counselors who serve students and not just sit in meetings about testing! It’s already too much. But in return for that heavy burden on our children and their teachers - the drills, the anxiety that comes with every news story and every false alarm (and there are so many more of them than you know) - we expect action to end this brutal, soul-crushing gun violence. Action from our representatives, but also action from YOU.  Please. Because our government WILL act. Once we are LOUD enough. And make them feel uncomfortable enough. And it’s really no surprise to me that the generation who grew up reading about Malala are at the forefront of this. They cut their teeth on the stories of brave young activists. They have finally gotten some momentum, so let’s help them.  I’ve called my representatives three times a week, and I’m going to the March for Our Lives on March 24th. So I am begging you - please if you live in the US. - please help. Call the people who claim to represent you and I’ll see you at the march.

This week, we're talking with Sayantani DasGupta, the author of the forthcoming middle grade fantasy novel The Serpent's Secret, in which sixth grader Kiranmala discovers she's a princess...and an interdemensional demon slayer! Sayantani talks with her 13-year-old daughter, Sunaya, who is a Scholastic News Kids Press Corps reporter, and tells us about her childhood ask a daughter of immigrants, as well as her love of storytelling, folktales, science, and Madeleine L'Engle.  Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to our podcast on an iOS device here or an Android device here, and the latest episodes of Scholastic Reads will be automatically delivered to your device. Additional Resources: Learn more about The Serpent's Secret Learn more about Sayantani DasGupta Get more information about the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps Guest: Sayantani DasGupta grew up hearing stories about brave princesses, bloodthirsty rakkhosh and flying pakkhiraj horses. She is a pediatrician by training, but now teaches at Columbia University. When she's not writing or reading, Sayantani spends time watching cooking shows with her trilingual children and protecting her black Labrador Retriever Khushi from the many things that scare him, including plastic bags. She is a team member of We Need Diverse Books, and can be found online at www.sayantanidasgupta.com and on Twitter at @sayantani16 Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson Produced by Emily Morrow

This week, we're talking with Sayantani DasGupta, the author of the forthcoming middle grade fantasy novel The Serpent's Secret, in which sixth grader Kiranmala discovers she's a princess...and an interdemensional demon slayer! Sayantani talks with her 13-year-old daughter, Sunaya, who is a Scholastic News Kids Press Corps reporter, and tells us about her childhood ask a daughter of immigrants, as well as her love of storytelling, folktales, science, and Madeleine L'Engle.  Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to our podcast on an iOS device here or an Android device here, and the latest episodes of Scholastic Reads will be automatically delivered to your device. Additional Resources: Learn more about The Serpent's Secret Learn more about Sayantani DasGupta Get more information about the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps Guest: Sayantani DasGupta grew up hearing stories about brave princesses, bloodthirsty rakkhosh and flying pakkhiraj horses. She is a pediatrician by training, but now teaches at Columbia University. When she's not writing or reading, Sayantani spends time watching cooking shows with her trilingual children and protecting her black Labrador Retriever Khushi from the many things that scare him, including plastic bags. She is a team member of We Need Diverse Books, and can be found online at www.sayantanidasgupta.com and on Twitter at @sayantani16 Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson Produced by Emily Morrow

Intro Hi everyone and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love.  I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a teacher, a mom, and spending a lovely weekend with my family inside away from the bitter cold playing epic games of Sorry and watching all the Star Wars movies. Again. This is Episode #41 and today I’m sharing with you some fabulous 2018 titles to look forward to this year and an awesome interview with EngiNerds author Jarrett Lerner! Book Talk - Most Anticipated Middle Grade Books of 2018 Typically in this segment, I share with you a few books centered around a theme. And during the last few episodes I was all about looking back at some of the best middle grade fiction and graphic novels of 2017. (If you missed those, go check out episodes #39 and #40.) But this week I want to talk about some of the most anticipated books of the upcoming year.  Some are long-awaited sequels or new installments in well-loved series. Some are new ventures for favorite authors. And some are by debut authors. So, buckle up and and get ready to add to your wish list. And just a reminder - before you scramble for a pen and paper. You can find every book mentioned here AND a picture of the available covers AND a link to pre-order them right through the Books Between Podcast link at AlltheWonders.com.  I’ve got your back, I know you’re busy, so it’s all right there for you.  And I’ve come to really love pre-ordering - it helps out favorite authors and it’s like a little gift to your future self. Two quick things to mention before I start. One - this is just a sampling of all the incredible books coming out this year. I’ll add some links to some great resources in the shownotes where you can find more complete listings of titles to browse through and discover some gems: http://www.readbrightly.com/middle-grade-books-2018/ https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/98185.Middle_Grade_Novels_of_2018 https://mgbookvillage.org/2018releasedates/ https://electriceighteens.com/ And second - publication dates do change, so while I’ve mentioned the book release month - things sometimes change. All right - let’s get to it! Coming in January… Let’s start with the some sequels because there are some AWESOME sequels coming our way to give us something to look forward to during this dreary month…. Linda William’s Jackson’s follow-up to Midnight Without a Moon - A Sky Full of Stars is out this January as Rose struggles with the way to face the rising racial tensions in her community. Ooooo - and the new Fenway & Hattie is out this January!!!  I just can’t get enough of that little dog!  This third one is called Up to New Tricks so definitely snag that one for your Fenway fans - and for you, too! And Gordon Korman’s Supergifted is also set for a January release - this is the sequel to Ungifted - a great book about a boy named Donovan who is mistakenly transfering into a gifted program and has to figure out how to pass as brilliant.  This follow up is about his new friend, Noah. We are also getting another Terrible Two book in January - Terrible Two Go Wild! And a new Spy on History book - Victor Dowd and the World War II Ghost Army! Ah!  And we a get a new HiLo book this January! It’s called Waking the Monsters! (As my husband said - yeah, that sounds like what I do every weekday.) Our 8 year old is SUPER psyched about this new book! - so keep ‘em coming Judd Winick! Okay - and it’s not really a sequel BUT - there is just released a GRAPHIC NOVEL version of the first The Wings of Fire book - ahhhh!!!  It’s illustrated by Mike Holmes and my students are going to FREAK when I tell them  tomorrow. Some other January releases that are looking fabulous are…. Betty Before X  - an historical fiction novel set in the 40s about 11-year-old Betty Shabazz - future civil rights leader.  This one is written by her daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz with Renee Watson Winterhouse by debut author Ben Guterson - this is an urban fantasy mystery set in a magical hotel containing a huge library with secrets to discover. We are also getting the first middle grade book by picture book author Angela Dominguez called Stella Diaz Has Something to Say! Another novel that looks REALLY interesting is called TBH, This is SO Awkward by Lisa Greenwald and it’s told entirely in texts.  So I definitely need to check that one out. And my friend Emily Montjoy has been raving about Just Like Jackie by Lindsey Stoddard so I’m looking forward to my turn with that one. Also - Leslie Connor, the author of the critically-acclaimed All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook, has a new novel out in January called The Truth as Told By Mason Butte - so definitely check that one out. Natalie Lloyd also has a new novel coming out this January! So if you liked A Snicker of Magic or The Key to Extraordinary, look for The Problim Children - which is described as a mix between Lemony Snicket and the Addams Family... Annnd - the new Elly Swartz novel - Smart Cookie!!  I had a chance to read an ARC of this one with my daughters and oh I can’t wait for it to be out in the world! On to February … One that I’ve had a chance to read ahead of time is Playing Atari with Saddam Hussein by Jennifer Roy and Ali Fadhil.  I’ll talk more about this book later when I have time to really go into depth, but for now I’ll just say - preorder it. A great historical fiction about an Iraqi boy during the first Gulf War. Then we have The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta - a fantasy about a New Jersey girl discovering that she may, in fact, be an Indian princess. The 11:11 Wish by Kim Tomsic looks really fun. It’s about a dorky math nerd who vows to reinvent herself at her new school. And when she makes a wish as the clock strikes 11:11, she gets granted a magical object that might help her. Shannon Hitchcock, author of Ruby Lee & Me has a new novel coming out in February - this one is call One True Way. Another one to look out for in February is Becoming Madeleine: A Biography of the Author of A Wrinkle in Time by Her Granddaughters. With all the buzz about Wrinkle in Time with the new movie coming out, this book looks really great. Aaand - we get a new John David Anderson novel in February!! This one (Granted) is so different from Ms. Bixby or Posted, but I just loved it! It’s a fantasy novel about a fierce fairy named Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets who runs into some trouble as she attempts to grant her first wish. In March, there are so books I am really looking forward to! My principal won’t mind if a take a month-long reading sabbatical, right? Like Vanessa is the debut novel by author Tami Charles - it’s set in 1983 and is about a young girl inspired by seeing Vanessa Williams get crowned Miss America and is encouraged by her teacher to enter a beauty pageant. Lauren Magaziner has a new book out in March called Wizardmatch that looks like a fun fantasy. And The Science of Breakable Things by debut author Tae Keller looks really good - a book about a scientifically minded girl competing in an egg-drop contest AND using those skills to try to help her mom deal with her struggles. In March we also get Colby Sharp’s Creativity Project! An “awesometastic” collection of short stories developed from the author’s prompts to each other. It is a fantastic read and such a clever idea!  Definitely one that teachers will want on hand to spark your writers’ imaginations. The Train of Lost Things  by Ammi Joan-Paquette is another favorite of my #BookVoyage friend Emily Montjoy - who has amazing taste by the way. (Definitely go follow her on Twitter @mrsmontjoyreads ! ) So I’m looking forward to a chance to read this one as well. Oh! And the next Dan Gemeinhart novel comes out in March!! It is called Good Dog and I can’t read the synopsis to you or I’ll start crying but it sounds simply wonderful. Of course it is - it’s Dan Gemeinhart! March lets us reconnect with some favorite characters with a great bunch of sequels coming out. We get a new Emily Windsnap book, Emily Windsnap and the Falls of Forgotten Island. And a new Star Scouts graphic novel - League of Lasers   The third Narwhal and Jelly book (Peanut Butter and Jelly) come out.   The 78-Story Treehouse as well as a new Dory Fantasmagory book called Head in the Clouds along with a new Stick Dog Stick Dog Crashes a Party.   We also get Elana Arnold’s follow up to A Boy Called Bat - Bat and the Waiting Game   And - probably the book that I have been waiting and waiting for. DYING to read with my daughters - is The Wild Robot Escapes - the sequel to Peter Brown’s incredible The Wild Robot!  So - mark your calendars for March 13th, pre-order this one, AND - if you haven’t yet read the first one…. well, what’s the matter with you? Get on that! In April we have lots to look forward to including sequels, like: The next Moon Base Alpha book called Waste of Space, Janet Tashjian’s My Life As a YouTuber , and Jasmine Toguchi, Drummer Girl will be out. And Adrienne’s Kress’ second Explorers book - The Reckless Rescue!   And the third book in Jason Reynold’s incredible Track series will be out! It’s called Sunny and follows “the chillest dude on the Defenders team”, but one with a troubled life at home that hides behind that sunny smile. And, the debut by Laurie Morrison and Cordelia Jenson, called Every Shiny Thing looks really really good…. I’m also looking forward to the new Jewell Parker Rhodes novel called Ghost Boys. It’s about a young boy who is killed by the police when they mistake his toy gun for the real thing. And as a ghost, he witnesses how that event unfolds in his neighborhood and meets other ghosts like Emmett Till. Oh that gives me chills just thinking about it! And - we get a new Kwame Alexander novel this year!  It is called Rebound - the much-awaiting prequel to his Newbery-winning The Crossover. This one about Josh and Jordan’s father, Chuck Bell. On to the awesome May releases to watch for: Terri Libenson’s new graphic novel - Positively Izzy looks great- it’s the companion to Invisible Emmie. And the The Cobalt Prince, the second 5 Worlds graphic novel will be out. Another May release that I am so so excited about is Most Valuable Players - the next Phil Bildner Rip & Red book. There are three books coming in May that have been getting a lot buzz lately - one is called Bob - written by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead. I can’t wait to see the awesomeness THAT collaboration brings! The second one is Aisha Saeed’s middle-grade debut, Amal Unbound, which is about a Pakistani girl forced into working as an indentured servant to pay off her family’s debts. Friends who have read this one are saying it is  incredible. And then I keep hearing about Front Desk by Kelly Yang. Let me just read you a bit from the description and tell me this doesn’t sound AMAZING! Okay, “Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1-She lives in a motel, not a big house. Number 2- Her parents hide immigrants. Number 3-She wants to be a writer.” In June we have some really cool books coming our way: Kate Messner’s new novel Breakout - based on some details from the real-life (and close to home for me) breakout of two prisoners in New York and how the community reacts to that situation. I can’t WAIT for this one!!   Also - Kate Beasley (of Gertie’s Leap to Greatness) and Dan Santat (of a million books you love, most recently the picture book After the Fall) are teaming up for a book called Lions & Liars - about a boy named Frederick who is sent to a disciplinary camp for troublesome boys. That one looks phenomenal!   And Laura Shovan’s new book Takedown is coming this June!  Can’t wait to read this novel about a girl who wants to join the wrestling team. I keep hearing people raving about it on Twitter. And Barbara Dee has a new novel coming out in June called Everything I Know About You.   We also get to read Wendy McLeod MacKnight’s new middle grade novel The Frame-up! I had a chance to read this one this past fall and it is phenomenal. It’s about a young artist who goes to live with his father for the summer and attends an art-camp at the museum where his father is the director. And he soon discovers that the paintings are alive! Truly - after reading this book, I’ll never look at another painting the same way again.  It’s so so good!   And thankfully I have July and August off from school, so I can catch up AND snag some summer release books such as…. Cindy Baldwin’s debut  - Where the Watermelons Grow And my daughter will be thrilled to know there will be a new Dog Man this summer called Lord of the Fleas!   Oh! And Denis Markell, author of Click Here to Start has a new novel coming this summer called The Game Masters of Garden Place. Also this summer is a cool book called Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya. Let me read you a blurb: “Marcus Vega is six feet tall, 180 pounds, and the owner of a premature mustache. When you look like this and you're only in the eighth grade, you're both a threat and a target.” And the rest of the description is so good - definitely check this one out. This August we also get a new Jess Keating book! This one is called Cute as an Axolotl: Discovering the World's Most Adorable Animals So after August, specific publication dates get a little harder to come by. BUT - a few things have popped up. Like.. A new Last Kids on Earth book called The Last Kids on Earth and the Cosmic Beyond   The new Nameless City graphic novel called The Divided Earth   The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden!! A new Beatrice Zinker book! And I can’t wait for Jarrett Krosoczka's graphic novel memoir coming out called Hey, Kiddo.   Also - I saw, I think... a Sarah Weeks has a sequel to So B. It coming out called Soof? That is definitely on my radar!   And the big news in my class this week - the 8th Amulet book!!!!!! Woohoo!!!  Oh my gosh - my students cheered when I told them that Kazu Kibuishi announced this on Twitter last week!  It is called Supernova and has a beautiful cover so go check that out and make all your middle grade readers happy by pre-ordering it now. So so much to look forward to this year! And of course - I’ll keep you posted about all the amazing books headed our way so we can stay up to date. And definitely make sure you check out the show notes and check out those links so you can dive deeper and discover awesome new books that you are looking forward to reading this year. Main Topic - A Conversation with Jarrett Lerner This week I am so excited to welcome to the show Jarrett Lerner - author of the fantastic middle grade novel EngiNerds. We chat about his plans for the sequel, the power of the perfect metaphor, and Project Runway! Take a listen….. Interview Outline: Enginerds Enginerds has been getting all kinds of love lately - congratulations!! I saw Colby Sharp used Enginerds as his example in his 5 ways to support authors you love video. For those who aren’t (yet!) familiar with Enginerds, can you tell what this story is about? What was your thought process like when deciding what your robots would look like and act like? Enginerds is in a long and glorious line of children’s books and movies and TV shows featuring robots. What are some of your favorites? We are getting a book two, right?! Other Middle Grade Projects So I saw on Twitter last month that you have teamed up with Analiese Avery (@_AJAvery) to launch @MG_BookBot. How did that get started and what are your plans?   And I am so excited about your new middle grade focused website -  MG Book Village!  Aside from the twitter hashtags, what are you hoping to include on the site? Tell me about your KidLit Mentorship Project…. Project Runway Your Writing Life What is your writing process like? What are you working on now? Your Reading Life One of the things I talk about a lot with other educators is the power of that one person to really influence a child’s reading life - either in a really positive way or sometimes in a negative way. Was there someone in your life who impacted you as a reader? What have you been reading lately that you’ve liked? Thank You!   Links: Jarrett’s Website - https://jarrettlerner.com Jarrett on Twitter and Instagram Books & Authors We Chatted About: Jasmine Toguchi Series Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus The First Rule of Punk Kurt Vonnegut Baby-Sitters Club Sweet Valley High Judy Blume Beatrice Zinker Upside Down Thinker Clementine Ramona Jerry Spinelli The Game Masters of Garden Place Oddity Other Topics We Chatted About: MG Book Village Website #MGBookathon Electric 18 Debut Group Project Runway The Kentaro Dead Cat Scene Tim Gunn’s Golden Rules Melissa Roske’s Interview with Jarrett Lerner Closing Alright, that’s it for today! If you have a question about how to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love or a suggestion 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 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. Or even better - tell a friend about us! Thanks and see you soon!  Bye!

By Rita Charon, Sayantani DasGupta, Nellie Hermann, Craig Irvine, Eric R. Marcus, Edgar Rivera Colón, Danielle Spencer, Maura Spiegel Just published by Oxford University Press, "The Principles and Practice of Narrative Medicine" is the definitive work on the current state of the field of Narrative Medicine. Written by the founders of the field, the book articulates and embodies the complex foundations of this now internationally robust discipline. Through inter-related chapters on social justice, liberatory pedagogy, classical Greek philosophy, phenomenology, narrative and literary theories of the acts of reading, narrative ethics, and the sources of creativity, the authors present to readers a compelling argument for the need to fortify clinical practice with the creative and narrative capacities to recognize and affiliate with individual patients and to work toward health care justice to improve the quality of health care for all. The authors hope these essays will help our colleagues to join us in developing the conceptual and practical foundations of our shared field.

On this week's show, I talk to the nonfiction writer Sayantani Dasgupta about creative nonfiction, the romance of reading, and the powerful appeal of the in-between. TEXTS DISCUSSED NOTES Listen to Sayantani's essay about 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea here.

  In this week's episode, I talk to fiction writer Shane Hinton,   plus Sayantani Dasgupta writes about how Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea changed her life.   TEXTS DISCUSSED     NOTES   Tuesday, June 16th, is Bloomsday. Celebrate wherever you are by listening again to a bang-up, in-studio, Bloomsdaying production on episode 104,   or if in NYC celebrate the day on which Ulysses is set in person with Colum McCann, Aedin Moloney, and quite probably Chris Booth at Ulysses Folk House.        

Guest: Courtney Davis, NP Host: Sayantani DasGupta, MD, MPH Dr. Sayantani DasGupta is joined by guest Courtney Davis, renowned author and women's health nurse practitioner, to speak about literary writing in the medical community. Mrs. Davis shares exerpts from her previous works including I Knew a Woman: The Experience of the Female Body, and describes the unique integration of narrative writing and a medical career.

Guest: Courtney Davis, NP Host: Sayantani DasGupta, MD, MPH Courtney Davis, Nurse practitioner and award winning poet, is the author of four books and has co-edited two collections of poetry written by nurses. She joins host Dr. Sayantani DasGupta to share some of her work, discuss narrative medicine's rise in healthcare and society, and comment on the clinician writer's creative process.

Guest: Rita Charon, MD, PhD Host: Sayantani DasGupta, MD, MPH Narrative Medicine: a return to traditional clinical practice or a new way to care for patients? Host Dr. Sayantani DasGupta speaks with clinician and literary scholar Dr. Rita Charon, Founder and Director of the Program in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University, about the integration of medical humanities into traditional clinical practice.