The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwell isn’t ‘just’ a Robin Hood retelling, it also serves up strong lady friendships, and a sharp look at power and privilege. (Transcript) In today’s episode… In The Forest Queen, sixteen year old Silvie has been born into a life of nobility and privilege. She has spent her entire life hating and…
Lovely, Dark, and Deep by Justina Chen is about one girl’s struggle to find the light, even as her whole world has been plunged into darkness. (Transcript) In today’s episode… In Justina Chen’s newest novel, Lovely, Dark, and Deep, Viola Li has her life plan figured out—she wants to become a journalist in the most dangerous parts of…
Teens love thrillers, and I’m constantly getting asked for recommendations of good young adult books with suspense, mystery, and light horror. Here are some diverse YA thrillers that you might consider adding to your high school classroom library. As always, please preview these titles for yourself because what flies in my school may not fly in yours. I’ve made…
Reading, writing, and … exorcisms? That’s all before lunch. YA novelist Erin Callahan is here to chat on When Life Gives You Demons by Jennifer Honeybourn. (transcript) In today’s episode… When Life Gives You Demons by Jennifer Honeybourn is a new spin on the teenage monster hunter trope. This time, Shelby has been training to be an exorcist, a secret…
Emily Skrutskie’s new sci-fi novel Hullmetal Girls is a world of economic inequality, a militarized police force, and humanity’s last breath. (transcript) In today’s episode… In Emily Skrutskie’s new sci-fi novel Hullmetal Girls, humanity has spent centuries in a fleet of starships searching for a new planet. We follow two protagonists, one from a background of poverty, the…
Carrie Fountain’s new book I’m Not Missing is an exploration of friendship, loss, and not repeating the mistakes of the past. (transcript) In today’s episode… In Carrie Fountain’s I’m Not Missing, Miranda and Syd are best friends, brought even closer together by their shared trauma of being abandoned by their mothers. When Syd disappears and all Miranda finds…
Zen and Gone by Emily France is a story of sisterhood, self-care, and self discovery (with a side of romance), all set in the beautiful Colorado mountains. Our guest today is writer and blogger Samantha Leidig. (transcript) In today’s episode… In Zen and Gone by Emily France, we meet sisters Essa and Puck who live in Boulder, Colorado. Essa’s taking the…
In Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse, Maggie the Monster Slayer fights for her life. Are the gods on her side? Sometimes. But her shotgun always is. (transcript) In today’s episode… Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse begins the saga of The Sixth World. In this post-apocalyptic landscape, the Dinétah have survived the rising waters of climate change…
Erin Callahan’s debut novel The Art of Escaping is a fun and fresh read about escapology, testing your limits, and finding your passion. (transcript) In today’s episode… The Art of Escaping by Erin Callahan is about 17-year-old Mattie, who flies under the radar despite her parents’ push to be more exceptional and well-rounded. The thing is, she’s only ever…
Mariam Sharma Hits the Road by Sheba Karim is a road trip romp about the 3 F’s; friends, family, and fried food. Join us as we chat about this Pakistani-American spin on coming-of-age. (transcript) In today’s episode… Mariam Sharma Hits the Road by Sheba Karim follows a trio of friends on a summer road trip. Mariam, Ghaz, and…
Words of empowerment and encouragement from thirty amazing creators? Yes, please! In today’s episode, we discuss How I Resist, an activism anthology for teens edited by Maureen Johnson with special guest, educator and activist Chris Peck. (Transcript) In today’s episode… How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation is an anthology of essays, poems, art, interviews, and…
In Jek/Hyde by Amy Ross, a gothic classic finds a new home in a shiny research town. Join us as we talk about loyalty, the #metoo movement, and the darkness inside. (transcript) In today’s episode… Amy Ross’s novel Jek/Hyde offers a new vision of the gothic novella, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by…
All of This is True by Lygia Day Penaflor gives us a vision of obsession, betrayal, and the blurred line between fiction and reality. Join us as we chat about this new YA thriller with author Amanda K. Morgan. (transcript) In today’s episode… In the new novel, All of This Is True, we unravel the story of…
Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian is a ice cream romp with themes of friendship, feminism, and building a legacy. Join us as we chat about this fun summer book with our friend, Claire Nauman. (transcript) In today’s episode… In Siobhan Vivian’s newest novel, Stay Sweet, Amelia is looking forward to her last year at the Meade…
We take a look at online shaming and Leila Sales’ new novel, If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say. Join us this week on the YA Cafe. (transcript) In today’s episode… In Leila Sales’ newest novel, If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say: A Novel, Winter Halperin gets caught up in a storm of online…
So, like you, I spend a lot of time thinking about how to get my teenage students to love reading and writing. I spend a lot of time recommending books to teachers to help get their teenage students to love reading. I even started a podcast to help teachers, librarians, and students find new YA titles they’ll love. In short,…
In Someday, Somewhere by Lindsay Champion, Ben and Dominique are drawn together after a movie-magic chance encounter. Join us as we chat music and romance with our special guest, violinist and music teacher Leila Hobbs. (transcript) In today’s episode… In Lindsay Champion’s debut novel Someday, Somewhere we get a split perspective of a serendipitous meeting, and a…
Y’all, I can’t sit still. Throw me in a long meeting or even a long movie, and I struggle. I wasn’t wiggly in high school, but I now I need to move around more. If I can’t sit still, my students shouldn’t have to, either. That’s why I’m a huge advocate of movement in the classroom. The Case for Movement…
We’ll be talking about Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi with two ladies from the Bookstagram community, Courtney and Anna. Join us as we talk characterization, context, and why it matters. (transcript) In today’s episode… In Tomi Adeyemi’s debut novel, Children of Blood and Bone, we meet Zélie, who was only five years old…
Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert is a dive inside the mind of a young artist, Danny Cheng. Join us today as we talk about secrets, tragedies, and struggles with mental health. (Listen to the podcast or find a transcription here.) In today’s episode… At the beginning of Picture Us In The Light, seventeen-year-old Danny…
We’re chatting with Anne Marie Wells, a fellow reader and foodie friend, about The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding. Check out more on this week’s episode of the YA Cafe. In today’s episode… In The Summer of Jordi Perez, Abby scores the internship of her dreams: working at a vintage clothing shop in LA. She hopes…
Picture Us in the Light – Kelly Loy Gilbert Danny Cheng has always known his parents have secrets. But when he discovers a taped-up box in his father’s closet filled with old letters and a file on a powerful Silicon Valley family, he realizes there’s much more to his family’s past than he ever imagined. Danny has been…
The Radical Element is a new anthology of historical YA fiction short stories edited by Jessica Spotswood. This anthology moves chronologically through American History. We’ll dive in to these stories on today’s episode of the YA Cafe, the podcast for teachers, readers, and caffeine addicts everywhere. In today’s episode… The Radical Element: 12 Stories of Daredevils, Debutantes…
Welcome to the YA Cafe, where you’ll find conversations and reviews about Young Adult books for teachers, readers, and caffeine addicts everywhere. On today’s episode, we’ll be talking about The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert with our guest, Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven. Grab a mug of your favorite beverage, friends, and let’s talk books. In today’s episode… The…
Welcome to the YA Cafe, where you’ll find conversations and reviews about Young Adult books for teachers, readers, and caffeine addicts everywhere. We’ll be talking about Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli and its new movie adaptation, Love, Simon. Our guest today is Jeimy Gonzalez, a 6th grade English teacher joining us from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Jeimy is…
Welcome to the YA Cafe, where you’ll find conversations and reviews about Young Adult books for teachers, readers, and caffeine addicts everywhere. Today, we tackle three YA Thrillers: Secrets, Lies, and Scandals by Amanda K. Morgan, One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus, and People Like Us by Dana Mele. In today’s episode… Today’s episode is a three-for-one special as…
Welcome to the YA Cafe, where you’ll find conversations and reviews about Young Adult books for teachers, readers, and caffeine addicts everywhere. In today’s episode, we talk about Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. In today’s episode… In today’s episode, we discuss Turtles All the Way Down by John Green with our friend, Erin Warzala.…
Welcome to our new podcast, The YA Cafe, where you’ll find conversations and reviews about Young Adult books for teachers, readers, and caffeine addicts everywhere. The YA Cafe is a round-table discussion of a new YA title each week. Our show is roughly split in half, with the first half being spoiler-free. Even if you haven’t read the book, you can…
Spark Imagination with Creative Reading We spend a LOT of time reading books and watching TV and movies in our household, and one game we love to play is “what if”. What if the ending had been different? The characters had had a stronger motivation? The main conflict had been more believable? This is what I call creative reading.…
A Possibility of Whales by Karen Rivers Summary Twelve-year-old Natalia Rose Baleine Gallagher loves possibilities: the possibility that she’ll see whales on the beach near her new home, the possibility that the transgender boy she just met will become her new best friend, the possibility that the paparazzi hounding her celebrity father won’t force them to move again. Most…