13 All of This is True Lygia Day Penaflor cover

All of This is True by Lygia Day Penaflor

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 a group of friends and an author they’re obsessed with. When Miri, Soleil, Penny, and Jonah get a chance to meet the author Fatima Ro, they have to make sure it’s perfect. They have to make sure she notices them. Told in alternating sequences of interviews, text messages, and excerpts from Fatima’s new book, All of This is True gives us a vision of obsession, betrayal, and the blurred line between fiction and reality.

Danielle Hall May 17, 2018

Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian

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 Creamery Ice Cream Stand. As Head Girl, she’s going to make sure she’s got every shift with her best friend, Cate, and she knows they’ll have an awesome time. But when tragedy strikes and the creamery founder, Molly Meade, passes away, the future of the ice cream stand is uncertain. Molly’s great nephew, Grady, moves to town looking to put his business school training to use. Can Amelia help Grady understand the legacy of Molly

Danielle Hall May 10, 2018

Someday Somewhere Lindsay Champion review cover

Someday, Somewhere by Lindsay Champion (and other creative books)

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 whirlwind romance, of Ben and Dominique. Ben is a violinist at Brighton Conservatory in New York City, and Dominique is a high school student, dancer, and cinema buff from New Jersey. She pretends to be a student at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts to create reasons to be in the city, and to run into Ben. As the novel unfolds we watch Dom train back and forth from New Jersey as she

Danielle Hall April 26, 2018

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

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 when King Saran ordered the Raid that wiped out the maji and killed her mother. Now, Zélie has a chance to bring magic back to all of Orïsha and strike at the monarchy, and realize the power flowing through her own veins. These Show Notes use Amazon Affiliate Links for your convenience. If you decide to purchase this book, please consider doing so through our affiliate links. Your support makes this podcast possible.

Danielle Hall April 19, 2018

The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding

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 to turn this internship at Lemonberry into a paid part-time job (because how else will she be able to afford their awesome dresses otherwise?) and maybe gain a little inspiration for her fashion blog, +style. But when she discovers that she has to share this internship with Jordi Perez, Abby realizes that means some competition for the job. Can Abby somehow have the clothes, score the job, and get the girl? This is a summer

Danielle Hall April 5, 2018

Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert

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 an artist for as long as he can remember and it seems his path is set, with a scholarship to RISD and his family’s blessing to pursue the career he’s always dreamed of. Still, contemplating a future without his best friend, Harry Wong, by his side makes Danny feel a panic he can barely put into words. Harry and Danny’s lives are deeply intertwined and as they approach the one-year anniversary of a tragedy that shook their

Danielle Hall March 30, 2018

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

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 Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert is the story of a 17-year-old girl named Alice, who has never been able to outrun her bad luck. She and her mother Ella have had to leave places at the drop of a hat, and Alice has caught occasional glimpses of what is following them. When Alice’s grandmother (a famous but reclusive author of a collection of dark fairy tales) dies, Ella says they will finally be free of

Danielle Hall March 22, 2018

A book tree is a great holiday decoration for nerds and English teachers, am I right? This can be great for your home, office, or classroom! Here's how to make a book tree AND our book tree reveal for 2017. :) Blog post at teachnouvelle.com.

5 Tips for Creating an Impressive Book Tree & an Inclusive Classroom Library

Whether you are looking to make a show-stopping book tree for the holidays or you want to ensure you have an inclusive classroom library, this post is for you! How to Create an Inclusive Classroom Library & Make a Show-stopping Book Tree Click the tabs below for resources, tips, & tricks on all-things-books! Making a Book Tree A book tree is a great holiday decoration for nerds and English teachers, am I right? This can be great for your home, office, or classroom! Here’s how to make a book tree AND our book tree reveal for 2017. This is our second year with a book tree, and here are some tips as you create your own. 1. Plan Your Book Tree How tall will your tree be? Where will you put it? Book trees

Danielle Hall December 5, 2017

Unreliable Narrators in YA Lit

Unreliable narrators in YA Lit abound, and novels with these characters make great additions to your classroom library. Unreliable narrators are voice whose perspectives on a situation are called into questions for any number of reasons. Basically, we as the reader cannot trust the very vehicle through which we are given the story! The unreliable narrator is a popular device in fiction, leading to winding mysteries and twist endings. I believe that appeal to the teenage brain in particular, since they are establishing their worldviews and their decisions on whom to trust and distrust. So, let’s look at some types of unreliable narrators and some concepts that you may want to discuss with students in their book conferences. The Naïve Narrator A naïve narrator imparts limited understanding of the events

Danielle Hall July 31, 2017

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