Category Archives: YA

The Book Thief – an interview with Nicole Magistro

Podcast #115

For my one hundred fifteenth Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author Nicole Magistro about the YA novel THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak.

Nicole is the author of the recently released picture book READ ISLAND. You can find more information about Nicole at myreadisland.com. You can find out more about the Adopt a Reader program at bookwormofedwards.com/adopt-reader.

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! If you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author Kristen Balouch about the picture book DON’T CROSS THE LINE, written by Isabel Minhos Martins and illustrated by Bernardo P Carvalho. It will be published Monday, February 21, 2022.

Kit’s Wilderness – an interview with Jessica Vitalis

Podcast #114

For my one hundred fourteenth Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author Jessica Vitalis about the young reader’s novel Kit’s Wilderness by David Almond. When Kit moves the coal mining village Stoneygate to take care of his grandfather, Kit is introduced to a few unusual friends, an unexpected enemy, a strange game of death, and more that a few ghosts.

Jessica Vitalis’s debut middle grade, THE WOLF’S CURSE, came out September, 2021. You can find more information about Jessica and THE WOLF’S CURSE at jessicavitalis.com.

I also spoke to Dwaine Millard, Senior Vice President of Family & Community Engagement at Scholastic, about the 13th annual World Read Aloud Day, taking place in 2022 on Wednesday, February. You can find more information about World Read Aloud Day at scholastic.com/worldreadaloudday .

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! If you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author Nicole Magistro about the YA historical novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It will be published Monday, February 7, 2022.

The Girl and the Goddess: Stories and Poems of Divine Wisdom – an interview with Sheetal Sheth

Podcast #108

For my one hundred eighth Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author Sheetal Sheth about the YA verse novel for young readers, The Girl and the Goddess: Stories and Poems of Divine Wisdom by Nikita Gill. It tells the coming of age story of a girl named Paro through poetry that is sad and beautiful and ultimately inspiring.

Sheetal Sheth is an actress, producer, and activist. She is also author of the children’s book Always Anjali. Her latest book is another adventure with Anjali called  Bravo Anjali, which will be available on September 21st.  You can find information about Sheetal at sheetalsheth.com.

Also, a reminder about my HALLOWEEN SHORTS CONTEST. Send me your best Halloween story for children following the directions below. If your story is picked, not only will you win a signed copy of my middle grade novel HUSH-A-BYE, but I will also read your story on my October 18th Dream Gardens podcast and post it on this page for all to read! For more information, visit the Halloween Shorts page.

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! If you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author Rebecca Van Slyke about Ghost Cat by Kevan Atteberry. It will be published Monday, October 4, 2021.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation: An interview with Victoria Bond

Podcast #094

For my ninety-fourth Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author Victoria Bond about the historical novel The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation by M. T. Anderson Vol. 1: The Pox Party; Vol. 2: The Kingdom on the Waves. It is a epic and wrenching story set during the Revolutionary War about how the rhetoric of freedom and liberty so often withers under the brutal shadow of slavery.

Victoria Bond is an educator and award winning author of Zora and Me. Her latest book, the third book in this series about the writer Zora Neale Hurston as a child, is  Zora & Me: The Summoner. You can find her website at victoriabondauthor.com.

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! If you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author Robert Hoyman about the middle grade novel There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom by Louis Sachar. It will be published on Monday, March 1, 2021.

The 57 Bus: an interview with Karen Blumenthal

Podcast #079

For my seventy-ninth Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed journalist and author Karen Blumenthal about the YA non-fiction book The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater. A single moment of violence on a bus in Oakland California changed the lives of two teenagers indelibly. In this thoughtful, compassionate, and engaging exploration of true life incident, Dashka Slater looks in-depth at those involved and how the intersection of race, class, gender identity and criminal justice shaped their lives both before and after.

Karen Blumenthal passed away on May 19, 2020. You can read more about her life and work here at The Dallas Morning News. Karen was a journalist and author of such non-fiction books as Hillary Rodham Clinton: A Woman Living History and Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend. Her most recent book written for young adult readers is Jane Against the World: Roe v. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights. You can find Karen’s website at www.karenblumenthal.com

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! And if you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author Jonathan Rosen about the Choose You Own Adventure books The Cave of Time and The Mystery of the Maya. It will be published on Monday, July 6th, 2020.