Category Archives: Young Adult

The Graveyard Book: an interview with Matt Harry

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Podcast #076

For my seventy-sixth Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author Matt Harry about The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. “There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.” So begins the unusual coming of age story of Nobody Owens and his strange and wonderful adventures in and out of the graveyard home he shares with the ghosts who live there and other creatures of the night.

Matt Harry is a filmmaker and author of the Codex Arcanum Series, which includes the books Sorcery for Beginners and the most recert novel, Crytozoology for Beginners. You can find Matt’s website at www.mattharrywork.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 co-founder of Jambo Books Mijha Godfrey about the middle grade novel Listen, Slowly by Thannha Lai. It will be published on Monday, May 18th, 2020.

The Diary of Anne Frank: an interview with Lesa Cline-Ransome

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Podcast #075

For my seventy-fifth Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author Lesa Cline-Ransome about the The Diary of Anne Frank. Since it was first published in 1947 by Anne’s father, Otto Frank, Anne’s diary of her life in hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands has been read by several generations of readers who have been won over by her exuberant spirit and insight, and saddened that such a singular voice was not allowed to reach its full potential.

Lesa Cline-Ransome is the award winning author of such picture books as Before She Was Harriet, Game Changers, and Counting the Stars, as well as the middle grade novel Finding Langston.  Her latest picture books are Overground Railroad  and The Power Of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne, and her latest middle grade novel is Leaving Lymon. You can find Lesa’s website at lesaclineransome.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 Matt Harry about The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. It will be published on Monday, May 4th, 2020.

Podcast #27: Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

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An Interview with E. Lockhart

For my twenty-seventh Dream Gardens kid lit podcast, I interviewed author E. Lockhart about one of her favorite YA graphic novels,  Nimona by Noelle Steveson.

Published in 2015, Nimona originally started as a Web comic in 2012, telling the story of shapeshifter and sidekick wannabe Nimona, who attaches herself to the super villain Lord Ballister Blackheart in his quest to undermine the Institute of Law Enforcement and Heroics, and in particular, his old nemesis Sir Goldenloin. But even for a villain like Blackheart, Nimona’s impulsiveness and tendency to cut a wide swath of destruction whenever she leaps into the fray is all a bit too much.  However, when they stumble across a dangerous secret at the Institute, everything turns upside down, and nothing will ever be the same again, especially Nimona.   Nimona is a book that is both funny and frightening, and whatever else you may think of Nimona, she is a true original  character not easily forgotten.

E. Lockhart’s books include the New York Times bestseller We Were Liars and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, which was a Printz Award honor book, a National Book Award finalist, and recipient of the Cybils Award for best young adult novel.  Her latest novel is the young adult suspense novel Genuine Fraud, published this year by Penguin Random House. In addition, she teaches creative writing at Hamline University’s low-residency MFA program in Writing for Children. You can find E. Lockhart’s website at http://www.emilylockhart.com/.

All podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play. Please link, share, comment, or subscribe. The next podcast will be published on February 1st, 2018.

Podcast #20: The Football Girl by Thatcher Heldring

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An Interview with Karen Yingling

For my twentieth Dream Gardens kidlit podcast, I interviewed librarian Karen Yingling about one of her favorite Young Adult books, the contemporary sports novel The Football Girl by Thatcher Heldring.

Published in 2017, this YA tells the story of Tessa and Caleb’s last summer before entering high school. It should be a time for friends, fun, and perhaps even a budding romance. But Tessa’s decision to be the first girl to join the football camp threatens to upend her camaraderie with her track buddies, not to mention thwarting her deepening relationship with Caleb. And as for Caleb, how he reacts to Tessa’s decision, and how he deals with the hazing rituals of his soon to be varsity teammates, raises all sorts of questions whose answers are not always easy for him to figure out. Whatever happens, Tessa and Caleb’s life will never be the same after the summer ends.

Karen YingLing is a middle school librarian, as well as a Middle Grade Fiction Organizer for the Cybils award and a book reviewer for the  School Library Journal and Young Adult Books Central. You can find Karen’s website at msyinglingreads.blogspot.com

All podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play. Please link, share, comment, or subscribe. The next podcast will be published on October 1st, 2017.