The Memory of an Elephant by Alex Lasker

How I Heard About It
*This novel was chosen for my BBC (Boy's Book Club).  This is a book club with a small group of male teachers that I have been reading with since 2000.


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:
*This novel spans the years from 1962 until present day in Africa, London, Manhattan, and Switzerland.

*An elephant is found on the open road in Africa with a definite journey on his mind.

*The story goes back and forth between time periods covering both the lives of humans and the elephants they interact with.

*Poaching is covered, and the characters that try to stop the poachers and protect the elephants.

*The lives of one family are followed and the impact that caring for elephants has on each of them.


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
*This story came with RAVE reviews so we were excited to read the book for our book club selection.

*While I enjoyed the start up of the story, I found myself quickly becoming a bit bored and struggled staying engaged.

*A fellow book clubber was further in the story than myself and told me to keep going.  He was enjoying the story.

*I'm glad I stuck with it, but found myself sometimes confused by the time frame and/or which characters I was reading about.

*After finishing, I'm thinking my own mind frame wasn't in a place for this type of story because so many readers gave the novel 4 and/or 5 stars.  This may be a story I go back to at another point in time.


Who Should Read It:
*Based on all the reviews I've read online, I think this is definitely a story for most adult readers.  So many readers have nothing but positives to say about the story.  Give it a try!  Happy Reading...


Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars

The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh

How I Heard About It
*I downloaded this title via Audible because I heard it was a powerful and impactful story.  This book kept me company during my commute for a couple of weeks.


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:
*One part of the story is about Matthew during the pandemic shut down.

*His father is stranded in France, and his mother has moved in her 100-year-old grandmother. 

*After finding a photograph in his great-grandmother's materials, he begins spending more and more time with her learning about her childhood in the USSR.

*She shares her experience during the Ukrainian famine.  

*The story alternates between present day with Matthew and the 1930's when Matthew's great-grandmother was a young girl during a horrific time period in history.


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:

*This was an enjoyable listen and I learned a lot about this particular time in history.

*As a reader, I enjoyed how the story went back and forth in time; while coming together toward the conclusion.

*It was also interesting to read about the 2020 pandemic and how it affected Matthew's family.

*There were portions of the plot that moved a bit slow for me, but overall the story held my interest.

*The author did a wonderful job of shedding light on the famine of the 1930's the the impact it had on so many people in the USSR.


Who Should Read It:
*Because of the length and contest of the story, I would recommend the book for readers in grades five and six along with middle-school students.  If you know of a young reader who particular enjoys historical fiction, this is the novel for them.  Happy Reading!


Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars

And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps

How I Heard About It
*I picked this up during #NCTE23 in Columbus, Ohio.  I brought it with me on a flight from Minneapolis to Denver for the Thanksgiving holiday.  I read the entire story during that flight and LOVED every minute of it.


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:
*Joe and his grandmother rely on each other for survival.

*Joe's mother can't be depended on and "disappears" often.

*Joe does everything in his power to make sure he and his grandmother are safe from harm, the streets, and from going hungry.

*After a heartbreaking moment in Joe's life, he finds himself alone, scared, and not sure what his next move should be.

*With the help of a couple of buddies, a giving older gentleman, and some new pups, Joe navigates a world that no young boy should have to.


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
*I'm not normally fan of a novel in verse, but I absolutely LOVED every word in this book.

*I was HOOKED the minute I began the story.

*There were so many moments when my heart actually hurt and I wanted to jump into the pages and rescue Joe.

*Something an author's "sophomore' novel doesn't measure up to their debut, but that is NOT the case here.  This story is very bit as good as Starfish, if not better.

*Joe's story will be a window for most readers, but also a mirror for those readers that need the story the most.


Who Should Read It:
*I know I will be sharing this ARC with my current fourth grade class during the 2023/24 school year.  It is going to make for an excellent class read aloud.  So many rich and important discussions will come from the experiences Joe endured.  I think it is the perfect novel for readers in grades four through six along with all middle-school students.  Happy Reading!


Rating:  5 STARS out of 5 Stars

An Inside Look #260 (Author INTERVIEW)

 

An Inside Look with Jessica Vitalis

(Author of Coyote Queen)

*Season #ONE (June of 2016 to March of 2017)

*Season #TWO (Summer of 2017)

*Season #THREE (School Year 2017/2018)

*Season #FOUR (Summer/fall of 2018)

*Season #FIVE (School Year 2018/2019)

*Season #SIX (Summer 2019) 

*Season #SEVEN (Fall 2019) 

*Season #EIGHT (Winter/Spring 2020)

*Season #NINE (Fall 2020)

*Season #TEN (Winter/Spring 2021)

*Season #ELEVEN (Fall 2021)

*Season #TWELVE (Winter/Spring 2022)

*Season #THIRTEEN (Summer 2022)

*Season #FOURTEEN (Fall 2022)

*Season #FIFTEEN (Winter/Spring 2023)

*I'm excited to present season #SIXTEEN with brand new interviews/authors.  

*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.

*This is the EIGHTH interview in which I'm calling Season #SIXTEEN. 

*Thank you to Jessica Vitalis for being the Two Hundred Sixtieth author I've had the pleasure of interviewing.  I truly appreciate it.  

Coyote Queen

by Jessica Vitalis

(October 10, 2023)

How did you come to know Fud?
The only thing I usually know about my characters before I start writing is what their story “want” is at the beginning (what they think will make them happy) and their “need” at the end (the thing they really need to learn about themselves or the world around them). Coyote Queen is a little different in that it started out as a memoir depicting a childhood spent living in fear; eventually, I realized my life didn’t follow a neat narrative arc, and I decided to fictionalize the story while holding on to the emotional truths that I was trying to convey. To that extent, Fud came to me pretty organically—in some respects, she’s a young Jessica, but she’s also shaped by her own life experiences and the circumstances she encounters during the course of the story (all of which I discovered as I was writing). 

 

One of the fun surprises was finding out that Fud wants to be a biologist one day––this goal fits nicely with her need to investigate her mysterious connection with coyotes, but it’s also a huge departure from anything young Jessica would have been interested in!


What do you think is her most admirable quality?
Definitely her tenacity. When her mother’s boyfriend brings home a rusted-out boat he plans to fix up and turn into their permeant home, she’s willing to do whatever it takes (even if it means subjecting herself to a beauty pageant) to earn the money she and her mother need to leave. Fud is not perfect, but through the course of the story she learns a lot of important lessons about herself––including how strong she really is.


Is there anything you wish she would have changed or done differently in her story?
As a mother, for sure; as an author, no! Fud’s life obviously would have taken a much different trajectory if she’d reached out and asked for help from a teacher, the doctor, or one of the many hotlines available to help kids in difficult situations. And I certainly wish she’d made other choices in terms of how to handle her anger when she was dealing with her school bully. But as a writer, I recognize that no one is perfect and these missteps were all important parts of her journey to learn the truth about who she was––and who she could really save.


What do you think Fud can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?
I know from personal experience that living with poverty and domestic violence can feel incredibly isolating; I hope that Fud will show readers that they aren’t alone––and that there is hope (and help) available.


How did you research Fud and the circumstances she found herself in?
Since a lot of the book is based on my own lived experiences, the story didn’t require a lot of research. However, I did have to do some research to establish how certain scenes might unfold differently now than when I was a kid. For example, there is a scene that takes place in the hospital after Fud breaks her arm that is based on my own experience (though it’s important to note I broke my arm in a race with my sister, not through any malicious intent). Back in the 80’s, mandated reporting was only getting started, and my mother wasn’t required to sign an AMA (for leaving the hospital Against Medical Advice). I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I will say that the ending also took some research to get right from a legal perspective. Luckily, answers to most anything can be found on the internet these days, and my publisher hired a sensitivity reader with experience in this area to double-check my work.


Do you and Fud share any similarities?  

Fud is definitely a fictionalized version of my younger self. Some of the similarities are external; I once lived in a trailer in rural Wyoming, I once slept on a yellow blow-up raft, and an adult in my life once brought home a rusted-out boat he planned to fix up and turn into our permeant home. But Fud and I share emotional traits as well. Like Fud, I was often scared and confused, and these feelings often drove me to act in ways that I’m not proud of now. I also felt a fierce sense of loyalty to my family, and I dreamed of improving our lives. But Fud and I have our differences as well. Besides the lack of interest in biology I mentioned earlier, I was fascinated by everything I associated with being rich and popular: I longed for fancy clothes, make-up, and lots of friends. Unlike Fud, I suspect twelve-year-old Jessica would have been thrilled to enter a beauty pageant (though I would have shared Fud’s horror at finding I had grown a tail)!


What was the hardest scene to write about her?

Definitely the ending. Again, I don’t want to give anything away, but it was really important to me to find the right balance for this story––I didn’t want to give readers a false sense of hope that their lives were suddenly going to improve (there are rarely any magic fixes in life), but at the same time, I wanted to convey that it’s never the child’s responsibility to fix the problems the adults create in their lives, and to leave them with a sense of hope.


Who do you think was her biggest supporter and why?

Oh gosh, this is such a hard question to answer! In some respects, Fud’s mother is her biggest supporter. Although she’s making terrible decisions, it’s clear that she truly loves her daughter and is making the best decisions she knows how in very difficult circumstances. From a practical perspective, Fud’s neighbors––Leigh and her mother, Click––are probably Fud’s biggest supporters because they provide unconditional support and acceptance when Fud needs it the most.


Why do you think some young people can show such resilience, strength, and courage during difficult life situations; sometimes even more than the adults in their lives?
Another tough question! I’m not sure I have an answer, but I will say this: I don’t think many kids have a choice—for those battling abuse, hunger, housing insecurity, bullying, and more, simply getting through each day requires superhuman levels of resilience and tenacity. But I also believe that kids are much smarter––and wiser––than we give them credit for. They observe and absorb everything around them; sometimes, I suspect life teaches them as much about the paths they don’t want to go down as it does about the paths they do.


What do you think Fud is doing at the present time?  

This feels like a trick question (readers have been asking if there will be a sequel so that they can find out how things turn out for Fud)! There isn’t a sequel in the works at the moment, but in order to preserve that possibility (and not spoil the ending), I’ll just say this: right now, Fud is still settling in to her new life and making peace with her new understanding of herself, and no matter what future challenges come her way, I’m confident that she’s going to be just fine!

SEASON #ONE (2016-2017)

Interview #1 with Elly Swartz (Author of Finding Perfect)

Interview #2 with Jeff Zentner (Author of The Serpent King)

Interview #3 with Nora Raleigh Baskin (Author of Nine, Ten, A September 11 Story)

Interview #4 with Cammie McGovern (Author of Just My Luck)

Interview #5 with Kate Messner (Author of The Seventh Wish)

Interview #6 with Paul Griffin (Author of When Friendship Followed Me Home)

Interview #7 with K.A. Holt (Author of House Arrest)

Interview #8 with Abby Cooper (Author of Sticks and Stones)

Interview #9 with Melanie Conklin (Author of Counting Thyme)

Interview #10 with Claire Legrand (Author of Some Kind of Happiness)

Interview #11 with Lynn Plourde (Author of Maxi's Secrets)

Interview #12 with Shaun David Hutchinson (Author of The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley)

Interview #13 with Gae Polisner (Author of The Memory of Things)

Interview #14 with Mike Grosso (Author of I Am Drums)

Interview #15 (Towers Fallings by  Jewell Parker Rhodes)

Interview #16 (My Seventh Grade Life in Tights by Brooks Benjamin)

Interview #17 with Donna Gephart (Author of Lily and Dunkin) 

Interview #18 with Ally Condie (Author of Summerlost)

Interview #19 with Phil Bildner (Author of Rip and Red Series)

Interview #20 with Barbara O'Connor (Author of Wish)

Interview #21 with Monika Schroder (Author of Be Light Like a Bird)

Interview #22 with Jeff Zentner (Author of The Goodbye Days)

SEASON #TWO (Summer 2017)

Interview #23 with Elena K. Arnold (Author of A Boy Named Bat)

Interview #24 with Dusti Bowling (Author of The Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus)

Interview #25 with Melissa Savage (Author of Lemons)

Interview #26 with Elaine Vickers (Author of Paper Chains)

Interview #27 with Kate Messner (Author of The Exact Location of Home)

Interview #28 with Paul Griffin (Author of Saving Marty)

Interview #29 with Elly Swartz (Author of Smart Cookie)

Interview #30 with Ellie Terry (Author of Forget Me Not)

Interview #31 with Katherine Paterson (Author of wishtree)

Interview #32 with Jordan Sonnenblick (Author of The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade)

Interview #33 with Alan Gratz (Author Refugee)

SEASON #THREE (2017/2018)

Interview #34 with Corey Ann Haydu (Author of The Someday Suitcase)

Interview #35 with Amy Sarig King (Author of Me and Marvin Gardens)

Interview #36 with Jared Reck (Author of The Short History of the Girl Next Door)

Interview #37 with Shelley Johannes (Author of Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker)

Interview#38 with Terri Libenson (Author of Invisible Emmie)

Interview#39 with Tony Abbott (Author of The Summer of Owen Todd)

Interview #40 with Rob Buyea (Author of The Perfect Score)

Interview #41 with Alan Gratz (Author of Ban This Book)

Interview #42 with Sally J Pla (Author of Stanley Will Probably Be Fine)

Interview #43 with Jake Burt (Author of Greetings from Witness Protection)

Interview #44 with John David Anderson (Author of Granted)

Interview #45 with Jarrett Lerner (Author of Enginerds)

Interview #46 with Leslie Connor (Author of The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle)

Interview #47 with Cordelia Jensen and Laurie Morrison (Every Shining Thing)

Interview #48 with Jacqueline Resnick (Author of Raffie on the Run)

Interview #49 with Sarah Weeks (Author of Soof) 

Interview #50 with Dan Gemeinhart (Author of The Good Dog)

Interview #51 with Gae Polisner (Author of In Sight of Stars)

SEASON #FOUR (Summer 2018)

Interview #52 with Tony Abbott (Author of Denis Ever After)

Interview #53 with Preston Norton (Author of Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe)

Interview #54 with Jonathan Auxier (Author of Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster)

Interview #55 with Sharon Creech (Author of Saving Winslow)

Interview #56 with Stacy McAnulty (Author of The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl)

Interview #57 with Kelly Yang (Author of Front Desk)

Interview #58 with Jennifer A. Nielsen (Author of Resistance)

Interview 59 with Christina Collins (Author of After Zero)

Interview #60 with Eric Walters (Author of Elephant Secrets)

Interview #61 with Phil Bildner (Author of The Rip and Red Series)

Interview #62 with Erin Soderberg (Author of Milla in Charge)

Interview #63 with Laura Shovan (Author of Take Down)

Interview #64 with Donna Gephart (Author of In Your Shoes)

Interview #65 with Alan Gratz (Author of Grenade)

Interview #66 with Barbara O'Connor (Author of Wonderland)

Interview #67 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Just Like Jackie)

Interview #68 with Katherine Marsh (Author of Nowhere Boy)

Interview #69 with Dusti Bowling (Author of 24 Hours in Nowhere)

Interview #70 with Christina Uss (Author of The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle)

Interview #71 with Adam P. Schmitt (Author of Speechless)

SEASON #FIVE (2018/2019)

Interview #72 with Dan Gemeinhart (Author of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise)

Interview #73 with Abby Cooper (Author of Sticks and Stones)

Interview #74 with Abby Cooper (Author of Bubbles)

Interview #75 with Abby Cooper (Author of Friend or Fiction)

Interview #76 with Padma Venkatraman (Author of The Bridge Home)

Interview #77 with Anne Ursu (Author of The Lost Girl)

Interview #78 with Corey Ann Haydu (Author of Eventown)

Interview #79 with Jeff Zentner (Author of Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee)

Interview #80 with Allison Varnes (Author of The Property of the Rebel Librarian)

Interview #81 with Tony Abbott (Author of The Great Jeff)

Interview #82 with Susan Ross (Author of Searching for Lottie)

Interview #83 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Caterpillar Summer)

Interview #84 with Rebecca Ansari (Author of The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly)

Interview #85 with Ali Standish (Author of August Isle)

Interview #86 with Shaun David Hutchinson (Author of The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried)

Interview #87 with Greg Howard (Author of The Whispers)

Interview #88 with Lynda Mullaly Hunt (Author of Shouting at the Rain)

Interview #89 with Lynda Mullaly Hunt (Author of One for the Murphys)

Interview #90 with Laurie Morrison (Author of Up for Air)

Interview #91 with Jody J. Little (Author of Mostly the Honest Truth)

SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)

Interview #92 with John David Anderson (Author of Finding Orion)

Interview #93 with Lisa Thompson (Author of The Light Jar)

Interview #94 with Keith Calabrese (Author of A Drop of Hope)

Interview #95 with Alicia D. Williams (Author of Genesis Begins Again)

Interview #96 with Kim Ventrella (Author of Bone Hollow)

Interview #97 with Natalie Lloyd (Author of Over the Moon)

Interview #98 with Cynthia Lord (Author of Because of the Rabbit)

Interview #99 with Tina Athaide (Author of Orange for the Sunsets)

Interview #100 with Elly Swartz (Author of Give and Take)

Interview #101 with Amy Rebecca Tan (Author of A Kind of Paradise)

Interview #102 with Varsha Bajaj (Author of Count Me In)

Interview #103 with Laura Resau (Author of Tree of Dreams)

SEASON #SEVEN (Fall 2019)

Interview #104 with Laurel Snyder (Author of My Jasper June)

Interview #105 with Lisa Bunker (Author of Zenobia July)

Interview #106 with Jasmine Warga (Author of Other Words for Home)

Interview #107 with Barbara Dee (Author of Maybe He Just Likes You)

Interview #108 with Graham Salisbury (Author of Banjo)

Interview #109 with Donna Gephart (Author of The Paris Project)

Interview #110 with Jake Burt (Author of The Tornado)

Interview #111 with Jess Redman (Author of The Miraculous)

Interview #112 with Karen Strong (Author of Just South of Home)

Interview #113 with Nicole Melleby (Author of Hurricane Season)

Interview #114 with J.J. and Chris Grabenstein (Authors of Shine)

Interview #115 with Susan Vaught (Author of Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalyse)

Interview #116 with Chris Baron (Author of All of Me)

Interview #117 with Meredith Russo (Author of Birthday)

Interview #118 with Abdi Nazemian (Author of Like a Love Story)

Interview #119 with Sarah Baughman (Author of The Light in the Lake)

Interview #120 with Stacy McAnulty (Author of The Words Ends in April)

SEASON #EIGHT (Winter/Spring 2020)

Interview #121 with Melissa Savage (Author of Nessie Quest)

Interview #122 with Tamara Bundy (Author of Pixie Pushes On)

Interview #123 with Lindsay Lackey (Author of All the Impossible Things)

Interview #124 with Tae Keller (Author of When You Trap a Tiger)

Interview #125 with Jamie Sumner (Author of Roll With It)

Interview #126 with Hena Khan (Author of More to the Story)

Interview #127 with Phil Bildner (Author of A High-Five for Glenn Burke)

Interview #128 with Leslie Connor (Author of A Home for Goddesses and Dogs)

Interview#129 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Queen Bee and Me)

Interview #130 with Jody J. Little (Author of Worse Than Weird)

Interview #131 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Things You Can't Say)

Interview #132 with Kaela Noel (Author of Coo)

Interview #133 with Rebecca Stead (Author of The List of Things That Will Not Change)

Interview #134 with Gae Polisner (Author of Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me)

Interview #135 with Emily Blejwas (Author of Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened)

Interview #136 with Joy McCullough (Author of A Field Guide to Getting Lost)

Interview #137 with Kim Baker (Author of the Water Bears)

Interview #138 with Erin Entrada Kelly (Author of We Dream of Space)

Interview #139 with Jess Redman (Author of Quintessence)

Interview #140 with Melanie Conklin (Author of Every Missing Piece)

Interview #141 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Brave Like That)

Interview #142 with Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin (Authors of Seven Clues to Home)

SEASON #NINE (Fall 2020)

Interview #143 with Jacqueline Woodson (Author of Before the Ever After)

Interview #144 with Sharon Creech (Author of One Time)

Interview #145 with Barbara Dee (Author of My Life in the Fish Tank)

Interview #146 with Kim Ventrella (Author of The Secret Life of Sam)

Interview #147 with Ellen Hopkins (Author of Closer to NoWhere)

Interview #148 with Alyssa Hollingsworth (Author of The Invisible Boy) 

Interview #149 with Rob Harrell (Author of WINK)

Interview #150 with Shelley Pearsall (Author of Things Seen From Above)

Interview #151 with Anna Staniszewski (Author of The Wonder of Wildflowers)

Interview #152 with Lorelei Savaryn (Author of The Circus of Stolen Dreams)

Interview #153 with Linda Sue Park (Author of Prairie Lotus)

Interview #154 with Lauren Wolk (Author of Echo Mountain) 

Interview #155 with Mae Respicio (Author of Any Day with You)

Interview #156 with Audrey Vernick (Author of After the Worst Thing Happens)

Interview #157 with Ernesto Cisneros (Author of Efren Divided)

SEASON #TEN (Winter/Spring 2021)

Interview #158 with Rebecca Ansari (Author of The In-Between)

Interview #159 with John David Anderson (Author of One Last Shot) 

Interview #160 with Tracy Holczer (Author of Brave in the Woods)

Interview #161 with James Bird (Author of The Brave) 

Interview #162 with Marcella Pixley (Author of Trowbridge Road)

Interview #163 with Barbara O'Connor (Author of Halfway to Harmony)

Interview #164 with Alan Gratz (Author of Ground Zero) 

Interview #165 with Lisa Fipps (Author of Starfish)

Interview #166 with Ann Braden (Author of Flight of the Puffin)

Interview #167 with Kimberly Willis Holt (Author of The Ambassador of NoWhere Texas) 

Interview #168 with Elana K. Arnold (Author of The House That Wasn't There) 

Interview #169 with Erin Soderberg (Author of The Great Peach Experiment)

Interview #170 with Donna Gephart (Author of Abby, Tried, and True)

Interview #171 with M. Evan Wolkenstein (Author of Turtle Boy)

Interview #172 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Bea is for Blended)

Interview #173 with Jess Redman (Author of The Adventure is Now)

Interview #174 with David Levithan (Author of The Mysterious Disappearance of Aiden)

Interview #175 with Chris Grabenstein (Author of The Smartest Kid in the Universe)

Interview #176 with Ali Standish (Author of The Mending Summer)

Interview #177 with Holly Goldberg Sloan (Author of The Elephant in the Room)

Interview #178 with Jeff Zentner (Author of In the Wild Light)

SEASON #ELEVEN (Fall/Winter 2021)

Interview #179 with Katherine Applegate (Author of Willow) 

Interview #180 with Padma Venkatraman (Author of Born Behind Bars)

Interview #181 with R.J. Palacio (Author of Pony)

Interview #182 with Kyle Lukoff (Author of Too Bright to See)

Interview #183 with Barbara Dee (Author of Violets are Blue)

Interview #184 with Anne Ursu (Author of The Troubled Girls of Dragonmir Academy) 

Interview #185 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of We Could Be Heroes)

Interview #186 with Jasmine Warga (Author of Shape of Thunder)

Interview #187 with Joseph Bruchac (Author of Rez Dogs)

Interview #188 with Kathryn Erskine (Author of Lily's Promise)

Interview #189 with Elly Swartz (Author of Dear Student)

Interview #190 with Heather Clark (Author of Lemon Drop Falls)

Interview #191 with Veera Hiranandani (Author of How to Find What You're Not Looking For)

Interview #192 with Elizabeth Eulberg (Author of The Best Worst Summer)

Interview #193 with Cathy Carr (Author of 365 Days to Alaska)

Interview #194 with Carol Cujec and Peyton Goddard (Authors of REAL)

Interview #195 with Gillian McDunn (Author of These Lucky Stars)

Interview #196 with Alyssa Colman (Author of The Gilded Girl) 

Interview #197 with E.L. Chen (Author of The Comeback)

Interview #198 with J.M.M. Nuanez (Author of Birdie and Me) 

SEASON #TWELVE (Winter/Spring 2022)

Interview #199 with Jamie Sumner (Author of One Kid's Trash)

Interview #200 with Chad Lucas (Author of Thanks a Lot, Universe) 

Interview #201 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Where We Used to Roam)

Interview #202 with Rebecca Caprara (Author of Worst-Case Collin) 

Interview #203 with Leslie Connor (Author of Anybody Here Seen Frenchie?)

Interview #204 with Caroline Gertler (Author of Many Points of Me)

Interview #205 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of Susie B. Won't Back Down) 

Interview #206 with Shawn Peters (Author of The Unforgettable Logan Foster)

Interview #207 with Aisha Saeed (Author of Omar Rising)

Interview #208 with Adrianna Cuevas (Author of Cuba in my Pocket)

Interview #209 with Jennifer Swender (Author of Stuck)

Interview #210 with Brenda Woods (Author of When Winter Robeson Came)

Interview #211 with Danya Lorentz (Author of the Book Of a Feather)

Interview #212 with Saadia Faruqi (Author of Yusuf Azeem is Not a Hero)

Interview #213 with Ellen Hopkins (Author of What About Will) 

SEASON #THIRTEEN (Summer 2022)

Interview #214 with Nora Raleigh Baskin and Gae Polisner (Authors of What About the Octopus)

Interview #215 with Lauren Wolk (Author of My Own Lightning)

Interview #216 with Rebekah Lowell (Author of the Road to After)

Interview #217 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Honestly Elliott) 

Interview #218 with Dan Gemeinhart (Author of The Midnight Children)

Interview #219 with Melanie Conklin (Author of A Perfect Mistake) 

Interview #220 with Kyle Lukoff (Author of Different Kinds of Fruit)

Interview #221 with Tracy Edward Wymer (Author of The Great and Mighty Benjamin Teller)

Interview #222 with Louise Hawes (Author of Big Rig)

Interview #223 with Paul Acampora (Author of In Honor of Broken Things)

Interview #224 with Shannon Doleski (Author of Gabe in the After)

Interview #225 with Jennifer Ziegler (Author of Worser)

Interview #226 with Natalie Lloyd (Author of Hummingbird)

SEASON #FOURTEEN (Fall 2022)

Interview #227 with Celia C. Perez (Author of Tumble

Interview #228 with Greg Howard (Author of The Visitors)

Interview #229 with Rob Buyea (Author of The Daredevils)

Interview #230 with Sashi Kaufman (Author of Sardines)

Interview #231 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of The Real Deal)

Interview #232 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of New Kids and Underdogs)

Interterview #233 with Amanda Rawson Hill (Author of The Hope of Elephants)

Interview #234 with Jasmine Warga (Author of A Rover's Story)

SEASON #FIFTEEN (Winter/Spring 2023)

Interview #235 with Varsha Bajaj (Author of Thirst)

Interview #236 with Torrey Maldonado (Author of Hands)

Interview #237 with C.C. Harrington (Author of Wildoak)

Interview #238 with Margi Preus (Author of Windswept)

Interview #239 with Dayna Lorentz (Author of Wayward Creatures)

Interview #240 with Katrina Nannestad (Author of We are Wolves)

Interview #241 with Anika Fajardo (Author of Meet Me Halfway)

Interview #242 with Chrystal D. Giles (Author of Not an Easy Win) Interview #243 with Gregory Maquire (Author of Cress, Watercress) Interview #244 with Will Taylor (Author of The Language of Seabirds) Interview #245 with Gillian McDunn (Author of When Sea Becomes Sky) Interview #246 with Ann Braden (Author of Opinions and Opossums) Interview #247 with Jarrett Lerner (Author of A Work in Progress) Interview #248 with John David Anderson (Author of The Greatest Kid in the Universe) Interview #249 with Aubrey Hartman (Author of The Lion and Lark-Hayes Manor)

Interview #250 with Sally J. Pla (Author of The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn)

Interview #251 with Chris Baron (Author of The Gray)

Interview #252 with Dusti Bowling (Author of DUST)

SEASON #SIXTEEN (Fall 2023)

Interview #253 with Sarah Everett (Author of The Probability of Everything)

Interview #254 with Andrea Beatriz Arango (Author of Something Like Home)

Interview #255 with H.M. Bouwman (Author of Gossamer Summer)

Interview #256 with Kaija Langley (Author of The Order of Things) 

Interview #257 with Elaine Vickers (Author of Half Moon Summer)

Interview #258 with John Gaspard (Author of The Curious Mysteries of Eli Marks)

Interview #259 with Dana Kramaroff (Author of The Do More Club)