Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

How I Came Across It... *This novel had a lot of buzz and quickly went to the top of my TBR list. I had ordered a copy of the book when I found out Jenna Bush picked the book as her book club selection. I also picked it as book club selection for my staff. What It's About - Five Things You Need to Know... *The story takes place in Bonhomie, Ohio at the end of World War II.

*We first meet Cal and Becky who are beginning their lives together.

*The next couple we meet is Margaret and her new husband Felix.

*Both couples have their own issues in their marriage which effects the marriage and those around them.

*As the years pass, the two families paths go in their own directions, but also cross, intersect, and impact each other.

What I Thought of It - Five Observations/Reflections... *So so GOOD!!!

*This was an epic story and I absolutely LOVED everything about it.

*The writing was beautiful, the characters came alive, and the plot moved at the perfect pace.

*There were some wonderful HIGH moments along with some devastating scenes.

*I'm so glad I picked this novel for a book club selection for my staff because there will be so much to talk about.

Who Should Read It... *I have been recommending the book to everyone I've been talking to when it comes to books. I love to share the book love. I can't imagine a person not enjoying the story. There is so much to the story. Happy Reading! Rating... 5 out of 5 stars

Too Old for This by Samantha Downing

How I Came Across It... *I can't remember exactly where I saw this title, but it caught my interest and I put it on my TRB list. I then downloaded it via Audible. It was quite the interesting read and I enjoyed the audible. What It's About - Five Things You Need to Know... *Lottie Jones has quite the past, but hoping it is behind her.

*When a reporter shows up at her door asking about her past, Lottie isn't too happy and needs to take action.

*After the reporter's visit, Lottie ends up on a journey of hiding secrets, dodging questions from law enforcement, and acting out like she did years ago.

*The more Lottie tries to cover her tracks, the more trouble she finds herself in.

*She knows she is too old for this, but is determined to keep her past and identity safely tucked away.

What I Thought of It - Five Observations/Reflections... *The narration was top-notch.

*I enjoyed the listening experience and found my commute to pass by quickly because of the "fun" I was having listening to the story.

*Lottie was quite a character and I was actually rooting for her, even though I probably should not have been.

*Some great twists and turns along the way which kept me guessing right up until the end of the story.

*I always find it enjoyable when you find a great page-turner that sucks you in from the get-go.  

Who Should Read It... *If you are looking for a strong mystery that is a fun and engaging read, then this is the novel for you. I think most adult readers would find this a satisfying plot, interesting characters, and some OMG moments. Happy Reading!

Rating... 4 out of 5 stars

An Inside Look #295 (Author INTERVIEW)

              

An Inside Look with Margaret Finnegan

(Author of Spelling It Out)

*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)

*Season #SIXTEEN (Fall 2023)

*Season #SEVENTEEN (Winter/Spring 2024)

*Season #EIGHTEEN (Fall 2024)

*Season #NINETEEN (Winter/Spring 2025)

*I'm excited to present season #TWENTY with brand new interviews/authors.  Which will actually be the last season of interviews for the blog.  

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

*This is the THIRD interview in which I'm calling Season #TWENTY.   

*Thank you to Margaret for being the Two Hundred Ninety-Fifth author I've had the pleasure of interviewing.  I truly appreciate it.  

Spelling It Out

by Margaret Finnegan

(May 13, 2025)

How did you come to know Ben? 

I came to know Ben in the same way that I come to know all of my characters: by writing about them. I have an idea of who a character will be, but so much of it just involves writing, revising, seeing where the story goes, and spontaneously deciding how a character will cope with new circumstances. That being said, the reality of the story matters too. From the beginning, I knew Ben was going to be a kid who chooses to spend his summer studying for a spelling bee. That says something about who Ben is, what he likes, what he values, and how he relates to a world that can sometimes shame boys for caring about learning and academic success.


What do you think is his most admirable quality?
What a great question! I like Ben a lot. But the quality I find most admirable about him is that he wants to do the right thing. He wants to do right by Asha, his family, and his grandmother. But, so often, he is not quite able to grasp what the right thing is. I think a lot of kids are like that in those middle years. They want to do right. Developmentally, however, having the ability, executive function, and imagination to actually do right—to be kind, to put other people first, to stand up for yourself and others—is sometimes a little bit beyond them.


Is there anything you wish he would have changed or done differently in his story?
Hmmmm. I wish Ben would have found a way to help Asha reconcile with her former friends. They weren’t bad people, but—like Ben—they didn’t know how to do the right thing.

They were trapped by the times they lived in and by the authority figures they saw around them. But I just didn’t feel Asha—or Ben—was there yet, and during those middle school years, some kids do just ghost people because they don’t know other ways to deal with conflict. So I was trying to reflect that reality, but it still feels to me like an unfinished part of the story.


What do you think Ben can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what he went through?
Ben faces a couple of challenges that real kids experience. He has friendship drama with Asha. He has to deal with an unkind authority figure in his mean spelling coach. And he has a grandmother with dementia. In all of those cases, he shows a willingness to persevere through hardship. But perseverance is a common theme in middle grade fiction. What I like about Ben is that he is willing to accept that somethings can change. (He can become a better speller.) But somethings cannot change. (He cannot make his grandmother well. No one can.) Navigating the space between those two places is a hard thing to learn, and I hope Ben could help readers of any age see the grace of acceptance.


How did you research Ben and the circumstances he found himself in?
I understood a lot of Ben’s world before I began this project. I lived through the 1980s, and I had a mother-in-law with dementia. However, I was never in a spelling bee! My schools did not offer them, and I didn’t know anyone who was doing them. So I did a lot of research on the Scripps National Spelling Bee. I watched a few great documentaries, including “Spellbound” from 2002 and “Spelling the Dream” from 2021. I also read quite a few books. One that I would really recommend is called Beeline: What Spelling Bees Reveal about Generation Z’s New Path to Success by Shalini Shankar. It’s very interesting!


Do you and Ben share any similarities?
Like Ben, I think I was a pretty self-aware kid. I feel like I understood my strengths and weaknesses. I remember being in sixth grade and realizing that I was very good at things like reading and writing and that I was less good at math and science. And I remember telling myself: Well, I better lean into that reading and writing stuff. That’s where my future is. I can imagine Ben saying something like that to himself.


What was the hardest scene to write about him?
I don’t think any particular scene was harder than another. You know what’s hard? The middle. The beginning is easy. You know where you’re going, and you have a lot of energy. The ending is pretty good too because you know what you have to say and you’re excited to be almost done. But the middle! The middle is hard! It’s the longest part of a manuscript, and like Ben, you have to persevere through days where you may feel a bit directionless and like you’re not making progress. And that can’t stop you! You just have to do the work. You have to sit in the chair every day and you have to keep going and believe that there is value in what you are doing.


Who do you think was his biggest supporter and why?
Ben always had more supporters than he realized. Asha, of course was his supporter, and so were his friends and family at home. But his biggest supporter was his grandmother. I think she saw an ambition in him that reminded her of her younger self. I think she admired that, but she would have loved him to pieces no matter what.


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?
That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? Where do resilience, strength, and courage come from? Some people talk about grown mindsets. Some people talk about character. I think there is no one answer. But let me be a little contrarian here and say that it doesn’t hurt to be born with a little bit of oppositionality. Obstinate and oppositional kids get a bad rap in environments that value conformity and docility. But sometimes you have to be obstinate and oppositional to persevere your way to a better future. In her own way, I think Asha was both of those things, and I think that served her well.


What do you think Ben is doing at the present time?
Well, the book takes place in the 1980s, so Ben is fully grown now! I think he has a family, and I think he is maybe a psychologist or a social worker because I see him wanting to help people. Naturally, he follows the progress of each year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee, but he is no Roger Nott! He knows that achievements do not define us. Not one thing defines anyone. Walt Whitman was right. We contain multitudes.  

 

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)

Interview #260 with Jessica Vitalis (Author of Coyote Queen)

Interview #261 with Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko (Authors of Dog Town)

SEASON #SEVENTEEN (Winter/Spring 2024)

Interview #262 with Chad Morris and Shelly Brown (Authors of The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry) 

Interview #263 with Anne Ursu (Author of Not Quite a Ghost)

Interview #264 with Erin Soderberg Downing (Author of Just Keep Walking)

Interview #265 With Kate Albus (Author of Nothing Else But Miracles)

Interview #266 with Robin Gow (Author of Dear Mothman)

Interview #267 with Toni Buzzeo (Author of Light Comes to Shadow Mountain) 

Interview #268 with John Schu (Author of Louder Than Hunger)

Interview #269 with Allie Millington (Author of Olivetti)

Interview #270 with Amanda Rawson Hill (Author of Once Upon a Family)

Interview #271 with Lynne Kelly (Author of The Secret Language of Birds)

Interview #272 with Lisa Yee (Author of The Misfits)

Interview #273 with Lisa Fipps (Author of And Then, Boom)

SEASON #EIGHTEEN (Fall 2024)

Interview #274 with Jasmine Warga (Author of A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall) 

Interview #275 with Lois Lowry (Author of Tree.Table.Book)

Interview #276 with Rob Buyea (Author of Carter Avery's Tricky Fourth Grade Year)

Interview #277 with Gayle Forman (Author of Not Nothing) 

Interview #278 with Kate O'Shaughnessy (Author of The Wrong Way Home)

Interview #279 with Shifa Saltagi Safadi (Author of Kareem Between)

Interview #280 with Jamie Sumner (Author of Deep Water) 

Interview #281 with Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic (Author of Hummingbird Season)

Interview #282 with Jessica Vitalis (Author Unsinkable Cayenne)

SEASON #NINETEEN (Winter/Spring 2025)

Interview #283 with Elly Swartz (Author of Same Page)

Interview #284 with Kimberly Newton Fusco (Author of The Secret of Honeycake)

Interview #285 with Alison McGhee (Author of Telephone of the Tree)

Interview #286 with Anica Mrose Rissi (Author of Wishing Season)

Interview #287 with Natalie Lloyd (Author of The Witching Wind)

Interview #288 with Avione Lee (Author of PIED)

Interview #289 with Maria Scivan (Author of Nat a Chance)

Interview #290 with Padma Venkatraman (Author of Safe Harbor) 

Interview #291 with Lauren Wolk (Author of Candle Island)

Interview #292 with Allie Millington (Author of Once for Yes)

SEASON #TWENTY (Fall 2025)

Interview #293 with Heather Bouwman (Author of Scattergood)

Interview #294 with Lauren Magaziner (Author of The Incorruptibles)