LB School & Library Podcast

Melanie Conklin discusses her latest middle grade novel for middle, EVERY MISSING PIECE.

A stunning voice-driven novel about grief, family, and putting the pieces back together for “fans of Rebecca Stead and Erin Entrada Kelly” (BCCB) and “readers who enjoyed The Thing About Jellyfish (Booklist).

Maddy Gaines sees danger everywhere she looks: at the bus stop, around the roller rink, in the woods, and (especially) by the ocean. When Maddy meets a mysterious boy setting booby traps in the North Carolina woods, she suspects is Billy Holcomb–the boy who went missing in the fall.

As Maddy tries to uncover the truth about Billy Holcomb, ghosts from her own past surface, her best friend starts to slip away, and Maddy’s world tilts once again. Can she put the pieces of her life back together, even if some of them are lost forever?

Learn more about Every Missing Piece: https://bit.ly/31Ds6XB

Hatchet meets Long Way Down in this heartfelt and gripping novel in verse about a young girl’s struggle for survival after a climbing trip with her father goes terribly wrong.

★ "Elements of the survival story and psychological thriller combine with strong symbolism to weave a winding, focused, stunning narrative.... An edge-of-your-seat read." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“If you’re looking for a great book to add to your to read list, look no further.” —Colby Sharp, author of The Creativity Project and co-founder of The Nerdy Book Club

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3dICOAm

From award-winning and bestselling author, Jewell Parker Rhodes comes a powerful coming-of-age story about two brothers, one who presents as white, the other as black, and the complex ways in which they are forced to navigate the world, all while training for a fencing competition.

★ "A powerful work and must-have for children's collections." —Booklist, starred review

★ "An excellent selection for both elementary and middle library collections, this is a title that celebrates finding one's place in the world." —School Library Connection, starred review

"Placing biracial boyhood and the struggles of colorism at its center, the novel challenges readers to pursue their own self-definition." —Kirkus

"Donte's story is a good primer for younger readers on microaggressions." —School Library Journal

"A classic sports story." —BCCB

"This novel offers a solid story, with relatable, three-dimensional characters considering identity, that will teach readers about colorism's effects." —Publishers Weekly

Learn More here: https://bit.ly/3fjd3rB

Check out the audiobook: https://bit.ly/37dTRbT

Zetta Elliott discusses her poetry collection, SAY HER NAME.

Inspired by the #SayHerName campaign launched by the African American Policy Forum, these poems pay tribute to victims of police brutality as well as the activists insisting that Black Lives Matter. Elliott engages poets from the past two centuries to create a chorus of voices celebrating the creativity, resilience, and courage of Black women and girls.

This collection features forty-nine powerful poems, four of which are tribute poems inspired by the works of Lucille Clifton, Audre Lorde, Nikki Giovanni, and Phillis Wheatley.

This provocative collection will move every reader to reflect, respond-and act.

Mark Tatulli discusses his influences, why graphic novels are great to read, and his own graphic novels SHORT & SKINNY and THE BIG BREAK.

A sensitive, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful novel in verse about one girl’s journey in the aftermath of abuse.

One day after school, on the couch in the basement, Tori’s uncle did something bad. Afterward, Tori tells her mom. Even though telling was a brave thing to do, her mom still doesn’t believe her at first. Her grandma still takes his side. And Tori doesn’t want anyone else — even her best friend — to know what happened.

Now Tori finds herself battling mixed emotions — anger, shame, and sadness — as she deals with the trauma. But with the help of her mom, her little sister, her best friend, and others, can Tori find a way to have the last word?

From debut author Sonja K. Solter comes a heartbreaking yet powerful novel that will strike a chord with readers of Jacqueline Woodson and Tony Abbott.

PRAISE FOR WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT I KNOW

"Written with leap-off-the page boldness and sensitivity, Sonja K. Solter's When You Know What I Know is as fresh and profound a story of hope in the aftermath of tragedy as I have ever read. Young readers will hang on every word of Tori's confusion, pain, and hard-won renewal. A triumph!" —Tony Abbott, author of The Summer of Owen Todd and The Great Jeff

"Solter emphasizes the emotional effects both of the molestation and of the disparate reactions she encounters when others hear about it. This offering of hope after trauma is, importantly, unromanticized." —Kirkus Reviews

"A difficult but important read, giving a voice to sexual abuse survivors and helping others see the complexity of emotions and the hard work that goes into the healing process." —School Library Journal

"The book is smart." —BCCB

A 2020 Junior Library Guild Selection

Three-time Theodor Seuss Geisel Award recipient Greg Pizzoli launches a full-color graphic novel series about four funny friends that Dav Pilkey declares “will inspire young readers to write and draw their own stories”!

Meet Baloney! He’s the star of this book, along with his best buddies: empathetic Peanut the horse, sensible Bizz the bumblebee, and grumpy Krabbit–he’d rather not be here, but what can you do?

In this graphic novel for newly independent readers, Baloney and friends step into spotlight and embody all the charm of childhood in three short tales and three mini-comics that invite readers to join the fun! Giggle with Baloney as he performs some questionable magic…give him a boost when a case of the blues gets him down…cheer him on as he braves the swimming pool…and at the end, learn to draw all the characters with clear step-by-step instructions!

“A sure bet for Elephant and Piggie fans who are ready for the next step up or want to make the move to comics.”—Booklist

“Kids will gobble up Baloney!”–Ben Clanton, creator of Narwhal and Jelly series

“Porcine-ly-perfect”–Laurie Keller, Geisel Award-winning author of We Are Growing!

Monica Hesse joins the LB School podcast to discuss historical fiction, writing about post war Europe, and more.

★ "Excellent ... a must-purchase." —SLC

★ "Hesse again proves to be a master of verisimilitude ... beautifully realized, highly empathetic ... superbly crafted." —BCCB

★ "Compelling.” —PW

★ "A heartbreaking and heartwarming story of survival, loss, and renewal." —SLJ

★ “Leaves readers...rewarded." —BCCB

A tour de force historical mystery from Monica Hesse, the bestselling and award-winning author of Girl in the Blue Coat.

Germany, 1945. The soldiers who liberated the Gross-Rosen concentration camp said the war was over, but nothing feels over to eighteen-year-old Zofia Lederman. Her body has barely begun to heal; her mind feels broken. And her life is completely shattered: Three years ago, she and her younger brother, Abek, were the only members of their family to be sent to the right, away from the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Everyone else–her parents, her grandmother, radiant Aunt Maja–they went left.

Zofia’s last words to her brother were a promise: Abek to Zofia, A to Z. When I find you again, we will fill our alphabet. Now her journey to fulfill that vow takes her through Poland and Germany, and into a displaced persons camp where everyone she meets is trying to piece together a future from a painful past: Miriam, desperately searching for the twin she was separated from after they survived medical experimentation. Breine, a former heiress, who now longs only for a simple wedding with her new fiancé. And Josef, who guards his past behind a wall of secrets, and is beautiful and strange and magnetic all at once.

But the deeper Zofia digs, the more impossible her search seems. How can she find one boy in a sea of the missing? In the rubble of a broken continent, Zofia must delve into a mystery whose answers could break her–or help her rebuild her world.

Syed M. Masood discusses his influences, including John Green and Ray Ramono, writing from the margins, and his debut novel, MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE.

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For fans of Becky Albertalli and Jenny Han, a sweetly funny YA debut about falling in love, family expectations, and being a Renaissance Man.

Danyal Jilani doesn’t lack confidence. He may not be the smartest guy in the room, but he’s funny, gorgeous, and going to make a great chef one day. His father doesn’t approve of his career choice, but that hardly matters. What does matter is the opinion of Danyal’s longtime crush, the perfect-in-all-ways Kaval, and her family, who consider him a less than ideal arranged marriage prospect.

When Danyal gets selected for Renaissance Man, a school-wide academic championship, it’s the perfect opportunity to show everyone he’s smarter than they think. He recruits the brilliant, totally-uninterested-in-him Bisma to help with the competition, but the more time Danyal spends with her…the more he learns from her…the more he cooks for her…the more he realizes that happiness may be staring him right in his pretty face.

In this young adult debut full of depth and heart, author Syed M. Masood will have readers laughing, sighing, tearing up, and shouting “YES!” at the top of their lungs.

Ebony Elizabeth Thomas studies how people of color are portrayed, or not portrayed, in children’s and young adult literature, and how those portrayals shape our culture. You can find her on Twitter at @Ebonyteach and learn more about her work at https://www.gse.upenn.edu/academics/faculty-directory/thomas.