Have you ever been captivated by a book’s cover? The cover of Tara Dairman’s middle grade novel, The Girl From Earth’s End, is exactly one of those books. The cover is stunning and the more you look, the more you wonder.

And then you open the book and the pages are decorated with cute flowers-not only on the chapters but on each page.

The vibes are whimsical and we were ready for some whimsy!

As we read, did the whimsy continue? You bet it did. Listen to our latest interview with auhor, Tara Dairman, and hear all about the journey of The Girl From Earth’s End and where Tara is headed next.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thought of the book and our talk with the author.

Did you like our episode? Please give us a review and share it with your friends! Every little bit helps us grow.

Favorite lines:

* Alexis: “these notes were softer, swirlier. In concert, almost, with the waves rolling below, like he was trying to accompany the sea.”

* Brittany: “Flowers, her brain said first, because wasn’t she always surrounded by flowers?”

We would love to hear your favorite lines!

Further down in the description you can read more about the book, where to buy your own copy, and what we are doing next.

Music credits: Will Saulnier

Meet Tara Dairman

Tara Dairman writes middle-grade novels and picture books about kids with strong passions and big questions about the world. Tara’s books include The Girl from Earth’s End, the All Four Stars series, The Great Hibernation, Go, Baby, Go! (illustrated by Olivia Amoah) and Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy (illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan). These titles have been named to best-of-the-year lists by A Mighty Girl, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and more. Tara has traveled to more than 90 countries, and now lives in Colorado.

“She/her” or “they/them” are great pronouns to use when referring to Tara. (from Tara’s website)

About The Girl From Earth’s End

by Tara Dairmanpublished by Candlewick Press on March 14, 2023ISBN: 978-1536224801cover art by Chantal Horeisages 8 and up

☆ A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

☆ A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year

☆ A Judy Lopez Memorial Book Award Honor Book

☆ A Junior Library Guild selection

☆ Starred reviews from School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly

☆ An Amazon Best Book of the Month (ages 9-12)

☆ Finalist for the Colorado Book Award

☆ 2024-25 Vermont Golden Dome Book Award list

Gifted gardener Henna embarks from her island home to search for the plant that might save her papa’s life in this vibrant story of love, grief, and growth.

Twelve-year-old Henna loves living with her two papas and cultivating her beloved plants on the tiny island of Earth’s End—until Papa Niall grows seriously ill. Now Henna is determined to find a legendary, long-extinct plant with miraculous healing powers, even though the search means journeying all the way to St. Basil’s Conservatory, a botanical boarding school rumored to house seeds of every plant ever grown. At St. Basil’s, Henna is surrounded not only by incredible plants, but also, for the first time, by other kids—including her new roommates: wisecracking, genderfluid P, who gleefully bends every rule they come up against, and wealthy, distant Lora, who is tired of servants doing everything for her, from folding her clothes to pushing her wheelchair. But Henna’s search for the fabled healing seed means she doesn’t have time for friends, or so she thinks.

This tender tale, blossoming with moments of joy, is a story of hope, grief, and learning to flourish with a little help from those around you.

Other editions: Audiobook version by Recorded Books, narrated by Stacy Gonzalez.

Description from Tara’s website.

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Looking ahead

February is quickly approaching and we are excited to share that we will have James Bird on our show to talk about writing No Place Like Home!

February’s read: No Place Like Home by James Bird

Looking back

You want to know about another whimsical book we loved?

Brittany’s own middle grade novel, Rules to a Legacy, will scratch the whimsy-itch for sure!

Are you looking for some more plant love? But maybe with a sci-fi twist?

We also loved Moongarden by Michelle Barry! You can listen to our talk with Michelle in a previous episode.

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Kalyn Josephson is a NYT Bestselling author of both middle grade and young adult novels.

Flashback a few years: Shortly after we started reading books together and discussing them as writing critique partners, we read Ravenfall. It’s a book right up both of our alleys and we both really enjoyed talking about the structure and setting of the book.

Flash forward to now: This month we wanted to reread the novel because rereading has come up on the podcast many times and we thought we should put it into practice. It was a lot of fun to take annotations anew and then look back at notes we had written from our first read.

Here are a few of our favorite lines:

* Alexis: I wonder if holding everything in ever really made me strong, or if it just made me hurt all the more.

* Also…Embrace the weird.

* Brittany: The plants whisper, sliding closer together and sealing off the alcove. A moment later I hear a crunch of gravel, and Colin’s worried voice calling, “Ann’s? Anna, are you up here?” “It’s okay,” I tell the house. “He can come in.”

Read her book and share your favorite lines!

Further down in the description you can read more about the book, where to buy your own copy, and what we are doing next.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thought of the book and our talk with the author.

Music credits: Will Saulnier

Meet Kalyn Josephson

Kalyn Josephson is a NYT Bestselling author, sometimes-baker, and full-time consumer of too much tea. She lives on the California coast with two tiny black cats in a house in constant need of repair. She is the author of the Ravenfall series, The Storm Crow duology, and the This Dark Descent duology.

About Ravenfall

New York Times bestsellerGoodreads Best MG Book of 2022 NomineeBarnes and Noble book club pick for October 2023

Thirteen-year-old Annabella Ballinkay has never been normal, even by her psychic family’s standards. Every generation uses their abilities to help run the Ravenfall Inn, a sprawling, magical B&B at the crossroads of the human world and the Otherworld. But it’s hard to contribute when your only power is foreseeing death.

So when fourteen-year-old Colin Pierce arrives at Ravenfall searching for his missing older brother and the supernatural creature who killed their parents, Anna jumps at the chance to help. But the mysteries tied to Colin go much deeper than either of them expects. . . .

As the two team up to find answers, they unearth Colin’s family’s secret past and discover that Colin has powers beyond his imagination. And now the supernatural creature, one with eerie origins in Celtic mythology, is coming after him. If Anna and Colin can’t stop the creature by Halloween night, the veil to the Otherworld could be ripped open—which would spell destruction for their world as they know it.

Out now from Penguin Random House.

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Looking ahead

We will be taking December off for the holidays, but we will be back in January!

January’s read: The Girl from Earth’s End by Tara Dairman

We would love to hear what you thought about our show-so leave us a comment or DM. Thank you for your continued support.

Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

On Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review so others can find us!

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Lindsay Currie is an award-winning middle grade author widely known for her spooky stories, but she is also making her way into the mystery realm! In Season 2, we spoke with Lindsay on her middle grade mystery, The Mystery of Locked Rooms. You can listen to it here. In that episode we learned that there would be a sequel (and potentially even more books) and we knew we had to have her back.

Lindsay Currie shares her knowledge of writing craft, series construction, as well as tips on sharing work with critique partners.

Here are a few of our favorite lines from her book that really illustrate why we love Lindsay’s books.

* Alexis: (minor foreshadowing/spoiler) “But now it’s open, and don’t worry, if there’s anything really cool, I’ll remember it and tell you.” “Hey!” William says, acting offended. “I do not need Escape City’s ideas. When I do expand the Delta Game, I’ll be using my own ideas thank you very much.” “Honorable,” West says.

* Brittany: whenever West calls Hanna “Hanna Bananna”

Read her book and share your favorite lines!

Further down in the description you can read more about the book, where to buy your own copy, and what we are doing next.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thought of the book and our talk with the author.

Music credits: Will Saulnier

Meet Lindsay Currie

Lindsay Currie is a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of mysteries for young readers, including the Delta Games series and It’s Watching. She grew up on Nancy Drew and loves a good twisty tale. When she’s not writing, Lindsay can generally be found looking for an adventure of her own. She loves researching forgotten history and recently relocated from Chicago to a 220 acre farm in downstate Illinois where she finally gets to see stars every night, and take hikes every day.

About The House With No Keys

NOW A USA TODAY BESTSELLER! ​

This sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling book The Mystery of Locked Rooms follows the beloved Deltas as they race to complete the most challenging escape room they’ve ever faced...and confront their fears in order to save their friendship.

When a strange invitation shows up in Sarah’s backpack, the Delta’s learn that their favorite funhouse, The Delta Game, is about to get some serious competition. The “Mystery Mansion” is opening just miles away and the ominous and cryptic owner has invited Sarah, West, and Hannah to come test it on opening day. It claims to be the biggest and best escape house ever, and based on the photos of gleaming rooms filled with high-tech puzzles, it just might be.

What’s more, the kids have been offered a ten-thousand-dollar prize if they escape the house. For some reason, West and Hannah seem very interested in the cash prize, but the three friends are torn because they really don’t want to be a walking advertisement for a competitor to The Delta Game. After all, that funhouse changed their lives, Sarah’s life especially.

But maybe the only way to keep the funhouse, and their friend William Taters in business, is to accept the invite to this new Mystery Mansion, escape it in record time, and show just how lame and easy it is by comparison. The trio arrive at the mansion on opening day, armed with their “fortune favors the bold” attitude. But they quickly learn that nothing is as it seems . . . and unfortunately this time, not everyone plays fair.

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Looking ahead

A blast from the past! Join us for a talk with Kalyn Josephson, the author of the Ravenfall series and one of the first books we read as “writers” together! We are so excited to talk with Kalyn about this book that has stuck with us for a couple years. It’s also perfect for the fall!

We would love to hear what you thought about our show-so leave us a comment or DM. Thank you for your continued support.

Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

On Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review so others can find us!

Thanks for reading Read to Write Kidlit Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

How much do you know about the Dust Bowl? Maybe you’ve seen some powerful photographs illustrating the struggles of the Great Depression or the power of Black Sunday? As we read Alyssa Colman’s Where Only Storms Grow we discovered that we really experienced and “felt” history more than we could in photographs from the time.

We talked with Alyssa Colman and discussed writing historical fiction and how she developed her novel in our latest episode. We discussed how she really brings history to life through powerful characters, strong figurative language, and engaging scenes.

Here are a few of our favorite lines from her book that really illustrate her use of language:

* Alexis: “I thought how the dominoes were like twins. On one side they were the same, on the other, completely different.”

* Brittany: “It goes to show, if you bury your troubles in the ground, they tend to grow.”

Read her book and share your favorite lines!

Further down in the description you can read more about the book, where to buy your own copy, and what we are doing next.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thought of the book and our talk with the author.

Music credits: Will Saulnier

Meet Alyssa Colman

Alyssa Colman is the author of Where Only Storms Grow, which has been named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, the Writer’s Digest All Ages Read of 2025, and was featured in Time for Kids. Her other books include The Tarnished Garden and The Gilded Girl, which won the 2021 Northern Lights Book Award for middle grade fantasy and was a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. Alyssa is a graduate of Wake Forest University and resides in Virginia. When she’s not writing, she enjoys making messes in the kitchen with her kids and scaring her husband with DIY home improvements.

About Where Only Storms Grow

For Fans of the I Survived series and The War That Saved My Life, this gripping middle grade novel is set during one of the most dangerous storms in American history.It’s been four years since rain fell on the Oklahoma panhandle and the closeness between the Stanton twins has dried up as much as the land. Howe has been practicing running away and longs for the family to quit this land of dust where only troubles grow. Despite the scoliosis that causes Joanna near-constant pain, she isn’t ready to give up like her brother. But when Daddy leaves the family behind to find work in California, saving the farm from ruin falls on Howe’s unwilling and Joanna’s uneven shoulders.To pay the family’s debts, Joanna takes a job at the local hospital and discovers purpose in helping others. Meanwhile, Howe finds unexpected joy in caring for his father’s horse and escapes in a borrowed book.But then a tragedy in town reveals the dust’s deadly dangers. With the worst storm of the Dust Bowl bearing down on their home, Howe and Joanna must put aside their differences and work together, or everyone and everything they love will be lost to the dust.

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Looking ahead

Season 3 is in full swing!

Coming in October…Lindsay Currie! Yes, a repeat author to talk about the sequel to her mystery middle grade. We spoke with Lindsay about book one of the Delta Games series, Mystery of Locked Rooms, and are excited to get to talk with her about the sequel, The House with No Keys!

Take a look at our podcast from last October and make sure to read the sequel!

We would love to hear what you thought about our show-so leave us a comment or DM. Thank you for your continued support.

Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

On Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review so others can find us!

Thanks for reading Read to Write Kidlit Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Messages about caring for the world we live in cannot come at more important time in our lives-and this is book is a great way to discuss environmentalism.

We met with Kali Wallace and discussed writing in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and environmental fantasy, as well as pacing, plotting, and maybe…not plotting. (Really, finding what works for you!)

Here are a few of our favorite lines from her book. You’ll see that we chose two very different quotes, yet they illustrate Kali’s talents as a writer in the way she can beautifully (and succinctly) describe this world.

* Alexis: page 13 “As they stared down at it, the plum blossomed into a five-petaled flower. It resembled a plum blossom, except that in its center, where a cluster of stamens would normally sur- round the pistil, there was a tight yellow knot of something that looked soft, almost feathery. That little yellow shape trembled and elongated, as though waking up from a nap with a lazy stretch. With one short, en- ergetic shake, it spread open to reveal butterfly wings. It wasn’t a proper butterfly, as it had no body or legs, but the wings fluttered and it rose a few inches into the air, its bright yellow color seeming to glow. Nick gasped in delight. Her surprise turned to dismay when the butterfly wobbled and tumbled to the ground. Its wings were uneven and crin-kled; it tried again but could not lift more than an inch off the ground. After the second try, it collapsed into the mud, the gleaming yellow now muted.”

* Brittany: Page 128 “The whole hillside of giants had a hushed, reverent feel to it.”

Share your favorite lines!

Further down in the description you can read more about the book, where to buy your own copy, and what we are doing next.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thought of the book and our talk with the author.

Music credits: Will Saulnier

About Kali Wallace

Kali Wallace studied geology and earned a PhD in geophysics before she realized she enjoyed inventing imaginary worlds more than she liked researching the real one. She is the author of science fiction, fantasy, and horror novels for adults, teens, and children, as well as a number of short stories and essays. She lives in the Pacific Northwest. - Bio from Kali’s website

About The Secrets of Underhill

An eleven-year-old apprentice fights to save an ancient grove of magical trees that hold the key to her community's survival in this page-turning fantasy adventure. Perfect for middle grade fans of Kelly Barnhill and Jessica Townsend.

Nick Sixsmith has spent her whole life on the road. The daughter of a traveling arborist, she moves with her mother from town to town, caring for the ironwood groves the communities rely upon. When a dangerous blight takes hold of these magical trees, they must journey to the city of Mistwood--her mother's hometown--for answers.

Nick can't wait to explore the prosperous city of Mistwood and all it has to offer: bustling markets and workshops, neighborhoods built under a roaring waterfall, and the vast ancestral grove of ironwood trees. But dark secrets simmer beneath the surface as people start to disappear and tensions rise in the city.

As the mystery grows, Nick and her new friends from Mistwood must follow the trail where it leads them: underground, to a strange, enchanting world called Underhill. Only there, among the roots of the ancestral grove, will Nick find a way to save her new home and the ironwood trees.

This immersive fantasy adventure combines vivid world-building with timely themes of environmentalism, and young readers will be riveted until the final page. -Summary from Kali’s website

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Looking ahead

We have wrapped up Season 2! Thank you for being here with us-keep an eye on your inbox for a quick survey as well as when Season 3 kicks off!

We would love to hear what you thought about our show-so leave us a comment or DM. Thank you for your continued support.

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Looking for an entertaining read full of awkward teen love and friendships? Gloria Buenrostro is Not My Girlfriend is that book.

Join us as we talked with Brandon Hoàng about writing strong characters, choosing an audience for your story, and more on writing and creating.

Here were a few of our favorite lines that stood out to us as we read:

* Alexis: Her fingers touching mine. Her warmth cut through the cold dough. Her fingertips trickled over my knuckles as if in slow-motion. This wasn’t a graze or a brushing. This was a full-on touch. The kind of touch that sucked all the oxygen out of the room. The kind that made you promise to God that you’d never indulge in another sin if it meant getting ten more seconds. I had to keep reminding myself that it would be rude for me to race out of the kitchen and call Preston. No one would be believe me anyway. I know I wouldn't.  “I’m doing the masa mash. Ha.” God. I hated myself. What was I doing? There she was opening up to me about her parents’ crumbling marriage, and here I was making dorky jokes like some sitcom dad. Was this all it took to stop my neurons from firing?

* Brittany: There were many lines that I highlighted because they resonated with me for one reason or another but one section had me thinking well past closing the back cover.  (pg.219-22) The section begins …“I know her.” His spittle sprayed across my cheek. I didn’t dare to wipe it off. “I know her type. They’re all alike…” This was a tough moment with one of the side characters that really illustrates Brandon’s character techniques.

Share your favorite lines!

Further down in the description you can read more about the book, where to buy your own copy, and what we are doing next.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thought of the book and our talk with the author.

Music credits: Will Saulnier

About Brandon Hoàng

Brandon Hoàng grew up reading Babysitter’s Club books, among other classics, and fans of BSC will love his Young Adult debut, Gloria Buenrostro is Not My Girlfriend. Brandon has also other books released and coming soon! Make sure to check out his website to stay in the know.

About Gloria Buenrostro is Not My Girlfriend

Gary Võ is one of the few Vietnamese kids in his school and has been shy for as long as he can remember--being ignored and excluded by his classmates comes with the territory. So when the most popular guy in his grade offers Gary the opportunity to break into his inner circle, Gary jumps at the chance. All he needs to do is steal the prized possession of the most beautiful and untouchable girl they know--Gloria Buenrostro.

But as Gary gets to know Gloria, he's taken in by her authenticity and genuine interest in who he really is. Soon, they're best friends. Being part of the "in crowd" has always been Gary's dream, but as he comes closer to achieving infamy, he risks losing the first person who recognizes his true self. Gary must consider if any amount of popularity is worth losing a true friend.

There’s also a playlist!

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Looking ahead

We have one more read and interview to wrap up season 2!

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Secret Garden + Divergent = Moongarden.

Join us as we talked with Michelle A Barry about writing her science fiction series, Moongarden. We touched on plotting, planning, magic systems, and tying middle school life into it all in our latest podcast.

Here were a few of our favorite lines that stood out to us as we read:

* Brittany: “The public will never accept a garden.”

* Alexis: “I turn in a circle marveling at what my magic can do even if it don’t know how I’m doing it.”

Share your favorite lines!

Further down in the description you can read more about the book, where to buy your own copy, and what we are doing next.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thought of the book and our talk with the author.

Music credits: Will Saulnier

About Michelle A Barry

Michelle has worn many hats, including working as a newspaper reporter, freelance writer and editor, and marketing professional. Barry currently has three books published, but listen to our podcast for more about her history of writing as well as what is coming!

About Moongarden

"Moongarden blooms with heart and adventure. A stellar update of The Secret Garden, woven with a little science-fiction, a lot of magic, a vibrant heroine, and a plucky robot sidekick to rival R2D2." —Victoria Aveyard, New York Times bestselling author.

The Secret Garden meets The City of Ember. Failed climate change policy, an intergalactic conspiracy, and the magical, unlikely heroine who could unearth it all. An explosive STEAM-inspired series starter perfect for young change makers.Centuries ago, Earth’s plants turned deadly, and humanity took to space to cultivate new homes. Myra Hodger is in her first year at an elite school on the Moon, and she’s crumbling under the pressure. She doesn’t fit in and, worse, the tattoos that signal her Number Whisperer magic aren’t developing. In her heart, she knows she doesn’t have a Creer, and soon everyone else will, too.Wandering the halls while cutting class, she discovers a secret lab hidden behind one of the unused classrooms and, beyond that, a secret garden overflowing with plants. Dangerous toxic plants.As she learns more about the garden, Myra begins to wonder if she does have a Creer after all—one that died out when the Earth did. One that could help solve the food shortages the government doesn’t want anyone to know about.Re-envisioning The Secret Garden for a new generation, Moongarden weaves together STEAM themes and intense social pressures in a stunning series starter, and introduces a dynamic heroine who might just grow a revolution.

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Looking ahead

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Plotting, outlines, multiple points of view, and developing distinct characters are some of the things we talked with Allie Millington about today after reading her latest Middle Grade novel, Once for Yes.

Here were a few of our favorite lines that stood out to us as we read:

* Alexis: “Friendships are like water leaks. Who knows how they start.”

* Brittany: “But sometimes it’s the things you lose that are the heaviest to hold.”

Share your favorite lines!

Further down in the description you can read more about the book, where to buy your own copy, and what we are doing next.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thought of the book and our talk with the author.

Music credits: Will Saulnier

About Allie Millington

Allie is the author of two middle grade novels and has also released her first book in a picture book series. Allie’s first middle grade book Olivetti received numerous accolades including USA Today Bestseller and Indie Bookstore Bestseller.

About Once for Yes

From the author of the national bestseller, Olivetti, praised by Tom Hanks as "a great favor" for readers.This heartfelt novel celebrates the healing power of community and the endurance of love, perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo and Peter Brown.The Odenburgh, an old apartment building made of brick and blunt opinions, is the last of its kind in a swiftly changing neighborhood. After years of putting up with people and their many problems, the Odenburgh knows there’s no point in getting attached. They all just leave eventually. A truth that comes all too soon when the building is sold and slated for demolition, giving tenants a month to move out. No one is more troubled by the news than eleven-year-old Prue, who refuses to leave her family’s apartment. Not when it was the last place she lived with her sister Lina, before she lost Lina forever. When Prue launches a plan to save their home, the Odenburgh joins in—flickering lights, jamming elevators, triggering fire alarms—all to try and bring a building full of bickering residents together. In the process, Prue meets Lewis, an eccentric boy who lives across the street—and the only one who can help her discover the missing elements of her sister’s story. Heartfelt and bursting with a community of unique characters, Once For Yes is a testament to the endurance of love and the people we carry with us, wherever we go.

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Looking ahead

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Tackling tough topics, book banning, current events, prologues, and growth. These are some of the things we talked with Elly Swartz about today after reading her latest Middle Grade novel, Same Page.

Here were a few of our favorite lines that stood out to us as we read:

* Alexis: “Kids can handle more than we’re given credit for. Books are a good way to learn and talk about stuff that’s hard. They’re way better than sitting alone, scrolling for information and answers on our phones.” I pause. “Trust me.”

* Brittany: Bess says: “What good is having the courage to speak up for something if nothing changes?”

Further down in the description you can read more about the book, where to buy your own copy, and what we are doing next.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thought of the book and our talk with the author.

Music credits: Will Saulnier

About Elly Swartz

About the book

From the beloved author of Hidden Truths comes a novel about take-charge sixth grader Bess Stein, who brings together friends and a group of rockstar librarians called the Book Warriors to fight a book ban happening at her middle school.

Bess Stein is more than ready to be 6th grade class president. She’s got tons of ideas—including a book vending machine—and her new friend June is beside her as vice-president. Together, they’re unstoppable.But when the books the girls want included in the vending machine come under fire, Bess is stunned. How can one person believe they have the right to decide what other people can read? It turns out that June’s mom is leading the fight, and now everything’s a mess.Bess misses June—but she wants to make sure kids who might like these books get the chance to read them, even if it means she and June can’t be friends. With such different opinions, will they ever be on the same page?

A special message and offer from Elly!

A New Book Club

Do you love book clubs?

Me, too!

Do you think school librarians are the best?

Me, too!

In honor of School Library Month, as a way of celebrating and showing my immense gratitude to all the school librarian Book Warriors, I am starting a new book club!

Let’s Talk!

A Book Club with Elly Swartz ~ Navigating big, small, and sometimes confusing feelings

The way it works

You get:

*Free virtual 30 minute Q & A with author Elly Swartz

*A Book Club Guide with discussion questions and activities

All you need to do is:

Purchase a minimum of 25 copies of SAME PAGE, HIDDEN TRUTHS, and/or DEAR STUDENT (you can even mix and match, paperback and hard cover)

Then let’s pick a date and dive in!

This offer runs until the end of the school year. But you can schedule for the fall! Dm or email me at [email protected] with questions and to get on the calendar!

Happy reading, friends!

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Looking ahead

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Writing characters with unique voices, staying in the middle grade voice with dialogue, and using a timeless character such as vampires, but putting your own spin on it, are some of the topics we discussed with Kalynn Bayron.

As we read, there were two passages that stood out to us:

* Brittany: I toss my phone onto my bed and go find my mom, who tells me she thinks folding laundry is kind of relaxing and I just don’t get why she lies to me like that.

* Alexis: I tabbed so many lines that had modern references (midnight/twilight, man talking about aliens and the Great Pyramid) but overall my favorites were quotes from Cedric- “I’m so mad at y’all. You saw the mask up close?” He tilts his head back and closes his eyes. “Y’all don’t even love me at all. I know it.” 

Further down in the description you can read more about the book, where to buy your own copy, and what we are doing next.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thought of the book and our talk with the author.

Music credits: Will Saulnier

About Kalynn Bayron

Kalynn Bayron is the New York Times Bestselling author of Young Adult and Middle Grade books. The Vanquishers is book one of a series, the third book of which was just recently released, and has won numerous accolades including Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, Kids Indie Next Selection, Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review, Waterstones Book of the Month and 2024 Lone Star Reading List Pick.

About The Vanquishers

Twelve-year-old Malika “Boog” Wilson and her best friends have grown up idolizing The Vanquishers, a group of masked vampire hunters who wiped out the last hoard of the undead decades ago. For kids today, vampires feel more like fun comic book fodder than real life, and the days of garlic wreaths and early curfews are long gone.

But when a new student, Aaron, joins Boog's crew, and goes missing after a school fundraiser, the kids suspect a vampire was involved. Boog is convinced their school counselor, Mr. Rupert, is hiding something and she is determined to save Aaron. No one ever expected The Vanquishers to return, but if their town needs protection from the undead, they know who to call.

Inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Watchmen, this adventure launches readers into an exciting new series. - summary from Kalynn’s website.

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