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We are super excited to share this episode with Jeff Zentner with you! Jeff is a YA author with four books in his catalog and two of them best sellers! Those same two made it on to Mindy’s Top 21 of 2021 (she read 189 books, so that’s a big deal to her). Jeff shares what YA brings to the table that other books often don’t. You may be surprised at what you hear and some of it may challenge you. We’d love for you to hear why including YA novels in our homeschooling plans can have long term benefits.

1:00 Jeff Zentner: best selling author of YA novels In the Wild Light and The Serpent King

1:15 Currently Reading Podcast

1:50 Rayne and Delilah’s Midnite Matinee

2:00 Homeschooling Moment of the Week: Rachel (puppy birthing needs hay)

3:00 James Herriot Treasury Collection for Children

3:05 PBS Masterpiece on James Herriot

3:34 HSMotW: Mindy (Jubilee pre-writing skills and “writing” stories)

4:20 HMotQ: Jeff (snuggles and reading at home after being away)

5:20 Topic Talk: Including YA in our homeschooling plans

7:25 Writing about living in the South

10:20 How Jeff describes YA to us

11:39 Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Jones

14:00 What does YA have to offer in our homeschooling?

14:13 YA is great for drawing in reluctant readers

15:00 Teens can see themselves reflected in YA books

15:14 YA books are hopeful

17:00 Can YA be for families who are more conservative in their kids’ reading selections?

18:28 Julie Berry

18:38 The Lovely War by Julie Berry

18:44 Caroline George

18:50 Caroline George books

19:00 Rayne and Delilah’s Midnite Matinee

Clean YA books (post by Book Series Recaps)

21:31 The Lunar Chronicles (Cinder is book #1)

21:33 The Selection Series (The Selection is book #1)

21:45 YA can be a gateway to conversations

22:23 YA helps us remember how things actually felt during our teen years

23:55 How Jeff incorporates reading in his family life

25:33 Gary Schmidt books

25:36 Gary Paulsen books

25:40 Jason Reynolds books

25:55 Does Jeff think about topics he wants to address in his books?

27:00 How Jeff feels about and treats teens

29:30 Which of Jeff’s characters is most like him?

29:44 Why Jeff doesn’t write himself on the page

30:44 Benefits of Easter Eggs in novels

32:06 How Jeff is involved with the narrators for his audiobooks

33:06 Angela’s question for Jeff

33:27 Kelly Loy Gilbert

33:29 Jessie Ann Foley

33:45 Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert

33:51 Sorry for your Loss by Jessie Ann Foley

34:07 Make It Personal: Near Bookends (start reading YA)

35:02 MIP: Far Bookends (read a YA with your kid)

33:57 Bookend Homeschoolers Reading Guides: Summer, Japan, Fat Bear

33: 45 Jeff’s novels: In the Wild Light, The Serpent King, Rayne and Delilah’s Midnite Adventure, and Goodbye Days

Clean YA books and tween books (List created by Book Series Recaps)

36: 47 View from the (Far) Bookend: show value to each season of our kids’ lives, including late teenhood

(If you have read The Serpent King, we have a fun bonus at the end of the show)

Bookend Homeschoolers on IG

Mindy at gratefulforgrace on IG

Rachel at colemountainhomeschool on IG

Jeff Zentner on IG, on Twitter, and his FB author page