The Emperor’s Ostrich (3:37)

Any story about a bad monarch should probably end in one of two ways: the author either needs to kill him off or banish him. Well, maybe there’s a third way: you could try to reform him. In her latest book, The Emperor’s Ostrich, author Julie Berry opts for reform. She talks to Rachel about writing The Emperor’s Ostrich, or rather, how she let the story write itself. Berry is the author of the 2017 Printz Honor novel The Passion of Dolssa, the Carnegie and Edgar shortlisted All the Truth That’s in Me, and multiple other well-known titles. She holds a BS from Rensselaer in communication and an MFA from Vermont College.

Book Chat (14:33)

Next, Rachel chats with Jessica Verzello and Olivia Hales about a graphic novel by Marissa Meyer entitled, Wires and Nerve. All three work together in the BYU Education and Juvenile Literature Library.

Impact of Literature (24:21)

Now, we finish up with author and educator, Margaret Blair Young, who talks to Rachel about the impact of literature in her life and the passion she has for sharing it with her posterity and her students. Young's published works include the novels House Without Walls; Salvador; and Heresies of Nature. She also co-authored a trilogy of historical novels about Black Mormon pioneers titled Standing on the Promises.