The SSR Podcast

On Episode 210, Alli and her guest travel back to the ‘90s and share their first experience with the Animorphs—more specifically, the first book in the series, The Invasion. They explore the blurry lines between YA and middle grade, classic kid lit tropes, mall hangs, the Scholastic industrial complex, the Animorphs as a metaphor for puberty, horse girls, cult behavior, the mechanics of teens morphing into animals, and author K.A. Applegate’s anti-war stance.

Ashley Poston is the author of the Once Upon a Con series and The Dead Romantics. Follow her on Instagram (@heyashposton) and Twitter (@ashposton).

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Pippi Longstocking has been beloved by readers of all ages for decades thanks to her strength, generosity, silliness, bravery, and kindness. On Episode 209, Alli and her guest chat about all the warm fuzzinnes of her story, which was written by Astrid Lindgren and published in 1945. Tune in for conversations about Pippi’s timelessness, self-compassion, self-awareness, kid lit post-WWII, the importance of taking up space, subversions of orphan tropes, and their favorite Pippi adventures.

Claribel Ortega is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of middle grade and YA fantasy inspired by her Dominican heritage, including Witchlings and Frizzy. Follow her on Instagram (@claribel_ortega) and Twitter (@claribel_ortega).

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Prepare for a trip down the rabbit hole! On Episode 208, Alli and her guest chat all things Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: its social commentary, aesthetic, adaptations, absurdity, and everything in between. They also dig into world building and the Alice origin story.

Roselle Lim is the author of Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck & Fortune, Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop, and Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club. Follow her on Instagram (@rosellewriter) and Twitter (@rosellewriter).

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Episode 207 brings us back to Louis Sachar’s Wayside School — more specifically, to his 1989 novel Wayside School Is Falling Down. Will this installment get a warmer reception from Alli than the first book in the series? Listen and find out! The conversation touches on representation, identity development, bathroom humor, Book Tok, existential dread, darkness in kid lit, the importance of names, critiques of the K-12 school system, and more.

Denise Williams is the author of How to Fail at Flirting, The Fastest Way to Fall, and Do You Take This Man. Follow her on Instagram (@nicwillwrites) and Twitter (@nicwillwrites).

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On Episode 206, Alli and her guest get ahead of spooky season with a discussion about Roald Dahl’s The Witches. They talk about the controversy surrounding both the book and the author, consider how dark is too dark for young readers, debate the merits of happy endings versus messy endings, and chat about the negative reception that the 2020 adaptation of The Witches received.

Amanda Aksel is the author of Delia Suits Up and No Funny Business. Follow her on Instagram (@amandaaksel).

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Judy Blume and the Hatcher family are BACK! On Episode 205, Alli and her guest revisit the rowdy world of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing with a chat about fatherhood in the ‘70s, group projects, fatphobia, and why anyone would choose to eat a turtle. They also dig deep into sibling dynamics and seek justice for big brother Peter!

Carola Lovering is the author of Tell Me Lies, Too Good to Be True, and Can’t Look Away. Follow her on Instagram (@carolatlovering).

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On Episode 204, Alli and her guest dig into all things Addy Walker. They discuss the larger origin story that brought American Girl’s first non-white doll to market, as well as the specifics of Meet Addy. They talk about the importance of different kinds of representation for BIPOC folks, the complicated nature of Addy’s slave narrative, what the basic structure of the Addy series tells us about white privilege, the significance of the actual Addy doll, and so much more.

Ebony LaDelle is an author and experienced marketing and publishing professional who just can’t shut up about books. She is the co-host of Why Not YA? and the author of Love Radio. Follow her on Instagram (@ebonyladelle) and Twitter (@EbonyLadelle).

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We’re overdue for a Q&A episode, so let’s make up for lost time! On Episode 203, Alli answers listener questions about…

* How to start a podcast
* The SSR reads that have most surprised her
* Her vision for SSR
* Dream podcast guests
* How her friends and family feel about the show
* Her MFA program and novel-writing process
* All things IRV

… and so much more!

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Anything can happen when the Wakefield twins are around… including the arrival of a brooding, mysterious vampire who becomes the most popular guy at Sweet Valley High. On Episode 202, Alli and her guest dive into the 126th book in the SVH series, Tall, Dark, and Deadly. It’s the first installment in the famed “vampire trio” and it’s quite a ride. This episode covers everything from vampire canon and camp love affairs to stalker-ish antics and the lack of representation in Jessica and Elizabeth’s world.

Andie J. Christopher is a USA Today bestselling author of sharp, witty, sexy contemporary romances about complex people finding happily ever after. Her work has been featured in NPR, Cosmopolitan, The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, and The New York Post. Thank You, Next is her latest book. Follow her on Instagram (@authorandiej) and Twitter (@authorandiej).

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SSR is back for year FIVE… and there’s no better way to return from summer break than with a conversation about Judy Blume’s Summer Sisters. On Episode 201, Alli and her guest discuss why this book written for adults appeals so much to teen readers, the novel’s multiple POVs, the empathy they have for the parent characters, toxic friendships, bad hygiene, Gilmore Girls, Blume’s handling of sexuality, and so much more!

Alison Rose Greenberg is the author of Bad Luck Bridesmaid. Follow her on Instagram (@alison.greenberg) and Twitter (@alisongreenberg).

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