The SSR Podcast

SSR is no stranger to the Baby-Sitters Club, but we have yet to explore the BSC Mystery subseries… until now! On Episode 160, Alli and her guest talk about Baby-Sitters Club Mystery #11, Claudia and the Mystery at the Museum. Tune in to hear discussions about classic mystery storytelling, weird vibes between the tween baby-sitters and adults, a bizarre B-plot featuring a child star, the importance of writing young girl characters with agency, and so much more.

Andrea Bartz is a journalist and the bestselling author of The Lost Night, The Herd, and We Were Never Here. Follow her on Instagram (@andibartz) and Twitter (@andibartz).

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As far as transformational books written for young readers go, Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars certainly tops the list. On Episode 159, Alli and her guest explore the many reasons why this 1990 Newbery Medal winner has made such a major impact on so many lives, as well as the reasons its been dubbed a key part of Holocaust education for kids. They discuss what they learned about World War II while reading this book as adults, marvel at Lois Lowry’s ability to write both suspense and sentiment, chat about how to have respect for young readers when writing for them, and fangirl over their new favorite kid lit parents.

Returning guest Hannah Howard is the author of Plenty: A Memoir of Food and Family and Feast: True Love in and Out of the Kitchen. Follow her on Instagram (@hannahmhoward) and Twitter (@hannahhoward).

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On Episode 158, Alli finally gets up to speed on the world of the Vampire Diaries! You may be familiar with this universe from the show that premiered on The CW in 2009, but it all started with a series of books written by L.J. Smith, beginning in 1991. The first book in the series is called The Awakening, and it inspires conversations on this episode about everything from Renaissance garb and mean girls to the logistics of vampirism and the evolution of YA.

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of longtime writing partners and best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, the New York Times, USA TODAY, and #1 internationally bestselling authors of the Beautiful and Wild Seasons series, The Unhoneymooners, Twice in a Blue Moon, The Honey Don’t List, In a Holidaze, and The Soulmate Equation. Follow Christina Lauren on Instagram (@christinalauren) and Twitter (@ChristinaLauren).

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Hey, Upper East Siders — it’s time for another Gossip Girl episode on SSR!

Episode 157 takes on the glitter, glamour, and patriarchal vibes of the third book in the series, All I Want Is Everything, which was written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published in 2003. Tune in to hear Alli and her guests talk about the villainization of ambitious girls, cringey crush stories, slut shaming, depictions of sex that subvert our expectations, and the Gossip Girl reboot on HBO Max. They also compare Gossip Girl characters to their favorite Bravolebrities.

Taylor Misiak and Alyssa Litman are hosts of the Table Flipping Podcast, which you can find on your favorite podcast player (Apple Podcasts | Spotify). Follow the podcast on Instagram (@tableflippingpodcast). Follow Taylor on Instagram (@taylormisiak) and Alyssa (@alyssalitman) on Twitter.

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In case it’s not clear from the title of Paula Danziger’s 1994 novel, Amber Brown is not a crayon. Nope — she’s a third-grader who’s dealing with the news that her best friend Justin will be moving away with his family. In Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon, readers ride the ups and downs of this experience with our spunky heroine. You’ll hear Alli and her guest chat about all of those ups and downs on Episode 156. They also discuss the “not like other girls” trope, how to treat young readers with respect, subtle moments of representation, portrayals of divorce, and miniature chocolate chips.

Rachel Lynn Solomon is the author of books for teens and adults, including The Ex Talk, Today Tonight Tomorrow, and We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This. Follow her on Instagram (@rlynn_solomon).

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It’s always a treat for Alli when a podcast guest introduces her to a book from their teen or tween years that’s brand new to her… so imagine what a treat it is when a guest shares an entire SERIES with her! On Episode 155, Alli has her first experience with Katherine Applegate’s Making Out series, more specifically, the first installment Zoey Fools Around. She and her guest discuss the unique social dynamics of the teen cast of the series, draw parallels between the book and popular teen dramas of the ‘90s and early ‘00s, share their love for the writing style of this time period, consider the way the author positions sex and dating, weigh in on the depiction of race in Zoey Fools Around, and so much more.

Casey Dembowski is the author of When We’re Thirty. Follow her on Instagram (@casey_dembowski) and Twitter (@casey_dembowski).

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Published in 1945, Stuart Little was E.B. White’s first book for children and has been beloved among young readers for the better part of a decade… but revisiting it with adult eyes in 2021 is a pretty bizarre experience! On Episode 154, Alli and her guest break that experience down, discussing all of the lovely moments AND the weird ones. Tune in to hear conversations about beautiful writing, publishing behind the scenes, unlikable characters, egomaniacs, bad date behavior, funny cats, and toxic mouse-culinity.

Deb Caletti is the award-winning and critically acclaimed author of nearly 20 books for teens and adults, including Honey, Baby, Sweetheart, A Heart in a Body in the World, and her latest novel, One Great Lie. Follow her on Instagram (@debcaletti) and Twitter (@debcaletti).

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It’s always a good day when a Judy Blume book takes center stage on the pod… and it’s one of those good days!

On Episode 153, Alli and her guest have a conversation about Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, an installment in the beloved Fudge series that was published in 1972. They talk about Sheila’s many fears and anxieties, books as windows and mirrors, old tech, summer camp, slam books, and body shaming. Guest S.K. Ali also shares about the many important impacts this book — and Judy Blume, in general — had on her as a young reader and writer.

S.K. Ali is the award-winning author of Saints and Misfits, Love from A to Z, and Misfit in Love. Follow her on Instagram (@skalibooks) and Twitter (@SajidahWrites).

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The tenth installment in Ann M. Martin’s iconic Baby-Sitters Club series is a big one for the baby-sitters! In Logan Likes Mary Anne!, we are introduced to new boy Logan Bruno — and his budding relationship with Mary Anne sends some major waves through the BSC. On Episode 152, Alli chats with a pair of Baby-Sitters Club experts about the many ways in which this book is significant in the overall BSC universe. They discuss the transition to eighth grade, queer anxiety throughout the series, Kristy’s entrepreneurial strength, surprise parties, mansplaining, weird standards for maturity, and so much more.

Marisa Crawford and Megan Milks are the co-editors of We Are the Baby-Sitters Club: Essays and Artwork from Grown-Up Readers. Follow them on Instagram (@marisa_crawford | @sklimnagem) and Twitter (@marisacrawford | @sklimnagem).

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We’ve all been known to be a little dramatic… but none of us have anything on Lola Cep, the star of Dyan Sheldon’s 1999 YA novel Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. That’s right — it was a book before it was a Lindsay Lohan movie!

On Episode 151, Alli and her guest take a ridiculous journey through the source material that inspired the 2004 LiLo performance. They discuss everything from unreliable narrators and band breakups to easy-to-like villainesses and rowdy pop stars. You might just want an encore!

Rachael Lippincott is the coauthor of All This Time and the #1 New York Times bestseller Five Feet Apart. Her new book The Lucky List is now available! Follow her on Instagram (@rachaellippincott) and Twitter (@rchllipp).

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