The SSR Podcast

It’s Week 3 of Manuary, and we’re finally tackling Lois Lowry’s The Giver. Published in 1993, the book won the Newbery Medal in 1994 and is basically the OG dystopian YA of our generation. The Giver follows 12-year-old Jonas in his journey to fulfill his newly assigned role: the Receiver of Memory for a community that has done away with all memories and feelings in favor of a state of sameness.

Jonas’s story is a heavy and thought-provoking one, and it opens up conversations about all kinds of big moral questions. Brett Vergara joins Alli to discuss many of them on Episode 80 of SSR! Follow Brett on Instagram (@brettsvergara) and Twitter (@BrettSVergara) for takes on politics, The Bachelor, and Baby Yoda.

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It’s another week of Manuary 2020, and Alli is welcoming Andrew and Craig from Overdue Podcast for a conversation about the first book in the beloved Bailey School Kids series, Vampires Don’t Wear Polka Dots.

Tune in for discussions about everything from class clowns and popcorn reading to ambiguous cliffhanger endings and Emily Deschanel. You’ll also hear Andrew, Craig, and Alli attempt to decipher the meaning of “goldfish noises” on mic.

Follow Overdue on Twitter (@OverduePod), Instagram (@overduepod), and Facebook (@OverduePod).

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Happy 2020 and Happy Manuary, listeners!

To kick off this special month, we’re welcoming Hunter from Shelf by Shelf for a conversation about Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Published in 1964, the book tells the story of Charlie Bucket, an underprivileged young boy who — along with a zany group of kid characters and their parents — gets the chance to tour Willy Wonka’s mysterious candy factory.

On Episode 78, Hunter and Alli take a deep dive into Charlie’s controversial publishing history, discuss the book’s film adaptations, and analyze problematic messages around food, weight, body image, race, and so much more. They also consider why the story has remained a favorite for so many for so many years!

Follow Hunter on Instagram (@shelfbyshelf), Twitter (@shelfbyshelf), and YouTube (Shelf by Shelf).

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For the first time ever, we’re inviting SSR listeners on to the show to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences about the books they loved most as kids… and maybe even some of the books the podcast has ruined for them. (Sorry!)

Enjoy this special episode — and happy new year!

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In 2004, Lisi Harrison’s The Clique series launched with its first book, which was aptly titled The Clique. The book brought the mean girls content that was so popular during this time period to the middle school set, introducing readers to a seventh grade queen bee named Massie Block, her gaggle of rich besties, and the new girl who she’s being forced to befriend. Alli didn’t read The Clique when she was growing up, and coming to it for the first time as an adult was an experience!

Tune in to Episode 76 to hear Alli and her guest discuss the mean girls cultural moment, why we love to read about wealth, the pure weirdness of middle school, the sexualization of tweens, the politics of school uniforms, middle schoolers in stilettos, creepy dads, the moral responsibility (or not!) of middle grade authors, and so much more.

This week, SSR welcomes Rachel Wainz to the show! Rachel works as digital manager at The Newsette and shares most of her reading, snacks, and NYC adventures on Instagram (@rachel.wainz).

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At long last, SSR tackles the infamous “Judy Blume sex book” — her 1975 YA novel Forever! On Episode 75, Alli and her guest discuss the way that the book portrays teen sex and informs readers about the importance of consent and safety. They also chat about the ways in which mixed messages about sex and relationships can inform the way a teenager makes decisions and the ways in which different kids react to the end of high school. Does Forever really deserve its reputation as the “Judy Blume sex book?" Listen and find out!

The guest on Episode 75 is Emily Edwards, freelance writer and host of the Fuckbois of Literature podcast. Follow FBoL on Instagram (@fuckboisoflit) and Twitter (@FuckboisOfLit). Follow Emily on Twitter (@MsEmilyEdwards).

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After a fabulous month of New Reads November, it’s back to literary throwbacks on the pod this week, and we’re psyched to be kicking things off with a discussion of Louis Sachar’s 1988 novel There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom. Over the course of this hour, Alli and her guest Lisa Schwartz chat about mental health (and the stigmas around it!), toxic masculinity, and the importance of modeling a healthy counselor relationship to kid readers. They also discuss the (sometimes gross) protocols surrounding bathroom use for elementary schoolers. And, importantly, how does the title of this book hold up in 2019?

Lisa is an actress, writer, and producer, best known for her YouTube channel Lisbug, which has garnered more than 2.2 million unique subscribers. Her first book Thirty-Life Crisis is on sale now. Follow Lisa on Instagram (@lisaschwartz) and Twitter (@lilschwartzie). Thanks so much to Lisa for guesting on this episode of SSR!

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It’s the final week of New Reads November 2019, and Jeopardy! champ (and SSR fan!) Emma Boettcher is joining Alli to discuss Opposite of Always, the 2019 debut novel from Justin A. Reynolds. On this episode, Alli and Emma chat about the book’s unique time travel structure, unrequited love within friendships, and the reasons it can be difficult for us as adults to buy into the intensity of young relationships in teen books, movies, and TV. They also muse about some of the bigger questions explored in Opposite of Always: How much is too much to give up for someone you love? What is the real responsibility in supporting someone? How much would you sacrifice in one relationship for the sake of another?

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Fun fact: Jessica Townsend’s Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow was the single most requested title for New Reads November 2019, and on Episode 72, Alli talks all about it with middle school ELA teacher Alex Fahey. They chat Harry Potter comparisons, world building, strong female protagonists, character development, isolation, immigration, and the appeal of power versus the appeal of community. Spoilers are minimal, so tune in for an intro to this book even if you haven’t read it yet!

Follow Alex on Twitter (@TeacherAFahey) and Instagram (@ourlives_afahey).

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For Week 2 of New Reads November 2019, we’re chatting all things fandom, life swapping, and sci-fi conventions, thanks to Ashley Poston’s The Princess and the Fangirl. a twist on old school fairy tale The Prince and the Pauper. Alli and guest Rachel Strolle talk about the struggles of celebrity, the misleading nature of fame, and the good and scary sides of the fan community. They also chat about the refreshing approach this book takes to diversity in terms of race, sexuality, and relationships.

Rachel Strolle is a youth librarian, blogger, former bookseller, and YA buff. Follow her on Twitter (@recitrachel) and Instagram (@recitrachel).

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