Were the Kids Alright?

This “week” we read The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart. We talk about the creepiness of the Ten Men, the quality of Reynie’s character, the greatness of Stewart’s action scenes, and how this book compares to the first. We also get a sequel to Sophie’s “kill Mr. Curtain” fanfic take and hear Jacqueline’s theory about the book’s setting.

Content Warnings: Kidnapping, running away from guardians, so so much of children in danger, severe injury, torture (both threat and actual), discussion of narcolepsy and “the old hag,” sleep-inducing drugs, threat of death, and discussion of mind control.

Note: We recorded this episode in March but had to take a hiatus due to COVID curveballs and Sophie getting distracted by Camp NaNoWriMo (we’ll talk more about it in our next episode). Also, we incorrectly refer to Reynie and Sticky’s ages as eleven. They were eleven in the first book. Now they are twelve.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

TikTok: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we read Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson. We talk about uplifting authors of color, the education system (yet again), and the story’s non-linear narrative. We also shout out our favorite fan who send us super nice Instagram messages - check them out at whattoreadnextya.middlegrade for book recommendations from this decade!

Content Warnings: Racism, deportation, allusion to learning disabilities, bullying, politics, parent death, discussion of police brutality, injury, incarcerated parents, and classism.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we read Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. We talk about Bud’s greatness as the main character, the lack of closure on Bugs, the portrayal of the Great Depression in children’s literature, and how shameful it is that this is our first book by a Black author.

Content Warnings: Dead parents, abandoned children, bad foster homes/families, the Great Depression, racism, sunset towns, police violence, child hunger, and child abuse (physical and mental).

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we finished up the Percy Jackson series with The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan! We talk about the final battle, moments in the story that reflect the Trojan War, and many tiny details that have Sophie sighing more than usual (and just being the best because she puts up with Jacqueline’s love of the series). Sorry this wasn’t released when promised - personal stuff got in the way but everything should be smooth sailing from here. We have a special bonus episode coming out soon so keep an eye out for that!

Content Warnings: Major character death, absent parents, abusive and negligent parents, dead parents, kids in danger, kidnapping, exploitive power dynamics, white supremacy and Nazis, the Greek pantheon, self-sacrifice, discussion of suicide, and religion.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week, we read The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan. Sophie brings in an article to frame our ongoing discussion of what makes a good main character. We talk about the ridiculousness of Chiron and Annabeth’s secrecy, Percy’s lack of character growth, and the strengths of Rick Riordan’s incorporation of Greek myths into the modern world.

CW: Character death, absent parents, abusive and negligent parents, dead parents, kids in danger, kidnapping, discussion of sexual assault, exploitive power dynamics, neocolonialism, the Greek pantheon, discussions of destroying gods, and religion. Sophie continuously criticizes the gods and expresses a desire to “let them fade.” This is only within Rick Riodan’s world and interpretation of Greek mythology.

Here are the two sources Sophie used to pull arguments from:

Ramm, Kathleen. “9 Signs Your Main Character Is Boring,” June 29, 2020. https://kingdompen.org/9-signs-your-main-character-is-boring/.

Autumn. “Percy Jackson Is a Gary Stu.” Percy Jackson Rants, Opinions, and Other Stuff. quotev.com, January 11, 2020. https://www.quotev.com/story/12237056/Percy-Jackson-Rants-Opinions-and-Other-Stuff/30.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan, the third book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. We talk about what makes a good or interesting main character, how Artemis was the original radical feminist, and all the times that Rick Riordan missed an opportunity to do something really cool.

Content Warnings: Major character death, absent parents, abusive and negligent parents, dead parents, kids in danger, kidnapping, discussion of sexual assault, exploitive power dynamics, neocolonialism, the Greek pantheon, discussions of destroying gods, and religion.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan, the second book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. We continue our discussion about the problems in the Percy Jackson universe and get very off topic. Sophie finalizes her fanfiction takes and Jacqueline is very annoyed.

Content Warnings: Absent parents, abusive and negligent parents, dead parents, kids in danger, kidnapping, discussion of sexual assault, exploitive power dynamics, neocolonialism, the Greek pantheon, discussions of destroying gods, and religion.

Note: Sophie references a social movement theory known as the “scope of conflict.” She incorrectly calls it the “scope of power.” “Scope of conflict” is a theory popularized by E.E. Schattsneider in The Semi-Sovereign People. Essentially, participants in an unequal conflict will expand the membership and resources of their respective sides to gain advantage over the outcome, which explains why it is the disadvantaged side “who calls for outside help" (Schattsneider, 16). In Percy Jackson, Luke is up against literal gods and therefore has to expand his overall “scope” (through other forms of power like Kronos and the Golden Fleece) to achieve his desired outcome.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. We talk a ton about worldbuilding, including the shitty justification for why the Greek gods are in the US. We also talk about Rick Riordan’s personal history and how that influences the series.

Content Warnings: Absent parents, abusive and negligent parents, dead parents, kids in danger (like so much), kidnapping, discussion of sexual assault, exploitive power dynamics, white supremacy, Nazis, the Greek pantheon, discussions of destroying gods, and religion.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This week we read Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles. We talk about the book’s deeply important depiction of death, Comfort’s complex family relationships, mean elementary school friends, and quirky naming choices (we promise we don’t actually have problems with names; we were just shocked by the un-subtlety of Joy, Merry, Comfort, Dismay, and Tidings). We’ll be back soon with an episode on Percy Jackson!

Content Warnings: Death, particularly the death of relatives and the death of a dog. Also bullying, embalming, brief discussion of cannibalism, funeral homes, drowning, and Jacqueline’s terrifying assertion that quirky names are a recipe for childhood bullying.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

This “week” we read Matilda by Roald Dahl. This one is a dozy, folks, as we talk about Dahl himself, the movie adaptation that strangely moved the whole story to the United States, and how wonderful Ms. Honey is. We’ll be back in 2021 with a consistent upload schedule (every other week) and lots more fun books! Also please ignore the end of this episode when we say what we’re going to be reading next time. Plans have changed.

Our Links

Website: https://werethekidsalright.wixsite.com/podcast

Twitter: @wtka_podcast

Instagram: wtka_podcast

TikTok: wtka_podcast

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB

Music

Intro: I Wear Headphones by Silent Partner

Outro: Good Vibes by MBB