A husband and wife team --- comprised of a junior high Language Arts teacher and a children's librarian --- spend each episode discussing a current popular middle grade/young adult novel: Would kids like it? Should parents recommend it to their kids? How might an ELA teacher use it in their classroom? Tune into each episode to hear Tim and Taylor answer all these questions and more! In addition to discussions about specific novels, alternating episodes will feature conversations about various aspects of young adult reading. Questions or Comments? Reach out to Tim and Taylor at: whatarethekidsreadingthesedays@gmail.com
Tim & Taylor discuss Marissa Meyer's dystopian sci-fi reimagining of the classic fairy tale Cinderella, a story about a cyborg named Cinder living in New Beijing in the midst of a deadly plague. Tune in to hear them talk about their thoughts on the book, whether they think kids and teens would enjoy it, ideas for how the novel could be used in the classroom, recommendations for further reading, and much more! SPOILER WARNING! This episode is most enjoyable if you've either alrea...
15 Jul 2024
'Throne of Glass' by Sarah J. Maas
Tim & Taylor return after a long hiatus to discuss the the bestselling young adult fantasy novel Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. Tune in to hear them talk about their thoughts on the book, whether they think kids and teens would enjoy it, ideas for how the novel could be used in the classroom, recommendations for further reading, and much more! SPOILER WARNING! This episode is most enjoyable if you've either already read the book or simply want to hear some takes on it before recom...
18 Oct 2023
'Smile' by Raina Telgemeier
Tim & Taylor return with special guest Bennie, who is also the cause of their recent hiatus. But finally, they have returned to discuss the middle grade graphic novel (?) Smile by Raina Telgemeier and reminisce on braces, middle school friends, and growing up. Bennie also contributes with the occasional whimper or grunt.
26 Mar 2023
"Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" by Judy Blume
Tim & Taylor are joined by special guest Mary, aka Tim's mom, to discuss Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, the beloved (and sometimes banned) coming-of-age middle grade novel by Judy Blume. With the movie coming out on April 28, it made sense to dive into this book. Tune into hear Tim, Taylor, and Mary's thoughts on the book, whether kids today would enjoy it, how it might be used in a classroom, and recommendations for further reading! Enjoy!SPOILER WARNING: This podcast is...
11 Mar 2023
'Amari & the Night Brothers' by B.B. Alston
Tim & Taylor discuss their reactions to Amari & The Night Brothers, a best-selling and award-winning middle grade fantasy adventure novel. Tune in to hear them talk about their thoughts on the book, whether they think kids would enjoy it, ideas for how the novel could be used in the classroom, recommendations for further reading, and much more! SPOILER WARNING! This episode is most enjoyable if you've either already read the book or simply want to hear some expert takes on i...
1 Feb 2023
First Five Pages Discussion - 'Warcross' by Marie Lu
Tim & Taylor discuss the first five pages of Warcross, Marie Lu's bestselling teen sci-fi novel. Find the book on your local library app (Hoopla, Libby, Overdrive, etc.)! You can sample it without renting it yet, read the first five pages, and come back here to listen!
15 Jan 2023
'Beasts & Beauty: Dangerous Tales' by Soman Chainani
Tim & Taylor discuss Soman Chainani's collection of modernized and retold fairy tales. They share their personal reactions to the book as well as their professional opinions on whether or not kids would like it, their ideas for using it in an English Language Arts classroom, and their recommendations for further reading. WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS!
29 Nov 2022
"The Cousins" by Karen M. McManus
Tim & Taylor discuss The Cousins by Karen M. McManus, a young adult mystery/thriller about a trio of cousins who spend a summer at their estranged grandmother's resort trying to find answers to some old family secrets. Tune in to hear Tim & Taylor's thoughts on the book, what young adults might like or dislike about it, ideas for how it might be used in the classroom, and recommendations for further reading!
22 Oct 2022
Discussion: "What Are Some Popular Horror/Thriller/Mystery Series for Kids?"
Tim and Taylor get into the Halloween spirit with a discussion about young adult and middle grade horror/mystery. Tune in to hear them discuss the following series: The Box Car ChildrenScary Stories to Tell in the DarkCity of GhostsGoosebumpsThe Chilling Adventures of ChristinaFive Nights at Freddy's.
7 Oct 2022
"Ground Zero" by Alan Gratz
Tim & Taylor discuss Alan Gratz's bestselling middle grade novel Ground Zero. Tune in to hear them discuss whether or not children would enjoy it, the pros and cons of a child reading it, possible ideas for use in the classroom, and recommend further reading as well! Skip to 23:10 if you've read the book already and don't need to hear our summary of the novel.
20 Sept 2022
"Root Magic" by Eden Royce
Tim and Taylor discuss Root Magic, a middle grade historical fiction/fantasy/horror novel by Eden Royce. Listen in to hear their thoughts on the book, what they think kids would like about it, how teachers might want to use it in the classroom, plus recommendations for further reading!
16 Aug 2022
Discussion: "Does Discussing Books' Themes with Students Kill the Joy of Reading?"
English teachers really love talking about a novel's themes. But is that always a good thing? Should we just chill on the analysis sometimes? In this episode, Taylor and Tim discuss the pros and cons of focusing on larger themes of a text in an ELA classroom. Does it help kids get more out of reading? Or is it just a buzzkill?
1 Aug 2022
"Unplugged" by Gordon Korman
Tim and Taylor discuss Gordon Korman's 97th (!) book, Unplugged, a middle-grade novel about a spoiled rich kid sent against his will to a tech-free summer camp in the middle of rural Arkansas. What did we think? Would kids like it? What would ELA teachers want to focus on if using it in the classroom? Listen to the episode to find out our answers to those questions. WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS!
17 Jul 2022
Discussion: "Would Kids Today Like the Books We Liked as Kids?"
When we adults think about recommending a book to a kid, we tend to think of the books that we liked as kids. But do they hold up? Would kids like them? Would these books be good to use in an ELA classroom? Or are we just biased to our childhood favorites? Would kids be better off reading something more modern? In this episode, Tim and Taylor each bring up three books that they enjoyed as kids and attempt to answer all those questions. WARNING: We reveal minor spoilers for the books...
6 Jul 2022
"Daughter of the Deep" by Rick Riordan
For the podcast's inaugural episode, Tim and Taylor discuss Rick Riordan's latest middle grade sci-fi/fantasy adventure novel Daughter of the Deep. WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 12 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
12
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
Host of What Are the Kids Reading These Days??
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