The SSR Podcast

Alli puts aside her distaste for Halloween to dive into Lloyd Alexander’s The Black Cauldron , which is the second book in the beloved high fantasy series, The Chronicles of Prydain. Published in 1965, the book went on to win a Newbery Honor and to inspire a 1985 Disney film. The Black Cauldron tells the story of an unlikely group of crusaders seeking to squelch an undead military force called the...

Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield mostly made twinning look like a dream… but things are rarely as simple on the inside (LOL). In Volume 32 of Francine Pascal’s beloved Sweet Valley High series, Jessica (AKA the impulsive twin) has decided that she’s sick of being one of an identical pair. She takes drastic action to differentiate herself from Elizabeth (AKA the bookish...

Episode 18 is a total sister act! Alli and guest Penny Luksic — both older sisters in their own families — at long last gab about the Quimby family, focusing on Beverly Cleary’s 1955 Beezus and Ramona , which was the first in the Ramona series. We discuss Ramona’s many pest-like — but lovable — antics, reflect on our own experiences growing up with younger siblings, and chat about the lack of...

In 2005, Stephanie Meyer’s YA vampire romance fantasy Twilight kicked off a four-book series, a blockbuster movie franchise, and generally a pop culture phenomenon. NBD. In Episode 17, podcaster and entrepreneur Kelly Parker Smith joins us to discuss all things Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, from the moodiness of Forks to the nature of their relationship… and, of course, we cover the age old #TeamE...

When author Jean Craighead George traveled to Barrow, Alaska in 1971 to study wolves, she thought it was for an article in Reader’s Digest… but when her editor rejected the piece, she decided to refocus on turning what she’d learned into a book for children. The (Newbery Medal-winning!) finished product was Julie of the Wolves , the story of a 13-year-old Eskimo girl who is forced to learn to surv...

In 1962, Madeleine L’Engle’s Newbery Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time brought readers to bizarre (AKA creepy) new planets, challenged them with theories of physics and time travel, and introduced them to a relatable protagonist in 13-year-old Meg. This book is so beloved, in fact, that stars no less famous than Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, and OPRAH were called upon to star in its 2018 adaptati...

TBH, Patricia Reilly Giff’s Newbery Honor award-winning Lily’s Crossing isn’t a book that I’ve thought about that often since my childhood… but when this week’s guest reminded me of it, I was immediately reminded of how much I’d loved it. In Episode 14, we discuss all the reasons why — the beautiful writing, the relatable main character, and its timeless quality. Oh, and there’s also a hot dad. Br...

For the first time EVER, lifelong BFFs Tibby, Carmen, Bridget, and Lena are about to be separated for the summer. Luckily for them, they find a pair of seemingly magic pants to hold them together as they scatter around the world… and luckily for us , Ann Brashares shared their story in her 2001 YA novel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . There’s a lot more to this book than I realized myself...

For those of us raised on a steady diet of (often helpless) Disney princesses, Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted was a revelation, a girl power fairy tale retelling. Yes, Ella is passive, but it’s only because she has to be, thanks to an obedience curse placed on her when she was a baby. In Episode 12, we break down the many facets of this smart, spunky — dare we say feminist? (yes.) — heroine....

Twenty years too late, Alli is finally joining the Cool Kids Club and reading Goosebumps for the first time! In Episode 11 of The SSR Podcast, we discuss the first book this beloved, best-selling series from R.L. Stine, Welcome to Dead House . How scary is too scary for middle grade? Are helicopter parents ruining kid lit? Why are girls socialized to read some book series, while boys are socialize...

On Episode 10, Good Christian Fun podcast co-host Caroline Ely joins us to discuss the third — but best known — book in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia series, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe . Published in 1950, it has quite the historical and religious context, and you’ll hear all about it! You’ll also find out which C.S. Lewis book Alli wrote a rap about in elementary school and which N...

With the help of elementary education pro and super-reader Drew Gannon, we’re talking all things Little House on the Prairie and Laura Ingalls Wilder on Episode 9. We’ll dig into the historical context of the book (including the elements that have seriously not held up since it was published in 1935), Pa’s general hotness, and more. Follow Drew on Instagram ( @drewalison ). Hosted on Acast. See ac...

It’s time for a little required reading! On Episode 8 of The SSR Podcast, we talk with film and TV writer Meredith Dawson about George Orwell’s political allegory Animal Farm … and how it feels eerily similar to the climate in modern America. Follow Meredith on Instagram ( @meredawson ) and Twitter ( @meredawson ). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Say hello to your friends! The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin is quite possibly the most iconic book series of the 80s and 90s… and we’re breaking it down in Episode 7 of The SSR Podcast. YA superfan and Cosmopolitan Magazine senior editor Jessica Goodman joins us to chat all about the first book in the BSC line-up, Kristy’s Great Idea . Follow Jess on Instagram ( @jessicagoodman ) and Twitter...

On this episode of The SSR Podcast, we break down Megan McCafferty’s 2001 novel Sloppy Firsts , the first book in the bestselling Jessica Darling series. We dive into every last delicious detail of high school drama and tackle some big questions, too. Can things ever stay the same with a friend after she moves away? Can a bad boy like Marcus Flutie ever really be reformed? How do frank discussions...

Nancy Drew devotees, beware! On this episode of The SSR Podcast, Alli and her guest — Brooklyn-based writer Kase Wickman — take a deep dive into the question of whether or not OG girl detective Nancy is really a feminist icon and discuss her highly important role in the history of female protagonists in #kidlit. They focus on the first-ever book in the series, The Secret of the Old Clock . Follow...

On this episode of The SSR Podcast, Alli has — refreshingly! — almost nothing bad to say about E.L. Konigsburg’s 1967 book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler . For this literary love fest, she’s joined by the brilliant author and food writer Hannah Howard. Follow Hannah on Instagram ( @hannahmhoward ) and Twitter ( @hannahhoward ). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

On this episode of The SSR Podcast, Alli and Alexandra Fishwick ( @alexandra_fish ) — who is the assistant director of a childcare facility by day, but a writer and the blogger behind Authentically Alex at night — talk Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel Matilda . There’s plenty of good (little Matilda’s obsession with books), plenty of bad (the evil headmistress Miss Trunchbull), and plenty of ugly (some ver...

On this episode of The SSR Podcast, Alli and publishing pro Haley Davis (@hayc12) relive the life-changing experience of seeing the movie The Princess Diaries for the first time, then compare that to the experience of reading the book (Meg Cabot, 2000) both as tweens and adults. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of The SSR Podcast, Brittney Lynn (@brittneyllynn) joins Alli to break down Louise Fitzhugh’s 1964 novel, Harriet the Spy. Learn all about Alli’s complicated history with this character and listen to us talk about A LOT of really mean fictional kids. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The SSR Podcast! In this trailer episode, learn more about what inspired the show and get a sneak peak at the books we’ll discuss in our launch episodes, out June 26! Follow SSR on social media! Instagram // Facebook // Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.