The SSR Podcast

At long last, Alli is reading and discussing the book that has been most frequently recommended to her by guests and listeners in 2020 and 2021: Linda Sue Park’s Prairie Lotus . This book presents a long overdue perspective about the same (highly complicated) era romanticized by Laura Ingalls Wilder and explores matters of race, xenophobia, loss, Otherness, and assault. On Episode 170, Alli and he...

Welcome back to New Reads November 2021! This week, L.C. Rosen’s Camp takes center stage. In Camp , main character Randy navigates the ups and downs of a relationship with his longtime camp crush… under less than transparent circumstances. The conversation on Episode 169 explores questions of changing yourself for relationships, identity, internalized homophobia, and keeping the people you love sa...

It’s Week 1 of New Reads November 2021! This year, we’re kicking things off with a conversation about You Have a Match by Emma Lord. This 2021 title — which combines serious Parent Trap vibes with influencer culture and mail-in DNA tests — was selected for Reese’s YA Book Club, which is a pretty big deal! On Episode 168, Alli and her guest discuss queer rep, portrayals of social media and technolo...

To all the listeners I’ve loved before… let’s talk about To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before ! At long last, it’s time to dive into Jenny Han’s beloved 2014 YA rom com, made all the more famous by Netflix’s recent adaptations. Alli and her guest chat about said adaptations, along with the book’s portrayal of sisterhood, people pleasing, sex, popularity, healthy relationships, and so much more. They...

The first of Brian Jacques’s twenty-two Redwall books was published in 1986… and it’s about time it gets the SSR treatment! On Episode 166, Alli and her guest chat about the original Redwall installment, in which readers are introduced to the world of Redwall Abbey and Mossflower Woods. They discuss their memories of the series from childhood and the degree to which it has since influenced guest N...

Episode 165 kicks off with a proper Judy Blume lovefest! From there, Alli and her guest get into the good, the bad, and the ugly of 1973’s Deenie . They discuss the way the book portrays scoliosis, complicated mother/daughter relationships, and the general awkwardness of middle school. They consider perspectives from writers who, like Deenie, were diagnosed with scoliosis as teenagers. They chat a...

E.L. Konigsburg’s Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth may have the longest title of any book covered on SSR so far, but that’s not the only special thing about it! This award-winning middle grade title also features unique characters, a relatable voice, and one fifth-grader’s journey to find friendship through witchcraft. Spooky! On Episode 164, Alli and her guest use Je...

Robert C. O’Brien’s Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH was published in 1971 and won the Newbery Medal in 1972. It explores matters of community cooperation, civilization-building, education, and humanity’s shortcomings. It also features some pretty cute (and brilliant) little creatures! On Episode 163, Alli and her guest delve into the world of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH , paying special atte...

On Episode 162, Alli and her guest have a thoughtful conversation about Christopher Paul Curtis’s Newbery Medal-winning novel, Bud, Not Buddy . They talk about the nuances of race and class in the book, the way the main character walks the perfect line between wisdom and innocence, the author’s writing process, and Bud, Not Buddy ’s approach to teaching young readers about history. You won’t want...

If Alli had to describe this episode — not to mention the associated book! — in one word, that word would be COZY. On Episode 161, she and her guest take a long walk down memory lane for a discussion about Maud Hart Lovelace’s beloved Betsy-Tacy . They talk about the series’ massive fandom, how the books came to be, and why they endure for so many generations of women. They also discuss the experi...

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...

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 r...

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 me...

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...

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...

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 so...

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, pub...

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...

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...

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 unreliab...

As has become an unofficial summertime tradition, SSR returns to Sweet Valley to kick off a new year of the podcast! On Episode 150, Alli and her guest discuss the second book in Francine Pascal’s iconic series, Secrets . They chat about their own high school memories, the social hierarchy of Sweet Valley, jealous boyfriends, the dangers of gossip, and why these books have been so popular with rea...

Grab your sleuthing supplies, listeners, because it’s time to go on another mission in the world of Nancy Drew! On Episode 149, YA superstar Maureen Johnson joins Alli to chat about the second book in the series, The Hidden Staircase . They discuss Nancy’s historical significance, the story’s crazy twists and turns, and The Hidden Staircase ’s emphasis on notary publics and lunch breaks. Maureen J...

Pack your bags and jump in the car, listeners, because you’re about to join Alli and her guests for a little cruise down Route 66… in 1946! Tune in to Episode 148 for a discussion about the first installment in American Girl’s scrapbook series, Molly’s Route 66 Adventure . The conversation starts with an extensive chat about all things Molly and winds up with an examination of Molly’s interactions...

Patricia MacLachlan’s Sarah, Plain and Tall was published in 1985 and went on to win the Newbery Medal, the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and the Golden Kite Award in 1986. And while it’s the shortest book that Alli has ever covered on SSR, it inspires no shortage of thoughtful conversation! Tune in to Episode 146 for conversations about historical revisionism, whiteness, erasure, bea...

You may think you know Mary Poppins from the 1964 Disney movie starring Julie Andrews… but you might not recognize the original portrayal of the magical nanny as she’s written in the book that inspired the film! Mary Poppins was written by P.L. Travers and published in 1934 — and it’s not as warm and fuzzy as the version we’ve seen on-screen! On Episode 146, Alli and her guest take a close look at...