Unban Coolies

Patricia McCormick, the groundbreaking author behind "Sold" and co-author of "I Am Malala," sits down for a conversation that goes deep into the fight against censorship. She reveals what it's like to be one of the most banned authors in America and the shocking moment she found a sliver of common ground with her challengers. Patricia McCormick is a two-time National Book Award finalist who gives...

What happens when a children's book becomes a force for global change? We sit down with Newbery Medal-winning author Linda Sue Park to discuss the astonishing real-world ripple effect of her novel, A Long Walk to Water. Inspired by the true story of Salva Dut, one of the "Lost Boys" of Sudan, the book has sparked a movement. Linda Sue reveals how student readers, moved by Salva's...

What happens when a deeply personal story about identity becomes a national target? In this powerful episode, we sit down with Maia Kobabe, the author and illustrator of the award-winning and heavily challenged graphic memoir, Gender Queer. Maia opens up about the journey of creating a book that has become a lifeline for countless queer and questioning readers, while also finding itself at the cen...

Flamer author and illustrator Mike Curato joins Unban Coolies for a powerful conversation about identity, queerness, faith, and surviving adolescence when the world tells you there is something wrong with who you are. Flamer has become one of the most frequently challenged books in America, appearing on the ALA’s Top 10 Most Challenged list, not because it is explicit, but because it tells the tru...

Jason Reynolds joins UNBAN COOLIES to explore how stories create space for every reader. We talk about friendship as the most valuable relationship, why difference should pull us closer, and why openness can be more honest than empathy when you cannot know someone else’s life. Jason reflects on Long Way Down, the pressure to stay silent, and what it takes to break cycles. He shares a work in progr...

In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Nayeri, award-winning author of Everything Sad Is Untrue and The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams. Born in Iran, Daniel fled with his family after a fatwa put their lives in danger, spending years in refugee camps before resettling in Oklahoma. From these experiences, he developed a unique storytelling voice that blends memory, myth, and s...

What do a gorilla who paints, a sarcastic oak tree, and a group of kids who morph into animals to fight aliens have in common? The creative mind of Katherine Applegate. In this interview, the Newbery Medal–winning author opens up about her journey from ghostwriting Sweet Valley Twins to creating beloved stories like Animorphs, The One and Only Ivan, Wishtree, and her newest book, Pocket Bear. Kath...

Jack Gantos isn’t your typical award-winning author. Before writing the Joey Pigza series, Rotten Ralph, and the Newbery Medal-winning Dead End in Norvelt, he served time in prison for smuggling hashish—a moment he turned into the acclaimed memoir Hole in My Life (a Michael L. Printz Honor and Sibert Honor Book). In this powerful conversation, Gantos opens up about second chances, censorship, ADHD...

How do you write books that change lives—and why are they being banned? In this inspiring interview, National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson joins Christopher Lau, host of UNBAN COOLIES, to discuss the power of literature to make young readers feel seen. Woodson talks about how her memoir Brown Girl Dreaming became both a classic and a target of censorship, and shares her thoughts on slow re...

Christopher Paul Curtis didn’t set out to become a literary legend—he was clocking 10-hour shifts on the General Motors assembly line, fighting exhaustion and monotony one car door at a time. But in stolen moments on the factory floor, he found escape through writing—stories scribbled between bolts and metal that would later earn him the Newbery Medal and redefine children’s literature. In this re...

Malcolm X’s voice still speaks – not as an echo, but as a call to action. In this interview, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of Stamped from the Beginning and How to Be an Antiracist, shares why Malcolm’s legacy still matters today. Discover how Malcolm Lives brings the fire of one of America’s most influential figures to a new generation, challenging us to confront our history, question our present, a...

Cynthia Kadohata is a Newbery Medal and National Book Award-winning author whose work has forever changed the landscape of children's literature. Born in Chicago to Japanese American parents and raised across Georgia, Arkansas, and California, Cynthia draws from real-life experiences of hardship, resilience, and identity. Her novels — including Kira-Kira, Weedflower, Cracker!, and The Thing About...

As the opioid crisis continues to impact teens across the country, award-winning author and former librarian Mindy McGinnis talks about why she wrote Heroine, a brutally honest novel about a student athlete's descent into addiction and why it’s been banned in schools. In this interview, she opens up about her own childhood reading habits, the power of dark stories, and what it means to write books...

Elana K. Arnold is one of the boldest voices in young adult literature today. Her award-winning books — Damsel, Red Hood, What Girls Are Made Of, and more — tackle power, consent, and girlhood with unflinching honesty. But with that truth-telling comes backlash. Her stories have earned national honors—and been pulled from shelves. In this powerful and personal interview, Elana reflects on the expe...

Ashley Hope Pérez is a literary scholar, award-winning novelist, youth advocate, and professor at The Ohio State University. Her novel Out of Darkness, frequently listed among the most banned books in the United States , has sparked powerful conversations about racism, history, and resilience. Ashley’s advocacy goes beyond the page: she is also the editor of Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’...

Donna Barba Higuera is a Newbery Medal and Pura Belpré Medal-winning author whose stories blend folklore, humor, and deep emotional truths. Her novel The Last Cuentista won both prestigious awards, cementing its place as a modern classic that explores the power of memory, storytelling, and cultural preservation. Meanwhile, Lupe Wong Won’t Dance received a Pura Belpré Honor and the Sid Fleischman A...

Imagine a library where everyone feels welcomed, where books are celebrated, and where the librarian isn’t just someone who shelves books—but a passionate advocate for knowledge, inclusion, and joy. That’s exactly what Mychal Threets embodies. From shelving books at the very library he grew up in to becoming a viral sensation, Mychal has captured hearts with his uplifting videos, mixing book recom...

Step into a world where history takes a different turn, survival is a test of will, and time itself refuses to follow the rules. In this thought-provoking interview, New York Times bestselling author Ryan Graudin discusses her bold storytelling, the challenges of writing alternate history, and why speculative fiction is a powerful tool to reimagine the past and challenge dominant narratives. From...

Critics have compared her to Judy Blume, praising her ability to tackle tough topics with authenticity and heart. From Maybe He Just Likes You, which explores consent, to Halfway Normal, a moving story about life after cancer, and Star-Crossed, a groundbreaking middle-grade novel about LGBTQ+ identity, Barbara Dee’s books don’t just entertain—they spark important conversations. In this interview,...

Chris Crutcher is an award-winning author, former family therapist, and lifelong advocate for intellectual freedom. Raised in Cascade, Idaho, he found his way to storytelling through an unconventional path—from reading Playboy for the articles to working as a teacher and director at an alternative school in Oakland and later as a family therapist specializing in child abuse and neglect. His real-w...

A.S. King has been called “One of the best Y.A. writers working today” by The New York Times Book Review and is one of YA fiction's most decorated. She is the only two-time winner of the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Award (2020 for Dig and 2024 for The Collectors) and has won the LA Times Book Prize for Ask the Passengers. In 2022, King received the ALA's Margaret A. Edwards Aw...

Amina Luqman-Dawson is an award-winning author whose work explores race, culture, and community through powerful storytelling. Her debut novel, Freewater, became a New York Times Bestseller and won both the John Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award, solidifying her place as a leading voice in children's literature. With a background in political science from Vassar College and a Master o...

Meg Medina is a Cuban American author and the 2023-2024 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. She writes for readers of all ages, focusing on cultural identity, resilience, and strong female protagonists. Her middle-grade novel Merci Suárez Changes Gears won the Newbery Medal, with its sequels also receiving widespread acclaim. Her young adult novel Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your As...

Erin Entrada Kelly is an acclaimed author whose work has earned numerous accolades, including the 2025 Newbery Medal for The First State of Being, the 2018 Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe, a 2021 Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space, the 2023 NAIBA Book of the Year Award for Those Kids From Fawn Creek, and the 2017 APALA Award for The Land of Forgotten Girls. She is also a National Book Award Fin...

Paul Fleischman is an award-winning American author celebrated for his diverse body of work spanning children’s, young adult, and adult literature. Best known for his books Seedfolks, Whirligig, and Joyful Noise, Fleischman masterfully weaves themes of community, resilience, and interconnectedness into his stories. Winner of the Newbery Medal and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, his writing often...