A Burden For The Times
A Burden For The Times
Young Voices: Teens recommending Books for Teens
Join Jasmine, Shilyn, and Tavian (kids of a Aaron and Adrian) as they share their favorite reads and insightful discussions on the power of storytelling.
Discover a world of diverse narratives as the trio explores the magic of "Tristan Strong" by Kwame Mbalia and the adventure-packed "Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun." Shylan brings depth with historical and biographical gems like "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and "The Hero Two Doors Down," while Tavian highlights the relatable "New Kid" series. These recommendations offer something for everyone, blending mythology, real-life themes, and the experiences of black children in various settings.
Join us for an episode that not only celebrates the joy of reading but also encourages young listeners to explore new worlds through books.
Thanks for Listening! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!
Hello and welcome back to the podcast. I am not your host, jasmine. I am Adrian's favorite child, I mean oldest child and today we are doing a book review, bird and Family, of number one and number two daughter, who claims to be the favorite, obviously, and being the oldest one, and so, yes, you did hear her voice.
Speaker 2:but for this podcast we have two other voices as well that are going to be joining us. The cousins are here and ready to do a podcast here all together, so you got Shylan, who is Aaron, who's obviously Mr I can see both sides guy both, both of his kids are joining us, shylan and Tavian. And so, shylan, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 3:First off, Hi, so glad to be here.
Speaker 2:Tavian welcome as well, sir.
Speaker 4:Hello, I am Tavian and I'm just some human being.
Speaker 2:A human being with much insight that we're so excited to looking into in just a moment. All right Now, this is their podcast. If you read the title about young voices, our children, thank God, are readers, and so we thought, hey, let's do a podcast that's centered around some of the books that they have read.
Speaker 2:If you listened to our last podcast episode, we had to do with movies, so I feel like we need to balance it out a little bit right, so we're going to do a little bit of movie and then also then books, but before we ever start into the conversation, we always start with a light question before we get into a heavy question. So, starting with the eldest of all of the cousins, ms Shilin, I need you to answer this light question before we get into the heavy stuff. Tell me your favorite movie and if you can give me a quote from that movie too as well. Okay, just light as we begin off.
Speaker 3:Okay, of all the questions that you put on our list for us to look like just to get ready for this was the hardest.
Speaker 2:This was the oh wow, this was the light one, Shilin this was a oh wow, this is the light one, shyly so many favorite movies that it's like you know.
Speaker 3:Sometimes I don't know which one to pick, but I thought in the end the one I would say is across the spider verse, which is the second miles morales movie, and my favorite like quote from it is just there's this point in the movie where miles is like going through a lot of like stress and anxiety and his mom just has a whole conversation with him and like they stand there and she just gives him like this mom speech. That's like super encouraging and every time I hear that I have to wipe away a few tears. I'm like, oh so that is my favorite part. Slash quote from that.
Speaker 2:Wow, I think I remember that part too as well. I do remember that part and I think, part of it. She kind of even switched between English and Spanish, a little bit, jumping between the two. But anyway, all right, we're going to stay in Maryland territory over there. And so, tayden, we're going to come with you. Okay, what then?
Speaker 4:She has a good one, and I do like Into the Fireverse. So what's your favorite one? And if you have a quote great, or a scene that you like a lot, Well, I also thought this was the hardest question of them all.
Speaker 4:I just went for a movie that I really liked recently and I went for the Forge, so that's what I put in. It is the well. I'm not sure if it's out or not, but it is a Kendrick's brother movies that is currently well, at least when I watched it in theaters. So it's good.
Speaker 2:And our audience is giggling in their heart right now, tavian, because that's exactly what your dad said. That is so funny. He liked the Forge and he said because I just recently watched it and it was really good. So y'all got me ready with bated breath to watch the forge here come pretty soon. All right, jasmine, you go ahead and go for it. What, uh, what's the favorite movie? And a quote, if you have it, from the movie okay.
Speaker 1:Well, if you didn't already know this, our family are huge marvel nerds, so I'm also gonna say into the spider. Well, shylin said across the spider verse, I'm gonna say into the spider verse and it's just like for me that one like this is so like this is such an awesome movie moment was when miles was fighting kingpin at the very end and he was giving him like this whole speech as he's beating him up and it's like nah, man, I'm gonna do my own thing that was.
Speaker 2:That was my favorite part. I I see I know what she's referring to and yes, I thought nobody's going to say what's up danger? I thought that was coming up from one of them, or Sunfire.
Speaker 3:I do love that part. Oh, that is true, you can't knock the what's up danger, but everyone knows that already.
Speaker 2:That's what I listen to when I'm working out that what's up danger. I listen to that All right. So we got all those different questions obviously Spider-Man fans in the house and obviously Tegan coming in with that one but so we want to jump into this discussion about black history books, books in general. There's a lot of parents listening to this podcast and maybe sometimes we talk about books and things and it's like I don't know if I can recommend it to this for our kids, and so I think it'd be cool for somebody young to recommend somebody else that's young some good resources, homeschool moms so many different people can benefit from this episode, so I am interested in getting y'all's unique perspective Now. So as we jump into the conversation, jaz, we're gonna start with you this time. So where did this come from? You developed this, cultivated this love for reading, and so where did it come from and what genre do you like specifically?
Speaker 1:Okay, so I started with audiobooks and I read the Laura Ingalls series and that was one of my favorites and from there I read the whole series and then I just went. So I read a lot of fantasy and fiction and classic, but recently my favorites have been mythology and poetry.
Speaker 2:Mythology and poetry. All right, got some faces here. So, tavian, let's go over to you and end with Shilin. So, tavian, where did this love that you have for reading come from? And then tell me a genre that you like, specifically man.
Speaker 4:I mean, I like reading, but I'm not actually much of a physical reader, but I do like Jasmine, like audiobooks, I read fiction and I like fantasy, certain comics and plenty more yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, gotcha. So that's your jam on that side, shiloh, what about you? Where did it come from? Genres you specifically like? So, and yeah, just jump into the same question.
Speaker 3:Well, I can't say I know really where it comes from. I've just kind of always read and I remember being like I know you guys in the podcast listeners probably know dad is like this big reader who's always uh, like recommending books. I was actually a reader before my dad mom and I got dad to be a reader. Whoa, I've just always kind of been a reader and it's just in our family now. Uh, I like to read. Let's see, I do, um, I do some historic fiction and science fiction, but I like to read like mostly fantasy or mythology and a lot of fiction.
Speaker 2:Wow. So I'm going to sense a theme when some of the favorite books are going to be. I'm sure it's going to be in that category specifically. So all right, so we've talked about what genres do you kind of like, and so, with that being said, let's go to individual books. Fun fact that you brought in that you guys then brought Uncle Aaron. Y'all got Aaron Well, my brother, not uncle to you, but anyway y'all got Aaron reading. So, in order, who do you think Shilin, in your opinion, like love for books, most rank everyone in your family in the order. Is that possible to do?
Speaker 3:If you had asked me this before, if my dad started reading a lot, I might have been easier to be like I don't know, but now I think it's got to be. I'd say maybe me, and then mom and dad probably be tied and I'd only say that mom and dad are below me because I have more time to read.
Speaker 2:I see.
Speaker 3:So I think we all read about the same, and then Tavian probably reads the least just because he only reads audio books and not physical books as well.
Speaker 2:I got you, so you jump between the both of them, gotcha, all right, well, so that we've talked about that. So what books then? Tavian coming over to you then, man? What books have been worth a second read? Or any, or, and if you do say it's a second read, like I read this book, I listened to this audiobook and because of this quality right here, it was worth a second read. So, or a standout book, what do you think?
Speaker 4:I really like the inheritance cycle series and I like aragon. Um, um well, it is what they call a page turner, but in my case, since I listened to the entire series on audiobook, it was a not pauser.
Speaker 2:But yeah, you seem to like the deep stuff. So, jasmine, coming to you, what book that was worth a second read for you in your specific genre?
Speaker 1:And then what's a standout book, before we start talking about specific books on black history, uh, so recently I've been really liking the amari and the night brother series and the author just came out with the third book, amari and the despicable wonders, and it was really amazing. I recommended it to sean lontavian, so I don't know if you've read the third book yet we both read it as fast as we could get our hands on it yes, they're exquisitely written, exactly wow as cousins.
Speaker 1:We have a saying it was haddix level twists. I don't know that.
Speaker 3:But anyway, I'll get to that in mind I.
Speaker 2:I saw jasmine amari is that what you're talking about, that? Okay. So I saw her nerd out with somebody at church, about somebody who knew who that was, and I felt FOMO like you would not believe, and so obviously you might be referencing that. Um, but so, shiloh, I'm coming over to you then, jasmine, did you complete what your your thought there? Okay, shiloh, come over to you. Um, what exactly was worth a second read and what qualities really make a standout book?
Speaker 3:All right, so, partially to explain what Jasmine was saying and to answer this question, I'm going to explain what Haddix level twist is.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:And I have an author that my mom recommended to me a while back named Margaret Peterson Haddix, and I haven't read a lot of the like young adult stuff that she's written, but all of the middle grade stuff that I've read so far has been super clean and it's just so much fun to read because of the plot twist that she puts in constantly.
Speaker 3:It's like when you feel like you're on steady ground and you understand what's going on and then it's just yanked out from under you and you're like what I didn't know we were going there, what I didn't know we were going there. It might not be the kind of thing that everyone likes to read, but to me those plot twists are what makes a really good story a really good story, and so that's part of my answer to what makes a standout book. But right now what I've been reading that I'm just really enjoying is to nerd out. I've been reading books on writing because I really like to write stories and even my own kind of books, and so I've been reading a lot of nerdy writing books. Wow, nice.
Speaker 2:I didn't know about the writing aspect that you have. Well, full of surprises all the time, many hidden talents inside this burdened family number one, and number two, obviously as well. Well, with that being said, so I'll move to the first 10 minutes or so. We want to describe, okay, just books you like, things y'all enjoy, but obviously this podcast is a podcast on culture and race, and so sometimes what happens is people have general books that they have read or the genre they like. But now let's kind of move just a little bit over inside of our discussion and let's talk about Black history specifically. Now, obviously y'all both have parents that are involved in a podcast speaking on race and culture issues, and so obviously you've probably had more of a steady diet of hearing about all of these things. So, jasmine, starting with you, I want you to talk about any books, specifically about Black history, that have been very just open your eyes to certain things.
Speaker 2:Obviously, you can hear side conversation from me and my brothers talking about it. However, which ones would then that you would recommend? And also, on top of that, it might have even inspired you to take action or think differently about some social issues that you hear about.
Speaker 1:So with the take action part, I really like just in reading in general, hasn't helped me put myself in other people's shoes, so like thinking differently and like how another person would feel about what I'm saying or just in general seeing what other people would see. But the books I'd recommend are Tristan Strong by Kwame Mbali. So this one is about a guy named Tristan Well obviously and he is, his best friend has just passed away and it's like kind of about how he deals with that grief. But also it's kind of about how he deals with that grief but also he realizes that his best friend is involved in a magical world called Alki, with the African and African American gods. So Tristan discovers that he's a storyteller in that world of Alki. So he has to figure out that Alki is in trouble and he has to save it.
Speaker 1:And yeah, I was really impressed with how good this was. Also Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun this one really reminded me of Black Panther too. It was really good. So it's about Onyeka and she is British, I believe, and her hair is like magical, so she can move her hair telepathically and it's like electric. So she finds out that there's a secret academy for people like her who are magical, and how she uses her power, and also defeating villains with their power okay, so you're looking at.
Speaker 2:So this is like black history fiction is. How is this? So? Tell me this, tell me the gap between how? How do they add that into black specific history?
Speaker 1:Okay, tristan Strong is mythology and fiction, so that one is about the African and African American gods and also like, but incorporating them into the 21st century, so like black Percy Jackson, basically, and Onyeka Academy of the Sun.
Speaker 2:Onyeka is African but she lives in england, I believe. Okay, swinging over here then to let's go to tavian. Tavian, you have any books that you know? Black history back, mythological history.
Speaker 4:However it is that you want to share with us as far as actual history goes, I um have not read too much but I've read, like, things that talk about that stuff. Sure, jasmine probably restrained or knows about this one, but New Kid Class Act and School Trip are all in series a, a black kid who is going to a, a middle school, which is um, basically, as they would say it, a school for rich white people. Um, essentially so. Uh, he is um getting used to all that and there's this kid named dandy and he's, you know, making fun of him on all that fun stuff and he makes friends like drew and liam. But so, yeah, that's um what the book is. But as far as actual history goes, I've read a harriet tumman as a child book and mlk as a child book okay, shylin, what about you?
Speaker 2:you have any any input to that?
Speaker 3:so I I think I over prepared for this. Um, but I have a couple uh. First, I read just recently um letter from Birmingham jail.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow, okay.
Speaker 3:And I don't know if that's probably been suggested on the podcast before. I know this is terrible to admit, but I don't watch all the podcasts.
Speaker 3:I know I should, I just haven't gotten around to it yet, so I don't know if that's been suggested before, but that I just read and it's pretty good, if you ask me. And then another one that I don't think is as well known is called the hero two doors down, which is actually about a jewish boy who lives in this neighborhood of like just jewish families and jackie robinson actually moves two doors down from him, and it's based on the true story. A couple of the things are changed, like the boy in the. The boy in the story is an only child, but in real life he had two siblings. So a couple things are changed, but the general premise of a kid who gets to live next to his hero and jackie rob Robinson's family being like the only black family in this Jewish neighborhood is that black history and it's all based on the true story.
Speaker 2:That's super helpful. I didn't know about that one. Birmingham jail, yes, but then that one about two doors down with Jackie Robinson. I didn't realize that. So you said you had. Did you have more there, shilin, that you wanted to share Cause that's perfect? These are definitely within that genre. Do you have a couple more?
Speaker 3:Um, yeah, I do. Uh, first of all, I want to say that that hero to the right down book is actually written by Jackie Robinson's daughter.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow.
Speaker 3:Interesting Yep, and then the other ones I have are probably for younger kids, but I have first this is your time by Ruby bridges, and I believe it's a picture book, but I read it on audio book, so I don't know if it's a picture book or just a really short book, but although it was written on a reading level for the ability for younger children to be able to read it, it is, I believe, inspirational to any age and I read it again recently to prepare for this podcast and I thought it was really moving. So that was good. It's called this Is your Time. And then the other one I have is Can I Touch your Hair, which is it was written by a white lady and a black man, I believe, and together they were creating these poems, were creating these poems.
Speaker 3:They don't exactly rhyme, but they have that like lyrical quality to them or that are about, um, just race, race and culture for children, and so it's like these two kids who go to school and they have a writing project to make these poems together, and it's a black boy and a white girl and their teacher is asking them to write about their daily lives, but it's hard for them because they're trying to find a way to connect, and they only see each other's differences, and so it's a really short book, but it's then like just bonding over what they have in common.
Speaker 2:Hey, that's fantastic. So I'm going to ask this these are some good book recommendations from different genres altogether. So gone from where you know the mythology and fiction, and then black history, biographies, all that is being combined. And so, first off, let me applaud y'all reading that's fantastic, all these different aspects and things. Now let me just open it up, though. Anybody, any one of you, can answer this question, and I'm just it's a little bit off script, but I'm just curious.
Speaker 2:So, obviously, all these different things that you digest it does make you think a certain way. How do you think the books and stuff that you've been reading has caused you to think differently? For example, jasmine mentioned that you put yourself in somebody else's position, I mean, even from a mythology, like you know the whole thing about fiction. Of course, fiction has value. I mean, we love Marvel over here and it's a story, but a story can make you cry. A story can make you feel a whole lot of things. Spider-man isn't real, but that obviously made the you know as far as some of the favorite movies that were even mentioned today. So, with that being said, has anything specifically that you've been reading has made you then think differently? Specifically that you've been reading has made you then think differently and, if so, how?
Speaker 4:Any one of you want to take a shot at that? I Tavian but I really haven't read too much on this front, but I guess it's just helpful to understand. I guess this is pretty much echoing what jasmine said. But with my folks, but um, uh, it's just good, I guess, to know how these people feel and what's going on, because I am homeschooled so I don't really go to that much. And then the other part is another place I go to frequently is church. So you know there isn't generally much of that problem.
Speaker 2:So you know, I guess it's just interesting to learn about absolutely get a different perspective of where somebody else is coming from. Anyone else want to chime in?
Speaker 3:So can I just double check. What you're asking is how has this affected, like, how has reading affected what we think and how we feel?
Speaker 2:Exactly, and it could be something that's so small because you know you might not even recognize that things are happening. It's kind of like gaining weight. You don't know you're near gaining weight like I do. You know you don't notice it. It's half the time you're looking at whoa. This is so different, so is there something that you've been reading? It's kind of like whoa, I think differently than somebody else, because they might not have been exposed to what you've been exposed to um, I guess I don't know.
Speaker 3:Just the way, even when I was reading Just recently Lives in Birmingham jail, it was thinking about how he says that you cannot use a moral front To defend an immoral practice.
Speaker 3:And not use an immoral front To defend a moral practice. And I was like, oh, that's something I need to. Just, I don't know, watch in life for myself, because even if what you're trying to do is right, you can't do it in a like in the wrong way. Or even if what you're doing is wrong, hiding it behind the right front, it's not going to change anything. You have to have both your intentions and what you're trying to defend be right. And it's just like the process of trying to have that gospel-centered, like bible-centered life, because no matter what you're going to do is at some point going to fall. And these books have like pushed me to see that like we have to do better to be inclusive to people and to respect other people well, we can put a bow on that podcast right there.
Speaker 2:What a lesson to be able to hear from that. And jasmine, have anything you want to add?
Speaker 1:uh, I think like relatability would be like not just think how other people view it, but like I've been in that same situation. Mainly for me this is new kid, because it was just like the whole book. I'm like, yes, that's happened to me before. Or and I'm sure other people who read like I don't know, uh, the shape of thunder. I read that and I was like, oh, I can. There are probably people out there like, oh, my goodness, that's happened to me before. I've been in that exact situation. So relatability is also really fun when you find a book where I've been like, yes, I can completely agree with everything.
Speaker 2:OK, since y'all get those answers, then let me just piggyback with another thought then. So obviously y'all have the opportunity to read works of the past, black history and different things from all these different genres. But obviously there are some people who have been in your shoes, so to speak, as far as that are same color as you from yesteryear, that did not have those things in these books kind of at their disposal, and even other people of different cultures that didn't have many of these books. So how do you think young people today view Black history compared to previous generations? Because obviously we have more resources to be able to then go through and think through. So, alan, I'm interested in your perspective because obviously, with especially just freshly reading letters from a Birmingham jail, I'm just wondering how the dichotomy of how those two thoughts play in and how you see it.
Speaker 3:So, I think, despite having the resources that we do to know what we know about, how racial issues and not just like Black people and like racial issues, they are just anybody Racial issues. I feel like, even though we have all the materials, we're almost desensitized to the fact that it's a problem.
Speaker 3:Because, having the materials is like oh, I've fact that it's a problem, because having the materials is like oh, I've seen that they have a problem with that. But since I don't see it so blatantly in our culture, then we must not be struggling with it nearly as much as they were. Because, um, I would think even once at church a kid mentioned to me he was like oh, I'm black because I can dunk, and I'm like first of all, you're about the whitest boy I know. Second of all, I'm like that is not what, to me, black culture is.
Speaker 3:Like the people that look like me, we are important, valued and loved for so much more than athletic ability or intelligence or any one thing. Like we are valued in the sight of god, and so it's just like to see any culture as only good for one thing is, I think, some something that our generation can often struggle with without realizing that we're struggling with it. Like whether, even if you're thinking, oh, white people, they're only like racist all the time. Like I know many white people who aren't racist, like even the kid who said that to me what, not a racist person? He actually goes out of his way to not be racist a lot of times, and so it's like you can't judge any one culture or any one person by their actions one time or a stereotype, and I think our generation struggles with that greatly.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's going to be a tough one to follow. But Shilent, I mean Tavian or Jasmine, how do you want to take this question? Young people today view Black history compared to previous generations. So, tavian, go ahead.
Speaker 4:I would like to say that some people think that, well, it feels like we think that because it's named as history, it is far off back there, back in the George Washington time period history when really, uncle Adrian's mom, my grandmother, was alive when MLK died and we just think of it as very old history and we think of it as kind of irrelevant to our day-to-day life. Yeah, we just don't really think of it as practically current and still slightly happening and jobs being given unfairly and all that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, you're exactly right. It's easy to distance something. If you distance yourself from something, then it doesn't really affect you as much, so that makes a big difference. So, with that being said, jasmine, how do you think this is viewed?
Speaker 1:differently. It's just so far distant. But I think reading helps us realize firsthand how bad it really was, but also the good times, and how we can make that better for the next generation.
Speaker 4:You want to add something, Tay? Oh, I just said. Yeah, I was reading today and it was talking about how, you know, black people were being unfair and unfairly treated, and it does make it feel a lot more personal and closer than now. Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's different than seeing inside of a book, is different than just hearing somebody chat about it quickly on the news or just somebody just talking in a lobby about some of those things. So Can I?
Speaker 3:add something real quick, absolutely, uh, I was gonna say I was like um reading my writing books. I know this is gonna sound nerdy, but like uh, the way that you're supposed to make a character feel like important to a reader is like all your, all your brain and like you're trying to almost hack your reader's brains. And so getting to the point where we can have more I believe more fiction books that are on black um, black history, and not even just black history, but racial issues, and adjust like just um, calling them out and like adjusting our view of it. I think that's important because a book can actually get in people's brains, like literally and figuratively, way more than a lot of things. Like a conversation isn't going to do as much, because when you read a book, you are invested, like you love those characters, you love what they have to say, you're listening and you're there to listen. But when you have a conversation, you can check out. When you have have a conversation, you can check out.
Speaker 4:When you have a podcast, you can check out, and so I feel like reading and looking for those books especially when you're younger and you're trying to figure out how you feel about racial issues, I feel like looking for those books and reading them is really important man, y'all are selling me on this one here what you gotta say today I think you talked about this in the podcast already but um, like how, um, those ai generated photos can really get into a person's head, like how it just sticks with them, or like you can make up whatever photo, photoshop whatever you want, but even if people know that cat wasn't really flying they just erased his legs it still sticks in your head, it still gets in your head and absolutely uh, again, we have to keep in mind that god decided to be able not to send an audiobook, or he did not send a movie down to earth to be able, for us to be able to see.
Speaker 2:He could have sent a movie of jesus being crucified for us to, but no, he wrote it down in a book for us to be able to see and to be able to engage on that level. So that is very fair. That investment does mean something. All right, so before we get to tips and tools, which spoiler alert tips and tools is going to be, basically, I'm going to ask them to narrow it down to one book, and so that's going to be the tips and tools. But before we get there, we got one more question.
Speaker 2:I want to start with Jasmine on, and many parents that listen to this podcast we had mentioned about homeschool parents and other different ones. What are some recommendations of books? Especially parents of teenagers since we have teenagers here should possibly encourage their kids to read. So any type. You don't have to go into the details of each type of book or anything specifically, but if you want to read a quote from a book, that'd be helpful, kind of like whets the appetite a little bit or something to that effect. But if there's any recommendation of books that parents should possibly encourage their kids to read Jasmine, Okay.
Speaker 1:so most of my recommendations are for parents who, if your kid doesn't really like to read, these are books that I've found like kind of simple, but also like, wow, that was really good and it got right to the point, because when I'm reading, reading a book, that's what I just want it to get to the point, so I can be invested. So my first one is Alcatraz versus the evil librarians, and so these ones are broken up into like poem, slash, free verse, poetry form. So for this one, this quote is from booked, so like it can't nobody stop you, can't nobody copy you, and there's a poem that goes with that, but it's just like very short lines.
Speaker 2:Okay, so what genre? So that's poetry, which you like poetry, and also what's the other one?
Speaker 1:Alcatraz versus the librarians. This one's not Black History.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 2:The other one is yeah, we're just talking about just in books in general, just kind of get that love for reading cultivated and nurtured Because, like I said, my Catholic likes to read. I would like to think that I passed it to her but I did not. I read all my informational books. I'm going to read James Clear's book about atomic habits and those things. Rarely do I read too much fiction, so that's cool to get people engaged in that kind of genre, specifically Any quotes or anything you want to read from any of those.
Speaker 1:No, that's pretty much it.
Speaker 4:Okay, tavian, let's go with you, man um, I also, like jasmine took the question, which I am now realizing was probably wrong, I will. I find that we were suggesting books that would make people want to read, not suggestions that would encourage people to read them. So I also like upside down magic, so that's some a good series as well, I guess. Um, there are so many other good series the menagerie, the wing feather saga series and the prince warrior series is also a great one, but, uh, yeah, that was a great one all right.
Speaker 2:so you gave a list in your description. So, shilin, coming over to you, I do recognize some of these. I feel somewhat cultured in my reading. I do know Upside Down Magic and the Menagerie. I have no idea. But, shilin, you go ahead.
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, I think I already mentioned this author's name, haddix Margaret Peterson Haddix. But if anyone ever asked me if I recommend, anything, I have to say her name, because she's probably my, other than the people who wrote the Bible my favorite author of all time.
Speaker 3:Like I said earlier, I haven't read everything that she's written for young adults, so I don't know if all of that, I don't know if she changes her writing style, so I don't know if all of that, like I don't know if she changes her writing style, so I don't know about all of that you I mean, I just say, proceed with caution, but everything that I've read so far, that's middle grade and a couple of the young adult books have been clean, and so, just like with all authors, proceed with caution, but I can't I can't recommend to you enough any of her things, I think. My favorite one that I have to say, though, is the Missing Children series, which is a lot. I don't want to say too much, because it will definitely spoil it, but it's a lot of historical fiction, and so, if you like historical fiction, I cannot recommend that series to you enough.
Speaker 2:Okay, you gave quite the trailer and quite the recommendation, and what's the author's name?
Speaker 3:again, Margaret Peterson Haddix. It's spelled H-A-D-D-I-X.
Speaker 2:Is that why the Haddix level twist is part of the vocabulary?
Speaker 3:I introduced them to Jasmine after mom introduced them to me, and Jasmine liked them, and so we just nerded out over them sometimes.
Speaker 1:yes, the school for what nots is also one of her books and like that was a standalone and I couldn't put that book down.
Speaker 3:I could not put that. I wanted to pick it up and reread it afterwards I was about to cry at the end.
Speaker 1:It was so good wow, that's a haddix level twist right there, guys.
Speaker 4:The thing about haddix is when they do the twist you want to restart the book, she can see that twist actually went through the entire thing and then it's just a loop.
Speaker 3:Wow, when I get to be a good writer, I hope to be her level gotcha.
Speaker 2:Well, it seems like you are on the path if you're reading books for fun, about writing, and you can already nerd out about writing as well. So, um, maybe because I know your dad one of these days wants to write a book, so maybe you'll be. You and him will write y'all's first book together, so we'll look forward to that, all right. Well, hey guys, I've appreciated all the young voices speaking on books A lot of times. You know there's other different things that we could be talking about, but I know this podcast. We want to give people tools, and so, obviously, books are always tools. But let's go with this for our tips and tools part. As we close out. Talk about so many different books, so many different genres, and so I'm just going to leave it open to you. Our audience has heard so many different titles, so many different titles, so you're going to have to do something hard and narrow it down to one, one book so that when they turn the podcast episode off, they're going to remember your one book, your one book and author, all right.
Speaker 2:So this is going to be the tip. We're going to leave it in your hands. Let's start with Tavian Zane. What's the one book?
Speaker 4:So one of my favorite books, as I'm pretty sure I've already mentioned, is the inheritance cycle. Well, it's technically a five book series, but yes, that is my favorite book by who it is, by christopher paloni, which is pretty much one of his only serieses, and it is essentially a dragon rider well, a person who is a farmer and then finds a dragon, and then they bond and find out many magical stuff.
Speaker 2:So, yes, it's a very fantastical series and so that genre is going to be mystical mythology. Okay, inheritance Cycle is number one, jasmine, what is?
Speaker 4:it One book.
Speaker 2:Or book series or in Davian's case.
Speaker 1:Since you put so much pressure on me, I just changed my answer than what I had written down. I'm going to say New Kid by Jerry Craft. You stole mine, you stole mine. I did Okay, oh wow, you stole mine.
Speaker 2:You stole mine.
Speaker 1:I did Okay, oh, wow Since we're both talking about the same one. I'm just going to go with the one that I wrote down, but that one's also very high on my list Because I'm just really under pressure right now. Tristan Strong by Kwame Mbale is my number one.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's what you talked about in the very beginning. That's what I talked about earlier, tristan Strong about in the very beginning. That's what I talked about earlier, tristan strong, and shylin has yours been stolen.
Speaker 3:My not anymore. Now that jasmine has changed her, she's on, you're welcome if for a just any old book, obviously I recommend haddix. But if it's a specifically like a book on racial issues, new kid, and then there are two books that go with it. But but I just say, start with New Kid and then, if you love it, which you, will then go on to the next two.
Speaker 3:But I would say those are by Jerry Craft and they're actually graphic novels. You can get them as an audiobook or you can get them as the graphic novel. I recommend the graphic novel because it's like the pictures are really funny, and so I recommend you read the graphic novel first, then the audio book. But if you're just an audio book person, still go for them, because they're hilarious and they also just address some really key racial issues with our generation.
Speaker 2:Okay, so new kid. I just want to just make sure I'm understanding. So that does. That is a black culture book as far as it is.
Speaker 3:So this is this kid I think tavian briefly says earlier. But it's this kid um named jordan. He is a black kid and he gets a scholarship to, uh like an upper class white kid, middle school slash high school and it's definitely very private school and there's only like three black kids in the whole school interesting yeah, it's just him going through that and it's very funny, but it's also like very realistic and just it touches on a lot of those key issues.
Speaker 2:Okay, so Tristan Strong, Inheritance Cycle and New Kid. So those are the ones. So well, I've appreciated the conversation. As we get ready to close any podcast, we always have a statement Are all hearts and minds clear?
Speaker 4:Clear here, clear as well Clear.
Speaker 2:Clear. I just want to make sure there's nothing else to share. Well, hey, if you have some book recommendations, you can leave them in the comments on the social media platform you're on, or send an email to us if you want to add something to the list. If you want a clarification about one of the books that was recommended, you can contact us directly, and I'll get you in touch with one of the expert young people that we have just talked to moments ago to make sure those clarifications are made, and so we thank you for joining us for this episode and we look forward to you joining us next time.
