Coming of Age, Plus Magic

Jenn Northington Aug 18, 2016

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Jenn and guest Eric Smith talk books for teen reluctant readers, classroom read-alouds, hopeful reads and more in this week’s Get Booked.

This episode is sponsored by The Edge of the Light by Elizabeth George and Book Riot Live.

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Questions

1. Hello Get Booked!

Gotta say first and foremost you guys are the only thing that gets me through my long Thursday commute to work and I look forward to the new podcast every week!
I am a montessori teacher in PA and I am looking for a book I can give to my graduating kids as a gift that is outside the normal ideas like Giving Tree and Oh the Places You Will Go. My kids are big nature fans and are very curious about the world in general (different cultures and countries). But they also love to be silly and I would like some book recommendations that would be a good laugh for them in the next couple of years. Also if you have any recommendations for chapter books for them. I read to them one or two chapters a day and after having them for 3 years at a time and basically a book a month or so I have run out of ideas for new chapter books. We have read books like My Father’s Dragon, most Ronald Dahl books, some Magic Tree House, and Ralph and His Motorcycle. Any suggestions would be great!

Best Wishes!
Carissa

2. Hello Ladies,

I’ve listened to each episode of the show and LOVED every minute of it – my TBR list is expanding exponentially thanks to you!

So the situation: each summer I look for a thoughtful book that I can slowly dig into that challenges me which I can read in addition to all my other, fun summer reads. This particular summer I’m graduating college (gulp!), moving cross country, and starting a new job and am looking for a book to accompany me through all this.

Past summer reads have included Blue Highways (William Least Heat-Moon), Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Robert Pirsig), and The Prophet (Kahlil Gibran).

I’m open to all genres (especially anything related to travel and/or history) and only ask the book be well written and thought provoking!

I look forward to your suggestions and to many, many more episodes of the show.

– Brenna

3. Let me start off by saying I absolutely love this podcast! My bank balance and book shelves however, do not.

I’ve got a bit of a strange recommendation request, I’m looking for a book recommendation for my Pops (my Granddad) it’s his 75th Birthday soon and he loves books. He enjoys non-fiction mostly, biographies about comedians, sports people (British sports people mainly as we’re Scottish) or famous people from history. He likes the token old people genre of books about nature or birds, but I was hoping to get him into fiction. I don’t think he’d be into anything high fantasy or sci-fi, possibly alternate histories? I’m sorry this is so vague but I’m hoping you can help. I would read whatever I got him so we can sit and chat about the book (with tea, naturally).

Thank you both in advance 🙂

– Jade

4. Hi, I love, love, love to read! It pains me that several of my nieces/nephews have not picked up the habit. Could you give me some recommendations for some grab me/must read books. I usually give them all money for Christmas and would love to tuck it into a book. 6 girls 19-21 y.o. and 1 nephew who is a senior in HS.
Love the podcast. Sometimes I just nod along in agreement. It is so much fun just to talk about books!!

Thanks,
Michelle

5. Thanks for such a great show! You and Liberty are my fav. This year I was all set to start some spooky/scary books for the Halloween season and then BAM. Daylight savings hit and so did my seasonal depression. Suddenly I’m in desperate need of a happy ending. There are days when life gets overwhelming and scary, and since I turn to books for solace I’d love some recommendations for books that will make you feel like everything is going to be ok. I don’t want cheesy, I want good writing with a message of hope. Is that a thing? If you can find some I’ll be listening. Thank you so much

– Melissa

6. I teach 8th grade and one of my students is looking for a book recommendation. She is looking for a book where the female protagonist is going through a personal struggle. She does not want the struggle to be the death of family, extreme depression, or anything like that. She also does not want the character to be extremely edgy.
Do you have any recommendations of books that would fit this? YA books are best and she is interested in science fiction.
Thank you!

– Astrid

Books Discussed

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanha Lai

Nick & Tesla series from Steve Hockensmith and Bob Plugfelder

The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

One Day I Will Write About This Place by Binyavanga Wainaina

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Empire Falls by Richard Russo

The Damned Utd by David Peace