Episode 48 – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Teen girl magically transported to a surreal land.  Killing the first person she meets she teams up with three strangers to kill again. – Rick Polito The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a book you think you know, but only slightly.  Dorothy a teen girl in turn of the century America is transported to the Land of Oz where she must find a way home.  Joining on the adventure is the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion all of which want their own...

Episode 47 – Legend of Sleepy Hollow In a sentence: Skinny dude with a funny name gets chased by a headless horseman and dies. Or runs away—unclear. The end. S —Shmoop.com Recommended Age: 15 for readability.  The content is clean but the archaic language would be difficult for younger readers.   Our Scores: Your Scores: If you haven’t read it yet, get the book from Amazon and support the show! Next Month we are reading the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, so pick it up now! Looking for more...

Episode 46 – Percy Jackson Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is on the most dangerous quest of his life. With the help of a satyr and a daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction — Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way, he must face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop him. Most of all, he must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a...

Episode 45 – Dodger By Terry Pratchett Summary from the Guardian: Dodger is a tosher who scavenges in the sewers and earns a living selling what he finds. All the poverty stricken people on the streets know him as a friend in times of need. But when he rescues a girl from a beating his life changes dramatically forever… Soon he becomes accidentally famous, discovers a dark plot against him, enters the world of the rich and learns the truth about the girl he rescued. Recommended Age:...

Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451 tells of a future where books have been banned and entertainment is designed to dull the senses of the masses.  A fireman named Montag goes from burning books to discover what has been lost by his society.  He must make a choice of what he will do with his discovery and it could cost him everything. What can I say, we love dystopian sci-fi books.  At almost 70 years old this book holds up almost too well as we see a vision of our own future. ...

Episode 43 – The Inheritance Games In the Inheritance Games we learn that Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why — or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into a sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old...

Episode 42 – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy One Thursday lunchtime the Earth is unexpectedly demolished to make way for a new hyperspace bypass. For Arthur Dent, who has only just had his house demolished that morning, this seems already to be more than he can cope with. Sadly, however, the weekend has only just begun, and the galaxy is a very strange and startling place. Recommended Age: 13+ Our Scores: Your Scores: If you still need to pick up the book you can get it from...

Episode 41 – The Similars When six clones join Emmaline’s prestigious boarding school, she must confront the heartbreak of seeing her dead best friend’s face each day in class. The Similars are all anyone can talk about at the elite Darkwood Academy. Who are these six clones? What are the odds that all of them would be Darkwood students? Who is the madman who broke the law to create them? This book was a great rollercoaster ride.  Once you hit the top of the lift hill you are all set for a...

Dracula – Episode 40 Dracula represents our 4th year and our 40th show!  It has been wonderful to read and grow with all of you please continue to share us with your friends and form your own Reading Radio book clubs across the country. Dracula is the classic gothic tale that made the vampire so famous.  Written in a unique format using journals and newspaper clippings you feel as if you are solving the mystery along with the main characters. Join Jonathan Harker and Abraham Van Helsing...

Episode 39 – Dune by Frank Herbert Here is the novel that will be forever considered a triumph of the imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family — and would bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award,...

Episode 38 – Shadow and Bone The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka. Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unraveling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free? The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, is the leader...

This show didn’t get nearly the love we thought it should.  If you didn’t read running out of time with us then please check it out, and give Margaret Peterson Haddix some love!

Season 3 has come to an end, but if you are looking for a great little classic book, you can’t go wrong with The Secret Garden.  We read the book this past season, both of us for the first time. It is a coming-of-age story with a touch of magic set at the turn of the 20th century in the Yorkshire Moors. For all the original show notes check here You can get the book here at Amazon   From Goodreads: “One of the most delightful and enduring classics of children’s literature, The Secret...

Episode 37 – Rich Dad Poor Dad Written in 1997 but updated for the newer times Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, is a book that teaches valuable lessons about money in ways that are easier to understand than your standard finance book.  Though this book is not intended for children at age 15 I had no problem understanding it and am almost positive a bit someone younger could understand as well. Jason and I found that this book was a good tool for bringing up questions we could talk about...

Episode 37 – The Knife of Never Letting Go The Knife of Never Letting Go is a science fiction book set in on a planet where every man’s thoughts are broadcasted out loud for anyone to hear, and it is impossible for secrets to be kept.  Young Todd Hewitt finds a place where there is no noise and discovers something he has never seen before a girl. After things go awry he has to go on the run to protect himself and the girl.   Recommended Age: 13 and up.   Our Scores: Your Scores: Our...

To Kill a Mocking Bird – Episode 36 To Kill a Mockingbird is the 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by the American author Harper Lee. It was published in 1960. Told by the six-year-old Jean Louise Finch, known as Scout, the story takes place during three years (1933–35) of the Great Depression in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, the seat of Maycomb County. Nicknamed Scout, she lives with her older brother Jeremy, nicknamed Jem, and their widowed father Atticus, a middle-aged lawyer. ...

Episode 34 – Cadre Kids The Cadre Kids is an adventure book where homeschooled ghost hunting teenage twins Jake and Rosa are forced into the daunting world of public school. Where they must face the challenges that come along with it. Join in their adventures as they are thrust into a new world with new challenges. Recommended Age: 11-12   Our Scores: Your Scores: Amazon Link – Will need to link this To Kill A Mocking Bird  Looking for more books like Cadre Kids check out or other...

Episode 33 – Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men is a novila written by  John Steinbeck. The  story follows George and Lennie two displaces ranch workers who are continuisly on the move. To find a place to work during the great deprestion. Recommended Age: 13 and up   Our Scores: Your Scores: Our next book is Cadre Kids Looking for more books like Of Mice and Men check out or other Shows: Animal Farm  The Indian in the Cupboard 

Episode 32 – Keeper of the Lost Cities This book follows the adventures of a 12-year girl named Sophie Foster who has the strange ability to read minds. Everything changes when a strange boy claims that he is an elf and that she is as well. He takes her to a world where she can finally belong. Recommended Age: 8-101   Our Scores: Your Scores: Our next book is Of Mice and Men. Looking for more books like Keeper of the Lost Cities check out or other Shows: The School for Good and...

Episode 27 – The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks On Omri’s ninth birthday he gets a medicine cupboard from his older brother as well as a small plastic Indian toy from his best friend. That night he puts the toy in the cupboard and finds that it comes to life. Omri then finds out how much trouble such a small toy can cause and how someone can love a toy they didnt’ even like to begin with. The Indian in the Cupboard is a children’s novel by the British writer Lynne Reid Banks. It...

Episode 26 – The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to the series Hunger Games it adds a wonderful layer to the story. This is also a great stand-alone book. It walks through the story of the tenth hunger games including how various things came to be in the later books. It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at...

We are currently in our off-season but would like to invite you to listen to our show or the classic Animal Farm by George Orwell. This one was a fun one to read together especially when we studied the historical context. The show notes for the original are all here.

The Asgardian Exchange by Mark Bryan – Episode 25 This book is about A girl who finds out that she is a “Favored” which means that she will gain the powers of one of the Norse gods. For centuries there have only been 50 but for the first time, there are 51 find out what chaos ensues in this amazing book by Mark Bryan   Ragnarok. A thousand years ago, the Nine Realms burned and the gods were driven to the brink of annihilation. To save themselves, a deal was struck with the Fates of Asgard:...

Bonus Episode 3 – Outsiders Movie Vs Book In this podcast, we talk about the Outsiders and the differences between it and the book and the movie. Along with some fun facts and who we think would make a good cast is there was a remake. You check out the movie on Amazon. This movie is certainly a product of its time being made in 1983. Although it stars some of Hollywood’s future A-listers, as youth they are just learning their craft.  And like many movies based on our favorite books, it...