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"Divergent" writer Veronica Roth talks about finding the courage to call yourself a writer...and bouncing back from failure.

We continue our Banned Books series, airing episodes that have been banned or challenged around the country. This week, it’s Vernica Roth’s dystopian adventure Divergent. Back in 2015, Ashland High School in Oregon banned Divergent because – according to the school’s online newspaper - the book “shows a girl fighting against society which we do not want to strengthen.” What do you think? Give a listen to our discussion of Veronica Roth’s Divergent. We venture into a dystopian universe created by writer Veronica Roth. Divergent is a tale about finding out where you fit in – and whether you’re brave enough to take a literal leap of faith. Our celebrity reader is the 2018 Ms. Senior California and a familiar voice on KUNV Rita Pardue. Our readers are from Benjamin Trasker Middle School and we taped the episode at the Bowie, Maryland branch of the Prince Georges County Memorial Library. Kitty Felde is host.

What are the challenges of writing in two languages? Christina Diaz Gonzalez talks about some of the pitfalls of getting the nuances right when Spanish speaking characters are from different countries.

There are some people we just don't notice. A quiet student, immigrants speaking in their own language, a homeless person living in a van - you could call them invisible. That's the name of our book Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez. Students from Swanson Middle School in Arlington, Virginia discuss the bilingual graphic novel with host Kitty Felde. Our celebrity reader is Monica Sanchez. Favorite Books from Swanson Middle School: Fifth Quarter - Mike Dawson The Tryout - Christina Soontornvat  Cirque du Freak - Darren Shan Every Last Word - Tamara Ireland Stone Miss Quinces - Kat Fajardo Michael Jackson in Comics - Ceka Christina Diaz Gonzalez' Favorite Book: A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle Favorite Books of Monica Sanchez Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling I'll Love You Forever - Owen Hart Books by Monica Brown

Who says kids who love STEM subjects aren't readers? We take to the stage for a live taping of the Book Club for Kids podcast at the 2023 LA Maker Faire/STEM Festival where host Kitty Felde asks kids our hardest question: What's your favorite book and why? Here's their answers: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling The Magic Treehouse - Mary Pope Osborn Frog and Toad are Friends - Arnold Lobel The Golden Books - Disney Little Blue Truck - Alice Schertle Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan The One and Only Ivan - Katherine Applegate Junie B. Jones - Barbara Park Pete the Cat - James Dean and Kimberly Dean Couch Potato - Jory John They Both Die at the End - Adam Silvera A Good Girl's Guide to Murder - Holly Jackson The School for Good and Evil - Soman Chainani The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins The Inheritance Games - Jennifer Lynn Barnes Bad Kitty - Nick Bruel

Looking to start the New Year with some new books? Kids in LA County share their favorites with host Kitty Felde. Refugee - Alan Gratz The Secret Lives of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd Harry Potter and the Sourcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton Parrot in the Oven - Victor Martinez Enola Holmes - Nancy Springer The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan Dork Diaries - Rachel Renée Russell The Couch Potato - Jory John

More than 100 million people have fled violence and persecution around the world. But that's just a number. Who are these refugees? Meet Omar. Readers from Dorothy Hamm Middle School in Arlington, Virginia discuss When Stars Are Scattered by Omar Mohammed and Victoria Jamieson. Our celebrity reader is Matthew Saltmarsh from the UNHCR. Kitty Felde is host.

We're happy to report that our most popular episode in 2023 is no mystery...actually, it IS a mystery: Varian Johnson's The Parker Inheritance. And by the way, if your school is in LA County, we'll come out and tape a Book Club for Kids episode in your classroom! Just have your teacher, parent, or librarian contact us at the website and click on the "Want to be on the show?" button.

How do you know which books make the best gifts? Kids in LA County share a few suggestions with host Kitty Felde. The Last Kids on Earth - Max Brallier  The Art of Seduction - Robert Greene Dogman - Dav Pilkey You Matter - Christian Robinson What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night - Refe and Susan Tuma King and Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth - Dori Hillestad Butler and Nancy Meyers The Hunger Games -  Suzanne Collins Amulet - Kazu Kibuishi Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney Mickey Mouse - Phoenix International

We continue to look through our many episodes of the Book Club for Kids podcast to examine the titles that have been banned or challenged. Today, we look at the 1977 Newbery Medal awarded novel by Mildred D. Taylor Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. The book has been challenged in school districts from Burbank, California to Oviedo, Florida to Huntsville, Alabama mostly for the use of the "N" word. In Burbank, the book was removed from required reading lists, though kids can choose to read the book and it can be used in small groups after the teacher has undergone training on facilitating conversations on racism, implicit bias, and racial identity.  Mildred D. Taylor said "As a parent I understand not wanting a child to hear painful words, but as a parent I do not understand not wanting a child to learn about a history that is part of America, a history about a family representing millions of families that are strong and loving who remain united and strong, despite the obstacles they face." Here's some links to our resources: https://www.marshall.edu/library/bannedbooks/roll-of-thunder-hear-my-cry/ https://ncac.org/update/letter-from-ncac-to-protest-the-challenging-of-roll-of-thunder-hear-my-cry https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2020-11-12/burbank-unified-challenges-books-including-to-kill-a-mockingbird We turn back the clock to a difficult period of history in Jim Crow America. The book is the Newbery award winner Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. Readers from Immaculate Heart Catholic School discuss the difference between present-day Bronx and the south of the 1930's. Actress Tracy Leigh is celebrity reader. Literary historian Dr. Dianne Johnson-Feelings of the University of South Carolina offers her perspective on the author.

Writer Greg Neri talks to Kitty Felde about the role of luck and his rule of saying "yes" to new projects.