Young Adult Authors Unplugged

40 Episodes
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By: Arroe Collins

Utilizing the technology bridge. Igniting the imagination by way of reading. Talking with YA authors. Sharing their stories and experiences to reach YA readers.

Bedtime Fun For Everybody Ziggy Marley Releases Pajamin The Audio Version Is All Music
Yesterday at 2:00 PM

HarperCollins Children's Books announced the publication of PAJAMMIN' by musician Ziggy Marley and acclaimed illustrator LetĂ­cia Moreno. Inspired by Bob Marley's iconic song "Jamming," this story about a family's fun-filled pajama party will inspire young readers and their caregivers to make bedtime a ritual worth celebrating.Carrying on his father's legacy of fostering joy and connection, Marley transforms iconic lines from "Jamming" into a bouncy, bedtime read-aloud. The result is a rollicking roadmap for screen-free family time, complete with Moreno's exuberant illustrations inspired by Marley's own multicultural family."This book is about togetherness and happiness," said Marley. "Children and a...


Forest Stories Episode Eighty Four A Different View Of Heartbreak Hill
Last Friday at 7:00 PM


Forest Stories Episode Eighty Three All That Green
06/29/2025


Adam Bonnett And Alberto Belli The Creators Of Dora The Search For Sol Dorado On Nickelodeon
06/29/2025

Timed to the 25th anniversary of everyone’s favorite Latina heroine, Nickelodeon introduces a new live-action full-length movie, Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado. The new family film introduces 16-year-old Samantha Lorraine as Dora who – along with her adventurous cousin Diego and sidekick monkey Boots – must trek through the perilous Amazonian jungle to find the ancient treasure of Sol Dorado and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. (See the trailer). The film comes from executive producer Adam Bonnett and director Alberto Belli. Adam helped bring some of the most famous children’s properties to the screen including He-Man, Barbie...


Marko Zorn Returns To Yet Another Otho Eskin Thriller Black Sun Rising
06/28/2025

Founder of the pioneering band Cro-Mags, Harley Flanagan is a punk rock/hardcore legend who's defied the odds - along with neglect, sexual abuse, drugs, violence and PTSD -- and lived to tell the tale. The feature-length documentary, HARLEY FLANAGAN: WIRED FOR CHAOS, dives headfirst into the wild life and times of this larger-than-life icon and is a no-holds-barred ride, that isn't just about the music; it's about a man forged in fire who's lived to tell the tale.Raised by a Warhol Factory "it" girl, Harley was thrown into the Lower East Side's underground scene in the '70s. L...


Forest Stories Episode Eighty Two The Sounds Of Summer
06/22/2025


Forest Stories Episode Eighty One Long After We're Gone
06/15/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


Forest Stories Episode Eighty The Beekeeper's Honey
06/09/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


When Little Troublemaker's Have To Defend Their Name It's Personal For Author Luvvie Ajayi Jones
06/07/2025

A story about a little troublemaker with a big heart from the New York Times bestselling author and noted speaker Luvvie Ajayi Jones.But what happens when doing something nice means breaking some rules? Little Luvvie is about to find out.Written by the New York Times bestselling author Luvvie Ajayi Jones with bright, bold art by Joey Spiotto, this funny, sweet story about a bighearted girl with the best of intentions is sure to become a family favorite.


Forest Stories Episode Seventy NIne Mothers Day
05/31/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


Changing Our Norm In Both Language And Perception Bellen Woodard Releases Ballet Brown
05/31/2025

New from the incredible teenage activist, prodigy, and compassionate CEO Bellen Woodard comes BALLET BROWN, her new inspirational picture book, coined term, and new crayon colors that literally changes the way we see ballet and dance—created to inspire young people to speak up for the change they wish to see in the world! BALLET BROWN is a heartwarming, inspirational story about authenticity and the richness that brings! Recently featured in TIME Magazine, her op-ed “You’ve Heard of Ballet Pink. It’s Time to Embrace Ballet Brown,” reflects on how Bellen questioned the longstanding default in ballet attire, much like her early exp...


Forest Stories Episode Seventy Eight Stained Stones
05/25/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


Varian Johnson Makes Being A Dad Very Special In Little Big Man
05/24/2025

From literary powerhouse and Coretta Scott King Honor- and Boston Globe / Horn Book Honor-winning author of The Parker Inheritance Varian Johnson and New York Times bestselling illustrator Reggie Brown. Elijah can't wait to take his brand-new kite for its first flight! But with a new baby in the family, Daddy has to work this weekend. Elijah finds a clever way to help out and pitch in with his family while also reminding his dad how to still have a little fun. Beloved children's book author, Varian Johnson’s debut picture book highlights the fun journey of a young child building his confid...


Forest Stories Episode Seventy Seven Did They Go Home
05/18/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


The Art Of Poetry Starts With Being Present The Long Journey Out From Poet Ronald Lieber
05/17/2025

The Long Journey Out (Wipf and Stock)? Born in Japan and raised between the strong cultural frameworks of his Japanese mother and his Jewish-American military father, Lieber lived in fourteen different places by the time he was 14. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica before settling in NYC, where he is a retired professor from SUNY Nassau and a licensed psychoanalyst in private practice. The book is culled from the many poems written over his 70 years of living. For more information, visit https://www.ronaldokuakilieber.com/.


Forest Stories Episode Seventy Six Pig Ladies Big Rocks
05/12/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


Provng That Opposites Will Always Attract YA Author Terri Lebenson Releases Entirely Emmie
05/10/2025

Bestselling graphic novelist and cartoonist, Terri Libenson, is back with a story about finding friendship in the least likely of places. The ninth book in the New York Times bestselling Emmie & Friends series, ENTIRELY EMMIE is told from the alternating POVs of shy Emmie and class-clown Joe as they embark on a school camping trip.  These days, Emmie doesn’t feel so invisible. At least not around her best friends and her crush, Tyler. Class-clown Joe’s jokes aren’t landing the way they used to. Who doesn’t love a good prank? Apparently not his so-called friends, who don’t even seem to care...


Forest Stories Episode Seventy Five The Bright Beautiful Wild Flowers
05/05/2025


Welcome To The Club Raina Telgemeier And Scott McCloud's The Cartoonist Club
05/03/2025

Welcome to the club! Makayla is bursting with ideas but doesn't know how to make them into a story. Howard loves to draw, but he struggles to come up with ideas and his dad thinks comics are a waste of time. Lynda constantly draws in her sketchbook but keeps focusing on what she feels are mistakes, and Art simply loves being creative and is excited to try something new. They come together to form The Cartoonists Club, where kids can learn about making comics and use their creativity and imagination for their own storytelling adventures!


If Vampires Never Die How Can This Be The End Of Shelby Mahurin's Duology Set The Shadow Bride
04/26/2025

In the thrilling conclusion of the duology set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Serpent & Dove series by Shelby Mahurin, a vampire and the woman who tried to kill him prove that true love can conquer anything, even Death.  CĂ©lie’s life is over. She took her final breath trying to save the people she loves—including the powerful and enigmatic vampire king, Michal, who refused to let her go. When CĂ©lie wakes, she cannot walk in the sun; she can hear her friends’ heartbeats and she craves their blood. Michal has cursed her to the eternal exi...


The Ultimate Science Cookbook For Kids From Highlights And Food Editor Madison Gepper
04/13/2025

The first-ever cookbook from Highlights Press encourages kitchen confidence and creativity with 75 edible experiments.  DO YOU KNOW
.Why Bagels have holes? What makes some food sticky? With recipes like Marshmallow Meteorites, Grape and Cheese Towers, and even an Edible, Exploding Volcano, THE ULTIMATE SCIENCE COOKBOOK FOR KIDS won’t just have kids cooking—they’ll experiment, learn, and customize their creations. Whether they’re curious beginners or confident junior chefs, this cookbook offers easy-to-follow instructions, engaging science insights, and bright food photography that’s sure to make cooking an adventure. These easy fun recipes will encourage kids to explore new flavors while...


Forest Stories Episode Seventy Four Barely Any Green
04/07/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


The Author And Creator Of The Very Popular Jelly Bean Series Amy Pollack
04/05/2025

The Adventures of Jelly Bean and The Further Adventures of Jelly Bean are the stories of a fourth-grader who faces challenges that just about all children her age can recognize.  Her parents don’t approve of her favorite friend in the whole world. She has trouble getting along with the brother who is closest in age to her.  The uncle she loves so much is about to marry the most awful woman she could ever imagine, and the girl who used to be her best friend has turned on her. Jelly Bean faces these and other stumbling blocks, including: the difficulties in achieving and mai...


Forest Stories Episode Seventy Three The Birth Of The Ghetto
03/30/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


Poet Writer And Hip Hop Educator Tony Keith Jr Releases The Fantastic Realistic Book Knucklehead
03/29/2025

Knucklehead, a YA poetry collection by ⁠Tony Keith, Jr., PhD⁠., is written as a series of letters to Black boys and men, especially the gay and queer ones, that is full of black-and-white illustrations and unforgettable poetry that will heal, provoke and inspire. While society often assigns the label “knucklehead” to kids with attitude problems, this brilliant and electric poetry collection by spoken word poet and hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr. subverts that narrow way of thinking and empathizes with young people who are misunderstood and unheard. “A love letter in verse to Black boys and men
.Will resonate deeply with readers an...


Forest Stories Episode Seventy Two The Old Ancient Apple Tree Enters Spring
03/24/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


Celebrating Their 50th Album With A Tour Cliff And Shila From Kidz Bop
03/23/2025

The KIDZ BOP Kids are back in 2025 with their all new KIDZ BOP LIVE Certified BOP Tour, coming to a city near you. Sing and dance along to today biggest BOPs live on the big stage including “espresso”, “HOT TO GO”, & “Dance Monkey”. Join us for the ultimate pop concert experience for kids (and their grown-ups!) with eye-popping new stage design and interactive elements kids will love, as well as the return of the popular (and hilarious!) Daddy Dance Off. Don’t miss this annual live event that’s become the first concert experience for a generation of young fans. Tickets are on s...


The Action Graphic Space Chasers From Astronaut And NFL Great Leland Melvin Is Readty For Liftoff
03/22/2025

Created by real-life astronaut Leland Melvin, Eisner-Award nominated comic creator Joe Caramagna, and brought to brilliant life by Alison Acton, SPACE CHASERS is a space adventure like no other. When Tia Valor takes a test on a whim for an exclusive NASA program for middle schoolers, she never thought she’d pass. After all, she never really fit in at school. In fact, she’s been skipping school most days to work at her brother’s auto shop instead. But Leland Melvin, a famed astronaut, sees potential in Tia, and before she knows it, she’s part of a tea...


Forest Stories Episode Seventy One What Did Once Look Like
03/16/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


The Voice Of The Wilderness Rosanne Parry Releases A Wolf Called Fire
03/15/2025

In A WOLF CALLED FIRE, Warm, the younger and smaller brother of Swift (the protagonist of A Wolf Called Wander) must find the warrior in his own heart to protect his pack and earn his alpha name. A fast-paced survival story inspired by Wolf 8, a real Yellowstone wolf who started as the smallest in his pack and grew up to be a collaborative and generous patriarch of the largest pack. Warm, the timid one.Warm, the watcher.Warm, the only one.I look to the wolf star for courage, but all I feel is small. Warm is the smallest pup, the...


Forest Stories Episode Seventy Our 2nd Snow Fall Within This Collection Of Trees
03/09/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


A True Ro-Mantasy From Sasha Peyton Smith In The Rose Bargain
03/08/2025

London, 1848—For four hundred years, England has been under the control of an immortal fae queen who tricked her way onto the throne. To maintain an illusion of benevolence, Queen Mor grants each of her subjects one opportunity to bargain for their deepest desire.As Ivy Benton prepares to make her debut, she knows that not even a deal with the queen could fix what has gone wrong: Her family’s social standing is in shambles, her sister is a shadow of her former self, and Ivy’s marriage prospects are nonexistent. So, when the queen announces a competition for Prince B...


Forest Stories Episode Sixty Nine Interupting Communications
03/02/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


Hope Larson's Very Bad At Math A Graphic Novel About Leadership Perfectionism And Bad Math
03/01/2025

Verity “Very” Nelson can do it all. She’s student body president, debate club whiz, and first chair clarinetist and can do the most push-ups in one minute in gym class. You could say she’s pretty much the best at everything
Well, almost everything. Everything except math. And it’s not like she doesn’t try. Math just doesn’t make sense in her brain. But it better start soon, or else she can kiss her presidency—and her campaign promises—goodbye. Soon Verity finds herself enrolled in a remedial math class where, despite her best efforts, failure persists. All seems lost until a...


Forest Stories Episode Sixty Eight The Replacing Of The Great Forest Library
02/22/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


Celebrating National Puzzle Day With Creator Jodi Jill and Allison Kane From Highlights Magazine
02/16/2025

Highlights has teamed up with the founder of National Puzzle Day, Jodi Jill to get kids and families excited about puzzling together. Whether it's a crossword, jigsaw, trivia word searches, brain teasers or Sudoku, puzzles put our minds to work. Founded in 2002, National Puzzle Day is a way to share enjoyment of puzzles. As a syndicated newspaper puzzle maker and professional quiz maker, Jodi Jill developed classroom lesson plans especially for the observance and the popularity has grown year after year. Partnering this year with Allison Kane, Head of Puzzle Innovati...


Forest Stories Episode Sixty Seven Interupting The Forest Floor
02/15/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


Forest Stories Episode Sixty Six The Long Haired Man And His Dog
02/10/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


Forest Stories Episode Sixty Five Winter Storm Cora
02/03/2025

Thanks for being part of the conversation I am the Poet In The Forest. A children series I penned out in the 1990s. None of it would be possible if it wasn’t for this forest in South Charlotte, NC. I talk about it so much that I thought maybe it’s time you get to meet all that inspires me. Thanks for being part of the conversation


World Almanac 2025 Editor Sarah Janssen Sets Free Our Need For Content Inside The New Edition
02/01/2025

 The latest edition of America’s best-selling reference book documents the milestones that made the year 2024 unique and will serve as your number one source for years to come. “The World Almanac has been the source for definitive data and answers to questions on any subject since 1868,” said Sarah Janssen, executive editor of The World Almanac. “In a year of major change in the United States and around the world, the new edition of The World Almanac documents all the major moments to give a source of historic perspective and new understanding to any curious reader.”