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Hi, I'm Ssanyu and this is the Book Junkie podcast, presented by Brown Kids Read! I made this for people who LOVE reading diverse YA literature, but also for those who don't enjoy reading much at all. My goal is to convince you to read more books! Through a variety of different episode formats, I, along with my friends and other teenagers who want to use their voice, will discuss themes, characters, plot, and most importantly, how the story connects to the real world. Hopefully, through our ...
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Episode #21 - Interview with THERESA tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D ft. You So Black
19:41
19:41
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This episode is a little bit different! Instead of featuring a Young Adult author, I decided to shake things up and bring a picture book author to you! Theresa tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D. is a phenomenal spoken word poet and artist. A few years back, her poem, You So Black went viral on Facebook, Youtube, and pretty much anywhere you could see a screen. I…
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Episode #20 - Interview with S.K. Ali ft. Saints and Misfits (Part 2)
34:23
34:23
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*TRIGGER WARNING (SEXUAL ASSAULT, TRAUMA, ABUSE)* This is part 2 of my conversation with S.K. Ali! Make sure that you listen to Part 1 before this episode so that you understand the context and previous discussion that we had. We touch on some interesting topics including friendship dynamics, being a teenager in a religious household, and using you…
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Episode #19 - Interview with S.K. Ali ft. Saints and Misfits (Part 1)
30:43
30:43
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S.K. Ali's Saints and Misfits is one of the most informative books I've ever read in my life. Not only does it encapsulate the Muslim teen experience, but it also highlights the struggles that come with being a high-schooler. In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, I wanted to focus on issues that pertain to sexual abuse against minors. That bein…
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Episode #18 - Interview With Khristi Lauren Adams ft. Unbossed & Black Girls Unbossed (Part 2)
18:52
18:52
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If you liked part 1, you'll definitely like part 2! In this conversation, you get to hear who Ms. Khristi's main role model was as a teenager, the message she hopes to get across with her newest titles, and some more thoughts about black girls bossing it up!
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Episode #17 - Boys Will Be Boys (The Poet X ft. Ahmya Rivera)
30:10
30:10
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Ladies, have you ever felt objectified or only valued for your body? In this episode, Ahmya Rivera and I talk about women's representation, over-sexualization in media, and the negative effects that can be placed on young girls of color. Ahmya and I discuss how both of us have felt ostracized for being young women in our own spaces -- hers being ST…
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Episode #16 - Interview with Khristi Lauren Adams ft. Unbossed & Black Girls Unbossed (Part 1)
32:49
32:49
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"Black girls are leading, organizing, advocating, and creating. They are starting nonprofits. Building political coalitions. Promoting diverse literature. Fighting cancer. Improving water quality. Working to prevent gun violence. Are we ready to learn from their leadership?" In this episode, I had the chance to talk to one of my mentors, Khristi La…
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Skyhunter is a riveting novel that highlights themes of xenophobia, political corruption, and ableism. All of these issues are very apparent in modern society, yet are sometimes overlooked by the general population or unfortunately normalized. In this episode, I'm joined by the host of The Teenpreneur Show, Diya Kohli. Diya's favorite book is The A…
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Episode #14 - Interview with Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel Makkonen ft. Last Gate of the Emperor
30:19
30:19
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This interview with Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel Makkonen was so fun to record! One of my favorite podcast episode formats is conversations with two authors at once, and this one was fabulous. In this episode, we discuss how one kind of book can change a readers' whole perspective. Listen to this episode to dive into the perspective of authors who …
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Episode #13 - Interview With Jay Coles ft. Things We Couldn't Say
19:03
19:03
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In this episode, I had the opportunity to interview the amazing Jay Coles about his newest title -- Things We Couldn't Say! This book was an intriguing read that explored the depths of complicated parent/child relationship dynamics, navigating life as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and just being a black teenage boy. It was refreshing talking to…
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Episode #12 - Interview with Andrea and Brian Pinkney ft. Loretta Little Looks Back
23:46
23:46
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This is my interview with the amazing author/illustrator duo Mr. Brian and Ms. Andrea Pinkney. They are amazing at what they do and have written over 70 books together. This episode, we talk about sharecropping, oral history, and the importance of representing history accurately. Not only this, but their book hasn't been released yet! It comes out …
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Episode #11 - Interview with Manavi Nag ft. Breaking the Taboo
21:17
21:17
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In this episode, I had the opportunity to interview Manavi Nag, a teenage author who lives in India. She is an amazing writer, and her book, Breaking the Taboo, shed light on the demonization of periods around the world, but specifically in India. She interviewed several girls who shared their stories and how this stigma has impacted part of their …
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Episode #10 - Interview with Kim Johnson ft. This is My America
37:24
37:24
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In this episode, I had the opportunity to speak to the author of This is My America, by Kim Johnson. This is her debut novel and it releases on July 28th! I can honestly say that this is now one of my favorite books because it was such a good read. Because this book is unreleased, I have a few clarifications to make regarding the characters mention…
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Episode #9 - With the Fire on High ft. Kaelynn Townsend-Miller
27:47
27:47
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In this episode, Kaelynn and I discuss Elizabeth Acevedo's book, With the Fire on High. This is an amazing story that really touched me, so when I got to talk more about it with Kaelynn, it was a great experience! Kaelynn applied to be on the podcast all the way from Washington, and her insight made the conversation even better. In this episode we …
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Episode #8 - Slay ft. Harmony Travis (Special Upload)
21:05
21:05
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HI everyone! This is a special podcast upload where we actually did a live recording! Thanks to DLG Creative and Mr. Derrick Guest, I had the opportunity to speak to my friend harmony about the book Slay while doing a YouTube Livestream. This episode is unedited so it's just our raw thoughts. It was a great experience! In this episode, Harmony and …
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Episode #7 - Interview With Kacen Callender ft. Felix Ever After
22:44
22:44
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Felix Ever After is the heart-wrenching story of a trans, black, and queer, teenage boy. The author, Kacen Callender, takes the reader on an emotional journey through their words and descriptive language. I had a chance to talk to them for an interview an dI can honestly say it was a great experience! We discussed, several topics such as; the discr…
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Episode #6 - Interview With Camryn Garret ft. Full Disclosure
22:35
22:35
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Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett shares the experience of Simone, a teenager who is battling HIV. Despite having HIV from birth, her peers and even their parents bullied her about it. At her new school, Simone finds new best friends and a boy she falls for, but unfortunately someone is threatening to expose her HIV status to the entire school! In …
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Episode #5 - The Crossover ft. Chauncey Brown
21:04
21:04
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Kwame Alexander's bestselling book, The Crossover, gives a fascinating glimpse into the world of 12-year-old Josh, a twin and basketball star in his hometown. This book shows some very interesting family dynamics and highlights the impact that a parent's actions can have on their children. Today, I spoke to one of my friends Chauncey about Family D…
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Episode #4 - Interview with Nic Stone ft. Dear Martin
27:59
27:59
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In this episode I had the opportunity to learn more about Dear Martin, but also about Nic Stone as a person! We discuss several things such as racism in school settings, academic expectations from minorities, and the importance of tolerance. It was such an amazing conversation and it was fun to hear from Ms. Stone's perspective. If you would like t…
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Episode #3 - Dear Martin ft. Christian Townsell (Part 2)
15:14
15:14
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*This is Part 2 of my conversation with Christian Townsell about the book Dear Martin by Nic Stone.* Dear Martin by Nic Stone gives a vivid glance into the mind of a teenager who is the victim of police brutality. Justyce McAllister is a senior who lives in Atlanta and is trying to understand why there is so much senseless violence against his peop…
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Episode #2 - Dear Martin ft. Christian Townsell (Part 1)
22:44
22:44
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*THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS* The spoilers are completely relevant to the conversation. Don't let the spoilers in this episode stop you from reading the book! You can now read it with a critical eye and find your own interpretation of the story. Dear Martin by Nic Stone gives a vivid glance into the mind of a teenager who is the victim of police…
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Episode #1 - On The Come Up ft. Maya Boansi
21:55
21:55
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Angie Thomas' thought-provoking novel, On The Come Up, features a 16-year-old, aspiring rapper named Bri. The story shows the ups and downs that someone living in an underprivileged neighborhood can encounter. In this episode, I convince my friend Maya to read On the Come Up by engaging in conversation about; Gang culture, the importance of equal o…
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Do you like to read YA novels? Yes? No? Well, either way, this podcast was designed for both kinds of listeners! I'm Ssanyu, and I interview authors and engage in conversation with my fellow teenagers about diverse books featuring people of color! Not only do we discuss the books, but we relate the stories to current, real life issues. My goal for …
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