WOW Reads: S2, Bonus - End of Year Review

"We had ups." - Gabriel

Worlds of Words Center Middle School and Teen Reading Ambassadors discuss the past academic year as they read and promoted reading together.

As each group read their four novels, we encountered issues around banned books, school libraries, and talking to grownups. We learned about the process of creating and promoting books for young people and are grateful for the diversity brought to us by authors who shared their work with us. Finally, we explore stereotypes of high school and share strategies for time management around reading for fun.

Books and authors mentioned in this episode:
Hailey Alcaraz -- Up In Flames
Donna Barba Higuera -- The Last Cuentista and Alebrijes
Matt McMann -- Monsterious (a bonus book we distributed when we read Clarice the Brave by Lisa McMann)
Matt Mendez -- The Broke Hearts
Zohra Nabi -- The City Beyond the Stars (the sequel to The Kingdom Over the Sea)
Ellen Oh -- The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee
Adam Rex -- A Little Like Waking
R.L. Stine, the legend who attended the 2023 Tucson Festival of Books

This podcast was recorded in the Digital Innovation and Learning Lab (DIALL) in the UArizona College of Education with assistance from the UA COE Tech Team.

Producer/Host: Rebecca Ballenger, Worlds of Words Center Associate Director
Audio Engineer: Liam Arias, Student Employee and Radio, TV, Film Major
Coordinator: Vianey Torres, Student Employee and Nursing Major

For more information on the WOW Reading Ambassadors, visit wowlit.org (under the About tab).

We Can Promote Global Literature Together!

The Worlds of Words Reading Ambassador program is completely free for participants who receive a book for themselves and a book to share with their school librarian, ELA/English teacher, or other school entity. If you would like to support this program, please make a gift on-line through the University of Arizona Foundation.

Thank you for listening and keep reading!