YA Book Stack

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YA Book Stack is an in-conversation podcast with Australian authors who discuss the application of their text in the middle years English classroom and the ways their text is reflective of the experiences of young adult readers and the world they engage with. Through a focus on the text in the classroom, YA Book Stack aims to encourage educators to embrace the flexibility of the middle years and explore a broader range of texts in their curriculum.

  1. 12/07/2025

    Summer Reading with Mark Smith

    his episode includes a discussion of summer reading recommendations that includes: Tenderfoot by Toni Jordan Gary LonesboroughGraham AkhurstJared ThomasSalt River Road by Molly SchmidtOver This Backbone by Ya ReevesArborescence by Rhett DavisDusk by Robbie ArnottAndrea Nekic Is NOT Fine by Violeta BagiaWe Saw What You Started by Carla SalmonGus and the Burning Stones by Troy HunterCatch by Sarah BrillThis Stays Between Us by Margot McGovernThree Boys Gone by Mark SmithDiary of a Young Doctor by Ezzideen ShehabThe Hiding Place by Kate MildenhallI Am Nannertgarrook by Tasma WaltonPictures of You by Tony BirchSouthsightedness by Gregory DaySeed by Bri LeeThe episode also contains discussions around: Teachers benefit from reading YA themselves, not just for curriculum use but to stay connected to student interests, identify engaging texts, and model genuine enthusiasm for reading.Reading for work vs reading for pleasure, and how hard it is to balance the joy of reading with the obligations of reading for reviews, panels, writing, or teaching.YA in Australia is growing in diversity but still needs more representation, especially stories that reflect the rapidly changing demographics of Australian schools.Teachers should prioritise student engagement when selecting texts. Page-turners matter, reluctant readers need accessible books, and educators sometimes overthink “how to teach” a book before considering whether students will actually read it.Reasons why Three Boys Gone, Mark Smith's debut adult novel, will resonate with anyone working in schools today, and having to navigate the near-impossibility of perfect duty of care.

    34 min

  2. 10/26/2025

    Margot McGovern on This Stays Between Us

    This episode includes a discussion of This Stays Between Us by Margot McGovern, a contemporary young adult horror novel that explores friendship, fear, and power. It also references other reading and text recommendations such as: Neverland by Margot McGovernNorthern Lights by Philip PullmanFrankenstein by Mary ShelleyBlade Runner (1982)The Chosen Vessel by Barbara Baynton (short story)Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan LindsayLake Mungo (2008)Talk to Me (2022)Also discussed are: The ways in which Margot has attempted to fill a gap in the market, including setting her horror novel in a distinctly Australian landscape;How reimagining the trope of the “final girl” can challenge the male gaze in horror by creating complex, emotionally authentic female protagonists;The exploration of friendship, secrets, consent, misinformation, and fear in the novel, and how these issues will resonate strongly with today’s students;Why its 48-hour timeframe, along with the use of foreshadowing, pacing, and symbolism, makes it ideal for studying narrative craft and genre conventions;Advocacy for open, supportive classroom discussions around trauma and consent, supported by clear content awareness;And, as always, the importance of teaching contemporary local texts to reflect and expand students’ understanding of Australian identity.

    27 min

  3. 10/26/2025

    Linda and Marly Wells on Desert Tracks

    This episode includes a discussion of Desert Tracks, a time travelling novel about young people in central Australia, the historical legacy of racist policies and the relationship between history and the present. Also discussed are: Using time travel as a genre to connect past and present, allowing for a powerful entry point for exploring history;Working as a writing team, blending different backgrounds and voices to create authentic characters and perspectives;Depicting colonial violence in ways that remain age-appropriate while still respecting readers’ intelligence and lived realities;Why including Aboriginal English terms in literature can offer opportunities for students to appreciate linguistic diversity, explore local language revitalisation projects, and understand cultural exchange;Storytelling as a vehicle for truth-telling and reconciliation;Offering advice for teachers on using Desert Tracks as a springboard for meaningful conversations around racism, history, and First Nations stories, while drawing on endorsed teaching resources to create safe and respectful learning environments.

    34 min

  4. 09/14/2025

    Ange Crawford on How to Be Normal

    This episode includes a discussion of How to Be Normal, as well as reading recommendations including: Someone Like Me: An anthology of non-fiction by Autistic writersObernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody Little Women by Louisa May AlcottLooking for Alibrandi by Melina MarchettaThe Complete Dramatic Works by Samuel BeckettVikki WakefieldHow It Feels to Float by Helena FoxLiving on Hope Street by Demet DivarorenWhen Michael Met Mina by Randa Abdel-FattahGhost Bird by Lisa FullerThe Skin I'm In by Steph TisdellBlood Moon Bride by Demet DivarorenStill Life with Tornado by A.S. KingThe Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction by Ursula K. Le GuinAlso discussed are: The ways in which English teachers give students the frameworks to understand the people they want to be, in terms of critical thinking, feminist thought, anti-racism, etc.A defence of young adult novels as serious literature, capable of tackling complex issues like abuse, identity and resilience, in ways that resonate with students.The ways personal experiences (queerness, neurodivergence, family dynamics) can inform fiction, and shape more honest, nuanced representation.How schools can approach “dark” themes in text studies in way that is supportive, trauma-informed, and empowering.Using “normality” as a lens to interrogate social pressures and difference, and embrace diversity.How texts foster empathy, open dialogue, and give students language for experiences they may struggle to articulate otherwise.

    35 min

  5. 08/18/2025

    Prue Bon / Booklisting

    This episode includes a discussion about booklisting with Prue Bon, and focuses on these titles: The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief by Katrina Nannestad Outlaw Girls by Emily Gale and Nova Weetman The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwen The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor Please Don't Hug Me by Kay Kerr Future Girl by Asphyxia The Foal in the Wire by Robbie Coburn Grace Notes by Karen Comer Sunshine on Vinegar Street by Karen Comer Metal Fish, Falling Snow by Cath Moore One Hundred Days by Alice Pung Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller The Gaps by Leanne Hall Things a Map Won't Show You Where The Shoreline Used to Be Stuff I'm (Not) Sorry For by Maxine Beneba Clarke It's the Sound of the Thing by Maxine Beneba Clarke How Decent Folk Behave by Maxine Beneba Clarke The Saturday Portraits by Maxine Beneba Clarke The End of the World is Bigger Than Love by Davina Bell

    35 min

  6. 07/27/2025

    Chemutai Glasheen on I am the Mau

    Chemutai Glasheen is a sessional academic at Curtin University, as well as a teacher and author. She writes fiction aimed at young readers, drawing inspiration from her background and passion for human rights and education. Her short story collection I am the Mau and Other Stories was published by Fremantle Press in 2023. Her creative work has appeared in various publications: Unlimited Futures, Meniscus Volume 9 Issue 2 and ACE: Arresting Contemporary Stories by Emerging Writers. She has held a writer-in-residence position at the Centre for Stories and has been invited to speak or present at events such as the Perth Writers Festival, the Disrupted Festival of Ideas, In Conversation: Human Rights, and the Great Big Book Club Tea Party. This episode includes a discussion of I am the Mau and other stories, as well as reading recommendations including: Unlimited Futures: Speculative, Visionary Blak+Black FictionCarpentaria by Alexis WrightAmal Unbound by Aisha SaeedI Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina LambChinua AchebeA Grain of Wheat by Ngugi wa Thiong'oAlso discussed are: Identity formation through connections with other people The value of stories about minority communities Themes of place and displacementThe appeal of the short story format for young readers (and the difficulty of the format for writers!)Exploring the balance between respecting and protecting cultural practices, while also accepting change when it is necessaryThe ways in which reading fiction can change opinion and help develop empathy and understanding

    31 min

  7. 06/22/2025

    Erin Gough on Into the Mouth of the Wolf

    Erin Gough is a fiction writer living on Gadigal land in Sydney, whose award-winning work has been published globally. She is the author of three books for young adults: The Flywheel, which won the Ampersand Prize, Amelia Westlake, winner of the Readings Young Adult Book Prize and the NSW Premier’s Ethel Turner Prize for Young Adult Fiction, and Into the Mouth of the Wolf, recently shortlisted for the DANZ Children’s Book Award for Young Adult Fiction and the CBCA Award for Older Readers. This episode includes a discussion of Into the Mouth of the Wolf by Erin Gough, as well as reading recommendations including: An Open Swimmer by Tim Winton The Flywheel by Erin Gough Amelia Westlake by Erin Gough How to Survive 1985 by Tegan Bennett Daylight Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel Heat and Light by Ellen van Neerven Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit Also discussed are: The power of audiobooks from a very young age (pre-independent reading)The importance of validating Australian literature by including it on the curriculumFinding the right story (and the right voice) as a writerThemes of social justice, climate justice, power and privilege, community, and loyalty and trust in young adult fictionProcessing grief about what's happening to the environment through literature, and realising that "the way through is together"The process of world-building when it comes to a familiar yet dystopian settingThe things an author writes that don't end up in the novel, and some techniques for developing character outside the pages of the bookThe changing nature of the young adult literary landscape in Australia over the last few years

    39 min

  8. 05/25/2025

    National Reconciliation Week with Dr Lilly Brown

    This episode includes a discussion with Dr Lilly Brown, CEO of Magabala Books, as well as reading recommendations including: My Place by Sally Morgan Love Unleashed by Melanie Saward Dr Anita Heiss Story About Feeling by Bill Neidjie Desert Tracks by Linda Wells and Marly Wells Bindi by Kirli Saunders Black Cockatoo by Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler Hairy Holes 2 by Brenton E McKenna Also discussed are: Books being more than just booksThe history and mission of Magabala Books, Australia's leading First Nations publishing houseEnsuring that schools are safe learning places for all kids, through the literature we teach and the values we uphold in the English classroomRacial literacy and tips for building educator confidence when it comes to teaching First Nations textsThe importance of National Reconciliation Week post-referendum, and how to meaningfully acknowledge this in schools The difference between cultural responsibility and the colonial burden

    40 min
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About

YA Book Stack is an in-conversation podcast with Australian authors who discuss the application of their text in the middle years English classroom and the ways their text is reflective of the experiences of young adult readers and the world they engage with. Through a focus on the text in the classroom, YA Book Stack aims to encourage educators to embrace the flexibility of the middle years and explore a broader range of texts in their curriculum.

Information

  • Channel
    VATE Podcasts
  • Creator
    Victorian Association for the Teaching of English
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 YA Book Stack
  • Show Website
    YA Book Stack

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