Unabridged Podcast

Welcome to Unabridged, the podcast where teachers take on books! Every week, Sara, Jen and Ashley (shown left to right in the photo) talk books, share recommendations, and celebrate all things bookish. On our blog (see our posts below!) we share bookish faves, pub day shout-outs, show notes, and book reviews each week.

Want to get more involved? Check out our 2022 reading challenge, join our buddy reads on Instagram, or sign up on Patreon!

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5 Celebrity Memoir Audiobooks to Add to Your TBR

Jan 11, 2021
3 min

5 Celebrity Memoir Audiobooks to Add to Your TBR

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) One of my favorite things is to listen to an audiobook memoir read by the author. There is an extra layer of awesomeness that comes with hearing an author read his or her own words. Also, as I have discussed on the pod, I LOVE celebrity gossip, pop culture, and everything in between, so I am always interested in a celebrity memoir. Here are five I have thoroughly enjoyed on audio. (Audio is definitely the way to go if the celebrity is readin

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6 Great YA and Middle Grade Lit Book Picks Addressing Mental Health and Bullying

Jan 4, 2021
4 min

6 Great YA and Middle Grade Lit Book Picks Addressing Mental Health and Bullying

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) In this month's book club pick Darius the Great Is Not Okay (which is also our buddy read—DM us on Instagram if you'd like to join those chats! There's still time!), Adib Khorram discusses living with depression as a teenager in a meaningful and focused way. I wanted to share some other amazing young adult lit books (as well a middle grade lit pick) that address mental health and bullying (another important topic in Darius th

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A Year of Unabridged: A Look at 2020 by the Numbers

Dec 28, 2020
2 min

A Year of Unabridged: A Look at 2020 by the Numbers

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) As we approach the end of 2020 (thank goodness!), I thought it would be interesting to look back on the year. Despite the many, many challenges this year has brought, Unabridged does have some cause for celebration. The Episodes 62 Total Episodes 52 Regular Episodes 2 Bonus Episodes 8 Teaching Tidbits This feels like a triumph for sure! Despite the bizarre schedules, generalized anxiety, and overwhelming challenges, we were able to publish MOR

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Featured Books for January 2021

Dec 26, 2020
2 min

Featured Books for January 2021

January Double Feature In January, Adib Khorram's Darius the Great Is Not Okay will be both our Book Club pick AND our Buddy Read choice. You can join us for the episode that releases on Wednesday, January 6, or participate in our two Instagram chats . . . or both! Want to look ahead? Scroll down to see our February picks! Here's the synopsis from the publisher: "Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He'

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5 Holiday Movies to Watch as a Family

Dec 21, 2020
3 min

5 Holiday Movies to Watch as a Family

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Apparently my new MO is going to be doing a non-bookish fave on Bookish Fave day. However, I know a lot of us will be home with our kids for most of the week, and I thought you might like to have some ideas of movies that are appropriate (for the most part) for the whole family. The Christmas Chronicles One and Two on Netflix This is a two for one. You're welcome. This duology is available on Netflix. It stars Kurt Russell as Santa in both,

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Eight Winter Book Recommendations to Read This Season

Dec 14, 2020
5 min

Eight Winter Book Recommendations to Read This Season

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) In this curated list of winter book recommendations, I'm sharing books where the season of winter is a pivotal part of the story. (Actually, in two of them, Fredrik Backman's Anxious People and Margarita Montimore's Oona Out of Order, the new year specifically is an important part of the story.) These are not necessarily cozy reads (though some of them are perfect for that!), and the tone, style, and subject matter of each on

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My Reading Challenge Made Me Do It

Dec 7, 2020
3 min

My Reading Challenge Made Me Do It

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) I took my Reading Challenges this year more seriously than usual (talking about them on an episode of your podcast will do that!), and so I wanted to reflect on the books I found (or finally got to) because of those challenges. We all reflect this Wednesday on our reading challenges in general—don't miss that episode!—but here are some of the amazing books I read to fulfill my challenges. I'm sharing a short excerpt from each of my IG posts an

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11 Books that Support Advocacy and Education on Human Trafficking

Nov 30, 2020
2 min

11 Books that Support Advocacy and Education on Human Trafficking

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) It is the eve of the first of December, which means for me, the eve of Dressember, an organization I have been advocating for for several years. My friend RuthAnn is the person who inspired my involvement. I am a part of her Dressember team. We were lucky enough to have her as a guest on the podcast last November. (Listen to the episode here.) In it, RuthAnn discusses Dressember, advocacy, and some of the books on this list. In addition, thi

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9 Books Considering Culture: Coming of Age as Children of Immigrants

Nov 23, 2020
5 min

9 Books Considering Culture: Coming of Age as Children of Immigrants

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) In this bookish fave, I wanted to share some of my favorite middle grade and young adult lit recommendations that comment on the experience of children of immigrants. While each story is unique and their life experiences are all quite different, these books have common threads, such as an examination of the different facets that create identity and an exploration of the periodic tension between the parents' native culture and

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Books to Encourage Activism

Nov 16, 2020
3 min

Books to Encourage Activism

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) As teachers, we often look to our students for inspiration: sometimes, their energy and enthusiasm for the world pushes us to be activists. But sometimes, we know, they need some inspiration, too. And that's where books can come in. Here are 9+ books we think are inspiring for young people. Mark Oshiro's Anger Is a Gift - In my post about this book, I said, "Mark Oshiro's Anger Is a Gift confronts activism and anger through the lens of Moss. M

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5 Books to Gift the Book Lover in Your Life

Nov 9, 2020
2 min

5 Books to Gift the Book Lover in Your Life

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Do you have a bookworm in your life? Here are five books to gift your bookish friend or family member. Enjoy! 1. Annie Spence's Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks: A Librarian's Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life Why it is on the list: A book that compiles a list of books? Yes, please. And then a librarian writing love letters or break-up letters to said books. Um, no brainer. This book is sure to res

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Looking for an Escape? 12 Stories and Series to Dive Into

Nov 2, 2020
6 min

Looking for an Escape? 12 Stories and Series to Dive Into

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) Friends, it is a tense time. This week is an especially tense one. If there is anything that helps me during tense times (in addition to yoga, dark chocolate, and a nice glass of red wine...), it's reading an immersive story. Romance This past year (and especially in the time since the pandemic began), I've discovered that I really enjoy some romance books. It's been a welcome discovery, although I'm still learning what does

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Featured Books for November 2020

Nov 1, 2020
3 min

Featured Books for November 2020

November Double Feature In November, Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam's Punching the Air will be both our Book Club pick AND our Buddy Read choice. You can join us for our leisurely Facebook discussion at the end of the month or for two, more fast-paced Instagram chats . . . or both! Want to look ahead? Scroll down to see our December picks! Here's the synopsis from the publisher: "The story that I thought was my life didn’t start on the day I was born "Amal Shahid has always been

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Graphic Novel Roundup

Oct 26, 2020
4 min

Graphic Novel Roundup

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) This year has been a great one for me to dive into some wonderful graphic novels, graphic memoirs, and comic books. I read differently with these, using a different type of interpretation than when I'm looking solely at text. My boys, who are 10 and 13, love graphic novels, and I can always count on them to pass on the ones they love. Here are some recommendations from my reading this year: Molly Knox Ostertag's The Witch Boy trilogy (The Witc

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Finding Joy: Five Holiday-Inspired Instagram Accounts to Bring You Joy

Oct 19, 2020
2 min

Finding Joy: Five Holiday-Inspired Instagram Accounts to Bring You Joy

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Here is some real talk. I am searching for anything...ANYTHING...that can brings some joy. Enter holiday Instagram accounts in October. Admittedly, I am not a Halloween person. I like fall, but Halloween is not my thing. And...I am the person who is likely to put her Christmas tree up in early November. #sorrynotsorry In the best of times, it brings me joy to see my house decorated for the holidays. In the worst of times (hello, 2020) it is

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12 Books to Empower Young People of All Ages

Oct 12, 2020
4 min

12 Books to Empower Young People of All Ages

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) With all of the tumult in our world right now, I'm thinking a lot about how we can encourage the young people in our lives to use their voices, to make wise choices, and to take action. Here are a few books for each age level that encourage young people to find their voices and to take action. Picture Books Chelsea Clinton's She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women who Changed History, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger - This i

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The Super Rooster Is Coming--Join in the Fun!

Oct 5, 2020
3 min

The Super Rooster Is Coming--Join in the Fun!

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) I have made no secret of my love for all things Tournament of Books related. Every year for 16 years, The Morning News holds a tournament in March to advance one of 16 books to a Rooster win. Somewhere in there, they added Camp ToB, a smaller competition, in which one winner is chosen . . . that winner advances to the Tournament of Books challenge for the following March. The Tournament runners are taking advantage of the 16th anniversary to p

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Featured Books for October 2020

Oct 3, 2020
4 min

Featured Books for October 2020

October Books In October we're excited to share an amazing novel, Tommy Orange's There There, our Book Club pick, and Brandy Colbert's YA novel The Voting Booth, our Buddy Read choice. Check out our Book Club discussion on episode 146—it releases on Wednesday, October 7—and let us know if you'd like to join our new Book Club Group on Facebook or our Buddy Read chat on Instagram discussing The Voting Booth! You can DM us @unabridgedpod. Here are synopses from the publishers fo

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Great Early Chapter Books for Kids featuring Female Protagonists

Sep 28, 2020
3 min

Great Early Chapter Books for Kids featuring Female Protagonists

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) My girls are three and six, and my six year old has recently developed a significant interest in reading chapter books. However, my three year old only wants to join us if there are pictures, so I'm always on the lookout for excellent early chapter books with frequent pictures. Here are a few we've found and loved so far. Debbie Dadey's Mermaid Tales series - This is by far my children's first love when it comes to chapter bo

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5 Things that Are Helping Me Cope Right Now

Sep 21, 2020
3 min

5 Things that Are Helping Me Cope Right Now

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Okay. I am here for some real talk. No, I mean it. Like, Real. Talk. If you aren't here for it, that is totally fine. Maybe skip this post. But, (I warned you.) here is some real talk from a mom, podcaster, teacher, wife, etc., etc., etc. And, spoiler alert, not all of this is bookish. Things are tough. Some days (most days?) I want to crawl into a corner and cry and sleep until 2020 is over. (Seriously, is that an option?) But, I have two k

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