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.

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Apr 23
3 min

Yaa Gyasi's TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM - A Close Examination of Addiction and Its Impact on Family

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) I was so excited to see Yaa Gyasi's Transcendent Kingdom on Libro.fm this fall and am thankful that I was able to listen to an ALC of the audio. Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing is one of my favorite books, and I plan to read everything Gyasi writes because her work is brilliant. Although Homegoing and Transcendent Kingdom have some similarities including gorgeous writing, complex characters, and complicated relationships, where Homego

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Aug 31, 2020
4 min

6 Great Novels in Verse to Read Right Now

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) I don't know about you, but this is a VERY busy time for me! When things feel crazy, I am always on the lookout for quick reads that I'm going to love. This list features some of our favorite authors (both to read and for the classroom) including Jason Reynolds, Jacqueline Woodson, and Elizabeth Acevedo. These novels in verse (along with one memoir in verse) are all middle-grade or YA lit books, but I believe they are all gre

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Jun 13, 2020
32 min

Bonus: Re-release of Jason Reynolds Highlight with LONG WAY DOWN, GHOST, and WHEN I WAS THE GREATEST

In this bonus episode, we wanted to share a re-release of an episode highlighting three novels by Jason Reynolds, one of our favorite Black authors for young people and for the classroom. We feel his body of work has applications across many age levels and grades. You can check out his body of work here. We tried to go very light on the spoilers in this episode, but a few minor spoilers were hard to avoid as we revealed what we loved about these books. Timeline Introduction a

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Jan 24, 2020
2 min

Tomi Adeyemi's CHILDREN OF VIRTUE AND VENGEANCE: High Tensions and Hard Choices - Ashley's Review

Title and Author: Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Virtue and Vengeance Overall Impression: I loved Children of Blood and Bone and couldn't wait to read this sequel. I did have to read up on some plot details about the first one before I dove into the second book, but it came back quickly, and I was thrilled to see the main characters as they grew in their leadership and in their sense of purpose. I appreciated the three main perspectives (Amari, Zélie, and Inan) and found that Ade

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Jan 22, 2020
2 min

Welcome - Introduction and Overview

Just getting started with Unabridged Podcast? Welcome! We're Ashley, Jen, and Sara, and we are teachers and podcasters who are passionate about books. We have four kinds of posts here on our blog. On Mondays, we post about our Bookish Faves, on Tuesdays we do Pub Day Shout-outs, on Wednesdays our episodes drop, and on Fridays, we post book reviews. (Be on the lookout on Thursdays, too; we sometimes have an extra post then!) There are many ways to connect with us! In addition

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Jul 26, 2019
3 min

Jandy Nelson's I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN -Ashley's Book Review

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson is a literary work of genius. This is one I read quite a while ago, but it has stayed with me and remains one of my favorites. It's riveting and powerful without seeming forced or contrived in any way. It's the story of twins, Jude and Noah, whose lives are drastically, irreparably altered by a catastrophic event. The entire story shapes itself around that event and their quest to find themselves functioning on the other side. Let's talk

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Dec 5, 2018
1 min

50: Gretchen Anthony's EVERGREEN TIDINGS FROM THE BAUMGARTNERS - These Random People at Dinner

"This is me. This is my family. This is love." ~Gretchen Anthony Spoilers are inevitable throughout our discussion, so consider whether or not to listen if you haven't yet read the book, Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners! Timeline Introduction and Summary of the Book: 0:00 - 01:13 Main Discussion: 01:13 - 33:43 Book Pairings: 33:53 - 43:15 Classroom Connections: 43:15 - 45:38 Book Pairings Jen - Helen Hanff's 84, Charing Cross Road Ashley - Jenny Han's To All the Boy

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Sep 5, 2018
1 min

37: Erika Sanchez's I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER -- Dude! What Is Wrong With You?

-Alternate Titles- A Boy in a Bookstore? Yes, Please. OR C'mon, Honey! OR That's the Best Advice She Had to Give Spoilers are inevitable throughout our discussion of I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, so consider whether or not to listen if you haven't yet read the book! Timeline Introduction and Summary of the Book: 0:00 - 01:26 Main Discussion: 01:26 - 33:39 Book Pairings: 34:44 - 40:49 Classroom Connections: 40:26 - 44:05 Book Pairings Jen - Gabrielle Union's We

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Aug 15, 2018
1 min

34 - Everything Is Linked: Jason Reynolds's LONG WAY DOWN, GHOST, and WHEN I WAS THE GREATEST

-Alternate Titles- The Middle Drawer OR Complications of Friendship OR I like to do athletic things OR I AM athletic **We're having a giveaway of SEVEN (yes, seven!) Jason Reynolds books from Wednesday, August 15, through Wednesday, August 22. Check Instagram (@unabridgedpod) and Facebook (facebook.com/unabridgedpod) for details and to enter.** We tried to go very light on the spoilers in this #unabridgedhighlights episode, but a few minor spoilers were hard to avoid as we r

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