Erika Lewis is a prolific author of fantasy books and graphic novels. The Kelcie Murphy series is her first venture into middle grade fantasy, and it's all about Celtic mythology! In this episode, we talk with Erika about the first book in the Kelcie Murphy series: The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts. We ask her about her unconventional entrance into the publishing world, her passion for Celtic mythology, and how to write complex main & side characters. We also learn a LOT about Celtic mythology, and we make predictions for what will happen in book two! We had such a great time talking with Erika! Book two in the Kelcie Murphy series JUST came out, so there's never been a better time to check out Erika's work!
***Spoiler timecodes***
(31:19 - 35:45)
(37:55 - 38:31) Check out our other episodes and social media: https://thekidlitchronicles.carrd.co/
Theme song by Ella Rowen: https://linktr.ee/holdshelf
Erika's links:
Website: https://www.erikalewis.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erikaelylewis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErikaElyLewis
Go buy the Kelcie Murphy series at your local bookstore!!
We're back with the third installment of the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan -- ominously titled, The Icebound Land. The series follows Will, apprentice to the ranger Halt, who works with a cast of characters to battle evil forces in the country of Araluen and beyond. In the third book, we follow Will and Evanlyn, aka Araluen’s Princess Cassandra, as they try to escape their Skandian kidnappers, while Halt and Horace race through the land of Gallica to rescue them.
We talk about how Horace is a himbo, Halt is too OP, and Jarl Erak has a kinda good, kinda sucky redemption arc. We also dig into some thorny political messages, like how monarchs seem to always be great and Araluen, aka Medieval England, always seems to be better than other countries.
Our links:
Music credit:
Theme song by Ella Rowen
Elevator Music bossa nova background music ( Version 60s) by Lesfm via Pixabay
"That's the real question: do they fight while wearing a dress, though?"
Michelle Lam is the author and illustrator of Meesh the Bad Demon, her debut graphic novel. Michelle wears many hats; she has worked as a story artist in the animation industry, a YouTuber, a comic artist on Instagram, and is now a graphic novel author!
In this episode, we talk with Michelle about her new novel. We get into her inspiration of magical girl manga and anime as well as the deeper themes present in the story, including racism and the demonization of femininity. We also make predictions for what will happen in book two!
It was so fun and insightful to talk to Michelle-- we're so grateful she lent us her time! Go check out Meesh the Bad Demon and Michelle's other work if you enjoyed our discussion!
Check us out on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekidlitchronicles/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheKidlitChronicles
Theme song by Ella Rowen: https://linktr.ee/holdshelf
Michelle's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mewtripled/?hl=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mewtripled Website: https://www.mewtripled.com/
Go buy a copy of Meesh the Bad Demon!! At your local bookstore: https://bookshop.org/p/books/meesh-the-bad-demon-1-michelle-lam/18600877?ean=9780593372876
Special guest Andy Hicks stops by to dish some hot takes about the third installment of the Percy Jackson series. In The Titan’s Curse, Percy and his friends journey across the country to rescue the goddess Artemis, battle monsters along the way, and struggle against a prophecy of doom that could mean the end of the world as they know it. We discuss Artemis' band of Hunters and the gender binary, whether loyalty can be a fatal flaw, and what it really means to be a good hero. A warning: the ancient Greeks were NSFW, so we followed in their footsteps. Listen at your own peril!
Our links:
Music credit:
Theme song by Ella Rowen
Elevator Music bossa nova background music ( Version 60s) by Lesfm via Pixabay
Harp and Pad Fm Complicated Loop by f-r-a-g-i-l-e via Freesound.org
The crew is diving into the cringiest, angstiest, messiest parts of teenage life in this episode of the pod, which covers the LGBTQ coming-of-age novel by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. We also have a special guest from our own teenage years joining us -- our friend since middle school, Betty! We dig deep into the book's themes of love, vulnerability, complicated family dynamics, and toxic masculinity (our favorite topic). We also discover our first manic pixie dream guy and reminisce about our own embarrassing adolescent moments.
Content warning: The book, and as a result this episode, includes mentions of violent homophobia. Below are timestamps for those mentions, if you'd rather avoid them:
8:15-8:35
26:12-26:18
31:10-31:17
Our links:
Music credit:
Theme song by Ella Rowen
Elevator Music bossa nova background music ( Version 60s) by Lesfm via Pixabay
Guitar Loop performance by ValentinSosnitskiy via Freesound.org
We recently closed out our second full year of the podcast, and we wanted to celebrate! Join us for this special anniversary episode, where we reminisce about the books of yesteryear, guess our best and worst-rated selections, and share a glimpse of our podcast plans for the coming months. Also included in the episode is a special throwback version of our usual book trivia, as well as some reflections on our lives outside of kidlit.
Our links:
Music credit:
Theme song by Ella Rowen
Elevator Music bossa nova background music ( Version 60s) by Lesfm via Pixabay
We're going on an adventure! Join Chelsey, Hannah, and a special guest on an unexpected journey across Middle Earth to slay the dragon Smaug. We talk comfy vibes, dwarf fan-fiction, and positive masculinity. We also talk about some of the darker implications of this jaunty tale; fat-phobia and fantasy racism being the main culprits. Grab your tea and seed cakes, and get cozy cause this is a long one!
Our links:
https://www.instagram.com/thekidlitchronicles/
https://twitter.com/kidlitchronicle
https://www.youtube.com/@TheKidlitChronicles
Sound credits:
Theme song by Ella Rowen (https://www.instagram.com/ellarowensound/)
School Bell Ringing Sound Effect by GFX Sounds https://gfxsounds.com/free-sound-effects
No.3 Morning Folk Song by Esther Abrami
Master of the Feast by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400019
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100340
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Buckle up for a classic cross-country adventure tale in this sequel to the Ruins of Gorlan. We return to the lives of Will, Horace, Halt, and Gilan, as well as meet some new (and mysterious) characters as they all try to avert a surprise attack from Morgarath. Topics at hand include comical sexism, Halt's love of violence, queer-coded villains, and our reactions to a shocking ending. Listen now to learn more!
Our links:
https://www.instagram.com/thekidlitchronicles/
https://twitter.com/kidlitchronicle
https://www.youtube.com/@TheKidlitChronicles
Music credit:
Theme song by Ella Rowen (https://www.instagram.com/ellarowensound/)
Elevator Music bossa nova background music ( Version 60s) by Lesfm
Discomfort 1N56c by Setuniman via Freesound.org
Listener, beware. You're in for a scare...
We're celebrating spooky season with an episode about Coraline by Neil Gaiman! We talk about the book AND the movie, and compare and contrast the two.
We talk about the different things that scare adults and children, mother-daughter relationships, the inherent horror of fairytales, and digress into talking about Criminal Minds and the satanic panic, somehow.
But most importantly, happy Halloweeeeen!!
Music credit:
Our spooky intro was made by Ella Rowen!
Let the Mystery Unfold by Geoff Harvey
Elevator Music bossa nova background music ( Version 60s) by Lesfm
Our special guest Andy Hicks returns as we dive back into the Percy Jackson series. Join us as we discuss the merits of overthrowing Western civilization, argue about whether Circe is a man-hater or a radical feminist, and reveal our own fatal flaws. Who knew these books were so political? A warning: the ancient Greeks were NSFW, so we followed in their footsteps. Listen at your own peril!
Music credit:
"Elevator Music" by Lesfm via Pixabay
"October Rose" by StephieQueen via Freesound.org
Get ready to pick your ̶H̶o̶g̶w̶a̶r̶t̶s̶ ̶h̶o̶u̶s̶e̶ apprenticeship! We dive into Hannah's all-time favorite kids' book series, Ranger's Apprentice, which features a young orphan named Will who trains to become an elite spy for his kingdom -- and saves the day along the way. Tune in to hear us talk about the importance of loving the career you're good at (which might not be the one you've always dreamed of), the ethics of taking revenge on your bullies, and the not-so-subtle fatshaming that occurs all too often in children's literature. That's right, this episode's a spicy one!
Music credit:
"Elevator Music" by Lesfm via Pixabay
"Epical Drums 06" by Grigoriy Nuzhny
India Swift is the author and illustrator and Michael Doig is the colorist of The Girl and the Glim, India's debut graphic novel! The pair has existed online for quite some time as animators and artists, and have worked on TV shows like Amphibia and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as animated music videos like Starlight Brigade (TWRP) and Magnum Bullets (Nightrunner).
In this episode of The Kidlit Chronicles, we have a virtual discussion with India and Michael where we discuss The Girl and the Glim, their transition from the screen to the page, some of our favorite characters from the novel, and dive deeper into the themes of technology and communication that are present in the book.
We had an amazing time talking with DoigSwift, and are so grateful for the opportunity! Go check out The Girl and the Glim and their other work if you enjoyed our discussion!
Also, check out the video for this episode to see their charming animal avatars! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agP01NmTakY
DoigSwift:
All links: https://linktr.ee/doigswift
India Swift: https://twitter.com/OldSwifty
Michael Doig: https://twitter.com/michaeldoigart
The Girl and the Glim: https://www.girlandtheglim.com/
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/doigswift
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/doigswift
Go buy a copy of The Girl and the Glim!!
At your local bookstore: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781684057412
Discussed in this episode:
Game Grumps: https://www.youtube.com/user/GameGrumps
Frostblight Saga: https://frostblight.tumblr.com/tagged/page/chrono
Kairos: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781250209610
Klaus: https://www.netflix.com/title/80183187
Hilda: https://www.netflix.com/search?q=hilda&jbv=80115346
Natsume Yujincho: https://www.crunchyroll.com/natsume-yujin-cho
After months and months of anticipation, we finally finish the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. Tune in to see which of our predictions for the ending came true and to hear a new quiz show segment of our podcast! Plus convos about magical inequity, kinky dragons, and who the REAL villain is (hint: it's the establishment).
Music credit:
"Elevator Music" by Lesfm via Pixabay
"piano loop 1E71" by Setuniman via Freesound.org
We're joined again by middle grade author Stephanie Cooke to talk about her favorite childhood book: The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman. In this spicy episode: Is it ok to include sexism, classism, and racism in fantasy books as worldbuilding, rather than theme or subject? What's the difference between critiquing organized religion versus spirituality itself? This is a deep one, folks. Not for the faint of heart!
Stephanie Cooke is the author of the Oh My Gods! series and other books, which you can check out here.
Music credit:
striding background 0H_10m4 by Setuniman via Freesound.org
Stephanie Cooke is the co-author of Oh My Gods!, a middle grade graphic novel series. Oh My Gods! was her debut novel, but she has been writing, particularly for graphic novels, for quite some time now.
In this episode of The Kidlit Chronicles, we sit down (virtually) with Stephanie and discuss the Oh My Gods! book series, with special emphasis on the first book. We talk about the trend of retelling stories from Greek mythology, the tragedy of Medusa's portrayal in media, and a kid named Wesley's love for the character Jeff, among other topics!
We're so grateful for this chance to sit down and talk about Oh My Gods! with Stephanie, and we hope you'll check out her work if you enjoyed our discussion!
Also, check out the video for this episode! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnsoO6tqUKo
Stephanie Cooke:
Website: https://stephaniecooke.ca/
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/hellocookie/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hellocookie
Insha Fitzpatrick:
Website: https://www.ifitzpatrick.com/
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/iinshagram/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/benwyyatt
Juliana Moon:
Website: https://www.julianamoon.com/
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/julianamoon/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/notjulianamoon
Go buy a copy of Oh My Gods! books 1 & 2!!
Book 1: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780358299523
Book 2: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780358299547
Discussed in this episode:
The first version of The Odyssey translated by a woman: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780393356250
Raina Telgemeier: https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=raina+telgemeier
This episode, we revisit the most iconic manic pixie dream girl of our childhood with a special guest, Amber Yun! Who is Stargirl? What makes someone a an outcast or a nonconformist? Why does Stargirl even like Leo? Could Stargirl be Jesus???
Music credit:
In our third installment reviewing the fantasy series, we talk about Christopher Paolini's writing of women characters, investigate twists upon twists, dig into many, many characters' sexual awakenings (NSFW), and give our predictions for the final book.
Music credit:
"Easy Times" by Ahjay Stelino via Mixkit
We explore a picturesque wintry landscape, discuss the ethics of romance between a girl and a boy-turned-150-year-old-bear, and argue pointlessly over a miniscule plot point for far too long.
Music credit:
A little more than a year after our very first episode, we reflect on our favorite episodes, look at some surprising past ratings, and hold an awards ceremony for our beloved books.
Audio Credit:
VS_Short Whoosh 4.mp3 by Vilkas_Sound via Freesound.org
Long TV Bleep.m4a by ChunaawChika09 via Freesound.org
Eragon goes off to train with the elves (and gets Yassified, according to Nikki), Roran gets the main character treatment, and Nasuada becomes a girlboss. Join us as we dive deep into the second book of Christopher Paolini's famed fantasy series.
Music credit:
"Medieval" guitar loop by User391915396