Virtual Programming for youth 2020 - may

#UNBOUND launched the weekend of May 1-3. Programs air Wednesday (Young Adult), and Saturday mornings for young children and middle-graders. Most programs are FREE.

What?

#UNBOUND presents notable authors in free, stimulating literary conversations highly relevant for our challenging times. Programs debut on YouTube Premiere, then remain as recordings there and on our site.

How?

Look at the schedule below to get the direct YouTube Premiere link, or follow our YouTube Channel. All of our premiered recordings will reside on YouTube.

We’re All Part of Outside

Program debuted Saturday May 2nd, 10:00 AM PST

Click Here to Watch Free on our Youtube Channel

Celebrated author Deborah Underwood (author of the New York Times best-seller The Quiet Book) and illustrator Cindy Derby collaborate with Outside In, a beautiful, imagination-sparking love letter between the inside and outside worlds. This is the perfect session for kids in the sheltering-in-place era, with its tender message of how we are all connected and part of a larger universe, even if we’re separated from it, and from each other. The School Library Journal called Outside In “a stirring invitation to play.”

Ivy and Bean Shelter in Place

Program debuted Saturday May 2nd, 11:00 AM PST

Click Here to Watch Free on our Youtube Channel

In Book 11 of the wildly popular Ivy + Bean series, our two celebrate One Big Happy Family. But how do you keep your big family happy when you are cooped up inside? In this riveting episode Author Annie Barrows and illustrator Sophie Blackall talk about how to be friends while social-distancing, but also the fun you can have with your grownups (i.e., tricks you can play that won’t wreck anything); what you can do if you’re missing your friends, and how to make some; AND you will get a sneak peek of Book #12 because… Ivy + Bean are not done. Not by far! (Barrows and Blackall will introduce #12 using the cover image, time-lapse-type video of a drawing, and a reading of the first sentence.)

Music Makes a Family

Program will air Sunday May 3rd, 10:00 AM PST

Click Here to Watch Free on our Youtube Channel

Author Michael Genhart and illustrator Priscilla Burris team up with ACCORDIONLY: Abuelo and Opa Make Music, a charming and inspiring tale of two grandfathers in a blended family that must overcome language and cultural barriers in order to live harmoniously together. The young protagonist helps his two beloved grandpas find a common language through music. This wonderful picture book, praised by Kirkus as carrying “an especially important message for multiracial/multiethnic children who can often feel pulled between competing identities,” underscores how we can celebrate difference and find common ground at the same time. An educational and lively session that touches on themes of diversity, finding inventive strategies to communicate and get along while staying at home, and conflict resolution.

Courage and Heart in Adversity

Program will air Sunday May 3rd, 11:00 AM PST

Click Here to Watch Free on our Youtube Channel

Renee Diop of Cinnamongirl, Inc, an Oakland-based nonprofit that empowers girls of color with mentorship and educational opportunities, will moderate a discussion between two top middle grade authors whose work explores young people’s inner and outer courage. Kate O’Shaughnessy’s The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane, praised by Publishers Weekly as “a lyrical and full of heart road trip story” that “gets to the core of what it means to create family, to be brave, and to accept the flaws of being human,” chronicles the journey of a teen girl, passionate about sounds and music, who takes a huge risk to search for her father, but ends up finding herself. And Ernesto Cisneros’ Efren Divided, which Sandra Cisneros praised as “a book doing work of the spirit in a time of darkness,” tells the story of a teen boy, the son of undocumented parents, who must channel his own strength and bravery when his mother is deported.

Of Violence and Hope

Program will air Wednesday May 6th, 7:00 PM PST

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Murder, werewolves and guns: oh my! The teen protagonists in these riveting novels by Randy Ribay and Romina Garber are driven to reconcile dangerous mysteries at home and abroad. When Jay, the American teenage protagonist of Patron Saints of Nothing, discovers that his Filiopino cousin has been murdered in the midst of President Duerte’s war on drugs, he travels to the Philippines to investigate, and uncovers dark secrets that he never bargained for. Manuela, the undocumented Argentine teen at the center of Garber’s Lobizona: A Novel (Wolves of No World Book 1), is thrown into chaos when her mother is arrested by ICE, and follows a trail of clues that lead her to a secret and mystical world straight out of Argentine folklore. In a conversation moderated by Madison Harvey, sophomore at Oakland’s Head Royce School and member of Cinnamongirl, Inc, these authors delve into immigration, belonging, and how, in order to emerge into the light, we sometimes have to take a deep dive into the dark.

The Fabled Life of Aesop

Program will air Saturday May 9th, 10:00 AM PST

Click Here to Watch Free on our Youtube Channel

We all know the fables “The Tortoise and the Hare,” The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” and “The Ant and the Grasshopper.” But what do we know about Aesop himself? His fables have been told and retold around the world for over 2,500 years; and, now, through Ian Lendler‘s wonderful book The Fabled Life of Aesop, we can learn the real story of the greatest mythmaker of them all. Come listen to Ian and find out how Aesop–and his famous, timeless fables–came to be.

Justice for All

Program will air Saturday May 9th, 11:00 AM PST

Click Here to Watch Free on our Youtube Channel

Moved to action, these two stories speak to the power of ordinary people to inspire change. Design Action Collective founder Innosanto Nagara writes and illustrates progressive and beautiful children’s books “for the 99 percent,” and his latest, M is for Movement, is an essential book for kids about standing up for what’s right. He’s joined by children’s and middle-grade author Nikki Shannon Smith, who writes about “silly, naughty, intelligent, mistake-making kids” while weaving in historical themes about society and justice. Her titles Sarah’s Journey West and Charlotte Spies for Justice are the latest installments in her socially conscious “Girls Survive” series. Don’t miss this wonderful session with two authors who share a gift for bringing themes of justice to life in thrilling and kid-friendly ways, not in the least because they will be interviewed by eleven-year-old Aria Sindledecker, who is a published author herself.

Our Stories, Our Voices

Program will air Wednesday May 13th, 7:00 PM PST

Click Here to Watch Free on our Youtube Channel

“As a woman I have no country. As a woman, my country is the whole world.” In 1929 England, Virginia Woolf, in “A Room of One’s Own,” expressed a sentiment of subversion, independence, and integrity that is all too pertinent for female writers in contemporary America. Our Stories, Our Voices, a “truthful and empowering” (Booklist) anthology of exciting YA voices, carries Woolf’s torch for a new and diverse generation across the pond, showcasing essays on experiences of injustice, empowerment, and growing up female in America. In this bracing and necessary conversation, Renee Diop, a budding young novelist from Cinnamongirl, Inc, will discuss coming-of-age, rising above bias and obstacles, and fearless creativity with anthology contributors Anna-Marie McLemore, a Latinx virtuoso of magical realism whose books have been lauded in “best of” lists from Kirkus and Booklist and chosen as New York Times Editors’ Choice selections; and #1 New York Times bestselling YA author Ellen Hopkins. Come for a cross-generational conversation filled with solidarity, hope, and inspiration for all young women called to express their best, brightest, and boldest selves.

A Book for Escargot

Program will air Saturday May 16th, 10:00 AM PST

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Escargot is the most cultured snail you’ll ever meet: never without his beret and striped shirt, he’s French to the core, and he has a passion for books. Join New York Times bestselling author Dashka Slater and illustrator Sydney Hanson as they guide Escargot through his latest adventure: finding the perfect book to check out from the library. Say bonjour to a charmingly whimsical story and warm, inviting illustrations, and practice your best French accent along with a popular hero who’s “the cuddliest snail ever” (School Library Journal).

The You You’re Meant to Be

Program will air Saturday May 16th, 11:00 AM PST

Click Here to Watch Free on our Youtube Channel

Ten-year-old Naomi Wilson from Cinnamongirl, Inc. and creative engineer/inventor in the making, will interview two leading Middle Grade authors whose books explore the importance of finding what brings you community and purpose, no matter how alone you may feel. Aimee Lucido’s Emmy in the Key of Code is about a middle-school girl, a misfit in her musical family, who finds her passion in learning to code. According to Publishers Weekly, this debut “champions girls in STEM and delivers a positive message about being ‘always exactly yourself.’” Yamile Saied Méndez’ On These Magic Shores is the tale of Minerva, a Latinx teen who is terrified that her mom, after not returning home from work one night, may have been wrongly taken by ICE. Minerva finds a special, mysterious, and magical helper to get to the bottom of her mother’s worrying disappearance. This session promises to be a stirring, moving discussion about finding one’s place in the world.

Beyond Our World: Shifting Identities and Steady Hearts

Program will air Wednesday May 20th, 7:00 PM PST

Click Here to Watch Free on our Youtube Channel

Bridging divides and unveiling secrets are the name of the game in two fascinating fantasy novels by YA virtuosos. In Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s fantasy debut, The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, Florian and Evelyn cross lines of class and identity to fall in love, crossing paths with haunting mythical creatures and double agents along the way to their shared fate. And Rebecca Hanover’s The Pretenders, her thrilling conclusion to The Similars duology, follows troubled, secret-ravaged Emma in her struggle to stop a dangerous vengeful plan, figure out her true identity, and decide between two boys with eerily identical faces. A bracing and magical discussion moderated by brilliant young bookworm Jennifer Leon, junior at Berkeley Highschool and a member of Cinnamongirl, Inc.

Everyone’s Awake

Program will air Saturday May 23rd, 10:00 AM PST

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Bestselling children’s author Colin Meloy, who’s also the lead singer of the rock group The Decemberists, brings us a wildly fun read-aloud book for families, one that makes getting ready for bed feel like a hilarious adventure. He’s joined by illustrator Shawn Harris, whose clever and infectious drawings contain easter eggs and references that kids will take great glee in finding. Join us for the most musically fun going-to-bed routine ever.

Lemonade and Stuck-at-Home Startups for Kids

Program will air Saturday May 23rd, 11:00 AM PST

Click Here to Watch Free on our Youtube Channel

Join Brian Weisfeld, author of The Startup Squad book series, as he makes a pitcher of lemonade, while inspiring kids with stories of kidpreneurs who started their own businesses and empowers kids with ideas for startups they can launch while stuck at home. Tune in with six lemons, one cup of sugar, and access to cold water and make lemonade along with him.

This Thing Called Love, Part 1

Program will air Wednesday May 27th, 7:00 PM PST

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Laila Butcher, junior at San Leandro High School and member of Cinnamongirl Inc., will have an electrifying conversation with author Rahul Kanakia about self-acceptance, finding love in unconventional places, and deriving confidence from the traits that make you stand out from the crowd. In Rahul Kanakia’s We Are Totally Normal, Nandan, a junior in high school, becomes more than just friends with his longtime bestie, Dave: a journey that leads him to come to terms with his own sexuality and desires. A big-hearted, warmly inclusive session about love, honesty, and courage.

In a Garden

Program will air Saturday May 30th, 10:00 AM PST

Click Here to Watch Free on our Youtube Channel

Nature is a miracle if there ever was one! Plants bugs, birds, mice, snakes, and many other organisms come and go in a garden. Throughout the sesaons of the year, plants grow, flourish, die, and start the process over and over again. Join author Tim McCanna and illustrator Aimée Sicuro as they take us on a tour to discover how plants and bugs help each other grow and give life.

Book Club for Kids podcast with Anne Nesbet and Kitty Felde

Program will air Saturday May 30th, 11:00 AM PST

Click Here to Watch Free on our Youtube Channel

In this virtual episode of the popular Book Club for Kids podcast, host Kitty Felde joins book-loving kids from Albany Middle School in a lively conversation with author Anne Nesbet, whose latest, Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen, is an edge-of-your-seat adventure that plunges readers into the silent film era. It’s a do-not-miss discussion that cuts out the middleman between this leading middle-grade author and her passionate, opinionated, and inquisitive readers.

Youth Programs – May 2020

When?

What?

How?

We’re All Part of Outside

Recommended Reading

Ivy and Bean Shelter in Place

Recommended Reading

Music Makes a Family

Recommended Reading

Courage and Heart in Adversity

Recommended Reading

Of Violence and Hope

Recommended Reading

The Fabled Life of Aesop

Recommended Reading

Justice for All

Recommended Reading

Our Stories, Our Voices

Recommended Reading

A Book for Escargot

Recommended Reading

The You You’re Meant to Be

Recommended Reading

Beyond Our World: Shifting Identities and Steady Hearts

Recommended Reading

Everyone’s Awake

Recommended Reading

Lemonade and Stuck-at-Home Startups for Kids

Recommended Reading

This Thing Called Love, Part 1

Recommended Reading

In a Garden

Recommended Reading

Book Club for Kids podcast with Anne Nesbet and Kitty Felde

Recommended Reading