All readers want to see themselves reflected in the pages of books. Works of Latino literature for teens focus on the experiences of young people from Spanish-speaking countries and cultures. In honor of El Día de los Niños, tune in to hear about a variety of books that celebrate the Latino cultural experience in literature.

Tune in to hear the about the ideas behind Crutcher's newest book, Period 8; his thoughts on writing in honest language for teenagers; and what readers have told him about the impact of his stories.

Each year the America Library Association's list of teen book awards provides readers with a huge variety of quality reading recommendations. You'll hear about stories of espionage, climate change, and dragons; middle school theater, political revolutions, coping with cancer, and more.

Life stories are books that trace defining moments and turning points in people's lives. By exploring how individuals overcome obstacles and discover their passions – or fall prey to mistakes and inner demons – life stories illustrate how human beings navigate the complexities of living. Tune in to hear about a variety of life stories – some that celebrate lives of success, others that mourn lives tragically lost or wasted.

While all YA authors focus in some way on the process of young people coming of age, very few do so with the depth and versatility you will find in the novels of Patricia McCormick. Tune in to hear the story behind her latest novel, Never Fall Down, the harrowing and heartbreaking account of Khmer Rouge survivor Arn Chorn-Pond.

Books about science allow readers to encounter new concepts, ask new questions, and discover what we can learn simply by paying close attention to our surroundings. You'll hear about ecology and climate change, food production, infectious disease, ancient human history, the universe, and our power as humans for both ingenuity and destruction.

Books featuring teens as change agents call attention to young people who are lobbying for change in their schools, communities, and the larger world. Tune in to hear about teens who work for change by participating in political campaigns, defying social hierarchies, and even going to war.

Tune in to hear E. Lockhart talk about creating girl characters who try to ignite social change and challenge social hierarchies, the approach she takes to the writing process, and her thoughts on reader response to her books.

Tune in to hear about works of sports fiction and nonfiction that explore issues of identity and belonging, courage and equal rights, and changes over time in American history and culture.

With publishers releasing new books twice a year, in the spring and the fall, summer is the perfect time to take stock of great new books for teens. Tune in to hear about books that will meet the needs of all kinds of teen readers including works of fantasy and suspense, biography and historical fiction, politics and romance.

In this episode, you'll hear about an assortment of old and new titles featuring teens who live on the margins of middle class society - teens whose lives too often go unseen.

Tune in to hear about an array of recently-published smart romance titles that feature male as well as female narrators, gay as well as straight relationships, and stories of love unfolding in a variety of circumstances.

In the world of young adult literature, there are certain authors readers can count on to engage both their minds and their hearts in a good story. Francisco X. Stork is one of those authors. Tune in to hear how Francisco's novels explore themes of religious faith and ambition, how his own life experiences are reflected in his books, and how he thinks about the diverse Latino characters he has created.

With a new movie version of The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins' story of a dystopian world where children are forced to fight to the death on live television is set to reach an even broader audience. Tune in to hear about the seeds for The Hunger Games story, themes that distinguish the series as an important work of literature, and what the books have to offer teen readers.

In the wake of the American Library Association's annual announcement of Youth Media Awards, tune in for a roundup of top young adult literature award winners from the past year. Jennifer will report on her favorite titles drawn from lists of the year's most distinguished books for teens

Tune in to hear how Coe Booth worked through the challenges of writing Bronxwood, how she makes sense of her characters' actions, and how her books challenge readers to develop critical social consciousness.

In this episode, you'll hear about creative retellings in a variety of genres and forms, including biographies, short story anthologies, verse novels, and picture books.

Readers of picture books and graphic novels know that visual images sometimes tell a story in a way that words cannot. Tune in to hear about newly-published middle grade and young adult fiction, graphic novels, biographies, travel memoirs, and informational books, all of which use visual material in ways that enrich the text's meaning.

Tune in to hear about the seeds behind her newest novel, Everybody Sees the Ants. We'll discuss how several of the novel's key elements came about during Amy's writing process, how The Vagina Monologues connects thematically to elements of the text focused on bullying and torture, and how satire helped her to make a key point about Lucky Linderman's process of coming to terms with the adult world.

Tune in this month to hear two avid tween readers talk about what they look for in a good book, some of their favorite titles, and what adults should know about helping tweens find books they'll want to read.