Playground Books

The Secrets of Droon and Fantasy Development

I revisit The Secrets of Droon, one of the first series that obsessed me as a kid, and discuss the role of tropes in literature, the supposed insult of wish fulfillment, and the scope and scale of children’s chapter books that shape who we are. Both Descartes and Jane Austen get namechecked, which is about par for the course.
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Tuck Everlasting and the Existential Horror of Immortality

I revisit Tuck Everlasting and consider the arguments in favor of and against the premise of living forever. Also discussed: being aware of the questions you’re asking, imagery that reflects theme, and the absolute adoration of entropy.
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The Tale of Despereaux and Third-Person Narrators

I revisit The Tale of Despereaux and explore the power of point of view to shape the mood of a story before discussing interweaving plotlines and the beautiful metaphors of naming your characters after painting terms.
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Out of the Dust and Escaping History

I revisit Out of the Dust and its portrayal of life during the Great Depression in the American Dust Bowl. Topics covered include unique strengths of novels told in verse, different types of conflict, and the inherent terror and tragedy of living inside a defining historical moment, which isn’t at all relevant to today. 
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The Chronicles of Narnia and the Hero‘s Journey

I revisit the Chronicles of Narnia and do a deep dive into C.S. Lewis’s deconstruction of Campbell’s hero’s journey and other genre conventions of children's fantasy adventure books. I also discuss the role of literary criticism and try hard to avoid getting sidetracked by character arcs, controversies, and Narnian jokes. 
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Nancy Drew and the Mythic Tradition

I revisit Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Old Clock and discuss Nancy’s place as an iconic female character and the history of the 1930 originals versus the 1959 rewrites. I also compare the series to no less than three epic poems. How is Nancy like Eve from Paradise Lost? Listen to find out!
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The Wright 3 and Learning Styles

I revisit The Wright 3 and see how its celebration of different learning styles and integration of art, puzzles, and adventure is enough to hook any reader. I also discuss Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture and overcome my nostalgia to debate the author on the meta issue of how to treat coincidences in stories.
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A Wrinkle in Time and the Power of Misfits

I revisit A Wrinkle in Time, a certifiable children’s classic surprisingly preoccupied with Communism, and defend the book’s power of love ending while discussing the difference between ideas and inventions in what makes stories great.
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Frindle and Digital Folklore

I revisit Frindle and get totally sidetracked by memes, how in-jokes develop both on and off the internet, and the academic study of folklore. Also discussed: villains versus antagonists, descriptivist versus prescriptivist grammar, and kids changing the world.
 
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Marco's Millions and Themes of Travel

I revisit Marco's Millions, a strange little science-fiction book that touches on the wonder and danger of travel, interacting with alien cultures 101, and the feeling of being small in a wide universe.
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Listen on YouTube at Playground Books Podcast