Society & Culture
A 1986 Newbery Honor book, Gary Paulsen's Hatchet was also a sixth grade classroom read for my guest, novelist Summer Rachel Short. We discuss reading romance novels in middle school, classroom reads and the fun activities that accompany them, and the ways that survival stories can inspire us to call on our own inner strength. We also talk about Summer's book, The Mutant Mushroom Takeover, out from Simon & Schuster this fall and available now for pre-order! You may hear me reference the book by another name during our conversation, and that's because the title was changed after we taped this episode. Content warning: We do discuss a scene of self-harm that occurs in the book Hatchet. This discussion starts around minute nineteen and lasts for about two minutes. You can learn more about Summer on her website www.srachelshort.com and follow her on Instagram @summerrachelwrites. You can follow both me and the podcast on Instagram @shapedbystoriesdiane. Show notes and links to subscribe and download the podcast can be found on the show's website www.shapedbystories.com. Music by Kevin MacLeod: https://bit.ly/2HFHGJq