The Sun is Also a Star THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR (2019) Starring Yara Shahidi, Charles Melton, Jake Choi, Camrus Johnson, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Miriam A. Hyman, Cathy Shim, John Leguizamo, Hill Harper, Keong Sim, Faith Logan, Anais Lee, Kay Day, Annie Pisapia, Assibey Blake, Matthias Sebastiun Garry, Matt Post, Jordan Williams and Donna Hayes. Screenplay by Tracy Oliver. Directed by Ry Russo-Young. Distributed by Warner Bros. 100 minutes. Rated PG-13. I have walked by and noticed th

The Hate U Give THE HATE U GIVE (2018) Starring Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, KJ Apa, Anthony Mackie, Algee Smith, Lamar Johnson, Issa Rae, Sabrina Carpenter, Common, Dominique Fishback, TJ Wright, Megan Lawless, Rhonda Johnson Dents, Tony Vaughn, Marcia Wright, Al Mitchell, Karan Kendrick, Javon Johnson, Mike Stoudt, Tye Claybrook Jr. and Andrene Ward-Hammond. Screenplay by Audrey Wells. Directed by George Tillman Jr. Distributed by 20th Century Fox. 132 mi

Connor White and Annabeth Bondor-Stone Connor White and Annabeth Bondor-Stone Stealing Some Time with the YA Authors By George Seth Wagner They say that a good marriage is often based upon shared passions. Annabeth Bondor-Stone and Connor White are a married couple whose love for writing, reading and teaching kids about reading is evident from the second you start to talk with them. Although both got their starts in other aspects of writing, they have found their calling (and

Lana Condor and Noah Centineo Video Interview! We sat down at VidCon 2018 with Lana Condor (X-Men: Apocalypse) and Noah Centineo (The Fosters) about their upcoming Netflix film To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. This Netflix film based on the YA novel by Jenny Han is due out in August and stars a talented cast of Condor, Centineo, John Corbett (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Janel Parrish (Pretty Little Liars) and others. Check out our interview and make sure you check out To All

Adrift ADRIFT (2018) Starring Shailene Woodley, Sam Claflin, Grace Palmer, Jeffrey Thomas, Elizabeth Hawthorne, Kael Damlamian, Luna Campbell, Zac Beresford, Siale Tunoka and Tami Ashcraft. Screenplay by Aaron Kandell & Jordan Kandell and David Branson Smith. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur. Distributed by STXfilms. 96 minutes. Rated PG-13. Man (or woman) versus nature is always an intriguing subject for film or literature, a reminder that the world is so large and potentially

The Breadwinner THE BREADWINNER (2017) Featuring the voices of Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq, Shaista Latif, Ali Badshah, Kawa Ada, Noorin Gulamgaus, Ali Kazmi, Kane Mahon, Reza Sholeh, Mran Volkhard and Kanza Feris. Screenplay by Anita Doron. Directed by Nora Twomey. Distributed by GKIDS. 93 minutes. Rated PG-13. In Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, where a woman’s survival is dependent on a man, a family’s patriarch is imprisoned for educating his daughters. Without thei

Before I Fall BEFORE I FALL (2017) Starring Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, Cynthy Wu, Medalion Rahimi, Logan Miller, Kian Lawley, Elena Kampouris, Diego Boneta, Jennifer Beals, Liv Hewson, Alyssa Lynch, Nicholas Lea, Erica Tremblay, Roan Curtis, Liam Hall, Claire Corlett, Anthony Stephens and Bal Nagra. Screenplay by Maria Maggenti. Directed by Ry Russo-Young. Distributed by Open Road Films.  100 minutes.  Rated PG-13. I’m not sure the world has been waiting with bated breath for

Jake Marcionette in New York. Photo by Nick Bergmann © 2016 Jake Marcionette Surviving in the YA World by Jay S. Jacobs When you hear the term Young Adult books, you tend to think of these younger people as being the readers of the books, not the writers. Jake Marcionette is doing his part to change that conception. Marcionette was only 12 years old when he wrote his first book, Just Jake.  At thirteen, that book was in book store and on the New York Times best-seller list ma

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL (2015) Starring Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon, Katherine C. Hughes, Jon Bernthal, Masam Holden, Matt Bennett, Bobb’e J. Thompson, Chelsea T. Zhang, Gavin Dietz and Edward DeBruce III. Screenplay by Jesse Andrews. Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon. Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures.  105 minutes.  Rated PG-13. Young Adult novels are sort of like young adults th

Breathe (Respire) BREATHE (RESPIRE) (2014) Starring Joséphine Japy, Lou De Laâge, Isabelle Carré, Claire Keim, Rasha Bukvic, Roxane Duran, Thomas Solivéres, Camille Claris, Louka Meliava, Louise Grinberg, Fanny Sidney, Anne Marivin, Marie Denarnaud, Carole Franck and Alejandro Albarracín. Screenplay by Mélanie Laurent and Julien Lambroschini. Directed by Mélanie Laurent. Distributed by Film Movement.  91 minutes.  Not Rated. Bullying has become a huge topic in schools worldwi

Divergent DIVERGENT (2014) Starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Miles Teller, Jai Courtney, Zoë Kravitz, Ansel Elgort, Ray Stevenson, Ashley Judd, Tony Goldwyn, Maggie Q, Christian Madsen, Casimere Jollette, Mekhi Phifer, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Justine Wachsberger, Amy C. Newbold and Ben Lamb. Screenplay by Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor. Directed by Neil Burger. Distributed by Summit Entertainment. 139 minutes. Rated PG-13. Y.A. (Young Adult) novels have been f