Ep. 5: The Hungry Mirror

Episode Summary

Rajani LaRocca and Liyana, Age 12

4/30/2020

Mirror, Mirror, can I get a bite of that? On this week’s episode, 12 year old Liyana collaborates with Rajani LaRocca (author of Midsummer’s Mayhem, a Kirkus Best Book of 2019 and long-listed for the 2020 Massachusetts Book Award as a must-read title in MG/YA Literature) to brainstorm her story idea about what happens when a girl who is a misfit in her family of celebrities finds a magic mirror. Join host Betsy Bird as she follows Rajani and Liyana to Pippin Vintage, a NYC antique store, where they go hunting for inspiration, and then collaborate to grow Liyana's story seed into a modern fairytale filled with Youtube stars, biracial characters, a particularly delicious Bengali snack, and of course, magic. Finally, sit back for storytime as Rajani narrates the original story she wrote inspired by her collaboration with Liyana: “Aina and the Mirror.” Click here for complete episode notes.

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This Episode Features

Liyana, age 12

Hometown … NYC

What is unique about me is that … My mom's family is from Bangladesh and my dad's family is from the Dominican Republic.

I love … watching Anime. Especially shows like Ouron High School Host Club. It's a Japanese show about a scholarship student, Haruhi Fujioka, who goes to a super fancy private school.

Favorite type of story … I adore fantasy stories where girls are the protagonist!

If I were a spy, my code name would be … Agent Ice Cream Lollipop

If I had a million dollars … I would buy the premium on Crunchyroll, a mansion with secret passage ways, and then I would give the rest to the New York common pantry.

My favorite snack is … chanachur. It's a Bangladeshi snack that has crunchy noodles, puffed rice, nuts, raisins. It's crunchy, salty, sweet and a bit spicy!

My favorite ice-cream is … mint chip, salted caramel, and Oreo

Rajani LaRocca

Hometown … Concord, Mass. (home of Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau!)

What's unique about me is that … I love books and science and always have! So guess what? I decided to become both an author and a doctor!

I love to ... travel and have been to 49 of the 51 American states!

My book … Midsummer's Mayhem is a magical fantasy about .... baking, Shakespeare, family, and friendship and the main protagonist is a girl!

If I were a spy, my code name would be … Stealthy Chef!

If I had a million dollars … I would give books to every kid.

My favorite snack is … chocolate chip cookies.

My favorite ice-cream is … coffee Heath, banana, and salted caramel

Bonus Episode

On this bonus episode, host Betsy Bird interviews Rajani LaRocca. Go behind the scenes as Rajani recounts what it was like growing Liyana’s story seed into the modern fairytale, "Aina and the Mirror" on Episode 5, "The Hungry Mirror." They also talk about favorite snacks, the weirdest (but effective!) places to write a novel, writing tips, and Rajani’s not just one, but two successful careers: she’s an author and a doctor! Click for episode notes and transcript.