On this episode of the KidLit Love podcast, I’m talking with Kao Kalia Yang about her debut middle grade novel: The Diamond Explorer. 

Kao has been on the podcast before to talked about Caged, her powerful picture book illustrated by Khou Vue, and I still carry pieces of our conversation in my reader’s heart.

Today, she’s here to talk about the inspiration behind her newest middle grade novel. We’ll explore why she writes, the themes that cut across all of her books, the power of books to get closer to who we are and we’ll take a deep dive into The Diamond Explorer.

Here are the books mentioned in this episode. You’ll find links to my Amazon and Bookshop affiliate stores below. Thanks for your bookish support!

Caged by Kao Kalia Yang (Amazon / Bookshop)

The Diamond Explorer by Kao Kalia Yang (Amazon / Bookshop)

Website: https://kaokaliayang.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaokaliayang/ 

Twitter: https://x.com/kaokaliayang?lang=en 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaokaliayang/ 

I’d love to know what you think of this episode. Share your comments below!