Funds for Bookworm are provided in part by Lannin Foundation.

Boots!

Where would we be without boos?

Where would we be without good?

No, Timberd.

It's a rhetorical question, sir.

But where would we need without books?

From KCRW and KCRW.com, I'm Michael Silverblatt, and this is Bookworm.

I'm very happy to be about to talk to Victoria Chang about her book for young people.

What is the age group of this book, Victoria?

You know, I think it's around maybe eight years old to 13 years old.

So it's middle grade, what they call middle grade.

Yes.

The book is called Love, Love.

And, of course, I was excited because it's a novel written entirely in poetic lines.

And at the same time, again, the fear of poetry that might enter

is completely abolished by the clarity and directness

with which it's written.

Now, you had written a picture book before this that was a Times notable book of the year, Victoria.

This is new for you, yes?

Yes, yes.

Yeah, you know, I have two children, and they're 13 and 11 now. And as they've grown,

...