WOW Reads: Episode 4 - TRAP Reads A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

Join the WOW Center Teen Reading Ambassadors (TRAP) as we discuss A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin.

This podcast was recorded in the Digital Innovation and Learning Lab (DIALL) in the UArizona College of Education with assistance from the UA COE Tech Team.

Co-Producer: Rebecca Ballenger, WOW Center Associate Director
Co-Producer: Sara Logan, MSRAP Literature Discussant and COE Graduate Student
Audio Engineer: Liam Arias, Student Employee and Radio, TV, Film Major
Coordinator: Vianey Torres, WOW Student Employee and Nursing Major

For more information on the WOW Teen Reading Ambassadors (TRAP), visit wowlit.org.

We Can Promote Global Literature Together!

The Worlds of Words Reading Ambassador program is completely free for participants who receive a book for themselves and a book to share with their school librarian, ELA/English teacher, or other school entity. If you would like to support this program, please make a gift on-line through the University of Arizona Foundation.

Thank you for listening and keep reading!

Transcript

[00:00:00] Welcome to Wow Reads, a podcast of the Worlds Of Words’ Center of global literacies and literatures, which is committed to creating an international network of people who share the vision of bringing books and children together, thereby opening windows on the world. We encourage thoughtful dialogue around global literature so that children can reflect on their own cultural experiences.

And connect to the experiences of children across the globe. This is episode four of the WOW Reads podcast, and today we're talking to the teen reading ambassadors. The Worlds of Words Teen Reading Ambassador Initiative offers high school students a college experience within the University of Arizona College of Education that focuses on books for high school readers.

Ambassadors learn about adolescent literature under the direction of faculty and staff with expertise in children's literature, education, library science, and marketing. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the lands and territories of [00:01:00] indigenous people. Today, Arizona's home to 22 federally recognized tribes with Tucson being home to the O’Odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the university strives  to build sustainable relations with sovereign native nations and indigenous communities through education, offering partnerships and community service.

How far would you go to save your. I'm Sarah Logan and I'm part of the Teen Reading Ambassador program. I'm Echo. I'm Rebecca. I'm the Associate Director at World's Awards and I'm also Rebecca. Today we are reading or talking about A Magic Steeped In Poison, which is about, um, a deadly poison that is going around in Ning’s Home that has unfortunately already taken her mom and now threatens the life of her sister.

Echo what was the major idea that stuck with you after having read this book? Just how far someone would go to try to save their sister. How far does Ning go to save Hsu? [00:02:00] Um, she ends up joining a competition to become like the head in a magic based, solely on tea in an attempt to find a cure. Yeah.

Something that I really loved about this book was the, that relationship, that sister bond, because I can relate to that and I know how strong that that bond can be and how you do anything to save your sister, especially if you carry guilt with the reason that your sibling would be in danger. Yeah. Um, as Ning and Hsu's mom was the..

I think, and originally, um, Hsu was positioned to take over that role, someday be the apprentice. Um, but because of what was [00:03:00] happening, um, with the poisoning of the tea, Hsu got sick and Ning ended up having to go on this journey in order to save her sister and find a way to cure her sister's ailment.

So for people who don't know, the tea master magic is a Tea master, correct? Yeah, yeah. In this book, Tea is used as a medicine and it, this book carefully balances, Well, it is mainly fantasy, but it doesn't go completely off of reality. There are still, it's still a normal town and it, I really like how the, that balances out those two energies, I guess, or genres.

[00:04:00] Yeah, so it is based off of one of the dynasties, one of the Chinese dynasties. Um, so when we're talking about the ceremonies, the clothing, the architecture, I would assume it's from that time, and I don't wanna say the wrong one, do you guys remember? I wanna, maybe I'm thinking of Daxi, the Great and Brilliant Empire.

Um, but that was the region. Mm-hmm. The Song Dynasty is what I wanna say. Dyna Dynasty. Are you saying that because I said it, I just recognize that name from, I don't ,I don't wanna mislead anybody. But I mean, one of the great things about a book like this is that it brings the far near to us. And so, um, we are not Chinese, um, but, uh, Judy Lin was born in, um, Taiwan.

And then immigrated to Canada. So she is, um, [00:05:00] she is sharing that piece of history with us and part of her culture. I mean, obviously she wasn't alive during the Song Dynasty and that's when it was. Um, but I, I really feel like I was a guest in her story to share that time. And the place were, were there moments in the book where you felt transported that.

With every little moment cuz of how detailed she goes into everything. It's, it's really easy to visualize everything. Like you're there, you're a part of the story. Well, I also wanna, I, I feel like it starts with the cover. There's just this beautiful, um, imagery on the cover. It's very, like non-linear and colorful with pinks and shades of blue and it's just, and flowers and like beautiful, almost like watercolor possibly.

And it's just everything is flowing. So I feel like you start off with [00:06:00] just this magical feeling when you start to read the book. Yeah, that's the word that I was gonna use. Magical, I think. just the way it's written and the details and the culture of tea. It's all just very magical and lyrical, as Rebecca said,

So thank you, Rebecca. So, um, I am really more of a coffee drinker. I'm really more of a water drinker. I just love water. Um, but this did sort of make me want to try a tea ceremony. And, and, and as you were talking, Sarah, it made me think this cover is really a great visualization of how I imagined the steam coming off the tea as it's steeped in these different ceremonies.

And, and, and that's one of the really imaginative things that I, I enjoyed about the book, Rebecca? Yes. Yes. I was gonna say in [00:07:00] the beginning. I remember, I remember, um, the, the main character Ning, she, she said that she sees things in, in t like out of the, the steam coming out of it. She sees some images and, um, there are some images on the cover of this book.

or what I would think is what Ning sees when she predicts the future, I guess, with tea. So this is definitely a book that we could judge by the cover . Yes. It's very beautiful. And I think that's also a good word for the, the book. So we have this beautiful book and we have this beautiful imagery and we have this, um, sacred ceremony.

I'm gonna call it sacred anyway. Mm-hmm. Um, but also, Oh my goodness. Some like really, really wild stuff happens. That is, that is normal. Like there's intrigue, there are murder [00:08:00] attempts. There're like, it's, it's steeped in poison. It's in the title. Mm-hmm. Um, what were there like moments of tension that you guys held in your, that while you read it, that you were hoping would be resolved?

Well, throughout the whole thing, I was just really scared for the sister. Cause I was like, she's going through all this stuff and I'm just like, okay, when's the cure gonna come in? Is she gonna find something? Oh yeah, she was there at home. Just wasting away to death. Right. And then she's going on this crazy journey.

I'm just like, Hsu is the ticking clock. Yeah. So we have a time element in this. It just, you can't just go steep tea forever. You've gotta get an antidote. I remember talking about this, um, I don't remember if it was with the author or not, but we were saying how at the beginning, in the first chapter, it's very, it's made very clear that she was very, very sick.

She's like, like her body is shaking when she's like dying with every cough. And so it definitely adds [00:09:00] to the suspense of the adventure because you just remember that one thing right as she leaves. So the first real rncounter that we have with the sister and she's like dying very close to death. So yeah, it's almost like a race against the clock, um, for her sister.

And then also we were introduced to some characters. Um, That we're not sure how to feel about, um, are you talking about Kang? Yeah. We can't figure out, we can't get the pulse on if we should trust him, if Ning should trust him, or if Ning or if Ning should kiss him. If Ning should, that's a different kind of tension.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So there's some mystery wrapped around the whole plot with the sister and then also, Yeah, okay. With the princess and her bodyguard. Oh yeah. So her bodyguard [00:10:00] is very much protective the way Ning is. Like Ning travels all of this way and, and gets invested in this competition to save her sister.

And here's this bodyguard, putting her physical self in harm's way to protect the princess. So lot, lots of protection going. So Rebecca, you have siblings and you've brought this up? Yes. You have sisters? Yes. I have three older sisters. Sisters. Um, and so does Judy Lin, um, sh, Judy Lin. I don't know if she, I don't know how much she would do to support her sister, but she did tell us that her sister read all her books.

She was like the beta reader for this book. So I would say her sister would do a lot for her. Mm-hmm. is that, did that all, did all of those sibling relationships ring true to you? I. So my sister dynamic in our family is kind of unique because they are all more than 10 years older than me, but they're all within two years of [00:11:00] each other.

So I'm the baby and I think that they would, they would go really far to protect me because, um, they. definitely have a sense of protectiveness over me after seeing and vividly remembering me being born and me at a very young age. So I do think that that dedication and love and loyalty is very accurate to what I would feel.

And I would also. I don't know if I would like it, seems like a lot of work, but I do , um, to leave home by yourself? Travel across the way. They're all like in their late twenties. They can do it themselves. They can do it for each other. . Nice. I'll, I'll be supporting from the sidelines, but I do, I do understand that insane love and..

My sisters all live far away and I miss them so much and I would do [00:12:00] anything to see them, so. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. Yeah. Echo. Are there relationships in this book that you connected with? Well, I also have a younger sister and then.. Oh, how exciting. Would you, would you? I, I know there's times where like, I think they got hurt during a game and I was like so tempted.

Just go fight that little kid. like in a soccer game? Your sister got into.. No, there was playing basketball. and it was like, that's also my sports. I'm like, extra competitive in there. I love this because like, there's such a stereotype around sibling rivalry and siblings who would set their brother or sister up, mm-hmm,

for getting in trouble with mom and dad. They didn't have that temptation. So they, so they both can live together? Yeah. It's like, um, they're 13. Okay. And then I'm over here at 17 and they're almost at my height. So they're making fun of me at every moment, I have like an inch or two over them still. Yeah.

So I'm just getting bullied, like I'll kick you. Well, [00:13:00] so the second book, um, the second book has Hsu and Ning and the Princess and Her Bodyguard going out into the world. Oh. You know, but that's probably a big spoiler. Spoiler. Hsu. Lives, uh, lives long, long enough, I guess, to be in a second book. Um, a Venom Dark and Sweet..

Thank you Sarah, for reminding me of the title. Um, but she doesn't, we don't really see in this book any downsides or negatives to that relationship unless I'm wrong. Correct me if I'm wrong. Well, I guess it kind of seems, I mean, there's some definite sacrifice. Um, yes, because Ning Yeah, Is apprentice to Dad and medicine, and Shu is apprentice to mom and tea.

Yeah. And so how do, like, I'm guess what I'm getting at is how do you think, [00:14:00] how does Ning feel about that in this book? How does she feel about her sister having the tea Apprenticeship? Yeah, I think she was maybe a little bit jealous or just upset that it, and that things ended up playing out the way they did with Ning having to be the one who saved, who needed to, um, who needed to save shoe and not having the, the optimal knowledge and tutoring.

Um, I also wanted to bring up that, I think another reason that. Ning went to such extreme lengths is because she felt very guilty about, because the poison was sort of her fault because she gave it to her mother and her sister. And I do think guilt also played into that role of a.[00:15:00] 

So we did get to meet Judy Lin. Um, she, uh, she met with us, um, after we read the book, what, what do you recall, um, learning from her in that meeting? Well, we learned a lot cuz we asked like how the tea’s, like what kind she used, what she really wanna looked. She brought a lot from her culture. So she talked about in Taiwan that they were known for the Oolong tea or the high, high mountain Oolong tea.

Yeah. Mm-hmm. So we gotta learn about Lake a bit, how those kinds of rituals work. And then how, like, how, like how much she inputted it went into it and like, like as she said earlier, this perfect mix of like real and not real to mix in magic. And she traveled home as well to make sure. Yeah, I was gonna mention that.

Uh, somebody did ask if she traveled to get more inspiration and she [00:16:00] said that she did, which I think is really cool to just immerse herself fully into that, or not fully since she didn't like go back in time, but in that area and put a little bit more truth and realness into what she was writing.

Well, thank you Rebecca and Echo and Sarah for sharing your thoughts about, uh, A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy Lin. Um, we're about to read another book, uh, who would like to introduce that book. Our next book that we are reading is called Echoes of Grace by Guadalupe Garcia-McCall And so we're gonna get to talk to her at the Festival of Books.

Yes. And we're really looking forward to that. Meanwhile, we need to thank Sarah Logan, who is our lit discussant and Liam Arias for being our sound [00:17:00] engineer and podcast, uh, manager superstar. Every time. I, I never really know quite what, whatever he wants to be, he can be. Um, we are recording in the DIALL lab at the University of Arizona College of Education.