Carina Ho is dancer and musician who performs under the moniker ONIKHO. Having trained in dance and music since childhood, Carina joined AXIS Dance Company, a physically integrated dance company that casts dancers with and without disabilities, shortly after sustaining a spinal cord injury. Over the next two years she toured the United States with them until she was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship, for which she relocated to Montevideo, Uruguay to teach at the national dance conservatory El SODRE...
Jun 11, 2024•16 min
Victoria Scott-Miller is an award-winning Raleigh-based entrepreneur, documentarian, author, creator of "The Museum Lives in Me” book series, and owner of North Carolina’s first black-owned children’s bookstore, Liberation Station. She was inducted as the youngest and first African American woman into the Wake County Public School Hall of Fame in the category of Entrepreneurship. Victoria was commissioned by the North Carolina Museum of Art to serve as author and creative director for her debut ...
Jun 04, 2024•34 min
Lynn's picture book, My Code Word: For When I'm Scared or Afraid, is a great recommendation to read during Mental Health Awareness Month or anytime of the year. It's a story about a young boy who acutely sees what's going on in the world and internalizes the negative things to a point where he begins to fear for his future. When everything seems most hopeless, his mother comes up with a clever solution to not only allay his fears, but teach the resilience needed to be a change agent and tackle t...
May 28, 2024•31 min
Jesse Byrd is an international award-winning children’s book author and the youngest NPR Board member. At 6’8”, Jesse pivoted from playing basketball at UCSB to pursue his passion for storytelling. After working at Google in Silicon Valley and later EY in Dubai as Director of Communications for Middle East and North Africa, Jesse turned all of his energy toward his deepest love: making stories for youth and families with a focus on supporting diverse creators and own voices material. He’s curren...
May 21, 2024•31 min
Rev Valdez is a Filipino-American illustrator based in Brentwood, CA. He’s passionate about introducing readers to the myths of Filipino culture through fun, funny and visual storytelling. In this episode we discuss his book, Bunso Meets a Mumu, advice for aspiring writers, his career as a Kindergarten teacher, and more. A Mumu, is the Filipino version of the Boogeyman, who likes to punish kids who misbehave by sucking the fun out of everything! The Mumu will not let Bunso draw (on the walls), e...
May 14, 2024•28 min
To kick off Screen Free Week, listen as author Britt Gondolfi and illustrator Amanda Romanick discuss their picture book Fontaine the Pigeon Starts a Revolution and the impacts that screens are having on children and families. Britt Gondolfi grew up in the elder millennial era. She reminisces about having a screen-free childhood, minus a little Nintendo, TV, and slow dial-up desktop, but no smartphones. Concerned over how her cell phone took her attention away from her child, she wrote Look Up! ...
May 07, 2024•51 min
Step into the world of literature and publishing with author, President, & CEO of Baker & Taylor Amandeep S. Kochar, the creative force behind the Jeet and Fudge early readers series. In this episode, Amandeep shares his personal journey as an author and some insights into running Baker & Taylor publishing company. From discussing the inspiration behind his books to offering invaluable advice for aspiring writers, this conversation is an exploration of the art of storytelling and the...
Apr 30, 2024•32 min
Derrick Barnes is a National Book Award Finalist for his 2022 graphic novel Victory Stand!: Raising My Fist For Justice , which also won the 2023 YALSA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction Award, and a Coretta Scott King Award Author Honor. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning picture book Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut which received a Newbery Honor, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor, the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award, and the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers....
Jul 18, 2023•48 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Kelly Rowland is a four-time Grammy Award–winning singer, songwriter, actress, and executive producer with over 40 million records sold. She’s known worldwide as a founding member of Destiny’s Child, one of the bestselling female groups of all time. Kelly is also the coauthor of Whoa, Baby!: A Guide for New Moms Who Feel Overwhelmed and Freaked Out (and Wonder What the #*$& Just Happened) . She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. Please visit kellyrowland.com . Jessica MC...
May 12, 2023•58 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Shauntay Grant is an author, poet, playwright, and multimedia artist. Her love of literature stretches back to her storytelling roots in Nova Scotia's historic Black communities. Shauntay holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia and is an associate professor of creative writing at Dalhousie University. A former poet laureate for the City of Halifax, her honors include a Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, a Joseph S. Stauffer Prize, and a Poet Of Honor prize from ...
Nov 15, 2022•32 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Cynthia Harmony is an author and educational psychologist, originally from Mexico City. She has published for the educational market and was awarded the 2020 We Need Diverse Books Mentorship. Her debut picture book MI CIUDAD SINGS is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. Her board book OUR WORLD: MEXICO published by Barefoot Books, releases Spring 2023. Her upcoming picture book A FLICKER OF HOPE (2024) will be released simultaneously in English and Spanish. When not writing, Cynthia...
Oct 18, 2022•21 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Ali Biko Sulaiman Kamanda is an award-winning filmmaker and social entrepreneur from Sierra Leone, West Africa. He runs BIKO Studios, a cross-cultural film production company and is the President of Salone Rising, a non-profit organization that provides micro-financing and mentoring resources to small business owners in rural Sierra Leone. Jorge (pronounced George) Redmond graduated in 2000 with a degree in Communication Studies, he played soccer professionally in France and Cameroon before retu...
Oct 04, 2022•44 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Tacko Fall emigrated from Senegal as a teenager to play basketball and rose to prominence when he was selected by the Boston Celtics and became a seven-foot-six ball-playing sensation. He has played for the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers and lives in Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to basketball, Tacko Fall is a scholar, and he has a strong interest in computer science and aspires to be an engineer. Justin Haynes is a sports agent at BDA Sports Management, where he represents Tacko Fall...
Sep 20, 2022•44 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Jyoti Rajan Gopal is a writer, mom, and Kindergarten teacher. Growing up, she lived in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, India, and China. Twenty-eight years ago, she moved to New York and now lives in Yonkers in a quirky old Victorian, with her husband and two daughters. Her favorite place in the house is the wrap around porch where she loves to gather with family or friends, read, write, and drink coffee. Supriya is an author, illustrator, and screenwriter who grew up in the Midwest, where she lea...
May 10, 2022•50 min•Season 4Ep. 16
Rob Kearney is an American Professional Strongman as well as the first and only openly gay professional strongman in the world. Rob decided to compete in the Heavyweight class where he took 1st place in the 2016 Log Lift World Championships and has gone on to compete at World’s Strongest Man. Rob is a Giants Live Champion (North American Open 2017) as well as an Arnold International World Series Champion (Australia 2019). Along with Strongman, Rob and his Husband Joey have become advocates for t...
May 03, 2022•33 min•Season 4Ep. 15
In response to a recent post in my Instagram stories, I’m talking about the positive and negative impacts social media has had on my life over the past seven years. Connect with Charnaie online in the following places: Blog: http://hereweeread.com Personal Website: charnaiegordon.com Podcast Email Address: hereweereadpodcast@gmail.com Find Charnaie on the following social media platforms under the username @hereweeread: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. Feel free to share this podcast on ...
Apr 26, 2022•15 min•Season 4Ep. 14
This episode is a recording of a live interview that took place on April 13th on the campus of DreamWorks Animation Studio in Glendale, California. I had the incredible opportunity to interview the author and executive producer of the movie The Bad Guys, Aaron Blabey and the director Pierre Perifel in-person after watching a private screening of the movie. Thank you to Universal Pictures for making this possible. Purchase I Color Myself Different here . Connect with Charnaie online in the follow...
Apr 19, 2022•22 min•Season 4Ep. 13
Tameka Fryer Brown (a native of Miami, Florida) has called Charlotte, North Carolina home for over 20 years. Her first literary accomplishment as a children’s book writer came when she was awarded one of two First Prizes in the 2008 Cheerios® Spoonfuls of Stories® New Author Contest. Her debut picture book, Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day, was published by Abrams Books for Young Readers and illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb. To date, it has sold over 100,000 copies. My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Blu...
Apr 12, 2022•41 min•Season 4Ep. 12
Growing up, Sailaja was a voracious reader. From Leo the Lop to Harry Potter , Lord of the Rings and Amelia Bedelia , she loved every book she read. If you were to ask her today what her favorite book is, she'd likely say either the Harry Potter series OR The Tao of Pooh . It really depends on the day. Sailaja has been a passionate volunteer in the Hindu Youth community for over twenty years and is an accomplished academic with degrees from Northeastern University, Harvard University, and Simmon...
Apr 05, 2022•49 min•Season 4Ep. 11
This episode is a recording from a live author panel event that took place on March 8, 2022. This was an intimate couch conversation with author-illustrator Vanessa Brantley-Newton and New York Times Bestselling Author Derrick Barnes. Moderated by Charnaie Gordon from Here Wee Read. Connect with Charnaie online in the following places: Blog: http://hereweeread.com Personal Website: charnaiegordon.com Podcast Email Address: hereweereadpodcast@gmail.com Find Charnaie on the following social media ...
Mar 29, 2022•1 hr 39 min•Season 4Ep. 10
JaNay Brown-Wood, PhD is an author, educator, literary advocate, and mother who is committed to nurturing the next generation of readers by writing stories with more diversity and representation. Among her books releasing this year is a collaboration with Grammy-winning pop star Ciara and Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson titled Why Not You? a picture book to inspire young readers to see the value in themselves, be brave, and go after their biggest dreams! JaNay’s first children’s book Imani’s ...
Mar 22, 2022•47 min•Season 4Ep. 9
This episode is a recording from a live author panel event that took place on February 28, 2022 as part of Black Children’s Book Week, a week-long literary event celebrating Black children in literature. This was an intimate couch conversation with author-illustrator Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Denene Millner, Schele Williams, and Ty Allan Jackson. Moderated by Charnaie Gordon from Here Wee Read. Connect with Charnaie online in the following places: Blog: http://hereweeread.com Personal Website: ch...
Mar 15, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Frank Morrison started his journey as a graffiti artist in New Jersey, tagging walls with spray paint. Frank's work can be found in numerous award-winning children’s books including Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award winner Jazzy Miz Mozetta, NAACP Image Award winner Our Children Can Soar and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, Little Melba and her Big Trombone. His literary client list includes international book publishers Penguin Books, HarperCollins, Hyperion, Random House and Nationa...
Mar 08, 2022•38 min•Season 4Ep. 7
In response to all of the troubling current events happening around the world, I’m sharing a few children’s book recommendations. You can join the conversation by sending me an email message to: hereweereadpodcast@gmail.com . I’d love to know what books you’re reading in your schools or at home with your children or grandchildren. Books mentioned in this episode: Purchase Girl Dad here Purchase What Do You Do With a Problem here Purchase A Place Inside of Me here Purchase Most Days here Read mor...
Mar 01, 2022•11 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Tiffany D. Jackson is the NYT Bestselling, award winning author of YA novels Monday’s Not Coming , Allegedly , Let Me Hear A Rhyme , Grown , White Smoke , Santa in The City and co-author of Blackout . A Coretta Scott King — John Steptoe New Talent Award-winner and the NAACP Image Award-nominee, she received her Bachelor of Arts in film from Howard University, and has over a decade in TV/Film experience. The Brooklyn native is currently residing in Atlanta, Georgia. Tiffany has over a decade of e...
Feb 22, 2022•42 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Cedella Marley is a Grammy-winning singer, designer, entrepreneur, and the first-born daughter of reggae singers Bob and Rita Marley. She is the CEO of Bob Marley's recording label, Tuff Gong International, and the author of multiple children's books including One Love. A life-long advocate of philanthropy, Cedella is the director of the Bob Marley Foundation and is a Global Ambassador to the Jamaica Women's Football Program. Cedella Marley is a living embodiment of the way the ethics and values...
Feb 15, 2022•45 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Karyn Parsons is best known for her role as Will Smith’s spoiled and quippy cousin Hilary Banks on NBC’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. After Fresh Prince, Karyn went on to found Sweet Blackberry, an award-winning series of children’s animated films and books sharing stories of unsung black heroes in history, featuring narration from stars such as Alfre Woodard, Queen Latifah, Chris Rock, and Laurence Fishburne. The films have screened on HBO and Netflix and are enjoyed by schools and libraries ac...
Feb 08, 2022•59 min•Season 4Ep. 3
In response to a recent post on my Instagram account, I’m talking about ggoing beyond teaching children about slavery, racism, oppression, and struggle during Black History Month or anytime of the year. You can join the conversation by either leaving a comment on my Instagram post, or sending me an email message to: hereweereadpodcast@gmail.com . I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic and how you’re handling it in your schools or at home with your children or grandchildren. Books mentioned...
Feb 01, 2022•12 min•Season 4Ep. 2
MARIE FORLEO is an entrepreneur, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and host of the award-winning show MarieTV and The Marie Forleo Podcast, with millions of fans worldwide. One of the leading voices in personal development, she’s been featured everywhere from The Today Show to Harper’s Bazaar to Inc Magazine among others. Marie runs the acclaimed training programs, B-School, The Copy Cure, and Time Genius, and was named by Oprah as a thought leader for the next generation. Find out more at M...
Jan 25, 2022•40 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Just Us Books, Inc. was founded in 1988 by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson. Wade serves as president and CEO of the company. His career as a writer spans more than three decades and has resulted in more than 25 published books for children and young adults. Wade serves on several community boards and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and Pen America. He speaks around the country about issues of inclusion, empowering Black boys to succeed through literacy...
Dec 28, 2021•32 min•Season 3Ep. 10
