Meredith Rusu is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her new #PictureBook "There's a Yeti in My Tummy. " Meredith tells the book explores how kids can have powerful emotions, portrayed in the story as a yeti bursting out of them. Meredith emphasizes the need to embrace and find joy in the chaos of childhood, as kids navigate their unique experiences and emotions. She also highlights the importance of accepting and understanding children's individuality. The interview touches on her...
Nov 07, 2023•29 min
Dr. Rekha Rajan, a multi-talented author, musician, and educator. She returns to the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her #Debut #Childrens #PictureBook, "Can You Dance Like a Peacock?" Dr Rekha explains that the book was inspired by her children during the COVID-19 pandemic and their love for mimicking animal movements. The book features various animals and their unique dances, encouraging young readers to get up and move while learning. Dr. Rekha emphasizes the importance of incorpor...
Nov 05, 2023•30 min
Fatima Pimienta is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her new #BiLingual #ChildrensBook "Little Curiosity/Curiosita," Ffatima tells us the book is designed to be enjoyed in both English and Spanish, allowing families to read it in multiple ways. Fatima emphasizes the importance of embracing diversity and language as part of the American experience. She also shares her experiences growing up in a bilingual border town and how this influenced her perspective. The interview touches o...
Nov 04, 2023•29 min
Laura Stegman is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate "Ready Or No", the latest title in her "Summer of Luck" trilogy. The trilogy centers around three kids who meet at a summer camp and discover their voices with the help of a magical carnival and a ghost. "Summer of Luck" is about their struggles with communication, while "Ready or Not" delves into the challenges of doing what's right when everything goes wrong. The third book, "The Chambered Nautilus," continues the story. Laura ...
Nov 02, 2023•26 min
Liz Leonard is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her #debut #PictureBook "Frizzy Lizzy," Liz tells us this book follows a seven-year-old girl, Frizzy Lizzy, with curly hair and touches on themes of self-acceptance, sibling relationships, and divorced parents. Liz shared her inspiration for the book, drawing from her own experiences and her desire to help children embrace their unique family situations. She also highlighted the importance of instilling confidence in children and p...
Nov 01, 2023•27 min
#NYTimes #BestSelling #Author Kate DiCamillo returns to the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her new #Novel "The Puppets of Spelhorst." This is the first installment in a trilogy titled "Tales of Norendy." During the interview, Kate emphasized the importance of reading and reading aloud, not only for children but also for parents. Kate believes that reading together creates a unique, magical bond and a safe space for emotional connection. She also shared advice for aspiring writers, em...
Oct 31, 2023•28 min
Jean Johnson is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her "Rini Roo Adventures" book series. Jean shares her inspiration for the series, which is rooted in her own childhood experiences in the Yucatan jungle. Her granddaughter's birth brought back memories, motivating her to create a character that would help children learn vocabulary and different languages. Rini Roo, a kangaroo, travels to various states and introduces kids to the cultures and dinosaurs of each location. The books ...
Oct 29, 2023•26 min
Josh Funk is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate his latest #ChildrensBook "Dear Unicorn." The book is about a girl and a unicorn who become pen pals without realizing they are different species. Their friendship blossoms as they exchange letters and art despite their initial misunderstandings. The story also emphasizes the importance of keeping an open mind and finding common ground, even when individuals come from different backgrounds. Josh, a software engineer, shares how he wr...
Oct 28, 2023•32 min
Ha Dinh is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her powerful picture book, "Where the Wildflowers Grow." Ha tells us this book is based on her memories of living in a refugee camp in the Philippines before moving to America from Vietnam in the late 1980s. She shares the hopeful and optimistic atmosphere in the refugee camp and the importance of highlighting the human side of child refugees. Ha Dinh also talks about her teaching experience and her passion for education. The book aims...
Oct 26, 2023•29 min
Dianna Wilson-Sirkowski is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate "Just One Pebble: One Boy's Quest to End Hunger," Diana tells us the book tells the inspiring true story of a young boy named Braden Mannering who, at the age of eight, won a healthy lunch contest and was invited to the White House by Michelle Obama. After this experience, he started his own nonprofit, "3B," which focused on helping the homeless. Diana highlights the importance of kindness and encourages children to mak...
Oct 25, 2023•29 min
Amanda Lauer is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her new #YoungAdult #Novel "Royal and Ancient." Amanda talks about her passion for writing in the young adult genre, focusing on clean and sweet romances set in historic settings. Amanda's latest book, "Royal and Ancient," is a time travel tale that takes place in the year 1691 in the highlands of Scotland. The story follows a 17-year-old girl from modern-day America who is struck by lightning during a golf outing and transported ...
Oct 24, 2023•29 min
Crystal Bowyer, the Director of the National Children's Museum, is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #POdcast to celebrate the institution's mission and challenges in a recent interview. The National Children's Museum, based in Washington, DC, is dedicated to providing hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) learning experiences for children under the age of 12. The museum's goal is to inspire children to care about and change the world. One of the key challenges facing the N...
Oct 22, 2023•29 min
Dana Kramaroff is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her debut #MiddleGrade #NovelInVerse "The Do More Club." Dana tells us the book explores themes of anti-Semitism, identity, and the power of kindness. The story follows a young boy named Josh, the only Jewish student in his school, who must confront his identity and the challenges that arise after his school is targeted by an anti-Semitic attack. He decides to form the "Do More Club" with the goal of promoting kindness and fight...
Oct 21, 2023•28 min
Roshani Chokshi is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate "The Spirit Glass," Roshani tells us this book is a middle-grade novel drawing from Filipino mythology and folklore, at its core a ghost story perfect for spooky season. It explores the themes of grief and recognizing what's right in front of you to save you from the unknown. Chokshi explained how her personal experiences, including the loss of a pregnancy, influenced the book, emphasizing that incomplete grief and the fear of ...
Oct 19, 2023•26 min
en de Oliveira and Mika Song are on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate their collaborative project, "Sunday Haha." "Sunday Haha" is a newsletter that was initiated during the pandemic, serving as a platform to share their weekly comics with a kid-friendly focus. Both Jen and Mika create comics aimed at children, such as Jen's "Reggie" series and Mika's "Norman Belly" series. To make these comics accessible to a wider audience during the pandemic, they invited fellow comics creators w...
Oct 18, 2023•25 min
#NYTimes #BestSelling Author and national television personality Raymond Arroyo is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate his new #ChildrensBook The Magnificent Mischief of Tad Lincoln. Raymond tells us this is a fun picture book biography of Tad Lincoln, his relationship with his father President Abraham Lincoln, and a story about a parent’s love for his son and the wisdom of a child. Full of humor, this romp through history will teach children about the power of curiosity, imaginati...
Oct 17, 2023•28 min
Jennifer E. Morris is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate Flubby Does Not Like Snow, the latest title in her Flubby series. Jennifer has illustrated children’s magazines, greeting cards, partyware and educational materials as well as numerous picture books. She is also an author and has written several children's books including the Maud the Koala series and the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor book, Flubby is Not a Good Pet! Her best-selling title, May I Please Have a Cookie?, has sold ...
Oct 15, 2023•26 min
Gabriella Alderman is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her debut picture book, "Paula's Patches." The book, illustrated by Rocio Arriola Mendoza follows Paula, who starts her school day with a rip in her pants and spends the day trying to hide it in creative ways. Along the way, she discovers that others also have embarrassing mishaps, leading her to offer patches to her classmates, fostering a sense of connection and empathy. The conversation also touched on translating childre...
Oct 14, 2023•30 min
Becca Wierwille is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her debut middle-grade novel "Road Trip Rescue." Becca tells us about her book, her personal experiences, and the importance of representation in children's literature. "Road Trip Rescue" is an adventurous tale about Kimmy, a girl who embarks on a journey to find her missing dog. Along the way, she learns about friendship, differences, and the power of faith. Becca's book is not only a captivating story but also brings awarenes...
Oct 12, 2023•26 min
Max Brooks, the New York Times best-selling author, is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate his latest book, "Minecraft: The Village." In the interview, Brooks emphasizes the need for parents to prepare their children for a changing job market that requires flexibility, problem-solving skills, and innovation. He critiques the traditional education system, rooted in the Prussian model, for its focus on standardization and memorization, stating that it no longer adequately prepares st...
Oct 11, 2023•32 min
Chanel Miller is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate "Hadassah's Breakfast Delights." Chanel tells us her book series is designed to empower kids to cook with as little adult assistance as possible, starting as young as three years old. She emphasizes the importance of parent-child interactions, using the book's stories and cooking activities as a way to bond and create lasting memories. Chanel's goal is to make a positive impact on children's lives and help parents build strong re...
Oct 10, 2023•25 min
Tonja Howard is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate Grumpy or Grateful, the first book in her "Virtues and Values" picture book series, The series focuses on instilling important virtues and values in children, starting with gratitude. Tonja explained that her journey as a parent inspired the creation of this series, emphasizing the importance of building a strong foundation of virtues and values in children's lives. Gratitude, in particular, plays a central role as it leads to gre...
Oct 08, 2023•29 min
Ginny Neil is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her debut #PictureBook The Glorious Forest That Fire Built. Ginny is an author, illustrator, award-winning teacher, and master naturalist. When she's not slogging through a marsh, trying to spot spring peepers or chasing errant sheep across mountains and meadows, she manages an outdoor learning lab, teaches STEM to elementary and middle school students, and writes about all the things and people that make Earth such a fun and fascin...
Oct 07, 2023•25 min
John Buchta is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate "The Wonderful Once" John tells us this is a heartwarming Christmas story set in the late 19th century, featuring a young homeless boy named Lucas Astin who discovers the true joy of sharing and giving. The story revolves around Lucas, who lives in a school with other homeless children. Every year, they have a grand celebration where each child can choose one gift from a pile. When Lucas receives a beautiful handcrafted sled, he is...
Oct 05, 2023•27 min
Dr. Laurie Haas, a world-renowned magician and educator, is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate the legacy of the late magician Eugene Burger. Eugene Burger was known for his captivating performances and storytelling skills in the world of magic. He prioritized connecting with his audience over simply showcasing tricks, emphasizing that magic should be about life experiences. Larry Hass, who worked closely with Eugene Burger, was tasked with publishing his unpublished material, cre...
Oct 04, 2023•34 min
Steven Guarnaccia is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate "The Story of Pasta." Steven tells usthis book explores the fascinating world of pasta, its history, and its versatility. The discussion touches on the origins of pasta, with a nod to the Marco Polo myth and the belief that pasta may have ancient Italian roots dating back to the 4th century BCE. The podcast also highlights how pasta has evolved with the introduction of machines and industrialization, leading to the creation o...
Oct 03, 2023•29 min
Frances Cha is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her debut picture book "The Goblin Twins." Frances tells us her inspiration for the book, which revolves around ancient goblins from Korean folklore called Tokki and Gibbi. These goblins have different aspects to their history, with some stories portraying them as terrifying creatures for adults and others as mischievous tricksters in children's folk tales. Frances moved to Sleepy Hollow, a real place in New York, which coincidenta...
Oct 01, 2023•23 min
Jen Malia is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her new "Infinity Rainbow Club" series. Jen tells us this series features characters who have various neurodivergent traits. In this enlightening discussion, Jen and Jedlie explore the importance of recognizing and supporting neurodivergent individuals. They discuss the growing awareness of neurodiversity, including conditions like autism, ADHD, OCD, dyslexia, and more. Jen emphasizes the significance of understanding one's neurodive...
Sep 30, 2023•29 min
Robin Hall is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her debut #PictureBook "The Littlest Weaver" Robin tells us this is a heartwarming book set in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Intrigued by the rich weaving culture of Appalachia, Robin's book beautifully explores family, tradition, and the power of storytelling through art. It reminds us of the importance of preserving our cultural heritage while highlighting the impact of acts of kindness within communities. Robin's i...
Sep 28, 2023•25 min
Matt McMahon is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her spooky fun series of middle-grade novels called "Monsterious!" Matt tells us these books are not just for kids; they can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. He believes that these novels offer engaging stories and important life lessons. The series consists of spooky monster mysteries, with each book being a standalone adventure featuring a unique cast of characters. McMahon's London-based illustrator, Ryan Cookfall, has create...
Sep 27, 2023•29 min
