This episode of Reading with Your Kids featured interviews with several children's book authors discussing their recent publications and the importance of talking to kids about difficult topics like relationships and grief. The episode featured an interview with Rachel Lynn Solomon who wrote the YA romance novel "Past, Present, Future." Solomon discussed how the book explores healthy teenage relationships and navigating intimacy. Also in the episode Ell Gonzalez Rose celebrated her romantic come...
Jun 28, 2024•59 min
In this episode of "Reading with Your Kids," host Jed Doherty interviews life coach Loree Bischoff about empowering teenagers. Bischoff discusses her book "Common Sense Happiness" and a new online life coaching course for teens called TLC. The TLC course teaches important skills often overlooked in schools, like emotional intelligence, positive mindset, and personal responsibility. With rising rates of depression, anxiety, and other issues among youth, Bischoff saw a need to address the whole ch...
Jun 27, 2024•56 min
In this episode of Reading With Your Kids we meet three fascinating authors. We first meet author A Kidd who returned to the show to celebrate "Yasuko and the Dream Eater", which was inspired by a Japanese folk tale. She enjoyed bringing elements of Japanese culture to readers. We talk about fairy tales and ask if the original Grimm Fairy Tales have a place in today's Kidlit. We also meet author Nicholas Aragon, who writes the "Curly Crow" series. He took over the series after his mother wrote t...
Jun 25, 2024•58 min
This episode of Reading With Your Kids featured discussions about children's literature, cultural identity, and the writing process. First, Jacqueline Christine discussed her book "Mommy's Day Off" and how growing up in a Puerto Rican household influenced her writing. The conversation then turned to the importance of representing diverse families. Next, Janet Sumner Johnson introduced her middle grade novel "The Winterton Deception," which follows twin siblings who enter a spelling bee and uncov...
Jun 23, 2024•56 min
This episode of Reading With Your Kids featured two authors introducing us to their children's books that celebrate human-animal bonds and culture. Bethany Murgia, author of "Wagnificent", shared how her graphic novel was inspired by her dog. She discussed researching dog behavior and domestication to portray the dog's perspective accurately through illustrations. Murgia described creating a series to focus on empathy and understanding between species. Jedlie brought up experiences growing up wi...
Jun 21, 2024•55 min
This episode of Reading with Your Kids is all about cozy tales and Teddy Bear dreams. First up is our conversation with Amy Hess and Erin Stead. They are on the show to celebrate their book "Big Bear and Little Bear Go Fishing," which tells the story of a big bear and little bear going on a fishing trip together. They emphasized the importance of relationships in stories and capturing coziness through illustrations. Valerie Woebkinberg also joins us to celebrate her "Miles Across America" series...
Jun 20, 2024•58 min
This episode of Reading with Your Kids focused on the importance of teaching children financial literacy from a young age. Our first guest is Anthony Delauney. He tells us about his Owning the Dash book series which teaches kids financial concepts through storybooks. He emphasized starting these lessons early through activities parents and children can do together. The next guest, Brooke Lapides, presented her new book Financial Fun from A to Z which defines financial terms for kids in an alphab...
Jun 18, 2024•56 min
Welcome to episode 2000 of Reading With Your Kids. We are celebrating that milestone by celebrating the power of diverse storytelling to heal and build community resilience. .Our first guest is Dr Amra Sabic El Rayes, shares her experience growing up in Bosnia during a time of targeted violence and military siege. She discusses three magical summers from her childhood and the escalating narratives of hate she experienced. Dr Amra emphasizes the importance of authentic storytelling and diverse re...
Jun 16, 2024•57 min
Christa Avampato returns to Reading With Your Kids to celebrate her Emerson Page middle grade series. She discussed how her character Emerson came to her during a difficult time and inspired her healing journey. Avampato shared details about Emerson's latest adventure in her new book "Where the Light Leads," which takes place in Ireland. We also welcomed Healey Ikerd, author of the picture book "The Red Ball." She shared a personal story her mother told her about growing up in East Germany, whic...
Jun 14, 2024•57 min
This is a powerful episode of Reading With Your Kids. Astrid Kamalyan celebrated her book "Babo, a Tale of Armenian Rug Washing Day", which tells the story of an Armenian family tradition in a lighthearted way. She talked about growing up in post-war Armenia and experiencing hardships but finding community and love within her family. We then travel to the Connecticut Book Festival to speak with three local authors. Branwen O'Shea talked about her science fiction book "The Chasm", which features ...
Jun 13, 2024•56 min
On this episode of Reading With Your Kids we are celebrating healthy romance and immune systems. First up Kaitlin Hill celebrates her YA romance novel "Wild About You." She shared about the college experiences explored in the book, including the main character Natalie struggling with mental health while navigating school, a reality show, and a new romance. The hosts discussed the high cost of college and pressure on students. Kaitlin hopes that Wild About You will help spark family conversations...
Jun 11, 2024•58 min
On this episode of Reading with Your Kids we welcome several guests celebrating new children's books. Our first guest is author Ashley Iman, who wrote the debut picture book Ruby Renee Had So Much To Say. Ashley discussed how the book was inspired by her own childhood experiences as a talkative student. She wanted to create a character like her younger self that found positive ways to share her curiosity about the world. Our next guests are father-son duo Steve and Cliff Simmons, who have writte...
Jun 09, 2024•56 min
Jed Doherty welcomed author Lynn Brunelle and illustrator Jason Chen to Reading With Your Kids to celebrate "Life After Whale". Lynne explains that the book was inspired by her curiosity about what happens to a whale's body after it dies. She discovered that the decomposing whale creates an entire ecosystem, allowing thousands of creatures to survive through interconnected food chains. Jason discusses his illustration process, which began with visual research like photographs from Lynn's initial...
Jun 07, 2024•56 min
Dan Gutman is on Reading With Your Kids to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his popular "My Weird School" series, now at 100 books. He shares how his daughter inspired the first book and his process of writing about a different school staff member in each installment. Sophia Brown talks about her picture book "Fun at Grandma's House" and the joy of spending time with grandchildren. She encourages grandparents to read with their grandkids. Both authors reflect on building relationships through s...
Jun 06, 2024•56 min
Get ready to dive into the realm of fantasy on this episode of Reading With Your Kids. Steven A Guglich starts us on our adventure as he celebrates the first book in his Middle Grade Novel Piercing The Veil. Steven tells us his main characters, Jeremy Goodson, an overweight teacher from NYC, and Masaru Hagen, adopted son of an American Tech entrepreneur, are confronted by something that neither of them can explain, that sets these two complete strangers from opposite sides of the world to embark...
Jun 04, 2024•57 min
Get ready for a bug-tacular episode of #ReadingWithYourKids! Roger McMullen discusses his new graphic novel Cicadapocalypse. He shares his fascination with cicadas that started after witnessing an emergence in Maryland as a teenager. Roger explains the unique 13-17 year life cycle of periodical cicadas and how they emerge in large numbers across different regions. He created Cicadapocalypse to educate children about cicadas in a fun way through the story of squirrels experiencing an emergence. R...
Jun 02, 2024•57 min
In this episode of #ReadingWithYourKids we are celebrating the Nearly Departed, Long Names and a pair of Creatures named Pickle Juice and Patty Cakes. First up we speak with José Pablo Iriarte, he author of the debut #MiddleGrade #Novel Benny Ramirez and the Nearly Departed. Jose tells us that Benny Ramírez can see dead people . . . Well, one dead person, anyway. A hilarious and heartwarming story about a boy who can suddenly see the ghost of his famous musician grandfather! Jose talks about the...
May 31, 2024•58 min
You are going to love this episode of Reading With Your Kids! First up is author Megan Schaulis. She is on the show to celebrate her YA dystopian novel "Protector". Megan explained how her book takes place in a near-future world where the king's bodyguards have been genetically enhanced. The main character Noah must compete against these enhanced women to become a protector, despite being a normal athlete. Megan and the host Jed Doherty discussed how dystopian novels allow authors to address rea...
May 30, 2024•56 min
This episode of Reading With Your Kids begins with two of our favorite guests Scott Rothman and Pete Oswald. Scott and Pete return to the show to celebrate their new children's book "Bubblegum Bison Needs a Bath." Rothman is the author and Oswald is the illustrator. They have collaborated on five books together and love working as a team. Rothman writes in a visual style that lends itself well to Oswald's humorous illustrations. The guests discussed the creative process of writing and illustrati...
May 28, 2024•55 min
This episode of Reading With Your Kids features three very impressive kids and one fantastic mom. First, 13-year-old Orion Jean celebrates his new book "Race to Kindness" and inspires listeners with his message of spreading kindness. Orion discusses founding his organization Race to Kindness after being named Time Magazine's Kid of the Year. Next, Kaili Powers and her mom Mei celebrate their children's book "It's Not That Spicy", which introduces readers to Asian cuisines. They share their exper...
May 26, 2024•58 min
This episode of Reading with Your Kids explores important topics in education through insightful conversations with Tina Shepardson & Lynnette Mawhinney. Tina Shepardson shares the true story behind her book "The Sorry Seeds," about apologizing to her first grade teacher. She reflects on shifts in parent-teacher relationships and the need to trust educators working daily with students. The discussion examines challenges facing teachers with strict lesson plans limiting creativity and connect...
May 24, 2024•55 min
Ali Gilkeson & Diana Lopez are on Reading With Your Kids to talk about how music, magic & myths can inspire creativity in kids! We first speak with Chhristian recording artist Ali Gilkerson about her debut children's book "My Lighthouse". Ali tells us this song is based on the popular song by her band Rend Collective. The book tells the story of a boy named Finn who learns to appreciate his home in a lighthouse through an adventure. Ali discussed writing the book to share with her kids a...
May 23, 2024•55 min
On this episode of Reading With Your Kids we discuss alternative approaches to ADHD and brain development in children with Dr Connie McReynolds. Dr Connie is a licensed psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with families. She shared her journey developing a new assessment and treatment model for ADHD. She found that 85-90% of clients had underlying auditory or visual processing issues, rather than surface symptoms addressed by traditional interventions. McReynolds uses quantitati...
May 21, 2024•58 min
This episode of Reading With Your Kids focused on promoting children's mental health and well-being. Guest Alison McGrath discussed her picture book "Walter and the Worry Test," which teaches kids skills from cognitive behavioral therapy to manage worries and anxiety. She explained that negative thoughts can impact feelings and behaviors if left unchallenged. While childhood anxiety is rising, many schools still lack resources like counselors to help kids develop social-emotional skills and feel...
May 19, 2024•55 min
This episode of Reading With Your Kids explored the fascinating world of space through the eyes of children. Astronaut John Schaffner discussed the International Space Art and Poetry Contest, sharing imaginative submissions from kids ages 5-18 around the world. The contest reveals children's unique visions of living in space, like bringing cats and holding hands with aliens. John emphasized how the contest sparks kids' natural curiosity about space. Even without formal education on the topic, th...
May 17, 2024•55 min
We love sharing thought provoking conversations with fascinating people on Reading With Your Kids. We beging by chatting with the CEO of Reash Out And Read Marty Martinez. Marty tells us Reach Out and Read, trains pediatricians to integrate books into well-child visits to promote early literacy. He explained how shared reading helps children's brain development and bonding with parents. Later in the episode we meet author Hena Khan. Hena tells us her new anthology "The Door is Open" is a collect...
May 16, 2024•57 min
This episode of Reading With Your Kids featured several authors discussing their children's books and the importance of social emotional learning. The show began by introducing Brian Nolet and Dave Mossman, authors of the "Jungle Buddyz" book series. They discussed writing their first book together and touching on themes like believing in oneself Brian and Dave discussed using children's books to develop resilience. Brian Nolet practices self-awareness with his sons to help them manage emotions....
May 14, 2024•59 min
We are calling this episode of Reading With Your Kids If a Pigeon Poops in the Woods: Nature Calls us to Log Off and Laugh. Our first guest is JD Peabody, author of the Inkwell Chronicles fantasy series. J D returns to the show to celebrate the second book in the series. He tells us that the series was inspired by CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia and a real 1952 train crash in London. Peabody aimed to introduce kids to literature through "Easter eggs" subtly referenced in the books. The series fol...
May 12, 2024•57 min
Pam Rice returns to headline this episode of Reading With Your Kids. Pam has been a long time friend of the show. We always enjoy celebrating her beautiful picture books. Today we celebrate Pam's latest work The Sun On My Face. Pam tells us that she looks at each spread in my books as a work of art. Each page tells its own story through textures, colors, and details for readers to discover.. David Gibby tells us his Adventures Of Patch #MiddleGrade series was inspired by the stories he would tel...
May 10, 2024•59 min
Lori Orlinsky and Alysson Bourque return to #ReadingWithYourKids to share valuable mamrketing tips for all authors and aspiring authors. Lori and Aly are the founders of Expound Publicity and have helped over 550 authors launch and promote their books. They explained the challenges independent authors face with marketing, publicity, and avoiding scams. Social media was highlighted as an important tool, but authors were advised to focus on helpful rather than sales-focused content. They also shar...
May 09, 2024•58 min
