A joint venture between Reach Out and Read and Scholastic, with help from several other publishers, the 35 for 35 project will distribute 350,000 free books to children ages five and under during their well-child visits.

The books celebrate the vibrant neighborhoods and diverse cultures of the children who are served by Reach Out and Read. Kids will be introduced to titles by acclaimed and emerging authors and illustrators, including poet Nikki Giovanni, basketball great LeBron James, and writer and educator Joanna Ho.

“Evidence shows that if children are exposed to books and reading through their pediatric well-child visits,” Marty says, “they’re more likely to get read to at home. They’re more likely to spend time with their parents or caregivers connecting over a book.”
As Chief Executive Officer of Reach Out and Read, Marty leads the Boston-based nonprofit’s vast network, which includes more than 6,000 program sites in all 50 states and nearly 30 regional, state, and local affiliates. He has spent decades working on behalf of young people and families in underserved communities across the Boston area. Most recently, as the city’s Chief of Health and Human Services, Marty led Boston through some of the most acute challenges posed by the pandemic.

In her role as Chief Impact Officer at Scholastic, Judy helps to ensure equal access to books and literacy for all children through partnerships with nonprofits and other organizations. She currently serves on several boards, including at Reach Out and Read and the Ruby Bridges Foundation, where she is Board President.

For many years, Judy led the iconic Scholastic Reading Club, aka the Book Clubs. She is known fondly in the office as our Reader-in-Chief. During the pandemic, Judy went back to school, earning a master’s degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

→ Resources
Reach Out and Read: For 35 years, the Boston-based nonprofit has helped millions of young families across the country access literacy through well-child visits.
35 for 35: Learn more about this free, curated book collection, a collaboration between Reach Out and Read and Scholastic.

→ Highlights
Marty Martinez, CEO, Reach Out and Read
“The mission of Reach Out and Read is to provide opportunities and moments for children and their parents to have shared moments of connection and bonding through reading.”
“We’re a very simple model that integrates early literacy and books into well-child visits for our children five and under all across the United States.”
“A child learns to read and then reads to learn.”
“It opens doors not only for a child but for a whole family when you focus on early literacy.”
Judy Newman, Chief Impact Officer, Scholastic
“Programs like these don’t happen unless someone leads the charge.”
“Twelve publishers from across the publishing industry contributed titles to [35 for 35].”

“For American democracy to continue, we have to have literacy.”

→ Special Thanks
Producer: Maxine Osa
Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan
Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl

→ Coming Soon

Bad Guys Author Aaron Blabey Talks About Cat on the Run

When We Flew Away: Author Alice Hoffman Discusses Her New Novel About Anne Frank Before the Diary

Carmen is a master storyteller who was born in Havana, Cuba, and grew up in Decatur, Georgia. Her acclaimed picture books include Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale, Rita & Ralph’s Rotten Day, and The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet.

Next, author and actress Sonia Manzano, known to generations of kids as the beloved Maria on Sesame Street, discusses Coming Up Cuban, her lyrical new novel for middle graders. Sonia, who has won 15 Emmy Awards, is also the author of Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx and The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano, which won the Pura Belpre Award in 2013. Sonia’s animated series for PBS Kids, Alma’s Way, was recently renewed for a second season. Inspired by her own childhood, it features a 6-year-old New Yorker of Puerto Rican heritage.

Last but not least, Claribel A. Ortega introduces Witchlings, her highly-anticipated novel for middle-graders. The imaginative story follows a group of aspiring witches who learn that the magic in their lives is found not so much in the spells they cast but in the friendships they make. A former newspaper reporter of Dominican heritage, Claribel is also the author of Ghost Squad, a New York Times bestseller.

Alex talks with host Suzanne McCabe about Melissa, which was originally published as George in 2015. The novel introduces young readers to a transgender girl who yearns to play the role of Charlotte in her school play. The book won a Lamda Literary Award and a Children’s Choice Book Award, among many other honors. It also was the most-banned book in the United States in 2020.

“As a trans person writing about another trans person, when Melissa’s story is challenged, someone is saying that my existence is too scary, too deviant, too monstrous, to show to children,” Alex says. “It hurts.”

Highlights:
“I didn’t figure out who I was until I was 19, [when] I found the word genderqueer in a book.”

“I have heard so many positive, wonderful stories of people who were able to figure who they were because they saw Melissa.”

“The book doesn’t make someone trans, but it gives tools for talking about it.”

“I love hearing from adults who say, ‘This is the book I wish I had when I was a kid.’”

“A character in a book can be real in the sense [that] they have thoughts. They have beliefs. You’re inside their mind in a way that you’re often not inside the minds of real people. If my book can help someone respect who’s in the world, that’s invaluable.”

“My book would not have been banned 20 years ago because my book wouldn’t have existed. Something needs to exist, and something needs to be recognized in order to be challenged.”

—Alex Gino, author, Melissa

Special Thanks:
Producer: Bridget Benjamin
Associate producer: Constance Gibbs
Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan
Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl

Coming Soon:
Summer Reading • Aaron Blabey and The Bad Guys • Because of You, John Lewis

Debbi is a third-generation Japanese American, who was born in raised in California. She now lives in Mystic, Connecticut, where her upcoming middle grade novel, Sweet and Sour, is set. She talks with host Suzanne McCabe about Sweet and Sour and the summer romance between characters Mai and Zach.

“All of my books star Japanese American main characters,” Debbi says. “It is such an honor to be able to write from my personal experience and background, but [also] to be able to focus on universal things like friendship and those first-crush feelings.”

Later, Gita talks about her upcoming picture book, My Bindi, illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan. “The bindi in Hindu culture is considered the third eye,” Gita explains. “It looks inward, and it symbolizes strength, your inner strength.”

Gita earned her master’s degree in literacy education at Teachers College at Columbia University. Born and raised in India, she developed a love of storytelling hearing her grandfather weave fantastical tales. She is currently an elementary school teacher in Princeton, New Jersey.

In this episode, we celebrate Women’s History Month and the power of women to transform our world, one stitch at a time. Host Suzanne McCabe talks with Scholastic Kid Reporter Camille Fallen, 13, about a recent interview she conducted with acclaimed textile artist Bisa Butler and Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, an educator and the author of the bestselling Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy.

Bisa’s textile portraits, which are inspired by black and white photographs that she collects, tell the story of both ordinary and notable Black Americans. She uses the medium of quilting to interrogate the historic marginalization of her subjects, while conveying the subjects’ complex individuality.

“My work is a recording of what life is like for me as a Black woman and the way I see things,” Bisa says. “By creating these portraits, I’m giving other people a window into how Black people see themselves. It’s an insider’s view of a community that is not always paid attention to, a community that has been mischaracterized deliberately, lied about, or ignored.”

Bisa, who had a solo show in 2020-’21 at the Art Institute of Chicago, will be honored this spring at the 60th Anniversary Benefit Gala of the American Folk Art Museum.

Bisa and Gholdy both approach their work as educators. Bisa is a former high school teacher, and Gholdy, an associate professor of language and literacy at Georgia State University, has served as a school district curriculum director and a middle school teacher. Camille, who lives in Virginia, is a member of the award-winning Scholastic Kids Press team.

Created by the nonprofit LitWorld and sponsored by Scholastic, World Read Aloud Day is celebrated in more than 173 countries. The annual event takes place this year on February 2. Participants are invited to grab a book, find an audience, and, yes, read aloud.

Research shows that reading aloud provides several benefits to children. It helps strengthen their cognitive development, improve their vocabulary, and increase their attention span. Best of all, it fosters joy. As one teacher told us: “My favorite part is when I look up and see ‘that look, that smile’ that tells me I’ve hooked one more reader who will fall in love with reading for a lifetime.”

Special Thanks:
Producer: Bridget Benjamin
Associate producer: Constance Gibbs
Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan
Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl

What made de Regniers so sure that Clifford would win over young hearts? “That’s how kids feel,” she said. “They feel like, ‘I don’t belong here. I’m somebody odd in the crowd.’”

Since then, more than 160 Clifford titles have made their way into print. The books have been translated into more than 20 languages and sold more than 134 million copies. Along the way, TV series and video games have been created about the lovable character.

Now, Clifford is hitting the big screen in Clifford the Big Red Dog, a new movie from Paramount Pictures. The film, which is also available for streaming on Paramount+, is directed by Walt Becker and produced by Jordan Kerner and Iole Lucchese, who is Chief Strategy Officer at Scholastic and President of Scholastic Entertainment. Caitlin Friedman, SVP and General Manager of Scholastic Entertainment, serves as Executive Producer.

In the new film, Darby Camp stars as Emily Elizabeth, the little girl whose puppy magically grows to be 10 feet tall. She and her Uncle Casey, played by Jack Whitehall, must cope with Clifford’s somewhat unmanageable size in a New York City apartment.

The film also features John Cleese, as animal trainer Mr. Bridwell; Izaac Wang as Emily Elizabeth’s steadfast friend, Owen; and Tony Hale as Zack Tieran, the scheming villain of tech giant LyfeGrow. Kenan Thompson turns in a hilarious performance as Clifford’s baffled—and intimidated—veterinarian.

In this episode, Kerner talks with podcast host Suzanne McCabe about his role producing the movie. He explains the hopeful message that everyone’s favorite big red dog offers this holiday season and gives a behind-the-scenes look at filming in New York City, where the CGI-animated Clifford was represented by two talented puppeteers. Kerner has served as a producer on dozens of films for television and the big screen, including The Mighty Ducks, George of the Jungle, Charlotte’s Web, and The Smurfs. He is a former Dean of the School of Filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Special Thanks:
Producer: Bridget Benjamin
Associate producer: Constance Gibbs
Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan
Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl

Coming Soon:
If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving

The girls get their first big break when they meet Sean “Mercury” Ellis, the undisputed king of R&B. But Merc has other ideas for them.

Tami, herself, is no stranger to the music scene. In her teens and early twenties, she tasted fame with an all-girl R&B group. She found her voice. But as the title of her book suggests, not everyone does. Muted amplifies the voices and the promise of Black and Brown girls, while painting a harrowing picture of the abuse and violence that many suffer in silence.

A former classroom teacher, Tami is also the author of The New York Times-bestselling picture book, All Because You Matter, which began as a love letter to her young son.

You may know Sonia as Maria, the beloved character she played on Sesame Street for more than 30 years. Growing up in a struggling Puerto Rican family in the 1950s, Sonia wondered how she could contribute to a society that didn’t see her. “I felt invisible,” she says. Her story of resilience and hope continues to inspire readers of all ages.

Host Suzanne McCabe also talks with Pam Muñoz Ryan, the award-winning author of Esperanza Rising and several other celebrated novels. Pam discusses the genesis of her latest book, an enchanting novel for middle-graders called Mañanaland. The mythical tale introduces readers to a brave boy named Max, who learns what it means to help people fleeing danger and persecution.

In the final segment, author Justin A. Reynolds and illustrator Pablo Leon introduce their new graphic novel, Miles Morales: Shock Waves. It is already a hit with young Marvel fans. “Maybe you’re not able to have web slingers and scale the city walls,” Justin tells kids, “but your voice can travel just as far.”

First, host Suzanne McCabe talks with Rebecca Siegel, the author of To Fly Among the Stars: The Hidden Story of the Fight for Women Astronauts. Rebecca describes the early years of America’s space program, when 13 brave women trained in a secret, privately-funded program, hoping to earn their spot among the stars. These accomplished air racers, test pilots, and flight instructors later lobbied the White House and Congress to have women included in the astronaut program. Rebecca’s riveting tale about Jerrie Cobb, Janey Hart, and 11 other women serves as an inspiration for any girl who doubts that she can achieve whatever she sets her mind to.

Suzanne also talks with Dr. Ronke Olabisi, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the University of California, Irvine. She tells listeners about her childhood dream of becoming an astronaut and how that led to her career as a biomedical engineer and inventor.

Special Thanks:
Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl
Producer: Bridget Benjamin
Associate Producer: Constance Gibs
Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan

Coming Soon:
Honoring the Asian American Experience with Kelly Yang
Music in Literature: Tami Charles and Lamar Giles

Varian has written several critically-acclaimed novels, including The Great Greene Heist and The Parker Inheritance, which was named a Coretta Scott King Honor Book in 2019. He and Shannon describe the experience of creating their first graphic novel together and why they think Twins is such a hit with young readers.

Resources:
The Power of Story: Diverse Books for All Readers

13 Black-Owned Bookstores to Know About

Learn More About Author Varian Johnson

Learn More About Illustrator Shannon Wright

Special Thanks:
Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl
Producer: Bridget Benjamin
Associate Producer: Constance Gibbs
Sound Engineer: Daniel Jordan

Coming Soon:
Women and STEM

For the past decade, Scholastic has been the title sponsor of World Read Aloud Day, which was created by LitWorld, a global non-profit that fosters a love of reading in children everywhere.

In this episode, host Suzanne McCabe talks with literacy expert and author Pam Allyn, who is the founder of LitWorld. She'll share ideas for educators and families who would like to participate in this year's celebration, which takes place on February 3.
Malcolm Mitchell will describe his own reading journey. “I was a 19-, 20-year-old college student whom the world praised for my ability to catch a pass,” he says. “But in the bookstore, I was buying The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Exclamation Mark, and The Giving Tree to help teach myself how to become more literate.”
Malcolm is now the best-selling author of The Magician's Hat and My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World. His Share The Magic Foundation helps transform young lives through literacy. In his past life, Malcolm was a star wide receiver for the New England Patriots. He has a Super Bowl ring to prove it!

Special Thanks:
Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl
Producer: Bridget Benjamin
Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan

Coming Soon:
Coretta Scott King Honor Author Varian Johnson Talks About Twins, His Graphic Novel

Host Suzanne McCabe talks with Mallika Chopra, an author, speaker, and wellbeing expert who serves as the mindfulness consultant on the TV series, and award-winning children's book illustrator and artist, Jon J Muth.

Resources:
You can learn more about Jon J. Muth here and about Stillwater, the new animated TV series from Apple TV+ here.

Special thanks:
Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl
Producer: Bridget Benjamin
Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan

Coming Soon:
Antiracism Resources for the Classroom

Kids have grown-up with, and obsessed over Clifford the Big Red Dog, Goosebumps, The Baby-Sitters Club, Harry Potter, and Captain Underpants. Stories by Suzanne Collins, the late Walter Dean Myers, Raina Telgemeier, Pam Muñoz Ryan, and Kelly Yang, to name a few, still captivate young readers. Scholastic News and Junior Scholastic are still staples in classrooms across the country, and Scholastic Kid Reporters are still out there getting stories that matter to them and their young readers.
Last, but not least, young people still receive coveted Scholastic Art & Writing Awards each year, as they have done for nearly a century. Past recipients include Andy Warhol, Bernard Malamud, Kay WalkingStick and Mozelle Thompson. The list goes on, but we wanted to hear from Dick about his memories of his father, the early years at the company, and how he has remained true to his father's vision, that few things are more magical than children discovering themselves in the pages of a book.

Then Francisco Stork, the author of such acclaimed YA titles as The Memory of Light and Marcelo in the Real World, talks about his latest novel, Illegal. This page-turning thriller follows Sara Zapata and her brother, Emiliano, and their desperate escape from Mexico to the U.S. Illegal is a sequel to Francisco’s earlier novel, Disappeared.

You can learn more about Land of the Cranes, Illegal, and all of our latest fiction and nonfiction at scholastic.com/kids. For a catalog of diverse books for readers of all ages, click here.
To check out the Scholastic Student Vote, a virtual mock-election that has been running since 1940, visit scholastic.com/election.

We wanted to give you a preview of the books you can look forward to, so we invited some of our authors to read aloud. First, Tami Charles reads All Because You Matter, her love letter to Black and brown children. (2:31)

Next, Christina Soontornvat takes us inside the pages of Icing on the Snowflake, the latest title in her popular chapter book series, Diary of an Ice Princess. Christina’s adventures for elementary school readers start with a simple premise: What if Frozen’s Elsa went to regular school? If you have any Elsa fans in your house, this is the series for them! (6:41)

We also hear from Brazilian author Vitor Martins. He shares an excerpt from his new queer romance, Here the Whole Time. This story about the magic of first love explores the insecurities that many teens feel around body image. (11:12)

Then, Kara McDowell reads from her new novel for young adults, One Way or Another. It’s a poignant story about a girl who learns to face her debilitating anxieties as she navigates a relationship with her best friend and longtime crush. (17:55)

For 8- to 12-year-olds who enjoy horror and spooky mysteries, Daka Hermon reads from her suspense-filled debut, Hide and Seeker. (25:39)

Last but not least, middle-grade favorite Kelly Yang reads the opening pages of Three Keys, the highly-anticipated sequel to her debut best-seller, Front Desk. (31:52)

You can learn more about these titles and all of our latest fiction and nonfiction at scholastic.com/kids.

To check out the Scholastic Student Vote, a virtual mock-election, that has been running since 1940 visit scholastic.com/election.

Special thanks:

Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl
Producer: Bridget Benjamin
Associate producer: Mackenzie Cutruzzula
Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan

We also spotlight author Ann M. Martin, who created the beloved book series. Host Suzanne McCabe spoke with Ann in 2016, amid celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the best-selling series, which began in 1986 with the publication of Kristy’s Great Idea.

You can learn more about The Baby-Sitters Club book series, including the graphic novels, here and the Netflix TV show here.

Special thanks:

Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl
Producer: Bridget Benjamin
Associate producer: Mackenzie Cutruzzula
Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan

Additional Resources:
Rosa Parks: In Her Own Words exhibit features rarely seen materials that offer an intimate view of Rosa Parks and documents in her life and activism.

Special thanks:
Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Produced and edited by Bridget Benjamin
Associate produced by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan

Guests:

• Kevin Kirschner: Nephew of host Suzanne McCabe
• Mark Seidenfeld: Vice President and Deputy General Counsel
• Talia Seidenfeld: Assistant Editor
• Patti Vaughan: Convention Manager, Corporate Conventions
• Raisa Masood: Internal Communications Coordinator
• Amanda Erbe: Scholastic Kid Reporter

Special thanks:

• Hosted by Suzanne McCabe
• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Produced and edited by Bridget Benjamin
• Associate produced by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
• Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan

Guests: 

Alyssa Milano:

Actress and activist Alyssa Milano has spent almost her entire life in the public eye. A famous child actor, she has continued to work throughout her adulthood in both television and film, most notably starring in the wildly popular television series Who's the Boss? and Charmed. Alyssa is also a lifelong activist and is passionate about fighting for human rights around the world. In 2003, UNICEF invited Alyssa to become a National Ambassador in recognition of her charitable work on behalf of children. Ever since then, Alyssa has been a champion of children's rights, working closely with UNICEF to raise money and awareness and provide aid to the children who need it most all over the world. Alyssa also speaks to kids in schools around the country about the importance of voting and teaches them how to fill out a ballot because she believes it's never too early to be civic-minded. Most recently, Alyssa is known for popularizing the #MeToo hashtag on Twitter, sparking the massive viral movement. She was named one of the 2017 Persons of the Year in Time magazine alongside other prestigious activists. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two kids.

Alula Alderson: A Scholastic Kids Press reporter since 2017, Alula Alderson covers a variety of topics including entertainment, the enviornment, and history. 

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Hope: Project Middle School by Alyssa Milano and Debbie Rigaud, illustrated by Eric S. Keyes here.

Learn more about the Scholastic Kids Press here. 

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Produced and edited by Bridget Benjamin
• Associate Produced by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
• Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan

*Suzanne McCabe is the Editor of Scholastic Kids Press

According to the latest Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™, classroom libraries are only available for 43 percent of school-age children. And only one-third of kids say that they have access to a classroom library with enough of the types of books they’d like to read.

Guests:

It’s Halloween-time! And we’re sure you’re getting into the spirit—scary noises and all. 

To celebrate this spooky season, we’re talking with four authors who specialize in writing scary stories for kids!

On this episode, you’ll hear from Victoria Schwab, Max Brallier, India Hill Brown, and R. L. Stine. We asked them what it is about spine-chilling books that’s so compelling for young readers. Each author also shares a spooky read-aloud from their latest book!  

Additional Resources

• Learn more about the Cassidy Blake series by Victoria Schwab
• Learn more about the Acorn line Mr. Shivers series by Max Brallier
• Learn more about The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown
• Learn more about the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine

Guests:

• Victoria Schwab: Victoria is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen novels for readers of all ages, including City of Ghosts, the Shades of Magic series (which has been translated into over 15 languages), This Savage Song, and Our Dark Duet. Victoria can often be found haunting Paris streets and trudging up Scottish hillsides. Usually, she's tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up stories. Visit her online at veschwab.com.
• Max Brallier: Max Brallier is the author of more than 20 books for children, including the Galactic Hot Dogs and The Last Kids on Earth middle-grade series. Under the pen name Jack Chabert, he is the creator and author of the Eerie Elementary series with Scholastic Branches. Max lives in New York City with his wife and daughter.
• India Hill Brown: India Hill Brown is a southern belle who recently moved back down south to North Carolina after living in NYC and working at HBO. Her day job is in social media, and her passion is writing. Her freelance work has been published in Teen Vogue, Essence, Sesi Mag, and The Everygirl. Visit her at booksandbighair.com or on Twitter at @booksandbighair.
• R.L. Stine: R.L. Stine's books have sold more than 300 million copies, making him one of the most popular children's authors in history. Besides Goosebumps, R.L. Stine has written series including: Fear Street, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room, and Dangerous Girls. R.L. Stine lives in New York with his wife, Jane, and his King Charles spaniel, Minnie. www.RLStine.com.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
• Produced and edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula

Later, we talk with Da Chen. Da is a New York TImes bestselling author who joins us to talk about his memoir for young readers, Girl Under a Red Moon. The deeply moving story focuses on Da’s older sister Sisi and their childhood growing up together during the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

Additional Resources

Learn more about Child of the Dream (A Memoir of 1963) by Sharon Robinson

Learn more about Girl Under a Red Moon by Da Chen

Guests:

Sharon Robinson: daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, is the author of several works of fiction and nonfiction. She has also written several widely praised nonfiction books about her father.

Da Chen: Da Chen’s life is a true immigrant success story. A native of China, Chen grew up in a tiny village without electricity or running water. He was a victim of communist political persecution during the Chinese Cultural Revolution but then went on to study at the Beijing Languages and Culture University. Da arrived in America at the age of twenty-three with only $30 and a bamboo flute, and attended the Columbia University School of Law on a full scholarship. He lives in Southern California, with his family.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
• Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
• Produced by Emily Morrow

This week, Raina joins us in the studio to talk about Guts. We also talk with Dr. Eli Lebowitz, who studies and treats childhood and adolescent anxiety and is Director of the Program for Anxiety Disorders at the Yale Child Study Center.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about Guts by Raina Telgemeier
• Follow Raina Telgemeier on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
• Learn more about the Yale Child Study Center–Scholastic Collaborative for Child & Family Resilience
• See more data from the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report

Guests:

• Raina Telgemeier is the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning creator of Smile and Sisters, which are both graphic memoirs based on her childhood. She is also the creator of Drama and Ghosts, and is the adapter and illustrator of four Baby-sitters Club graphic novels. Raina lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. To learn more, visit her online at goRaina.com.
• Eli Lebowitz studies and treats childhood and adolescent anxiety and is Director of the Program for Anxiety Disorders at the Yale Child Study Center. His research focuses on the development, neurobiology, and treatment of anxiety and related disorders, with special emphasis on cross-generational and familial influences in these disorders. Dr. Lebowitz is the lead investigator on multiple funded research projects, and is the author of numerous research papers and of books and chapters on childhood and adolescent anxiety. He is also the father of three great boys.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
• Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Plus, you'll also hear from young readers themselves who sent us messages describing why they love Dog Man!

Additional resources: 

• Get your copy of Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls
• See all of the stops on Dav Pilkey's Dog Man "Do Good" Tour

Guests:

• When Dav Pilkey was a kid, he suffered from ADHD, dyslexia, and behavioral problems. Dav was so disruptive in class that his teachers made him sit out in the hall every day. Luckily, Dav loved to draw and make up stories. He spent his time in the hallway creating his own original comic books. In the second grade, Dav Pilkey created a comic book about a superhero named Captain Underpants. His teacher ripped it up and told him he couldn't spend the rest of his life making silly books. Fortunately, Dav was not a very good listener. 
  

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
• Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
• Produced by Emily Morrow

This week, you'll hear from some kids first-hand about what they love about summer reading. We also talk about how Scholastic is getting 200,000 books into the hands of kids who need them through a national collaboration with United Way. And we talk with two booksellers who have been working to engage their communities in summer reading through book drives and Summer Reading Celebration events!

Additional resources:

• Learn more about the Scholastic Summer Read-a-Palooza
• Join the Summer Reading Challenge
• Find a Summer Reading Celebration near you
• Read more of our research around summer reading in the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report
• Learn more about United Way
• Learn more about Beanbag Books
• Learn more about The Bookstore Plus

Guests:

• Stephanie Smirnov is the executive vice president of global communications at Scholastic.
• Ayeola Fortune is the senior director of impact and global results at United Way Worldwide.
• Jody Everett is the owner of Beanbag Books in Delaware, OH.
• Sarah Galvin is the owner of The Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid, NY.
  

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
• Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Today, you’ll hear from Mason Deaver, Kacen Callender, and Bill Konigsberg. Each will introduce their latest novels, talk about their creative process, and discuss what it means to write books that are giving some young readers the chance to see themselves truly represented in the pages of a book.

Additional Resources:

• I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
• Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender
• The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg
• Learn more about our Read with Pride campaign
• LGBTQIA resource center

Guests:

• Mason Deaver is a non-binary author and librarian from a small town in North Carolina where the word "y'all" is used in abundance. When they aren't writing or working, they're typically found in their kitchen baking something that's bad for them or out in their garden complaining about the toad that likes to dig holes around their hydrangeas. I Wish You All the Best is their debut novel. You can find them online at masondeaverwrites.com.
• Kacen Callender was born and raised on St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands. They hold a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, where they studied fine arts, Japanese, and creative writing, as well as an MFA from The New School's Writing for Children program. Their debut novel Hurricane Child was a Stonewall Book Award winner, a Lambda Literary Award winner, and was named a Kirkus Best Book of 2018.
• Bill Konigsberg is the author of six books for young adults, most recently The Music of What Happens. His books have won awards including the Stonewall Book Award, the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor, and the Lambda Literary Award. Bill lives in Chandler, Arizona, with his husband, Chuck, and their two Labradoodles, Mabel and Buford. Please visit him online at www.billkonigsberg.com and @billkonigsberg.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
• Sound mixed by Daniel Jordan
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Additional Resources:

• Learn more about Dear Ally, How Do I Write A Book?
• Learn more about Share Your Smile
• Follow Ally Carter on Twitter and Instagram
• Follow Raina Telgemeier on Twitter and Instagram

Guests:

• Ally Carter is the New York Times bestselling author of the Gallagher Girls, Heist Society, and Embassy Row series as well as the standalone novel Not If I Save You First. Her books have been published all over the world, in over 20 languages. You can visit her online at allycarter.com.
• Raina Telgemeier is he #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning creator of Smile and Sisters, which are both graphic memoirs based on her childhood. She is also the creator of Drama and Ghosts, and is the adapter and illustrator of four Baby-sitters Club graphic novels. Raina lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. To learn more, visit her online at goRaina.com.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan and Mackenzie Cutruzzula
• Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
• Produced by Emily Morrow

This week, you'll hear from four of our in-house experts — as well as some kids themselves! — about what the data tells us that kids and their families are looking for in the books they read.

Additional resources:

• See all of the findings from the Kids & Family Reading Report: Finding Their Story
• Learn more about Game of Stars by Sayantani DasGupta
• Learn more about the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis
• Learn more about the Power of Story initiative and download the catalog
• See the full digital catalog on Edelweiss
• Read Lizette Serrano's blog post about Esperanza Rising 

Guests:

• Lauren Tarshis is the Vice President and Editor-in-Chief/Publisher of Scholastic Classroom Magazines. She's also the author of the bestselling I Survived series.
• Andrea Davis Pinkney is a Vice President, Executive Editor of Scholastic Trade books and an award-winning children's book author.
• Michael Haggen is the Chief Academic Officer at Scholastic.
• Lizette Serrano is the Executive Director of Educational Marketing and Event Strategy at Scholastic.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
• Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
• Produced by Emily Morrow, Mackenzie Cutruzzula, Suzanne McCabe

Keith joins us today to talk about his path to becoming an author and what he hopes his 8- to 12-year-old readers will take away from this heartwarming story about Ernest, Ryan, and Lizzie, and their efforts to help their divided town choose empathy and kindness over anger and fear. 

Additional resources

• Learn more about A Drop of Hope by Keith Calabrese
• Learn more about Keith Calabrese

Guests

• Keith Calabrese is an author and screenwriter who holds a degree in creative writing from Northwestern University. A former script reader, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife, kids, and a dog who thinks he's a mountain goat.

Special thanks

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
• Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
• Produced by Emily Morrow 

The novel is a modern day Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret set in Oakland, California, and steeped in the culture and traditions of the Mexica, indigenous people of Mexico.

The story introduces us to Celi Rivera. Like every 11-year-old, she has questions. Questions about her changing body, her first crush, and her best friend’s exploration of gender fluidity. But most of all, she has questions about her mother’s insistence that she have a moon ceremony when her first period arrives — an ancestral Mexica ritual that Mima and their community have reclaimed and that Celi does not want to participate in.

Today, Aida and her editor, Nick Thomas, join us to discuss why this lyrical coming-of-age own-voices story is a must-read for everyone.

Additional resources

• Read more about The Moon Within
• Learn more about Aida Salazar

Guests

• Aida Salazar is a writer, arts advocate, and homeschooling mother whose writings for adults and children explore issues of identity and social justice. In addition to her debut, The Moon Within, she is the author of the forthcoming books The Land of the Cranes and her debut picture book, Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Revolutionary Fighter, all published by Arthur A. Levine Books. Her story "By the Light of the Moon" was adapted into a ballet production by the Sonoma Conservatory of Dance and is the first Xicana-themed ballet in history. She lives with her family of artists in a teal house in Oakland, CA.
• Nick Thomas is a senior editor with Arthur A. Levine Books.

Special thanks

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
• Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
• Produced by Emily Morrow 

This week, you'll hear from a literacy expert, an author, an editor, and several kids and families all about what makes the read-aloud so special, and why it's a crucial experience for kids of all ages. 

Additional resources: 

• See all of our findings from our Kids & Family Reading Report: The Rise of Read-Aloud
• Read more from Pam Allyn about the findings in our report
• Learn more about Sandra Magsamen
• Learn more about World Read Aloud Day from Scholastic and from LitWorld

Guests:

• Pam Allyn is the Senior Vice President, Innovation & Development at Scholastic Education. She's also a leading literacy expert, author, and motivational speaker. In 2007, she founded LitWorld, a global literacy organization serving children across the United States and in more than 60 countries, pioneering initiatives including the summer reading program LitCamp and World Read Aloud Day.
• Sandra Magsamen is the author and illustrator of many books for young children, including  a number of bestselling novelty stories such as Baby Love, I Love You Little Pumpkin, and Peek-a-Boo I Love You. As an artist, an art therapist, and a mom, she uses her creativity to remind people to express themeselves and connect with others. 
• Liza Baker is the vice president and executive editorial director of Scholastic's Cartwheel Books and Orchard Press imprints.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
• Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
• Produced by Emily Morrow 

Additional resources:

• Learn more about The Bad Guys series
• Learn more about Aaron's latest picture book, I Need a Hug 
• Learn more about Thelma the Unicorn 
• Learn more about the Pig the Pug series

Guests:

• Aaron Blabey has written many well-loved, bestselling books for children. He has around five million books in print and is the creator of three hugely successful series for children — the New York Times bestselling The Bad Guys, Pig the Pug, and Thelma the Unicorn.
  In 2018 it was announced that a movie adaptation of The Bad Guys is in development at DreamWorks Animation with Aaron serving as an Executive Producer on the project.
  Aaron's books have won many awards including nine REAL Awards, an INDIE Book Award for Children's Book of the Year, a Children's Book Council of Australia — Book of the Year Award, a NSW Premiers Literary Award for Children's Literature, two Australian Book Design Awards, and a Children's Peace Literature Award.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
• Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
• Produced by Emily Morrow 

"[wedding]
'and now the groom will read his vows'
me: you make every day feel like a scholastic book fair" - @elleryonline

"U kno when u get a whiff of something and ur like ah yes this smells exactly like the scholastic book fair of 2008 in the afternoon on octob—" - @ilovedogs123

We've seen viral post after viral post about how much people love — and love reminiscing about — the Scholastic Book Fair. But what makes it so memorable?

This week, we set out to record some of the magic.

Additional resources:

• Read Brooke Huerter's tweet
• Read Kwazi Henderson's tweet
• Learn more about Scholastic Book Fairs

Guests:

• Brooke Huerter is a sophomore at Marquette University
• Kwazi Henderson is a software engineer from Austin, Texas
• Alan Boyko is the president of Scholastic Book Fairs
• Kevin Stange is a truck driver for Scholastic Book Fairs
• Theresa Thompson is a library media specialist at Eastside Elementary School in Rogers, AR
• Nancy Holodak is the Head of the Lower School at Rumson Country Day School
• Jayne Geiger is the Head of School at Rumson Country Day School

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
• Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Whatever the cause, the problem is clear: Too many children in the U.S. lack access to books.

This week, we're talking with literacy advocates Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp about how crucial access is. It's a topic they address in their new book for K-8 educators, Game Changer!

Donalyn and Colby discuss how access to a wide variety of texts, choice in what to read, and time to read are “game changers” for the lives of all children, enhancing academic achievement while shaping kids’ understanding of themselves and their world. They also offer practical ways that educators and families can make small changes that can enrich their readers' lives in major ways.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about Game Changer! 
• Learn more about The Nerdy Book Club
• Learn more about Nerd Camp
• Learn more about Donalyn Miller
• Learn more about Colby Sharp

Guests:

• Donalyn Miller is a leading expert on independent reading, children’s literature, and the author of two bestsellers, The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild. She is founder of the annual #bookaday event, co-founder with Colby Sharp of The Nerdy Book Club, and co-host of the monthly Twitter chat, #titletalk. Her articles have appeared in Education Week Teacher, The Reading Teacher, Educational Leadership, The Washington Post, and other prominent periodicals.
• Colby Sharp, a fifth-grade teacher at Parma Elementary School in Parma, Michigan, is co-founder of Nerd Camp and The Nerdy Book Club. He co-hosts the monthly twitter chats #sharpschu (with John Schumacher) and #titletalk (with Donalyn Miller), and, with Travis Jonker, The Yarn Podcast. He is the editor of The Creativity Project: An Awesometastic Story Collection.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Alex is the author of the award-winning book George, about a transgender girl who wants the world to see her the way she sees herself. We talk with them about the importance of that message, as well as the messages readers will find in their latest book, You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P!, about a girl who learns to be an ally, a sister, and a friend, understanding that life works in different ways for different people.

Guest:

• Alex Gino loves glitter, ice cream, gardening, awe-ful puns, and stories that reflect the diversity and complexity of being alive. George was their first novel. George was a winner of the Children's Stonewall Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and the Children's Choice Book Awards, among a host of others. George was also featured on several Best of the Year lists. For more about Alex, please visit alexgino.com.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about George
• Learn more about You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P!
• Learn more about Alex Gino

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan
• Produced by Emily Morrow

The memoir, which has been longlisted for the National Book Award, follows Jarrett's childhood: His mother was a heroin addict who was in and out of rehab, so he was raised by his grandparents — loud, opinionated, but loving people who struggled with their own demons. In the midst of it all, he found art. 

We also hear from Kim Tranell, executive editor, Scholastic Classroom Magazines, about ways she has covered topics of addiction—specifically, the opioid crisis—in Choices magazine for teen readers.

If you're planning to share this episode with young listeners, please note that it includes some mature themes, including drug use.

Guests:

• Jarrett J. Krosoczka is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator who has published dozens of books, including the Lunch Lady graphic novels, the Platypus Police Squad middle grade novels, and arcs in the Star Wars: Jedi Academy series. He was first published when he was only twenty-three years old. Jarrett's TED Talk about his childhood has been viewed over a million times and can be found on his website, www.studiojjk.com.
• Kim Tranell is an executive editor of Scholastic Classroom Magazines overseeing Scholastic Action and Choices.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
• Read the profile of Jarrett J. Krosoczka in The New York Times 
• Learn more about Jarrett J. Krosoczka's other work
• Learn more about Choices magazine
• Learn more about Scholastic Classroom Magazines

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Our guests include:

• Arthur A. Levine, publisher of Arthur A. Levine books and the American editor of the Harry Potter series
• David Saylor, creative director 
• Rachel Coun, vice president of marketing and brand management
• Kris Moran, director of publicity at Scholastic in 1998
• Mark Seidenfeld, vice president and deputy general counsel
• Lizette Serrano, executive director of educational marketing and event strategy
• Roz Hilden, sales representative 

Additional resources:

• Listen to part 1 of our series: The Harry Potter Fandom
• Listen to part 2 of our series: The Artists of Harry Potter
• Watch our special video commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Harry Potter series in the U.S.
• See an archive of photos and videos from the last 20 years of Harry Potter magic
• Want more behind-the-scenes trivia? Read these 20 fun facts about the Harry Potter series

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Each artist will talk about what it was like to join the Harry Potter universe and bring to life their vision of the Boy Who Lived.

Additional resources:

• Listen to part 1 of our series: The Harry Potter Fandom
• Listen to part 3 of our series: The Making of Harry Potter
• See Mary GrandPré's illustration for the original U.S. cover of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• See Brian Selznick's cover art for the 20th anniversary editions of the Harry Potter series
• See some of Jim Kay's artwork from the fully illustrated editions

Guests:

• Mary GrandPré has illustrated over 20 picture books, but she is perhaps best known for her illustrations on the Harry Potter books. She has also worked as the conceptual artist on Dreamwork’s animated film "Antz” and on Blue Sky Studios’ animated film “Ice Age.”
• Brian Selznick is the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of the #1 New York Times bestsellers The Invention of Hugo Cabret, adapted into Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winning movie Hugo, and Wonderstruck, adapted by celebrated filmmaker Todd Haynes, with a screenplay by Selznick; as well as The Marvels. His books have garnered countless accolades worldwide, and have been translated into more than 35 languages.
• Jim Kay won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2012 for his illustrations in A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Jim studied illustration at the University of Westminster and since graduating has worked in the Archives of Tate Britain and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Jim has produced concept work for television and contributed to a group exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. He now lives and works in Northamptonshire, England, with his wife and a rescued greyhound.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

To celebrate the 20th anniversary, we're hosting a series of special episodes. Over the next few weeks, we'll talk with some of the extraordinary illustrators behind the stories, as well as Scholastic employees who were with Harry from the very beginning. 

But first, we're going to talk about the fandom. This week, you'll hear from fans themselves about what Harry Potter means to them. You'll also hear from two librarians who are bringing the books to new generations of readers every day. 

Additional resources:

• Listen to part 2: The Artists of Harry Potter
• Listen to part 3: The Making of Harry Potter
• Watch our special video commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Harry Potter series in the U.S.
• Learn more about the 20th anniversary editions of the Harry Potter series with cover art by Brian Selznick

Guests:

• Eti Berland is a youth and teen services librarian at Lincolnwood Public Library in Illinois.
• Robin Brenner is the teen librarian at the Public Library of Brookline in Massachusetts.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Coming 20 years after the first publication of the Caldecott Honor book No, David!, Grow Up, David! introduces David's big brother and follows our trouble-making hero from one antic to the next in an effort to win his brother's approval.

David talks about just how autobiographical the David books are, why No, David! was such a departure for him, and some of his favorite moments from the last 20 years.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about Grow Up, David!
• Learn more about David Shannon

Guest: 

• David Shannon is the internationaly acclaimed creator of more than 30 picture books, including No, David!, a Caldecott Honor Book and his second New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year, and four more David picture books. Shannon's other bestsellers include A Bad Case of Stripes, Duck on a Bike, and Too Many Toys! He lives in Southern California with his family.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Chris Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

This week, we sit down with Jeff to talk about writing a picture book, the cartoonists who inspire him, and why he'll never say you shouldn't doodle on your math homework.

We’re also joined in the studio by Cornelia’s editor, Barry Cunningham. Barry is the founder and publisher of Chicken House, and the acquiring editor of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in the UK. He talks about what he looks for in a manuscript, and the advice he gives aspiring writers.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about Dragon Rider #2: The Griffin's Feather 
• Listen to our earlier episode with Barry Cunningham: "Barry Cunningham and M.G. Leonard talk books (and beetles!)"
• Learn more about Chicken House

Guests:

• Cornelia Funke is one of today’s most beloved writers of magical stories for children. She is the author of The Thief Lord, Dragon Rider, Inkheart, Inkspell, the Ghosthunters series, When Santa Fell to Earth, and Igraine the Brave. She lives with her family in Los Angeles, California, in a house full of books.
• Barry Cunningham is the founder of Chicken House, a lively and creative company publishing highly original and enjoyable children’s books, with a special emphasis on new fiction. Chicken House launched in the US in 2001 and marked its 15th anniversary here this past summer. Barry is also known for signing up J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone while at Bloomsbury. Together with Chicken House and Scholastic, Barry is proud to have brought the voices of five-time New York Times bestselling author Cornelia Funke (The Thief Lord; Dragon Rider; the Inkheart trilogy), Printz Honor Award-winning Lucy Christopher (Stolen), Kevin Brooks (Martyn Pig; Lucas; Candy), Rachel Ward (Numbers trilogy), Cathryn Constable (The Wolf Princess), and M.G. Leonard (Beetle Boy) to the world.

Featured authors:

• Kelly Yang, author of Front Desk
• Edwidge Danticat, author of Untwine 
• Alan Gratz, author of Refugee
• Sayantani DasGupta, author of The Serpent's Secret
• Rashin Kheiriyeh, author of Saffron Ice Cream
• Carmen Agra Deedy, author of The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet!

Additional resources:

• See the note from Kelly Yang's teacher about promoting her to second grade
• See a photo of the dress Carmen Agra Deedy wore when her family left Cuba
• Listen to Edwidge Danticat on the Scholastic Reads, podcast episode #18: "Edwidge Danticat: Beating the Darkness"
• Listen to Alan Gratz on the Scholastic Reads podcast, episode #42: "Telling the Stories of Refugees"
• Listen to Sayantani DasGupta on the Scholastic Reads podcast, episode #58: "Sayantani DasGupta and The Serpent's Secret"
• Listen to Carmen Agra Deedy on the Scholastic Reads podcast, episode #32: "The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet: Giving Children a Voice"

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Chris Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

We expected the answer. We knew it was coming. But still, it tore at us: Over and over, these authors said, "I didn't. I didn't see myself."

At Scholastic, we are proud to publish books that give all children the chance to see themselves as heroes. But we know that we still have work to do. And part of that work is listening.

So, this week, in celebration of Pride Month, we are spotlighting some of our LGBTQ+ authors who are writing to fill the void they felt growing up.

Contributing authors:

• Bill Konigsberg, author of Honestly Ben
• Sarah Moon, author of Sparrow
• Alex Gino, author of George
• Kody Keplinger, author of Run
• Will Walton, author of I Felt a Funeral In My Brain
• Jessica Verdi, author of And She Was
• Billy Merrell, author of Vanilla

Additional resources:

• Listen to episode #50: I Exist: Why Representation in Children's Books Matters
• Learn more about Scholastic's #ReadWithPride campaign

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Chris Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

First, we talk with Jennifer Boren, a library media specialist in Collierville, Tennessee. Jennifer talks about her experience with the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge, the importance of representation in children's books, and some of the accomplishments of her summer readers. We also hear from a few of Jennifer's students about why they love to read!

Later, we talk with Ansel Sanders, president and CEO of Public Education Partners in Greenville, South Carolina. In 2016 and 2017, PEP collaborated with Scholastic to measure the impact of their award-winning Make Summer Count initiative to eliminate summer reading loss. The results were incredibly positive: 78% of participating students maintained or increased their reading level from spring to fall.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge
• Read more about the summer reading research from Greenvill, SC, and Stoughton, MA
• See some of the key data from Make Summer Count 2017
• Read the executive summary for Make Summer Count 2017
• Read the White Paper for Make Summer Count 2017

Guests:

• Jennifer Boren is the Library Media Specialist at Bailey Station Elementary and has worked in public education for sixteen years. She is Apple Teacher certified and serves her school district as the Lead Library Media Specialist and Vanguard Coach for Collierville Schools. In addition to reading avidly, traveling, and spending time with her family, she works as a freelance writer for Memphis Parent Magazine and blogs at https://bookjabber.wordpress.com
• Ansel Sanders is President and CEO of Public Education Partners (PEP), an education fund that incubates innovative pracitces and positions the community to advocate for excellent public education in Greenville, South Carolina. 

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

First, we talk with Kristina Holzweiss, a media specialist at Bay Shore Middle School in New York who is spearheading the maker movement across Long Island. Later, we sit down with two Scholastic employees who have helped create the Klutz Maker Lab line of products, which include DIY gumball machines and remote control racecars!

Additional resources:

• Learn more about Klutz Maker Lab
• Learn more about SLIME (Students of Long Island Maker Expo)
• Learn more about Long Island LEADS
• Read about Kristina Holzweiss' nomination as a Library Journal Mover and Shaker
• Follow Kristina Holzweiss on Twitter
• Follow Klutz on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

Guests:

• Kristina Holzweiss is the school library media specialist at Bay Shore Middle School, as well as the founder of Students of Long Island Maker Expo and Long Island LEADS.  In 2015, she was named the School Librarian of the Year by School Library Journal and Scholastic.
• Netta Rabin is the vice president of product development at Klutz.
• Owen Keating is a senior packaging designer at Klutz.

Special thanks: 

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Varian talks about his inspiration for the book, the research it took to dig back into his own hometown’s past, and about social justice — how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.

Additional resources:

• More about The Parker Inheritance
• More about Varian Johnson
• Read the essay Varian Johnson wrote for Nerdy Book Club about his experience with police

Guests:

• Varian Johnson is the author of nine novels, including The Parker Inheritance, which received four starred reviews and was named a Junior Library Guild selection and a Spring 2018 Kids’ Indie Next List pick among other accolades. His middle grade caper novel, The Great Greene Heist, has been named to over twenty-five state reading and best-of lists. In addition, Varian has written for the Spirit Animals: Fall of the Beasts middle-grade fantasy series as well as novels and short stories for YA audiences.
  Varian was born in Florence, South Carolina, and attended the University of Oklahoma, where he received a BS in Civil Engineering. He later received an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is honored to now be a member of the faculty. Varian lives outside of Austin, TX with his family.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Additional resources: 

• More information about Martin Rising

 Guests:

• Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney have made an outstanding contribution to the field of children's literature both as individuals and as a team. Between them, they have published more than seventy children's books that have received the highest awards and accolades, including Caldecott Honors, Coretta Scott King Honors, NAACP Image Award nominations, and the May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award, to name a few. To learn more, please visit andreadavispinkney.com and brianpinkney.net

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Additional resources:

• Learn more about The Magician's Hat by Malcolm Mitchell
• Learn more about Read with Malcolm, Malcolm Mitchell's youth literacy foundation
• Learn about the NBRA

Guests:

• Malcolm Mitchell helped the New England Patriots win the Super Bowl in his rookie season and was named to the 2017 NFL All-Rookie Team. Mitchell was drafted by the Patriots after a standout career at the University of Georgia. Mitchell is also an author and crusader for children’s literacy. Mitchell self-published a children’s book, The Magician’s Hat, about a boy who knows the magical power of books, which earned him Georgia Children's Author of the Year in 2016. Malcolm founded a youth literacy initiative called Read with Malcolm. Mitchell currently serves as the New England Patriots “Summer Reading Ambassador”, to encourage students to read as much as possible during the critical summer months.
• Marc Davis has been an NBA official for the past 20 seasons, working 1,156 regular season games, 105 playoff games, and nine finals games in his NBA career. Davis also worked the 2007 NBA All-Star Game. Davis is active in the Chicago community where he grew up and is an avid outdoorsman.
• Greg Worrell oversees Scholastic Education, which partners with schools and districts to empower educators and to raise achievement for all students by providing a complete literacy program, print and digital instructional materials, and professional services for educators and family engagement. Greg is the recipient of the 2011 Upton Sinclair Award, which recognizes educational leaders who have gone above and beyond the call of duty ensuring that children around the globe succeed.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to our podcast on an iOS device here or an Android device here, and the latest episodes of Scholastic Reads will be automatically delivered to your device.

Additional Resources:

• Learn more about The Serpent's Secret
  
• Learn more about Sayantani DasGupta
• Get more information about the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps

Guest:

• Sayantani DasGupta grew up hearing stories about brave princesses, bloodthirsty rakkhosh and flying pakkhiraj horses. She is a pediatrician by training, but now teaches at Columbia University. When she's not writing or reading, Sayantani spends time watching cooking shows with her trilingual children and protecting her black Labrador Retriever Khushi from the many things that scare him, including plastic bags. She is a team member of We Need Diverse Books, and can be found online at www.sayantanidasgupta.com and on Twitter at @sayantani16

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Later on, we sit down with Kelly Greenawalt and Amariah Rauscher, the creators of the indomitable, inventive, and adorable Princess Truly. Kelly tells us that she started writing the Princess Truly picture books for her own daughter who was once told by a classmate that her curls weren't "magical princess hair." 

Additional Resources:

• Learn more about Marley Dias Gets it Done: And So Can You 
• Learn more about Marley Dias and her campaign #1000BlackGirlBooks
• Learn more about Princess Truly

Guests:

• Marley Dias made headlines as a sixth grader when she started the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign to collect children's books featuring black protagonists. Her initiative led to appearances on The Nightly Show, Today, CBS This Morning, and many more. Marley has been featured in the New York Times, has been recognized as a "21 under 21" ambassador for Teen Vogue, is an editor in residence for Elle.com, and launched a national literacy tour in partnership with the White House. Marley lives in New Jersey with her parents.
• Kelly Greenawalt is a children's book author, wife, and mother of five living just outside Houston, Texas. Princess Truly was inspired by her daughters, Calista and Kaia, who are smart and spunky, and who have magical curls of their own.
• Amariah Rauscher is an artist and illustrator specializing in watercolor illustration. She lives with her husband and children in Illinois.

Special thanks:

• Hosts: Suzanne McCabe and Titus Smith III
• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to our podcast on an iOS device here or an Android device here, and the latest episodes of Scholastic Reads will be automatically delivered to your device.

Additional resources: 

• Read more about The Journey of Little Charlie 
• Watch Christopher Paul Curtis talk about The Journey of Little Charlie
• Read a review of The Journey of Little Charlie
• Discover more works by Christopher Paul Curtis

Guests: 

• Christopher Paul Curtis was awarded both a Newbery Honor and a Coretta Scott King Honor for his debut book, The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, and won the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award for his second book, Bud, Not Buddy. Mr. Curtis is also the author of the Golden Kite Award-winning Bucking the Sarge, as well as The Mighty Miss Malone, and two previous books in The Buxton Chronicles: The Madman of Piney Woods, and the Newbery Honor book Elijah of Buxton.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Additional Resources:

• See the complete list of trends Scholastic Book Clubs editors predict we'll see in 2018 plus additional book recommendations
• Learn more about the Harry Potter illustrated editions with art by Jim Kay
• See the Book Boys' music video, "Jump Around"
• See the Scholastic Book Clubs Dollar Deal of the week

Guests: 

• Darcy Evans, Jaewon Oh, and Lori Wieczorek are editorial managers with Scholastic Book Clubs.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

As Yoda would say, "Listen, you must!"

Additional Resources:

• Learn more about the Star Wars: Jedi Academy series
• Read the announcement for Hey, Kiddo
• Watch Jarrett's 2012 TED Talk
• See more of Jarrett's work

Guests:

• Jarrett Krosoczka is a New York Times bestselling author, two-time winner of the Children’s Choice Book Award for the Third to Fourth Grade Book of the Year, an Eisner award nominee, and is the author and/or illustrator of more than thirty books for young readers. His work includes several picture books, select volumes of Star Wars: Jedi Academy, the Lunch Lady graphic novels, and Platypus Police Squad novel series. Jarrett has given two TED Talks, both of which have been curated to the main page of TED.com and have collectively accrued more than two million views online. He is also the host of The Book Report with JJK on SiriusXM’s Kids Place Live, a weekly segment celebrating books, authors, and reading. Jarrett lives in Western Massachusetts with his wife and children, and their pugs, Ralph and Fran.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

In this episode, Julia and her husband, Malcolm, share part of their song "Zog and the Flying Doctors," and Julia talks with us about her passion for storytelling, her love of libraries, and why she decided to write a feminist princess.

Resources:

• Learn more about Julia Donaldson
• Learn more about Zog and the Flying Doctors
• Watch Julia Donaldson perform her song "A Squash and a Squeeze"

Guest:

• Julia Donaldson has over 140 titles to her credit. Her work includes critically acclaimed titles such as Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale, The Princess and the Wizard, The Dinosaur's Diary, and The Giants and the Joneses. Julia came from a musical background. Her father played the cello and her mother loved to sing. Julia and her sister were in a Children's Opera Group and from an early age, she wrote musical plays for her friends and family to perform. Her first book, A Squash and a Squeeze, was based on one of her television songs. "It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did," says Julia. She lives with her family in Glasgow, Scotland.
  
  

"I stopped reading books that had humans in them after Harriet [the Spy] because I knew there wouldn't be any humans like me," — Sarah Moon, author of Sparrow. 

At Scholastic, we're proud to publish authors of differend backgrounds, cultures, races, abilities, and orientations. But we also know that many of our authors have felt the same way Sarah did as a child. Like her, many felt that they didn't exist in children's books when they were growing up. And like her, many are now writing to change that for future generations. We invited them to share their stories and to talk about why representation in children's books is so crucial. These stories will break your heart, but they will also give you hope: hope that today's children will never doubt that they can be the heroes of their own stories. 

Contributing authors:

• Daniel José Older, author of the Shadowshaper series
• Wendy Wan-Long Shang, co-author of This is Just a Test
• Billy Merrell, author of Vanilla
• Kody Keplinger, author of Run
• Lamar Giles, author of Overturned
• Sarah Moon, author of Sparrow
• Goldy Moldovsky, author of No Good Deed
• Varian Johnson, author of To Catch a Cheat
• Angela Cervantes, author of Allie, First at Last
• Bill Konigsberg, author of Honestly Ben

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl


• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson


• Produced by Emily Morrow

Additional Resources:

• Learn more about All the Crooked Saints
• Read an excerpt from All the Crooked Saints
• See Booklist's 50 Best YA Books of All Time

Guests:

• Entertainment Weekly has called Maggie Stiefvater, “one of the finest YA novelists writing today.” Maggie Stiefvater is a writer, artist, and musician and a New York Times bestselling author. Her work includes the Shiver series, The Raven Cycle series, The Scorpio Races, and many more books for young readers. Stiefvater lives in Virginia with her family. You can visit her online at www.maggiestiefvater.com and follow her on Twitter @mstiefvater.
• Daniel Kraus is Booklist's Editor of Books for Youth. Follow him on Twitter at @DanielDKraus.

Additional Resources: 

• Learn more about Shadowshaper and Shadowhouse Fall
• Learn more about Daniel José Older
• Find Daniel José Older on Twitter

Guests:

• Daniel José Older is the New York Times bestselling author of the Young Adult series the Shadowshaper Cypher (Scholastic), the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series (Penguin), and the upcoming Middle Grade sci-fi adventure Flood City (Scholastic). He won the International Latino Book Award and has been nominated for the Kirkus Prize, the Mythopoeic Award, the Locus Award, the Andre Norton Award, and yes, the World Fantasy Award. Shadowshaper was named one of Esquire’s 80 Books Every Person Should Read.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
• Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
• Produced by Emily Morrow

Joining us in the studio today is a special co-host, Gina Asprocolas. Gina is a Scholastic employee who was a die-hard Goosebumps fan as a child. She shares her story of growing up with Goosebumps, gives Stine some inspiration for millennial-inspired stories, and we test her R.L. Stine-related knowledge with some trivia!

First, we speak with Alan Gratz, a children's author whose most recent book, Refugee, hits shelves July 25, 2017. The book follows three children from three periods of history fleeing three different evils: Josef, a young Jewish boy fleeing Nazi Germany in the 1930s; Isabel, a Cuban girl whose family sets out on a raft bound for America in 1994; and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015, who hopes to escape the violence and destruction of his homeland and begin a new life with his family in Europe.

Later in the episode, we talk with Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody. Mandy is an actor and singer whom you may know from his roles in "The Princess Bride," the Showtime series "Homeland," or as the voice of Papa Smurf in the recent movie "Smurfs: The Lost Village." Over the past few years, Mandy and his wife, actress and writer Kathryn Grody, have begun working with the International Rescue Committee, traveling to refugee camps in Greece and Serbia to meet with refugees and listen to their stories. They join us in the studio this week to share some of those stories.

Additional resources:

More information about No Fair! No Fair! by Calvin Trillin and illustrated by Roz Chast
Learn more about the National Student Poets Program
Meet the other 2016 National Student Poets, and hear more from Maya Eashwaran and Gopal Raman
Read a blog post from Adam Couturier about his district's We Read Big initiative
Guests:

Calvin Trillin is a journalist, humorist, poet, novelist, memoirist, and food writer. A long-time staff writer at The New Yorker, he is also The Nation’s “deadline poet.” He has published thirty books, many of them bestsellers. His books include Remembering Denny, About Alice, Tepper Isn't Going Out, and Dogfight: The 2012 Presidential Campaign in Verse. In 2012, he won the Thurber Prize for American Humor. He lives in New York.
Maya Eashwaran is a senior at Milton High School in Milton, Georgia, and a 2016 National Student Poet. In addition to writing poetry, she is also an avid musician.
Gopal Raman is a senior at St. Mark’s School in Dallas, Texas, and a 2016 National Student Poet. In addition to writing poetry, he edits for his high school newspaper and chairs the St. Mark’s Literary Festival.
Adam Couturier is the 6-12 Humanities Curriculum Coordinator for Southbridge Public Schools in Southbridge, Massachusetts. Mr. Couturier was a 2016 Pioneer Valley Teacher of Excellence award winner as a result of his work in Springfield, MA. He served as a teacher, Social Studies Department Chair, and as a Middle Years Programme Coordinator at an International Baccalaureate school. In addition to this, he wrote curriculum for the National Parks Service at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, Springfield Public Schools, and now at Southbridge Middle and High Schools.
Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan
Produced by Emily Morrow