Scholastic Reads - Episodes Tagged with “Childrens Books”

It Takes Guts: Raina Telgemeier and Eli Lebowitz

Scholastic Inc. — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 12:00:00 -0400

It takes guts to face your fears. Bestselling creator Raina Telgemeier is encouraging young readers to do just that with her latest graphic novel memoir, Guts, which shares the stories of Raina's own experiences with anxiety as a child.

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

Dav Pilkey talks Dog Man and "Do Good"

Scholastic Inc. — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 17:00:00 -0400

This week, we're talking with Dav Pilkey, creator of the worldwide bestselling Dog Man series! Dav discusses his latest book, Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls, and his Dog Man "Do Good" tour that's taking him around the world this fall. Dav shares stories from his own childhood growing up with ADHD and dyslexia and talks about the importance of creativity, why reading is a superpower, and the importance of not just being good, but doing good.

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

Additional resources:

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

Growing Readers with Branches and Acorn

Scholastic Inc. — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 18:00:00 -0400

Before executive editor Katie Carella came to Scholastic, she taught first, second, and third grades, and she noticed a hole in her classroom library: There weren't enough books for the readers who were ready to move beyond leveled readers, but who weren't quite ready for chapter books.

And so, she created Branches — and now Acorn — highly illustrated, easy-to-read books with engaging storylines and characters that will help kids fall in love with reading.

In this episode, you'll hear more from Katie about the Branches and Acorn books and the needs they fill. We also talk with three authors — Troy Cummings (The Notebook of Doom), Rebecca Elliott (Owl Diaries), and Jonathan Fenske (Crabby) — about exactly what goes into making these delightful, compelling books for kids.

Additional resources:

Guests:

Katie Carella is an executive editor at Scholastic.
Troy Cummings is the author of The Notebook of Doom and The Binder of Doom series.
Rebecca Elliott is the author of the Owl Diaries series.
Jonathan Fenske is the author of the Crabby series.

Special thanks:

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

Read with Pride

Scholastic Inc. — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 09:00:00 -0400

It's Pride Month! We love to celebrate our LGBTQIA authors all year long, but we wanted to take the opportunity now to shine a spotlight on what it means to create and share stories about those who are marginalized and underrepresented.

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:

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

Spreading Hope with Keith Calabrese

Scholastic Inc. — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 16:00:00 -0400

This week, we're talking with author Keith Calabrese about his middle grade debut. His new book, A Drop of Hope, is set in a small Midwestern town, where times are tough, jobs are scarce, and miracles are in short supply.

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

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

Scholastic Focus: Change the Way You Read Your World

Scholastic Inc. — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 18:00:00 -0500

This week, we're discussing narrative nonfiction and its power to help turn young readers into critical thinkers and global citizens.

Last year, we launched the Scholastic Focus imprint, dedicated to presenting young readers with true and moving stories to help them better understand themselves and the world around them.

Today, we're talking with editorial director Lisa Sandell as well as four Scholastic Focus authors: Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Deborah Hopkinson, Robert Edsel, and Lawrence Goldstone. Listen as they tell us about their compelling new books and what they hope readers will take away.

Additional resources:

Guests:

Lisa Sandell is the editorial director of Scholastic Focus.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is one of the premier U.S. scholars of African-American literature and history. Gates is the head of Harvard’s African-American Studies department. He is an acclaimed author and critic who has unearthed an array of literary gems; he has also hosted PBS programs such as Africa’s Great Civilizations; Finding Your Roots; Black in Latin America; and the Emmy Award-winning series, The African-Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. Gates is the recipient of more than 50 honorary degrees and numerous prizes. He was one of the first recipients of the MacArthur genius grant in 1981. He was the first African-American scholar to be awarded the National Humanities Medal, was named to Time’s 25 Most Influential Americans list in 1997, selected for Ebony’s Power 150 list in 2009, and to Ebony’s Power 100 list in 2010 and 2012.
Deborah Hopkinson is an award-winning author of picture books, fiction, and nonfiction. Her nonfiction titles include Shutting out the Sky: Life in the Tenements of New York, 1880-1924, an NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book and Jane Addams Peace Award Honor Book; Titanic: Voices from the Disaster, a Sibert Medal Honor Book and YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction finalist; Courage & Defiance, Stories of Spies, Saboteurs and Survivors in World War II Denmark, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book, NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book, and a winner of the Oregon Book Award and Oregon Spirit Award; and Dive! World War II Stories of Sailors & Submarines in the Pacific, which was named an NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book and Oregon Spirit Award honor book. Deborah lives with her family near Portland, Oregon. Visit her online at deborahhopkinson.com, and follow her on Twitter at @Deborahopkinson.
Robert Edsel is the author of three books about the Monuments Men including the #1 New York Times bestseller The Monuments Men, which Academy Award winner George Clooney adapted into a feature film in 2014, and Saving Italy, also a New York Times bestseller. In 2007 he founded the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, which was a recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the United States’ highest honor for work in the humanities. He lives with his family in Dallas, Texas. Please visit him online at www.robertedsel.com and on Twitter at @RobertEdsel.
Lawrence Goldstone is the author of more than twenty books for adults, including three on Constitutional Law. His first book for young readers, Higher, Steeper, Faster—The Daredevils Who Conquered the Skies, received three starred reviews and was named one of Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2017. Goldstone’s writing has been featured in The Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal, among others. Visit his website at www.lawrencegoldstone.com.

Special thanks:

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

Aaron Blabey on Bad Guys and Good Friends

Scholastic Inc. — Thu, 20 Dec 2018 16:00:00 -0500

Bestselling author Aaron Blabey stopped by our New York offices earlier this year while on his book tour The Bad Guys: Mission to America, and we're so excited to share our conversation with you. Aaron talks about his latest Bad Guys book, The Bad Guys in Superbad, the Bad Guys movie that's currently in development with DreamWorks, and shares some insight into his creative process. He also treats us to not one, but two amazing read-alouds!

Additional resources:

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

Becoming an Ally: A Conversation with Alex Gino

Scholastic Inc. — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 13:00:00 -0400

This week, we're talking with Alex Gino about what it means to be an ally.

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:

Special thanks:

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

Hey, Kiddo: A Conversation about Family, Addiction, and Art

Scholastic Inc. — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 17:00:00 -0400

This week, we're talking with Jarrett J. Krosoczka about his graphic novel memoir for young adults, Hey, Kiddo.

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:

Special thanks:

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

Cornelia Funke returns to Dragon Rider

Scholastic Inc. — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 20:00:00 -0400

This week, we’re talking with award-winning author Cornelia Funke, author of beloved books like the Inkheart series, The Thief Lord, and Dragon Rider. After many years, Cornelia is returning to the Dragon Rider world with the long-anticipated sequel, The Griffin’s Feather, out July 31.

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:

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.

A Song, a Feminist Princess, and a Conversation with Julia Donaldson

Scholastic Inc. — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 11:00:00 -0500

This week, we're talking (and singing!) with Julia Donaldson, the 2011-2013 Children's Laureate in the UK and the author of more than 140 books for children including The Gruffalo, Stick Man, and most recently, Zog and the Flying Doctors.

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:

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.