web02.fireside.fm Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:08:35 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Scholastic Reads - Episodes Tagged with “We Need Diverse Books” https://scholasticreads.fireside.fm/tags/we%20need%20diverse%20books Thu, 26 Oct 2017 16:00:00 -0400 Scholastic's podcast about the joy and power of reading, the books we publish for children and young adults, and the authors, editors, and stories behind them. We’ll explore topics important to parents, educators, and the reader in all of us. en-us episodic Our podcast about children’s books and the joy and power of reading Scholastic Inc. Scholastic's podcast about the joy and power of reading, the books we publish for children and young adults, and the authors, editors, and stories behind them. We’ll explore topics important to parents, educators, and the reader in all of us. no 744002 Scholastic Inc. scholasticreads@scholastic.com I Exist: Why Representation in Children's Books Matters https://scholasticreads.fireside.fm/50 3fd7dc40-94a3-4019-9b88-5b389816d0c2 Thu, 26 Oct 2017 16:00:00 -0400 Scholastic Inc. full Scholastic Inc. 27:45 no <p>"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 <em>Sparrow</em>. </p> <p>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. </p> <p><strong>Contributing authors:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="http://ghoststar.net">Daniel José Older, author of the Shadowshaper series</a></li> <li><a href="http://wendyshang.com">Wendy Wan-Long Shang, co-author of <em>This is Just a Test</em></a></li> <li><a href="http://talkinginthedark.com">Billy Merrell, author of <em>Vanilla</em></a></li> <li><a href="http://kodykeplinger.com">Kody Keplinger, author of <em>Run</em></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.lrgiles.com">Lamar Giles, author of <em>Overturned</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/books/sparrow-by-sarah-moon/">Sarah Moon, author of <em>Sparrow</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/books/no-good-deed-by-goldy-moldavsky/">Goldy Moldovsky, author of <em>No Good Deed</em></a></li> <li><a href="http://varianjohnson.com">Varian Johnson, author of <em>To Catch a Cheat</em></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.angelacervantes.com">Angela Cervantes, author of <em>Allie, First at Last</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://billkonigsberg.com">Bill Konigsberg, author of <em>Honestly Ben</em></a></li> </ul> <p><strong>Special thanks:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl</li> <li>Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson</li> <li>Produced by Emily Morrow</li> </ul> `

"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:

Special thanks:


  • Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl

  • Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson

  • Produced by Emily Morrow

`

]]> `

"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:

Special thanks:


  • Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl

  • Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson

  • Produced by Emily Morrow

`

]]> Art, Tragedy, and Ghost Stories: A Conversation with Daniel José Older https://scholasticreads.fireside.fm/48 14248d06-672e-4d18-8db5-816fd636db77 Thu, 21 Sep 2017 14:00:00 -0400 Scholastic Inc. full Scholastic Inc. This week, we're joined in the studio by Daniel José Older, author of the New York Times bestselling Shadowshaper, an urban fantasy for young adults that follows the adventures of Sierra Santiago, a Brooklyn teen with supernatural powers. 25:44 no <p>This week, we're joined in the studio by Daniel José Older, author of the <em>New York Times </em>bestselling <em>Shadowshaper</em>, an urban fantasy for young adults that follows the adventures of Sierra Santiago, a Brooklyn teen with supernatural powers. Daniel is also a musician, an artist, and a former paramedic. We're talking with him about his latest book, <em>Shadowhouse Fall</em>, and about his efforts to bring more diversity to children's literature.</p><p><strong>Additional Resources: </strong></p><ul> <li><a href="http://ireadyabooks.tumblr.com/search/shadowshaper">Learn more about <em>Shadowshaper </em>and <em>Shadowhouse Fall</em></a></li> <li><a href="http://ghoststar.net">Learn more about Daniel José Older</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/djolder?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Find Daniel José Older on Twitter</a></li> </ul><p><strong>Guests:</strong></p><ul><li> <strong>Daniel José Older</strong> is <span>the <em>New York Times</em> 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 <em>Flood City</em> (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. <em>Shadowshaper</em> was named one of Esquire’s 80 Books Every Person Should Read.</span> </li></ul><p><strong>Special thanks:</strong></p><ul> <li>Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl</li> <li>Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson</li> <li>Produced by Emily Morrow</li> </ul><p> </p> This week, we're joined in the studio by Daniel José Older, author of the New York Times bestselling Shadowshaper, an urban fantasy for young adults that follows the adventures of Sierra Santiago, a Brooklyn teen with supernatural powers. Daniel is also a musician, an artist, and a former paramedic. We're talking with him about his latest book, Shadowhouse Fall, and about his efforts to bring more diversity to children's literature.

Additional Resources: 

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

 

]]> This week, we're joined in the studio by Daniel José Older, author of the New York Times bestselling Shadowshaper, an urban fantasy for young adults that follows the adventures of Sierra Santiago, a Brooklyn teen with supernatural powers. Daniel is also a musician, an artist, and a former paramedic. We're talking with him about his latest book, Shadowhouse Fall, and about his efforts to bring more diversity to children's literature.

Additional Resources: 

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

 

]]>