The Reading Culture (Beanstack)
Explorez tous les épisodes de The Reading Culture
| Date | Titre | Durée | |
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| 31 Oct 2022 | The Gift of Fear: Lamar Giles on How Horror Helps Kids Cope | 00:28:51 | |
On Today's Show
Lamar Giles says horror is a pressure valve. It has the ability to release pent-up anxiety and fear in a controlled, safe, and fun environment. That's why he'll watch Hellraiser at 4 a.m. to comfort himself when he can't sleep. While the genre isn't for everyone, he knows there are other young readers that will resonate with it the same way he did when he first read Stephen King at 11 years old. Giles' career has been full of mystery and thriller stories, but with the 2022 release of The Getaway, he has finally fulfilled his lifelong dream of writing a true horror novel. He tells us more about how the genre has helped him in his life and why he thinks kids resonate with his writing.
Chapter 1 - Growing Up as Lamar Giles (2:18) Chapter 2 - The Dinosaur in the Cereal Box (6:50) Chapter 3 - The Draw to Horror (7:26) Chapter 4 - It (8:32) Chapter 5 - The Pressure Valve (12:56) Chapter 6 - Connecting with Young Readers (16:25) Chapter 7 - Writing Black Characters (17:21) Chapter 8 - Publishing Horror (19:21) Chapter 9 - The Getaway (21:09) Chapter 10 - A Vehicle for Social Commentary (23:01) Chapter 11 - Fear On Screen (24:12) Chapter 12 - Scary Good Stories (26:20) Chapter 13 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (26:55)
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| 23 Jul 2024 | Revisit - Mixed Feelings: Matt de la Peña on Balancing Being Stoic and Sensitive | 00:40:26 | |
We revisit our episode with Matt de la Peña. Hailing from a working class border town in Southern California, Matt de la Peña (Last Stop on Market Street, Mexican WhiteBoy, Milo Imagines the World) grew up in an environment that deeply valued strength and stoicism and oftentimes discouraged big displays of emotion from men. Instilled with a strong work ethic and the pursuit of opportunities, he followed in the footsteps of the men in his family and community. But still, there was a deeper truth to life within a buried emotional side that he felt compelled to explore.
Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. Join Matt on social @Mattdelapena. *** For his reading challenge, Conversation Starters, Matt invites us to ponder alongside our youngest readers with his curated selection of picture books. You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculture.com/matt-de-la-pena. This episode’s Beanstack featured librarian is Cicely Lewis, School Library Journal’s 2020 school librarian of the year, from Gwinnett County Public Schools. Cicely, aka the Read Woke librarian, shares about an awesome way to keep high schoolers excited about reading for pleasure and also a very fun birthday tradition at her school. Contents Chapter 1 - One Side of the Border (2:24) Chapter 2 - The Good, Bad, and Masculine (7:20) Chapter 3 - The Closet Poet (11:14) Chapter 4 - Sutree (14:38) Chapter 5 - The Future of Latinx Voices (24:38) Chapter 6 - Leaning Forward (27:58) Chapter 7 - Writing Up (31:58) Chapter 8 - Conversation Starters (33:59) Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (34:55) Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 17 Sep 2024 | Always in the Room: Elizabeth Acevedo on Ancestors, Neighbors, and Secret Mentors | 00:39:50 | |
“I cannot do an interview without talking about who I come from as it pertains to the writers who have influenced my work because their fingerprints are all over [it].” - Elizabeth Acevedo In an interview, we may hear Elizabeth Acevedo's singular voice, but she assures us she is not alone. Elizabeth reminds us that she is part of a lineage and an amalgamation of many voices. She, like all of us, represents those who came before her, those whose books she devours, those who have shaped her life, and those who inspire her. A Greek chorus, if you will.
True to her poetry roots, in her reading challenge, "Novels Through Poems" Elizabeth has compiled a list of books that are just that tell stories through poetry. Learn more and download Elizabeth's recommended reading list at thereadingculturepod.com/elizabeth-acevedo. *** This episode's Featured Librarian is Tammy McIntyre. Tammy served as a library media specialist in Gwinnett County Georgia for many years and now works with us at Beanstack! She shares a memorable interaction with a student that continues to resonate with her, highlighting the vital role the library plays as a community space. Show Chapters Chapter 1 - Who Is Here Chapter 2 - It Takes a Village Chapter 3 - The House on Mango Street Chapter 4 - Paying it Forward Chapter 5 - Novels Through Poems Chapter 6 - Beanstack Featured Librarian Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producers: Jackie Lamport, Elena Guthrie, and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 21 Feb 2023 | Eye of the Tiger: Ellen Oh on Rising Up for the Right to Read | 00:42:27 | |
On Today's Show The author of the “Prophecy” trilogy and “Spirit Hunters” series and the founder of We Need Diverse Books, Ellen Oh is equal parts no-nonsense and hilarious truth-teller.
Ellen Oh learned early on that she would have to fight against the bullies at her school. Growing up as a Korean-American in New York City, she experienced discrimination often. Public libraries became her safe haven, a place to escape and let her imagination wander. Even as an adult, Ellen finds solace in them and wrote her first novel at the library. On this episode, Ellen joins us for a live conversation at the 2023 American Libraries Association LibLearnX conference in New Orleans to share more about how racism and social injustice inspired her writing and her activism. In this wide-ranging conversation, Ellen shares very personal stories, her work as founder of We Need Diverse Books, as well as her sentiments on, ‘soft censorship’ and the recent spate of book bans disproportionately impacting the diverse books she has fought so hard to cultivate. Ellen is truly a one-of-a-kind author, mom, and activist.
Chapter 1 - The library a.k.a the babysitter (2:52) Chapter 2 - Spreading the horror (4:04) Chapter 3 - Don’t Feed the Tiger (7:11) Chapter 4 - The Joy Luck Club (10:01) Chapter 5 - We Needed “We Need Diverse Books" (14:42) Chapter 6 - Soft censorship (24:36) Chapter 7 - What can you do? (25:55) Chapter 8 - The power of a librarian (28:49) Chapter 9 - You Are Here: Connecting Flights (31:38) Chapter 10 - Books Save Lives (33:26) Chapter 11 - Listener Questions (37:26) Links | |||
| 29 Oct 2024 | Keep Me Out of It: Eliot Schrefer on the Costs and Benefits of Self-Erasure | 00:38:00 | |
“I think it caused me to get over some of the sort of narcissistic impulses in my writing and not make it about me and impressing, but instead about having the best reading experience I could imagine.” - Eliot Schrefer At a young age, Eliot Schrefer acknowledged that he was hiding himself. Growing up queer when he did meant concealing a key part of his identity for the sake of self-preservation. It was through books that he first learned to accept his queerness. That thread leads to one of his most well-known books, “Queer Ducks (and Other Animals).” We unravel that and so much more about Eliot’s journey in this episode.
In this episode, Eliot shares how he has practiced self-concealment in both his life and stories, and why he believes this has helped him better connect with his teen audience. He also reveals why his current influences include Carl Sagan, Jane Goodall, and Eeyore. For his reading challenge, Beyond the Human Experience, Eliot wants us too to practice seeing the world outside of the human perspective. He says it "reminds us that we're not the only creatures worth caring about." Learn more and download Eliot’s recommended reading list at thereadingculturepod.com/eliot-schrefer
This episode's Featured Librarian is Tammy McIntyre, a library media specialist in Gwinnett County Georgia for many years and now works with us at Beanstack. Today she offers a guiding principle she follows as a librarian and especially as a parent. Show Chapters Chapter 1 - Carl Sagan and M.T. Anderson Walk Into a Bar… Chapter 2 - Science, Fantasy, and the Matrix (Printer) Chapter 3 - What I Believe Chapter 4 - The View From the Closet Chapter 5 - Duck Hunt Chapter 6 - I Ask the Questions Around Here Chapter 7 - Beyond the Human Experience Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producers: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media | |||
| 06 Aug 2024 | Natural Resources: Katherine Applegate on the Wisdom and Solace of Animals | 00:38:33 | |
“I think it has to do with powerlessness, and with the kind of hierarchy that kids endure every day, where these grown ups are not making sense, and the world doesn't make sense, and animals are basically suffering the same fate.” - Katherine Applegate Why do kids see themselves in animals? Children’s media is full of stories from and about the perspective of animals. But why? Katherine Applegate has been exploring this question since she was a child, fascinated by the inner worlds of the animals around her. The answer she’s come to is hope. Like animals, kids exist in a state of a lack of control over their own lives, which the adults around them essentially dictate. And the greatest antidote to that sense of powerlessness is hope. Teaching that is what she believes to be the true purpose of a children’s author.
Katherine Applegate is a prolific and celebrated author best known for the beloved “Animorphs” series, “Wishtree,” “Odder,” and, of course, her Newbery Medal-winning “The One and Only Ivan.” In this episode, she discusses the unique bond between kids and animals, including her early stint as a gerbil peddler! 😱 Katherine shares about how a community rallied to fight the censorship of her book “Wishtree,” her part in that fight, and why she always chooses comedy over tragedy, even when the world seems bleak. Plus, Katherine reveals the real reason she’s not roughing it out in the wild with Jane Goodall and the gorillas. *** Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
Inspired by the positivity of the season, Katherine’s reading challenge is designed to make you smile. In “Exploring the Animal Human Bond”, she’s curated a list of books perfect for the dog days of summer, all featuring animals. Download the list at thereadingculturepod.com/katherine-applegate
This episode’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Lexi Whitehorn, Literacy Specialist at the North Dakota State Library. Lexi tells us about a heartwarming relationship she built with a struggling student through recommending books.
Contents Chapter 1 - Gerbil Peddler (2:09) Chapter 2 - Really Bad Waitress (8:32) Chapter 3 - Powerlessness (and otter facts) (10:33) Chapter 4 - E.B. White - Letters (deja-vu?) (16:14) Chapter 5 - The Attempted Felling of Wishtree (23:09) Chapter 6 - Ivan Settles Down (30:14) Chapter 7 - Exploring the Animal-Human Bond (33:37) Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (35:35) Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producers: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 22 Aug 2023 | Negative Space: Jon Klassen on Restraint | 00:39:22 | |
On Today's Show
Where there is empty space, our brains will fill in the blanks, and often, the way in which we personally fill those blank spaces is far more potent than anything that can be written in words or shown in an image. That’s why despite being gifted in both illustrating and writing, Jon Klassen always intentionally restrains himself from specificity.
Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
In his reading challenge, "A Tale to Remember," Jon invites readers to follow a process that for him emerged unintentionally in the creation of his latest book, "The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale." You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com. This episode’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Ellen Clark, the Children's Outreach Librarian for Kokomo Howard County Public Library in Indiana. Ellen shares an experience she recently had that highlights the emotional impact librarians have not just on a community writ large, but on each individual reader. Contents Chapter 1 - Seventies University Guy Reads (2:25) Chapter 2 - Sketch Book Art Kids (not Jon) (7:51) Chapter 3 - Waiting For Godot (13:10) Chapter 4 - The Existential Gun Shot (19:40) Chapter 5 - No Sad Bears (21:47) Chapter 6 - Part 2 (28:34) Chapter 7 - A Girl and Her Skull (30:37) Chapter 8 - A Tale to Remember (34:51) Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (36:12) Show Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 02 May 2023 | The Depth of the Universe: M.T. Anderson on the Sneaky Relevance of Sci-fi and Fantasy | 00:38:30 | |
On Today's Show
M.T. Anderson's home in small-town Vermont is rumored to be haunted and he relishes the ghost stories told about it. Despite his analog lifestyle and lack of belief in the paranormal, he spends a lot of his time dreaming up sci-fi and fantasy adventures. Aside from just being fun, he considers the genre to hold a unique power in removing our own preconceived ideas and giving us fresh eyes to rethink our values and society. M.T. has demonstrated that ability in books like Feed, Landscape with Invisible Hand, and even his historical fiction duology Octavian Nothing. But to realize the power of the genres, he had to overcome the stigma that sci-fi and fantasy were inferior to traditional realism, or as he calls it, “New York realism.” In this episode, M.T. takes us on his own journey to embracing these genres as a writer, he talks about the growing relevance of their ability to offer societal critiques and representation in the increasingly hostile censorship movements, and he tells us about his new story where he uses a new perspective to learn about the world (his dog’s). For his reading challenge, Hometown Lore, M.T. challenges readers to find the magic and weird stories hidden in their hometowns. Reading challenges from other author guests are always available at thereadingculturepod.com. This episode's Beanstack featured librarian is Iuyana Miller, the media specialist at Young Middle School in Atlanta. Along with being the 2022 Media Specialist of the Year for Atlanta Public Schools, she is also referred to as the “book fairy” by her elementary students. Iyuana shares a story of how she ventured beyond her comfort zone to meet her middle school kids where they are and engage them more than she ever imagined.
Chapter 1 - The Ghost and the Corgi (2:07) Chapter 2 - The Forest of Massachusetts (4:44) Chapter 3 - Moominland Midwinter (in winter) (9:46) Chapter 4 - Building on ruins (16:08) Chapter 5 - Aliens Make Everything Better (20:18) Chapter 6 - The truth behind the fantasy (26:37) Chapter 7 - The magical dog (31:22) Chapter 8 - Hometown Lore (34:17) Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (36:05)
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| 18 Oct 2022 | Connecting With Authors: Varian Johnson and Seeing Yourself Beyond the Pages | 00:32:09 | |
On Today's Show
As a kid, Varian Johnson always felt connected to authors. Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume were among his early favorites. He would even write letters to Blume. But those connections were unmatched compared to Walter Dean Myers. In reading Walter Dean Myers, Varian Johnson saw himself reflected in both the characters on the pages and in the author himself. That relationship between the reader and author is something Varian values a great deal. Now, as an adult and author, Varian takes his role in that relationship seriously. He knows the responsibility it entails in the messages he shares and how he inspires his own readers. He joins to talk about that relationship and what it means for young readers to see themselves beyond the pages.
Chapter 1 - Varian as a Young Reader (2:36) Chapter 2 - If You Come Softly (8:57) Chapter 3 - Connecting with the Reader (11:54) Chapter 4 - Writing as a Black Author (15:03) Chapter 5 - The Author's Role in Shaping Kids' Minds (17:26) Chapter 6 - Varian's Favorite School Visits (19:59) Chapter 7 - Addressing Toxic Masculinity in "Playing The Cards You're Dealt" (23:01) Chapter 8 - "Drawing in Color" (27:51) Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (29:08)
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| 29 Nov 2022 | Voice Through Verse: Renée Watson on Poetry as Empowerment | 00:34:29 | |
On Today's Show
Maya Angelou was mute for six years. After a traumatizing childhood experience, the famous poet and activist retreated inward and lost her voice. In Renée Watson's kid-friendly but unflinching retelling of her story in "Maya's Song", Watson shows how poetry was the means to Maya finding her voice and going on to use it in unforgettable ways. That's the power of poetry. And that power is something that Renée is passionate about giving to kids. From incorporating poetic elements in her stories to writing entire stories in verse, Renée utilizes poetry in her writing frequently. In this episode, she joins us to tell us more about how she came to believe in the power of poetry, how she makes it accessible to children, why she thinks it's so important for youth, and more. This episode's Beanstack featured librarian is Pat Toney, a Children's Services Librarian at Oakland Public Library in California. Pat provides us with a coming-of-age book recommendation for teens. | |||
| 12 Dec 2023 | The Things We Know: Oge Mora on Finding the Magic in the Everyday | 00:36:31 | |
"It's not like I haven't experienced pain or tragedy or grief in my life, and it's not like I want to deny that. I don't think that that's the entirety of my song. When I want to look back on my life, I want to look at all the amazing things and experiences I had because that's what makes the time we have in this world so incredibly special, is that we have these connections, we have these experiences with people.” - Oge Mora Life is full of small pleasures, bits of magic in ordinary moments that so often go underappreciated. Oge Mora wants to draw attention to those small things and show us the true depth and meaning those moments have in our lives.
Oge Mora burst onto the kid lit scene with her picture book “Thank You, Omu!”, a book that earned her a Caldecott Honor, a Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award, and a host of other accolades. She was also a 2021 Forbes 303 Under 30 lister. In this episode, Oge tells us about the community support that built the foundation for her career, the art school epiphany that shifted her perspective from shame to pride, and why she wants her books to feel like a cup of hot cocoa. If you're looking for a moment of joy, you have found it here. ***
*** In Oge’s reading challenge, "Story Collage" she shares some of her favorite picture books with collage illustrations. You can find her list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com. Today’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Alli Buffington, Library Media Specialist at Holley Navarre Intermediate School in Santa Rosa County, Florida. She’ll tell us about the most successful reading challenge she’s run at her school. Contents Chapter 1 - Repeat Renewals (2:31) Chapter 2 - Sister Catherine and The Doodler (7:13) Chapter 3 - A Street Called Home (14:27) Chapter 4 - That Little Bit of Shift (18:40) Chapter 5 - An Homage to Connection With Others (25:28) Chapter 6 - More of Less, and More (32:12) Chapter 7 - Collage of Stories (32:57) Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (34:15)
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 11 Jun 2024 | Unstoppable Force, Movable Object: Dhonielle Clayton on Levering Children's Books Into the 21st Century | 00:38:49 | |
"I'm not a person that's like, let's throw out the classics. It's, let's move forward. Let's disrupt the canon. Some of these universal themes, some of these ingredients that we love, how do I remix them into a new stew?” - Dhonielle Clayton What is life without a little magic? Fantasy gives us the space to break free from the confines that reality often brings and the freedom to dream the typically unimaginable. But with all its magic and wonder, the fantasy genre doesn’t always reflect the diversity of its real-life readers' stories. Dhonielle Clayton, a literary mover and shaker, is dedicated to changing that narrative, filling in the gaps to ensure that all kids see a reflection of themselves in these wondrous worlds.
*** Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. *** Dhonielle expands on her stories about magic and fantasy on the podcast with her reading challenge, Retelling Heroes and Magic. Dhonielle takes inspiration from her goal to disrupt the world of fantasy storytelling with a wonderful suggested reading list. Download the list at thereadingculturepod.com/dhonielle-clayton
This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Erin Baker, media specialist at Durham Middle School in Georgia. She tells us her secret sauce for getting the whole school on board with reading initiatives and why it involves some unlikely allies. Contents Chapter 1 - Hot Summers in the Deep South Chapter 2 - The People Could Fly Chapter 3 - Let’s Talk About Harry Potter Chapter 4 - Reality in Fantasy Chapter 5 - Let Them Eat Cake! (Creative) Chapter 6 - Purpose Chapter 7 - Reading Challenge Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producers: Jackie Lamport, Sydni Michelle Perry, and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 18 Apr 2023 | Inflection Point: Shadra Strickland Puts the Dash in Author-Illustrator | 00:38:19 | |
Creators & Guests
One of Shadra Strickland’s earliest memories is drawing underneath her grandma’s table. From a young age, she had a visual, creative mind. As the daughter of an English teacher, she was an avid reader, and words were important, but it was picture book illustrations that opened her up to a whole new side of storytelling. With a love for drawing from a young age, Shadra soaked up every color and every shape in those books. As an adult, she has pursued a career in illustrating children’s literature and has earned many accolades. But throughout her experiences illustrating other authors’ stories, a storyteller within her began to emerge, and in 2023 she made the leap to author-illustrator with “Jump In!”. In this episode, Shadra takes us through the important artistic influences and moments in her life that led her to this debut solo picture book. She shares the elements of art that stand out to her and how she applies them to her work, and we also discuss the rise and ethics of AI art. This episode's Beanstack featured librarian is Jen Siderius, the media specialist at New Market Elementary School in Maryland. She shares a heartwarming story about the value of making different book formats available to students and families. As with all episodes, our author guest creates a unique reading challenge available on Beanstack and at thereadingculturepod.com/shadra-strickland. Listen to the episode to learn more about Shadra’s challenge, Move It!
Chapter 1 - Newspaper Clippings (2:33) Chapter 2 - The Allure of Clouds (6:46) Chapter 3 - Come on, Rain! (12:32) Chapter 4 - Jumping in to Jump In! (17:28) Chapter 5 - Out-hustling the Robots (25:36) Chapter 6 - Doin’ the double-dutch (27:56) Chapter 7 - What’s next? (30:58) Chapter 8 - Move It! (34:04) Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (35:05)
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| 16 May 2023 | Never Empty-Handed: Yuyi Morales on the Stories, the Pain, and the Hope We Carry | 00:39:32 | |
In This Episode
Growing up in Mexico in the 60s and 70s, Yuyi Morales wasn’t familiar with children’s books. Instead, she was surrounded by a family of vibrant storytellers, and a mother whose creative side was brought out through her passion to make anything and everything needed around the house. As an adult, Yuyi found herself living in America and learning English, through which she discovered and fell in love with children’s books. A Caldecott Honor recipient and Pura Belpré Award winner, today, Yuyi merges her youth and experience in America to create magical, colorful, and entirely original picture books. *** Keep up with Jordan and The Reading Culture podcast on Instagram @thereadingculturepod and Yuyi @yuyimorales
This episode's Beanstack featured librarian is Pam Hamlin, a Family Literacy Specialist at Prince George's County Memorial Library System in Maryland. She has a message for parents and teachers of young children. As with all episodes, our author guest creates a unique reading challenge that is available on Beanstack and also at thereadingculturepod.com. Listen to the episode to learn more about Yuyi Morales’ reading challenge, Migration Stories.
Chapter 1 - The Blue Elephant (2:46) Chapter 2 - Baby on the Roof (8:09) Chapter 3 - El Ahogado Más Hermoso del Mundo (11:01) Chapter 4 - From Mexico to the United States, and back again (20:38) Chapter 5 - Dreamers (24:34) Chapter 6 - The Secret to Joy (32:23) Chapter 7 - Migration Stories (35:46) Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (37:29)
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 04 Apr 2023 | Little Windows: Victoria Jamieson on the Underrated Power of Graphic Novels | 00:40:25 | |
On Today's Show
Victoria Jamieson was always an introverted child, but a move across states in middle school pushed her further inward and made her grasp for familiarity. She quickly found comfort in the local library after her mother became the regular host of their summer reading program. While Victoria was an avid reader, burning through Ramona Quimby stories, she also found herself deeply interested in the Sunday comics in newspapers, and eventually comics such as Calvin and Hobbes.
This episode's Beanstack featured librarian is John Henry Evans, a school librarian at Walter T. Helms Middle School at West Contra Costa Unified School District in California. Today, John Henry shares a moving story about a student, a book, and an unexpected post-it note. As with all episodes, our author guest creates a unique reading challenge that is available on Beanstack and also at thereadingculturepod.com. Listen to the episode to learn more about Victoria’s challenge of looking through some new “little windows”.
Chapter 1 - Owner of the library (2:04) Chapter 2 - Ramona and Beezus (6:57) Chapter 3 - From Ramona to Rollergirl (11:01) Chapter 4 - Astrid, The Likeable (15:07) Chapter 5 - The allure of Lego manuals (18:06) Chapter 6 - Omar’s Story (24:40) Chapter 7 - Warm Welcomes (32:27) Chapter 8 - Little Windows (36:33) Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (37:45)
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| 08 Aug 2023 | Revisit - The Heart of the Story: Karina Yan Glaser Talks Empathy in Writing | 00:35:40 | |
Grace Lin (The Year of the Dog, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon) shares her thoughts on the value art provides to those who experience it and those who create it, and how it contributes to getting us in touch with our own humanity. On Today's Show
Karina Yan Glaser is always emotionally honest in her stories. Pulling largely from her own experiences, she lets her feelings seep onto the pages in a way that makes it impossible not to feel as a reader. But despite writing for children, she doesn't hide any of those hard emotions such as anger, sadness, and grief. She believes in the power of stories to help kids practice empathy and be prepared for the tough situations we all face in life. Her takes on community, diversity, and hardship are what make her series The Vanderbeekers such a success. In this episode of The Reading Culture, she joins to share how her own reading journey has shaped who she is as a writer and how she approaches building empathy into her stories. Karina has also developed a reading challenge in partnership with Beanstack for listeners and Beanstack partners. Her theme is books where New York City is a character. You can learn more about the challenge here.
Chapter 1 - Getting to know Karina (3:53) Chapter 2 - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (8:22) Chapter 3 - Becoming a Writer (16:36) Chapter 4 - Empathy in Stories (20:16) Chapter 5 - The Culture of Reading in Schools (28:59) Chapter 6 - A Question From a Reader (33:35) Chapter 7 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (36:41)
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| 13 Jun 2023 | Ignorance Isn’t Bliss: Sabaa Tahir on the Need to Bear Witness | 00:42:37 | |
On Today's Show
Sabaa Tahir’s (“All My Rage,” “An Ember in the Ashes” quartet) upbringing in the Mojave desert, isolated nearly 100 miles from the nearest city, exposed her to an unforgiving landscape and also many unforgiving truths of humanity. Within this backdrop, one place held significant importance in shaping her worldview: The Motel, a small business operated by her immigrant parents. As she notes, “The good is what helps you survive, but the bad is what makes you wary and careful and makes you lonely at times.” Sabaa ventured into the realm of academia and later pursued a career in journalism, where her understanding of the world's imperfections deepened. The essence of Sabaa’s stories lies in the raw exploration of sorrow and frustration…and taking action. In this episode, Sabaa delves into the experiences of her childhood that left an indelible mark on her perspective of the world. From the motel her parents ran, to sonic booms, to wearing (dreaded) dresses on Mondays, Sabaa’s youth sounds eerily like a superhero origin story. She also opened up about the “outsized impact” of her time copy editing at The Washington Post and its influence on her writing. Sabaa reveals how she channels her outrage to resonate with her coming-of-age readers, validating their shared frustrations and coming to terms with her own. ***
*** For her reading challenge, Authors of the Muslim Diaspora, Sabaa wants readers to open up to other perspectives from Muslim diaspora authors, including their cultures, traditions, mythologies, and humor. She curated a fabulous reading list, and I invite you to check it out. Reading challenges are always available at thereadingculturepod.com. In this episode, we’re once again changing things up for our Beanstack featured librarian. Today we give the mic one more time to Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada, the current American Library Association president, to share more about the upcoming ALA conference and exhibition. Beanstack has proudly participated in ALA exhibitions for the last eight years!
Chapter 2 - The Motel Chapter 3 - One Art Chapter 4 - The Eyes of an Editor Chapter 5 - Books Like Sad Songs Chapter 6 - Back to Fantasy Land Chapter 7 - Lego Proof Socks Chapter 8 - Muslim Diaspora Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian
Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 20 Sep 2022 | Cultivating Story: Meg Medina on the Importance of Storytelling in Life, Writing, and the Fight Against Book Bans | 00:36:43 | |
On Today's Show
Meg Medina's passion for telling stories goes back as far as she can remember. Crafting words into lessons and engaging experiences has always been her calling, but it took her a few careers to fully dive in. Now, she's a Newbery Award-winning children's author, best known for her Merci Suárez trilogy. In this episode of The Reading Culture, she joins to share her thoughts on the craft of storytelling. Meg talks about the power of storytelling to pass on the knowledge of tradition and to share experiences. She also talks about the increase in book bans and challenges and why she believes leaning into the gift of storytelling will help authors and the industry create the ultimate offense. Meg has also developed a reading challenge called "Girls in Motion," in partnership with Beanstack, for listeners and Beanstack partners. For the challenge, Meg curated a diverse list of stories featuring athletic girls facing various life challenges. You can hear her talk more about it in the episode and see the details and full list of books here.
Chapter 1 - Meg's Beginnings as a Writer (2:00) Chapter 2 - Telling Her Own Story (8:35) Chapter 3 - “Letters of E.B White” (11:14) Chapter 4 - Reading to Be Human (16:12) Chapter 5 - On Visiting Schools (20:27) Chapter 6 - Storytelling to Fight Book Bans (21:55) Chapter 7 - Saying Goodbye to Merci Suárez (27:55) Chapter 8 - Girls in Motion (32:48) Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (35:01) Today's featured librarian is Meredith Derrick, the Library Coordinator for Klein Independent School District outside of Houston, Texas. In this episode she tell's us more about her most successful library program to date.
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| 05 Sep 2023 | Here, Extrapolated: Neal Shusterman on The Art of World Building | 00:33:43 | |
On Today's Show
When Neal Shusterman was in college, he was told to stop building worlds and start building characters. He listened. And from then on, his worlds became more magical and deep than ever before, because, as he says, when you care about characters, you care about the world they live in.
Getting immersed in settings unlike – but not far from – our own provides crucial lessons about perspective. This outside perspective allows us to shed our preconceptions and witness characters and events in a way we would be unable to otherwise. It’s an incredibly impactful storytelling style for young readers just learning these skills, and Neal is a master at it. Neal Shusterman is best known for his "Unwind Dystology" series, his Printz-winning "Scythe" trilogy, and "Challenger Deep," which won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2015. In this episode, Neal shares how getting immersed in his favorite fictional worlds inspired him to create some of his own, he’ll talk about how and why he prioritizes characters to enhance immersion, and how seriously he takes sticking to the rules of his world. *** Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
*** In his reading challenge, "The Nature of Consciousness," Neal wants to send us into various fictional worlds to challenge our perception of a prevailing debate in our own world: A.I. You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com.
Chapter 1 - The Trouble with Star Trek Blueprints (2:11) Chapter 2 - The Jaws of (Neal’s) Life (9:02) Chapter 3 - Desktop Quotes (10:32) Chapter 4 - Stories From the Cabin (15:14) Chapter 5 - No Characters, No World (18:02) Chapter 6 - A Sense of Hope (24:10) Chapter 7 - The Power of a Teacher (27:12) Chapter 8 - The Nature of Consciousness (30:30) Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (31:23) Links
Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 03 Oct 2023 | Inner Section: Kacen Callender on Trauma, Healing, and Magic | 00:37:52 | |
On Today's Show
Just as books provide readers with a space to learn, see themselves, reflect, and cope with their inner thoughts, writing has served as a means for Kacen Callender to process and heal from their own trauma. Throughout their writing journey, Kacen has traversed the various stages and ages of their life, opening wounds and finding ways to heal them through fiction.
Kacen’s vulnerable and emotional storytelling has had profound impacts on readers around the world, particularly Queer readers who often find their own journeys reflected in Kacen’s work.
*** Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. *** In their reading challenge, "Trans YA Spec" Kacen wants readers to imagine freedom for the trans community through works of speculative fiction. You can find their list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com. This episode’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Meredith Derrick, library coordinator for Klein Independent School District outside of Houston, Texas. She shares a funny story about a student’s attempt at a thoughtful teacher appreciation surprise.
Chapter 1 - Reckoning with Trauma Chapter 2 - Annie John Chapter 3 - Fiction in Our Own Hands Chapter 4 - Honest Representation Chapter 5 - The Journey Continues Chapter 6 - Dream State Chapter 7 - Diversity on the Shelves Chapter 8 - Trans YA Spec Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian Links
Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media
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| 17 Aug 2022 | The Reading Culture: Trailer | 00:01:46 | |
In our new podcast, The Reading Culture, host Jordan Lloyd Bookey will bring you along as we connect with diverse authors about their own journeys as readers and storytellers, as well as what experiences along the way motivated them to read more. Authors will share their perspectives on the cultural climate in children’s and young adult literature. And get excited for each guest's unique, themed reading challenge for students and readers of all ages. Coming this fall. | |||
| 07 Mar 2023 | Screen Play: James Ponti on Writing with a Filmmaker's Eye | 00:35:12 | |
On Today's Show
James’ unique perspective from his start in visual storytelling allowed him to become the immersive, illustrative author that he is today. In this episode, James shares about movies that influenced him, how locations inspire his work, and his transition from movies and television to kidlit. As with all episodes, our author guest creates a unique reading challenge that is available on Beanstack and also at thereadingculturepod.com/james-ponti. Listen to the episode to learn more about James’ challenge, Mystery Author.
Chapter 1 - The Great Escape (1:46) Chapter 2 - All The President’s Men (4:43) Chapter 3 - Santa’s Slay ‘79 (6:21) Chapter 4 - On The Hospital Floor (8:38) Chapter 5 - From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (12:25) Chapter 6 - In Good Company (24:37) Chapter 7 - Co-Conspirators (28:04) Chapter 8 - Mystery Author (31:33) Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (33:01)
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| 30 Apr 2024 | Filling in the Blanks: Cece Bell on the Comedy of the Absurd | 00:43:09 | |
"...the reader's mind is filling in the blanks in between those panels and as a lip reader, that's what I do. I fill in the blanks. I'm trying to piece together what that person says. So, comics really make sense to me.” - Cece Bell
While Cece is best known for "El Deafo," which received a Newbery honor, most of her books are for a slightly younger set. These include her laugh-out-loud funny "Chick and Brain" series, and her earlier Sock Monkey trilogy. Cece’s journey to pursuing a career as an artist was first dependent on her discovering confidence in her abilities, and also in her disability. Something that she didn’t fully realize until she wrote “El Deafo.” In this episode, Cece shares insights into her creative process, revealing how her experiences navigating the world with deafness have shaped her storytelling and sense of humor (and draws the connection between her deafness and her love for puns). She also tells us about the gory job that convinced her to pursue a career as an artist. For any budding comic creators, she also reveals the only book you need to read before your write your first graphic novel. ***
*** For her reading challenge, Sibling Stories, Cece has curated a list of books that highlight the special relationships between siblings, something that has always fascinated her. In case you wondered, Cece has two older siblings. You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com/cece-bell This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Amanda Maslonka, a 26-year veteran in education, and an elementary school librarian at Pasadena ISD in Texas. She tells us a funny and heartwarming story from her days working with first graders. Contents Chapter 1 - Funny Family (2:02) Chapter 2 - No One Makes Fun of the Funny Kid (6:23) Chapter 3 - At The Dentist (13:54) Chapter 4 - Understanding Comics (18:08) Chapter 5 - El Deafo (24:21) Chapter 6 - High Tech Hearing (26:46) Chapter 7 - Absurdism for Children (31:05) Chapter 8 - Animal Albums (37:08) Chapter 9 - Sibling Stories (39:24) Chapter 10 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (41:04)
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 13 Dec 2022 | They Already Know: Kate DiCamillo on Helping Kids Find Hope in Darkness | 00:42:48 | |
On Today's Show
Her work is world-renowned, and millions of people have shed sad but hopeful tears while reading her words. In this episode, Kate fills us in on how she so effectively uses darkness to share a message of hope, how she connects with her own child within to write, and why the minds of children still spark inspiration for her stories to this day.
Chapter 1 - Down the Rabbit Hole (to Florida) (2:46) Chapter 2 - The Black Turtleneck (7:19) Chapter 3 - Becoming a Children's Writer (11:55) Chapter 4 - Charlotte's Wisdom (13:56) Chapter 5 - Through The Eyes of a Child (17:16) Chapter 6 - A Youthful Memory (22:17) Chapter 7 - A Letter to Matt (24:39) Chapter 8 - Cassius Wonders (31:05) Chapter 9 - Read Brave (38:57) Chapter 10 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (41:06) Today's Beanstack featured librarian is Pat Toney, a Children's Services Librarian at Oakland Public Library in California. On this episode, Pat recommends an influential book for young adults.
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| 19 Sep 2023 | Cool To Be You: Kwame Alexander On Authenticity | 00:35:35 | |
On Today's Show
Exciting reluctant middle school kids about reading (or really, anything) can be a battle. Getting them to think reading is cool is another. Kwame Alexander excels at both. His ability to authentically relate to his readers is a skill around which he has built his career.
Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
In his reading challenge, "Blackout," Kwame wants listeners to utilize their favourite books to look inward and make some art of their own. You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com.
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Chapter 1 - Glasses first (2:10) Chapter 2 - Mom’s stories, dad’s garage (3:53) Chapter 3 - Love After Love (9:11) Chapter 4 - The “Reluctant” Readers (14:01) Chapter 5 - Kwame Shows Up (17:50) Chapter 6 - America’s Next Great Authors (24:18) Chapter 7 - Blackout (27:34) Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (28:09)
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 15 Nov 2022 | Voice Training: Zetta Elliott on Reckoning with Your Past and Disrupting the Future | 00:29:12 | |
On Today's Show
Scholar and author Zetta Elliott knows the long-term damage of not having representative, relatable stories to read while growing up. Growing up Black in suburban Canada in the ’80s meant rarely seeing herself in the books she read. It wasn't until she was a young adult that she realized that erasure's impact on her own voice as a writer.
Chapter 2 - Being Left Out of Literature (5:50) Chapter 3 - Zetta Finds Her Voice (10:46) Chapter 4 - Won't You Celebrate With Me? (14:49) Chapter 5 - Self-Publishing (18:03) Chapter 6 - The Future Depends on Now (23:15) Chapter 7 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (27:10) Today, Beanstack's featured librarian is Kelly McDaniel, assistant director for the Piedmont Regional Library System in northeast Georgia. We had her spill her secrets on how she gets kids excited about reading.
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| 14 May 2024 | Twilight Zone: Julie Murphy on Self-Doubt and Self-Love | 00:42:26 | |
"I've found that the books that have resonated with me the most are books where your body is incidental, but it's still something that you can never leave behind.” - Julie Murphy Julie Murphy has an unexpected story, one that involves a winding road to her writing career. With equal parts quick wit and matter-of-factness, Julie shares that part of her confidence that she could dare to be a writer came after falling deep into the Twilight series. If Stephanie Meyer, an untrained author, could write an international bestseller about shiny vampires, why couldn’t she write a bestseller too? Okay, possibly not that easy, and of course Julie’s journey to self-assurance and self-love, both for her writing and herself, has been far from just getting caught up in Team Edward vs Team Jacob.
Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
While Julie’s own love story is rom-com worthy (she’ll share in the episode!), for her reading challenge, “Love Hurts”, she wants us to read love stories that also… well…. hurt.
This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Lauren Mobley, a middle school librarian in Atlanta, Georgia. She tells us a funny, heartwarming story about her attempt to curate a special book selection for some new students. Contents Chapter 1 - Texas Needs Churches Too Chapter 2 - Dieting with Mom Chapter 3 - Twilight: A Masterpiece Chapter 4 - Ask The Passengers Chapter 5 - Finding Confidence… and Rejection Chapter 6 - One Step Back, Two Steps Forward Chapter 7 - Julie Murphy Fan Club Chapter 8 - From Cradle to Grave Chapter 9 - Love Hurts Chapter 10 - Beanstack Featured Librarian
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 31 Oct 2023 | Revisit - The Gift of Fear: Lamar Giles on How Horror Helps Kids Cope | 00:29:50 | |
We revisit our Halloween special episode with Lamar Giles. ******
Lamar Giles says horror is a pressure valve. It has the ability to release pent-up anxiety and fear in a controlled, safe, and fun environment. That's why he'll watch Hellraiser at 4 a.m. to comfort himself when he can't sleep. While the genre isn't for everyone, he knows there are other young readers that will resonate with it the same way he did when he first read Stephen King at 11 years old. Giles' career has been full of mystery and thriller stories, but with the 2022 release of The Getaway, he has finally fulfilled his lifelong dream of writing a true horror novel. He tells us more about how the genre has helped him in his life and why he thinks kids resonate with his writing.
Chapter 1 - Growing Up as Lamar Giles (3:16) Chapter 2 - The Dinosaur in the Cereal Box (5:48) Chapter 3 - The Draw to Horror (8:26) Chapter 4 - It (9:30) Chapter 5 - The Pressure Valve (13:54) Chapter 6 - Connecting with Young Readers (17:23) Chapter 7 - Writing Black Characters (16:19) Chapter 8 - Publishing Horror (20:19) Chapter 9 - The Getaway (22:07) Chapter 10 - A Vehicle for Social Commentary (23:59) Chapter 11 - Fear On Screen (25:10) Chapter 12 - Scary Good Stories (27:18) Chapter 13 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (27:53)
Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 09 Jul 2024 | Revisit - Ignorance Isn’t Bliss: Sabaa Tahir on the Need to Bear Witness | 00:43:44 | |
We revisit our episode with Sabaa Tahir. Sabaa Tahir’s (“All My Rage,” “An Ember in the Ashes” quartet) upbringing in the Mojave desert, isolated nearly 100 miles from the nearest city, exposed her to an unforgiving landscape and also many unforgiving truths of humanity. Within this backdrop, one place held significant importance in shaping her worldview: The Motel, a small business operated by her immigrant parents. As she notes, “The good is what helps you survive, but the bad is what makes you wary and careful and makes you lonely at times.” Sabaa ventured into the realm of academia and later pursued a career in journalism, where her understanding of the world's imperfections deepened. The essence of Sabaa’s stories lies in the raw exploration of sorrow and frustration…and taking action. In this episode, Sabaa delves into the experiences of her childhood that left an indelible mark on her perspective of the world. From the motel her parents ran, to sonic booms, to wearing (dreaded) dresses on Mondays, Sabaa’s youth sounds eerily like a superhero origin story. She also opened up about the “outsized impact” of her time copy editing at The Washington Post and its influence on her writing. Sabaa reveals how she channels her outrage to resonate with her coming-of-age readers, validating their shared frustrations and coming to terms with her own. ***
*** For her reading challenge, Authors of the Muslim Diaspora, Sabaa wants readers to open up to other perspectives from Muslim diaspora authors, including their cultures, traditions, mythologies, and humor. She curated a fabulous reading list, and I invite you to check it out. Reading challenges are always available at thereadingculturepod.com. In this episode, we’re once again changing things up for our Beanstack featured librarian. Today we give the mic one more time to Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada, the current American Library Association president, to share more about the upcoming ALA conference and exhibition. Beanstack has proudly participated in ALA exhibitions for the last eight years!
Chapter 2 - The Motel Chapter 3 - One Art Chapter 4 - The Eyes of an Editor Chapter 5 - Books Like Sad Songs Chapter 6 - Back to Fantasy Land Chapter 7 - Lego Proof Socks Chapter 8 - Muslim Diaspora Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian
Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 24 Jul 2023 | Big Summer Reading Giveaway! | 00:01:26 | |
Exciting news! We are hosting a big summer reading giveaway in which you can choose any three titles by any three authors who have been on our podcast. Three books each for three winners. The magic number really is three, y’all! We will select our three winners on August 11, so make sure that you have done a few things to get maximum entries!
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| 12 Nov 2024 | Tiny Spaces: Mac Barnett on Why Kids Are Better Than Adults at Reading Picture Books | 00:44:03 | |
“I think kids are actually generally a better audience for literary fiction, for art, for ambitious storytelling that asks the reader to do work. And a lot of that is just based on how their brains work and their place in the world.” - Mac Barnett Growing up, Mac Barnett’s mom never took their picture books off their shelves. They remained a part of his reading world, even as he grew up and could read more mature books. Maybe that choice helped Mac’s youthful spirit alight for longer. As he often notes, kids’ minds are portals to the imaginary, to making believe. For them, everything is possible: superheroes, magic, ghosts. Mac believes that open-mindedness is crucial to fully understanding and appreciating fiction, which is why he makes the argument that kids are the best audience for fiction, and in particular, picture books. Mac Barnett is a best-selling, prolific children's author celebrated for his clever, imaginative storytelling and sharp sense of humor. He is known for books like “Extra Yarn,” “Sam and Dave Dig a Hole,” “The Terrible Two,” series and the “Mac B, Kid Spy” series. He has received numerous accolades, including two Caldecott Honors and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award. In this episode, Mac shares why he believes that most adults struggle to understand what makes a good children’s book. He also unpacks “Frog and Toad” as a work of experimental fiction and reflects on the lessons he's learning from his three-year-old son. Given Mac's passion for picture books, it's fitting that his reading challenge centers around them. For his challenge, “The Possibilities of Picture Books,” he has curated a selection designed to help us see the capaciousness of the picture book format—just as his mother once did for him. Learn more and download Mac’s recommended reading list at thereadingculturepod.com/mac-barnett *** *** Chapter 1 - The Picture Book Proclamation Chapter 2 - A Hall of Clocks Chapter 3 - Smaller, Better, Faster, Smarter Chapter 4 - Writing for Five-Year-Olds Chapter 5 - The Will to Make Believe (and believe it) Chapter 6 - Mac to Mac Chapter 7 - The Possibilities of Picture Books Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 16 Apr 2024 | Hero of the Anti-Heroes: Gregory Maguire on the Value of Second Chances | 00:42:40 | |
"That's really all we are obliged to do for those we call our enemies. We are obliged to see them as humans, and then we behave the way we will. We are obliged not to consider them as less than human because that way, all hell breaks loose. - Gregory Maguire
Gregory has built his career around telling the stories of antiheroes, most notably through the reimaginings of classic fairytales in novels such as "Wicked," "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister," and "Mirror Mirror." That ability to find empathy and a curiosity to understand even the most seemingly undeserving characters emerges in his other children's and young adult books and is deeply rooted in experiences from Gregory’s early life.
Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. In his reading challenge, Arresting Strangeness (a term coined by J.R.R. Tolkien), Gregory has compiled a list of his favorite books that envelop you completely and force you to look at the world around you anew. You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com/gregory-maguire *** This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Lauren Mobley, a middle school librarian in Atlanta, Georgia. She tells us about a fun reading program she set up in her school inspired by a hit reality TV show. Contents Chapter 1 - Travel of the Mind Chapter 2 - Home, the Orphanage, and back again Chapter 3 - The Children of Green Knowe Chapter 4 - Harriet the Recorder Chapter 5 - Origins of Empathy Chapter 6 - The Absence of a Happily Ever After Chapter 7 - Arresting Strangeness Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian
Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 02 Apr 2024 | Simple Thing, Felt: Nina LaCour on Unwrapping a Moment | 00:37:57 | |
"I spend a lot of time trying to hope that I'll remember little things and how a certain simple thing felt. … Writing is one way of trying to capture that feeling, even if I'm fictionalizing it still.” - Nina LaCour If Nina LaCour were a drink, she would be a cozy cup of tea. You’re not rushing to finish a conversation with Nina. Rather, you are spending time exploring the details. And that is exactly what we did in this episode. The world moves fast. Usually faster than we’d like it to. But writing can gift us the ability to slow a moment down, to digest and analyze at a more intentional pace. For Nina LaCour, writing starts with observing the world around you, getting ready to break it down into words and unravel the meaning on a page. As a new writer, Nina found it best to share those observations through young adult literature after falling in love with it in college. She has since written a picture book, “Mama, Mommy and Me in the Middle,” and returned to an adult novel she shelved early in her career (“Yerba Buena”). More recently, she released "The Apartment House on Poppy Hill," the sweetest chapter book. Nina’s work is notably thoughtful and gentle. Her complex topics have resonated deeply with young readers and adults alike (including our own recent guest, Mark Oshiro). She’s best known for her novels such as “Hold Still,” "Everything Leads to You," and "We Are Okay," which received the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. In this episode, she shares her journey to falling in love with young adult literature and how Virginia Woolf helped her find the love of her life. She also explores writing's capacity to uncover the depth within every moment and discusses the importance of queer family representation in literature.
Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. *** In her reading challenge, At the Intersection, Nina has curated a list of books at the intersection of queerness and family. You can find her list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com/nina-lacour This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Faith Rice Mills, librarian at Nelda Sullivan Middle School in Pasadena, Texas. She tells us a heartwarming story to remind librarians of the importance of their work, even when that impact isn't obvious. Contents Chapter 1 - The Outsider… Chapter 2 - …Becomes the Observer Chapter 3 - Mrs. Dalloway Chapter 4 - On Being Gentle Chapter 5 - Bang Bang Chapter 6 - At the Intersection Chapter 7 - Beanstack Featured Librarian Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 20 Aug 2024 | Surreal Talk: A.S. King on Validating Teen Trauma | 00:41:40 | |
“I see my job as trying to soothe the trauma that teenagers don't know they have yet because everybody's so busy telling them that they don't.” - A.S. King
She draws on weirdness and absurdity to tap deeper into the trauma her characters face. From anger to misplaced guilt, sadness to grief, and a general sense of overwhelming anxiety, teens have so much to process. And nothing peeves Amy like adults’ dismissal of these experiences, of this trauma, for teens. She is passionate about challenging that norm, validating teens, and offering a surreal mirror to help them understand the world as it truly is: weird.
Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
Keeping it on brand and consistent, Amy offers us a truly unique reading challenge with a bizarrely loveable title. Weird stuff that's totally readable, may be old, but it's really good. Hear me out. That’s Amy’s pitch and title for her reading challenge. It’s a good one! Find out more for yourself at thereadingculturepod.com/as-king.
This episode’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Alana Graves, a Librarian and Summer Experience Coordinator at Austin Public Library. She recounts an adorable mermaid story from one of her summer programs. Contents Chapter 1 - Sci-Fives and Reading (Pennsylvania) Chapter 2 - Embracing the Strange Chapter 3 - The Job of Validation Chapter 4 - Gracie’s House, Gracie’s Hands Chapter 5 - Surrealism, For Real Chapter 6 - Pick The Lock Chapter 7 - Weird stuff that's totally readable, may be old, but it's really good. Hear me out. Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian - Alana Graves (Austin Public Library)
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producers: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 24 Jan 2023 | Oh, the Humanity: Grace Lin on Art and the Human Experience | 00:36:43 | |
On Today's Show
For Grace Lin, the value in literature comes from its ability to allow you to understand other humans and get in touch with your own humanity. But this value isn't just from reading. As a writer, she recognizes the change that the artist goes through in the process of creating. In her own experience, the process of writing has allowed her to understand and feel comfortable with her Asian-American identity, which in turn has helped her in making content for other young Asian-Americans who are struggling in the same ways she used to. It's these experiences and understandings that have contributed to her passion for keeping humanity in writing and fighting for that access. That's why she has so eloquently spoken about the importance of reading other perspectives despite potential initial discomfort in her apt metaphor of putting on a new pair of glasses. In this episode, she'll take us through all of that and more.
Chapter 1 - ThE LeEtal hOuSe (2:29) Chapter 2 - Bees for Betsy, but not for Grace (3:50) Chapter 3 - For those to come (5:24) Chapter 4 - The Search for Delicious (7:22) Chapter 5 - The thousand-dollar dandelion (11:24) Chapter 6 - New Glasses (16:17) Chapter 7 - The art of effort (22:55) Chapter 8 - Chinese Menu (29:20) Chapter 9 - New Faces, Familiar Places (33:00) Chapter 10 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (34:38) This episode's Beanstack featured librarian is Jenny Lee Ryan, the Program Coordinator for Farmington Public Library in New Mexico. Listen to the end to hear some of her best tips for getting readers engaged in their programming. | |||
| 07 Feb 2023 | Comfortably Uncomfortable: Nic Stone on the Story Less Told | 00:37:29 | |
On Today's Show
After Nic Stone graduated college, she went on a trip to Bethlehem in Israel to connect with the story behind her faith. But instead of a religious experience, she found herself moved by the stories of the people who live in the city in the present day. Stories that she decided also needed telling. In this episode, Nic joins us to share more about how she found her voice and why she tells the stories she does. She'll speak about the importance of connecting with kids to understand their perspective on life, and why, despite being fearful of backlash over the release of her most recent book, she is still optimistic about the future of reading freedom in the classroom. She also shares her unique reading challenge for our listeners! Contents Chapter 1 - Little Nic, the liar (2:18) Chapter 2 - The lead coat (5:40) Chapter 3 - The story we really need (7:55) Chapter 4 - The Picture of Dorian Gray (11:13) Chapter 5 - What kids want (18:16) Chapter 6 - Visiting Jabari (24:05) Chapter 7 - What about breakfast? (27:04) Chapter 8 - How to Be a (Young) Antiracist (28:33) Chapter 9 - Dear whom? (32:10) Chapter 10 - Mirror, Mirror (34:13) Chapter 11- Beanstack Featured Librarian (34:41) This episode's Beanstack featured librarian is Rita Smith, the Children and Teens Librarian at Hershey Public Library in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Stick around until the end to hear the heartwarming story that reminded her of the value libraries play in the community.
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| 27 Dec 2022 | Revisit - Cultivating Story: Meg Medina on the importance of storytelling in life, writing, and the fight against book bans | 00:37:31 | |
On Today's Show
Meg Medina's passion for telling stories goes back as far as she can remember. Crafting words into lessons and engaging experiences has always been her calling, but it took her a few careers to fully dive in. Now, she's a Newbery Award-winning children's author, best known for her Merci Suárez trilogy. As we take a break to visit family and relax over the holiday season, we bring you back to the our first episode of The Reading Culture, where Meg Medina joined to share her thoughts on the craft of storytelling. Meg talks about the power of storytelling to pass on the knowledge of tradition and to share experiences. She also talks about the increase in book bans and challenges and why she believes leaning into the gift of storytelling will help authors and the industry create the ultimate offense. Meg has also developed a reading challenge called "Girls in Motion," in partnership with Beanstack, for listeners and Beanstack partners. For the challenge, Meg curated a diverse list of stories featuring athletic girls facing various life challenges. You can hear her talk more about it in the episode and see the details and full list of books here.
Chapter 1 - Meg's Beginnings as a Writer (2:48) Chapter 2 - Telling Her Own Story (9:23) Chapter 3 - “Letters of E.B White” (12:02) Chapter 4 - Reading to Be Human (17:00) Chapter 5 - On Visiting Schools (21:15) Chapter 6 - Storytelling to Fight Book Bans (23:43) Chapter 7 - Saying Goodbye to Merci Suárez (28:44) Chapter 8 - Girls in Motion (33:36) Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (35:49) This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Jessica Juarez. Jessica is the district librarian in Robstown ISD, housed at the high school. She gives us her 'secret sauce' to keep kids excited about reading.
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| 15 Oct 2024 | A Quiet House: Katherine Marsh on Why We Need to Turn Down the Noise | 00:42:09 | |
“The two most important things you can do as a writer are to make people wonder what will happen next and to understand why it matters. - Katherine Marsh
Striking this balance has become her mission: to keep readers on the edge of their seats, while delivering something meaningful. To achieve that, she draws on her journalism background and the early influence of her grandmother’s captivating stories from Ukraine.
Fun fact about Katherine: we attended the same high school! In fact, so did my script editor, Josia. It was a boarding school where we all did not know one another but shared the experience of being atypical students. Because of that coincidence and the fact that, as Katherine says, “kids love boarding school stories,” she curated her reading challenge, "Boarding School Ties,” which includes books that all take place in or are about boarding schools. Learn more and download Katherine’s recommended reading list at thereadingculturepod.com/katherine-marsh.
This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Ms. Mari Martinez, an assistant manager and librarian at Broward County Library. She tells us that sometimes the best strategy for the library... is to get out of the library! Show Chapters Chapter 1 - Stories From Grandma Chapter 2 - The Joy of Being Bored Chapter 3 - Our Animal Friends at Maple Farm Chapter 4 - Cutting Through the Noise Chapter 5 - A Diverse Diet Chapter 6 - The Kids Are (Sort of) All Right Chapter 7 - Boarding School Ties Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producers: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 21 Mar 2023 | Lonely Planet: Erin Entrada Kelly on Looking After the Overlooked | 00:36:54 | |
On Today's Show
As an introvert battling depression and bullying, it was easy for Erin Entrada Kelly to feel overlooked by those around her, but she found her place in reading and finding uniquely relatable characters. Not those she shared outward similarities with, but those she was able to empathize with on an emotional level.
Erin’s admiration for these complex characters and an unrelenting dream of being a writer pushed her into the world of youth literature. Her ability to understand and convey the perspective of vulnerable, unseen children in her writing has found her a closely-bonded, communal audience. Erin talks to us today about her favorite books growing up, her path to youth literature, and why she believes kids are not ‘incomplete vessels.’ This episode's Beanstack featured librarian is Erin Bechdal, a middle and high school librarian at Beaver Area School District in Pennsylvania. She’ll tell us about her go-to author recommendation for students. As with all episodes, our author guest creates a unique reading challenge available on Beanstack and at thereadingculturepod.com/erin-entrada-kelly. Listen to the episode to learn more about Erin’s challenge, Here to There.
Chapter 1 - The Unseen Child (2:12) Chapter 2 - Born Writing (8:34) Chapter 3 - Hurricane Child (11:01) Chapter 4 - Short Stories, Long Journey (15:02) Chapter 5 - Incomplete Vessels (20:42) Chapter 6 - A 200-person hug (24:24) Chapter 7 - Out-of-place (and time) (30:57) Chapter 8 - Here to There (33:16) Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (34:15)
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| 03 Sep 2024 | Worthy of Protecting: Ari Tison Faces Down Monsters With Words | 00:42:41 | |
“I talked about how I didn't process things in my journals. Well, in poetry, I did. All of a sudden, it was cracking that door open.” - Ari Tison When we’re kids, the world still feels so big. Everything is a discovery, from why flowers bloom to why we go to school and what it feels like to make friends… everything is new. But for some kids, life can hit faster than they’re ready to process. The logical side, the “why,” isn’t as important as the safe space to feel the emotions. In Ari’s native Bribri culture, monsters play an important role in stories, but for Ari the monsters were also present in her real life. She was young and unable to understand or logically process her trauma when she experienced it, but through reading and writing poetry, Ari found an emotional outlet.
Ari’s reading challenge, YA With Creative Structures, is inspired by her forthcoming novel, “Together We See.” She has curated a list of books that take unconventional approaches to structure, from the use of time to the inclusion of unexpected narrators. Learn more and download Ari’s recommended reading list at thereadingculturepod.com/ari-tison.
This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Jared Lessard, Branch Manager for the Calcasieu Parish Public Library System in Southwest Louisiana. He told us about an experience that constantly reminds him about the power of libraries in rural communities. Contents Chapter 1 - Thrown In Chapter 2 - Safety in Letters (art) Chapter 3 - Because of Because of Winn-Dixie Chapter 4 - The Voices That Came Before Chapter 5 - Justice and Healing Chapter 6 - Reading Challenge Chapter 7 - Beanstack Featured Librarian Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producers: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 11 Jul 2023 | The Fire Inside: Jacqueline Woodson Carries the Torch | 00:42:13 | |
On Today's Show
Jacqueline Woodson was born a watcher. An observer. Even as a young girl, she recognized that our stories are part of an enduring legacy that stretches far before and beyond our own lifetimes. Woodson is an icon in American literature, and author of works like “Brown Girl Dreaming,” “Red at the Bone,” and “Each Kindness.” Her voice has left an indelible mark on the literary landscape.
*** Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
*** For her reading challenge, Reading Black, Jacqueline challenges us to use her reading list as a way to look forward and back. The books she has chosen are all by black authors, telling their brilliant and varied stories of the American diaspora - stories this country is attempting to erase through book bans and challenges. She asks us to read these books and consider what other books they remind us of? For those we reread, what is new in the re-reading? What was it we missed the first time around? What thoughts and ideas have changed for us in the re-reading? You can find her list, designed for high school to adult readers, and all of our author challenges at thereadingculturepod.com. Returning as this episode’s Beanstack featured librarian is Cicely Lewis, School Library Journal’s 2020 school librarian of the year, from Gwinnett County Public Schools. Cicely, aka the Read Woke librarian, talks about why read-alouds are so important even for high school students, and why she refuses to stop using the word “woke” to inspire young people to read important narratives.
Chapter 1 - Starting in the Middle (2:30) Chapter 2 - The Continuum (5:44) Chapter 3 - Ballad of the Sad Café (10:44) Chapter 4 - Jacqueline’s Beginning (15:44) Chapter 5 - Empowering the Future (20:31) Chapter 6 - A Different Story (28:00) Chapter 7 - 500 Questions (35:37) Chapter 8 - Reading Black (36:33) Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (37:41) Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 14 Nov 2023 | A Good Guest: Daniel Nayeri on the Obligations of a Storyteller | 00:37:17 | |
"Don't follow your dreams if that's the only thing you're doing. Ask yourself, what will make you most useful? What will make you most, in terms of a purpose, help you do meaningful work?” - Daniel Nayeri You want Daniel Nayeri at your dinner party. Always with a story or an insightful question, it turns out he is also the person you want on your podcast! The Iranian-American author of the Printz Award-winning “Everything Sad is Untrue,” and the more recent “The Many Assassinations of Samir, Seller of Dreams,” offered up fresh conversation and a good deal of humor. As a writer, Daniel Nayeri is deeply aware of the impact his writing has on readers. As he noted in our conversation, there is perhaps no more intimate power than becoming the dialogue in one’s head. And Daniel feels strongly about using that power to have a positive impact on those who read his words. Part of his purpose, or obligation, he believes, is to “remystify the world.” Just wait until we talk about why cherries grow in pairs!
Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. *** In Daniel’s reading challenge, "Wise Shorts" he keeps our work and life load in mind offering a curated selection of short stories, reminding us that even the smallest things can have a major impact. You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com. Today’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Nikki Hayter, Library Manager at Franklin Avenue Library in Des Moines, Iowa. Nikki tells us about a program that highlights the deep impact libraries have on communities. Contents Chapter 1 - The Ferris Wheel and The Storyteller (2:15) Chapter 2 - A Retired Conan the Barbarian (6:43) Chapter 3 - Alberic The Wise (11:30) Chapter 4 - Remystifying the world (7:18) Chapter 5 - You get a memoir! And you get a memoir! And… (25:25) Chapter 6 - How to be interesting (28:20) Chapter 7 - Wise Shorts (33:31) Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (34:32)
Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 28 May 2024 | Summon the Tiger: Minh Lê Blurs the Boundaries | 00:42:05 | |
"That barrier between what is “real” and what is not, when that's more fluid, I think it's that's where the fun of fiction comes in. Especially when you're writing for kids.” - Minh Lê Life is full of barriers. Barriers between reality and the imagination, the spiritual and physical world, and perhaps most crucially, the ones we create for ourselves. When a barrier is a boundary, it can be a good thing. But in many cases, the barriers we create are holding us back. Minh Lê’s life was defined by many of these self-imposed barriers until well into his adult life. But slowly, through nudges from friends and family and a lot of self-reflection, Minh began to learn that the only thing in between him and his dream of being a picture book author, was himself.
Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
Minh expands on his stories about meditation on the podcast with his reading challenge, "Meditative Picture Books." With this curated list, Minh invites young readers and their grown-ups to embrace the present moment fully. Download the list at thereadingculturepod.com/minh-le
This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Erin Baker, media specialist at Durham Middle School in Georgia. She tells us her secret sauce for getting the whole school on board with reading initiatives and why it involves some unlikely allies. Contents Chapter 1 - The Vietnamese Mini Van (2:17) Chapter 2 - As Few Words as Possible (6:38) Chapter 3 - You Haven’t Even Tried (10:44) Chapter 4 - Dreamtigers (12:19) Chapter 5 - Lucid Dreaming (19:34) Chapter 6 - Even Fewer Words (a silent retreat) (22:28) Chapter 7 - Meditative Picture Books (35:19) Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (37:15) Chapter 9 (Bonus) - Baby Minh and Baby Dan (39:17)
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 17 Oct 2023 | Family Ties: Dan Santat on Childhood, Parenthood, and Finding Himself | 00:37:10 | |
On Today's Show
In this episode, Dan shares openly about his fraught relationship with his dad. Dan’s honesty is humorous and nostalgic and real all at once. He talks about the freedoms and limitations of growing up in the 1980s and how they helped him discover a passion for storytelling as a means of communicating. Dan also tells us about his experience of embracing art, despite his parents' differing expectations, and how his journey has impacted the messages he imparts to students he meets today.
Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
In his reading challenge, "Profound Panels" Dan wants listeners to embrace the hidden wisdom in the medium that first sparked his love of storytelling: comics. You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com. This episode’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Connie Sharpe from Metro Nashville Public Schools. She told us about the importance of the connection between administrators and librarians.
Chapter 1 - Thai in SoCal (2:25) Chapter 2 - Crime Fighting (vehicle here) (6:55) Chapter 3 - The Trial and Death of Socrates (12:59) Chapter 4 - A Book About Dan (21:04) Chapter 5 - Passing on Heritage (and advice) (24:09) Chapter 6 - A Storyteller’s Legacy (31:03) Chapter 7 - Profound Panels (34:17) Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (35:40) Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 06 Feb 2024 | Rabbit Holes: Brandy Colbert on Deep Research and Deep Characters | 00:39:48 | |
"I'm a bad liar. So I'm just like, I'm really good at telling the truth.” - Brandy Colbert
Brandy Colbert is known for works such as "Little & Lion," which won the Stonewall Book Award, "The Only Black Girls in Town," and "Pointe". Meanwhile, her nonfiction book about the Tulsa Race Massacre, "Black Birds in the Sky" won the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.
*** Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. *** In Brandy’s reading challenge, "Powerful Nonfiction" she challenges us to read a list of nonfiction books that she says will, “open minds, challenge assumptions, and highlight the power of historical truth.” You can find her list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com. Today’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Cindy Philbeck, Teacher-Librarian at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She told us a heartwarming story about a student's discovery of Sabaa Tahir's All My Rage. Contents Chapter 1 - Reading in the Ozarks (1:47) Chapter 2 - Early heartbreaks (5:54) Chapter 3 - A Midwestern college experience (11:57) Chapter 4 - A Humanist View (14:00) Chapter 5 - Women’s muscles (17:43) Chapter 6 - Rejections (19:58) Chapter 7 - Write what you know research (23:55) Chapter 8 - A bad liar (27:37) Chapter 9 - Black Jewish Lesbians (exist) (30:19) Chapter 10 - Powerful Nonfiction (36:55) Chapter 11 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (37:44) Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 25 Jul 2023 | Revisit - Voice Through Verse: Renée Watson on Poetry as Empowerment | 00:35:33 | |
We revisit our episode with Renée Watson.
Maya Angelou was mute for six years. After a traumatizing childhood experience, the famous poet and activist retreated inward and lost her voice. In Renée Watson's kid-friendly but unflinching retelling of her story in "Maya's Song", Watson shows how poetry was the means to Maya finding her voice and going on to use it in unforgettable ways. That's the power of poetry. And that power is something that Renée is passionate about giving to kids. From incorporating poetic elements in her stories to writing entire stories in verse, Renée utilizes poetry in her writing frequently. In this episode, she joins to tell us more about how she came to believe in the power of poetry, how she makes it accessible to children, why she thinks it's so important for youth, and more.
Chapter 1 - Intro to Reneé (2:43) Chapter 2 - 1619 project (5:24) Chapter 3 - Knoxville, Tennessee (10:36) Chapter 4 - Telling Maya's Story (14:11) Chapter 5 - Teaching Youth Poetry (19:37) Chapter 6 - Music as a Gateway to Poetry (22:42) Chapter 7 - Writing About Portland (27:26) Chapter 8 - Sharing Joy With Ryan Hart (29:39) Chapter 9 - Library visits (32:02) Chapter 10 - Voice Through Voice (33:02) Chapter 11 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (33:54)
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| 10 Jan 2024 | A Gut Punch and a Hug: Mark Oshiro on Practicing Vulnerability | 00:41:03 | |
On Today's Show
Mark Oshiro was taught to fear the world. To be someone they were not and to repress someone they were. But books were an escape. Books taught them that freedom was possible.
*** Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
In Mark’s reading challenge, "Stories of Vulnerability," they want us to explore other stories with the same rawness they bring to their work. You can find their list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com. Today’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Cindy Philbeck, a teacher librarian at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She told us about her library's lunchtime strategy that encourages students to visit and see the space as a refuge. Contents Chapter 1 - A Controlled Environment (2:34) Chapter 2 - Safety in Books (7:14) Chapter 3 - Losing Grip (11:13) Chapter 4 - We Are Okay (20:41) Chapter 5 - Mark Does Stuff (lots of stuff) (22:53) Chapter 6 - The Practice of Vulnerability (28:32) Chapter 7 - Closure? (33:40) Chapter 8 - Stories of Vulnerability (37:45) Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (38:58) Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 01 Oct 2024 | Rebel With Claws: Zoraida Córdova on the Pleasures of Nonconformity | 00:39:10 | |
“Why am I fighting this? Like, why am I fighting the thing that I want to write? For who? For like a teacher that I haven't seen in five years or ten years? For a critic who I don't know?” - Zoraida Córdova
She has always made a way for herself and her spirit to shine through her work. Whether it’s writing for Star Wars or Disney’s Meant to Be collection, short stories for one of her anthologies about creatures like vampires, mermaids and faeries, or her epic novel “The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina," Zoraida keeps it fresh and original. And her readers love it! By following her own passions instead of trying to satisfy what she “should do,” Zoraida delivers something readers crave—authenticity. Zoraida Córdova is an award-winning author celebrated for her genre-blending, magical tales like “Labyrinth Lost,” the first book in her Brooklyn Brujas series, which earned her an International Latino Book Award. Her versatility spans adult literary fiction, romance, young adult fiction, editing anthologies, and even adding a touch of romance to the Star Wars universe. In this episode, Zoraida reflects on the importance of writing for yourself, shares the “about the author” blurb that changed her life, and details her tween years as a green-haired Wiccan screamo-punk (you can’t make this stuff up). Let’s just say that Zoraida’s commitment to rejecting the expectations placed on her began at an early age. (And she has the journals to prove it!)
For her reading challenge, Screw the Comfort Zone, Zoraida leans into her love of breaking the rules. To break free from her comfort zone. For her reading challenge, she selected a list of books she has read over the past few years that she adored but seemed "hard to pitch" to publishers because of how they defy convention. Difficult to pitch but still infinitely loveable. 🤩Learn more and download Zoraida’s recommended reading list at thereadingculturepod.com/zoraida-córdova.
Once again, this episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Lexi Whitehorn, literacy specialist for the North Dakota State Library. This time, she tells us about some of the fun ways she piqued kids’ interest in new books when she served as a school librarian. Show Chapters Chapter 1 - Missing Magic Chapter 2 - I’m Wiccan Now, Mom. Chapter 3 - In the Forests of the Night Chapter 4 - There’s Nothing Wrong with Love Chapter 5 - Step Outside Chapter 6 - Screw the Comfort Zone Chapter 7 - Beanstack Featured Librarian
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producers: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 23 Jan 2024 | The One and Only John: Mr. Schu Turns His Heart Inside Out | 00:38:22 | |
"Books can be the perfect prescriptions to let us know that we're going to be okay.” - John Schu John Schu’s entire life has been shaped by books. As a kid, he fell in love with Shel Silverstein; Emily Dickinson comforted him as he was battling an eating disorder, and “The One and Only Ivan,” well, that book changed his life. In fact, it nearly put him into debt (he tells that story in the episode!) The powerful impact books have had on his life inspired him to dedicate his life to sharing this power with everyone he can. His career as an educator led him to the library, the library led him across America, and now he has started a new career as a writer of stories himself. John made his debut with "This is a School," followed by "This is a Story" and "The Gift of Story." However, in his latest work, "Louder Than Hunger," he bravely delves into a new realm of vulnerability. This semi-autobiographical tale draws from the most challenging period in his life, navigating the depths of his battle with anorexia.
*** Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. *** In John’s reading challenge, Story Within a Story, he wants us to read the actual books found in the pages of his book, “This is a Story.” You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com. Today's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Amanda Maslanka, a 26-year veteran in education and an elementary school librarian in South Houston. She offered valuable advice for parents and caregivers to get kids excited about reading. Contents Chapter 1 - Mr.SchuReads’ Grandma (2:13) Chapter 2 - An Internal Struggle (5:37) Chapter 3 - Recovery and Emily Dickinson (9:29) Chapter 4 - Best Teacher Ever (11:00) Chapter 5 - Becoming a Writer (15:24) Chapter 6 - The One and Only Ivan (16:04) Chapter 7 - Power to Heal, Power to Harm (23:30) Chapter 8 - Ready to Share (28:27) Chapter 9 - Story Within a Story (34:17) Chapter 10 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (35:57) Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 27 Jun 2023 | Mixed Feelings: Matt de la Peña on Balancing Being Stoic and Sensitive | 00:39:30 | |
On Today's Show
Hailing from a working class border town in Southern California, Matt de la Peña (Last Stop on Market Street, Mexican WhiteBoy, Milo Imagines the World) grew up in an environment that deeply valued strength and stoicism and oftentimes discouraged big displays of emotion from men. Instilled with a strong work ethic and the pursuit of opportunities, he followed in the footsteps of the men in his family and community. But still, there was a deeper truth to life within a buried emotional side that he felt compelled to explore.
Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. Join Matt on social @Mattdelapena. *** For his reading challenge, Conversation Starters, Matt invites us to ponder alongside our youngest readers with his curated selection of picture books. You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculture.com/matt-de-la-pena. This episode’s Beanstack featured librarian is Cicely Lewis, School Library Journal’s 2020 school librarian of the year, from Gwinnett County Public Schools. Cicely, aka the Read Woke librarian, shares about an awesome way to keep high schoolers excited about reading for pleasure and also a very fun birthday tradition at her school. Contents Chapter 1 - One Side of the Border (2:24) Chapter 2 - The Good, Bad, and Masculine (7:20) Chapter 3 - The Closet Poet (11:14) Chapter 4 - Sutree (14:38) Chapter 5 - The Future of Latinx Voices (24:38) Chapter 6 - Leaning Forward (27:58) Chapter 7 - Writing Up (31:58) Chapter 8 - Conversation Starters (33:59) Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (34:55) Links | |||
| 19 Mar 2024 | The World As It Should Be: LeUyen Pham Illustrates an Ideal | 00:40:53 | |
"There's something very lovely about feeling like, well, it's not my name, and it's not me, it's just the books.” - LeUyen Pham To listen to LeUyen Pham is to feel inspired. She is full of hope and ideas and sees potential everywhere and in everyone. In LeUyen’s ideal world, diverse representation is a natural outgrowth of art that truly reflects our world. Her career as an artist and writer has been her contribution to making that a reality. Her career as an artist and writer has been her contribution to making that a reality. If you have ever read a book that LeUyen illustrated, you already know this to be true. The diversity we see in LeUyen’s pages is at once realistic and aspirational.
Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
In her reading challenge, Chasing Home, LeUyen gets personal and invites us to explore the concept of what home means, especially from her perspective as a refugee. You can find her list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com/leuyen-pham This episode’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Marva Coney, a librarian at Jackson Intermediate in the Pasadena Independent School District. She shares a story about just how important books can be as kids start to grow and experience newer and harder parts of life for the first time. Contents Chapter 1 - Temple City and Bill Peet (2:06) Chapter 2 - From Wynne to LeUyen (8:16) Chapter 3 - The Witch of Blackbird Pond (10:01) Chapter 4 - Art Chameleon (18:51) Chapter 5 - Incidental Diversity (24:55) Chapter 6 - The Artist Shows Herself (31:05) Chapter 7 - Chasing Home (36:52) Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (38:18)
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 30 May 2023 | Recovering Identity: Angeline Boulley Calls for a Reckoning | 00:38:44 | |
On Today's Show
It wasn’t until her mid-forties that she realized she could write her own experience into existence. For nearly three decades, Angeline had mulled over a story idea, until she decided it was time to write this story. After another decade of working full-time (like really full-time as a mom of three with a big-time DC job) and seeking out time to write, she debuted with her award-winning novel, “Firekeeper’s Daughter.”
Keep up with Jordan and The Reading Culture on Instagram @thereadingculturepod and Angeline @AngelineBoulley *** In this episode, Angeline explores her long journey to becoming an author and the themes in her latest work, “Warrior Girl Unearthed.” As Angeline says, it is time for a reckoning with the inhumane treatment of indigenous people’s remains still not repatriated throughout the United States. She shares how writing about her relationship to her culture helped her uncover her true identity and her goal to provide younger generations with authentic ideas of indigenous culture. For her reading challenge, Still Here, Angeline encourages readers to explore contemporary indigenous writers. While reading these modern stories, she challenges us to compare and contrast what has been taught previously about native cultures. I invite you to check it out, and for Beanstack clients, use the challenge on your site! Reading challenges are always available at thereadingculturepod.com. In this episode, we’re changing things up for our Beanstack featured librarian. Today we give the mic to Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada, the current American Library Association president, to share more about the upcoming ALA conference and exhibition. Zoobean has proudly participated in ALA exhibitions for the last eight years! Contents Chapter 1 - Over the horizon (2:16) Chapter 2 - Summers in Sault Ste. Marie (6:35) Chapter 3 - Stranger With My Face (12:10) Chapter 4 - The Fire behind “Firekeeper's Daughter” (16:41) Chapter 5 - We want our ancestors back (20:49) Chapter 6 - A Collection of Scalps (24:41) Chapter 7 - The weight of educating others (27:40) Chapter 8 - Casting Call (29:46) Chapter 9 - Reading Challenge (33:37) Chapter 10 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (34:45) Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 26 Dec 2023 | The Reading Culture: Yearbook 2023 | 00:29:33 | |
With the 2023 year coming to a close (our first full year in production!), we wanted to celebrate. And what better way to do that than high school yearbook superlative style? Welcome to a special edition of The Reading Culture podcast – "The Reading Culture: Yearbook." In this episode, we're rolling out the red carpet to unveil "The Readies," an award show of sorts, to remember the standout moments and stories from the show this year. Yes, it's a clip show. We'll relive the "Most Hilarious Admission," "Most Moving Parenting Story," and "Most Emo Moment," and we'll hand out the "I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying" and name the author "Most Likely to Build a Functional Spaceship." Think you know who gets that one? And there's even more than those! Join us as we reflect back on some of the best moments of The Reading Culture.
Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 28 Nov 2023 | Visibility Cloak: Hena Khan on Commonality Over Conformity | 00:40:50 | |
"There's these universal truths [...] specific details, but universal feelings and universal experiences that people hopefully can relate to. And that's what I go for in all of my books. Common humanity.” - Hena Khan Hena Khan didn’t believe her perspective mattered. As a Pakistani-American Muslim, she grew up not seeing her or her family reflected in the media she was consuming. As any kid might do, she concluded that it was simply because her experience was not important, a realization that became clearer in hindsight. Recalling her childhood writing, she discovered she had unintentionally white-washed her own homemade family newspaper. Building confidence in her perspective was a gradual process, extending into adulthood. Initially lacking self-assurance, she began writing while toning down her cultural identity to conform to perceived publisher expectations. Over time, her confidence grew, and today, she is recognized for authentically portraying stories rooted in her culture and religion. Reflecting on her own reading experiences, Hena values shared human experiences that transcend cultural backgrounds. She aims to demonstrate that these relatable moments exist in stories featuring non-white characters and diverse cultures.
Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
In Hena’s reading challenge, "Read Desi" she encourages us to celebrate South Asian American writers. You can find her list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com. Today’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Allie Buffington, Library Media Specialist at Holley Navarre Intermediate School in Santa Rosa County, Florida. She tells us about the importance of making the library a space that kids want to come back to. Contents Chapter 1 - “Religious Holiday” (2:38) Chapter 2 - Gogol Search (6:16) Chapter 3 - Little Women (and the Khanicles) (9:43) Chapter 4 - Three Cheers From Andrea (18:17) Chapter 5 - Just Living (22:18) Chapter 6 - Common Humanity (30:20) Chapter 7 - Curious About Curious George (33:50) Chapter 8 - The Door is Open (35:31) Chapter 9 - Read Desi (37:28) Chapter 10 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (38:54)
Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 04 Oct 2022 | The Heart of the Story: Karina Yan Glaser Talks Empathy in Writing | 00:34:31 | |
On Today's Show
Karina Yan Glaser is always emotionally honest in her stories. Pulling largely from her own experiences, she lets her feelings seep onto the pages in a way that makes it impossible not to feel as a reader. But despite writing for children, she doesn't hide any of those hard emotions such as anger, sadness, and grief. She believes in the power of stories to help kids practice empathy and be prepared for the tough situations we all face in life. Her takes on community, diversity, and hardship are what make her series The Vanderbeekers such a success. In this episode of The Reading Culture, she joins to share how her own reading journey has shaped who she is as a writer and how she approaches building empathy into her stories. Karina has also developed a reading challenge in partnership with Beanstack for listeners and Beanstack partners. Her theme is books where New York City is a character. You can learn more about the challenge here.
Chapter 1 - Getting to Know Karina (2:33) Chapter 2 - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (7:02) Chapter 3 - Becoming a Writer (15:16) Chapter 4 - Empathy in Stories (18:56) Chapter 5 - The Culture of Reading in Schools (28:29) Chapter 6 - A Question From a Reader (32:15) Chapter 7 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (35:21)
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| 10 Jan 2023 | Truth From Fiction: Adam Gidwitz on Plato, the Devil, and the BFG | 00:36:01 | |
On Today's Show
As a young adult, Adam Gidwitz was on a hunt for the truth. He searched in philosophy and religion, but eventually found literature to be the ultimate source for the small truths this world can provide. Despite being a natural storyteller since childhood, Adam didn't understand view himself as a writer. It wasn’t until he was a teacher and began writing to entertain his students that he saw this potential in himself. After finding success in A Tale Dark and Grimm, The Inquisitor's Tale, and various other stories, Adam is preparing to release a new children's novel that will dive into a monstrous setting to tell a particularly hard truth: bad people are still human, and their motivations are endless. In today's episode, he joins to share more about his approach to telling this story, how he found his unique voice and why he believes fiction is the best vehicle for learning about the world.
Chapter 1 - Writers Don’t Always Write (2:36) Chapter 3 - Slow and Steady (9:36) Chapter 4 - The BFG (12:15) Chapter 5: Not Johnny Tremain (17:10) Chapter 6: Discovering Truths (22:06) Chapter 7: Thinkers, Poets, and Monsters (26:39) Chapter 8: I Wish I Was Cast As… (31:37) Chapter 9: Grimmly Ever After (32:49) Chapter 10: Beanstack Featured Librarian (34:17) This episode's Beanstack featured librarian is Jenny Lee Ryan, the program coordinator for Farmington Public Library in New Mexico, and also a former radio show host. She gave us some of her best tips for getting readers engaged in their programming.
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| 05 Mar 2024 | If Your Heart Breaks, It’s Working: Nicola Yoon on Love and Other Risky Behaviors | 00:40:58 | |
"Love is risky. Love always ends. Should you do it anyway?” - Nicola Yoon Love is a feeling that never exists solely on its own, and those likely companions to love (anxiety, grief) often bring questions such as, is this worth it? It’s this question and others like it that Nicola Yoon explores in each of her novels.
Today, Nicola Yoon boasts an impressive resume as a two-time New York Times bestselling author, a finalist for the National Book Award, a recipient of the Michael L. Printz Honor Book, and a winner of the Coretta Scott King New Talent Award. Notably, her first two novels have been successfully adapted for the big screen. In this episode, she’ll tell us why she fell in love with the romance genre, and how she found her way to writing as a career after 15 years in finance. She also shares her own ridiculously cute, out-of-a-movie love story about how she ended up with her husband and fellow writer, David Yoon. *** Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
Inspired by her own novel, "Instructions for Dancing,” in her reading challenge, Good Grief, Nicola invites us to explore the intersection of love and grief with a list of some of her favorite books. You can find her list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com. Today's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Nikki Hayter, a library manager with the Des Moines Public Library system. As summer inches closer, she tells us about a unique program her library started a couple of years ago with graphic novels. Contents Chapter 1 - Harlequin Romance (1:37) Chapter 2 - An Unrequited Love (6:36) Chapter 3 - The Great Gatsby (11:24) Chapter 4 - A Requited Love (16:26) Chapter 5 - The Airport Scene (19:02) Chapter 6 - Questions About Love (22:53) Chapter 7 - Not a Case of Love at First Sight (25:43) Chapter 8 - Expectations of Love (27:34) Chapter 10 - Joy Revolution (33:40) Chapter 11 - Good Grief (36:45) Chapter 12 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (38:22) Links
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 20 Feb 2024 | The Blackest Book Ever: Derrick Barnes on Writing Unapologetically | 00:39:50 | |
Derrick Barnes’ introduction to vulnerable storytelling was through the jazz and R&B records he found in his family’s collection. For young Derrick, reading the liner notes in albums was just as important as any other kind of reading. Eventually, artists like Prince, Rakim, and John Coltrane taught him about the power in simply and truly being yourself. Inspired, young Derrick began writing his own poetry and short stories, which served as the beginning of a long and fruitful writing career. A career that includes being the first black creative copywriter for Hallmark cards.
*** Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
In Derrick’s reading challenge, "Resistance and Resilience" he invited us to read powerful stories of resilience from America’s black history. You can find her list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com. Today's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Connie Sharp, a Librarian Training and Development Specialist at Metro Nashville Public Schools. She told us about how her district utilizes Beanstack with community partnerships to encourage students to read. Contents Chapter 1 - Jazz, Hip Hop, R&B (1:59) Chapter 2 - Literacy and Lyrics (6:31) Chapter 3 - A Hallmark Story (9:11) Chapter 4 - The Fresh Cut (12:52) Chapter 5 - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (19:22) Chapter 6 - Freedom Fighter (25:00) Chapter 7 - The Blackest Books (28:56) Chapter 8 - The Legacy of Derrick Barnes (31:29) Chapter 9 - Resistance and Resilience (35:31) Chapter 10 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (37:29)
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||
| 25 Jun 2024 | You Are Flawed, You Are Messy, You Are Loved: Shannon Hale on Hope and Heroines | 00:44:21 | |
"I feel like it was this little miracle that in some areas of my life, I'm shutting myself up and shutting myself down. But with my writing, I was always really connecting with that inner voice.” - Shannon Hale Flaws. We do everything to hide them away and pretend they don’t exist. But what if these flaws that we try so desperately to mask are exactly what we need to access our power, our story? How does one tap into it? How does one express the very things they have tried so hard to hide? For Shannon Hale, it was writing. By picking up the pen, she found her voice, purpose, and true, messy, loveable self.
In this episode, Shannon will tell us about growing up in a deeply conservative culture, and how writing unearthed her true voice from where it had been simmering beneath the surface. We discuss everything from anxiety to the family cat to boys’ relationship with the color pink. Oh, and we have a special visitor, Shannon’s husband and co-creator, Dean Hale, to discuss their combined writing journeys! *** Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. *** Taking inspiration from her beloved series “The Princess in Black,” Shannon's reading challenge is Favorite Early Chapter Books. For this, she has created a list of thoughtful and engaging early chapter books for new and emerging readers. Download the list at thereadingculturepod.com/shannon-hale
This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Ady Huerta, the Program Manager of Youth, Family, & Equity Services at San Diego Public Library who serves on the presidential advisory committee for incoming president Cindy Holt. She tells us what to expect for the upcoming ALA Conference. Contents Chapter 1 - ‘Squeetus’ the Highly Sensitive Chapter 2 - A Loophole to the Inner Voice Chapter 3 - Anne of Green Gables Chapter 4 - The Family in Black Chapter 5 - Boys Like Pink Too Chapter 6 - The Key to Friendship Chapter 7 - Reading Challenge Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producers: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey | |||