This week, we get a new look at an old fairy tale – the story of the Russian witch known as Baba Yaga. A boys book club in Portland, Oregon met us at Powell's Books to discuss Katherine Marsh's novel "The Door by the Staircase" with host Kitty Felde. Congressman Earl Blumenauer, who represents Portland on Capitol, is celebrity reader.
How does a White House speechwriter turn into a writer for kids? How do you become a Washington speech writer to begin with? We speak to Sean O'Brien, former speechwriter to then-Vice President Joe Biden. Kitty Felde is host.
Former White House speechwriter Sean O'Brien takes us inside the building to a secret passageway to the past in his mystery "White House Clubhouse." Readers from Oak View Elementary School in Fairfax, Virginia discuss how Theodore Roosevelt's mantras are still relevant to them today. Actress Elizabeth Logun is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. FAVORITE BOOKS FROM OAKVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: The Chronicles of Whetherwhy: the Age of Enchantment - Anna James Echo - Pam Munoz Ryan Walk Two Moons - Sharon Creech Wonder - R.J. Palacio The Mortal Instruments - Cassandra Clare SEAN O'BRIEN'S FAVORITE BOOK: All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren ELIZABETH LOGUN'S FAVORITE BOOK: Charlotte's Web - E.B. White
If you've listened to the show before, you know that we ask everybody our favorite question: What's your favorite book and why. We ask it in classrooms, we ask it in libraries, and we ask if of YOU. A pair of twin brothers from Washington state picked up a phone and recorded their answers on the voice memo app of a smartphone and sent it to us. We also visit the National Book Club in the other Washington: Washington, D.C. Kitty Felde is host.
We have a conversation with "A Little Wicked" author Janet Macreery about two kids of writers: plotters and pantsers. Kitty Felde is host.
We pay tribute to NPR Special Correspondent Susan Stamberg as we reprise an episode taped before a live audience at the National Archives in 2017. Readers from the Girlfriends BookClub Baltimore discuss A Little Wicked by Janet Macreery with host Kitty Felde. Susan Stamberg is our celebrity reader. You can read a special tribute to Susan at our website bookclubforkids.org or sign up to receive a copy in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter here.
Does a background in radio help you write dialogue? What's the one thing you should never include in a book designed for readers with dyslexia? We ask the expert: Lisa Thompson, author of "The Light Jar" and other middle grade novels.
Did you have an imaginary friend when you were little? Nate did. And he's back. Just in time. Students from Garvanza Elementary School in Los Angeles discuss Lisa Thompson's novel "The Light Jar." NPR newscaster Dale Willman is celebrity reader and Kitty Felde is host. FAVORITE BOOKS FROM GARVANZA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: The Stand - Stephen King A Good Girl's Guide to Murder - Holly Jackson LISA THOMPSON'S FAVORITE BOOK: Charlotte's Web - E.B. White DALE WILLMAN'S FAVORITE BOOKS: Hardy Boys - Franklin W. Dixon Tom Swift - Victor Appleton
We visit Maine to talk to readers at Manchester Elementary School about their favorite books. Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss The Wild Robot - Peter Brown Toilet-bound Hanako-kun - Iro Forgotten Girl - India Hill Brown The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus - Dusti Bowling Naruto the Boy Ninja - Masashi Kishimoto Warriors - Erin Hunter Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney I Survived - Lauren Tarshis Ellie's Story: A Dog's Purpose - W. Bruce Cameron If you'd like to be on the Book Club for Kids podcast, send us an email to bookclubforkidspodcast@gmail.com and we'll send you all the information. www.bookclubforkids.org
It's banned books week, as we continue our look at books that have been challenged or banned. This week, it's Gennifer Choldenko's tale "Al Capone Does My Shirts." Back in 2016, the book was challenged by a group that said the book "perpetuates negative stereotypes" by including Al Capone as a character in the book. And earlier this year, a school board member in Pennsylvania called for a ban on the Newbery Honor book because a character called an autistic teenager stupid. The school says the books are selected by professional staff members to support the district's educataional goals and meet the learning needs of students. The writer dedicated the book to her sister who had severe autism and was the inspiration for the character. What do you think? Give a listen to our discussion of Jennifer Cheldenko's "Al Capone Does My Shirts." It was a rainy, muddy, fabulous day at the Gaithersburg Book Festival where this group of middle school students from Maryland discussed whether they'd like living on Alcatraz and if it's better to be the oldest or youngest in the family. Gennifer Choldenko answers their questions about researching her book AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS. NPR newscaster Jack Speer is celebrity reader. Past Book Club for Kids guests drop by as well. Kitty Felde is host.
What does it mean to be "gifted?" Don't we all have unique gifts to share with the world? Readers from Eliot-Hine Middle School on Capitol Hill discuss Gordon Korman's story of a prankster who lands in a "Gifted" program. KNX sports anchor (and Talking About Cars podcast host) Randy Kerdoon is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Kitty Felde talks to the author of Lupe Wong Won't Dance Donna Barba Higuera about creating an unlikeable character. She also gives us a sneak preview of a new science fiction novel she's writing.
Does square dancing count as an athletic activity? Lupe Wong doesn't think so and is willing to fight the system to make her point. Readers from Charles Hart Middle School in Washington, DC discuss the book with host Kitty Felde and interview the writer Donna Barba Higuera. Our celebrity reader is the former president of United Square Dancers of America.
In 1925, newlyweds Pete and Gert packed up their lives and headed west for California in a Model T Ford. Gert chronicled thejourney in a series of letters. Now, one hundred years later, a pair of cousins Kitty Felde and Marie Felde follow their route to see America through their eyes. Join us on a podcast journey at honeymoonroad.com.
Did Harry Potter make you wish you were going to boarding school? This week, we visit another extraordinary boarding school with invisible students and k'lepreechons. It's Hypatia Academy by Esther Goldenberg. It's the favorite book of this trio of Maryland readers. NPR's Morning Edition host Rachel Martin is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. www.bookclubforkids.org
Americans have a romanticized image of English boarding schools. RIBBLESTROP is the opposite of that. Writer Andy Mulligan has created what must be the most dangerous school on planet earth. And this trio of readers at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, New Jersey, debate whether they'd like to attend. Peter Sagal, playwright and host of NPR's quiz show "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!" is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. Favorite books from Carolina, Jack, and Eleanor: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's library - Chris Grabenstein The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls - Claire Legrand Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling Andy Mulligan's favorite books: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne Animal Farm - George Orwell
Thinking of writing a series? We ask New York Times bestselling writer Shannon Messenger about the 101 things a series writer has to think about. Kitty Felde is host.
We added up the numbers and found our NUMBER ONE top listened-to episode over the past decade of Book Club for Kids! It's Shannon Messenger's fantasy adventure Keeper of the Lost Cities. Readers from St. Elizabeth School in Maryland discuss The girls ask our writer to pick her favorite characters, something she hates to do. Our celebrity reader is host of the Roman on the Radio podcast Nick Roman. Kitty Felde is host.
It was our fourth episode and Roald Dahl's first book for children. Number Two on our top ten list is "James and the Giant Peach" with Cash Peters as celebrity reader. Students from LA's Equitas Academy discuss the book with host Kitty Felde. Free curriculum guide at bookclubforkids.org.
What makes a good mystery? We talk to writer Varian Johnson, author of The Parker Inheritance. Kitty Felde, who writes her own mystery series THE FINA MENDOZA MYSTERIES is host.
We're happy to report that the number 3 most popular episode of Book Club for Kids is no mystery...actually, it IS a mystery: Varian Johnson's The Parker Inheritance. Do you love a mystery? Do you love playing detective, looking for clues on every page? This week's novel is about a lot of things – segregation, bullying, and most of all, a family mystery. This week's episode is "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson. Our readers are from Washington DC's AIM Academy. Actress Sheila Collins is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. And by the way, if your school is in LA County, we'll come out and tape a Book Club for Kids episode in your classroom! Just have your teacher, parent, or librarian contact us at the website and click on the "Want to be on the show?" button.
Can you believe it? Book Club for Kids began ten years ago in the summer of 2015. And we're celebrating by counting down our top ten most listened to episodes over the past decade. This week, just in time for the second installment in the Bad Buys series is the graphic novel that started it all: number four on our top ten list, Aaron Blabey's The Bad Guys. Can bad guys turn over a new leaf? 5th graders at Kimball Elementary School in Washington, DC discuss Aaron Blabey's graphic novel The Bad Boys. Actor Steve DeVorkin is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. Book Club for Kids is the show where kids talk about books. Free reading tips at the website. You can be on the show, too. Info at the website.
Writer Jerry Craft confesses that he wasn't much of a reader when he was a kid. Kitty Felde is host.
We continue our celebration of ten years of podcasting by looking back at our most popular episodes. This week, it's number 5 on our top ten list: New Kid. How do you fit in at a new school? Readers from Randle Highlands Elementary School in Washington, D.C. discuss the Newbery Award-winning graphic novel New Kid by Jerry Craft. They even suggest an alternate version of the book. Actor Gary Anthony Williams is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. Favorite Books from Randle Highlands Elementary School: Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney The Creepy Cafetorium - Nick Murphy, Colleen Af Venable, Paul Ritchey, Marcie Colleen, Joe McGee, and Shelby Arnold Nina the Birthday Cake Fairy - Daisy Meadows Jerry Craft's Favorite Book: Bud, Not Buddy - Christopher Paul Curtis Gary Anthony Williams' Favorite Book: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! - Dr. Seuss
Peter Brown is both a writer and illustrator. We talk to him about how he plots a story and the teacher he hated who set him on his path to becoming a professional artist. Kitty Felde is host.
Do you have a relationship with the robot in your life? You'll fall in love with "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown. 4th graders from Flora Hendley Elementary School in Washington, D.C. discuss artificial intelligence and their own favorite robotic devices. U.S. Congressman Scott Peters from San Diego is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. Favorite Books from Flora Hendley Elemetary School: Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney Dork Diaries- Rachel Renée Russell The True Story of the Three Little Pigs - Jon Scieszka Peter Brown's Favorite Book: The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien Congressman Scott Peter's Favorite Book: East of Eden - John Steinbeck
We're celebrating our ten year anniversary as a podcast! And to celebrate, we're counting down our list of the TOP TEN MOST LISTENED TO EPISODES. This week, it's number 7: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. We're lucky to have DC's Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton as our celebrity reader. Students from Washington DC's Jefferson Academy discuss the novel with host Kitty Felde. Favorite Books from Jefferson Academy Recommended by Jefferson Academy's Aarianna, Enyjaih, and Reece: Little Women - Louisa Mae Alcott 145th Steet - Walter Dean Myers Recommended by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton: Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson Recommended by Kami Garcia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis The White Mountains - John Christopher The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien Spiderwick - HollyBlack/Tony DiTerlizzi The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman Recommended by YOU: Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
Ever wonder what a writer uses for inspiration? Angie Thomas tells us what gets her fingers flying over the keyboard. www.bookclubforkids.org
Today it's a book for older kids – "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas. Our main character is an aspiring rap star dealing with sudden fame and the reputation of her late father. Our readers are from West Education Campus in Washington, D.C. Actress Tallie Johnson is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. Favorite Books from West Education Campus: Lost and Found (Bluford High Series #1) – Anne Schraff The Day Tajon Got Shot - Beacon House Writers When We Collided - Emery Lord Angie Thomas' Favorite Book: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Mildred D. Taylor
