Who says kids who love STEM subjects aren't readers? We take to the stage for a live taping of the Book Club for Kids podcast at the 2023 LA Maker Faire/STEM Festival where host Kitty Felde asks kids our hardest question: What's your favorite book and why? Here's their answers:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
The Magic Treehouse - Mary Pope Osborn
Frog and Toad are Friends - Arnold Lobel
The Golden Books - Disney
Little Blue Truck - Alice Schertle
Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan
The One and Only Ivan - Katherine Applegate
Junie B. Jones - Barbara Park
Pete the Cat - James Dean and Kimberly Dean
Couch Potato - Jory John
They Both Die at the End - Adam Silvera
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder - Holly Jackson
The School for Good and Evil - Soman Chainani
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
The Inheritance Games - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Bad Kitty - Nick Bruel
Looking to start the New Year with some new books? Kids in LA County share their favorites with host Kitty Felde.
Refugee - Alan Gratz
The Secret Lives of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
Harry Potter and the Sourcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
Parrot in the Oven - Victor Martinez
Enola Holmes - Nancy Springer
The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart
Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Dork Diaries - Rachel Renée Russell
The Couch Potato - Jory John
More than 100 million people have fled violence and persecution around the world. But that's just a number. Who are these refugees? Meet Omar. Readers from Dorothy Hamm Middle School in Arlington, Virginia discuss When Stars Are Scattered by Omar Mohammed and Victoria Jamieson. Our celebrity reader is Matthew Saltmarsh from the UNHCR. Kitty Felde is host.
We're happy to report that our most popular episode in 2023 is no mystery...actually, it IS a mystery: Varian Johnson's The Parker Inheritance.
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.
How do you know which books make the best gifts? Kids in LA County share a few suggestions with host Kitty Felde.
The Last Kids on Earth - Max Brallier
The Art of Seduction - Robert Greene
Dogman - Dav Pilkey
You Matter - Christian Robinson
What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night - Refe and Susan Tuma
King and Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth - Dori Hillestad Butler and Nancy Meyers
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
Mickey Mouse - Phoenix International
We continue to look through our many episodes of the Book Club for Kids podcast to examine the titles that have been banned or challenged. Today, we look at the 1977 Newbery Medal awarded novel by Mildred D. Taylor Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.
The book has been challenged in school districts from Burbank, California to Oviedo, Florida to Huntsville, Alabama mostly for the use of the "N" word.
In Burbank, the book was removed from required reading lists, though kids can choose to read the book and it can be used in small groups after the teacher has undergone training on facilitating conversations on racism, implicit bias, and racial identity.
Mildred D. Taylor said "As a parent I understand not wanting a child to hear painful words, but as a parent I do not understand not wanting a child to learn about a history that is part of America, a history about a family representing millions of families that are strong and loving who remain united and strong, despite the obstacles they face."
Here's some links to our resources:
- https://www.marshall.edu/library/bannedbooks/roll-of-thunder-hear-my-cry/
- https://ncac.org/update/letter-from-ncac-to-protest-the-challenging-of-roll-of-thunder-hear-my-cry
- https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2020-11-12/burbank-unified-challenges-books-including-to-kill-a-mockingbird
We turn back the clock to a difficult period of history in Jim Crow America. The book is the Newbery award winner Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. Readers from Immaculate Heart Catholic School discuss the difference between present-day Bronx and the south of the 1930's. Actress Tracy Leigh is celebrity reader. Literary historian Dr. Dianne Johnson-Feelings of the University of South Carolina offers her perspective on the author.
Writer Greg Neri talks to Kitty Felde about the role of luck and his rule of saying "yes" to new projects.
Demon Slayer - Natsuki Hokami
One Piece - Eiichiro Oda
Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
G NERI’S FAVORITE BOOK:The Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster
ARIEL RICHARDSON’S FAVORITE BOOK:All About Love - Bell Hooks
It's the hardest question in the world: what's your favorite book? Kids from LA County schools have some answers for host Kitty Felde.
The Fashion Fairies #2: Claudia the Accessories Fairy - Daisy Meadows
Rascal - Sterling North
Goosebumps - R.L. Stine
Dog Man - Dav Pilkey
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling
Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Jedi Academy - Jeffrey Brown
The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart
Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan
Last year, nearly two thousand books were challenged in libraries across America. According to the American Library Association, that’s a 20 percent jump over a year ago.
We looked back at the nearly 150 episodes of the Book Club for Kids and realized how many titles have been challenged over the years. We’re going to revisit those episodes and bring them to you over the coming months, along with the reasons they have been challenged.
Our first book is James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. According to the University of Tulsa, in 1986, a Wisconsin town banned the book after religious groups said a scene in the book where a spider licks her lips could be interpreted as sexual. A year later, the book was temporarily banned in schools after a woman complained about the depiction of tobacco and whiskey in the book. And in the early 1990’s a Texas public school system banned the book from elementary schools after the district said the use of curse words like “ass” were inappropriate. None the less, we present our podcast episode of James and the Giant Peach.
Link to Curriculum for James and the Giant Peach
Do witches have cliques? What happens when you're an outcast? Would you be brave enough to hunt down monsters? Students at Brookland Middle School in Washington, DC discuss Claribel Ortega's novel Witchlings. Veteran journalist Stephanie Roberts is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde his host.
Want to learn more about Dia de los Muertos? Listen to this special episode from our sister podcast THE FINA MENDOZA MYSTERIES. There is free curriculum for this episode.
Favorite Books from Brookland Middle School:
Judy B Jones series - Barbara Park
Best Babysitters Ever - Caroline Cala
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
Claribel Ortega's Favorite Book:
The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Stephanie Roberts' Favorite Book:
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day -Judith Viorst
Writer Ali Benjamin (The Thing About Jellyfish) talks about how she manages to focus and block out distractions. Kitty Felde is host.
A young girl struggles to find out how her best friend died. It must be a deadly jellyfish. So she seeks out the experts. The book is The Thing by Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin. Readers from Newport Mill Middle School discuss death, "borrowing" their parents' credit card, and jellyfish. Writer Ali Benjamin talks about finding a character's voice. Legendary marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Readers from Los Angeles County tell us their favorite books.
Thanks to the LA County Department of Arts & Culture.
Click here for a list of everybody's favorite book.
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.
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.
FAVORITE BOOKS FROM AIM ACADEMY:The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
Children of Blood and Bone - Tomi Adeyemi
Long Way Down - Jason Reynolds
VARIAN JOHNSON’S FAVORITE BOOKS:Holes - Louis Sachar
When You Reach Me - Rebecca Stead
The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin
Raina Telgemeier
One Crazy Summer - Rita Williams-Garcia
SHEILA COLLINS’ FAVORITE BOOK:The House on Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros
Newbery Award-winning author Lois Lowry talks about book bans, balancing serious and silly topics, and gives a sneak preview of her newest book. Kitty Felde is host.
Looking for an "old fashioned" book...with a twist? We discuss Lois Lowry's tale The Willoughbys with readers from Taylor Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia. Our celebrity reader is the host of the daily news podcast The Gist Mike Pesca. Kitty Felde is host.
Favorite Books from Taylor Elementary School:
Because of Winn-Dixie - Kate DiCamillo
Keeper of the Lost Cities - Shannon Messenger
Front Desk - Kelly Yang
Number the Stars - Lois Lowry
Lois Lowry's Favorite Books:
Sarah, Plain and Tall - Sarah MacLachlan
Indian Captive - Lois Lensky
Mike Pesca's Favorite Book:
The Progress Paradox - Greg Easterbrook
We've got a group of fantasy lovers this week from Maryland. Readers at Newport Mill Middle School share their favorites and explain why fantasy is such a favorite among their peers. Kitty Felde is host.
Favorite Books:
Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
I Lived on Butterfly Hill - Marjorie Agosin
A Magic Steeped in Poison - Judy I. Lin
Keeper of the Lost Cities - Shannon Messenger
Recorded live at Virginia's Fall for the Book Festival, our trio of readers Jay, Neha and Naomi discuss Mary Amato's novel Our Teacher is a Vampire and Other (Not) True Stories. Topics range from writing to the world's worst substitute teachers. Actor Jonathan Cagle-Mulberg is our celebrity reader. The kids ask writer Mary Amato about the book. Mindy Shaw is guest host.
School's starting. Have you finished your reading assignment? Need some more book suggestions? We've got a bunch from kids in Ireland and Los Angeles!
Here's a link to our episode of Esperanza Rising.
Kitty Felde is host.
Writer Kate DiCamillo admits that she's a pantser, not a plotter. Host Kitty Felde talks with the Newbery Award-winning writer.
Suppose you discovered a tiger in a cage. Would you set him free? That's the dilemna for the heros of The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo. Readers from Maury Elementary in Washington, DC tackle the book and its moral questions. Writer Kate DiCamillo joins us as well. Veteran political reporter Dave Bryan is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Does teaching teach you how to be a better writer? Book Club for Kids host Kitty Felde asks Diane K. Salernia who moved from the classroom to the writer's room.
Do you like spooky stories? Give a listen to The Carrefour Curse, tale about the power of gemstones and family secrets. Readers from Atwater STEAM Elementary School in Los Angeles discuss the mystery with host Kitty Felde. Writer Dianne K. Salerni admits that she was inspired by a forbidden TV show. Our celebrity reader is Lost in Space actress Marta Kirsten.
We’re sharing our airwaves with one of our friends from Kids Listen, a grassroots organization of people who make podcasts for kids. Give a listen to the Ten News podcast. It’s their on the road episode...all about space.
Ten News Road Trip Remix: 
We're hitting the road and tuning into our favorite space segments with the Ten News. 
Did you ever hear the segment about the 9th planet from Jacob and Olivia Rozencwaig from the Curious Kid Podcast? 
Or, when Bethany spoke to Terry Virts, a former NASA astronaut, and commander of the International Space Station!?
And of course, we can’t stop talking about the James Webb telescope! 
Tune in to today's road trip remix to learn about all things outer space. 
Sign up for the Ten News Newsletter! 
Email us your curious facts, funny stories, and eye rolling jokes at: hello@thetennews.com
Follow the show on Instagram 
Check out our website for sources and a transcript of today's episode!
What comes first, the story or the characters? How do you become a graphic novelist? We get the answers from writer/illustrator Johnnie Christmas of Swim Team. Kitty Felde is host.
Everybody in the pool!
We discuss swimming lessons and look back at the days when people of color were barred from public pools. The book is Swim Team. Writer Johnnie Christmas says a personal experience inspired the graphic novel. Readers from the Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore talk about their own swimming journey. Our special celebrity reader is Olympic medal winning swimmer Natalie Hinds. Kitty Felde is host.
You can get an autographed copy of Kitty Felde's first book in The Fina Mendoza Mysteries series of books called Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza by clicking here. It's available in English or Spanish.
Is a road trip in your summer plans? Looking for great podcasts for kids and grownups?
Listen to our Summer Sampler of kidcasts from our fellow podcasters at Kids Listen. You may find your next favorite show...after Book Clubs for Kids and The Fina Mendoza Mysteries, of course.
Did you know the people behind the Book Club for Kids podcast produce another podcast: The Fina Mendoza Mysteries. The series is based on the book series by Kitty Felde, about the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman who solves mysteries in the U.S. Capitol...and introduces civics along the way.
Book One in the series Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza is being released in English and Spanish (Bienvenida a Washington Fina Mendoza) by Chesapeake Press on July 3rd.
Listeners to the Book Club for Kids podcast can get a 20% discount on the paperback. Just go to IPGBook.com and enter the promo code Fina2023 at checkout. Here's the link.
Writer Tricia Springstubb tells Book Club for Kids host Kitty Felde about finding the perfect "voice" for a protagonist.
Do you know a busy body? Somebody who's a bit too nosy for their own good? Meet Cody and the Mysteries of the Universe by Tricia Springstubb. Students from Randall Highlands Elementary School in Washington, DC discuss the book and hear a reading from the book by actress Peggy Miley. Kitty Felde is host.
There is free curriculum for this episode.
The writer of The City of Ember shares the writing advice she gave her students...and how she ignored some of it to finish her latest work. Kitty Felde is host.
Would you like to live your entire life underground? What happens if the lights go out and never come on again? Students from Overland Elementary School for Advanced Studies in Los Angeles discuss Jeanne DuPrau’s post-apocalyptic novel City of Ember with host Kitty Felde. They have a few questions for the author. Actress Melanie MacQueen (Robotech, Lady Luck) is celebrity reader.
FAVORITE BOOKS FROM OVERLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:Valkyrie - Kate O’Hearn
When You Reach Me - Rebecca Stead
JEANNE DUPRAU’S FAVORITE BOOK:The Borrowers - Mary Norton
MELANIE MACQUEEN’S FAVORITE BOOK:Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne
Dog Man -
Harry Potter series - J.K Rowling
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - Kate DiCamillo
Ordinary People Change the World series
The Witches - Roald Dahl
Keeper of the Lost Cities - Shannon Messenger
Land of Stories - Chris Colfer
Thirst - Varsha Bajaj
The Giver - Lois Lowry
The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Baseball books
Pig the Stinker - Aaron Blabey
Wings of Fire (the graphic novel) - Tui T. Sutherland
Wayside School series - Louis Sachar
Big Ideas for Curious Minds: an Introduction to Philosophy
Lots more book suggestions on our "Books We Love" page of the website.
And check out Kids Radio LA, the podcast from the students at Atwater STEAM Elementary (and Mr. R!)
The Force is with us on Book Club as we tackle a tale of middle grade angst and paper cuts. Who can rescue these hapless heroes? How about a Yoda fingerpuppet who seems to have all the right answers. Our readers from Washington, DC beg writer Tom Angleberger to write more books in the series. Cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
NOTE: Kitty Felde's novel Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza will be released in both English and Spanish (Bienvenida a Washington Fina Mendoza) on July 3rd. Fina Mendoza is the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman who moves to Washington with her older sister Gabby and solves mysteries inside the U.S. Capitol. She also introduces civics to elementary school readers. Published by Chesapeake Press, distributed by IPG. Kitty makes free class visits.
We asked kids around the country to answer the hardest question in the world: what's your favorite book? And why? Here's just some of the suggestions we got from YOU:
Out of My Mind - Sharon Draper
A Stroke of Magic: The Dinosaur Woman - Brunella Costagliola
The Cat I Never Named - Amra Sabic-El-Rayess and Laura L. Sullivan
Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan
And if you have a favorite book, you can be on the BookClub for Kids podcast, too. Just record yourself on your smartphone telling us your first name, the city where you live, the name of your favorite book and why you love it and email the voice memo to us at bookclubforkidspodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you!
It was 1973 when the president of Chile was thrown out of office by a military coup. That’s the backdrop for the novel I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosin. Students from Sequoyah School in Pasadena, California discuss the book. Val Zavala, longtime public television journalist, is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Book Club for Kids isn't the only podcast about great books for kids. Give a listen to Matthew Winner's Children's Book Podcast.
After months of rain, Southern California FINALLY had a weekend of sunshine. So we all paid a visit to the LA Maker Faire and City of Stem festival near downtown Los Angeles. We asked kids to tell us all about their favorite books. Some of these might become YOUR favorite book, too!
The Cat in the Hat - Dr. Seuss
The Couch Potato - Jory John
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
The Berenstain Bears - Jan Berenstain
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Feeling Sorry for Celia - Jaclyn Moriarty
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
Calvin & Hobbs - Bill Watterson
How does a cover end up on a book? Writer Lisa Fipps is the author of Starfish, a middle grade novel in verse with a gorgeous, memorable cover. Lisa takes us behind the scenes of her experience with working with an editor and a cover designer. Lisa also talks about how her training as a journalist helped her write books for kids.
Also, come join Book Club for Kids at the Los Angeles Maker Faire on Saturday, April 1, 2023. We'll be there taping interviews with kids for upcoming Book Club for Kids podcast episodes. Here's the info:
Los Angeles State Historic Park (near Chinatown in downtown LA)
1245 N. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
FREE
9 AM - 5 PM
How do you handle a bully? What do you do when someone body shames you? Our heroine turns to poetry in this week’s book Starfish by Lisa Fipps. Readers from Columbia Heights Educational Campus in Washington, DC offer their own insights on why people pick on each other and ask writer Lisa Fipps what she does to tackle writers block. Our celebrity reader is NPR favorite, comedienne Ophira Eisenberg. Kitty Felde is host.
You never know who will show up at a Maker Faire. This week, host Kitty Felde asks kids from Hawaii about their favorite books.
Looking for your next great read? These kids at the Orange County Maker Faire have another shelf of suggestions! PS: it IS a Maker Faire, so host Kitty Felde talks to one young train enthusiast about his special invention.
Book list at the Books We Love page of our website www.bookclubforkids.org.
What mysterious creatures haunt the Caribbean Islands? Writer Tracey Baptiste tells tales of things that go bump in the night in THE JUMBIES. Students from Cienega Elementary School in Los Angeles discuss the book with host Kitty Felde. Actress Tamika Katon-Donegal is celebrity reader.
Marie Arnold writes middle grade and YA fiction, as well as adult romances. She talks about juggling genres and her secret weapon Hold On Nancy with host Kitty Felde.
Moving is difficult, especially when you don't speak the language, you're being haunted by a witch, and your best friend is a rat. That's the starting point for Marie Arnold's middle grade novel The Year I Flew Away. Students from Jefferson Academy in Washington, D.C. discuss rodents and video games. Actor Barry Cutler is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Before she wrote children's books, Lisa Graff worked as a nanny. What lessons from that experience did she bring to her work on the page? Lisa talks to host Kitty Felde.
How do we measure up to our parents' expectations? Does everybody deserve a day off? What's the toughest part of being a homeschooled kid? Our group of readers from the Broomfield Public Library in Colorado weigh in on these questions and more as they discuss Lisa Graff's novel Absolutely Almost. Lisa talks about where the characters came from and how she wrote her first book for her newborn baby brother. NYC actor Thaddeus Fitzpatrick is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Arthur Slade writes slightly dark middle grade and YA fiction. How dark? We ask him.
A pair of twins from rural Canada take Hollywood by storm. But there's a darker side to their life in silent movies. Readers from Gilbert Paterson Middle School in Lethbridge, Ontario discuss Arthur Slade's novel Flickers. Our celebrity reader is actor, comedian, and game show host Gavin Crawford. Kitty Felde is host.
Spoiler alert: this episode includes plot details.
Writer Laurie Halse Anderson talks about writing that first draft, where she finds inspiration, and track and field with host Kitty Felde.
What role did African-Americans play in the Revolutionary War? Chains - the first in a trilogy by Laurie Halse Anderson - takes us to Manhattan in the 1770's. A trio of readers from Maryland discuss the book. Actress S.W. James is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Looking for ideas of how to spend that holiday gift card? Readers from Taylor Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia have lots of suggestions for favorite books!
Bomb - Steve Sheinkin
Olympians Ares - George O'Connor
Finding Junie Kim - Ellen Oh
Big Nate- Lincoln Peirce
The Tail of Emily Windsnap -
Ms. Rapscott's Girls - Elise Primavera
The Baby-Sitters' Club - Anne M. Martin
Where the Red Fern Grows - Wilson Rawls
Henry Huggins - Beverly Cleary
Pinkalicious -
Twins - Varian Johnson
The Vampire Book: Encyclopedia of the Undead - J. Gordon Melton
The Werewolf Book: Encyclopedia of Shape-Shifting Beings - Brad Steiger
The Never Girls - Kiki Thorpe
Cleopatra in Space - Mike Maihack
The Gingerbread Man - Gail Yerrill
Honestly Katie John - Mary Calhoun
Do you see colors when you do math problems? The heroine of A MANGO SHAPED SPACE. Kids from the Mother/Daughter Book Club at One More Page bookstore in Virginia discuss the book. Writer Wendy Mass says the idea literally jumped out at her from the shelf.
Writer Stuart Gibbs didn't start out as a writer of middle grade novels. He also didn't expect to be interrupted in his interview by a member of the wildlife community in the middle of Washington, DC. He talks to host Kitty Felde.
Is there really a secret school in Washington, DC to train kids to become spies? We ask the experts in this episode: kids from Key Elementary in our nation's capital, writer Stuart Gibbs, and the man whose job description includes overseeing the activities and budget of the CIA, Congressman Eric Swalwell. Our celebrity reader is jounalist Claudia Peschuitta. Kitty Felde is host.
Is there a difference between writing poetry and prose? Writer Aida Salazar talks to host Kitty Felde about her relationship to poetry and about the telling details in writing.
You can hear other conversations with writers at the website bookclubforkids.org.
How do tween girls talk about menstruation, puberty, gender identity, and crushes? Our readers from the Oakland youth group CinnamonGirl discuss Aida Salazar’s coming of age novel The Moon Within with host Kitty Felde. Filmmaker and journalist Patricia Nazario is celebrity reader.
NOTE: this episode is appropriate for older tweens.
Looking for your next great read? Students at Malxolm X Elementary School in Washington, DC have some suggestions for books that will inspire you or scare you or make you laugh. Kitty Felde is host.
Writer Kelly Barnhill writes in longhand and explains that the habit began when her laptop burst into flames. She also confesses she's written a number of books that are only for her.
It's our celebration of Halloween! For the next two week's we'll be hearing about all kinds of witches.
Who says witches and monsters and dragons have to be the bad guys? That's certainly not the case in Kelly Barnhill's 2017 Newbery Award-winning novel THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON. A trio of readers from Woodbridge, Virginia discuss the the power of the moon and how much sorrow children can handle with host Kitty Felde. Writer Kelly Barnhill discusses fake news and how a swamp monster popped into her head out of nowhere. KCRW Morning Edition host Chery Glaser is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Have you been thinking about writing serialized fiction for Substack or Kindle Vella?
Middle grade novelist Christina Farley loves the format made popular by Charles Dickens. She offers an introduction to Vella in this conversation with Kitty Felde.
Love mythology? What do you know about Korean mythology?
Writer Christina Farley brings it to life in her romantic fantasy Gilded. Readers from the Richard Byrd Library in Springfield, Virginia discuss the book with host Kitty Felde. Actress Julia Cho is our celebrity reader.
Looks like Rick Riordan is the clear favorite with this lot. Listen to some other great book suggestions from readers at the Orange County Maker Faire. Kitty Felde is host.
You can find dozens and dozens of favorite books at our website www.bookclubforkids.org.
If you're a teacher or librarian in Southern California or the DC area, your readers can be on the show, too! We're booking tapings NOW for this school year. It's free. Email us for information: bookclubforkidspodcast@gmail.com.
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.
We take the show on the road to the Orange County, California Maker Faire to ask kids and robots the name of their favorite book and why they love it. Our special guest, Star Wars superstar R2D2 shares his favorite books with host Kitty Felde.
Special thanks to Steve of Astromech.net, the club that builds R2D2 robots.
Students from Washington DC's Jefferson Academy reflect on desegregation sixty years after the Little Rock Nine. They discuss Kristin Levine's novel The Lions of Little Rock. The author describes how she came to tell the story. Former U.S. Education Secretary of Education John King is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
We visit our favorite Virginia bookstore HOORAY FOR BOOKS to talk to members of the store’s youth advisory council. These young readers are quite the experts. Every month, they take home what’s called an ArC – an advanced readers copy – of a new book. And then they meet after school to let bookstore owner Ellen Klein know what they thought – and whether they think she should buy the book for their bookshelves. Host Kitty Felde brought her microphone to ask them our favorite question: what’s your favorite book?
What do kids worry about? Readers at Washington DC's Jefferson Academy discuss their own fears as they tackle John Green's novel "Turtles All the Way Down." MPR News Host Kerri Miller is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Find out how you can be on the show. Click HERE.
We meet the writer behind Pseudonymous Bosch: Raphael Simon. Host Kitty Felde chats with him about all things writing.
Would you like to live forever? When is it okay to lie? How do we prepare for a disaster? These and other big questions are tackled by students at Farmdale Elementary School in Los Angeles as they discuss The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch. Actress Satomi Hofmann is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Our producer Chad Francis picked this episode as his favorite!
www.bookclubforkids.org
Last week, we heard a bit from writer Jennifer L. Holm when we discussed her book "Turtle in Paradise." In this Bonus Episode, we hear more about Jenni's trilogy of books inspired by family stories.
Got a nickname? Everybody in Key West seems to have one. Including a little girl named Turtle. Readers at the Broomfield Public Library in Colorado discuss Jennifer Holm's "Turtle in Paradise" with host Kitty Felde. KQED public radio's Rachel Myrow is celebrity reader.
Are your kids lagging behind in their summer reading? Maybe they just haven't found their next favorite read. We ask the experts - kids at this year's City of Stem event - to tell us about their favorite books. Kitty Felde is host.
Who knew there was a legion of mice who help the CIA keep the world safe? Their headquarters? In the walls and basement of the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. Our readers are from the Ambassador School of Global Education in Los Angeles and they have a few questions for writer Heather Vogel Frederick. Our celebrity reader knows something about espionage: former CIA operative Valerie Plame. Kitty Felde is host.
How do you find a writing partner? And once found one, what's the best way to write a book together? Co-authors Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang share secrets about their working relationship with host Kitty Felde.
As we celebrate our nation's birthday, we ask the question: What does an American look like?
Readers from Fulton County, Georgia discuss Not Your All American Girl by Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang. Our celebrity reader is comedian Becca Nix Tham.
Check out the long list of favorite books at the website bookclubforkids.org.
As you probably know, we also produce another podcast THE FINA MENDOZA MYSTERIES, an audiodrama designed to introduce elementary school kids to civics. Fina is the 10-year old daughter of a congressman who solves mysteries inside the US Capitol.
After the attack on the Capitol on January 6th of last year, we saw the need to help parents and teachers talk to kids about what happened – without scaring them half to death, and to put the insurrection in some sort of historic context that kids could understand. We created a special episode with curriculum that can be used in the classroom.
Now with the televised congressional hearings looking at the January 6th attack, we’ve again heard from parents looking for ways to have a conversation about January 6th with their kids. So this week, instead of talking about our favorite books, we’re talking about democracy.
There is FREE curriculum to accompany this episode.
Looking for your next great read? Our experts - kids from the City of Stem festival in Downey, California - have a few suggestions for host Kitty Felde.
We take the show on the road to the Enoch Pratt Free Library Children's stage at the Baltimore Book Festival for a conversation about Robbie Shell's novel BEES ON THE ROOF. Our group of readers have been meeting to talk about books almost since they first
What makes a great book? Readers from Loyola Village Elementary School in Los Angeles have some answers.
Imagine a world where deadly tornadoes are so common, kids can't ride their bikes outside anymore. That's the future Kate Messner writes about in Eye of the Storm. Students from Belvedere Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia discuss the book with host Kitty Felde. Laura Furgione, Deputy Director of the National Weather Service is celebrity reader and talks about the science of tornadoes.
Dana Middleton's tale of fitting in and standing out is discussed by students from Louis Armstrong Middle School, Walter Reed Middle School, and Toluca Lake Elementary School. They've got a list of questions for the writer as well.
Pam Rogers, creator of the poetry and nonsense podcast Buttons & Figs is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
We return to the Culver City Book Festival to find out what younger kids are reading. Kitty Felde is host.
You can see a list of all their favorite books at the website.
We celebrate National Poetry Month with the National Book Award winning novel The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Readers from Charles Hart Middle School in Washington DC talk about poetry, MeToo, and favorite books with host Kitty Felde. Celebrity reader is Monica Vigil, who costars in The Fina Mendoza Mysteries podcast, which launches season 2 on May 3rd.
How do you get unstuck as a writer? Author Jacqueline Davies talks about how she took a vacation from the YA novel she was working on and wrote The Lemonade War in 19 days just to prove to herself that she could finish a book. Jacqueline also has advice for writers working on a series. Kitty Felde is host.
Free tips for reluctant readers at the website:
www.bookclubforkids.org
Did you ever have a lemonade stand when you were a kid? This particular lemonade stand led to The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies. Fifth graders from Loyola Village Elementary School in Los Angeles discuss the book with host Kitty Felde. Actress Linda Graves is celebrity reader.
Think scientists and math majors are all about numbers? Nope. They're great readers as well. We ask kids at the City of STEM festival at the Columbia Space Center in Downey, California to tell us their favorite books.
Writer Dan Gutman talks about his other popular My Wierd School series.
Interested in baseball? Time travel? Civil rights? Anger management? Readers from Murch Elementary School in Washingotn, D.C. tackle them all in this episode about Dodger legend Jackie Robinson. The book is Dan Gutman’s Jackie & Me, a time travel story that takes us back to 1947 on the night before Jackie’s debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Another Dodger legend, two time National League batting champ Tommy Davis is our celebrity reader. He talks about how Jackie Robinson was the one who persuaded him to sign with the Dodgers. Kitty Felde is host.
How many rejections did writer A.J. Steiger get before her first book was published? A lot, says A.J. The author talks about rejection, world building, and the very first book she wrote at age 9. 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.
