It’s our 100th episode!

To celebrate, we travel up to the Bay Area Book Festival to tape a live show celebrating “The Storm Runner” by J. C. Cervantes. This fantasy tale with Mayan mythology is a “Rick Riordan Presents” novel. Public radio journalist Erika Quilar from KQED is celebrity reader. Our readers are 6th graders at Albany Middle School in Northern California and they quiz our author. Kitty Felde is host.

We talked to kids in Maryland, Illinois, and California and asked them to tell us their favorite books. Here's their picks for 2020.

We asked you to pick your favorite Book Club for Kids episode. Thank you for voting! And the winner of the 2019 Fan Favorite Episode is "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Our celebrity reader is actress Mimi Kennedy of "Mom" and kids at the East Rancho Dominguez branch of the LA County Library discuss the novel. Lynda Mullaly Hunt tells host Kitty Felde what it was like to be the kid who never read.

In honor of the holidays, we bring you this special bonus episode of the Book Club for Kids. It comes from our friends in London at the UK’s children’s radio station, Fun Kids. Every other week, they produce a show called the Fun Kids Book Club podcast.

Their show is a bit different from Book Club for Kids – not only do they talk faster and have wonderful British accents, the show is presented by their host Bex and features authors from the UK who chat about how they wrote their book and answer quiz questions about what kind of potato chips they like best.

This episode contains some of the best bits from 2019. And features a lot of books I’ll bet you never even heard about! Enjoy!

We’re counting down to our 100th episode and we’re asking YOU what’s your favorite episode? You can email us here.

We asked our producer Ilsa Setziol which episode was HER favorite. She explains why she loves “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.”

Williamsburg has changed enormously since Betty Smith published "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" in 1943. But a trio of DC readers tell host Kitty Felde that they find contemporary themes - the chasm between rich and poor, the rise of the #MeToo movement - in the novel. Nancy Smith Pfeiffer, the 95 year old daughter of Betty Smith, tells us about rushing home from school to read the latest pages of the novel, hot off her mother's typewriter. Actress Sonia Manzano (Maria from "Sesame Street") is celebrity reader since the book is her favorite.

Last week, we talked about “Refugee,” Alan Gratz’ tale of kids fleeing violence and political oppression around the world. It’s a tough read. I had to put it down a few times. But how difficult is it to write a book about a tough subject? We asked Alan Gratz.

What would it be like to leave everything you know, everything you own, everyone you love to escape war, persecution, or poverty? In “Refugee,” Alan Gratz imagines how three young people struggle to survive as they excape to freedom. Students from Washington Latin Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. discuss the book with host Kitty Felde. Actress Amy Solano is celebrity reader.

Thanksgiving is next week and we know a lot of you will be on the road this weekend – by plane, car, bus, boat, whatever. We wanted to give you something to listen to as you make your way to grandmother’s house or wherever you are headed. So we’ve collected six Book Club for Kids episodes with family themes at their center.

In this extended Book Club for Kids episode, we’ll meet a large family in Utah where one kid describes himself as THE GREAT BRAIN, a classic by John D Fitzgerald. (Celebrity reader: J. Keith van Straaten)

And since it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without at least one family battle, we bring you a classic one between a girl and her Chinese great aunt: THE GREAT WALL OF LUCY WU by Wendy Wan-Long Shang. (Celebrity reader: Congresswoman Judy Chu)

Next we meet the southern relatives in Jason Renolds’ AS BRAVE AS YOU (celebrity reader: Kim Estes) and then off to Pennsylvania for Jack Gantos’ family in DEAD END IN NORVELT (Celebrity reader: Wenzel Jones.) Next, we head out west to New Mexico for a tale about a girl and her grandfather – Lindsay Eagar’s HOUR OF THE BEES (Celebrity reader New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.) And then head east to Harlem to meet Karina Yan Glaser’s THE VANDERBEEKERS OF 141st STREET (Celebrity reader: Valente Rodriguez).

And then stick around. We’ll have a special treat: a short Thanksgiving scene set in southern California. It’s from our newest podcast: an 8 part dramatic series called THE FINA MENDOZA MYSTERIES podcast. This scene is from next weeek’s episode and if you like it, you can catch up from the beginning by subscribing to The Fina Mendozaa Mysteries.

You’ve got a long roadtrip ahead of you, so sit back, relax, and celebrate with your family and ours here at the Book Club for Kids. Happy Thanksgiving.

Readers from Michigan recommend their favorite books...and many of them are Book Club for Kids episodes. Kitty Felde is host.

Sophie's quest to find her mother takes her from London to Paris - mostly rooftop to rooftop. Katherine Rundell's novel "Rooftoppers" is our book this episode. Students from the British International School of Washington discuss the book with host Kitty Felde. Director and audio book actress Stevie Zimmerman is celebrity reader. Katherine Rundell talks about writing for the stage vs. writing books for kids.

Ever wonder what kids in other countries are reading? This week, we take you to Dublin, Ireland which hosted WORLDCON, the World Science Fiction Convention. While the adults were attending panels, the kids were creating fabulous costumes for the masquerade parade...and taking the time to tell host Kitty Felde the name of their favorite books.

We have a special treat this week for Book Club for Kids listeners. It's something completely different.

Instead of our regular Book Club for Kids episode, we invite you to stay tuned for a special SNEAK PREVIEW of The Fina Mendoza Mysteries podcast. It's the story of the 10-year old daughter of a congessman from California who moves to Washington DC and solves the mystery of the Demon Cat of Capitol Hill.

Episode 1 will be released to the rest of the world on Friday, but we thought our loyal Book Club for Kids subscribers deserved to hear it first.

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries is an original 8-part dramatic series described as Nancy Drew meets "The West Wing." And to quote one of our youngest actors: it's not too scary. Give a listen.

Subscribe NOW to The Fina Mendoza Mysteries podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.

More information at finamendozamysteries.com.

We'll be back again next week with a bonus episode and then we tackle Katherine Rundell's novel "Rooftoppers."

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.

Got a favorite book? These readers at Vroman's Bookstore for LitFest Pasadena have a few suggestions to share with host Kitty Felde.

What do you get when you mix figure skating, martial arts, and Hogwarts? We take the stage live at Vroman’s Bookstore for LitFest Pasadena to discuss Henry Lien’s “Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword.” Voice actress Veronica Lopez is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

Writer Varian Johnson of "The Parker Inheritance" shares his secrets about writing a successful mystery with host Kitty Felde.

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.

We head out to the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles to ask readers at the Studio City branch of the LA Public Library to tell us their favorite books. Kitty Felde is host.

Malu is moving to Chicago and she's not very happy about it. She's also not very happy with the way her mother would like her to be. Two things do make her happy: punk music and creating zines. The book is the 2018 Pura Belpré Award Author Honor winner "

5th graders from Deerwood Elementary School in Eagan, Minnesota share their favorite books with us. Kitty Felde is host.

The worst summer vacation ever? Being stuck in the middle of a New Mexico desert with the crabbiest grandfather on planet earth. But there are also magical bees that promise the end of of a drought. Students from Belvedere Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia. Our celebrity reader is New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Kitty Felde is host. This episode is the favorite of summer intern Hannah Matzecki.

Readers from the Arlington Heights Memorial Library in Illinois share their favorite books with host Kitty Felde.

What’s it like to be adopted? Does your adopted family’s history become your history or do you feel the need to find your biological story? Our book this week is "The Length of a String" by Elissa Brent Weissman. It’s a Holocaust story about a Jewish family separated by the war. Readers from the Girlfriends Book Club of Baltimore at Hazelwood Elementary Middle School discuss the book and pose lots of questions to our writer. Actor and producer Bari Hochwald is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

Writer Margaret Peterson Haddix has published nearly four dozen novel. We talk to her about how she manages to write so many books, the difference between writing fiction and non-fiction, and get a sneak preview of her newest series. Kitty Felde is host.

C’mon. Admit it. Don’t you just wish sometimes that your parents would just disappear? But what happens next? That’s just part of the plot for our book this week “Double Identity” By Margaret Peterson Haddix. Our readers are from Sousa Middle School in Washington, D.C. Our celebrity reader is actress Molly Parker, from "Deadwood" and "Lost In Space." Kitty Felde is host.

Oh, and just a warning: the discussion contains spoiler alerts, so you might want to read the book before you listen to the episode.

Has a book inspired you to take a summer vacation to a particular place? "The Great Brain" series seems to have inspired a lot of readers - including Sharon Madsen's family. Sharon's become the unofficial John D. Fitzgerald historian, archivist, and tour guide, taking fans of "The Great Brain" series around Fitzgerald's hometown of Price Utah. Kitty Felde talks to Sharon Madsen about her family's obsession.

This week, we catch up with readers in Houston, Texas who love "The Great Brain" books by John D. Fitzgerald SO much, they named their book club after it. Not familiar with the book? A lot of the plot involves the oldest brother Tom who always has a new scheme to separate kids from their money. Our celebrity reader is J. Keith van Straaten, host of the game show podcast Go Fact Yourself. Our writer John D. Fitzgerald is no longer with us, but Sharon Madsen, the resident expert on Fitzgerald, says he was a man of many talents. Kitty Felde is host.

Looking for great summer reading ideas? This group from Southern California have lots of suggestions.

Do you ever feel different? Peculiar? Perhaps not as peculiar as the kids in "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children." Readers from the DC International School discuss Ransom Riggs' novel and pose questions to the author. NPR Special Correspondent Melissa Block is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

We usually talk to middle school kids on Book Club for Kids. This week, we hear book suggestions from some of our youngest listeners. The episode was recorded at the LA Public Library's Mini Maker Faire at the downtown Central Library. Kitty Felde is host.

"Esperanza Rising" is a riches to rags tale about a wealthy Mexican family who end up as farmworkers in California's Central Valley. Students from Murch Elementary School in Washington, DC compare the book to Frances Hodgson Burnett's "A Little Princess." Actress Christine Avila is celebrity reader. Writer Pam Munoz Ryan talks about her real-life grandmother whose life inspired the book. Kitty Felde is host.

Writer Nidhi Chanani always wanted to be a writer. Kitty Felde talks to Nidhi and finds out how did she end up writing her graphic novel "Pashmina."

Is a podcast about a graphic novel like dancing about architecture? Give a listen to our latest episode "Pashmina" by Nidhi Chanani. It's a tale about a magical pashina and secrets and mothers and daughters. Our readers are students at Kelly Miller Middle School in Washington, DC. Rasika Mathur is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

"Divergent" writer Veronica Roth talks about her latest writing adventures.

We venture into a dystopian universe created by writer Veronica Roth. "Divergent" is a tale about finding out where you fit in – and whether you’re brave enough to take a literal leap of faith. Our celebrity reader is the 2018 Ms. Senior California and a familiar voice on Southern California Public Radio KPCC Rita Pardue. Our readers are from Benjamin Trasker Middle School and we taped the episode at the Bowie, Maryland branch of the Prince Georges County Memorial Library. Kitty Felde is host.

Chris Tebbetts talks about book packaging, collaboration with James Patterson, and using storyboarding and other techniques as a writer.

For more with Chris Tebbetts, listen to the entire episode of “Public School Superhero.”

Do you dream about becoming a superhero? What kind? 5th graders from DC's School Within a School discuss "Public School Superhero" by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts. In the book, our hero Kenny dons his alter ego Stainless Steel just to survive at a very lousy middle school. Actor Chuma Hunter-Gault is our celebrity reader and Chris Tebbetts joins us to talk about collaborating. Kitty Felde is host.

What's next for Dan Gutman's My Wierd School series?

Baseball legend Tommy Davis only signed with the Dodgers because of phone call from Jackie Robinson. And even though he played in a different era, Tommy experienced racism from baseball fans firsthand.

Every April 15th, Major League Baseball celebrates the day that Jack Roosevelt Robinson started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers, the day that integrated baseball. This year marks Jackie Robinson’s 100th birthday and to celebrate, we’re discussing the novel “Jackie & Me” by Dan Gutman. Readers from Murch Elementary School in Washington, DC discuss the book with host Kitty Felde. Our celebrity reader is another legendary Dodger, the two-time National League batting champion, Tommy Davis.

Readers from across the country call in and tell host Kitty Felde their favorite books.

Would you like to be a legend? To have people tell stories about you long after you’re gone? Would you like to be “Maniac Magee” by Jerry Spinelli? This Newbery Award-winning classic is our Book Club for Kids pick this week. Our readers are from Anne Beers Elementary School in Washington, D.C. and John Michael Higgins (“Pitch Perfect” and “A Mighty Wind”) is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

Readers at the Palos Heights Public Library share their favorite books...and many of them are our favorites, too!

Would you like to grow up on a desert island with no adults to boss you around? That's the locale for our book "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder. Our readers from Percy Julian Middle School in Oak Park, Illinois talk about the challenges of growing up and try to get our writer to disclose some of the answers to the mysteries in the book. Congressman Adam Schiff, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, is our celebrity reader.

We hear from readers at Marcella Intermediate school in Houston Texas who share their favorite books. Many of them are by Book Club for Kids authors. Kitty Felde is host.

Virgil's grandmother keeps telling him scary stories as life lessons. One of his friends is convinced she can predict the future. Virgil is trying to find a way out of his shell.

This week we discuss Erin Entrada Kelly's 2018 Newbery Award-winning novel "Hello Universe." Actress Kat Purgal is our celebrity reader. Members of the Rocket Readers book club of Newport Beach, California discuss the book and talk about how school testing stresses them out.

Kitty Felde is host.

Readers from the "show me" state show us their favorite books to host Kitty Felde.

He's on trial for murder. Does that make him a bad person? Our readers from Kramer Middle School in Washington, DC tackle tough questions about a tough book: Walter Dean Myer's award-winning novel "Monster." Actor Larry Powell is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

Ever wonder how writers keep all the details organized when they're writing a long series? Find out in this conversation with writer Shannon Messenger. Kitty Felde is host.

Do you wish you had a super power? Want to hang out with some elves? This week, a book club from Maryland picks our book: Shannon Messenger's "Keeper of the Lost Cities." Nick Roman is our celebrity reader and our readers interview the writer. Kitty Felde is host.

Last week, our readers from Washington DC discussed Nikki Grimes’ novel in verse GARVEY’S CHOICE. This week, we hear some more from poet Nikki Grimes about the power of poetry, spirituality in a secular world, and a sneak preview of her next project.

"Garvey's Choice" is the poetic tale of a star-struck young man trying to please his father. Award-winning writer Nikki Grimes answers questions from readers at Alice Deal Middle School in Washington, DC. Actor Haskell V. Anderson III is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

Last week, we talked to writer Donna Jo Napoli about her novel ALLIGATOR BAYOU. It’s a novel set in Louisiana, a tale about the relationship between Italian immigrants and the African American population. We talked to Donna at Podcast Movement in Philadelphia and she had much more to say about her writing process.

New Orleans is a city rich in history and rich in wonderful food. Both are topics in this week's discussion of Donna Jo Napoli's novel "Alligator Bayou." Readers at the New Orleans Public Library discuss the book with host Kitty Felde. Our celebrity reader is NPR National Correspondent Debbie Elliott.

Katherine Marsh says her son helped a lot with the creation of "The Door by the Staircase." She also offers some writing tips.

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.

This week, we talk to group of young writers who met for a workshop at Virginia’s historic Gunston Hall, home of founding father George Mason. Host Kitty Felde asked these writers our favorite question: what’s your favorite book?

‘The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963” touches on a tragic moment in American history: the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. But it’s really a family story about a road trip. Readers from Two Rivers Public Charter School in Washington, DC discuss the novel with host Kitty Felde. Writer Christopher Paul Curtis won the Newbery, the Golden Kite, and the Coretta Scott King awards for this book. He talks about how all those statues allowed him to become a full time writer. Our celebrity reader is actor Quinn Marchman.

What are kids in Louisiana reading these days? We hear from readers who all participanted in the 2018 Battle of the Books competition in at a public library about 45 miles north of New Orleans in a community called St. Tamany Parish. Kitty Felde is host.

We discuss a fictionalized story about one of the Navajo Code Talkers - the Marines who were recruited to use their native language to help the Allies win World War II. Students from Chesterbrook Elementary School in Virginia discuss Joseph Bruchac’s novel “Code Talker” with host Kitty Felde. Our celebrity reader is Elayne Silversmith. the librarian at the Vine Deloria, Jr. library at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC.

This week, we’re talking to kids in Australia, asking them their favorite books. We caught up with two of them on a tram – the same tram where the royal couple Prince Harry and his new bride Meghan took to a beach in south Melbourne. We have pictures on our website.

This episode began with a chance meeting in a tiny art gallery in the city of Cienfuegos, Cuba. Writer Isora Morales Suarez was minding the store to pay the bills, but just had her first novel for kids published in English. The Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore discuss her unusual fairy tale “The Meringue Witches” with host Kitty Felde. Cuban ex-pat Adolfo Nodal is celebrity reader.

This week, we take you thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean to the south island of New Zealand. In and around the city of Christchurch, we asked kids to tell us their favorite books. You may be surprised by some of their choices.

Writer Ronald L. Smith takes us on a trip down south, to the backwoods of Alabama, where a young boy was born with a heart-shaped birthmark, the mark of magic, or Hoodoo, according to his grandmama. Hoodoo must learn to tap his inner powers of magic to battle evil. Veteran public radio journalist Brian Watt is celebrity reader. Ron Smith just won the Corretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award from the American Library Association for "Hoodoo."

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.

What if hurricanes just get worse and worse? That's the premise for Sherri L. Smith's dystopian tale "Orleans." Students from Benjamin D. Foulois Creative and Performing Arts Academy in Maryland explain why dystopian novels are actually hopeful. At least for girls. Journalist Cheryl Devall is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Lena Roy have written a new biography about their grandmother, Newbery Award winning writer Madeleine L’Engle called "Becoming Madeleine." They share stories about the woman who wrote 'A Wrinkle in Time."

This week, we tackle a classic – the 1963 winner of the Newbery Award A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L’Engle. Our readers are 5th graders from the British International School in Washington, DC. Our celebrity reader is public radio journalist Stephanie O’Neill. Madeline L’Engle passed away in 2007, but we're joined by her granddaughters Charlotte Jones Volklis and Lena Roy. They've written a new biography of their grandmother based on her journals called BECOMING MADELEINE. Kitty Felde is host.

This week, we’re asking students at MarFarland Middle School in Washington DC our favorite question: what’s your favorite book? What’s so special about that? These students are telling us all about it in English – and español. It’s our first bilingual episode of the Book Club for Kids. The readers will answer first in English, and then in Spanish. Kitty Felde is host.

Do you believe in one-eyed monsters? Greek gods? This week, readers from two Washington, D.C. schools discuss Mary Pope Osborne’s take on Homer’s classic adventure “Tales from the Odyssey.” Mary talks about writing a modern take on Odysseus - as well as her best-selling “Magic Treehouse” series. Our celebrity reader is John Dryden, a veteran of BBC radio dramas and head of scripted content for the podcast network Panoply Media. Kitty Felde is host.

Writer Jason Reynolds visits more than 100 schools a year, inspiring readers and writers around the country. He's a National Book Award Finalist, winner of the 2016 Kirkus Prize, the 2017 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Youth/Teen, and a Newbery Honor winner.

Would you like to live forever? That's the question our readers from Basis DC Charter School ponder as they discuss Natalie Babbitt's classic tale "Tuck Everlasting" with host Kitty Felde. Actress Denise Krueger is celebrity reader. The late writer talks about her own view of life and death.

Listeners from across the country are calling to to share their favorite books this summer.

What happens when you discover your uncle was actually a spy? Do you join the family business? Readers from DC's Jefferson Academy discuss best-selling author Anthony Horowitz' first novel in the Alex Rider series "Stormbreaker." Anthony Horowitz discusses the novel and FBI Agent Ed You is our celebrity reader and tells us what it's really like to be a spy. Kitty Felde is host.

Southern California readers at Heart of Los Angeles Youth share their favorite books with host Kitty Felde.

Every summer, we ask our interns to pick their favorite episode. UC Irvine graduate John Gomez chose Claire Legrand's novel "Foxheart." Witches, monsters, and a brave little thief. Those are the ingredients in the book. Book Club for Kids fan Kailas and her two fellow readers Iona and Gabi discuss the novel at Boulder Bookstore with host Kitty Felde. Our celebrity reader is actor Wesley Mann. Writer Claire Legrand explains how "Foxheart" began as a short story challenge.

Book Club for Kids is a proud member of Kids Listen, a grassroots organization that advocates for high quality audio for kids. In preparation for your summer road trip, we introduce you to some of the terrific Kids Listen shows.

Going on a summer road trip? Join us as we take a summer road trip to the south with a pair of brothers from Brooklyn. Our readers are all members of the boys book club at Truesdell Education Campus in Washington, DC. The boys discuss Jason Reynolds’s tale of a blind grandfather, a gun, and a bird named Michael Jackson. It’s called AS BRAVE AS YOU. Emmy Award-winning actor Kim Estes is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

Last week, we talked about Gail Carson Levine’s novel THE LOST KINGDOM OF BAMARRE. But there was more to the conversation. This week, we talk to Gail about writing, about the long slog to get her Newbery Honor book ELLA ENCHANTED published, about poetry, and about fairy tales.

What makes a modern princess? Readers from Maury Elementary in Washington, D.C. say it takes a bad ass like our heroine in Gail Carson Levine's fairy tale "The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre." Our Newbery honor winner talks about her love of fairy tales and how the novel grew out of her passion to fight prejudice of all kinds. Actress Tessa Auberjonois is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

Which came first - the story or the illustrations? We ask writer Alan Silberberg. He writes and illustrates "Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze." Kitty Felde is host.

Can a book be funny and deal with one of the toughest topics around? "Milo: Sticky Notes & Brain Freeze" is writer and illustrator Alan Silberberg's tale of 7th grade angst and dealing with the loss of a parent. Seventh graders from Eliot-Hine Middle School in Washington, D.C. discuss the book and ask questions of author Silberberg. Actor Joshua Malina ("West Wing," "Scandal," the "West Wing Weekly" podcast) is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

We spoke to Linda Sue Park about her novel about one of the Lost Boys of Sudan "A Long Walk to Water." But Linda's the author of nearly a dozen books and winner of the 2002 Newbery Award for "A Single Shard." Not surprisingly, she had a lot to say about what she's learned about writing.

What do you know about South Sudan? Our book is "A Long Walk to Water" by Linda Sue Park. Fifth grade readers from Pinchbeck Elementary School in Henrico, Virginia consider things they take for granted: clean water from the tap and a guaranteed education. Our celebrity reader is one of the top African experts on Capitol Hill, Congresswoman Karen Bass from California. Writer Linda Sue Park talks about writing fiction from fact. Kitty Felde is host.

An episode for animal lovers and fantasy fans. Readers from the Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library in Broomfield, Colorado discuss Bryan Chick's novel "The Secret Zoo" with host Kitty Felde. Haley Creamer from the Denver Zoo is celebrity reader. It's part of the Kids Listen School's (almost) Out Summer Sweep!

This week, we head out to Ashburn, Virginia to talk to readers at Brambleton Middle School to find out their favorite books. Most of their choices seem to break down into two main categories: adventure and books that relate to the real-life experiences of a middle schooler. Kitty Felde is host.

Meet the Vanderbeeker family - large, loud, unpredictable. They'll try almost anything to stay in their beloved Harlem neighborhood. The 2017 New York Times' Notable Children's Book by Karina Yan Glaser is discussed by readers at DC's Excel Academy Public Charter School. Actor Valente Rodriguez is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

In this episode, we travel back to a world at war – to England at the beginning of the London Blitz. The book is "The War That Saved My Life." Writer Kimberley Brubaker Bradley tells the tale of the mass evacuation of children to the British countryside. Our readers are from Belvedere Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia. Our celebrity reader is Congresswoman Julia Brownley from Thousand Oaks, California.

Fifth graders from Capitol Hill Day School in Washington share their favorite books.

Think becoming a witch is easy? Think again. Readers from Changing Hands bookstore in Phoenix discuss James Nicol's tale of becoming a professional witch called "The Apprentice Witch." Our celebrity reader is public radio journalist (and amateur ice hockey player) Susan Valot. Our writer talks about how he created the rules for his magical world and confesses that he wasn't much of a reader when he was young.

Did you ever wonder what kids from other countries like to read? This week, we talk to kids from the United Arab Emerits, Switzerland, Great Britain, and Venezuela – as well as kids from DC, Maryland, and Virginia. They all attend the British International School of Washington. And we ask them to tell us their favorite books. And guess what? I’ll bet some of their favorites are some of yours, too.

This past weekend, thousands and thousands of kids marched in Washington and cities around the nation to call attention to a serious topic kids shouldn’t have to face: gun violence. This week on Book Club for Kids, we talk about the novel "The Ethan I Was Before." It's the story about a boy facing a life and death situation. Our readers from Capitol Hill Day School talk about trauma and the resilience of children. Writer Ali Standish talks about how you write a book about a serious topic for young readers. Actor Michael Paul Chan ("Major Crimes" and "The Goonies") is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

It's our favorite question: what's your favorite book? Readers from The Bolles Middle School in Jacksonville, Florida, with help from school librarian Jaime Ann Sanborn, shared with us their list of favorites.

In an era when kids share so much of their lives online, how do you survive middle school?

On this special on the road edition of Book Club for Kids from the Colorado Book Festival, a quintet of readers from the Denver area discuss Denise Vega's novel "Click Here: To Find Out How I Survived Seventh Grade." Our celebrity reader is Colorado education legend Anna Jo Haynes.

We spoke to writer Laurie Halse Anderson a few weeks ago about her Revolutionary War novels. But there was more to the conversation – about poetry, track and field, and writing.

Malu is moving to Chicago and she's not very happy about it. She's also not very happy with the way her mother would like her to be. Two things do make her happy: punk music and creating zines. The book is the 2018 Pura Belpré Award Author Honor winner "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia Perez. Students from Virginia talk about those times when they acted "punk" with host Kitty Felde. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is celebrity reader.

This week, we celebrate George Washington's birthday, Black History Month, and the opening of the film "Black Panther." It seemed like the perfect time to reprise our episode "Chains" about the role African-Americans played in the Revolutionary War. A trio of readers from Maryland discuss the book. Actress S.W. James is celebrity reader. This reprise episode features a new interview with writer Laurie Halse Anderson. She talks about why she's written so many books set at the time of the American Revolution. Kitty Felde is host.

For Valentines Day, we have a special love story – part fiction, part fact, based on a landmark US Supreme Court case. It’s called "Loving Vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case" by Patricia Hruby Powell. It’s the story of an interracial couple who only wanted to marry the person they loved. Our celebrity reader, actress Crystal West. Readers from Virginia discuss the book and the legal case that took place in their own state. Kitty Felde is host.

We're taking favorite book suggestions! Today, we’ll hear from readers at St. Eugene School in Fox Point, Wisconsin, and then hear book suggestions from other readers in California, Indiana, and Iowa.

You can be on the Book Club for Kids podcast, too. Just give us a call! Our new call-in number is 323- 639-3560. Just tell us your first name, the name of your favorite book, and why you like it.