Looking for a great last book of summer? We've got lots of suggestions from Southern Californians who attended the Los Angeles Public Library's Maker Faire.

And we have a special invitation to teachers and librarians looking for an opportunity to engage their students in reading this fall. Listen to the end of the episode for details.

bookclubforkids.org

In this week, as the country lays to rest Congressman John Lewis, one of the heroes of the Civil Rights movement, we thought it was a good time to revisit one of the darkest days of the struggle, the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, told through the eyes of young people. It’s "The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963" by Christopher Paul Curtis.

Teaching guide at the website bookclubforkids.org.

Last week, we discussed the novel “Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen” by Anne Nesbet. It’s a tale set during the early days of movie making. One character in the book is a real-life person, a larger than life woman whose contribution to filmmaking has been largely forgotten over the years. Anne Nesbet, who also teaches film history at UC Berkeley and she fills us in a bit more about Alice Guy-Blanche.

We’ll have links to one of Alice Guy-Blanche’s films and to a documentary about her work at our website,

www.bookclubforkids.org.

Summertime's the perfect time to go to the movies...even if we can't go in person. Meet "Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen," a heroine from the early days of movie making.

Taped remotely at the Bay Area Book Festival, a trio of 7th graders from Albany Middle School in northern California discuss the novel by Anne Nesbit and interview the author. Our celebrity reader is Pam Rogers from the Buttons & Figs podcast. Kitty Felde is host.

To see a video of this Zoom episode, check out our website, www.bookclubforkids.org.

Readers from Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York share their summer reading suggestions with host Kitty Felde.

www.bookclubforkids.org

The fight for racial equality didn't start with Black Lives Matter. This week, we visit a Black Panther summer camp in Rita Williams-Garcia's novel "One Crazy Summer." Readers from Washington, DC's Jefferson Academy discuss the novel and host Kitty Felde speaks with the author.

Jewell Parker Rhodes, winner of the American Book Award, talks about the difficulty of writing "Ghost Boys" and about her own reading journey with host Kitty Felde.

bookclubforkids.org

How do we talk about police violence targeting African-Americans? This group of eighth graders from Columbia Heights Educational Campus/Lincoln Middle School in Washington, DC discuss “Ghost Boys” by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Actor Jonathan Del Palmer Rhodes is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

NOTE: this discussion contains a discussion about violence, Emmett Till, and police violence.

www.bookclubforkids.org

Libraries across the world are kicking off their summer reading programs - many of them remotely. Which means finding ebooks or ordering online and picking up hard copies at the library curbside pickup spot. But which books to pick? It’s so much harder when you can’t see a book on the shelf. We have some suggestions from readers at the LA Public Library.

You can be on the show, too. Check out the website for info:

www.bookclubforkids.org

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. There is free curriculum at the website:

bookclubforkids.org

We want to hear what you're reading this summer.

On this episode, kids from coast to coast share their favorites. You can be on the show, too.

Attention parents, teachers, and librarians: Looking for a way to inspire your Summer Readers when they can’t go to the library? Turn them into podcast stars.

It's easy:

- find the voice memo or recording app on a smartphone

- set the level somewhere in the middle

- have the reader introduce her/himself as:

Hi, my name is - (first name only)

I'm from (what city, school, or library)

The book I’m reading this summer is -

Tell us about it. (not the plot, but what it is YOU like about this book and why you'd recommend it to someone else)

Email the audio files to us at bookclubforkidspodcast@gmail.com

Book Club for Kids is the award-winning podcast where kids talk about books. The Times of London calls it one of the world’s top 10 kidcasts. Common Sense Media rates it “excellent.” The New York Times says the “virtual gathering space for young readers feels more vital than ever in the social distancing era.”

A story about entrepreneurs and rock stars and veggie burritos. Readers from the Children Chatting with Children’s Authors podcast discuss Jennifer Torres' novel "Stef Soto, Taco Queen" in an episode taped live at the Studio City branch of the LA Public Library. Jeannette Franco is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

www.bookclubforkids.org

We invited readers from around the world to tell us about their favorite books. Kitty Felde is host.

If you were a time traveler, would you go to the future or the past? That's the question readers from Lafayette Elementary School in Washington, DC ponder as they discuss the Newbery Award-winning "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead. NPR reporter Neda Ulaby is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

Free curriculum for this episode available at the website:

Kazu Kibuishi admits he never thought "Amulet" would be a hit. He talks about writing, travel, research, and screenwriting with host Kitty Felde.

This weekend we’re participating in a special podcast event: Podapalooza, to raise funds for folks hardest hit by Covid-19.

We here at Book Club create a second podcast – The Fina Mendoza Mysteries – and for Podapalooza, we’re sharing episode 1.

The Fina Mendoza Mysteries is a serialized mystery series for kids and political junkies. Season one tells the tale of the 10 year old daughter of a congressman who solves the mystery of the demon cat of Capitol Hill.

We all know that COVID 19 is hitting the entire world, and unfortunately, some have been harder hit than others. We’re proud to have this opportunity to give back while doing something we love. Podapalooza is a podcast festival for COVID relief, the work of more than a hundred podcasters who have contributed content and resources to the cause. 100% of funds raised go to GiveDirectly, an international aid organization helping families hardest hit by COVID. To learn more and donate, go to Podapalooza.org, or p - l - z - a dot org for short. That’s p - l -z -a dot org.

It's the perfect time to escape on an adventure. Our graphic novel "Amulet" by Kazu Kibuishi tells the tale of a magical amulet that leads a young girl on a quest. Students from Ketcham Elementary School in Washington, D.C. talk about magic in their own lives and have lots of questions for our writer. Actor Denny Colonna is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

www.bookclubforkids.org

It's the perfect time for a book series. We've got several terrific suggestions from kids in Queens, New York.

More great book suggestions and free curriculum at our website bookclubforkids.org.

We're reprising our episodes with free curriculum guides. We're starting with Roald Dahl's first book for children "James and the Giant Peach" because don't we all need to escape our current situation inside a giant summer fruit? Cash Peters is celebrity reader and students from LA's Equitas Academy discuss the book with host Kitty Felde.

Free curriculum guide at bookclubforkids.org.

It's your opportunity to be a podcast star. Listen for details.

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.

We’ll have a list of everybody’s favorite book at our website, bookclubforkids.org. In fact, we have lots and lots of book suggestions to help you find the perfect ebook or audiobook to download from your public library during this time when schools are closed.

And did you know that if you want to be on the Book Club for Kids, you can do it from your living room? All you need is your smartphone. Record yourself on the voice memo app telling us your first name, city where you live, the name of your favorite book, and why you love it. Then email the file to us at kitty@bookclubforkids.org. Or just click the “put me on the show” button at our website bookclubforkids.org for more information. And teachers, we’re collecting recommendations from students around the world. We’d love to hear from your homebound kids on the show.

It’s an unusual time. A time when most of us are home with our families. A time when we can order up a book free of charge from our local library and have it delivered immediately to our phone, computer or tablet.

But what book?

We have some great suggestions from students at the Laurence School in Los Angeles. And we want to hear your suggestions for great books and book series we can be reading during this time of social distancing. If you have book suggestion, please call us at 323-639-3560. Tell us your first name, the city where you live, the name of your favorite book, and why you love it.

Just a note to teachers, parents and librarians. We have free curriculum guides at the website bookclubforkids.org so you can keep the learning going during this haitus. We also have more than 100 free Book Club for Kids episodes free of charge. You can listen to an episode with your kids, get a digital copy or audio book version of the novel from your public library, read it together, and use the podcast questions for a jumping off place for your own discussion. You could even get a Skype book club session with your child and other kids stuck at home.

We have a free newsletter for teachers, parents, and librarians. Usually, we send out bimonthly free tips about how to turn kids into lifelong readers. But starting this week, we’ll be sending out short newsletters with activities and suggestions of learning opportunities you and your kids can do at home. You can sign up at our website: bookclubforkids.org.

One other way to lighten the mood with your kids: we have a terrific mystery podcast, the Fina Mendoza Mysteries. It’s a free 8-part series about a little girl and a gigantic red dog named Senator Something. Together, they solve the mystery of the Demon Cat of Capitol Hill. As one young listener put it, "It’s not too scary."

Did you ever think you were a little different than everybody else in school? Suppose you found out there’s a reason for that and that reason is that you’re actually a witch. That's the story of "The Okay Witch," by Emma Steinkellner. Students from Virginia Road Elementary School in Los Angeles discuss the graphic novel and interview Emma. Actress Diane Adair is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

www.bookclubforkids.org

Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan co-wrote "Watch Us Rise." They answer the two biggest questions: how do you collaborate with a friend without destroying the friendship? And what's the best snack for writing inspiration? Kitty Felde is host.

Was there ever a time when you had to stand up and speak your mind, no matter the consequences? Is it harder to do that if you're female? Standing up for girls is at the heart of this week’s book "Watch Us Rise" do, letting the world know what it’s like sometimes, being a girl. Our readers from Brookland Middle School in Washington D.C. interview the wrtiers Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan. Our celebrity reader is actress Pinkie Washington. Kitty Felde is host.

Reading tips at our website www.bookclubforkids.org

Tricia Springstubb is the writer of the "Cody and the Mysteries of the Universe" series and other books. She tells Kitty Felde about finding Cody's voice and the difference between writing middle grade novels and picture books.

Writers are often confused when editors talk about “voice” in children’s literature. The title character in “Cody and the Mysteries of the Universe” has one of the most unique voices in print. Readers from Randle Highlands Elementary School in Washington, D.C. discuss the book with host Kitty Felde and ask questions of writer Tricia Springstubb. Actress Peggy Miley is celebrity reader.

It's our favorite question: what's your favorite book? We get lots of answers from our readers who called in to us or talked to us at the Los Angeles Public Library's Mini Maker Faire. Kitty Felde is host.

Students from Stuart-Hobson Middle School in Washington, DC talk about "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak. The conversation covers everything from death to Nazis to books. Actress Melanie MacQueen (Robotech) is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. Markus Zusak interview is courtesy of the Australian bookstore Booktopia.

Spoiler Alert: plot points are discussed in this episode.

Find out how you can be on the show at our website:

www.bookclubforkids.org

We get some terrific book suggestions from kids from around the world - from Scotland to Singapore, England to Ecuador, Mexico to Australia. Readers from the British International School in Houston share their favorites with host Kitty Felde.

Get reading tips or find out how you can be on the show at our website: bookclubforkids.org.

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.