Here Wee Read

Latest Episodes:

Mi Cuidad Sings: Getting to Know Debut Author Cynthia Harmony Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

Cynthia Harmony is an author and educational psychologist, originally from Mexico City. She has published for the educational market and was awarded the 2020 We Need Diverse Books Mentorship. Her debut picture book MI CIUDAD SINGS is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. Her board book OUR WORLD: MEXICO published by Barefoot Books, releases Spring 2023. Her upcoming picture book A FLICKER OF HOPE (2024) will be released simultaneously in English and Spanish.

When not writing, Cynthia can be found in a museum with her kids, dancing to a Latin beat, daydreaming of tacos, or planning her next family trip.
Cynthia’s books explore themes of community, friendship, family bonds, art, and joy rooted in her heritage.
Purchase Mi Cuidad Sings here.

Connect with Charnaie online in the following places:

Blog: http://hereweeread.com
Personal Website: charnaiegordon.com
Podcast Email Address: hereweereadpodcast@gmail.com

Find Charnaie on the following social media platforms under the username @hereweeread: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest.
Feel free to share this podcast on your social media platforms to help spread the word to others. Thanks for listening!

Black Boy, Black Boy: Jorge Redmon and Ali Kamanda Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

Ali Biko Sulaiman Kamanda is an award-winning filmmaker and social entrepreneur from Sierra Leone, West Africa. He runs BIKO Studios, a cross-cultural film production company and is the President of Salone Rising, a non-profit organization that provides micro-financing and mentoring resources to small business owners in rural Sierra Leone.
Jorge (pronounced George) Redmond graduated in 2000 with a degree in Communication Studies, he played soccer professionally in France and Cameroon before returning to the Asheville, North Carolina area as a coach and teacher, including at his alma mater when the Rams won the state title in 2002.
In 2008, Jorge decided that he wanted to be an attorney. He attended John Marshall Law School in Atlanta, graduated and passed the Georgia bar in 2011. Jorge currently works in the Buncombe County District Attorney's office as an Assistant District Attorney, and as an adjunct professor in South College's Legal Department.

Ali and Jorge are college friends, and BLACK BOY, BLACK BOY is their debut book.
Purchase Black Boy, Black Boy here.

Connect with Charnaie online in the following places:

Blog: http://hereweeread.com
Personal Website: charnaiegordon.com
Podcast Email Address: hereweereadpodcast@gmail.com

To New Heights: Tacko Fall and Justin Haynes Sep 20, 2022

Show notes

Tacko Fall emigrated from Senegal as a teenager to play basketball and rose to prominence when he was selected by the Boston Celtics and became a seven-foot-six ball-playing sensation. He has played for the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers and lives in Cleveland, Ohio.
In addition to basketball, Tacko Fall is a scholar, and he has a strong interest in computer science and aspires to be an engineer.
Justin Haynes is a sports agent at BDA Sports Management, where he represents Tacko Fall and other players. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and family.
Purchase To New Heights here.

Connect with Charnaie online in the following places:

Blog: http://hereweeread.com
Personal Website: charnaiegordon.com
Podcast Email Address: hereweereadpodcast@gmail.com

50 - American Desi: Jyoti Rajan Gopal and Supriya Kelkar May 10, 2022

Show notes

Jyoti Rajan Gopal is a writer, mom, and Kindergarten teacher. Growing up, she lived in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, India, and China. Twenty-eight years ago, she moved to New York and now lives in Yonkers in a quirky old Victorian, with her husband and two daughters. Her favorite place in the house is the wrap around porch where she loves to gather with family or friends, read, write, and drink coffee.

Supriya is an author, illustrator, and screenwriter who grew up in the Midwest, where she learned Hindi as a child by watching three Hindi movies a week. Winner of the New Visions Award for her middle grade novel AHIMSA, (Tu Books, 2017), Supriya has worked on the writing teams for several Hindi films and she is the author of several middle grade and picture books.
Purchase American Desi here.

Connect with Charnaie online in the following places:

Blog: http://hereweeread.com
Personal Website: charnaiegordon.com
Podcast Email Address: hereweereadpodcast@gmail.com

49 - The First and Only Openly Gay Strongman in the World: Rob Kearney & Eric Rosswood May 03, 2022

Show notes

Rob Kearney is an American Professional Strongman as well as the first and only openly gay professional strongman in the world.

Rob decided to compete in the Heavyweight class where he took 1st place in the 2016 Log Lift World Championships and has gone on to compete at World’s Strongest Man. Rob is a Giants Live Champion (North American Open 2017) as well as an Arnold International World Series Champion (Australia 2019).

Along with Strongman, Rob and his Husband Joey have become advocates for the LGBTQ+ community. Together, they hope to break the Stereotype of how the LGBTQ+ community is perceived and show the world that regardless of your sexual orientation or gender identity you can be strong and follow your passions.

Eric Rosswood is an author and commentator on LGBTQ issues including civil rights, parenting, marriage, and politics. He has led panels on LGBTQ parenting issues for organizations such as the Family Equality Council and the Modern Family Alliance.
His bestselling book, Journey to Same-Sex Parenthood, won numerous awards including the best Parenting/Family/Relationships book in the IAN Book of the Year Awards, the best Parenting book in the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, and the best LGBTQ Non-Fiction book in the International Best Book Awards. Eric is represented for his children’s books by Jennifer Mattson at Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
Books mentioned in this episode:
Purchase Strong here.

Purchase I Color Myself Different here.

Connect with Charnaie online in the following places:

Blog: http://hereweeread.com
Personal Website: charnaiegordon.com
Podcast Email Address: hereweereadpodcast@gmail.com

48 - Why I’m Planning to Pivot on Social Media to Share Bookish Content Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

In response to a recent post in my Instagram stories, I’m talking about the positive and negative impacts social media has had on my life over the past seven years.
Connect with Charnaie online in the following places:

Blog: http://hereweeread.com
Personal Website: charnaiegordon.com
Podcast Email Address: hereweereadpodcast@gmail.com

47 - The Bad Guys: Live Interview with Aaron Blabey and Pierre Perifel Apr 19, 2022

Show notes

This episode is a recording of a live interview that took place on April 13th on the campus of DreamWorks Animation Studio in Glendale, California. I had the incredible opportunity to interview the author and executive producer of the movie The Bad Guys, Aaron Blabey and the director Pierre Perifel in-person after watching a private screening of the movie.

Thank you to Universal Pictures for making this possible.
Purchase I Color Myself Different here.

Connect with Charnaie online in the following places:

Blog: http://hereweeread.com
Personal Website: charnaiegordon.com
Podcast Email Address: hereweereadpodcast@gmail.com

46 - Twelve Dinging Doorbells: Book Chat with Author Tameka Fryer-Brown Apr 12, 2022

Show notes

Tameka Fryer Brown (a native of Miami, Florida) has called Charlotte, North Carolina home for over 20 years. Her first literary accomplishment as a children’s book writer

came when she was awarded one of two First Prizes in the 2008 Cheerios® Spoonfuls of Stories® New Author Contest. Her debut picture book, Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day, was published by Abrams Books for Young Readers and illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb. To date, it has sold over 100,000 copies.
My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood is Tameka’s second picture book. It is published by Viking Children’s/Penguin Random House and illustrated by the award-winning Shane W. Evans.
In January of 2020, Tameka’s third book, Brown Baby Lullaby was published. Forthcoming titles from Tameka include Twelve Dinging Doorbells (Kokila/PRH, 2022), Shirley Chisholm: Not Done Yet (Millbrook Press/Lerner, 2022), and That Flag (HarperCollins, 2023). For more information, visit tamekafryerbrown.com.
Purchase I Color Myself Different here.

Connect with Charnaie online in the following places:

Blog: http://hereweeread.com
Personal Website: charnaiegordon.com
Podcast Email Address: hereweereadpodcast@gmail.com

45 - Mango and Marigold Press: Chatting Books and Diversity with CEO Sailja Joshi Apr 05, 2022

Show notes

Growing up, Sailaja was a voracious reader. From Leo the Lop to Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Amelia Bedelia, she loved every book she read. If you were to ask her today what her favorite book is, she'd likely say either the Harry Potter series OR The Tao of Pooh. It really depends on the day.

Sailaja has been a passionate volunteer in the Hindu Youth community for over twenty years and is an accomplished academic with degrees from Northeastern University, Harvard University, and Simmons College. She has also worked with multiple startups, helping them to refine their brand identity and develop their marketing communications.
With the impending birth of her oldest child, Sailaja searched for books about her Indian culture. Upon reading the few stories that existed, she realized that many of them were inappropriate or worse, insensitive. Sailaja knew the power of representation and set out to change home libraries by starting her own publishing company, Mango and Marigold Press.

When you buy a Mango & Marigold Press book you ensure that every child sees themselves as the hero of their story. When children see themselves in the ordinary and extraordinary, they realize that anything is possible.
Books mentioned in this episode:
Purchase Always Anjalihere.
Purchase Bravo Anjali here.
Purchase I Color Myself Different here.

Connect with Charnaie online in the following places:

Blog: http://hereweeread.com
Personal Website: charnaiegordon.com
Podcast Email Address: hereweereadpodcast@gmail.com

44 - Here Wee Read Live: New York Times Bestselling Author Derrick Barnes and Vanessa Brantley-Newton – The Queen of Kindergarten Mar 29, 2022

Show notes

This episode is a recording from a live author panel event that took place on March 8, 2022.
This was an intimate couch conversation with author-illustrator Vanessa Brantley-Newton and New York Times Bestselling Author Derrick Barnes. Moderated by Charnaie Gordon from Here Wee Read.

Connect with Charnaie online in the following places:

Blog: http://hereweeread.com
Personal Website: charnaiegordon.com
Podcast Email Address: hereweereadpodcast@gmail.com

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