Lifelines: Books That Bridge the Divide

Episode 22: Finding a Range of Diverse Books Oct 21, 2019

In this episode, Saadia Faruqi will share recommendations for picture books about people of color living regular lives, and Ann Braden will share her conversation with Dr. Krista Aronson, founder of the Diversity Book Finder.

Episode 21: Picture Books on Grief and #ClassroomBookADay Oct 07, 2019

Today, Saadia Faruqi will share recommendations for picture books about grief and then Ann Braden will share her conversation with educator, Jillian Heise, founder of #ClassroomBookaDay, an initiative encouraging educators to read aloud one picture book a day in their classrooms.

Episode 20: Around the World & An Identity Unit Sep 23, 2019

In Episode 20, Saadia Faruqi will share recommendations for books that take place in other parts of the world. Then, Ann Braden will share her conversation with educator Jen Vincent about the Identity Unit she used with her students to begin the school year.

Lifelines Episode 19 - Books with Grit and Determination Sep 09, 2019

This is Episode 19, our first episode of season 4. Today, Saadia Faruqi will share recommendations for books that have a theme of perseverance. Then, Ann Braden will share her conversation with the School Library Journal news editor Kara Yorio who recently wrote an article about students facing housing insecurity.

Episode 18: Welcoming New Americans Apr 15, 2019

This episode focuses on welcoming new Americans. Saadia Faruqi will share her book recommendations and then Ann Braden will share her conversation with Kirsten Cappy, the heart and brains behind the I’m Your Neighbor project as well as Curious City, which offers free kidlit programming for educators.

Episode 17: Getting Books into Kids' Hands Over the Summer Apr 01, 2019

Today Saadia Faruqi will recommend some good books with African-American main characters, and then Ann Braden will share her conversations with three different educators, Chris Tuttell, Elizabeth Kyser, and Kerri Moccia, who all have found a way to get books into kids hands over the summer.

Episode 16: Learning from Other Cultures Mar 18, 2019

Today, Saadia will share recommendations for books that help us make cultural diversity part of our environment and and then Ann will share her conversation with librarians Wendy Garland and Todd Burleson who got to experience a cultural exchange of their own with a trip to United Arab Emirates.

Episode 15 - Bookshelves That Respect LGBTQ Students Mar 04, 2019

Today our focus is on ensuring that LGBTQ students see themselves on our bookshelves. Saadia will share recommendations for good books with LGBTQ characters and then Ann will share her conversation with author K. A. Holt, who recently released a survey that explores the dynamics involved when educators want to put diverse titles on their shelves but are worried there might be consequences.

Episode 14: Ensuring African American Students See Themselves Feb 18, 2019

Today instead of having separate segments, we’re going to share one good meaty interview with Matthew Winner, a school librarian, the host of the Children’s Book Podcast, and a writer.

Episode 13: Books that Build Deeper Empathy Around Mental Health Feb 04, 2019

Saadia Faruqi shares recommendations for good books that help us empathize more deeply with those dealing with mental illnesses, whether it’s ourselves or someone else. Then Ann Braden shares her conversation with librarian Kathie MacIsaac, a librarian in Manitoba and a mover and shaker in the online middle grade community.

Episode 12: A Conversation Between Saadia Faruqi and Ann Braden Dec 03, 2018

Two weeks ago, Saadia Faruqi and Ann Braden got to meet in person for the very first time, and they decided to interview each other to find out all the things they wanted to know — and hopefully that you wanted to know, too. So, this episode has no book recommendations and no separate segments — it’s just one meaty interview with two book people who care a lot about bridging divides.

Episode 11 - Culturally Responsive Thanksgiving Books Nov 19, 2018

Saadia Faruqi recommends culturally appropriate and non-traditional Thanksgiving books, and Ann Braden shares her interview with public librarian Sam Maskell. Finally, it concludes with information about the non-profit First Book, which works to get books into the hands of kids who can’t afford them.

Episode 10: Reaching Kids Living in Poverty -- Part TWO Nov 05, 2018

This is the second part of our 2-part special on reaching kids in poverty. Saadia Faruqi recommends middle grade and YA books about the reality of poverty, and Ann Braden shares the conclusion of her conversation with 5th grade educator Kristin Crouch. Kristin is uniquely positioned to help us bridge the class divide having broken the cycle of generational poverty to become an educator. In this part of the conversation she shares some book recommendations of her own and talks about what teachers can do to be true allies for kids who are struggling.

Episode 9 - Reaching Kids in Poverty -- Part ONE Oct 22, 2018

Today's episode is part one of a two-part special on reaching kids in poverty. Saadia Faruqi will share recommendations of great picture books that discuss the realities of poverty. Then, Ann Braden will share the first half of her conversation with 5th educator Kristin Crouch. Kristin is uniquely positioned to help us bridge the class divide. She will discuss her experience growing up in a family struggling to make ends meet, how she broke out of the cycle of poverty, and how she now works to support her students who are dealing with the same struggles.

Episode 8: Saadia Recommmends Great Non-Fiction Biographies Oct 08, 2018

In this episodes, Saadia Faruqi takes over the podcast and recommends a ton of great non-fiction biographies.

Episode 7: Refugee Picture Books Sep 24, 2018

Saadia Faruqi shares recommendations for picture books featuring refugees and immigrants. Then, Ann Braden shares her conversation with public library director Laura Arnhold. Finally, we close with information about the Welcoming Library, a fabulous educational resource that brings communities together in conversation around the topic of immigration.

Lifelines Episode 6 - Good Books About Ramadan and an Interview with Librarian Jennifer Haight May 28, 2018

This is Episode 6 and it’s our last episode of Season 1 (we’ll be back for Season 2 in the fall, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher so you don’t miss it!). Today, Saadia will focus her “Books You’ve Never Heard Of” segment on good books about Ramadan, and then Ann will share her conversation with public librarian Jennifer Haight. Finally, Ann will reflect on the role books can play in combating ignorance.

Episode 5: Welcoming "The Other" May 14, 2018

Saadia Faruqi discusses the book Wishtree by Katherine Applegate and gives recommendations for other books about welcoming those who have been made to feel like “an other.” Ann Braden shares her conversation with elementary librarian Christina Carter, and then talks about what we can do when people are unwelcoming to others.

Episode 4: Tackling Tough Topics Apr 30, 2018

In today's episode Saadia Faruqi will discuss the brilliance that is Jason Reynolds, and then Ann Braden will share her conversation with middle school librarian Mary Linney. Finally, Ann will reflect on the way we approach trauma at a personal and societal level–and what that means for the classroom.

Episode 3: National Poetry Month Apr 16, 2018

In today’s episode, Saadia Faruqi shares some good novel-in-verse recommendations in her segment “Books You’ve Never Heard Of," and Ann Braden shares her conversation with Juliet Lubwama, a high school senior and 2017 National Student Poet. Finally, Ann shares an inspiring example of one way to approach poetry if the thought of writing it yourself triggers a certain terror.

Lifelines: Episode 2 -- Fighting Prejudice With Words Mar 30, 2018

Here we share conversations with librarians, educators, and readers about the children's books that can be bridges across our cultural divides… the books that can open minds and the books that can be the lifeline a child needs to remember they're not alone.

In today's episode, Saadia Faruqi shares some good book recommendations about South East Asia and refugee issues in her segment “Books You’ve Never Heard Of." And Ann Braden shares her conversation with Kiran Waqar, a high school senior and a member of the slam poetry group Muslim Girls Making Change. They discuss the power of seeing yourself in the pages of a book and the incredible rise of youth voices we're currently seeing in our country with the March for Our Lives and beyond.

Lifelines: Books That Bridge the Divide -- Episode 1: Supporting Students in Poverty Mar 29, 2018

In Episode 1, Saadia Faruqi shares some good book recommendations about kids struggling with poverty in her segment “Books You’ve Never Heard Of.” Ann Braden shares her conversation with elementary school librarian, Eileen Parks. Many of the students that Eileen’s library serves come from families that are struggling to make ends meet. Also, since the majority of the community is white, children of color can easily feel isolated. She discusses some of the issues she faces in working to serve all of her students. Finally, Ann will reflect on the power of stories in bridging the class divide.

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