Reading With Your Kids Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Representation in Romance: Finding Depth and Diversity in Love Stories Jun 28, 2024

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This episode of Reading with Your Kids featured interviews with several children's book authors discussing their recent publications and the importance of talking to kids about difficult topics like relationships and grief. The episode featured an interview with Rachel Lynn Solomon who wrote the YA romance novel "Past, Present, Future." Solomon discussed how the book explores healthy teenage relationships and navigating intimacy.

Also in the episode Ell Gonzalez Rose celebrated her romantic comedy "Caught in a Bad Fauxmance." Gonzalez Rose talked about drawing inspiration from her own mixed Puerto Rican heritage and passion for representing diversity in fiction. She emphasized the depth that can be found in romance genres. The episode concluded by speaking to Kellie Kaminskas, author of "Here With You", about the importance of exposing children to topics of death and loss from a young age to help them better understand life's ups and downs.

Why Teen Mental Health Matters and What You Can Do About It Jun 27, 2024

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In this episode of "Reading with Your Kids," host Jed Doherty interviews life coach Loree Bischoff about empowering teenagers. Bischoff discusses her book "Common Sense Happiness" and a new online life coaching course for teens called TLC. The TLC course teaches important skills often overlooked in schools, like emotional intelligence, positive mindset, and personal responsibility.

With rising rates of depression, anxiety, and other issues among youth, Bischoff saw a need to address the whole child. Her TLC course guides teens through modules on self-esteem, motivation, emotional fitness, and values. Using video and activities, it seeds the "garden of their minds" with empowering beliefs and healthy habits.

Parents are encouraged to have open conversations with teens to build trust. Doherty shares how discussing values and choices benefited his daughter's college path. With proper guidance, teens can critically think through impactful decisions like higher education.

Rather than a one-size-fits-all system, Bischoff advocates adapting to each child's needs. Her TLC program equips teens to stand on their own through self-awareness, vision, and character development. It provides the foundation many lack when facing a complex world of media influence and life transitions.

Click here to visit Loree's website - www.tlccourse.com

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Do Grimm Fairy Tales Have A Place In Today's Kidlit? Jun 25, 2024

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In this episode of Reading With Your Kids we meet three fascinating authors. We first meet author A Kidd who returned to the show to celebrate "Yasuko and the Dream Eater", which was inspired by a Japanese folk tale. She enjoyed bringing elements of Japanese culture to readers. We talk about fairy tales and ask if the original Grimm Fairy Tales have a place in today's Kidlit. We also meet author Nicholas Aragon, who writes the "Curly Crow" series. He took over the series after his mother wrote the first book. Nicholas discussed how writing helps him feel close to his mother and give back by visiting schools. We returned to the CT Book Festival to speak with Greg Slomba, an author of fantasy books for middle graders who creates whole new worlds for his stories.

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Everything You Need to Know About Writing Diverse Stories for Kids Jun 23, 2024

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This episode of Reading With Your Kids featured discussions about children's literature, cultural identity, and the writing process. First, Jacqueline Christine discussed her book "Mommy's Day Off" and how growing up in a Puerto Rican household influenced her writing. The conversation then turned to the importance of representing diverse families. Next, Janet Sumner Johnson introduced her middle grade novel "The Winterton Deception," which follows twin siblings who enter a spelling bee and uncover secrets about their wealthy family heritage.

Jed Doherty and the guests discussed several themes. They emphasized the importance of cultural representation in books and knowing one's identity and history. They also talked about respecting different perspectives and the need for forgiveness and understanding. When speaking with Johnson, they explored her writing process, including how she developed characters through backstories before realizing the plot. Johnson recommended techniques for aspiring authors like free writing to unlock creativity.

Overall, the episode provided insights into children's literature and focused on cultural identity, family dynamics, the writing process, and bringing diverse voices and stories to readers. The discussions emphasized bonding through shared and differing human experiences as well as giving second chances and embracing what unites communities.

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Puppies, Kitties & Pelicans, Oh My! Jun 21, 2024

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This episode of Reading With Your Kids featured two authors introducing us to their children's books that celebrate human-animal bonds and culture.

Bethany Murgia, author of "Wagnificent", shared how her graphic novel was inspired by her dog. She discussed researching dog behavior and domestication to portray the dog's perspective accurately through illustrations. Murgia described creating a series to focus on empathy and understanding between species.

Jedlie brought up experiences growing up with many dogs and interviewed Murgia about the challenges of writing graphic novels. They imagined families enjoying "Wagnificent" through read-alouds and conversations about nonverbal communication.

A N Stewart, author of "Bill Bailey, Please Come Home", discussed how her New Orleans-based children's book series highlights the city's culture, music, and strong neighborhood ties. She reflected on the impact of Hurricane Katrina and COVID-19, including business closures and a growing disconnect among residents.

Stewart emphasized the role of art and music in bridging divides and promoting critical thinking across generations and cultures. Both authors celebrated finding community and making connections through shared experiences, even with differences in beliefs.

The conversation provided insight into the authors' personal inspirations and journeys to publication.

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Cozy Tales & Teddy Bear Dreams Jun 20, 2024

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This episode of Reading with Your Kids is all about cozy tales and Teddy Bear dreams. First up is our conversation with Amy Hess and Erin Stead. They are on the show to celebrate their book "Big Bear and Little Bear Go Fishing," which tells the story of a big bear and little bear going on a fishing trip together. They emphasized the importance of relationships in stories and capturing coziness through illustrations.

Valerie Woebkinberg also joins us to celebrate her "Miles Across America" series, which follows the adventures of a cat named Miles as he learns about important events in American history. She highlighted the significance of understanding history and sparking curiosity in young readers.

We also travel back to the CT Book Festival to speak with Diana Blau her book "Beary and Tinker, Young at Heart," which was inspired by her childhood teddy bears. She discussed the joy of seeing her daughter and personal story featured in the book.

Throughout the episode, the guests and host Jed Doherty emphasized bringing history to life through storytelling, encouraging children's imagination and dreams, and making reading an engaging experience for both parents and kids. They also shared tips for finding inspiration and pursuing passions through writing children's literature.

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Are Your Kids Financially Literate? Jun 18, 2024

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This episode of Reading with Your Kids focused on the importance of teaching children financial literacy from a young age. Our first guest is Anthony Delauney. He tells us about his Owning the Dash book series which teaches kids financial concepts through storybooks. He emphasized starting these lessons early through activities parents and children can do together. The next guest, Brooke Lapides, presented her new book Financial Fun from A to Z which defines financial terms for kids in an alphabet format. Lapides discussed how her work in finance revealed many adults' lack financial knowledge and felt compelled to create a resource for parents. The host agreed that openly discussing money matters with kids from a young age better prepares them for adulthood decisions.

The episode concluded with an interview of author Andrea Petitte about her young adult novels addressing serious issues teenagers face such as gambling addiction, eating disorders, and loss. Petitte aims to create relatable stories that start important conversations between parents and their kids. Overall, the guests stressed that financial literacy and open parent-child communication are critical life skills best taught through early and ongoing engagement.

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The Power Of Diverse Storytelling Jun 16, 2024

Show notes

Welcome to episode 2000 of Reading With Your Kids. We are celebrating that milestone by celebrating the power of diverse storytelling to heal and build community resilience. .Our first guest is Dr Amra Sabic El Rayes, shares her experience growing up in Bosnia during a time of targeted violence and military siege. She discusses three magical summers from her childhood and the escalating narratives of hate she experienced. Dr Amra emphasizes the importance of authentic storytelling and diverse representation in combating hateful ideologies.

The conversation explores Dr Amra's work creating programs at Columbia University's Interfaith Research Lab to prevent hate and build resilience. Her programs like Reimagine Resilience and Project Belonging provide training for educators, faith leaders, and students. Dr Amra hopes sharing stories like her novel Three Summers will help readers connect with shared humanity.

We also take a listen back to our conversation with Fr Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention program in the World. Homeboy Industries focuses on creating a community of tenderness and acceptance in rehabilitation. Fr Greg encourages finding inspiration everywhere and getting started writing with community support. Pina Bird shares stories from her Fred the Super children's book series addressing themes of kindness and cultural acceptance.

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Storytelling For Healing Jun 14, 2024

Show notes

Christa Avampato returns to Reading With Your Kids to celebrate her Emerson Page middle grade series. She discussed how her character Emerson came to her during a difficult time and inspired her healing journey. Avampato shared details about Emerson's latest adventure in her new book "Where the Light Leads," which takes place in Ireland. We also welcomed Healey Ikerd, author of the picture book "The Red Ball." She shared a personal story her mother told her about growing up in East Germany, which inspired the book. "The Red Ball" teaches about friendship and forgiveness through a story where a girl's ball is taken by a friend. Both authors emphasized how storytelling can help children cope with challenges like anxiety, depression, and hurt feelings.

The hosts and guests discussed the mental health benefits of reading with children. Storytelling creates bonding opportunities and allows parents to address sensitive issues indirectly. Forgiveness was a key theme, with speakers noting its importance for well-being. Readers may find parallels in the stories to reflect on forgiveness in their own lives. Overall, the episode celebrated children's literature and highlighted how sharing stories can help families grow closer and support children's social-emotional development.

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Facing Evil Without Turning Evil Jun 13, 2024

Show notes

This is a powerful episode of Reading With Your Kids. Astrid Kamalyan celebrated her book "Babo, a Tale of Armenian Rug Washing Day", which tells the story of an Armenian family tradition in a lighthearted way. She talked about growing up in post-war Armenia and experiencing hardships but finding community and love within her family. We then travel to the Connecticut Book Festival to speak with three local authors.

Branwen O'Shea talked about her science fiction book "The Chasm", which features several points of view including humans and alien "star beings" who view the same events very differently. She discussed writing complex worlds and characters and using the book to have conversations about perspectives.

Meira Rosenberg discussed her middle grade novel "28 Days of Neon", about a girl who overhears she only has 28 days to live and decides to do good deeds to try to receive a miracle. Rosenberg talked about themes like death, friendship, and kids' inner lives that parents could discuss with their children.

Larry Zaccaro shared about his romantic comedy book "Chandler's List" where a couple goes on adventures around New England based on a secret list to rekindle their love. He also discussed a new children's picture book called "Crumbs".

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