Scholastic Reads

Latest Episodes:

Emma Donoghue Plus One May 04, 2017

Show notes

This week, we're talking with Emma Donoghue (author of the award-winning novel for adults Room), about her new book for children, The Lotterys Plus One. She's joined by her editor, Arthur A. Levine, to talk about the process of transitioning from writing for adults to writing for children; where the inspiration for Sumac Lottery and her big, unruly family came from; and the role Emma's own chlidren play in her creative process.

Additional Resources:

Guests:

Emma Donoghue is the author of the international bestseller and Man Booker Prize finalist Room, as well as several other novels, including the YA collection Kissing the Witch (1997), which was shortlisted for the Tiptree Award. Her most recent book The Wonder was published in September 2016. Born in Ireland, she now lives in Canada with her partner and their two children.
Arthur A. Levine is Vice President and Publisher of Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. Throughout his career, Levine has edited and championed an exceptional and diverse group of writers and artists, including Emma Donoghue, J.K. Rowling, Lisa Yee, Jaclyn Moriarty, Shaun Tan, Sundee Frazier, and Dan Santat.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan
Produced by Emily Morrow

A Celebration of Poetry Apr 20, 2017

Show notes

"A poem begins with a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, or a love sickness." — Robert Frost

This week, we're celebrating Poetry Month by talking about the power and joy of poetry. First, we hear from renowned novelist, essayist, and poet Calvin Trillin, who shares some of the inspiration behind his new poetry collection for children, No Fair! No Fair!.We also talk with two high school students, Maya Eashwaran and Gopal Raman, who were honored as National Student Poets in 2016, as well as an educator, Adam Couturier, who speaks about the wonderful poetry program in his Massachusetts school district.

Additional resources:

More information about No Fair! No Fair! by Calvin Trillin and illustrated by Roz Chast
Learn more about the National Student Poets Program
Meet the other 2016 National Student Poets, and hear more from Maya Eashwaran and Gopal Raman
Read a blog post from Adam Couturier about his district's We Read Big initiative

Guests:

Calvin Trillin is a journalist, humorist, poet, novelist, memoirist, and food writer. A long-time staff writer at The New Yorker, he is also The Nation’s “deadline poet.” He has published thirty books, many of them bestsellers. His books include Remembering Denny, About Alice, Tepper Isn't Going Out, and Dogfight: The 2012 Presidential Campaign in Verse. In 2012, he won the Thurber Prize for American Humor. He lives in New York.
Maya Eashwaran is a senior at Milton High School in Milton, Georgia, and a 2016 National Student Poet. In addition to writing poetry, she is also an avid musician.
Gopal Raman is a senior at St. Mark’s School in Dallas, Texas, and a 2016 National Student Poet. In addition to writing poetry, he edits for his high school newspaper and chairs the St. Mark’s Literary Festival.
Adam Couturier is the 6-12 Humanities Curriculum Coordinator for Southbridge Public Schools in Southbridge, Massachusetts. Mr. Couturier was a 2016 Pioneer Valley Teacher of Excellence award winner as a result of his work in Springfield, MA. He served as a teacher, Social Studies Department Chair, and as a Middle Years Programme Coordinator at an International Baccalaureate school. In addition to this, he wrote curriculum for the National Parks Service at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, Springfield Public Schools, and now at Southbridge Middle and High Schools.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan
Produced by Emily Morrow

Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters Apr 06, 2017

Show notes

Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst are trying to change how we read. In their new book, Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters, the award-winning authors and literacy educators explore a new approach where reading is viewed as a transformational experience rather than a practice of decoding, recalling, and responding to questions. As Bob says, "We're looking for the replacement of artificial and formulaic reading with REAL reading." This week, Kylene and Bob join us in the studio to talk about how teachers can start implementing changes in their classrooms today, ways parents can be reading role models for their children at home, and why it's more important that kids recognize how a text makes them feel than remember the main character's name.

Additional Resources:

More information about Disrupting Thinking
Connect with Kylene on Twitter
Connect with Bob on Twitter

Guests:

Kylene Beers,EdD, is an internationally known and respected authority in literacy education. She is a past president of the National Council of Teachers of English and has received an NCTE Leadership Award. She has served as a consultant to the National Governor’s Association Education Committee, was the editor of the national literacy journal Voices from the Middle, taught in the College of Education at the University of Houston, held a reading research position in the Comer School Development Program at Yale University School of Medicine, and has most recently served as the Senior Reading Advisor to the Reading and Writing Project at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Robert E. Probst,PhD, is Professor Emeritus of English Education at Georgia State University and was a research fellow for Florida International University. He has served as a member on the Conference on English Board of Directors, an NCTE journal columnist, and a member of the NCTE Commission on Reading. He was awarded the NCTE Exemplary Leadership Award presented by the Conference on English Leadership.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
Produced by Emily Morrow

Multiplatform Storytelling: The Team Behind Horizon Mar 29, 2017

Show notes

What do you do with a story that's too big to be contained in a book series? This week, we're talking about Horizon, a new multiplatform adventure for 9- to 12-year olds. Joining us in the studio are New York Times bestselling author Scott Westerfeld (Uglies, Leviathan, Afterworlds), game designer Gavin Brown, and editor Nick Eliopulos to talk about the unique approach Scholastic's multiplatform team takes to storytelling. As Nick says, "The books that we love become these spaces that we want to play in."

Additional Resources:

Read an excerpt from Horizon by Scott Westerfeld
Download the Horizon app on your iOS or Android device
Play the Horizon game on your desktop
Join in the discussion on the Horizon forums
"Underwater Dreams" — the documentary about high school students who compete in a college-level robotics competition
"Taking Flight: NASA Prepares to Welcome New Class of Astronauts"

Guests:

Scott Westerfeld is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Uglies series, which has been translated into 35 languages; the Leviathan series; Afterworlds; and many other books for young readers. He was born in Texas, and alternates summers between Sydney, Australia and New York City.
Nick Eliopulos is an editor at Scholastic.
Gavin Brown is a digital product director at Scholastic.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
Produced by Emily Morrow

Amazing, Delightful, Happy Dreamer Mar 23, 2017

Show notes

Author Peter Reynolds is redefining what ADHD stands for. In his world, and in his new picture book, Happy Dreamer, it's simply an acronym for Amazing Delightful Happy Dreamer. This week, we talk with Peter and educator Lester Laminack about how we can encourage dreamers of all forms to feel included, engaged, and welcomed whether it's at home, in the classroom, or on the playground.

Additional Resources:

More about Happy Dreamer by Peter H. Reynolds
More about Lester Laminack

Guests:

Peter H. Reynolds is an author and illustrator of children's books, including The Dot, Ish, The North Star, and Happy Dreamer. He is also the founder of the educational media company FableVision.
Lester Laminack is an award-winning author and educator and Professor Emeritus from Western Carolina University where he taught writing workshop, children's literature, and reading.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
Produced by Emily Morrow

Once Upon a Fractured Fairy Tale Mar 10, 2017

Show notes

How many times have you heard the story of Cinderella? Or Beauty and the Beast? Probably dozens. And yet somehow, they never get old. No matter how they're told and re-told, we know good will triumph over evil, our heroine will find love, and everyone will live happily ever after. But why do those stories have so much appeal?

Today, we have two fairy tale experts joining us to share their thoughts on why these stories have endured generation after generation: authors Sarah Mlynowski and Garth Nix. Sarah and Garth are two writers who have often fractured, or re-told, fairy tales. Sarah, for her bestselling Whatever After series, and Garth, in his most recent YA novel, Frogkisser!.

Additional Resources:

More about the Whatever After series by Sarah Mlynowski
More about Frogkisser! by Garth Nix
Researchers believe Beauty and the Beast is based on a story that's nearly 4,000 years old

Guests:

Sarah Mlynowski is the New York Times bestselling author of the Whatever After series, the Magic in Manhattan series, Gimme a Call, and a bunch of other books for tweens and teens, including the Upside-Down Magic series, which she is cowriting with Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins. Originally from Montreal, Sarah now lives in the kingdom of Manhattan with her very own prince charming and their fairy-tale-loving daughter
Garth Nix is the bestselling, award-winning author of the Old Kingdom series, The Seventh Tower sequence, The Keys to the Kingdom series, Troubletwisters series, and many other fantasy novels for young adults and children, including Frogkisser!. Garth lives in a Sydney beach suburb with his wife and two children.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
Produced by Emily Morrow

The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet: Giving Children a Voice Feb 23, 2017

Show notes

This week, we're talking about the importance of raising children's voices. First, we're joined by Carmen Agra Deedy, the acclaimed author of the new picture book The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet!, an allegorical tale of a brave, little rooster in a town where singing has been outlawed. Carmen shares the story of her own childhood as a Cuban refugee living in Decatur, Georgia, and talks about the importance of the message that children should be encouraged to speak their truths. Next, we talk with Dana McDonough, a second grade teacher who was named the 2016 State Teacher of the Year from New York. Dana tells us how she works to make every child feel heard in her classroom.

Additional Resources:

More information on The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin
Dana McDonough's blog post about invisible backpacks
More about Carmen Agra Deedy

Guests:

Carmen Agra Deedy is one of America's most foremost storytellers. Her many award-winning books include Martina the Beautiful Cockroach, which received a Pura Belpré Honor, and her New York Times bestseller 14 Cows for America. Born in Havana, Cuba, Carmen drew on her love of folklore to create The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! She lives with her family in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dana McDonough is the 2016 State Teacher of the Year from New York. She teaches second grade at Fostertown ETC Magnet School in Newburgh, NY.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
Produced by Emily Morrow

Read Out Loud: Celebrate World Read Aloud Day Feb 15, 2017

Show notes

On February 16, we are celebrating the power of the read aloud with World Read Aloud Day. Every year, this global celebration calls attention to the importance of sharing stories by challenging participants to grab a book, find an audience, and read out loud. In fact, data from Scholastic's Kids & Family Reading Report shows us that reading aloud to children regularly from birth is crucial for their happiness and their development as readers. Today, we'll explore why that is and hear from four guests who have all been powerfully impacted by their memories of childhood read-alouds.

Guests:

Pam Allyn is a literacy expert and the founder of LitWorld, the organization behind World Read Aloud Day. She is also a co-author of Every Child a Super Reader.
Ernest Morrell is an award-winning author, teacher, and researcher, and a co-author of Every Child a Super Reader.
Nick Cannon is an actor, comedian, rapper, and the author of Neon Aliens Ate My Homework.
Andrea Davis Pinkney is a Coretta Scott King Award-winning author and an editor at Scholastic.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about World Read Aloud Day
Learn more about Every Child a Super Reader by Pam Allyn and Ernest Morrell
Learn more about Neon Aliens Ate My Homework by Nick Cannon
Learn more about A Poem for Peter by Andrea Davis Pinkney
See more data around the importance of reading aloud

Special Thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
Produced by Emily Morrow

Survey Says: Kids Like Reading for Fun Feb 06, 2017

Show notes

In the sixth edition of our Kids & Family Reading Report, we asked U.S. parents and children about their attitudes and behaviors around reading books for fun, and now the results are in! Key findings reveal what kids and parents look for in children's books, the increase in reading aloud to children from an early age, the inequities around access to books in the home, and more.
View all our findings and learn more about the methodology behind the survey at scholastic.com/readingreport.

Be sure to keep an eye out for forthcoming episodes diving more deeply into the topics of reading aloud and summer reading!

Guests:

Kristen Harmeling is a senior vice president at YouGov, a third-party, international market research firm, and the manager of the Kids & Family Reading Report national project.
Donalyn Miller has taught 4th, 5th, and 6th grade language arts and social studies in the Fort Worth, TX, area and was a finalist for 2010 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year. She is a reading advocate, the author of two professional books, The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild, and a reading ambassador for Scholastic Book Fairs.
Deimosa Webber-Bey is the Library Manager at Scholastic and responsible for the corporate archive, readers advisory, cataloging, and the employee book club. She also taught for several years in public schools in Queens, Brooklyn, Albuquerque, and the Pueblo of Jemez.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan
Produced by Emily Morrow

Best of Scholastic Reads: A Year in Review Jan 19, 2017

Show notes

Scholastic Reads recently celebrated its first anniversary, and we wanted to mark the occasion by sharing some of our favorite moments from the last year! In this short episode, we'll hear clips from Lauren Tarshis (I Survived series), Sonia Manzano (Becoming Maria), Edwidge Danticat (Untwine), Dav Pilkey (Captain Underpants series), Ann M. Martin (The Baby-sitters Club series), Arthur A. Levine (publisher and editor), David Levithan (author and editor), Cheryl Klein (editor), and Pam Muñoz Ryan (Esperanza Rising). Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes or visit scholasticreads.com to listen to all of our episodes! Links to the full episodes for each clip are below.

Lauren Tarshis: Episode #19, "Stories of Survival with Lauren Tarshis"
Sonia Manzano: Episode #8, "Sonia Manzano: Shaping a Life Story"
Edwidge Danticat: Episode #18, "Edwidge Danticat: Beating the Darkness"
Dav Pilkey: Episode #29, "Dav Pilkey: Using Humor to Get Kids Reading"
Ann M. Martin: Episode #20, "The Baby-sitters Club Turns 30"
Arthur A. Levine: Episode #16, "We Have Diverse Books"
David Levithan: Episode #17, "Drag Teen with Jeffery Self"
Cheryl Klein: Episode #1, "The Magic of Harry Potter"
Pam Muñoz Ryan: Episode #27, "Pam Muñoz Ryan: Getting Readers to Turn the Page"

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
Produced by Emily Morrow

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