Scholastic Reads

Latest Episodes:

Stories of Survival With Lauren Tarshis Aug 03, 2016

Show notes

Lauren Tarshis, author of the bestselling I Survived series, explains why her stories of survival resonate so deeply with young readers. Her thrilling tales about such momentous events as the sinking of the Titanic and the bombing of Pearl Harbor allow her fictionalized characters to confront life-or-death challenges. Lauren also dons her editor’s hat to talk about Storyworks Jr., Scholastic's new English Language Arts magazine for third graders.

Guest:

Lauren Tarshis’s I Survived series has sold more than 21 million copies. The fictionalized tales take characters on harrowing journeys, where they must draw on their smarts and resilience. In her work, Lauren has brought to life such events as the Joplin tornado, the destruction of Pompeii, Hurricane Katrina, and, most recently, one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions in U.S. history—I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980. Lauren is also the editor of Scholastic Storyworks and Storyworks Jr. magazines and the author of Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree and Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love. She can be found online at laurentarshis.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurenTarshis.

Additional resources:

Browse the I Survived Series and read excerpts from each book here.
Learn more about Storyworks Jr., Scholastic’s new magazine for third graders, here.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
Produced by Megan Kaesshaefer

Photo credit: David Dreyfuss

Edwidge Danticat: Beating the Darkness Jul 12, 2016

Show notes

In this episode, we’re joined by Edwidge Danticat, whose work recounts the stories of Haitians and Haitian-Americans. Her haunting YA novel, Untwine, tells the story of an unbreakable bond between twin sisters of Haitian descent.

Guest:

Edwidge Danticat is the author of several award-winning works, including Breath, Eyes, Memory, an Oprah’s Book Club pick; Krik? Krak!, a National Book Award nominee; The Farming of Bones, an American Book Award Winner, and Untwine (Scholastic, 2015). Edwidge, who was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2009, lives in Miami, Florida, with her family. You can learn more about her work at www.EdwidgeDanticat.com.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Untwine and read an excerpt here.
Read about Edwidge's story of Haiti's heroic queen Anacaona here.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan
Produced by Megan Kaesshaefer

Photo credit: Mark Dellas, 2015

Drag Teen with Jeffery Self Jun 24, 2016

Show notes

June is Pride Month, so we’re dragging it up with Jeffery Self! Jeffery is the author of Drag Teen, his debut YA novel. The book follows a high school senior (and aspiring drag queen) on a quest to go to college. Jeffery is joined by his editor, acclaimed YA novelist David Levithan.

Note: This episode was recorded before the tragic shootings in Orlando. Our hearts are with the victims, families, and friends of this devastating event.

Guests:

Jeffery Self is a writer and an actor who has appeared in Desperate Housewives, 90210, and 30 Rock. He has also starred in his own show, Jeffery & Cole Casserole. Jeffery currently appears as the host of the MTV talk show, Scream After Dark. The author of two books for adults, he hosts a weekly podcast called This Is Really Important on iTunes. In a starred review, Booklist praised Drag Teen, Jeffery’s first novel for young adults, saying, “Drag queens are virtually nonexistent in YA fiction, and Self does an excellent job introducing that world, as well as conveying the happiness that performing brings JT…. In the end, it may not be Prince Charming who is JT’s prize, but rather the discovery of his true self.” Follow Jeffery on Twitter at @JefferySelf.
David Levithan is an editorial director and publisher at Scholastic, as well as the author of several YA novels, including Boy Meets Boy, Every Day, and (with Nina LaCour) You Know Me Well. Follow David on Twitter at @loversdiction.

Additional resources:

Learn more about Drag Teen here, and read an excerpt of Drag Teen here!
Celebrate LGBT culture with our round-up of books featuring lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender characters.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan
Produced by Megan Kaesshaefer

We Have Diverse Books Jun 14, 2016

Show notes

In this episode, Arthur A. Levine, Vice President and Publisher of Arthur A. Levine Books, joins us to talk about the authors, topics, and books that he has championed throughout his career. Authors Francisco Stork (Marcelo in the Real World, The Memory of Light) and Mike Jung (Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities, Unidentified Suburban Object) will also join us to talk about their new work.

Guests:

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. The imprint publishes Varian Johnson, Francisco Stork, Eric Gansworth, Sarwat Chadda, and many others. Arthur is also a leading publisher of books-in-translation, introducing American children to such writers as Daniella Carmi (Israel), Josef Holub and Wolfgang Herrndorf (Germany), Luis Sepulveda (Chile), Laura Gallego Garcia (Spain), Silvana Gandolfi (Italy), Nahoko Uehashi and Komako Sakai (Japan), Sylvie Weil (France), Guus Kuijer, Karlijn Stoffels, and Marcel Prins (The Netherlands), and Anne Provoost (Belgium). Arthur A. Levine Books is also recognized for having brought out the first contemporary YA novel translated from the Russian, Playing a Part, an LGBT coming-of age-story by Daria Wilke. Follow @AALBooks on Twitter.
Francisco X. Stork is the author of the acclaimed Marcelo in the Real World which received five starred reviews and won the Schneider Family Book Award for Teens; The Last Summer of the Death Warriors, which was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice selection; and Irises. His most recent young adult novel, The Memory of Light, was recently published and has already received four starred reviews. Francisco was born in Monterrey, Mexico, spent his teenage years in El Paso, Texas, and now lives outside Boston, Massachusetts, with his family.
Mike Jung is the author of Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities and Unidentified Suburban Object. He has contributed to the anthologies Dear Teen Me, Break These Rules, and 59 Reasons to Write. Mike is a library professional by day, a writer by night, and a semi-competent ukulele player during all the times in between. He is proud to be a founding member of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks team. Mike lives in Oakland, California, with his wife and two young children. Find Mike at www.mikejung.com.

Additional resources:

Learn more about Arthur A. Levine Books here.
Learn more about We Need Diverse Books here.
Read an excerpt of The Memory of Light.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan
Produced by Megan Kaesshaefer

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Jun 02, 2016

Show notes

In this episode, we're talking about the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7–12. Created in 1923 by Scholastic founder Maurice R. "Robbie" Robinson, the program has a noteworthy roster of past winners, including Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, and Joyce Carol Oates, among many others. We sat down with the Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, Virginia McEnerney, Scholastic CEO Dick Robinson, and two 2016 Gold Medal Portfolio Recipients, Razan Elbaba and Alex Zhang.

Guests:

Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, Virginia McEnerney
Scholastic CEO Dick Robinson
Razan Elbaba, 2016 Gold Medal Portfolio Recipient, Photography
Alex Zhang, 2016 Gold Medal Portfolio Recipient, Poetry

Additional Resources:

Learn more about the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, and follow them on Twitter at @artandwriting.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan
Produced by Megan Kaesshaefer

Making the Summer Leap May 16, 2016

Show notes

In this episode, literacy expert Pam Allyn joins us to talk about summer learning and how we can turn the dreaded “summer slide”—the learning loss children experience when they’re out of school—into the “summer leap,” a time filled with opportunity and joy around reading. Kelli Cedo, Principal of Forrest Elementary in Virginia, and Bruce Butler, Principal of Marieville Elementary School in Rhode Island, also join us to talk about how their schools embrace year-round learning.

Guests:

Literacy expert Pam Allyn is the Founding Director of LitWorld and the co-author of Every Child a Super Reader: 7 Strengths to Open a World of Possible (Scholastic, 2015). Follow her on Twitter at @pamallyn and @litworldsays.
Dr. Kelli Cedo is the principal of Forrest Elementary School in Hampton, Virginia. She has served as Title I Coordinator, Division Contact for School Improvement, Literacy Coach, Academic Coordinator, and Family Engagement Liaison in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Kelli is the co-creator of the Virginia PLC Consortium around Professional Learning.
Bruce Butler is the principal of Marieville Elementary School in Marieville, Rhode Island. Marieville Elementary won a “best in state” award in the 2015 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge.

Additional resources:

Learn more about the Summer Reading Challenge, our free online reading program for kids.
Learn more about LitCamp, a 4- to 8-week program developed by Pam Allyn. The program combines research-based curricula with an interactive summer camp structure.
Learn more about Scholastic Summer Book Packs.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan
Produced by Megan Kaesshaefer

Librarians: Making Hearts Large Through Story Apr 29, 2016

Show notes

We’re celebrating School Library Month with three of the most dedicated librarians we know. John Schumacher (the famous “Mr. Schu”) and Scholastic librarian Deimosa Webber-Bey talk with us about why they became librarians, the crucial task of finding the right book for a child, and why—as John describes it—the library is “the heart and soul of a school." Kristina Holzweiss, the 2015 School Library Journal School Librarian of the Year, also joins us to share her thoughts on why libraries matter.

Guests:

John Schumacher (aka Mr. Schu) is a blogger, a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University, and the Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic Book Fairs. Before joining Scholastic, he was a teacher-librarian at Brook Forest Elementary School in Oak Brook, Illinois. In 2011, Library Journal named John "The Xtreme Librarian” for the "gears and stunts" he uses to get kids reading. Teacher Magazine named him a “Cool Teacher” in 2014 for redefining what it means to be a teacher-librarian. John served on the 2014 Newbery Committee. You can find him blogging at www.MrSchuReads.com or tweeting @MrSchuReads.

Deimosa Webber-Bey is the Library Manager at Scholastic and responsible for the corporate archive, readers advisory, cataloging, and the employee book club. A Dartmouth alum and native of New York City, she was in Cohort 5 of the NYC Teaching Fellows, and taught for several years in public schools in Queens, Brooklyn, Albuquerque, and the Pueblo of Jemez. Deimosa also worked as the Teen Librarian at the Rio Rancho Public Library. She has published in YALS ("Noise @ Your Library", 2008) and The Journal of Interactive Technology and Pedagogy ("Runaway Quilt Project", 2014). The oldest of six children and a life-long vegetarian, she enjoys reading, writing, hip hop, comics, and quilting. Follow Deimosa on the Scholastic On Our Minds blog and on Twitter (@dataquilter).

Kristina Holzweiss is a librarian at Bay Shore Middle School (BSMS) in Long Island, New York. She was named School Library Journal’s 2015 School Librarian of the Year. The award “honors a K–12 library professional for outstanding achievement and the exemplary use of 21st-century tools and services to engage children and teens toward fostering multiple literacies.” While she did not particularly enjoy attending middle school, Kristina loves being a middle school librarian. Follow her on Twitter @lieberrian.

Additional resources:

Download the 2016 School Libraries Work! Report, a body of research that supports the effectiveness of school libraries.
Learn more about the School Library Journal School Librarian of the Year Award.

Cecil’s Pride: The Life of a Lion King Apr 22, 2016

Show notes

Craig Hatkoff and his daughter Isabella join us to talk about Cecil’s Pride: The True Story of a Lion King, their stunning new picture book. Craig and Isabella give us a behind-the-scenes look at the famed lion’s life and death, and explain how their family’s passion for animals has resulted in a series of children’s books about resilience and survival.

Guests:

Craig Hatkoff. A prolific children’s book author, Craig is a cofounder of the Tribeca Film Festival and founder and Chairman of Turtle Pond Publications, a private entertainment and media company in New York City. He is also on the Board of Directors of WildlifeDirect, New York University’s Child Study Center, the Sesame Workshop, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Borough of Manhattan Community College Foundation. Craig Hatkoff, Juliana Hatkoff, and Isabella Hatkoff have authored Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship, Looking for Miza and Winter’s Tail, among many other titles.
Isabella Hatkoff. An animal lover and a volunteer for several animal welfare organizations, Isabella is a high school student in New York City. She has contributed illustrations to Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship and Cecil’s Pride: The True Story of a Lion King, among other titles.

Additional resources:

Learn more about Cecil’s Pride: The True Story of a Lion King.
Read about the work of Brent Stapelkamp, wildlife photographer and lion researcher for the Oxford University Wildlife Conservation Research Unit.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan
Produced by Megan Kaesshaefer

Same But Different: Holly Robinson Peete Apr 12, 2016

Show notes

Actor, author, philanthropist, and rockstar mom Holly Robinson Peete joins us to talk about her new book, Same But Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express, which she co-wrote with her twins, RJ and Ryan Elizabeth. The book explores the funny, painful, and unexpected sides of teen autism.

Guest:

Holly Robinson Peete (@hollyrpeete) has devoted her life and career to autism awareness. Since 2000, when Holly’s son RJ was diagnosed with autism, she has worked tirelessly to help families everywhere who are raising children with autism. Peete is the wife of former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete and the working mother of four children. She and her husband co-founded the HollyRod Foundation, which provides support and resources for families living with autism and Parkinson’s disease. Her picture book, My Brother Charlie, co-written with her daughter, Ryan Elizabeth, and illustrated by Shane Evans, received an NAACP Image Award.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Same But Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express
Watch For Peete’s Sake, which airs on Saturdays (9/8 central) on OWN.
Browse resources and books about autism from Scholastic.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan
Produced by Megan Kaesshaefer

Photo credit: Stephanie Willis

Phyllis Hunter: Reading Is a Civil Right Apr 01, 2016

Show notes

Literacy expert Phyllis C. Hunter joins us to talk about what inspires her (Jennifer Hudson, passionate teachers, and the musical Hamilton), and to share advice on how to help children become avid readers.

Guests:

Phyllis C. Hunter is an internationally renowned and beloved literacy expert who has served as an adviser to both the President of the United States and the Secretary of Education. She has worked as a district reading manager, principal, and speech and language therapist. In 2009, Hunter was named the Marcus Garvey Educator of the Year by the National Alliance of Black Educators and received the Scholastic Education Heroes Award for her contributions to the field of children’s literacy. In addition to having created the Phyllis C. Hunter Classroom Libraries, Hunter is the author of It’s Not Complicated! What I Know For Sure About Helping Our Students of Color Become Successful Readers.

Additional Resources:

Do you have questions on how to reach disengaged students? Or, how to face the challenges of the achievement gap? Ask Phyllis anything!
Learn more about the Phyllis C. Hunter Classroom Libraries here.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan
Produced by Megan Kaesshaefer

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