Scholastic Reads

Latest Episodes:

Immigrant Stories: A Conversation With Latinx Authors Aida Salazar and Francisco X. Stork Oct 02, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, we’re celebrating Hispanic Heritage with two of our favorite Latinx authors. First, host Suzanne McCabe talks with Aida Salazar about how one word, “deportation,” led to her heart-wrenching new novel, Land of the Cranes. Aida is also the author of The Moon Within, which won an International Latino Book Award for middle-grade fiction in 2019.

Then Francisco X. Stork, the author of such acclaimed YA titles as The Memory of Light and Marcelo in the Real World, talks about his latest novel, Illegal. This page-turning thriller follows Sara Zapata and her brother, Emiliano, and their desperate escape from Mexico to the U.S. Illegal is a sequel to Francisco’s earlier novel, Disappeared.

You can learn more about Land of the Cranes, Illegal, and all of our latest fiction and nonfiction at scholastic.com/kids. For a catalog of diverse books for readers of all ages, click here.

To check out the Scholastic Student Vote, a virtual mock-election that has been running since 1940, visit scholastic.com/election.

Special thanks:

Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl
Producer: Bridget Benjamin
Associate producer: Mackenzie Cutruzzula
Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan

Coming Soon:

Marley Dias on Teen Activism and the Power of Reading

Reading Aloud With Scholastic Authors: A Fall Preview Sep 09, 2020

Show notes

When you hold a new book in your hands, the rest of the world seems to fade away. Lots of great titles from Scholastic are hitting the shelves this fall, bringing the promise of adventure to our young readers.

We wanted to give you a preview of the books you can look forward to, so we invited some of our authors to read aloud. First, Tami Charles reads All Because You Matter, her love letter to Black and brown children. (2:31)

Next, Christina Soontornvat takes us inside the pages of Icing on the Snowflake, the latest title in her popular chapter book series, Diary of an Ice Princess. Christina’s adventures for elementary school readers start with a simple premise: What if Frozen’s Elsa went to regular school? If you have any Elsa fans in your house, this is the series for them! (6:41)

We also hear from Brazilian author Vitor Martins. He shares an excerpt from his new queer romance, Here the Whole Time. This story about the magic of first love explores the insecurities that many teens feel around body image. (11:12)

Then, Kara McDowell reads from her new novel for young adults, One Way or Another. It’s a poignant story about a girl who learns to face her debilitating anxieties as she navigates a relationship with her best friend and longtime crush. (17:55)

For 8- to 12-year-olds who enjoy horror and spooky mysteries, Daka Hermon reads from her suspense-filled debut, Hide and Seeker. (25:39)

Last but not least, middle-grade favorite Kelly Yang reads the opening pages of Three Keys, the highly-anticipated sequel to her debut best-seller, Front Desk. (31:52)

You can learn more about these titles and all of our latest fiction and nonfiction at scholastic.com/kids.

To check out the Scholastic Student Vote, a virtual mock-election that has been running since 1940, visit scholastic.com/election.

Special thanks:

Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl

Producer: Bridget Benjamin

Associate producer: Mackenzie Cutruzzula

Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan

The Baby-Sitters Club Debuts on Netflix Jul 13, 2020

Show notes

“It all started at the very beginning of seventh grade.” Sound familiar? To millions of Baby-Sitters Club fans, Kristy Thomas, Claudia Kishi, Mary Anne Spier, Stacey McGill, and Dawn Schafer are favorite childhood friends.

In this episode, the breakout stars of the new Netflix TV show—Sophie Grace (Kristy), Momona Tamada (Claudia), Malia Baker (Mary Anne), Shay Rudolph (Stacey), and Xochitl Gomez (Dawn)—answer questions from our Scholastic Kid Reporters.

We also spotlight author Ann M. Martin, who created the beloved book series. Host Suzanne McCabe spoke with Ann in 2016, amid celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the best-selling series, which began in 1986 with the publication of Kristy’s Great Idea.

You can learn more about The Baby-Sitters Club book series, including the graphic novels, here and the Netflix TV show here.

Special thanks:

Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl
Producer: Bridget Benjamin
Associate producer: Mackenzie Cutruzzula
Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan

Through My Eyes: Ruby Bridges on the Struggle for Racial Justice Jun 24, 2020

Show notes

On November 14, 1960, Ruby Bridges integrated the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in her New Orleans neighborhood. She was six years old.

Ruby’s courageous journey helped pave the way for Black and brown students across the United States to gain access to educational opportunities that had long been denied to them.

Sixty years later, “Black Lives Matter” has become a rallying cry for an end to the systemic racism that continues to harm African Americans nationwide. Ruby is still speaking out and still speaking up. In 1995, she created the Ruby Bridges Foundation, which is dedicated to fostering respect and equality for people of all races and backgrounds. She talks with children everywhere about the disease of racism, which she calls “a disease of the heart.”

In this episode, Ruby talks with host Suzanne McCabe about the events that led her parents to risk the hostility of segregationists for a better life and how her story can help today’s young people bring about lasting change and equality.

To learn more about the Ruby Bridges Foundation, go to rubybridges.com, and follow Ruby on Instagram at @RubyBridgesOfficial.

If you’d like to share Ruby’s story with your students, you can order her 1999 memoir, Through My Eyes, here. Click here to access The Power of Story, a catalog of diverse books for readers of all ages.

Special thanks:

Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl

Producer: Bridget Benjamin

Associate producer: Mackenzie Cutruzzula

Sound engineer: Colin Poellot

Celebrating Pride Month With Debut Novelist Leah Johnson Jun 18, 2020

Show notes

Change is in the air, and we're delighted to bring a fresh new voice to the podcast. Debut author Leah Johnson is here to talk about You Should See Me in a Crown, her joyful, hilarious young adult novel about the irrepressible Liz Lighty.

As a queer, Black teen in a prom-obsessed Midwestern town, Liz thinks that it’s impossible to fit in. But when she meets the new girl at school—who also is her competition for prom queen—everything changes.

In this episode, Leah talks with host Suzanne McCabe about growing up in Indiana, becoming a fiction writer, and “giving queer folks the happy ending they deserve.”

Learn more about Leah and You Should See Me in a Crown.

Special thanks:

Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl
Producer: Bridget Benjamin
Associate producer: Mackenzie Cutruzzula
Sound engineer: Daniel Jordan

Helping Kids and Parents Cope With Covid-19 Anxiety May 06, 2020

Show notes

During the pandemic, many of us have experienced feelings of fear, anxiety, and loss. These feelings extend to children, too, who are learning new lessons at home and wondering what the future holds. They may be worried about family members and their own safety while trying to keep up with schoolwork, which is looking very different these days.

What can parents and educators do to help kids cope with uncertainty and continue to learn and thrive? In this episode, host Suzanne McCabe talks with Dr. Eli Lebowitz, an associate professor at the Yale Child Study Center and director of their Program for Anxiety Disorders.

In 2018, Scholastic and the Child Study Center formed a collaborative to explore how literacy can be used to foster resilience among children and families. You can find additional information about the collaborative and explore their coronavirus resources here.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl

Produced by Bridget Benjamin

Associate produced and edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula

Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan

Listening to Kid Reporters: Life During the Pandemic Apr 16, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, host Suzanne McCabe, who is the editor of Scholastic Kids Press, talks with five Kid Reporters about life during the coronavirus pandemic. She asks young journalists in Louisiana, New York, North Carolina, Texas, and the Philippines how they are coping with the global health crisis and what “the new normal” means to them. Scholastic Kids Press, which was founded in 2000, is an award-winning program of journalists between the ages of 10 and 14 who write "news for kids, by kids." The program is open to students around the world.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl

Produced by Bridget Benjamin

Associate produced and edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula

Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan

Furious Thing: YA Author Jenny Downham on the Power of Gaslighting Mar 05, 2020

Show notes

In her latest novel, Furious Thing, Jenny Downham discusses the insidious nature of gaslighting, the power of one 15-year-old girl’s anger, and the risk of speaking up about those feelings. Downham is also the author of Unbecoming, You Against Me, and Before I Die, which was made into a 2012 movie, Now Is Good, starring Dakota Fanning.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl

Produced and edited by Bridget Benjamin

Associate produced by Mackenzie Cutruzzula

Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan

The Librarian of Congress: Why Representation Matters Feb 12, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden talks with host Suzanne McCabe about the importance of representation for young readers. Dr. Hayden is the first woman and first African American to serve as head of the Library of Congress, the world’s largest library. She also discusses the Library’s Rosa Parks exhibition, which sheds new light on the civil rights icon’s story and offers an intimate portrait rarely seen in history books.

Additional Resources:

Rosa Parks: In Her Own Words exhibit features rarely seen materials that offer an intimate view of iconic civil rights activist Rosa Parks.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl

Produced and edited by Bridget Benjamin

Associate produced by Mackenzie Cutruzzula

Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan

The Power of World Read Aloud Day Jan 23, 2020

Show notes

World Read Aloud Day is an annual celebration that encourages kids, parents, and educators everywhere to grab a book, find an audience, and read aloud. On today’s episode, we talk with two literacy specialists, Pam Allyn and Lester Laminack, about the many benefits of reading aloud.

Plus, you’ll hear great read-alouds from some of our favorite authors, including Dav Pilkey, Carmen Agra Deedy, and Peter Reynolds. Don’t forget to read aloud on February 5!

Learn more about World Read Aloud Day here.