Scholastic Reads

Latest Episodes:

Scholastic Employees Share Their Holiday Traditions Dec 23, 2019

Show notes

Happy holidays from all of us in the Scholastic Family! On this episode, we asked our employees to share their fondest holiday memories. You'll hear about Christmas read-alouds, a Chanukah grab bag, and even a fashion show on Eid al-Fitr.

Guests:

Kevin Kirschner: Nephew of host Suzanne McCabe
Mark Seidenfeld: Vice President and Deputy General Counsel
Talia Seidenfeld: Assistant Editor
Patti Vaughan: Convention Manager, Corporate Conventions
Raisa Masood: Internal Communications Coordinator
Amanda Erbe: Scholastic Kid Reporter

Special thanks:

Hosted by Suzanne McCabe
Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Produced and edited by Bridget Benjamin
Associate produced by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan

Expanding an Existing World Dec 12, 2019

Show notes

Acclaimed author Maggie Stiefvater describes Call Down the Hawk, the first book in a brand-new trilogy, as a “big, strange, weird novel” full of all of the things she likes in both novels and life. This includes art, magic, music, and mythology.

Call Down the Hawk follows Ronan Lynch, a character who can take things out of his dreams and bring them into real life, and Jordan Hennessy, an artist, a thief, and maybe something else.

If you’re a fan of young-adult literature, you’re probably familiar with Maggie’s work. She is the New York Times best-selling author of The Raven Cycle, The Shiver Trilogy, and The Scorpio Races.

On this episode, we'll talk with her and award-winning author Scott Westerfeld about what it’s like to expand a fictional universe for eager fans. Scott is the author of The Uglies Series, The Leviathan Trilogy, and Impostors, among many other titles.

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

Alyssa Milano on Hope and Middle School Dec 03, 2019

Show notes

You may remember Alyssa from her hilarious role on Who’s the Boss? In addition to being an actress, Alyssa is also an activist, and now a children’s book author. She recently wrote Hope: Project Middle School. On this episode, she joins us to discuss her new novel and the power of hope. We’re also joined by Scholastic Kid Reporter Alula Alderson who recently interviewed Alyssa on her book tour in Los Angeles. Alula talks about what Hope: Project Middle School means to her as a middle-school student.

Guests:

Alyssa Milano:

Actress and activist Alyssa Milano has spent almost her entire life in the public eye. A famous child actor, she has continued to work throughout her adulthood in both television and film, most notably starring in Charmed, the wildly popular television series.

Alyssa is also a lifelong activist and passionate about fighting for human rights around the world. In 2003, UNICEF invited Alyssa to become a National Ambassador in recognition of her charitable work on behalf of children. Ever since then, Alyssa has been a champion of children’s rights, working closely with UNICEF to raise money and awareness and provide aid to the children who need it most all over the world. Alyssa also speaks to kids in schools around the country about the importance of voting and shows them how to fill out a ballot because she believes it’s never too early to be civic-minded. Most recently, Alyssa helped popularize the #MeToo hashtag on Twitter, sparking the groundbreaking viral movement. She was named one of the 2017 Persons of the Year in Time magazine, along with other prominent activists. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.

Alula Alderson:

A Kid Reporter for Scholastic Kids Press since 2017, Alula has written about a variety of topics, including entertainment, culture and the environment.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Hope: Project Middle School by Alyssa Milano and Debbie Rigaud, illustrated by Eric S. Keyes here.

Learn more about Scholastic Kids Press here.

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

*Host Suzanne McCabe is the Editor of Scholastic Kids Press.

Classroom Libraries: Finding a Book for Every Student Nov 22, 2019

Show notes

Access to books, whether in or outside of the home, is not a reality for many children.

According to the latest Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™, classroom libraries are only available for 43 percent of school-age children. And only one-third of kids say that they have access to a classroom library with enough of the types of books they’d like to read.

On this episode, we’re talking with two educators who are working to bridge this gap.

Guests:

David C. Banks:

David is the president and CEO of the Eagle Academy Foundation. He and Scholastic have joined forces to curate collections of culturally relevant fiction, nonfiction, and biographies for perhaps the most under-represented group in literature: boys of color. This new classroom library, “Rising Voices,” celebrates the stories of Black and Latino boys.

Ilyssa Thomas:

A kindergarten teacher at Empowerment Academy Charter School in Jersey City, New Jersey who is a Patterson Pledge grant winner.

Additional Resources:

Rising Voices

Patterson Pledge

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Produced and edited by Bridget Benjamin
Produced and edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan

Spooky stories for Halloween Oct 24, 2019

Show notes

What’s that creaking sound down the hall? Did you feel a sudden chill in the air? And where is that haunting piano music coming from?

It’s Halloween-time! And we’re sure you’re getting into the spirit—scary noises and all.

To celebrate this spooky season, we’re talking with four authors who specialize in writing scary stories for kids!

On this episode, you’ll hear from Victoria Schwab, Max Brallier, India Hill Brown, and R. L. Stine. We asked them what it is about spine-chilling books that’s so compelling for young readers. Each author also shares a spooky read-aloud from their latest book!

Additional Resources

Guests:

Victoria Schwab: Victoria is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen novels for readers of all ages, including City of Ghosts, the Shades of Magic series (which has been translated into over 15 languages), This Savage Song, and Our Dark Duet. Victoria can often be found haunting Paris streets and trudging up Scottish hillsides. Usually, she's tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up stories. Visit her online at veschwab.com.
Max Brallier: Max Brallier is the author of more than 20 books for children, including the Galactic Hot Dogs and The Last Kids on Earth middle-grade series. Under the pen name Jack Chabert, he is the creator and author of the Eerie Elementary series with Scholastic Branches. Max lives in New York City with his wife and daughter.
India Hill Brown: India Hill Brown is a southern belle who recently moved back down south to North Carolina after living in NYC and working at HBO. Her day job is in social media, and her passion is writing. Her freelance work has been published in Teen Vogue, Essence, Sesi Mag, and The Everygirl. Visit her at booksandbighair.com or on Twitter at @booksandbighair.
R.L. Stine: R.L. Stine's books have sold more than 300 million copies, making him one of the most popular children's authors in history. Besides Goosebumps, R.L. Stine has written series including: Fear Street, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room, and Dangerous Girls. R.L. Stine lives in New York with his wife, Jane, and his King Charles spaniel, Minnie. www.RLStine.com.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
Produced and edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula

In Their Own Words: Sharon Robinson and Da Chen Oct 11, 2019

Show notes

This week, we’re talking about the power of telling your own story. You’ll hear from two incredible authors. First is Sharon Robinson, the daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson. Sharon is the author of several works of fiction and nonfiction, including many widely praised nonfiction books about her father’s life. This year, she’s telling her OWN story in Child of the Dream — a memoir about one of the most important years in the Civil Rights Movement, 1963, when Sharon was just 13.

Later, we talk with Da Chen. Da is a New York TImes bestselling author who joins us to talk about his memoir for young readers, Girl Under a Red Moon. The deeply moving story focuses on Da’s older sister Sisi and their childhood growing up together during the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

Additional Resources

Guests:

Sharon Robinson, daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, is the author of several works of fiction and nonfiction. She has also written several widely praised nonfiction books about her father.
Da Chen’s life is a true immigrant success story. A native of China, Chen grew up in a tiny village without electricity or running water. He was a victim of communist political persecution during the Chinese Cultural Revolution but then went on to study at the Beijing Languages and Culture University. Da arrived in America at the age of twenty-three with only $30 and a bamboo flute, and attended the Columbia University School of Law on a full scholarship. He lives in Southern California, with his family.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
Produced by Emily Morrow

It Takes Guts: Raina Telgemeier and Eli Lebowitz Sep 23, 2019

Show notes

It takes guts to face your fears. Bestselling creator Raina Telgemeier is encouraging young readers to do just that with her latest graphic novel memoir, Guts, which shares the stories of Raina's own experiences with anxiety as a child.

This week, Raina joins us in the studio to talk about Guts. We also talk with Dr. Eli Lebowitz, who studies and treats childhood and adolescent anxiety and is Director of the Program for Anxiety Disorders at the Yale Child Study Center.

Additional resources:

Learn more about Guts by Raina Telgemeier
Follow Raina Telgemeier on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
Learn more about the Yale Child Study Center–Scholastic Collaborative for Child & Family Resilience
See more data from the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report

Guests:

Raina Telgemeier is the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning creator of Smile and Sisters, which are both graphic memoirs based on her childhood. She is also the creator of Drama and Ghosts, and is the adapter and illustrator of four Baby-sitters Club graphic novels. Raina lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. To learn more, visit her online at goRaina.com.
Eli Lebowitz studies and treats childhood and adolescent anxiety and is Director of the Program for Anxiety Disorders at the Yale Child Study Center. His research focuses on the development, neurobiology, and treatment of anxiety and related disorders, with special emphasis on cross-generational and familial influences in these disorders. Dr. Lebowitz is the lead investigator on multiple funded research projects, and is the author of numerous research papers and of books and chapters on childhood and adolescent anxiety. He is also the father of three great boys.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
Produced by Emily Morrow

Dav Pilkey talks Dog Man and "Do Good" Aug 26, 2019

Show notes

This week, we're talking with Dav Pilkey, creator of the worldwide bestselling Dog Man series! Dav discusses his latest book, Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls, and his Dog Man "Do Good" tour that's taking him around the world this fall. Dav shares stories from his own childhood growing up with ADHD and dyslexia and talks about the importance of creativity, why reading is a superpower, and the importance of not just being good, but doing good.

Plus, you'll also hear from young readers themselves who sent us messages describing why they love Dog Man!

Additional resources:

Guests:

When Dav Pilkey was a kid, he suffered from ADHD, dyslexia, and behavioral problems. Dav was so disruptive in class that his teachers made him sit out in the hall every day. Luckily, Dav loved to draw and make up stories. He spent his time in the hallway creating his own original comic books. In the second grade, Dav Pilkey created a comic book about a superhero named Captain Underpants. His teacher ripped it up and told him he couldn't spend the rest of his life making silly books. Fortunately, Dav was not a very good listener.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
Produced by Emily Morrow

The Scholastic Summer Read-a-Palooza Aug 01, 2019

Show notes

Summer reading this year is all about kids' empowerment with the Scholastic Summer Read-a-Palooza, our nationwide movement to unite kids, parents, educators, public librarians, community partners, and booksellers in efforts to get books into the hands of more kids during the summer and keep every child reading.

This week, you'll hear from some kids first-hand about what they love about summer reading. We also talk about how Scholastic is getting 200,000 books into the hands of kids who need them through a national collaboration with United Way. And we talk with two booksellers who have been working to engage their communities in summer reading through book drives and Summer Reading Celebration events!

Additional resources:

Guests:

Stephanie Smirnov is the executive vice president of global communications at Scholastic.
Ayeola Fortune is the senior director of impact and global results at United Way Worldwide.
Jody Everett is the owner of Beanbag Books in Delaware, OH.
Sarah Galvin is the owner of The Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid, NY.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and recording by Daniel Jordan
Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
Produced by Emily Morrow

Growing Readers with Branches and Acorn Jul 18, 2019

Show notes

Before executive editor Katie Carella came to Scholastic, she taught first, second, and third grades, and she noticed a hole in her classroom library: There weren't enough books for the readers who were ready to move beyond leveled readers, but who weren't quite ready for chapter books.

And so, she created Branches — and now Acorn — highly illustrated, easy-to-read books with engaging storylines and characters that will help kids fall in love with reading.

In this episode, you'll hear more from Katie about the Branches and Acorn books and the needs they fill. We also talk with three authors — Troy Cummings (The Notebook of Doom), Rebecca Elliott (Owl Diaries), and Jonathan Fenske (Crabby) — about exactly what goes into making these delightful, compelling books for kids.

Additional resources:

Guests:

Katie Carella is an executive editor at Scholastic.
Troy Cummings is the author of The Notebook of Doom and The Binder of Doom series.
Rebecca Elliott is the author of the Owl Diaries series.
Jonathan Fenske is the author of the Crabby series.

Special thanks: