Scholastic Reads

Latest Episodes:

Read with Pride Jun 21, 2019

Show notes

It's Pride Month! We love to celebrate our LGBTQIA authors all year long, but we wanted to take the opportunity now to shine a spotlight on what it means to create and share stories about those who are marginalized and underrepresented.

Today, you’ll hear from Mason Deaver, Kacen Callender, and Bill Konigsberg. Each will introduce their latest novels, talk about their creative process, and discuss what it means to write books that are giving some young readers the chance to see themselves truly represented in the pages of a book.

Additional Resources:

Guests:

Mason Deaver is a non-binary author and librarian from a small town in North Carolina where the word "y'all" is used in abundance. When they aren't writing or working, they're typically found in their kitchen baking something that's bad for them or out in their garden complaining about the toad that likes to dig holes around their hydrangeas. I Wish You All the Best is their debut novel. You can find them online at masondeaverwrites.com.
Kacen Callender was born and raised on St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands. They hold a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, where they studied fine arts, Japanese, and creative writing, as well as an MFA from The New School's Writing for Children program. Their debut novel Hurricane Child was a Stonewall Book Award winner, a Lambda Literary Award winner, and was named a Kirkus Best Book of 2018.
Bill Konigsberg is the author of six books for young adults, most recently The Music of What Happens. His books have won awards including the Stonewall Book Award, the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor, and the Lambda Literary Award. Bill lives in Chandler, Arizona, with his husband, Chuck, and their two Labradoodles, Mabel and Buford. Please visit him online at www.billkonigsberg.com and @billkonigsberg.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Edited by Mackenzie Cutruzzula
Sound mixed by Daniel Jordan
Produced by Emily Morrow

The Decline by Nine May 28, 2019

Show notes

In our biennial Kids & Family Reading Report, we came across some findings that were a bit, well, concerning: At nine years old — usually when a child is in third grade — kids across the board report a significantly reduced interest in reading.

Here are some of the stats:

57% of 8-year-olds said they read books for fun 5 to 7 days a week. But by age 9, that drops to a mere 35%.
40% of 8-year-olds say they love to read. By age 9, only 28% say that.

We find similar decreases in the numbers around access to books (more 6- to 8-year-olds have a classroom library than 9- to 11-year-olds) and the presence of reading role models (more 6- to 8-year-olds say they have people in their lives who enjoy reading than 9- to 11-year-olds). Additionally, nearly half of 9-year-olds say they have trouble finding books they like.

What's causing the "decline by nine"? And what can we do about it? We talked with education and reading experts to find out.

Additional resources:

Read more about the findings from our Kids & Family Reading Report (and listen to past episodes around the importance of the read aloud and what kids are looking for in the books they read)
Learn more about Scholastic Classroom Magazines
Learn more about the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis
Learn more about Scholastic Literacy

Guests:

Lauren Tarshis is the Senior Vice President and Editor-In-Chief/Publisher, Scholastic Classroom Magazines. She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling series I Survived.
Michael Haggen is the Chief Academic Officer, Scholastic Education.
Jaime Vandergrift is a third grade teacher at Sara Harp Minter Elementary.
Kristen Cruikshank is a third grade teacher at Lamar Consolidated ISD.
Dr. Donyall Dickey is an author and consultant for Scholastic Literacy.

Special thanks:

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

How to Share Your Story: Ally Carter and Raina Telgemeier May 02, 2019

Show notes

Aspiring writers and illustrators, this episode is for you! Maybe you keep a running list on your Notes app of book ideas, possible titles, and first lines. Maybe you have a sketchbook in the bottom of your drawer. But where do you go from there? Ally Carter and Raina Telgemeier are here with answers. They’ll talk about their new books, Dear Ally, How Do I Write A Book? and Share Your Smile, which aim to help creators transfer their ideas to the page.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Dear Ally, How Do I Write A Book?
Learn more about Share Your Smile
Follow Ally Carter on Twitter and Instagram
Follow Raina Telgemeier on Twitter and Instagram

Guests:

Ally Carter is the New York Times bestselling author of the Gallagher Girls, Heist Society, and Embassy Row series as well as the standalone novel Not If I Save You First. Her books have been published all over the world, in over 20 languages. You can visit her online at allycarter.com.
Raina Telgemeier is he #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.

Special thanks:

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

Finding Their Story Apr 17, 2019

Show notes

Scholastic surveys thousands of kids and their families across the U.S. biennially for our Kids & Family Reading Report, gaining special insight into the latest trends in children's reading habits. The second of three installments, Finding Their Story, focuses on what kids want in books and characters, the rising demand for diversity in children's books, and the importance of access to books.

This week, you'll hear from four of our in-house experts — as well as some kids themselves! — about what the data tells us that kids and their families are looking for in the books they read.

Additional resources:

Guests:

Lauren Tarshis is the Vice President and Editor-in-Chief/Publisher of Scholastic Classroom Magazines. She's also the author of the bestselling I Survived series.
Andrea Davis Pinkney is a Vice President, Executive Editor of Scholastic Trade books and an award-winning children's book author.
Michael Haggen is the Chief Academic Officer at Scholastic.
Lizette Serrano is the Executive Director of Educational Marketing and Event Strategy at Scholastic.

Special thanks:

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

Spreading Hope with Keith Calabrese Mar 21, 2019

Show notes

This week, we're talking with author Keith Calabrese about his middle grade debut. His new book, A Drop of Hope, is set in a small Midwestern town, where times are tough, jobs are scarce, and miracles are in short supply.

Keith joins us today to talk about his path to becoming an author and what he hopes his 8- to 12-year-old readers will take away from this heartwarming story about Ernest, Ryan, and Lizzie, and their efforts to help their divided town choose empathy and kindness over anger and fear.

Additional resources

Guests

Keith Calabrese is an author and screenwriter who holds a degree in creative writing from Northwestern University. A former script reader, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife, kids, and a dog who thinks he's a mountain goat.

Special thanks

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

Aida Salazar on Agency in Adolescence Mar 07, 2019

Show notes

We're kicking off Women's History Month with debut novelist Aida Salazar and her stunning book for 8- to 12-year-olds, The Moon Within.

The novel is a modern day Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret set in Oakland, California, and steeped in the culture and traditions of the Mexica, indigenous people of Mexico.

The story introduces us to Celi Rivera. Like every 11-year-old, she has questions. Questions about her changing body, her first crush, and her best friend’s exploration of gender fluidity. But most of all, she has questions about her mother’s insistence that she have a moon ceremony when her first period arrives — an ancestral Mexica ritual that Mima and their community have reclaimed and that Celi does not want to participate in.

Today, Aida and her editor, Nick Thomas, join us to discuss why this lyrical coming-of-age own-voices story is a must-read for everyone.

Additional resources

Guests

Aida Salazar is a writer, arts advocate, and homeschooling mother whose writings for adults and children explore issues of identity and social justice. In addition to her debut, The Moon Within, she is the author of the forthcoming books The Land of the Cranes and her debut picture book, Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Revolutionary Fighter, all published by Arthur A. Levine Books. Her story "By the Light of the Moon" was adapted into a ballet production by the Sonoma Conservatory of Dance and is the first Xicana-themed ballet in history. She lives with her family of artists in a teal house in Oakland, CA.
Nick Thomas is a senior editor with Arthur A. Levine Books.

Special thanks

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

Scholastic Focus: Change the Way You Read Your World Feb 21, 2019

Show notes

This week, we're discussing narrative nonfiction and its power to help turn young readers into critical thinkers and global citizens.

Last year, we launched the Scholastic Focus imprint, dedicated to presenting young readers with true and moving stories to help them better understand themselves and the world around them.

Today, we're talking with editorial director Lisa Sandell as well as four Scholastic Focus authors: Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Deborah Hopkinson, Robert Edsel, and Lawrence Goldstone. Listen as they tell us about their compelling new books and what they hope readers will take away.

Additional resources:

Guests:

Lisa Sandell is the editorial director of Scholastic Focus.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is one of the premier U.S. scholars of African-American literature and history. Gates is the head of Harvard’s African-American Studies department. He is an acclaimed author and critic who has unearthed an array of literary gems; he has also hosted PBS programs such as Africa’s Great Civilizations; Finding Your Roots; Black in Latin America; and the Emmy Award-winning series, The African-Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. Gates is the recipient of more than 50 honorary degrees and numerous prizes. He was one of the first recipients of the MacArthur genius grant in 1981. He was the first African-American scholar to be awarded the National Humanities Medal, was named to Time’s 25 Most Influential Americans list in 1997, selected for Ebony’s Power 150 list in 2009, and to Ebony’s Power 100 list in 2010 and 2012.
Deborah Hopkinson is an award-winning author of picture books, fiction, and nonfiction. Her nonfiction titles include Shutting out the Sky: Life in the Tenements of New York, 1880-1924, an NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book and Jane Addams Peace Award Honor Book; Titanic: Voices from the Disaster, a Sibert Medal Honor Book and YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction finalist; Courage & Defiance, Stories of Spies, Saboteurs and Survivors in World War II Denmark, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book, NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book, and a winner of the Oregon Book Award and Oregon Spirit Award; and Dive! World War II Stories of Sailors & Submarines in the Pacific, which was named an NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book and Oregon Spirit Award honor book. Deborah lives with her family near Portland, Oregon. Visit her online at deborahhopkinson.com, and follow her on Twitter at @Deborahopkinson.
Robert Edsel is the author of three books about the Monuments Men including the #1 New York Times bestseller The Monuments Men, which Academy Award winner George Clooney adapted into a feature film in 2014, and Saving Italy, also a New York Times bestseller. In 2007 he founded the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, which was a recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the United States’ highest honor for work in the humanities. He lives with his family in Dallas, Texas. Please visit him online at www.robertedsel.com and on Twitter at @RobertEdsel.
Lawrence Goldstone is the author of more than twenty books for adults, including three on Constitutional Law. His first book for young readers, Higher, Steeper, Faster—The Daredevils Who Conquered the Skies, received three starred reviews and was named one of Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2017. Goldstone’s writing has been featured in The Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal, among others. Visit his website at www.lawrencegoldstone.com.

Special thanks:

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

The Rise of Read-Aloud Feb 01, 2019

Show notes

Scholastic surveys thousands of kids and their families across the U.S. biennially for our Kids & Family Reading Report, gaining special insight into the latest trends in children’s reading habits. The first of three installments, The Rise of Read-Aloud, focuses exclusively on the practice of, you guessed it, reading aloud. We wanted to know: When do parents start reading aloud to their children? How often are they reading? What are they reading? And how do kids feel about it all?

This week, you'll hear from a literacy expert, an author, an editor, and several kids and families all about what makes the read-aloud so special, and why it's a crucial experience for kids of all ages.

Additional resources:

See all of our findings from our Kids & Family Reading Report: The Rise of Read-Aloud
Read more from Pam Allyn about the findings in our report
Learn more about Sandra Magsamen
Learn more about World Read Aloud Day from Scholastic and from LitWorld

Guests:

Pam Allyn is the Senior Vice President, Innovation & Development at Scholastic Education. She's also a leading literacy expert, author, and motivational speaker. In 2007, she founded LitWorld, a global literacy organization serving children across the United States and in more than 60 countries, pioneering initiatives including the summer reading program LitCamp and World Read Aloud Day.
Sandra Magsamen is the author and illustrator of many books for young children, including a number of bestselling novelty stories such as Baby Love, I Love You Little Pumpkin, and Peek-a-Boo I Love You. As an artist, an art therapist, and a mom, she uses her creativity to remind people to express themeselves and connect with others.
Liza Baker is the vice president associate publisher of Scholastic's Cartwheel Books and Orchard Press imprints.

Special thanks:

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

Aaron Blabey on Bad Guys and Good Friends Dec 21, 2018

Show notes

Bestselling author Aaron Blabey stopped by our New York offices earlier this year while on his book tour The Bad Guys: Mission to America, and we're so excited to share our conversation with you. Aaron talks about his latest Bad Guys book, The Bad Guys in Superbad, the Bad Guys movie that's currently in development with DreamWorks, and shares some insight into his creative process. He also treats us to not one, but two amazing read-alouds!

Additional resources:

Guests:

Aaron Blabey has written many well-loved, bestselling books for children. He has around five million books in print and is the creator of three hugely successful series for children — the New York Times bestselling The Bad Guys, Pig the Pug, and Thelma the Unicorn.
In 2018 it was announced that a movie adaptation of The Bad Guys is in development at DreamWorks Animation with Aaron serving as an Executive Producer on the project.
Aaron's books have won many awards including nine REAL Awards, an INDIE Book Award for Children's Book of the Year, a Children's Book Council of Australia — Book of the Year Award, a NSW Premiers Literary Award for Children's Literature, two Australian Book Design Awards, and a Children's Peace Literature Award.

Special thanks:

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

Chasing the High of a Scholastic Book Fair Dec 06, 2018

Show notes

"I've spent my whole adult life chasing the high of a Scholastic Book Fair." - @merman_melville

"U kno when u get a whiff of something and ur like ah yes this smells exactly like the scholastic book fair of 2008 in the afternoon on octob—" - @ilovedogs123

"[wedding]
'and now the groom will read his vows'
me: you make every day feel like a scholastic book fair" - @elleryonline

We've seen viral post after viral post about how much people love — and love reminiscing about — the Scholastic Book Fair. But what makes it so memorable?

This week, we set out to record some of the magic.

Additional resources:

Guests:

Brooke Huerter is a sophomore at Marquette University
Kwazi Henderson is a software engineer from Austin, Texas
Alan Boyko is the president of Scholastic Book Fairs
Kevin Stange is a truck driver for Scholastic Book Fairs
Theresa Thompson is a library media specialist at Eastside Elementary School in Rogers, AR
Nancy Holodak is the Head of the Lower School at Rumson Country Day School
Jayne Geiger is the Head of School at Rumson Country Day School