The Reading Culture

Latest Episodes:

Twilight Zone: Julie Murphy on Self-Doubt and Self-Love May 14, 2024

Show notes

"I've found that the books that have resonated with me the most are books where your body is incidental, but it's still something that you can never leave behind.” - Julie Murphy

Julie Murphy has an unexpected story, one that involves a winding road to her writing career. With equal parts quick wit and matter-of-factness, Julie shares that part of her confidence that she could dare to be a writer came after falling deep into the Twilight series. If Stephanie Meyer, an untrained author, could write an international bestseller about shiny vampires, why couldn’t she write a bestseller too? Okay, possibly not that easy, and of course Julie’s journey to self-assurance and self-love, both for her writing and herself, has been far from just getting caught up in Team Edward vs Team Jacob.

Navigating the tumult of unstable finances, queerness within Christian religious environments, and body image issues, Julie’s coming-of-age years were full of challenges. Yet, through writing, reading, and self-reflection, she has cultivated a deep love and appreciation for her authentic self and her body. Now, she writes stories that feature characters who undertake similar journeys of self-discovery and who live in and love their bodies.

Julie Murphy is beloved by kids and adults alike. Her acclaimed novel "Dumplin'" was adapted into a popular Netflix film. Along with the “Dumplin’” series, Julie has written the middle grade “Camp Sylvania” series, the "Faith Herbert Origin Story" series and was widely celebrated for her 2014 debut novel, "Side Effects May Vary." In all of her stories, Julie features plus-sized characters whose bodies are incidental to the story, but that inclusion is central to Julie’s own story and to the die-hard fans of her books (raises hand!).

In this episode, Julie tells us about the double-edged sword of her self-deprecating humor and how she feels about the response she gets not just from her young readers, but especially from their moms. She also discusses the evolution of body politics. She shares the college class that bored her into oblivion, leading her to discover the Twilight series and sparking the chain reaction that landed her in the literary world.

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Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.

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While Julie’s own love story is rom-com worthy (she’ll share in the episode!), for her reading challenge, “Love Hurts”, she wants us to read love stories that also… well…. hurt.

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This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Lauren Mobley, a middle school librarian in Atlanta, Georgia. She tells us a funny, heartwarming story about her attempt to curate a special book selection for some new students.

Contents

Chapter 1 - Texas Needs Churches Too

Chapter 2 - Dieting with Mom

Chapter 3 - Twilight: A Masterpiece

Chapter 4 - Ask The Passengers

Chapter 5 - Finding Confidence… and Rejection

Chapter 6 - One Step Back, Two Steps Forward

Chapter 7 - Julie Murphy Fan Club

Chapter 8 - From Cradle to Grave

Chapter 9 - Love Hurts

Chapter 10 - Beanstack Featured Librarian

Links

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media

Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Filling in the Blanks: Cece Bell on the Comedy of the Absurd Apr 30, 2024

Show notes

"...the reader's mind is filling in the blanks in between those panels and as a lip reader, that's what I do. I fill in the blanks. I'm trying to piece together what that person says. So, comics really make sense to me.” - Cece Bell

I first came to know Cece Bell through her groundbreaking semi-autobiographical graphic memoir novel, “El Deafo.” It was SO good that I had to read more by her. That's when I found out, through reading aloud with our (then younger) kids, that Cece's work is hilarious. Her zany, expressive storytelling combined with her vibrant illustrations create her unique style which she dubs, “absurdism for children.” During our conversation, Cece explains that it is in fact a style born out of misunderstandings, of her trying to make sense of the world around her while navigating it with deafness.

While Cece is best known for "El Deafo," which received a Newbery honor, most of her books are for a slightly younger set. These include her laugh-out-loud funny "Chick and Brain" series, and her earlier Sock Monkey trilogy. Cece’s journey to pursuing a career as an artist was first dependent on her discovering confidence in her abilities, and also in her disability. Something that she didn’t fully realize until she wrote “El Deafo.”

In this episode, Cece shares insights into her creative process, revealing how her experiences navigating the world with deafness have shaped her storytelling and sense of humor (and draws the connection between her deafness and her love for puns). She also tells us about the gory job that convinced her to pursue a career as an artist. For any budding comic creators, she also reveals the only book you need to read before your write your first graphic novel.

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Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.

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For her reading challenge, Sibling Stories, Cece has curated a list of books that highlight the special relationships between siblings, something that has always fascinated her. In case you wondered, Cece has two older siblings. You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com/cece-bell

This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Amanda Maslonka, a 26-year veteran in education, and an elementary school librarian at Pasadena ISD in Texas. She tells us a funny and heartwarming story from her days working with first graders.

Contents

Chapter 1 - Funny Family (2:02)

Chapter 2 - No One Makes Fun of the Funny Kid (6:23)

Chapter 3 - At The Dentist (13:54)

Chapter 4 - Understanding Comics (18:08)

Chapter 5 - El Deafo (24:21)

Chapter 6 - High Tech Hearing (26:46)

Chapter 7 - Absurdism for Children (31:05)

Chapter 8 - Animal Albums (37:08)

Chapter 9 - Sibling Stories (39:24)

Chapter 10 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (41:04)

Links

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media

Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Hero of the Anti-Heroes: Gregory Maguire on the Value of Second Chances Apr 16, 2024

Show notes

"That's really all we are obliged to do for those we call our enemies. We are obliged to see them as humans, and then we behave the way we will. We are obliged not to consider them as less than human because that way, all hell breaks loose. - Gregory Maguire

Gregory Maguire expresses himself with extreme precision. While many of us may grasp for words to communicate a specific emotion or to describe a series of events, Gregory seemingly has words and turns of phrase on command. What a delight it is to listen to Gregory talk about his journey, his writing, and his thoughts on a wide variety of topics.

Close to Gregory’s heart is the belief that everyone has a backstory, a context—even our enemies. And no matter how difficult the task may seem, he believes it is our duty to understand that story and find it within ourselves to empathize with them—not to excuse them but to simply see them as humans.

Gregory has built his career around telling the stories of antiheroes, most notably through the reimaginings of classic fairytales in novels such as "Wicked," "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister," and "Mirror Mirror." That ability to find empathy and a curiosity to understand even the most seemingly undeserving characters emerges in his other children's and young adult books and is deeply rooted in experiences from Gregory’s early life.

In this episode, Gregory shares those early life experiences (which can honestly be described as “Dickensian”) and how his relationships with his father and siblings have impacted his writing and life choices. He tells us about his love of the “arresting strangeness” of literary worlds and how this sensation inspired him to become a writer. He also shares why he believes in the children's stories he writes, not always getting a “happily ever after.”

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Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
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In his reading challenge, Arresting Strangeness (a term coined by J.R.R. Tolkien), Gregory has compiled a list of his favorite books that envelop you completely and force you to look at the world around you anew. You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com/gregory-maguire

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This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Lauren Mobley, a middle school librarian in Atlanta, Georgia. She tells us about a fun reading program she set up in her school inspired by a hit reality TV show.

Contents

Chapter 1 - Travel of the Mind

Chapter 2 - Home, the Orphanage, and back again

Chapter 3 - The Children of Green Knowe

Chapter 4 - Harriet the Recorder

Chapter 5 - Origins of Empathy

Chapter 6 - The Absence of a Happily Ever After

Chapter 7 - Arresting Strangeness

Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian

Links

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media

Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Simple Thing, Felt: Nina LaCour on Unwrapping a Moment Apr 02, 2024

Show notes

"I spend a lot of time trying to hope that I'll remember little things and how a certain simple thing felt. … Writing is one way of trying to capture that feeling, even if I'm fictionalizing it still.” - Nina LaCour

If Nina LaCour were a drink, she would be a cozy cup of tea. You’re not rushing to finish a conversation with Nina. Rather, you are spending time exploring the details. And that is exactly what we did in this episode.

The world moves fast. Usually faster than we’d like it to. But writing can gift us the ability to slow a moment down, to digest and analyze at a more intentional pace. For Nina LaCour, writing starts with observing the world around you, getting ready to break it down into words and unravel the meaning on a page.

As a new writer, Nina found it best to share those observations through young adult literature after falling in love with it in college. She has since written a picture book, “Mama, Mommy and Me in the Middle,” and returned to an adult novel she shelved early in her career (“Yerba Buena”). More recently, she released "The Apartment House on Poppy Hill," the sweetest chapter book.

Nina’s work is notably thoughtful and gentle. Her complex topics have resonated deeply with young readers and adults alike (including our own recent guest, Mark Oshiro). She’s best known for her novels such as “Hold Still,” "Everything Leads to You," and "We Are Okay," which received the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature.

In this episode, she shares her journey to falling in love with young adult literature and how Virginia Woolf helped her find the love of her life. She also explores writing's capacity to uncover the depth within every moment and discusses the importance of queer family representation in literature.

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Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.

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In her reading challenge, At the Intersection, Nina has curated a list of books at the intersection of queerness and family.

You can find her list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com/nina-lacour

This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Faith Rice Mills, librarian at Nelda Sullivan Middle School in Pasadena, Texas. She tells us a heartwarming story to remind librarians of the importance of their work, even when that impact isn't obvious.

Contents

Chapter 1 - The Outsider…

Chapter 2 - …Becomes the Observer

Chapter 3 - Mrs. Dalloway

Chapter 4 - On Being Gentle

Chapter 5 - Bang Bang

Chapter 6 - At the Intersection

Chapter 7 - Beanstack Featured Librarian

Links

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media

Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

The World As It Should Be: LeUyen Pham Illustrates an Ideal Mar 19, 2024

Show notes

"There's something very lovely about feeling like, well, it's not my name, and it's not me, it's just the books.” - LeUyen Pham

To listen to LeUyen Pham is to feel inspired. She is full of hope and ideas and sees potential everywhere and in everyone. In LeUyen’s ideal world, diverse representation is a natural outgrowth of art that truly reflects our world. Her career as an artist and writer has been her contribution to making that a reality. Her career as an artist and writer has been her contribution to making that a reality. If you have ever read a book that LeUyen illustrated, you already know this to be true. The diversity we see in LeUyen’s pages is at once realistic and aspirational.

Her illustration credits include over 130 books, such as “Bear Came Along,” recognized with a Caldecott Honor, the popular “The Princess in Black” series, “Lunar New Year Love Story,” and my kids’ favorite when they were younger, “Grace for President.” She has also illustrated and written a few of her own, including the award-winning “Outside, Inside” and “Big Sister Little Sister.”

In this episode, LeUyen tells us why she prefers to be an “art chameleon” (and how that led to challenges early in her career). She talks about how support from her teachers showed her that a career as an artist was even a possibility and how an accusation of cheating (well, not really) put her on the right path.

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Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.

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In her reading challenge, Chasing Home, LeUyen gets personal and invites us to explore the concept of what home means, especially from her perspective as a refugee.

You can find her list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com/leuyen-pham

This episode’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Marva Coney, a librarian at Jackson Intermediate in the Pasadena Independent School District. She shares a story about just how important books can be as kids start to grow and experience newer and harder parts of life for the first time.

Contents

Chapter 1 - Temple City and Bill Peet (2:06)

Chapter 2 - From Wynne to LeUyen (8:16)

Chapter 3 - The Witch of Blackbird Pond (10:01)

Chapter 4 - Art Chameleon (18:51)

Chapter 5 - Incidental Diversity (24:55)

Chapter 6 - The Artist Shows Herself (31:05)

Chapter 7 - Chasing Home (36:52)

Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (38:18)

Links

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

If Your Heart Breaks, It’s Working: Nicola Yoon on Love and Other Risky Behaviors Mar 05, 2024

Show notes

"Love is risky. Love always ends. Should you do it anyway?” - Nicola Yoon

Love is a feeling that never exists solely on its own, and those likely companions to love (anxiety, grief) often bring questions such as, is this worth it? It’s this question and others like it that Nicola Yoon explores in each of her novels.

Nicola is a hopeless romantic. The affliction began in childhood after the discovery of her aunt’s harlequin romance collection. From then on, Nicola’s love of love would only grow stronger. But while her passion for romance was a love at first sight, her passion for writing was more of a slow burn.

Today, Nicola Yoon boasts an impressive resume as a two-time New York Times bestselling author, a finalist for the National Book Award, a recipient of the Michael L. Printz Honor Book, and a winner of the Coretta Scott King New Talent Award. Notably, her first two novels have been successfully adapted for the big screen.

In this episode, she’ll tell us why she fell in love with the romance genre, and how she found her way to writing as a career after 15 years in finance. She also shares her own ridiculously cute, out-of-a-movie love story about how she ended up with her husband and fellow writer, David Yoon.

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Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.

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Inspired by her own novel, "Instructions for Dancing,” in her reading challenge, Good Grief, Nicola invites us to explore the intersection of love and grief with a list of some of her favorite books.

You can find her list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com.

Today's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Nikki Hayter, a library manager with the Des Moines Public Library system. As summer inches closer, she tells us about a unique program her library started a couple of years ago with graphic novels.

Contents

Chapter 1 - Harlequin Romance (1:37)

Chapter 2 - An Unrequited Love (6:36)

Chapter 3 - The Great Gatsby (11:24)

Chapter 4 - A Requited Love (16:26)

Chapter 5 - The Airport Scene (19:02)

Chapter 6 - Questions About Love (22:53)

Chapter 7 - Not a Case of Love at First Sight (25:43)

Chapter 8 - Expectations of Love (27:34)
Chapter 9 - Don’t read this book! (applies to children) (31:21)

Chapter 10 - Joy Revolution (33:40)

Chapter 11 - Good Grief (36:45)

Chapter 12 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (38:22)

Links

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media

Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

The Blackest Book Ever: Derrick Barnes on Writing Unapologetically Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

"I'm putting every single ounce of who I am into every single book that I write, so y'all know to expect the blackest books you have ever read from yours truly.” - Derrick Barnes

Derrick Barnes’ introduction to vulnerable storytelling was through the jazz and R&B records he found in his family’s collection. For young Derrick, reading the liner notes in albums was just as important as any other kind of reading. Eventually, artists like Prince, Rakim, and John Coltrane taught him about the power in simply and truly being yourself. Inspired, young Derrick began writing his own poetry and short stories, which served as the beginning of a long and fruitful writing career. A career that includes being the first black creative copywriter for Hallmark cards.

In his work as an author, Derrick embodies the authenticity of his idols, being uncompromising in his goal to tell an array of black stories, for black kids. Although already an established writer, Derrick’s breakthrough picture book, "Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut" brought him national attention and accolades such as the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award, a Newbery Honor, and the Coretta Scott King Award. More recently he earned a National Book Award honor for the graphic novel “Victory Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice.”

In this episode, Derrick tells the story of how music inspired him to write, how his idols taught him to never compromise his voice as a black man, and why he considers himself a freedom fighter.

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Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.

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In Derrick’s reading challenge, "Resistance and Resilience" he invited us to read powerful stories of resilience from America’s black history.

You can find her list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com.

Today's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Connie Sharp, a Librarian Training and Development Specialist at Metro Nashville Public Schools. She told us about how her district utilizes Beanstack with community partnerships to encourage students to read.

Contents

Chapter 1 - Jazz, Hip Hop, R&B (1:59)

Chapter 2 - Literacy and Lyrics (6:31)

Chapter 3 - A Hallmark Story (9:11)

Chapter 4 - The Fresh Cut (12:52)

Chapter 5 - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (19:22)

Chapter 6 - Freedom Fighter (25:00)

Chapter 7 - The Blackest Books (28:56)

Chapter 8 - The Legacy of Derrick Barnes (31:29)

Chapter 9 - Resistance and Resilience (35:31)

Chapter 10 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (37:29)

Links

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media

Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Rabbit Holes: Brandy Colbert on Deep Research and Deep Characters Feb 06, 2024

Show notes

"I'm a bad liar. So I'm just like, I'm really good at telling the truth.” - Brandy Colbert

Going down internet rabbit holes and discovering everything there is to know about random subjects is a relaxing way to spend an evening, according to Brandy Colbert. This passion for research is part of the secret sauce that helps her build such deep and believable characters in her fiction work. In her nonfiction writing, Brandy’s ability to bring humanity to the real “characters” in the story is what brings history to life.

Brandy is a true acolyte of the writing craft. She spent her youth creating stories of her own and occasionally borrowing and reinterpreting tales from TV. After studying journalism in college she spent the early stages of her career contributing to niche magazines, where she honed her research prowess.

Today, Brandy brings all those skills together to write gripping, detail-oriented, character-driven fiction and nonfiction stories.

Brandy Colbert is known for works such as "Little & Lion," which won the Stonewall Book Award, "The Only Black Girls in Town," and "Pointe". Meanwhile, her nonfiction book about the Tulsa Race Massacre, "Black Birds in the Sky" won the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.

In this episode, she tells us where she developed and honed her research skills, how she brings characters to life, and why a character by any other name is just…. not the same character.

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Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.

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In Brandy’s reading challenge, "Powerful Nonfiction" she challenges us to read a list of nonfiction books that she says will, “open minds, challenge assumptions, and highlight the power of historical truth.”

You can find her list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com.

Today’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Cindy Philbeck, Teacher-Librarian at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She told us a heartwarming story about a student's discovery of Sabaa Tahir's All My Rage.

Contents

Chapter 1 - Reading in the Ozarks (1:47)

Chapter 2 - Early heartbreaks (5:54)

Chapter 3 - A Midwestern college experience (11:57)

Chapter 4 - A Humanist View (14:00)

Chapter 5 - Women’s muscles (17:43)

Chapter 6 - Rejections (19:58)

Chapter 7 - Write what you know research (23:55)

Chapter 8 - A bad liar (27:37)

Chapter 9 - Black Jewish Lesbians (exist) (30:19)

Chapter 10 - Powerful Nonfiction (36:55)

Chapter 11 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (37:44)

Links

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media

Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

The One and Only John: Mr. Schu Turns His Heart Inside Out Jan 23, 2024

Show notes

"Books can be the perfect prescriptions to let us know that we're going to be okay.” - John Schu

John Schu’s entire life has been shaped by books. As a kid, he fell in love with Shel Silverstein; Emily Dickinson comforted him as he was battling an eating disorder, and “The One and Only Ivan,” well, that book changed his life. In fact, it nearly put him into debt (he tells that story in the episode!)

The powerful impact books have had on his life inspired him to dedicate his life to sharing this power with everyone he can. His career as an educator led him to the library, the library led him across America, and now he has started a new career as a writer of stories himself.

John made his debut with "This is a School," followed by "This is a Story" and "The Gift of Story." However, in his latest work, "Louder Than Hunger," he bravely delves into a new realm of vulnerability. This semi-autobiographical tale draws from the most challenging period in his life, navigating the depths of his battle with anorexia.

In this episode, Mr. Schu, as in Mr.SchuReads, tells us about the transformative reads that shaped his life and explains how some of those stories helped him and some actually harmed him. We’ll hear how he became an author, and about the emotional toll it took to write “Louder Than Hunger.”

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Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.

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In John’s reading challenge,Story Within a Story, he wants us to read the actual books found in the pages of his book, “This is a Story.”

You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com.

Today's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Amanda Maslanka, a 26-year veteran in education and an elementary school librarian in South Houston. She offered valuable advice for parents and caregivers to get kids excited about reading.

Contents

Chapter 1 - Mr.SchuReads’ Grandma (2:13)

Chapter 2 - An Internal Struggle (5:37)

Chapter 3 - Recovery and Emily Dickinson (9:29)

Chapter 4 - Best Teacher Ever (11:00)

Chapter 5 - Becoming a Writer (15:24)

Chapter 6 - The One and Only Ivan (16:04)

Chapter 7 - Power to Heal, Power to Harm (23:30)

Chapter 8 - Ready to Share (28:27)

Chapter 9 - Story Within a Story (34:17)

Chapter 10 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (35:57)

Links

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media

Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

A Gut Punch and a Hug: Mark Oshiro on Practicing Vulnerability Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

On Today's Show

"It's practice. Vulnerability is practice. It is learning that you can do things and say things that seem scary, but ultimately know that you're safe.” - Mark Oshiro

Mark Oshiro was taught to fear the world. To be someone they were not and to repress someone they were. But books were an escape. Books taught them that freedom was possible.

Mark spent over a decade blogging about the stories they consumed, empathizing with characters, criticizing choices, and embracing every person's journey. But then they realized it was their turn to share, and in that sharing, they learned the transformative power of storytelling from the other side of the pages. They knew the healing power of vulnerability.

Mark debuted on the YA scene with their 2018 novel “Anger is a Gift” and has since written titles such as “Each of Us a Desert" and the latest installment in the Percy Jackson universe, “The Sun and the Star.” But their recent semi-autobiographical novel, 'Into The Light,' represents their most ultimate and vulnerable storytelling to date.

In this episode, Mark shares their life story and reflects on the refuge that books and libraries offered them as a youth from an abusive household. They also discuss how lowering their emotional defenses led them to discover the healing power of vulnerability.

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Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.

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In Mark’s reading challenge, "Stories of Vulnerability," they want us to explore other stories with the same rawness they bring to their work.

You can find their list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com.

Today’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Cindy Philbeck, a teacher librarian at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She told us about her library's lunchtime strategy that encourages students to visit and see the space as a refuge.

Contents

Chapter 1 - A Controlled Environment (2:34)

Chapter 2 - Safety in Books (7:14)

Chapter 3 - Losing Grip (11:13)

Chapter 4 - We Are Okay (20:41)

Chapter 5 - Mark Does Stuff (lots of stuff) (22:53)

Chapter 6 - The Practice of Vulnerability (28:32)

Chapter 7 - Closure? (33:40)

Chapter 8 - Stories of Vulnerability (37:45)

Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (38:58)

Links

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey