Reading With Your Kids Podcast

Amy Baron is on the #Readingwithyourkids #Podcast to celebrate her new #PictureBook The Gentle Bulldozer. Amy tells us she fell back in love with her childhood hobby of writing while reading stories to her kids. Now she's excited to introduce her debut book to the world. Amy is an optometrist, but she promises to resist the urge to recite children's stories during your eye exam. Her debut #PictureBook The Gentle Bulldozer who believes there can be more to his life than just tearing things down and smashing them up. It is a sweet tale encouraging kids to discover what they are truly meant to be.   Click here to visit Amy’s website - https://amybaronbooks.com/the-gentle-bulldozer   Click here to visit our website – www.readingwithyourkids.com

Dr Colleen Kelley returns to the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her MC Detective Agency Comic Books. Dr Colleen tells us these comics books were designed to give kids a chance to take a deep dive into chemistry and bond with a cavalcade of chemical characters! You’ll get to know Granny Eve and her grandkids, Poppi and Ray, as you join them on missions (aka “cases”) and learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the mysterious world of molecules! Dr Colleen believes that kids can learn chemistry at a much earlier age. Click here to visit Dr Colleen’s website – https://hewittlearning.org/curriculum-home/kids-chemical-solutions/ Click here to visit our website – www.readingwithyourkids.com

Francis Schoonmaker is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her #MiddleGrade #Novel Sid Johnson and the Phantom Slave Stealer. Francis tells us in this novel we will meet Sid Johnson, a young teen who’s parents claim they don't know anything about a slave stealer that slave holders call the "Phantom." But when Sid discovers that their Southern Illinois farm is a stop on the Underground Railroad, he isn't so sure Ma and Pa are telling him the truth. They could get caught breaking the law. When bounty hunters threaten Pa, Sid resolves to take action to protect the family. Before his plans are in place, bounty hunters burn the barn. With a civil war brewing and the farm compromised as a stop on the Underground Railroad, Ma and Pa decide to go west. Disappointed that he failed to learn any more about the slave stealer, Sid is glad to leave the slave question behind. He is about to find out that the ugly shadow of slavery reaches beyond the Johnson farm to the Santa Fe Trail, and his involvement with

Author Carmen Agra Deedy and illustrator Brian Lies are on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate their beautiful new #PictureBook Wombat Says Come In. In this book we meet a kindhearted wombat offers refuge to a parade of animal friends during an Australian bushfire. Australian bushfires roar above Wombat’s home. He is fortunate that his burrow is deep below ground and he is safe. He snuggles under his crazy quilt and drinks his tea. Then, one by one, five uniquely Australian animals – Wallaby, Kookaburra, Platypus, Koala, and Sugar Glider – seek refuge from the fires, and Wombat welcomes them all. When you have the heart of a wombat, there’s always room for one more! Fellowship, empathy, and adorable Australian animals star in this delightfully heartwarming and funny story about help in the time of trouble. Click here to visit Carmen's website - https://carmenagradeedy.com/book/wombat-said-come-in/ Click here to visit Brian's website - http://www.brianlies.com/ Click here to visit our website - www.

Jess McGeachin is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate his beautiful new #PictureBook The Lost Library. Jess tells us that The Lost Library is a magical tale of friendship, the joy of reading and the power of the imagination. When Oliver finds a lost library book in his new bedroom, he decides to return it. But how do you find a mysterious hidden library? With the help of a new friend, of course . . . Jess also talks about the video lesson he created for our new #DrawingWithYourKids Project. He also offers some great advice for young and aspiring illustrators. Click here to visit Jess’ website – https://www.jessmcgeachin.com/books/lost-library Click here to visit our website – www.readingwithyourkids.com

Andrea and Gabe Olson are on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate A Little Love. This is the latest in the couple’s Big God Books Series. Gabe and Andrea Olson live in Minnesota with their three daughters, Sophia, Adeley, and Ayla. The Big God Books series is inspired by real-life moments with their girls and made for children worldwide just like them. Every story is written to preserve the family’s miracles and serve as a tool for other families to use in their homes. The Big God Books remind us that God is a miracle worker and makes talking about it more accessible. A Little Love reminds kids that God hears all of our prayers, and sometimes God answers those prayers in a way we don’t expect. Click here to visit Andrea and Gabe’s website – https://www.thebiggodbooks.com/ Click here to visit our website – www.readingwithyourkids.com

Dave Finnigan is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate The Green Actioneers Family Action Guide. The Green Actioneers believe that kids deserve a green future. This compelled them to create “The Green Actioneers Family Action Guide: The Definitive Guide to “Going Green,” Saving Money, and Saving Our Planet.”  A collection of passionate University of Central Florida interns has worked to create this family road map to save energy, water, money and, ultimately, the Earth.  They look forward to becoming the ultimate resource for families who want to go green. This is a STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO “GOING GREEN” The book is unique because it appeals to both kids and parents. There are over 100 potential actions families can take to go green. Every two-page spread describes one action with a description on the left that tells briefly about some of the benefits in English and Spanish. On many of these pages we have a relevant game or puzzle. On the right side we have a coloring book, plus a quote from someone

Anna Rose Johnson is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to help us recognize Native American Awareness Month and to celebrate The Star That Always Stays. Anna tells us that this is a tender coming-of-age story about an introspective and brilliant Native American heroine that thoughtfully addresses serious issues like assimilation, racism, and divorce, as well as everygirl problems like first crushes, making friends, fitting in, and the joys and pains of a blended family. Often funny, often heartbreaking, The Star That Always Stays is a fresh and vivid story directly inspired by Anna Rose Johnson’s family history. Click here to visit Anna’s website – https://annarosejohnson.com/ Click here to visit our website – www.readingwithyourkids.com

Maya Smart is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate Reading For Our Lives. Maya  is an author, seasoned speaker, and passionate literacy advocate, She helps parents nurture, teach, and advocate for children on the road to reading. Her book, Reading for Our Lives: A Literacy Action Plan from Birth to Six, provides a clear, step-by-step guide to helping our children thrive as readers and learners. Reading for Our Lives challenges the bath-book-bed mantra and the idea that reading aloud to our kids is enough to ensure school readiness. Instead, it gives parents easy, immediate, and accessible ways to nurture language and literacy development from the start. Through personal stories, historical accounts, scholarly research, and practical tips, this book presents the life-and-death urgency of reading, investigates inequity in its achievement, and illuminates a path to a true, transformative education for all. Click here to visit Maya's website - https://mayasmart.com/book/ Click here to visit our websi

Cigdem Knebel is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her Simple Words Books Publishing Company. Cigdem tells us that from a very early age, her son had a passion for books. Unfortunately, reading did not come naturally to him. In 2015, at age six, he was diagnosed with Dyslexia. With training, he soon began reading simple words and sentences. One night, he picked up Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss. He read the entire 160+ words over and over, then asked for a chapter book. She googled, talked to experts, teachers, tutors and parents to find low-level/high-interest books. Others were in search of these books, too, but they did not exist. So she began to write for her son; he began to read. And Project Simple Words was born. Click here to visit Cigdem's website - https://simplewordsbooks.com/pages/about-us Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com

Two of our favorite guests, Nita Marie Clark and her daughter Kathy Doherty, return to the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate North Pole We Have A Problem! Nita tells us this book was inspired by some real life heros. Unbeknownst to anyone Nita's husband had taken a bad fall and could have died were it not for a few of her young neighbors who found her husband and called for help. One of those heros, who was already a fan of her books, asked Nita to write s tory about Santa. And with that request North Pole We Have A Problem was born. During the interview Nita and Kathy also learn that North Pole We Have A Problem has been named a Reading With Your Kids Certified Great Read. Click here to visit Nita's website - http://aneatreadpublishing.com/ Click here to read our review of the book - https://readingwithyourkids.com/north-pole-we-have-a-problem-rwyk-certified-great-read/ Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com

Jedlie and Jordau Sahley venture out of the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast studios to attend the 2022 Boston Book Festival. The Boston Book Festival is an independent nonprofit group based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the name of its main event. The nonprofit was founded in 2009 by Deborah Z Porter, and aims to "celebrate the power of words to stimulate, agitate, unite, delight, and inspire by holding year-round events culminating in an annual, free Festival that promotes a culture of reading and ideas and enhances the vibrancy of our city." While at the festival we had a chance to speak with Penny Noyce, Chris Ciulla, Enrique Moras, Susan Joyce and Marc Eichen. Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com

Ruth Maille returns to the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate the latest title in her Power Of series. Ruth Maille has owned and operated a daycare/preschool for 32 years and is a certified parent-relationship coach. She has had the privilege of helping many families using the tools she acquired in both professions. The Power of Empathy, Be The Friend You Always Wanted is a delightful picture book that gently teaches young children how to recognize their emotions - and the emotions of others. Children learn what it means to practice empathy by witnessing real-life examples that are easy for them to understand. Click here to visit Ruth's website - https://www.ruthmaille-author.com Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com

Melissa Hart is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her #MiddleGrade #Novel Daisy Wormwood Changes The World. Melissa tells us that when 13-year-old amateur entomologist Daisy gets an assignment to “change the world, she’s determined to help her older brother, Sorrel—who has Down syndrome and adores men’s fashion—fulfill his dream of becoming a YouTube celebrity. The catch? If their overprotective parents find out, Daisy won’t be able to change anything. We have a fantastic time speaking to Melissa about her book, creating a more inclusive and accepting world and about her grandfather the tightrope walker. Click here to visit Melissa's website - https://www.melissahart.com/media Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com

Steve Metzger is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate his new #GraphicNovel Bumble Brothers, Crazy For Comics. Steve tells us that in this fun & funny graphic novel we will meet Walter and Christopher: the Bumble Brothers. These nine-year-old twins MUST have the latest comic book featuring their favorite superhero, Frabbit (½ frog & ½ rabbit). But Harold the neighborhood bully stands in their way. Featuring wacky misunderstandings, riddles that nobody gets, goofy puns, and silly fantasy sequences, this graphic novel series will have early elementary school kids laughing non-stop! We also talk about ways we can help reluctant readers fall in love with reading. Click here to visit Steve's website - https://www.stevemetzgerbooks.com/bumble-brothers Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com

Author, artist and film director Dora Endre is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her new #ChildrensBook Magical Meadows. Dora tells us her book's rhythmic rhymes and colorful illustrations take families on a journey from lushing gardens to space stations, from underground tunnels to enchanted forests.  Through a series of short poems, mindfulness games and exercises children learn about body awareness, breathing techniques and the importance of self-love and gratefulness. This relaxing yet entertaining book is the perfect buddy for holidays, hiking trips or lazy afternoons spent in the living room. Mindfulness walks awaken us to the beauty of our surroundings while rhymes are there to talk about invaluable values or simply to amuse us. Click here to visit Dora's website - https://www.doraendre.com/magicalmeadows Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com

P J Hoover is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate her new #Nonfiction Title Problem Solvers, 15 Innovative Women Engineers and Coders. P J tells us that when engineers are faced with an impossible problem, they don’t quit. They look for solutions. P J introduces us to 15 women who are coders and engineers who have faced impossible problems and found solutions. They are each doing amazing work in technical fields while facing unique challenges that are not equally faced by men. Some have faced work/life balance offsets and long-distance relationship challenges. Others have faced teen pregnancy, homelessness, and domestic abuse. Many may have not had the same technical encouragement growing up that their male colleagues had. This is a fascinating and inspiring conversation. Click here to visit P J's website - http://www.pjhoover.com/books_wop.php Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com

Dr Jennifer Forristal is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate The Umbrella Project. Dr Jenn tells us that The Umbrella Proect equips kids, parents, and educators with positive social and emotional coping skills to help them live confident, healthy, and meaningful lives in the face of life’s uncertainties and struggles. She says kids with a full umbrella of coping skills: -    respond with grit, resilience, and empathy. -  show kindness to others while still caring for themselves. -    are intrinsically motivated to reach their goals while practicing self-compassion when they fall short of their own expectations. -    actively practice mindfulness and gratitude. -    contribute to healthy families, schools, and communities. A child’s umbrella is made up of things they CAN CONTROL in the face of circumstances that they CAN’T – and they need YOU to help them learn how to strengthen their umbrella skills!   Click here to visit Dr Jenn's website - https://umbrellaproject.co/ Click here to visit our we

Kory Henkel is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celeebrate Beloved, a beautiful #PictureBook based on a song written by recording artist Jordan Feliz. Kory is the  Director of Marketing & Communication for Centricity Music, and the editor of Beloved. He tells us he never dreamed of editing a #ChildrenBook and relives the delightful way the idea came to life. Kory also gives us some insight in to the World of Christian music, some of the stars he is currently working with, and relives the night he was called off of a tour bus, suffering from pneumonia to meet our host Jedlie and his daughter. Click here to visit the Centricity Music website - https://centricitymusic.com/team/kory-henkel/ Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com

Jenn Wint is on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate Josie's Busy Calendar. Jenn tells us that Josie's Busy Calendar.is a 'self care' story for school aged kids, that she wrote for her son to explain her feelings of overwhelm while suffering postpartum anxiety. The story explores Josies anxiety as she returns to her activities and friends after returning to school and filling her empty calendar. The story names anxiety and explores the tummy knots kids can experience when they feel overwhelmed or anxious. Josie finds a way to manage her calendar and therefore her overwhelm, easing her anxiety. The book aims to normalize and offer tools for the feelings of anxiety that come with transitions. Click here to visit Jenn's website - https://www.wintcommunications.com/books Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com