Exploring AI, Foster Care, and Friendship in Middle Grade Fiction
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
Release Date: 07/01/2025
Do Bees Pee and Do Parents Fail? Curiosity, Nature, and Unconditional Love
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this episode of the Reading With Your Kids Podcast, we’re celebrating two powerful picture books that spark big conversations in families. First, Jed chats with Dr. Linda Booth Sweeney, author of Do Bees Pee? The Curious and Amazing Ways Nature Avoids Pollution. Linda shares how a giggle-worthy question opens the door to serious science, systems thinking, and hope-filled conversations about our planet. She explains how nature “thinks in loops, not lines”—turning waste into food and showing us brilliant, closed-loop designs that can ease kids’ eco-anxiety. From bees and elephants...
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Time Travel, Weightlifting, and Big Dreams: Powering Kids’ Stories
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this inspiring episode of the Reading With Your Kids Podcast, Jed welcomes two incredible creators whose stories celebrate history, heart, and big dreams. First, Jed chats with Emma Otheguy, author of the new middle grade novel Adventure in the City of Stories. Emma takes us to New York City in 1930, a moment when skyscrapers were racing into the sky, the subway was rapidly expanding, and Latino literary luminaries like Pura Belpré, Gabriela Mistral, and Arturo Schomburg were quietly changing history. Through time-traveling cousins Jorge, Segi, and Camila, Emma uses adventure and magic to...
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i Was Chuck Berry’s Roadie for a Night: Buzz McLain & Grace Gidman on Kids’ Books and Big Imagination
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
This episode of the Reading With Your Kids Podcast is a joyful celebration of creativity, family reading, and the power of stories to travel across generations. First, Jed welcomes Buzz McLain, longtime journalist and debut picture book author of “Where There Are More Than Two.” Buzz’s playful, read‑aloud rhyming book introduces kids (and their grownups!) to the wonderful world of collective nouns—from a murder of crows to a band of gorillas. He shares how a simple writing exercise turned into a picture book that sat in a drawer for ten years before children’s book coach Barbara...
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Heroes of 1776: Janie Nitze Is Teaching Kids the Real Courage Behind the Declaration
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this inspiring episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes Janie Nitze, co-author of the picture book Heroes of 1776, to shine a light on the real human courage behind the Declaration of Independence. Speaking from historic Concord, Massachusetts, Janie shares how her background clerking for Justice Neil Gorsuch and their shared concern about the decline in civic education led them to create a children’s book that doesn’t just march through events, but highlights the sacrifices of men, women, and even children of the Revolutionary era. Janie explains that many of the Declaration’s...
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Korean Folk Tales & Big Feelings: Stories that Heal
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this warm and wide-ranging episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes two guests who are using stories to nurture both imagination and emotional resilience. First, Julie Kim joins us from Washington State to celebrate her new book, Korean Folk Tales for Kids. Julie shares how she carefully chose ten tales—from hilarious trickster stories to thoughtful, heart-centered narratives—that feel both deeply Korean and universally human. She talks about “The Gratitude of the Zelkova Tree” and how it reflects our relationship with nature and the environment, and why she deliberately...
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Rare Genes, Big Hearts & Grouchy Groundhogs: Stories That Help Kids Shine
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this inspiring episode, Jed welcomes two wonderful guests whose work helps kids feel seen, valued, and excited about reading. First, Jed talks with Melissa White Boyer, author of I Am Rare: Discovering What Makes Us Shine. Inspired by her son’s diagnosis with the rare genetic disorder Weidman-Steiner syndrome, Melissa shares the long, emotional journey to finally getting a diagnosis and the shock of realizing there was no roadmap for what came next. She explains how that experience led her and her husband to found the Rare Genes Movement nonprofit, and how her picture book helps all...
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Hands, Hearts, and Habitats: ASL, Deaf Culture, and Rainforest Conservation
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this uplifting episode, Jed welcomes back Kathy McMillan, ASL interpreter, children’s librarian, and creator of the new picture book series “Sign the Seasons.” Kathy shares how the four-book series—starting with Sign the Seasons: Fall—invites kids and families to learn American Sign Language through everyday seasonal concepts like trees, squirrels, and weather. She explains how Familius Publishing partnered with her in a uniquely thoughtful way, involving her in every stage of illustration and bringing in both an ASL/Deaf culture advisor and an early childhood education advisor (a...
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Being Brave Even When You're Scared
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
Join host Jed Doherty for a heartwarming, dog-filled episode of the Reading With Your Kids podcast, featuring two picture books that celebrate courage, love, and healing. In the first half, Jed chats with Jonathan Graziano, creator of the beloved Noodle “Bones or No Bones” videos, about his new picture book “Milton Makes a Move.” Jonathan shares Milton’s real-life journey from a hoarding situation in Korea to finding a forever home with him. They talk about how Milton’s anxiety and bravery mirror what many kids feel when facing big firsts—starting a new school, moving, or trying...
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Just Enough: The Tidy Dad’s Philosophy for Stuff, Space, and Sanity
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this episode, Jed welcomes Tyler Moore, better known as Tidy Dad, to talk about his book “Tidy Up Your Life.” Tyler shares how a season of overwhelm—upsizing his family and career at the same time—left both his apartment and his mental health in disarray. That experience pushed him to explore the deep connection between a cluttered home and a cluttered mind, and how small, consistent decisions can transform both. Living with his wife and three daughters in a 750-square-foot New York City apartment (plus a modest cottage), Tyler has been forced to define what is “just...
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Dark Thrills & Noble Quests: Using Story to Talk About Values with Kids
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes two very different – but beautifully complementary – guests whose books open the door to big family conversations. First, Jed chats with Rachel Peterson, author of the YA thriller Killing Sadie. Rachel, who describes herself as “aggressively pleasant,” explains why such a cheerful person writes about murder, anxiety, and worst‑case scenarios. She shares how dark, campy thrillers and B‑horror movies helped her manage her own anxious teen years, and why today’s teens may find comfort and “self‑therapy” in scary stories...
info_outlineIn this dynamic episode of Reading With Your Kids, host Jed Doherty takes listeners on a fascinating journey through two remarkable middle-grade novels that push the boundaries of storytelling.
First up is J E Thomas and her groundbreaking middle grade novel "The AI Incident," which explores the complex world of artificial intelligence through the eyes of Malcolm Montgomery, a 12-year-old foster kid. Thomas reveals how her book tackles themes of technology, friendship, and personal growth, offering a nuanced look at how AI might impact education and human connections.
The episode then shifts to a captivating conversation with Newbery Award-winning author Karen Cushman, who introduces her latest work, "When Sally O'Malley Discovered the Sea." Cushman shares her unique approach to historical storytelling, discussing how she crafts narratives that transport young readers to different times and experiences.
Both authors offer profound insights into the writing process. Thomas explains how she found her narrative voice by connecting with her 12-year-old emotional self, while Cushman discusses overcoming her own writing fears with the support of her husband. Their stories highlight the importance of persistence, creativity, and authentic storytelling.
The conversations touch on critical themes that resonate with young readers and parents alike - from the challenges of foster care and the impact of technology to the power of curiosity and personal discovery. Both books serve as windows into different worlds, encouraging empathy, understanding, and imagination.
Listeners will be inspired by the authors' passion for storytelling, their commitment to creating meaningful middle-grade literature, and their ability to tackle complex subjects with humor, heart, and insight.
"The AI Incident" launches on July 8th, and Karen Cushman's "When Sally O'Malley Discovered the Sea" offers young readers a compelling historical adventure. Don't miss these incredible new additions to middle-grade literature!
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