Exploring AI, Foster Care, and Friendship in Middle Grade Fiction
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
Release Date: 07/01/2025
Celebrating Differences With Kaz Windness
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
Kaz Windness and Jim Roethe join Jed Doherty on Reading with Your Kids. Windness shares the inspiration behind Bitsy Bat Snow Star, the third book in a series about a bat who experiences winter for the first time. As Bitsy joins classmates in snowy activities, she becomes cold and uncomfortable but hesitates to speak up because she fears losing her friendships. The story explores self-advocacy, acceptance, and other ways to enjoy winter. The series draws on Windness’s own experience as an autistic person and her child’s, and aims to help children celebrate differences without reducing...
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Turning Childhood Experiences into Stories of Courage and Wonder
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
On this episode of Reading with Your Kids, host Jed Doherty welcomes two authors whose books help families explore big feelings and imaginative worlds. First, personal injury attorney Jason Plotkin shares the story behind his picture book The Pickle, the Patch, and the Puppy. Inspired by a dog bite he experienced as a child, the book focuses on what happens afterward: the worry and fear that can linger, even when an injury is not severe. Plotkin introduces the “brain alarm” and a “bravery ladder,” a series of small steps children can take to feel comfortable around dogs again. He also...
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Jennifer Payne on Sounds of America and Finding a Place to Belong
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
Madison Lucchesi welcomes Jennifer Payne to discuss her picture book, Sounds of America, which follows a young Italian boy traveling from Naples to New York Harbor. Through the sounds he encounters, the story explores how children experience new places, community, safety, and belonging. Drawing on 25 years as a teacher, Jennifer shares her belief that children learn best when teaching connects with their individual interests and senses. She uses joyful language, sound, visuals, and playful reading to spark engagement and help ideas stick. For her, reading is a relationship: grown-ups can watch...
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Prince Griff, a Hidden Dragon, and a Little Welsh Magic
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
Jed Doherty talks with British author-illustrator Briony May Smith about The Secret Dragon, set in medieval Wales. Prince Griff secretly raises a dragon hatched from an egg given to him by his aunt Morgana, hiding it from his mother, Queen Rhiannon, who is allergic to magical beasts. As the dragon grows, the castle servants know about it, and the queen discovers the secret by following turkey feathers. The dragon is hypoallergenic, so she has not been sneezing. Smith says the characters came first, while Welsh castles, folklore, and legends such as the Mabinogion shaped the setting. She wanted...
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The Same Moon, Twelve Zodiac Animals, and Stories That Bring Us Together
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this episode, host Jed Doherty welcomes three picture-book creators to discuss culture, creativity, and belonging. Author Teresa Robeson and illustrator Ping Zhu introduce Animals of the Chinese Zodiac: Meet Your Match. The book shares facts and personality traits for the twelve zodiac animals, plus the legend explaining how they were chosen. Teresa reflects on sharing cultural stories with young readers, while Ping describes growing up with zodiac traditions and creating a welcoming introduction for readers new to them. She also talks about her love of painting on paper and a playful...
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Discovering Your Roots and Finding Your Rhythm
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
On this episode of Reading with Your Kids, guest host Madison Lucchesi welcomes author Teri Arvesú González to discuss The Stories We Inherit. What began as a letter to her son grew into a book honoring his graduation from Jesuit education and exploring nine generations of family history. Teri reflects on how we inherit both strengths—like resilience and courage—and limiting expectations. Her hope is that readers will reflect on what helps them grow and preserve family stories. She encourages families to put down their phones, make time for conversation, and ask older relatives about...
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Bringing Laughter to the World—and Ghosts to the Bayou
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
Reading With Yur Kids host Jed Doherty welcomes two guests to explore joy, storytelling, and place. First, Watson Kawecki, interim executive director of Clowns Without Borders, describes the organization’s work bringing performances, connection, and laughter to communities facing difficult circumstances. Its 13 active projects in 2026 span partnerships around the world, including refugee camps, schools, hospitals, and community spaces. Teams travel in small groups and work only when invited, with local needs and performer safety guiding each visit. Watson shares how a lifelong love of...
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Small Voices, Big Impact: Stories of Courage and Change
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
Jed Doherty welcomes authors Carmen Rubin and Leslee Flanagan to explore how picture books connect children with history, family, and the world around them. Historian Carmen Rubin shares the story behind A Night for the Rice Carriers, honoring Yaya and Panza, West African women who hid rice in their braids while escaping enslavement. Their knowledge helped them survive and build new communities. Rubin celebrates their courage and ingenuity rather than focusing only on suffering. She chose a picture book to introduce history early through rhythm, imagery, and joy. Recalling stories shared as...
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Drawing The Hundred Acre Wood
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
Joe Sutphin and Kevan Chandler joined host Jed Doherty to discuss creating their graphic novel adaptation of Winnie the Pooh. Joe explained that his earlier collaboration on Watership Down helped open the door to the project. He wanted Kevan as his writing partner, drawing on their close friendship and successful work together. Kevan, who grew up being read Winnie the Pooh, described joining the project as a dream come true and a joyful responsibility. Their goal was to make A. A. Milne’s original story visually accessible without reinventing it. Joe and Kevan worked to preserve beloved...
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Magic Marks & Ghost Armies: How Picture Books Build Brave Kids
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this episode, we celebrate two powerful picture books that help kids see their own strength, uniqueness, and courage. First, Jed chats with Dr. Tisha Shipley, educator and author of Writer’s Magic Mark. Inspired by her nephew Ryder, who was born with a distinctive birthmark down his arm, Tisha’s story turns that mark into something literally magical. In the book, Ryder’s birthmark comes to life and helps his friends discover what makes them special—on the outside and the inside. Tisha shares how her 26 years in education shaped the book, why she’s so passionate about mental health...
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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