Building Towers of Trust and Love of Science Through Story
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this inspiring episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes two wonderful guests who are using stories and technology to help kids thrive: Carrol Titus and Inbal Alon. First, Jed chats with Carrol Titus, president of Golden Poppy and creator of the illustrated chapter book Unicorn Blue and the Kara Doodle Quest. Carrol explains how Golden Poppy was founded to nurture a love of STEM in young children, especially at a time when national science scores are declining. She shares how their interactive learning system blends brain science, play, and storytelling to create “triple sigma”...
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From Montana Ranches to Hawaiian Seas: Honoring Family Through Story
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this heartfelt episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes two very special guests whose books invite families into powerful conversations about love, loss, culture, and courage. First, Jed chats with Bianca Pierce, debut picture book author of On the Ranch with Cowboy Luke. Inspired by her brother Luke, a real Montana cowboy who passed away unexpectedly in 2025, Bianca created the book as a tangible way for his daughters – and young readers everywhere – to know who he was and what ranch life is really like. She describes long, frosty winters, calving season, training horses, fixing...
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Hope in an Angry World: Tim Wright and The Adventures of Toby Baxter
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes back Tim Wright from Arizona to celebrate book five in The Adventures of Toby Baxter series, Revenge of the River Home, Rutabagas. Jed shares the exciting news that this latest installment has, like the first four books, been named a Reading With Your Kids Certified Great Read, praising its powerful emotional core and hopeful message. Tim explains how a long-running family joke about “fried rutabagas” inspired the title, and how he used that playful seed to explore serious themes like anger, distraction, and hope. Set in the magical...
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How Soccer Changes Lives: Chris Navalta Shares Inspiring Player Journeys
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes Chris Navalta, author of Inspiring Stories of Soccer Greats, a powerful middle grade book timed perfectly for the World Cup. Chris, a lifelong sports fan and former sportswriter, shares how soccer’s global reach and beautiful simplicity—just a ball and some space—make it the perfect backdrop for stories of perseverance, inequality, and hope. Chris explains that his goal wasn’t just to spotlight stars like Lionel Messi, Alex Morgan, Christian Pulisic, and Vini Jr., but to reveal the real human struggles behind their success....
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Listening Kids into Existence: Parenting, Classrooms, and a Grandpuppy Named Misa
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this powerful episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes Doug Noll, lawyer-turned-peacemaker and author of Deescalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less. Doug explains how neuroscience shows we are driven far more by emotion than by rational thought—and how our culture’s habit of shaming or ignoring emotions actually damages kids’ brains and relationships. He shares how simple emotional validation (“You’re really angry…you really wanted that candy bar…you feel unloved”) can quickly calm a child’s nervous system, reduce tantrums, and build lifelong...
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Why Nothing Collapses and Everything Glows: Quantum Physics for Kids
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this inspiring episode of Reading with Your Kids, Jed welcomes Michael J. Wish, author of the middle-grade nonfiction book “Quantum Physics for Kids.” Mike shares how a challenge from a fellow teacher—and a disappointing existing kids’ book on the topic—pushed him to prove that even the “hardest” science can be explained to 8–12-year-olds with clarity, humor, and heart. Drawing on his college teaching experience, Mike walks us through a kid-friendly version of quantum physics, from the “purple disaster” (the ultraviolet catastrophe) to Max Planck’s radical idea that...
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From Postwar Pain to Construction Play: Books That Build Empathy and Wonder
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this powerful two-part episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes two amazing guests whose books open doors to big conversations and joyful family reading. First, Jed talks with Kimberly Mach, author of the middle-grade novel Present Still Missing. Set just after World War II, the story follows Irene, a baseball-loving girl whose father returns from the war physically present but emotionally distant as he struggles with PTSD—long before it even had that name. Kimberly shares how the book grew from her love of this “out-of-her-time” character and her fascination with the...
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Summer Camp, New Friends, Big Feelings
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this lively episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes author-illustrator Maddie Frost to celebrate her new illustrated middle grade novel, Really Rubie, along with her other upcoming releases. Maddie introduces us to Rubie Fox, an 11-year-old heading off to a month-long summer camp in Vermont—without her best friend Riley, who’s sidelined with a broken ankle. Based on Maddie’s own camp experiences, the story explores anxiety, homesickness, friendship shifts, and the scary-but-exciting feeling of stepping outside your bubble. Maddie shares her journey from Mass College of Art...
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There Are No Dinos In This Book...Or Are There?
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes Jimmy Vee, author, magician, ventriloquist, marketer, and proud “weirdo,” to celebrate his new series beginning with There Are No Dinos In This Book. Jimmy shares how his background in magic, ventriloquism, and marketing copywriting fuses into a unique creative voice for kids—funny, interactive, and packed with personality. He explains how the classic children’s magic idea of “look no see”—where kids see something the magician “doesn’t”—became the structural engine of his book. On the page, the narrator insists there...
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Gifted, Overwhelmed and Deeply Loved
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
In this episode, Jed welcomes two wonderful guests who are using story to build kids’ hearts and minds. First, Allie Slocom joins us from Colorado to celebrate her middle grade novel Is There Hope for Theodore Cope. Theo is an 11‑year‑old aspiring magician who’s also neurodiverse and gifted. He’s brilliant at math, reading, basketball, dog walking, and magic tricks—but struggles with executive functioning. Allie explains that Theo isn’t irresponsible; he simply hasn’t yet developed the skills to manage his time, commitments, and big “yes” energy. Drawing on her work as a...
info_outlineMistakes? Bring 'em on! In this delightful episode, Jed Doherty chats with author and illustrator Eliza Kinkz about her charming new picture book, "MISTACO" - a celebration of imperfections and the beauty of embracing our flaws.
Eliza shares how the book was inspired by her own experiences growing up, where she struggled to open up about her mistakes. She wanted to create a "safe space" for families to share their slip-ups without judgment. And what better way to do that than with a silly, taco-themed character named "MISTACO" - a nod to the Spanglish words Eliza grew up with.
As an artist, Eliza's vibrant, chaotic style is the perfect match for this playful story. Jed praises her use of "joy, color, and chaos" - qualities that Eliza says were heavily influenced by the legendary Disney artist Mary Blair. It's a style that perfectly captures the unpredictable, messy nature of childhood.
But "MISTACO" isn't just about the laughs. Eliza and Jed dive deep into the importance of teaching kids (and adults!) to embrace their mistakes. They share personal stories of how parental reactions can deeply impact a child's self-esteem, and why it's crucial to model self-compassion.
Whether you're a parent, educator, or just a kid at heart, this episode is a delightful reminder that perfection is overrated. So grab a taco, get cozy, and get ready to celebrate your inner "MISTACO"!
We also have a fun time speaking with Brenda Do, author of It's OK Not To Know. Brenda shared how the inspiration for the book came from observing her young nephew's hard reaction to making a mistake. This led her to explore the important lesson of embracing failure and uncertainty as a path to growth. Brenda emphasized the need to teach self-compassion to children, rather than pushing them to be perfect. She drew parallels to her own upbringing in the Asian-American community, where mistakes were often harshly judged. Brenda's book aims to celebrate curiosity and the freedom to not have all the answers - a message that resonates for readers of all ages. Jed and Brenda's discussion highlighted the power of using children's literature to promote empathy, resilience and the joy of learning.
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