As the Scholastic Reads podcast is about to enter its fourth year in production, we’re taking a look back at all 22 memorable highlights and powerful stories from 2018. We’ve met talented authors and illustrators, inspiring educators, and kids who are making a difference, while discussing a variety of important topics on everyone’s minds. Here’s to another year of powerful stories in 2019.
(In case you haven’t already — subscribe to the Scholastic Reads podcast via the iTunes app or Google Play — or wherever you get your podcasts!)
1. Speaking with Christopher Paul Curtis about learning from history
The 2018 season kicked off with a conversation with Christopher Paul Curtis, the author of many beloved, award-winning books for young readers including The Journey of Little Charlie which was named a finalist for the 2018 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
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2. Addressing the need for more books with black girls as the heroines
Marley Dias is a 13-year-old from New Jersey who is the author of Marley Dias Gets it Done: And So Can You as well as the founder of the #1000BlackGirlBooks hashtag and the ensuing movement. Kelly Greenawalt and Amariah Rauscher are the creators of the indomitable, inventive, and adorable book character Princess Truly inspired by Greenawalt’s daughter who was once told by a classmate that her curls weren't "magical princess hair." They stopped by to talk about the critical importance of featuring black girls as the heroines in books.
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3. Talking with author Sayantani DasGupta about her novel The Serpent's Secret
Physician, scholar, and author of The Serpent’s Secret, Sayantani DasGupta, told us about the inspiration behind her new middle grade fantasy novel. DasGupta’s daughter Sunaya, who also happens to be a Scholastic News Kid Reporter, joined us to describe her childhood as a daughter of immigrants, as well as her love of storytelling, folktales, science, and Madeleine L'Engle.
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4. Discovering how to talk with kids about school violence and trauma
After a series of tragic events this year including the Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School shooting in Parkland, FL, and the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in TX, the nation's attention shifted to the issue of school safety. We spoke with Dr. Jamie Howard, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, and Julie Ballew, a fifth-grade teacher from Houston, TX, who shared insights around how children experience and express trauma, and how we can help to rebuild a sense of community.
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5. Sharing how reading role models make a difference
We heard from The Magician’s Hat author and Super Bowl winning football player Malcolm Mitchell, NBA Referee Marc Davis, and President of Scholastic Education Greg Worrell, about the crucial part reading role models play in helping kids succeed.
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6. Honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Husband and wife creative duo Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney shared the inspiration behind their book Martin Rising: Requiem for a King which is a combination of poetry and colorful artwork. We also discussed the message of hope and empowerment they hope their young readers will take from the book.
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7. Meeting the 2017–2018 Scholastic News Kids Press Corps
Seven junior journalists part of the 2017–2018 Scholastic News Kids Press Corps joined us in the studio to share what they have learned from their experiences covering news for kids, by kids across the country and around the world.
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8. Speaking with Varian Johnson about his new book and social justice
We sat down with Varian Johnson, author of the new middle grade book The Parker Inheritance, to discuss his inspiration and social justice — how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.
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9. Analyzing the maker movement
Students nationwide are exploring creation in makerspaces which are often hosted in libraries. School library media specialist and 2015 School Librarian of the Year Kristina Holzweiss describes her work in this area. We also talked to two Scholastic employees who have helped create the Klutz Maker Lab line of products, which includes DIY gumball machines!
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10. Embracing summer reading
Research shows that when children and their families have the resources they need to read throughout the summer, fewer students experience a loss of skills while school is out. We talked with experts about how national programs including the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge and local initiatives such as Make Summer Count in Greenville, SC, help to eliminate summer reading loss and grow kids’ love for reading.
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11. Celebrating Pride Month through literature
We know the importance of giving all children the chance to see themselves as heroes. In celebration of Pride Month this year, we spoke with some of our LGBTQ+ authors who are writing to help more people see themselves in books.
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12. Taking gaming offline
Video games are helping fans engage in reading! We sat down with Michael Petranek, an executive editor at Scholastic, and Matthew J. Kirby, the author of the Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants series, to talk about books that are inspiring gamers to continue engaging in the worlds they love through books.
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13. Sharing stories of survival and hope
America is a nation of immigrants with stories to tell about our families’ journeys. We invited authors and illustrators to share stories about the immigrant experience and what it means to leave your home in search of a better life.
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14. Returning to a beloved story with author Cornelia Funke
After many years, Cornelia Funke returned to the Dragon Rider world with the long-anticipated sequel, The Griffin’s Feather. The award-winning author is joined by her editor and founder and publisher of Chicken House, Barry Cunningham, who talks about what he looks for in a manuscript, and the advice he gives aspiring writers.
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15. Speaking with Jeff Smith about why it’s always okay to doodle on your homework!
Jeff Smith, award-winning creator of the New York Times bestselling BONE series, joined us in the studio to talk about writing a picture book, the cartoonists who inspire him, and why he'll never say you shouldn't doodle on your math homework.
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16. Talking with David Shannon about his 20-year career
We spoke with David Shannon, the internationally acclaimed creator of more than 30 picture books, including No, David!, a Caldecott Honor Book and his second New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year, about his career and his latest book, Grow Up, David!
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17. Celebrating 20 years of magic with Harry Potter
In September 1998, Scholastic published Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, introducing U.S. readers to the globally beloved character whose adventures are still treasured by children today. To celebrate this anniversary, we hosted a series of special episodes highlighting Harry Potter fandom, the artists of Harry Potter, and the making of the series in the U.S.
Listen to part 1:
Listen to part 2:
Listen to part 3:
18. Speaking with Jarrett J. Krosoczka about family, addiction, and art
Jarrett J. Krosoczka, creator of the graphic novel memoir for young adults, Hey, Kiddo, discusses his personal experiences that inspired his latest book which was named a finalist for the 2018 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
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19. Defining what it means to be an ally
We spoke with Alex Gino, author of the award-winning book George, and You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P!, about what it means to be an ally.
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20. Putting words into action
Moved by the resilience of their peers and a desire to help, kids nationwide—supported by their teachers—have developed student-led activism initiatives to raise awareness and funding for the causes they’ve read about in Scholastic Classroom Magazines. We learned about how these stories are crafted, and how they are being used to inspire students.
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21. Making book access a priority
Too many children in the U.S. lack access to books. Literacy advocates Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp joined us in the studio to discuss themes from their new book on this topic titled Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids, including how access to a wide variety of texts, choice in what to read, and time to read are “game changers” for the lives of all children.
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22. Chasing the high of a Scholastic Book Fair
After seeing viral tweet after tweet about the joy of Scholastic Book Fair memories, we set out to record some of the magic.
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