Reach Out and Read

As we transition back to school during an ongoing pandemic, we hear a lot about a 'covid learning slide', which adds to the stress of a return. But, is that really how we should be framing this? There's another way to think about all this. Boston Public Schools Principal Julia Bott, and Helen Westmoreland, the Director of Family Engagement at National PTA, join us to share how parents and caregivers can recalibrate their expectations through a focus on nurturing human connections.

Dr. Andrew Garner, a pediatrician and clinical professor, dives deep into the impacts of toxic stress and the importance of relational health. He discusses how recent advances in epigenetics and neuroscience have reshaped our understanding of childhood adversity. Garner emphasizes the need to focus on nurturing relationships to build resilience, urging a broader view of adversity that includes ongoing issues like poverty and racism. He also shares parents' strategies for recognizing and responding to different types of stress, advocating for cross-sector collaboration in promoting health and well-being.

A baby's brain is forming thousands to millions of neuronal connections per minute, absorbing new information in the first six months. This is the perfect opportunity to start a shared reading routine, right from birth. But are overwhelmed, sleep-deprived parents ready to add one more thing to their plate? Dr. Anna Miller-Fitzwater joins us to talk about Reach Out and Read's "Back to Birth" program, and how to make reading with infants practical and achievable for new parents.

'Ole Golly says there is as many ways to live as there are people on the earth'. So says Harriet in "Harriet the Spy", the brainchild of author Louise Fitzhugh. Today we dive in deeper with one of literature's most beloved 'quirky' kids, with a discussion of how Harriet and Louise broke the mold of children's literature. Guest host Dr Perri Klass speaks with Leslie Brody, author of the highly acclaimed new biography "Sometimes You Have to Lie: The Life and Times of Louise Fitzhugh, Renegade Author of Harriet the Spy".

When parenting, teaching, or caring for kids, there can be a fine line between those with a readily identifiable diagnosis, and those who are just plain "different". Dr. Perri Klass and Dr. Eileen Costello, co-authors of "Quirky Kids: Understanding and Supporting Your Child With Developmental Differences", join us to talk about quirky kids, and the joys and challenges they can bring to families.

Have you heard of book deserts? Nearly half of our nation's children live in one: neighborhoods that lack public libraries and bookstores and where more than half of low-income children live in homes where books are an unaffordable or unfamiliar luxury. Dr. Molly Ness, an Associate Professor in the Dept. of Education at Fordham University, and Alvin Irby of Barbershop Books, join us to talk about how to not only alleviate book deserts, but create book 'oases' that set children and families up for success.

It's clear that Reach Out and Read has become a significant part of American pediatrics. And while operating on such a large scale can generate incredible results, challenges also crop up. We're going to 'open up the book' on our organization with someone who is uniquely positioned to do — Reach Out and Read CEO Brian Gallagher joins us to talk about where the organization is today, where we're going, and what opportunities and obstacles we might face along the way. And also, a podcast first for us: breaking news!

Join Dr. Nia Heard-Garris, a pediatrician specializing in minority health, and Dr. Nevin J. Heard, a clinical counseling professor focused on multicultural issues, as they delve into the complexities of raising Black children. They discuss the generational shifts in parenting strategies, the different messages for Black sons and daughters, and the critical concept of racial identity development. The impact of movements like Black Lives Matter on parenting and tips for choosing diverse books are also explored, providing insights for navigating racial equity in family life.

In Part 2 of our series on LGBTQ+ children's books, we talk to Dr. Jamie Campbell Naidoo, a professor at the University of Alabama's School of Library and Information Studies. We discuss how to evaluate LGBTQ+ books for kids, common portrayals of 'rainbow families' in children's books, balancing accessibility and privacy issues for books around these topics, and, of course why, year after year, LGBTQ+ children's books continue to be the most challenged genre.

The publication of Charlotte Zolotow's picture book William's Doll (1972) not only broke gender stereotypes, but became a landmark moment in American children's literature. In a bonus episode of our "Inner Truths: LGBTQ" series, host Dr. Perri Klass speaks with Charlotte's daughter, Crescent Dragonwagon (a prolific author herself), about the making of William's Doll and her mother's cultural impact as a writer and editor of books that have encouraged tolerance, kindness, and authenticity for generations of children.