Reach Out and Read

We spend a lot of time trying to change other people’s minds on all sorts of subjects.  Does it work — but just a little, or maybe not at all? How we attempt to shape the opinions of others matters, and as it turns out, there’s a science behind how to do it well. Moira O’Neil, Senior Vice President of Research Interpretation at the FrameWorks Institute, joins us to explain how we can best communicate around contentious issues, and do so in a way that builds progressive change.

Parents often worry about how to raise their children to be “good people.” But there’s an assumption that once you’re an adult, you’re done “growing”, and no longer need to progress on that journey to being a better version of yourself.  Brad Montague, author of “Becoming Better Grownups”, says we can counter that notion in a unique way… in a world which can seem increasingly childish, he says we should become more childlike.

One in five of us have learning and attention issues, including specific learning disabilities like dyslexia and ADHD. Increasingly, children’s and YA books are not only including but embracing neurodiverse characters, and the conversation is expanding to include – and normalize – many facets of the broad variety of how we engage with the world. Melanie Conklin, a Bank Street Best Children’s Book winner, and author of A Perfect Mistake, joins us to talk about how neurodiverse kids are represented in children’s literature, and how that literature can help kids deal with some very difficult – and very real – emotions.

As we know, strong relationships are key to success in personal and professional endeavors. Our next guests combine both: Grace Lin, an award-winning author, and Alvina Ling, Editor-in-Chief at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, join us to talk about their professional success, how as Asian-American women they navigate an industry that still struggles with diversity, and, notably, how they draw on the friendship they’ve had since childhood to bolster themselves to do their important, much-needed work.

Trauma in children is shockingly common — almost half of all children have experienced at least one significant traumatic experience.  Yet trauma-engendered behaviors are often met with ‘What’s wrong with you?’, when, as our guest Dr Bruce Perry relates, the question should be ‘What happened to you?’  His co-authored book with Oprah Winfrey helps us disentangle trauma, as well understand the powerful, protective role of healthy relationships with family, community, and culture.

We turned our ‘author spotlight’ on an up-and-coming, engaging, and extremely talented young voice. Liz Montague is a cartoonist, writer, and illustrator who weaves social justice, and personal and political awareness into smart, thoughtful, and deeply resonating cartoons.  She also happens to be one of the first Black female cartoonists to be published in the New Yorker. Liz joins us to talk about her book, and how she became comfortable with her own identity as an artist.

Books are magic.  The way they smell, the feel of their pages, illustrations on their covers, weight in your hands - all these elements convey meaning in excess of their verbal content. Our guest, Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Oxford University, and author of Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers, joins us to talk about these factors and how, when and why books became…iconic.

Dr. Susan Linn, a psychologist, award-winning ventriloquist, and author, explores the deep importance of play in child development. She explains how creative play enables children to process emotions and learn foundational skills. Delving into the impact of commercial toys, Susan contrasts enriching open-ended toys with those that stifle imagination. She advocates for the value of boredom and independent play, discussing her ventriloquy work with puppets like Audrey Duck, and underscores that play is vital for both children and adults.

Native American education is one of our country’s culturally richest areas, but it comes at the expense of a very dark past. We take a closer look at the abuse Native American children experienced at government-run schools in the US in the 19th and 20th centuries, the intergenerational trauma that followed, and how Native American educators address this and move forward now. Francis Vigil from the Pueblo of Zia, is Jemez Pueblo, Jicarilla Apache, and an indigenous educator and consultant. He joins us to talk about how Native American educators confront the past, and help build strong, well-supported families — which will boost their children’s academic and cultural success going forward.

We’ve turned the spotlight on many gifted authors, but our next guest is the first to win a children’s book award and a Super Bowl ring. Malcolm Mitchell, American football professional, children’s author, youth literacy advocate, and CEO of the Share the Magic Foundation, joins us to talk about his journey to literacy, and how he overcame professional and personal adversity in the process.