The Reading Culture

On Today's Show"I think that has a lot to do with why I was so interested in writing for children. It's like, I was trying to heal. I was trying to heal my childhood experiences through writing, through these characters.” - Kacen CallenderJust as books provide readers with a space to learn, see themselves, reflect, and cope with their inner thoughts, writing has served as a means for Kacen Callender to process and heal from their own trauma. Throughout their writing journey, Kacen has traversed the various stages and ages of their life, opening wounds and finding ways to heal them through fiction. This transformative process began with their debut novel “Hurricane Child” in 2018 which not only earned Kacen critical acclaim but also accolades such as the Stonewall Book Award and Lambda Literary Award. Since then, Kacen has authored other titles such as “Felix Ever After” and “King and the Dragonflies”, the latter of which won a National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. Now, Kacen is entering the next phase in their writing journey, delving into the enduring adult repercussions of childhood trauma.Kacen’s vulnerable and emotional storytelling has had profound impacts on readers around the world, particularly Queer readers who often find their own journeys reflected in Kacen’s work. In this episode, Kacen shares more about their personal journey of processing trauma through writing. They also discuss how fanfiction played a pivotal role in inspiring their creative path and how the fictional storyline within a Canadian teen drama that helped them come to terms with their own identity.***Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. ***In their reading challenge, "Trans YA Spec"  Kacen wants readers to imagine freedom for the trans community through works of speculative fiction.You can find their list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com.This episode’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Meredith Derrick, library coordinator for Klein Independent School District outside of Houston, Texas. She shares a funny story about a student’s attempt at a thoughtful teacher appreciation surprise.ContentsChapter 1 - Reckoning with TraumaChapter 2 - Annie JohnChapter 3 - Fiction in Our Own HandsChapter 4 - Honest RepresentationChapter 5 - The Journey ContinuesChapter 6 - Dream StateChapter 7 - Diversity on the ShelvesChapter 8 - Trans YA SpecChapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian LinksThe Reading CultureKacen CallenderFan FictionAdam Torres (Degrassi)Annie JohnStonewall Book Award | Kacen CallenderKlein ISDThe Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

On Today's Show"I'm just being real. I'm telling my story. I think Nikki Giovanni calls it dancing naked on the floor. I am unafraid and I'm doing my dance… I don't feel like I can go wrong if I'm just being me.” - Kwame AlexanderExciting reluctant middle school kids about reading (or really, anything) can be a battle. Getting them to think reading is cool is another. Kwame Alexander excels at both. His ability to authentically relate to his readers is a skill around which he has built his career.Kwame is beloved by parents, educators, and students, for his ability to ignite a love of reading (especially middle school boys) through poetry and characters who reflect their real experiences. But his impact extends beyond just an introduction to books, he also opens the door for readers to explore their own emotional depths. As he tells us, “I think part of my job is just to show a different side of masculinity.”Kwame is best known "The Crossover," "The Undefeated," "The Door of No Return," and numerous other novels and poetry collections. He also recently authored his memoir "Why Fathers Cry at Night." He won the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Book Award among many other awards, and this year "The Crossover" was adapted into a Disney Plus original TV series. In this episode, he tells us about his own upbringing surrounded by Black storytelling and literature, reveals his secret to making middle-schoolers think he’s “cool”, and shares about a letter he received (which was “not fan mail”) that inspired a surprise visit to an unsuspecting kid.***Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. ***In his reading challenge, "Blackout,"  Kwame wants listeners to utilize their favourite books to look inward and make some art of their own.You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com.This episode’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Kirsten, the programming specialist for the Indianapolis Public Library. She shares some moving stories about a book club she runs for teens at a residential treatment facility. ***ContentsChapter 1 - Glasses first (2:10)Chapter 2 - Mom’s stories, dad’s garage (3:53)Chapter 3 - Love After Love (9:11)Chapter 4 - The “Reluctant” Readers (14:01)Chapter 5 - Kwame Shows Up (17:50)Chapter 6 - America’s Next Great Authors (24:18)Chapter 7 - Blackout (27:34)Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (28:09)LinksThe Reading CultureKwame AlexanderFolly IslandNYT article by Teddy Wayne about the potential benefits of clutterBeef, No ChickenLove After Love by Derek WalcottKwame’s Newbery Banquet SpeechWhy Fathers Cry: The Podcast | Kwame Alexander#KwameShowsUpNikki GiovanniCollected Poems, 1948-1984 -  Derek WalcottThe Crossover | Official Trailer | Disney+America's Next Great AuthorThe Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

On Today's Show"I think it comes down to caring about the characters. When you care about the characters, you care about the world that they live in.” - Neal ShustermanWhen Neal Shusterman was in college, he was told to stop building worlds and start building characters. He listened. And from then on, his worlds became more magical and deep than ever before, because, as he says, when you care about characters, you care about the world they live in.Neal’s career has revolved around incredible and fantastical lands of his own creation. In these worlds, he builds rules and structures that he sticks to rigidly, even if that means following a story arc he had no intention of writing to begin with (he tells us that story in the episode). Getting immersed in settings unlike – but not far from – our own provides crucial lessons about perspective. This outside perspective allows us to shed our preconceptions and witness characters and events in a way we would be unable to otherwise. It’s an incredibly impactful storytelling style for young readers just learning these skills, and Neal is a master at it.Neal Shusterman is best known for his "Unwind Dystology" series, his Printz-winning "Scythe" trilogy, and "Challenger Deep," which won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2015. In this episode, Neal shares how getting immersed in his favorite fictional worlds inspired him to create some of his own, he’ll talk about how and why he prioritizes characters to enhance immersion, and how seriously he takes sticking to the rules of his world.***Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. ***In his reading challenge, "The Nature of Consciousness," Neal wants to send us into various fictional worlds to challenge our perception of a prevailing debate in our own world: A.I.You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com.This episode’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Danielle Masterson, assistant director at the Wilmington Public Library in Massachusetts. Danielle shares some wisdom to settle the debate of what “qualifies” as reading.ContentsChapter 1 - The Trouble with Star Trek Blueprints (2:11)Chapter 2 - The Jaws of (Neal’s) Life (9:02)Chapter 3 - Desktop Quotes (10:32)Chapter 4 - Stories From the Cabin (15:14)Chapter 5 - No Characters, No World (18:02)Chapter 6 - A Sense of Hope (24:10)Chapter 7 - The Power of a Teacher (27:12)Chapter 8 - The Nature of Consciousness (30:30)Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (31:23)LinksThe Reading CultureNeal ShustermanNeal’s National Book Award Speech for “Challenger Deep”Jaws movie trailerThe TalmudNeal’s Upcoming Graphic Novel, “Courage to Dream”The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and extra content)Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureChallenger Deep - National Book FoundationWilmington Memorial LibraryThe world of Scythe - An interview with Neal ShustermanHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

On Today's Show"That's still my trick too, never tell them how they're feeling. Never begin to even show how they're feeling. They'll get it anyway. You're describing negative space and the negative space you can't even get at.” - Jon KlassenWhere there is empty space, our brains will fill in the blanks, and often, the way in which we personally fill those blank spaces is far more potent than anything that can be written in words or shown in an image. That’s why despite being gifted in both illustrating and writing, Jon Klassen always intentionally restrains himself from specificity. Jon is a Caldecott Medal winner author and illustrator known for his distinctive minimalistic art style and quirky but profound writing. His work includes his Hat Trilogy, starting with "I Want My Hat Back", along with newer works such as "The Rock from the Sky," “The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale” and many collaborations with his longtime friend and author Mac Barnett. In this episode, Jon tells us the story of how he learned to embrace the unspoken through a “gunshot moment” in his youth. He’ll talk about how he intentionally incorporates negative space into his work and why that is so impactful for young readers in particular, and we’ll hear about the SNL classics that inspired his coy sense of comedy. ***Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. ***In his reading challenge, "A Tale to Remember," Jon invites readers to follow a process that for him emerged unintentionally in the creation of his latest book, "The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale." You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com.This episode’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Ellen Clark, the Children's Outreach Librarian for Kokomo Howard County Public Library in Indiana. Ellen shares an experience she recently had that highlights the emotional impact librarians have not just on a community writ large, but on each individual reader.ContentsChapter 1 - Seventies University Guy Reads (2:25)Chapter 2 - Sketch Book Art Kids (not Jon) (7:51)Chapter 3 - Waiting For Godot (13:10)Chapter 4 - The Existential Gun Shot (19:40)Chapter 5 - No Sad Bears (21:47)Chapter 6 - Part 2 (28:34)Chapter 7 - A Girl and Her Skull (30:37)Chapter 8 - A Tale to Remember (34:51)Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (36:12)Show LinksThe Reading CultureJon KlassenThe Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and extra content)Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureElm Trees of ManitobaP.D. EastmanMac BarnettJon’s Ghost StoryThe Hat TrilogyWaiting for GodotFor Whom the Bell TollsJack Handy - Fuzzy MemoriesGeorge and Martha by James MarshallBook Review: ‘The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale,’ by Jon Klassen - The New York TimesThe Far Side ComicsBill WattersonBlood Meridian by Cormac McCarthyThe Children’s Book PodcastKHCPL.orgHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Grace Lin (The Year of the Dog, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon) shares her thoughts on the value art provides to those who experience it and those who create it, and how it contributes to getting us in touch with our own humanity.****On Today's Show"Maybe if they haven't been in that situation, they know someone who has, or they have friends who have really struggled with losing loved ones. That all helps build empathy." - Karina Yan GlaserKarina Yan Glaser is always emotionally honest in her stories. Pulling largely from her own experiences, she lets her feelings seep onto the pages in a way that makes it impossible not to feel as a reader. But despite writing for children, she doesn't hide any of those hard emotions such as anger, sadness, and grief. She believes in the power of stories to help kids practice empathy and be prepared for the tough situations we all face in life.Her takes on community, diversity, and hardship are what make her series The Vanderbeekers such a success. In this episode of The Reading Culture, she joins to share how her own reading journey has shaped who she is as a writer and how she approaches building empathy into her stories.Karina has also developed a reading challenge in partnership with Beanstack for listeners and Beanstack partners. Her theme is books where New York City is a character. You can learn more about the challenge here.ContentsChapter 1 - Getting to know Karina (3:53)Chapter 2 - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (8:22)Chapter 3 - Becoming a Writer (16:36)Chapter 4 - Empathy in Stories (20:16)Chapter 5 - The Culture of Reading in Schools (28:59)Chapter 6 - A Question From a Reader (33:35)Chapter 7 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (36:41)This episode's Beanstack featured librarian is Megan Wilson, a librarian at Aggieland High School in College Station, Texas, which is part of the International Leadership of Texas charter schools network. Today, Megan shares with us a book she loves to recommend to her students.Show LinksKarina Yan GlaserOnly in New York reading challengeOnly in New York reading challenge on Bookshop.org (all proceeds go to fighting book bans)Karina’s EpisodeThe Vanderbeekers final installementA Tree Grows in BrooklynAll of a Kind FamilyThe MoffatsThe SaturdaysClaudia Kishi (The Babysitters Club)Linda Sue ParkGrace LinJacqueline WoodsonHomes for the HomelessColumbus School for GirlsAggieland High SchoolLovely War by Julie BerryBeanstack

We revisit our episode with Renée Watson.****On Today's Show"There's just something about literally raising your voice and letting these words come out of you. That's powerful." - Renée WatsonMaya Angelou was mute for six years. After a traumatizing childhood experience, the famous poet and activist retreated inward and lost her voice. In Renée Watson's kid-friendly but unflinching retelling of her story in "Maya's Song", Watson shows how poetry was the means to Maya finding her voice and going on to use it in unforgettable ways. That's the power of poetry. And that power is something that Renée is passionate about giving to kids.From incorporating poetic elements in her stories to writing entire stories in verse, Renée utilizes poetry in her writing frequently. In this episode, she joins to tell us more about how she came to believe in the power of poetry, how she makes it accessible to children, why she thinks it's so important for youth, and more.ContentsChapter 1 - Intro to Reneé (2:43)Chapter 2 - 1619 project (5:24)Chapter 3 - Knoxville, Tennessee (10:36)Chapter 4 - Telling Maya's Story (14:11)Chapter 5 - Teaching Youth Poetry (19:37)Chapter 6 - Music as a Gateway to Poetry (22:42)Chapter 7 - Writing About Portland (27:26)Chapter 8 - Sharing Joy With Ryan Hart (29:39)Chapter 9 - Library visits (32:02)Chapter 10 - Voice Through Voice (33:02)Chapter 11 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (33:54)Linkshttps://www.reneewatson.net/https://www.beanstack.comhttps://thereadingculturepod.com/renee-watson

Exciting news! We are hosting a big summer reading giveaway in which you can choose any three titles by any three authors who have been on our podcast. Three books each for three winners. The magic number really is three, y’all!We will select our three winners on August 11, so make sure that you have done a few things to get maximum entries!Follow The Reading Culture pod on Instagram  Comment on our post about this giveawaySubscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter 

On Today's Show"For me, in the fiction, it is so much about keeping that continuum going, that someone's going to come along after me and tell a story that's connected to the story that I've told. I'm telling the story that's connected to the writers and the relatives who came before me.” - Jacqueline WoodsonJacqueline Woodson was born a watcher. An observer. Even as a young girl, she recognized that our stories are part of an enduring legacy that stretches far before and beyond our own lifetimes. Woodson is an icon in American literature, and author of works like “Brown Girl Dreaming,” “Red at the Bone,” and “Each Kindness.” Her voice has left an indelible mark on the literary landscape.In this episode, she shares about her relationship with her siblings growing up, her sense of melancholy as a child, and how some of the earliest books she read gave her a deep sense of fairness and social justice. She reveals the book that most impacted her own writing and the one thing that gives her hope, even in dark times. Jacqueline has witnessed the evolution of literary spaces over decades, along the way establishing herself as a legendary voice in the industry. She has become a guiding force, pushing publishers, readers, and writers toward a more inclusive future, a future that features creators of the global majority. She reflects on the industry’s evolution throughout her career through the lens of a Black queer writer, and she talks about setting the next generation up to carry on our stories and the stories that came before us. Now, in addition to her own work, Woodson dedicates her time to providing resources and support to the next generation of voices through the Baldwin For the Arts. ***Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. Connect with Jacqueline on social @jacqueline_woodson.***For her reading challenge, Reading Black, Jacqueline challenges us to use her reading list as a way to look forward and back. The books she has chosen are all by black authors, telling their brilliant and varied stories of the American diaspora - stories this country is attempting to erase through book bans and challenges. She asks us to read these books and consider what other books they remind us of? For those we reread, what is new in the re-reading? What was it we missed the first time around? What thoughts and ideas have changed for us in the re-reading? You can find her list, designed for high school to adult readers, and all of our author challenges at thereadingculturepod.com.Returning as this episode’s Beanstack featured librarian is Cicely Lewis, School Library Journal’s 2020 school librarian of the year, from Gwinnett County Public Schools. Cicely, aka the Read Woke librarian, talks about why read-alouds are so important even for high school students, and why she refuses to stop using the word “woke” to inspire young people to read important narratives.ContentsChapter 1 - Starting in the Middle (2:30)Chapter 2 - The Continuum (5:44)Chapter 3 - Ballad of the Sad Café (10:44)Chapter 4 - Jacqueline’s Beginning (15:44)Chapter 5 - Empowering the Future (20:31)Chapter 6 - A Different Story (28:00)Chapter 7 - 500 Questions (35:37)Chapter 8 - Reading Black (36:33)Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (37:41)LinksThe Reading CultureJacqueline WoodsonCarson McCullers reads from The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1958)Baldwin for the ArtsThe Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and extra content)Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureThe Children’s Book PodcastCicely Lewis (Read Woke Librarian)Brown Girl DreamingRed at the BoneBallad of the Sad CaféGreenville, SCJuno DiazJamaica KincaidMacDowellBastard Out of CarolinaToshi ReagonHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

On Today's Show"Kids are growing up in an interesting time and they're led to believe that if we don't feel happy, we're doing something wrong. I think what I respond to is a deeper truth, which is, happiness is incredible and we should strive for it, but we should also acknowledge that half of our life is challenging or melancholy." - Matt de la PeñaHailing from a working class border town in Southern California, Matt de la Peña (Last Stop on Market Street, Mexican WhiteBoy, Milo Imagines the World) grew up in an environment that deeply valued strength and stoicism and oftentimes discouraged big displays of emotion from men. Instilled with a strong work ethic and the pursuit of opportunities, he followed in the footsteps of the men in his family and community. But still, there was a deeper truth to life within a buried emotional side that he felt compelled to explore.As early as high school, Matt would embrace this side of himself by secretly writing poetry, continuing on this journey to emotional self discovery throughout adulthood. Now, influenced by writers such as Kate DiCamillo and the late Cormac McCarthy, Matt’s books seek out the deeper and sometimes darker parts of life, teaching kids the invaluable skill of acknowledging melancholy and granting them the permission to appreciate their own emotional complexity.In this episode, Matt will share his lifelong journey to accessing his own emotions and how his writing teaches kids to do the same. ***Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. Join Matt on social @Mattdelapena.***For his reading challenge, Conversation Starters, Matt invites us to ponder alongside our youngest readers with his curated selection of picture books. You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculture.com/matt-de-la-pena.This episode’s Beanstack featured librarian is Cicely Lewis, School Library Journal’s 2020 school librarian of the year, from Gwinnett County Public Schools. Cicely, aka the Read Woke librarian, shares about an awesome way to keep high schoolers excited about reading for pleasure and also a very fun birthday tradition at her school. ContentsChapter 1 - One Side of the Border (2:24)Chapter 2 - The Good, Bad, and Masculine (7:20)Chapter 3 - The Closet Poet (11:14)Chapter 4 - Sutree (14:38)Chapter 5 - The Future of Latinx Voices (24:38)Chapter 6 - Leaning Forward (27:58)Chapter 7 - Writing Up (31:58)Chapter 8 - Conversation Starters (33:59)Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (34:55)LinksThe Reading CultureMatt de la PeñaMatt’s BooksThe Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and extra content)Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureWhy We Shouldn’t Shield Children From Darkness | Matt's Letter to Kate DiCamilloThe Children’s Book Podcast

On Today's Show"This is happening in our world and at the very least you can bear witness to it. That's literally the absolute least you can do. - Sabaa TahirSabaa Tahir’s (“All My Rage,” “An Ember in the Ashes” quartet) upbringing in the Mojave desert, isolated nearly 100 miles from the nearest city, exposed her to an unforgiving landscape and also many unforgiving truths of humanity. Within this backdrop, one place held significant importance in shaping her worldview: The Motel, a small business operated by her immigrant parents.  As she notes, “The good is what helps you survive, but the bad is what makes you wary and careful and makes you lonely at times.” Sabaa ventured into the realm of academia and later pursued a career in journalism, where her understanding of the world's imperfections deepened. The essence of Sabaa’s stories lies in the raw exploration of sorrow and frustration…and taking action.  In this episode, Sabaa delves into the experiences of her childhood that left an indelible mark on her perspective of the world. From the motel her parents ran, to sonic booms, to wearing (dreaded) dresses on Mondays, Sabaa’s youth sounds eerily like a superhero origin story. She also opened up about the “outsized impact” of her time copy editing at The Washington Post and its influence on her writing. Sabaa reveals how she channels her outrage to resonate with her coming-of-age readers, validating their shared frustrations and coming to terms with her own.***Keep up with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. Join Sabaa on social @SabaaTahir***For her reading challenge, Authors of the Muslim Diaspora, Sabaa wants readers to open up to other perspectives from Muslim diaspora authors, including their cultures, traditions, mythologies, and humor. She curated a fabulous reading list, and I invite you to check it out. Reading challenges are always available at thereadingculturepod.com.In this episode, we’re once again changing things up for our Beanstack featured librarian. Today we give the mic one more time to Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada, the current American Library Association president, to share more about the upcoming ALA conference and exhibition. Beanstack has proudly participated in ALA exhibitions for the last eight years! ContentsChapter 1 - The Middle of Nowhere (for real)Chapter 2 - The MotelChapter 3 - One ArtChapter 4 - The Eyes of an EditorChapter 5 - Books Like Sad SongsChapter 6 - Back to Fantasy LandChapter 7 - Lego Proof SocksChapter 8 - Muslim DiasporaChapter 9 - Beanstack Featured LibrarianLinksThe Reading CultureSabaa TahirSabaa's Books The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and extra content)Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureSabaa Tahir on growing up in a motel - VoxALA Annual ConferenceThe Children’s Book PodcastHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey