The Reading Culture

On Today's Show"I think it's really important that readers see the people behind the book: the authors, the illustrators, the librarians, the teachers, the folks in publicity and marketing. Obviously, a young reader won't see all of that, it's just important to know that the people behind the book are people of color or look like you. That's just taking diversity and inclusion and equity to another level." - Varian JohnsonAs a kid, Varian Johnson always felt connected to authors. Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume were among his early favorites. He would even write letters to Blume. But those connections were unmatched compared to Walter Dean Myers. In reading Walter Dean Myers, Varian Johnson saw himself reflected in both the characters on the pages and in the author himself.  That relationship between the reader and author is something Varian values a great deal. Now, as an adult and author, Varian takes his role in that relationship seriously. He knows the responsibility it entails in the messages he shares and how he inspires his own readers. He joins to talk about that relationship and what it means for young readers to see themselves beyond the pages. ContentsChapter 1 - Varian as a Young Reader (2:36)Chapter 2 - If You Come Softly (8:57)Chapter 3 - Connecting with the Reader (11:54)Chapter 4 - Writing as a Black Author (15:03)Chapter 5 - The Author's Role in Shaping Kids' Minds (17:26)Chapter 6 - Varian's Favorite School Visits (19:59)Chapter 7 - Addressing Toxic Masculinity in "Playing The Cards You're Dealt" (23:01)Chapter 8 - "Drawing in Color" (27:51)Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (29:08)Today's Beanstack featured librarian is Leah Wyan, the youth fiction selector for Tulsa City County Library in Oklahoma. In this week's episode she tells us about a recent heartwarming experience from her library featuring beloved author Jason Reynolds.Linkshttps://varianjohnson.com/https://www.thereadingculturepod.com/https://www.beanstack.com/

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 (2:33)Chapter 2 - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (7:02)Chapter 3 - Becoming a Writer (15:16)Chapter 4 - Empathy in Stories (18:56)Chapter 5 - The Culture of Reading in Schools (28:29)Chapter 6 - A Question From a Reader (32:15)Chapter 7 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (35:21)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.Linkshttp://thereadingculturepod.com/http://www.karinaglaser.com/https://www.beanstack.com/

On Today's Show"I feel like writers, especially who are wordsmiths, who can name things, tricky things in clear ways ... should be where we put our efforts. Really creating an offensive, an offense in this campaign to win the hearts back." - Meg MedinaMeg Medina's passion for telling stories goes back as far as she can remember. Crafting words into lessons and engaging experiences has always been her calling, but it took her a few careers to fully dive in. Now, she's a Newbery Award-winning children's author, best known for her Merci Suárez trilogy. In this episode of The Reading Culture, she joins to share her thoughts on the craft of storytelling. Meg talks about the power of storytelling to pass on the knowledge of tradition and to share experiences. She also talks about the increase in book bans and challenges and why she believes leaning into the gift of storytelling will help authors and the industry create the ultimate offense.Meg has also developed a reading challenge called "Girls in Motion," in partnership with Beanstack, for listeners and Beanstack partners. For the challenge, Meg curated a diverse list of stories featuring athletic girls facing various life challenges. You can hear her talk more about it in the episode and see the details and full list of books here. ContentsChapter 1 - Meg's Beginnings as a Writer (2:00)Chapter 2 - Telling Her Own Story (8:35)Chapter 3 - “Letters of E.B White” (11:14)Chapter 4 - Reading to Be Human (16:12)Chapter 5 - On Visiting Schools (20:27)Chapter 6 - Storytelling to Fight Book Bans (21:55)Chapter 7 - Saying Goodbye to Merci Suárez (27:55)Chapter 8 - Girls in Motion (32:48)Chapter 9 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (35:01)Today's featured librarian is Meredith Derrick, the Library Coordinator for Klein Independent School District outside of Houston, Texas. In this episode she tell's us more about her most successful library program to date.Linkshttp://thereadingculturepod.com/https://www.thereadingculturepod.com/meg-medina http://www.megmedina.com/https://www.beanstack.com/

In our new podcast, The Reading Culture, host Jordan Lloyd Bookey will bring you along as we connect with diverse authors about their own journeys as readers and storytellers, as well as what experiences along the way motivated them to read more. Authors will share their perspectives on the cultural climate in children’s and young adult literature. And get excited for each guest's unique, themed reading challenge for students and readers of all ages. Coming this fall.