Ask a Librarian with Julie Chavez

Ask a Librarian with Julie Chavez

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Ask a Librarian with Julie Chavez episodes

  • Maya Smart Addresses America’s Literacy Crisis
    If reading is fuel for children as they grow, then Maya Smart has handed you a can of gas with her new book Reading for Our Lives: A Literacy Action Plan from Birth to Six. Maya is an author and literacy advocate, and her book is an essential tool for all new parents. She and Julie talk about building literacy at an early age, the importance of spaced learning, and the ways that parents can build easy habits into their days that will benefit the rapidly growing brains of their children. Maya stresses the urgency of our nationwide literacy crisis (especially as an increased level of sophistication is required to be effectively literate), but she also emphasizes that parents and caregivers have agency to help get our young people back on track. Even as a mom of older kids, Julie grabbed some fresh perspective on intentional conversation with surly teenagers.

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    43 min
  • Regina Shklovsky Explains All Things Art to Julie
    Artist, designer, and illustrator Regina Shklovsky always loved art but had never imagined it as a career path–until the right class taken at the right time opened up a world of possibility. She joins Julie to share how she got started in graphic design, and then book design, and eventually book illustration (which she knew she wanted to do at age seventeen). She also talks about learning to design for a client versus her own projects, how to grow your interests by engaging (take a class!), and the importance of consistency in practicing one’s art. She and Julie are also fans of collecting books and believe that tsundoku (the Japanese word for the habit) is an excellent use of their time. 

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    45 min
  • Kerri Sullivan Knows There's More to New Jersey than the Freeways

    Kerri Sullivan isn’t an exceedingly wealthy secret ghostwriter, but she’s a woman with vision and the plans to make them reality. Her current day job is as a public librarian, but her love for her home state led her to start the Instagram account, Jersey Collective, which would eventually become the roots and inspiration for her anthology, New Jersey Fan Club: Artists and Writers Celebrate the Golden State. She talks to Julie about the fun and complexities of developing and editing an anthology, creative ways for authors to find readers in libraries, and the value of a solidly developed book proposal (she teaches a class on the topic and is one for one on proposals leading to deals, so we think she’s a pro).  




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    43 min
  • Traci Thomas Doesn’t Want Everyone to Read That One Book

    Traci Thomas has produced nearly 250 episodes of her incredible podcast, The Stacks, and talking to her was a thrill for Julie. Traci is thoughtful and intentional and loves talking honestly about books. She joins Julie in this episode to discuss the satisfactions and occasional cognitive dissonance of interviewing, how someone responding to an idea with “I have follow-up questions” is a friendly sign to pivot, and why she holds deep hatred for the phrase “everyone should read this book.” Traci also explains why she believes that reviews are for readers, not for authors, and the importance of sharing honest opinions about creative work without worrying about feelings. 



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    58 min
  • Shelli R. Johannes is Dark, Twisty, and Super Fun

    Shelli R. Johannes may wear lots of hats, but she’s always the best dressed in the room (even on Zoom). Julie talks to Shelli about her co-authoring experience, the importance of having excellent communication and pre-set boundaries when disagreements arise, her two new books coming this year, and how she was excellent at Fortnite mobile but her skills aren’t as strong on the PC. Shelli also shares about her journey from a degree in Marketing to writing dark YA, to now penning and co-writing bright, happy STEM picture books. She’s learned a lot over the years of wearing all those hats, and she shares some recent good advice that will apply to all writers. 




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    49 min
  • Maggie Tokuda-Hall Talks Writing and Staircases
    In addition to hosting the hilarious podcast with Red Scott, Failure to Adapt, Maggie Tokuda-Hall is an author of all types of books. She joins Julie in this episode to share about the experience of writing her first novel, The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, its upcoming sequel, and her most recent picture book, Love in the Library. Maggie talks very frankly about her commitment to education around the real-life events in Love in the Library, and she shares a key piece of writerly wisdom earned when writing her novel: a perfectly built staircase that goes nowhere is useless. She also asks Julie one of her favorite Ask a Librarian questions yet: what do you think about the ALA’s recent commitment to total neutrality when it comes to books that simply aren’t true?

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min
  • Madeline Martin Writes Real Books
    As an army brat, Madeline Martin learned to love libraries early on: they were a place where her literary besties awaited her — their lives comfortingly similar even as Madeline's shifted. She joins Julie to discuss her love of exhaustive research and its central role in all of her books, both romance and historical fiction. Madeline also outlines the unique challenge of writing romance, especially when balancing reality and fantasy (because characters in romance novels don’t have morning breath). She then introduces Julie to a new goal-tracking system. These two Potterheads are already planning to vacation together!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    43 min
  • Vicki Lewis, Expert Reader of the Beginnings of Books

    Vicki Lewis may not be a librarian, but she plays one on stage in Between the Lines, the new musical based on the novel by Jodi Picoult and her daughter, Samantha Van Leer. In this episode, Julie and Vicki discuss the ongoing joy of Vicki’s role as the voice of Deb/Flo in Finding Nemo, the meditation and centering of singing, and how reading about those who have walked through hard times can serve as a comfort in our own struggles. This once shy, sarcastic young girl has blossomed into an actor with range and grace: hear it first hand here.



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    51 min
  • Reading to Store Up Comfort, with Gregory Maguire

    Gregory Maguire is a New York Times best-selling author and is, in Julie’s unbiased opinion, downright charming. In this episode, he speaks with her about trusting his own writing voice, the importance of understanding the life cycle of emotions, and his belief that books are for consolation, not bibliotherapy. We store up truths and stories in our hearts for the hard times that will inevitably come. You don’t want to miss this deeply thoughtful conversation. 


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    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    47 min
  • The One Where Julie is a Shameless Anglophile

    Freya Sampson wisely heeded the voice that told her the chance to be a writer would pass her by if she didn’t grab hold of it. The author of The Last Chance Library and The Lost Ticket joins Julie in this episode to talk about that career pivot, writing a truly awful first draft to get it out of the way, and an important reminder for all writers: the book you hold in your hands wasn’t a magical one-step process. Julie’s chuffed to end season one laughing with this delightful guest. 


    Purchase Ask a Librarian merch here.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min

About Ask a Librarian with Julie Chavez

From the publisher's feed

Let’s explore the stacks with the experts! Librarians specialize in helping you find what you’re looking for (and what you didn’t know you were looking for). Join Julie Chavez as she interviews…