This episode of the Reading with Your Kids podcast features conversations with Michelle Nelson-Schimdt and Leah Cypess. Michelle returns to the show to share about how her career and income as an author declined significantly in the past year, leaving her with a negative bank balance. She discussed how she had tied her identity too closely to her career success and income. Michelle is now substitute teaching and doing other work. She encouraged listeners to not define themselves by their career or income.  Leah Cypess, author of the Sisters Ever After middle grade novels. She discussed her latest book in the series, The Last Rose, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the perspective of Beauty's younger sister. Leah talked about drawing inspiration from having daughters to understand the middle grade perspective. She aims to show different types of sibling relationships in each book. Leah also shared about her winding path to becoming an author, having studied other fields before committing to writing full-time. Both authors provided writing advice and encouraged listeners to support their work. Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com 

Being An Author Ain't Easy

Reading With Your Kids is all about encouraging parents to read with their kids, and cook with their kids, and do activities with their kids, and experience tv, movies and music together. In other words, our podcast is all about helping parents build stronger relationships with their kids.

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Let's hop on the Book Bus! Brian Wray and Mike Helm are on this episode of #ReadingWithYourKIds to celebrate The Book Bus, their new children's book.which tells the story of Tilly the book bus who delivers books to children. They told us the book was inspired by the real life book bus organization. Taylor Hintermann then discussed her debut picture book "Kipps Funny Little Feet" about a boy learning to walk with leg braces. She talked about how she wanted to promote inclusion for children with disabilities or special needs. Next, Joren Cull celebrated his book "I Am Book" about a book character who tries different genres to find his place. He discussed changing the book over many years and wanting to spread empathy. All of the guests encouraged families to read together to help foster understanding and acceptance of differences. Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com 

All Aboard The Book Bus!

This episode of Reading With Your Kids takes a deep dive into a  wide range of topics related to parenting, education, and children's health. Richard Capriola, an expert in adolescent substance abuse, discussed the importance of educating parents on the warning signs of drug and alcohol use in teens with our RWYK intern Kayla Nuehlen. He emphasized that knowledge is key to early intervention. Richard and Kayla discussed how schools could incorporate neuroscience into drug education to make it more engaging for students. Teen drug use rates in the US were examined, noting that many teens believe drugs are widely available and not dangerous. Intergenerational relationships and the role of food in bringing families together were explored. We also welcomed author Tim Kleyn back to the show. Tim was on to celebrate his new kids' book Grilled Cheese, Yes Please. Tim also shared how becoming a parent influenced his books to incorporate more playfulness and reflect on a child's perspective. .Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com  #AdolescentSubstanceAbuse #TeenDrugUse #UnderageDrinking #YouthMentalHealth #AddictionPrevention #ParentingTips #DrugEducation #FentanylRisks #OpioidEpidemic

Addressing The Root Cause Of Teen Substance Use

On this episode of #ReadingWithYourKids we answer wie explore puppy love and Bubble troubles. Alexandra Horowitz, celebrates her new book The Year of the Puppy. She discussed her career studying dog behavior and cognition. She explained how dogs were domesticated from wolves over thousands of years through selective breeding. Horowitz also talked about common misconceptions people have about dogs, like thinking they form dominance hierarchies like wolves. Later in the episode Ellwyn Autumn returns to celebrate  her new picture book, A Fish Named Fancy. The book is about a boy fish named Fancy who likes to make shapes with his bubbles instead of circles like the other fish. He goes on an adventure to find others who are different too. Autumn said the book promotes acceptance of uniqueness and individuality. As a teacher, she talked about how kids as young as preschool age can start to form cliques and exclude others. Both authors provided advice for parents on how to help kids who feel left out, like encouraging other interests and hobbies to find friends. Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com 

If Fish Could Bark

On this episode of #ReadingWithYourKids we celebrate the stories from Tyra Juliette Schwartz, Kalle Sudoof & Jenna Margon. We begin our celebration with a powerful conversation with Tyra Juliette Schwartz about her new kids' book  "The Sky is Red". Tyra tells us this book teaches self-trust through a fun superhero story. She emphasized the importance of instilling inner strength and resilience in children to believe in themselves despite challenges. We then speak with . Kale Sudoff and his book "Stuart Quills and his Explosive Emotions" that explores a character dealing with change and nerves. Kale tells us the books was inspired by his own experience with stuttering. Kale encourages embracing differences and individuality. Our third segment showcases Jenna Morgan and her book "Twinkle". Jenna tells us this book  was inspired by her daughter's free spirit. It explores feeling pressure to conform versus being true to oneself. Both Kale and Jen found solace in creative writing and want to inspire kids through relatable characters. Hard work, perseverance, and overcoming disappointment. were discussed. Tyra shared facing rejection but achieving dreams through hard work and self-belief. The importance of building resilience in children was highlighted. Overall the discussions promoted values of self-confidence, embracing uniqueness, and empowering children. Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com 

How NOT To Bubble Wrap Your Kids

This episode of Reading with Your Kids features conversations about children's literature, mental health, and self-acceptance. Guests William Hartwick and Francine Davila discuss their memoirs exploring personal journeys of healing through difficult life experiences. Hartwick shares how writing helped him process trauma and find self-love, represented through the metaphor of an "Invisible Backpack" carrying emotional burdens. Helen Wu of Yeehoo Press discusses selecting books appealing to audiences in both the US and China, noting cultural differences in topics. Her company focuses on themes like STEM, hands-on learning, and diversity to foster global understanding. Francine Davila returns to discuss her book "The Lonely Chameleon," exploring a character struggling with low self-esteem due to not fitting in. She shares overcoming bullying by accepting herself unconditionally in high school. Overall, the conversations emphasize the power of self-love through challenging times and importance of inclusive, imaginative children's literature in building confident readers. Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com 

Being An Author Ain't Easy

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