A pair of twins from rural Canada take Hollywood by storm. But there's a darker side to their life in silent movies. Readers from Gilbert Paterson Middle School in Lethbridge, Ontario discuss Arthur Slade's novel Flickers. Our celebrity reader is actor, comedian, and game show host Gavin Crawford. Kitty Felde is host.

Spoiler alert: this episode includes plot details.

Writer Laurie Halse Anderson talks about writing that first draft, where she finds inspiration, and track and field with host Kitty Felde.

What role did African-Americans play in the Revolutionary War? Chains - the first in a trilogy by Laurie Halse Anderson - takes us to Manhattan in the 1770's. A trio of readers from Maryland discuss the book. Actress S.W. James is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

Looking for ideas of how to spend that holiday gift card? Readers from Taylor Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia have lots of suggestions for favorite books!

Bomb - Steve Sheinkin

Olympians Ares - George O'Connor

Finding Junie Kim - Ellen Oh

Big Nate- Lincoln Peirce

The Tail of Emily Windsnap - Liz Kessler 

Ms. Rapscott's Girls - Elise Primavera

The Baby-Sitters' Club - Anne M. Martin

Where the Red Fern Grows - Wilson Rawls

Henry Huggins - Beverly Cleary

Pinkalicious - Victoria Kann 

Twins - Varian Johnson

The Vampire Book: Encyclopedia of the Undead - J. Gordon Melton

The Werewolf Book: Encyclopedia of Shape-Shifting Beings - Brad Steiger

The Never Girls - Kiki Thorpe

Cleopatra in Space - Mike Maihack

The Gingerbread Man - Gail Yerrill

Honestly Katie John - Mary Calhoun

Do you see colors when you do math problems? The heroine of A MANGO SHAPED SPACE. Kids from the Mother/Daughter Book Club at One More Page bookstore in Virginia discuss the book. Writer Wendy Mass says the idea literally jumped out at her from the shelf.

Writer Stuart Gibbs didn't start out as a writer of middle grade novels. He also didn't expect to be interrupted in his interview by a member of the wildlife community in the middle of Washington, DC. He talks to host Kitty Felde.

Is there really a secret school in Washington, DC to train kids to become spies? We ask the experts in this episode: kids from Key Elementary in our nation's capital, writer Stuart Gibbs, and the man whose job description includes overseeing the activities and budget of the CIA, Congressman Eric Swalwell. Our celebrity reader is jounalist Claudia Peschuitta. Kitty Felde is host.

Is there a difference between writing poetry and prose? Writer Aida Salazar talks to host Kitty Felde about her relationship to poetry and about the telling details in writing.

You can hear other conversations with writers at the website bookclubforkids.org.

How do tween girls talk about menstruation, puberty, gender identity, and crushes? Our readers from the Oakland youth group CinnamonGirl discuss Aida Salazar’s coming of age novel The Moon Within with host Kitty Felde. Filmmaker and journalist Patricia Nazario is celebrity reader.

NOTE: this episode is appropriate for older tweens.

Looking for your next great read? Students at Malxolm X Elementary School in Washington, DC have some suggestions for books that will inspire you or scare you or make you laugh. Kitty Felde is host.