BookSmitten

By Kelly J. Baptist, Heather Shumaker, Patrick Flores-Scott, Jack Cheng

Seeing a hopeful, human world through children's literature. Hosted by authors Kelly J. Baptist, Jack Cheng, Patrick Flores-Scott, and Heather Shumaker – your book smitten crew. We cover the whole ran... more

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FAQs about BookSmitten:

How many episodes does BookSmitten have?

The podcast currently has 66 episodes available.

BookSmitten episodes:

October 21, 2025Kate DiCamillo on BookSmitten
It’s 25 years since “Because of Winn Dixie” was published, which means 25 years of readers enjoying the heart and honesty of Kate DiCamillo. We’re delighted to share this conversation with one of kidlit’s most beloved authors, and chat with Kate about her unforgettable characters and craft. As Kate says, “Characters are people I’ve discovered, not made up.” Come discover Kate’s world with us!Our Books for Children and Young Adults:
⁠Flying Lessons & Other Stories⁠ Edited by Ellen Oh; Kelly’s short story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”
⁠Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero⁠ by Kelly J. Baptist
⁠Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day⁠ by Kelly J. Baptist
⁠The Electric Slide and Kai⁠ by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by Darnell Johnson
⁠The Swag is in the Socks⁠ by Kelly J. Baptist
⁠Eb & Flow⁠ by Kelly J. Baptist
⁠Ready, Set, Dough!⁠ by Kelly J. Baptist
⁠See You in the Cosmos⁠ by Jack Cheng
⁠The Many Masks of Andy Zhou⁠ by Jack Cheng
⁠Jumped In⁠ by Patrick Flores-Scott
⁠American Road Trip⁠ by Patrick Flores-Scott
⁠No Going Back⁠ by Patrick Flores-Scott
⁠The Griffins of Castle Cary⁠ by Heather Shumaker
Kelly J. Baptist: ⁠kellyiswrite.com⁠
Jack Cheng: ⁠jackcheng.com⁠
Patrick Flores-Scott: ⁠patrickfloresscott.com⁠
Heather Shumaker: ⁠heathershumaker.com⁠

Find us online: Contact us: ⁠
[email protected]⁠
X/Twitter: ⁠@booksmittenpod⁠
Bluesky: @booksmitten.bsky.social
Produced by Patrick Flores-Scott and Heather Shumaker
...more
32min
November 06, 2024Summer Breaks: The Girls of Skylark Lane w/ Robin Benway
Robin's website
Far from the Tree
Our Books for Children and Young Adults:
Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh; Kelly’s short story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist
The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by Darnell Johnson
The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist
Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
Ready, Set, Dough! by Kelly J. Baptist
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou by Jack Cheng
Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
No Going Back by Patrick Flores-Scott
The Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather Shumaker
Find us online:
Kelly J. Baptist: kellyiswrite.com
Jack Cheng: jackcheng.com
Patrick Flores-Scott: patrickfloresscott.com
Heather Shumaker: heathershumaker.com
Contact us: [email protected]
X/Twitter: @booksmittenpod

Produced by Jack Cheng
Music by Duck Duck Chicken
...more
32min
October 23, 2024Summer Breaks: Gracie Under the Waves w/ Linda Sue Park
Mentioned in this episode:
Linda Sue Park’s Website
Gracie Under the Waves
A Long Walk to Water
We Need Diverse Books
Our Books for Children and Young Adults:
Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh; Kelly’s short story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist
The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by Darnell Johnson
The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist
Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
Ready, Set, Dough! by Kelly J. Baptist
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou by Jack Cheng
Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
No Going Back by Patrick Flores-Scott
The Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather Shumaker
Find us online:
Kelly J. Baptist: kellyiswrite.com
Jack Cheng: jackcheng.com
Patrick Flores-Scott: patrickfloresscott.com
Heather Shumaker: heathershumaker.com
Contact us: [email protected]
X/Twitter: @booksmittenpod

Produced by Jack Cheng
Music by Duck Duck Chicken
...more
35min
August 14, 2024 Summer Breaks: No Going Back w/ Patrick Flores-Scott
We’re back with another of our Summer Breaks. In this episode our co-host Patrick gets the spotlight this time, as we talk about his new YA novel, No Going Back.Our Books for Children and Young Adults:
- Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh; Kelly’s short
story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice
Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”
- Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
- Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist
- The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by
Darnell Johnson
- The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist
- Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
- Ready, Set, Dough! by Kelly J. Baptist
- See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
- The Many Masks of Andy Zhou by Jack Cheng
- Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
- American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
- No Going Back by Patrick Flores-Scott
- The Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather Shumaker
Find us online:
- Kelly J. Baptist: kellyiswrite.com
- Jack Cheng: jackcheng.com
- Patrick Flores-Scott: patrickfloresscott.com
- Heather Shumaker: heathershumaker.com
Contact us: [email protected]
X/Twitter: @booksmittenpod

Produced by Jack Cheng
Music by Duck Duck Chicken
...more
44min
July 17, 2024 Summer Breaks: Ready, Set, Dough! w/ Kelly J. Baptist
Introducing: Summer Breaks! We’ll be airing a couple of episodes this summer to tide you over as we regroup and plot out the next season. Here is our conversation with our very own Kelly J. Baptist about her new middle grade novel, Ready, Set, Dough!Our Books for Children and Young Adults:
- Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh; Kelly’s short
story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice
Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”
- Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
- Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist
- The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by
Darnell Johnson
- The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist
- Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
- Ready, Set, Dough! by Kelly J. Baptist
- See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
- The Many Masks of Andy Zhou by Jack Cheng
- Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
- American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
- No Going Back by Patrick Flores-Scott
- The Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather Shumaker
Find us online:
- Kelly J. Baptist: kellyiswrite.com
- Jack Cheng: jackcheng.com
- Patrick Flores-Scott: patrickfloresscott.com
- Heather Shumaker: heathershumaker.com
Contact us: [email protected]
X/Twitter: @booksmittenpod

Produced by Jack Cheng
Music by Duck Duck Chicken
...more
38min
May 29, 2024Season 2 Finale with Ann Whitford Paul
Mentioned in this episode:
Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul
Louder than Hunger by John Schu
The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead
Writing with Pictures by Uri Shulevitz
How to Write Picture Books by Linda Ashman
Our Books for Children and Young Adults:
Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh; Kelly’s short story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist
The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by Darnell Johnson
The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist
Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
Ready, Set, Dough! by Kelly J. Baptist
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou by Jack Cheng
Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
No Going Back by Patrick Flores-Scott
The Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather Shumaker
Find us online:
Kelly J. Baptist: kellyiswrite.com
Jack Cheng: jackcheng.com
Patrick Flores-Scott: patrickfloresscott.com
Heather Shumaker: heathershumaker.com
Contact us: [email protected]
@booksmittenpod
Follow our progress on X/Twitter this season with #booksmittenchallenge
Produced by Jack Cheng
Music by Duck Duck Chicken
Our Books for Children and Young Adults:
Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh; Kelly’s short story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist
The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by Darnell Johnson
The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist
Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
Ready, Set, Dough! by Kelly J. Baptist
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou by Jack Cheng
Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
No Going Back by Patrick Flores-Scott
The Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather Shumaker
Find us online:
Kelly J. Baptist: kellyiswrite.com
Jack Cheng: jackcheng.com
Patrick Flores-Scott: patrickfloresscott.com
Heather Shumaker: heathershumaker.com
Contact us: [email protected]
X/Twitter: @booksmittenpod

Produced by Jack Cheng
Music by Duck Duck Chicken
...more
48min
May 15, 2024Conference Takeaways from SCBWI Marvelous Midwest
Mentioned in this episode:
SCBWI Marvelous Midwest 2024
Gary D. Schmidt
Sherri L. Smith
James Solheim

Interviewees:
Aaron Fox (MO)
Debbie Gonzales (MI)
Kat Higgs-Coulthard (MI)
Leslie Helakowski (MI)
Danielle Defoe (MI)
Kathy Halsey (OH)
Amy Flynn (OH)
Sheila Willobee (MI)
Kathy Groth (WI) - Sunken Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan, Ocean Party (Illustrated by Becca Hart)
Joyce Uglow (WI) - Stuck: The Story of the La Brea Tar Pits (Illustrated by Valerya Milovanova )

Our Books for Children and Young Adults:
Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh; Kelly’s short story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist
The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by Darnell Johnson
The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist
Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
Ready, Set, Dough! by Kelly J. Baptist
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou by Jack Cheng
Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
The Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather Shumaker
Find us online:
Kelly J. Baptist: kellyiswrite.com
Jack Cheng: jackcheng.com
Patrick Flores-Scott: patrickfloresscott.com
Heather Shumaker: heathershumaker.com
Email us: [email protected]
@booksmittenpod
Follow our progress on X/Twitter this season with #booksmittenchallenge
Produced by Jack Cheng
Music by Duck Duck Chicken
Our Books for Children and Young Adults:
Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh; Kelly’s short story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist
The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by Darnell Johnson
The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist
Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
Ready, Set, Dough! by Kelly J. Baptist
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou by Jack Cheng
Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
No Going Back by Patrick Flores-Scott
The Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather Shumaker
Find us online:
Kelly J. Baptist: kellyiswrite.com
Jack Cheng: jackcheng.com
Patrick Flores-Scott: patrickfloresscott.com
Heather Shumaker: heathershumaker.com
Contact us: [email protected]
X/Twitter: @booksmittenpod

Produced by Jack Cheng
Music by Duck Duck Chicken
...more
15min
March 13, 2024Titles and Critiques
Mentioned in this episode:
Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul
Creepy Crayon by Aaron Reynolds; Illustrated by Peter Brown

Our Books for Children and Young Adults:
Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh; Kelly’s short story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist
The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by Darnell Johnson
The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist
Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
Ready, Set, Dough! by Kelly J. Baptist
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou by Jack Cheng
Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
The Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather Shumaker
Find us online:
Kelly J. Baptist: kellyiswrite.com
Jack Cheng: jackcheng.com
Patrick Flores-Scott: patrickfloresscott.com
Heather Shumaker: heathershumaker.com
Email us: [email protected]
@booksmittenpod
Follow our progress on X/Twitter this season with #booksmittenchallenge
Produced by Jack Cheng
Music by Duck Duck Chicken
Our Books for Children and Young Adults:
Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh; Kelly’s short story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist
The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by Darnell Johnson
The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist
Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
Ready, Set, Dough! by Kelly J. Baptist
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou by Jack Cheng
Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
No Going Back by Patrick Flores-Scott
The Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather Shumaker
Find us online:
Kelly J. Baptist: kellyiswrite.com
Jack Cheng: jackcheng.com
Patrick Flores-Scott: patrickfloresscott.com
Heather Shumaker: heathershumaker.com
Contact us: [email protected]
X/Twitter: @booksmittenpod

Produced by Jack Cheng
Music by Duck Duck Chicken
...more
55min
February 14, 2024Dummies
Mentioned in this episode:
Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul
Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw; Illustrated by Margot Apple

Our Books for Children and Young Adults:
Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh; Kelly’s short story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist
The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by Darnell Johnson
The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist
Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
Ready, Set, Dough! by Kelly J. Baptist
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou by Jack Cheng
Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
The Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather Shumaker
Find us online:
Kelly J. Baptist: kellyiswrite.com
Jack Cheng: jackcheng.com
Patrick Flores-Scott: patrickfloresscott.com
Heather Shumaker: heathershumaker.com
Email us: [email protected]
@booksmittenpod
Follow our progress on X/Twitter this season with #booksmittenchallenge
Produced by Jack Cheng
Music by Duck Duck Chicken
Our Books for Children and Young Adults:
Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh; Kelly’s short story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist
The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by Darnell Johnson
The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist
Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
Ready, Set, Dough! by Kelly J. Baptist
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou by Jack Cheng
Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
No Going Back by Patrick Flores-Scott
The Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather Shumaker
Find us online:
Kelly J. Baptist: kellyiswrite.com
Jack Cheng: jackcheng.com
Patrick Flores-Scott: patrickfloresscott.com
Heather Shumaker: heathershumaker.com
Contact us: [email protected]
X/Twitter: @booksmittenpod

Produced by Jack Cheng
Music by Duck Duck Chicken
...more
28min
January 31, 2024Page Turns and Word Count
Mentioned in this episode:
Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul
The Mousery by Charlotte Pomerantz; Illustrated by Kurt Cyrus
On Writing by Stephen King

Our Books for Children and Young Adults:
Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh; Kelly’s short story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist
The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by Darnell Johnson
The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist
Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
Ready, Set, Dough! by Kelly J. Baptist
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou by Jack Cheng
Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
The Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather Shumaker
Find us online:
Kelly J. Baptist: kellyiswrite.com
Jack Cheng: jackcheng.com
Patrick Flores-Scott: patrickfloresscott.com
Heather Shumaker: heathershumaker.com
Email us: [email protected]
@booksmittenpod
Follow our progress on X/Twitter this season with #booksmittenchallenge
Produced by Jack Cheng
Music by Duck Duck Chicken
Our Books for Children and Young Adults:
Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh; Kelly’s short story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist
The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by Darnell Johnson
The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist
Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist
Ready, Set, Dough! by Kelly J. Baptist
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou by Jack Cheng
Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
No Going Back by Patrick Flores-Scott
The Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather Shumaker
Find us online:
Kelly J. Baptist: kellyiswrite.com
Jack Cheng: jackcheng.com
Patrick Flores-Scott: patrickfloresscott.com
Heather Shumaker: heathershumaker.com
Contact us: [email protected]
X/Twitter: @booksmittenpod

Produced by Jack Cheng
Music by Duck Duck Chicken
...more
36min

FAQs about BookSmitten:

How many episodes does BookSmitten have?

The podcast currently has 66 episodes available.

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