Dream Gardens: Talking Up the Children's Books We Love

For my eighty-second Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author Natalie Rompella about the middle grade graphic novel Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier. When Catrina’s little sister gets sick, her family moves to Northern California, just in time for the yearly gathering of ghosts. But Catrina is too afraid, both of the ghosts and what might happen to her sister. She has a lot to learn before she can set those fears aside.

Natalie Rompella is author of numerous educational guides for young readers as well as the middle grade book Cookie Cutter and Sled Runners and the non-fiction picture book The World Never Sleeps. You can find her website at natalierompella.com.

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! And if you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author and storyteller Antonia Sacre about the classic chldren’s novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. It will be published on Monday, August 17th, 2020.

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For my eighty-first Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author Alexandra Diaz about the middle grade novel The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts. In this book, Katie, who is trying to start a new life with her mother in a new town, is a bit different from other girls. It isn’t just her silver eyes; Katie has the power to move things with her thoughts. And she may not be the only one.

Alexandra Diaz is the award winning author of Good Girls Don’t Lie, The Only Road Home, and The Crossroads. Her latest book, Santiago’s Road Home, came out May, 2020. You can find her website at alexandra-diaz.com.

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! And if you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author Natalie Rompella about the graphic novel Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier . It will be published on Monday, August 3rd, 2020.

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For my eightieth Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author Jonathan Rosen about two books in the Choose Your Adventure series: The Cave of Time by Edward Packard, and Mystery of the Maya by R.A. Montgomery. The Choose Your Adventure books is a popular series of books written in the second person is which the reader is allowed to choose at various points where the story goes next. Each book tells dozens of stories with multiple endings depending on the choice the reader makes for the main character.

Jonathan Rosen is author of the middle grade books Rockefeller Caper and the Devin Dexter series, including Night of the Living Cuddle Bunnies and From Sunset Till Sunrise. You can find his website at houseofrosen.com.

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! And if you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author Alexandra Diaz about the middle grade novel The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Wilo Davis Roberts. It will be published on Monday, July 20th, 2020.

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For my seventy-ninth Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed journalist and author Karen Blumenthal about the YA non-fiction book The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater. A single moment of violence on a bus in Oakland California changed the lives of two teenagers indelibly. In this thoughtful, compassionate, and engaging exploration of true life incident, Dashka Slater looks in-depth at those involved and how the intersection of race, class, gender identity and criminal justice shaped their lives both before and after.

Karen Blumenthal passed away on May 19, 2020. You can read more about her life and work here at The Dallas Morning News. Karen was a journalist and author of such non-fiction books as Hillary Rodham Clinton: A Woman Living History and Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend. Her most recent book written for young adult readers is Jane Against the World: Roe v. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights. You can find Karen’s website at www.karenblumenthal.com

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! And if you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author Jonathan Rosen about the Choose You Own Adventure books The Cave of Time and The Mystery of the Maya. It will be published on Monday, July 6th, 2020.

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For my seventy-eighth Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author John David Anderson about the middle grade fantasy novel The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander, which is the first book of his Chronicles of Prydain series. Taran, tired of being just the assistant pig-keeper, wants a life of adventure. So when he meets the Horned King one day in the woods, adventure is exactly what he finds, and much more than he bargained for. Full of Lloyd Alexander’s trademark humor, fast pacing, and an array of quirky and interesting characters, the first book is a great introduction to the classic fantasy series.

John David Anderson is author of the novels Granted, Ms. Bixby’s Last Day which was the subject of another Dream Gardens podcast, Posted, and Finding Orion. His most recent middle grade novel is One Last Shot. You can find John David Anderson’s website at www.johndavidanderson.org.

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! And if you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author Karen Blumenthal about the YA non-fiction book The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slaternder. It will be published on Monday, June 15th, 2020.

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For my seventy-seventh Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed Jambo Book co-founder Mijha Godfrey about the middle grade novel Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai. Mai resents leaving her beloved California Beaches to travel to her family’s home in Vietnam, a place she’s never been to and never wanted to visit, to find out what happened to her grandmother’s husband during the Vietnam War. What she finds out about the country, her grandmother, and herself, will make it a special summer to remember.

Mijha Godfrey is co-founder of Jambo Books, a muliticultural book club service. You can find Mijha’s website at www.jambobooks.com.

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! And if you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author John David Anderson about the middle grade novel The Book of Three (The Chronicles of Prydain #1)by Lloyd Alexander. It will be published on Monday, June 1st, 2020.

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For my seventy-sixth Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author Matt Harry about The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. “There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.” So begins the unusual coming of age story of Nobody Owens and his strange and wonderful adventures in and out of the graveyard home he shares with the ghosts who live there and other creatures of the night.

Matt Harry is a filmmaker and author of the Codex Arcanum Series, which includes the books Sorcery for Beginners and the most recert novel, Crytozoology for Beginners. You can find Matt’s website at www.mattharrywork.com.

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! And if you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with co-founder of Jambo Books Mijha Godfrey about the middle grade novel Listen, Slowly by Thannha Lai. It will be published on Monday, May 18th, 2020.

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For my seventy-fifth Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author Lesa Cline-Ransome about the The Diary of Anne Frank. Since it was first published in 1947 by Anne’s father, Otto Frank, Anne’s diary of her life in hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands has been read by several generations of readers who have been won over by her exuberant spirit and insight, and saddened that such a singular voice was not allowed to reach its full potential.

Lesa Cline-Ransome is the award winning author of such picture books as Before She Was Harriet, Game Changers, and Counting the Stars, as well as the middle grade novel Finding Langston.  Her latest picture books are Overground Railroad  and The Power Of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne, and her latest middle grade novel is Leaving Lymon. You can find Lesa’s website at lesaclineransome.com.

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! And if you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author Matt Harry about The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. It will be published on Monday, May 4th, 2020.

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For my seventy-fourth Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author Camryn Wells about the picture book The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein. A deceptively simple story about the eternal search for the one thing that will make us complete–or will it? With Shel Silverstein’s trademark humor, style, and humanity, this story, as well as it companion book The Missing Piece Meets the Big O, is for both kids and adults, or really anyone who still is pondering what’s it all about.

Camryn Wells is author of the Color, Feel, Play series of picture books, which includes What Color is Your Day? and the recently released, The Memory of Play. You can find her website at camrynwells.com .

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! And if you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author Lesa Cline-Ransome about The Diary of Anne Frank. It will be published on Monday, April 20th, 2020.

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For my seventy-third Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author and advocate Aditi Wardhan Singh about the comic book novel Karna by Amar Chitra Katha. Adapted from part of the classic Indian epic the Mahabharata, Karna tells the story in comic book format of a tragic hero who must fulfill his destiny even at the cost of his own life. It is one of hundreds of comics in a series that has entertained and instructed children throughout India for many years.

Aditi Wardhan Singh is Founder & Chief Editor  of Raising World Children, a platform for resources about raising children of diverse families. In addition she is author of the parenting guide Strong Roots Have No Fear. You can find her website at raisingworldchildren.com.

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! And if you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author Camryn Wells about the picture book The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein. It will be published on Monday, April 6th, 2020.

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