Many pediatricians care for underserved populations, and have long recognized the inextricable links between the well-being of families and the outcomes for their children. Dr. Terri McFadden, professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, medical director for Reach Out and Read Georgia, and president-elect for the American Academy of Pediatrics, joins us to talk about a new book which serves as a valuable 'how-to' on applying a two-generation approach to serving children and their families in an integrated manner — and offers primary care strategies for promoting optimal health and better developmental outcomes for children living in low-resourced environments.

It's been a few thousand years and yet Greek myths can still capture our imagination. What makes these stories so timeless? Katherine Marsh, an award-winning author of novels for middle-grade readers—including Medusa: The Myth of Monsters and The Gods' Revenge—joins us to talk about how modern adaptations can make these incredible stories more accessible to young readers.

We're always surprised — and a little chagrined — to find a piece of history we had not yet heard about. Author Maria Dolores Aguila joins us to talk about her new book A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez, a uniquely American story about one child's stand against poverty, deportation, racism, and colorism in southern California in the early 1900s.

For a question that brings up strong feelings on both sides, try asking: Do audiobooks qualify as 'reading'? Brian Bannon, the Merryl and James Tisch Director of Branch Libraries and Education and Chief Librarian at The New York Public Library, joins us to talk about the rise of—and stigma around—audiobooks, and why the environment in which we read might matter more than the modality.

We know that stress and trauma uniquely affects children. But we also know that intervening early can help reduce the associated adverse health outcomes — and that a strong caregiver/child relationship is especially powerful at buffering the effects of stress. Dr. Heather Forkey, professor of pediatrics and the vice chair of pediatrics at UMass Chan Medical School and division director of the Foster Children Evaluation Service at UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center joins us to help us understand what trauma and stress does to children and how we can help address it.

A child's engagement with digital media isn't just with a device or an app, but with an entire digital ecosystem. Managing these ecosystems can be challenging enough under regular circumstances, but tech's commercialization has outpaced families' access to helpful supports around health development, relationships, and well-being — not just of individual children or families, but of communities and societies. Dr. Tiffany Munzer, a lead author of the AAP's new Digital Ecosystems, Children, and Adolescents Policy Statement, joins us to explain this new publication and its recommendations for families, caregivers, society — and industry.

Stories with a hefty emotional punch often stick with us — and when it comes to timeless stories (think fairy tales) — that punch is often rooted in some pretty dark feelings. Exploring Hans Christian Anderson's famous tale "The Little Match Girl", Sadie Stein, an editor at the New York Times Book Review, joins us to talk about how parents and caregivers can help children navigate challenging emotions through books.

A few months ago, our host, Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, was one of several experts asked by The Atlantic magazine to share nominations for "best picture books for children", from the past 100 years. Dr. Navsaria and guest Emma Sarappo, a senior editor at The Atlantic, break down the process, which books made their list, and why.

Language shapes all aspects of our lives, including how we connect with our family. Often, the more "insider" that language is, the stronger the family bonds are. Cynthia Gordon, a professor in the linguistics department at Georgetown University and the author of "Making Meanings, Creating Family", joins us to talk about "familect" — a unique dialect particular to each and every family — and why it matters.

In early November 2025, nearly 300 people from the Reach Out and Read and Nurture Connection worlds — comprising clinicians, staff, community leaders, funders, and parents — gathered in Washington, DC for the National Summit. This event convened a coalition of innovative organizations representing the nation's early childhood community, child health systems, and networks of public and private investments to share progress, ideas, hopes, and dreams.

Voices heard in this episode include:

00:00: Mark Del Monte

02:06: Dr. Lynette Fraga

07:11: Dr. Robert Needleman

07:30: Dr. Mary Ann Woodruff

07:43: Molly Fields

09:16: Dr. Lee Beers

10:31: Mark Del Monte

14:13: Katherine Beckmann and Ira Hillman

25:29: Stephanie Smiley and Dr. John Duby

35:45: Dr. David Willis