Reach Out and Read

What can fossils — yes, fossils! — tell us about the history of shared parental care and infant helplessness? Jeremy DeSilva, an Endowed Professor of Archaeology, Paleontology, and Ethnology at Dartmouth takes us on a few million years' deep dive into human evolution and what the fossil record tells us about the evolution of family relationships and behavior.

Whether man-made or naturally-occurring, chances are children will be exposed to some level of trauma at some point. How we regard these situations and recognize the protective effect of positive relationships will help guide how we may talk to kids and — we hope — buffer the effects of trauma. Yevgenia Nayberg joins us to talk about "Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters", her new book that draws upon her own upbringing in 1980s Ukraine and how she grounded herself in love and art throughout a childhood full of uncertainty.

The 20th Century was a time of unparalleled industry, creativity, innovation, and reach in the toy industry. Michael Kimmel, a SUNY distinguished professor emeritus and author of Playmakers: The Jewish Entrepreneurs Who Created the Toy Industry in America, joins us to talk about the immigrants who practically single-handedly created the material culture of American childhood as we know it.

Can fear and enchantment be two sides of the same coin? How can stories help children navigate through darkness and wonder? Maria Tatar, the John L. Loeb Research Professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures and of Folklore and Mythology at Harvard University, joins us to discuss the role of children's literature in offering curiosity and courage in young readers. Warning: you may never think about some classic books the same way again...

What does it mean to be "enough" as a parent, caregiver, or professional? Where is my "maternal instinct" if I don't feel an instant bond? How do fathers come to feel like fathers — and what if the connection doesn't come right away?" These are just some of the questions explored using narrative and reflection by Dr. Junlei Li and Thelma Ramirez in their new early relational health project, The Shock and Beauty of Early Parenthood.

She's the most influential person you may never have heard of. A new book, Books Good Enough for You: The Storied Life of Ursula Nordstrom, Editor of Extraordinary Children's Books, recounts how she nurtured and edited some of the greatest books of the past 100 years, including titles such as Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon, The Carrot Seed, Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and dozens more. Author Nancy Hudgins joins to talk about the impact Ursula Nordstrom had - and continues to have - on the world of children's literature.

When, why, and how did we decide as a society to dedicate all our parenting resources to the "human capitalization of children"—and at what cost? Nina Bandelj, Chancellor's Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine, joins us to help answer this question (and many others) from her new book Overinvested: The Emotional Economy of Modern Parenting.

Commemorating America 250, we asked author Laurie Halse Anderson to join us to discuss Rebellion 1776, a historical fiction middle grade adventure about a girl struggling to survive amid a smallpox epidemic, the public's fear (yes!) of inoculation, and the seething Revolutionary War.

Underneath every 'comeback story' is a deep well of resilience that emerges from fundamental human capabilities that are at the same time both ordinary and powerful. Ann Masten, Regents Professor of Child Development at the University of Minnesota and author of Ordinary Magic, joins us to talk about how we can build and promote the building blocks of resilience in early childhood.