Many of you will already know that I am a huge fan of The Chronicles of Narnia. Today, I want to introduce my fellow Narnia lovers to a new book that jumped right off the shelf as soon as I saw it. 

Giant is a middle-grade novel by debut author Judith McQuoid where we meet Davy, a fictional working class boy from East Belfast, Ireland who is sent to work in the wealthy Lewis household in 1908. There, he forges a friendship with Jacks–as C.S. Lewis was known to his friends and family–over books, stories, and building worlds of imagination and adventure.

Giant is a must-read for Narnia fans that adds a whole new depth of experience to C.S. Lewis’s world and will help you read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in a fresh way. And today, I’m chatting with the author about what inspired her to write the book, how much of the story is fictionalized, and how the process of writing the book shaped her identity. And you’re going to love her Irish accent! 

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• The way her dad’s love of Narnia and Lewis’s Belfast heritage inspired Judith to write this story 
• How Judith started with a “skeleton” draft and added layers of detail and depth with revisions
• The faith that carried Judith through the ups and downs of creating Giant

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/judith-mcquoid

Order Flora and the Jazzers by Astrid Sheckels!

Astrid Sheckels continues the wit and whimsy of childhood through her marvelous and magnificent illustrations and storytelling. 

You might recognize her from the Hector Fox and Friends series or Sea Dog and Sea Dog Rescue, and she created the gorgeous cover and interior illustrations for Beyond Mulberry Glen by Millie Florence. 

Today we’re chatting about her new book, Flora and the Jazzers, which Kirkus called “sumptuously illustrated” in their starred review and I couldn’t agree more. This jazz-age Cinderella story starring a ferret named Flora and set in a 1920s New York hotel is going to blow you away, I just know it. 

Astrid is a New Englander who loves to paint animals in clothes, so clearly she is a woman after my own heart, and I just know you’ll fall in love with her too.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• How childhood family read-alouds instilled a love for stories in Astrid
• The way one of Astrid’s earliest childhood drawings became the inspiration for Flora
• Why a sketchbook is an ideal tool for budding creatives 

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/astrid-sheckels

Order Flora and the Jazzers by Astrid Sheckels!

Peace. It sounds lovely, right? It’s what so many of us want more than anything else in our homeschools. We long for peace, even if it often feels unattainable.

But what does peace actually look like in the midst of a real, chaotic homeschool day?

Last month in Circle with Sarah–my mentoring program for homeschool moms inside RAR Premium–we had a retreat. And our theme? Maintaining Peace in Your Homeschool.

Over four sessions, we walked through practical tips for letting go of guilt and holding onto peace when your day doesn’t go as planned–which we all know is basically every hour of every day, right? 

Today, I’m sharing the first session of the retreat, called “What Do We Mean by Peace?”

I hope you find encouragement for maintaining peace within the everyday rhythms of homeschooling and that you get a better picture of the peace that’s available to you right here, right now, regardless of the circumstances you find yourself in.

And if you want to check out the rest of the retreat, all of the sessions are available now as part of RAR Premium (Join us right here!).

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• The real definition of peace (hint: it’s not always calm and quiet!) 
• Our primary responsibility as moms and homeschoolers
• How our fears cause us to lose hold of peace

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/peace

Order Flora and the Jazzers by Astrid Sheckels!

What does having a happy homeschool mean to you? 

How would you describe it? What would you be doing?

Our homeschools are all unique. We have different kids, different spouses, different resources, different homes, different demands on our time and energy. And yet I have a hunch that when we think about what having a happy homeschool means, our answers would be remarkably similar.

As many of us are getting into the swing of a new school year, I want to revisit a topic that I think is incredibly important to keep in mind so that you can actually enjoy your homeschool this year.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• The one word we want our homeschools to emulate 
• Why your peace and contentment as a homeschool mama matters more than curriculum
• The five things moms told us again and again about having a happy homeschool (with a handy acronym!)

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/homeschool-habits

Order Flora and the Jazzers by Astrid Sheckels!

Today, I have a very special treat for you! This spring, our publishing imprint here at RAR, Waxwing Books, celebrated the release of Painting Wonder: How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien at one of my favorite bookstores, Fabled Bookshop in Waco, Texas.

I had so much fun talking to Painting Wonder’s incredibly talented author and illustrator, Katie Wray Schon, about this picture book biography of the fascinating woman behind the iconic illustrations in the works of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. 

We knew this conversation would be too good to keep to ourselves, so we recorded it, and now we’re sharing it with you!

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Why Katie wanted to write and illustrate a picture book about Pauline Baynes 
• Katie’s process for writing, illustrating, and revising a page-turning book 
• What Katie would go back and tell her younger self, plus her favorite resources for aspiring authors and illustrators

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/painting-wonder-launch

Order Flora and the Jazzers by Astrid Sheckels!

One of the all-time most useful things I’ve implemented in my homeschool is Quiet Reading Time.

I did Quiet Reading Time with my three eldest kids, who are now in college and beyond, during the most hectic years when I had all six at home (three of whom were babies at the time!), and I still do it with those younger three today. It has made a bigger difference in our homeschool than almost anything else.

It isn’t always quiet. And it isn’t always reading, in the most traditional sense. But it is incredibly effective, and it’s still my kids’ favorite part of the day.

In this episode, I’m going to talk all about how to bring Quiet Reading Time into your homeschool.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Why and how Quiet Reading Time can simplify your curriculum 
• What Quiet Reading Time does for your kids (and for you!) 
• How to manage reading time with littles underfoot

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/quiet-reading-time

Order Flora and the Jazzers by Astrid Sheckels!

Summer break . . . It’s often not much of a break, right?

Even if you find yourself with a little less on your plate, anxiety and second-guessing have a way of filling the gaps where we want rest and relaxation to fill.

To find peace that lasts throughout the school year, we can’t just “take a break.” 

We need to break free from the stories and fears that keep us mired in anxiety.

When homeschooling moms ask me for advice, they rarely need advice. What they’re really asking for is reassurance, a chance to take a breath and let go of anxiety or fear, so they can trust themselves and trust that the Holy Spirit will guide them.

Today the RAR team selected some of our favorite pieces of wisdom on the theme of rest and reassurance from the RAR Premium private podcast, Circle with Sarah. 

Think of this episode as a little vacation for your homeschooling heart. 

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• How acting like we know we're loved helps us let go of anxiety
• What we’re actually responsible for when it comes to raising our kids 
• How you know when you’re doing enough in your homeschool 

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/vacation-for-your-heart

Order Flora and the Jazzers by Astrid Sheckels!

Have you ever read a book and thought, “Wow, how did the author do that?!” 

Or maybe you’d love to sit down with your favorite author and pick their brain about their writing process or tips and tricks for when you get stuck.

Today, the Read-Aloud Revival team has compiled some of our favorite advice about getting creative from the archives of RAR Premium’s Family Book Clubs. 

Whether you write, draw, paint, or engage in any other creative pursuit, and whether you’re seven or seventy-seven–and every age in between–there’s something here to help you get your creative juices flowing.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Tips for staying with the struggle and keeping the joy in your creativity
• How to create a satisfying story
• Advice for getting ideas, when to ignore your outline, and loving the process 

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/writing-advice

Order Flora and the Jazzers by Astrid Sheckels!

If you’ve been around the Read-Aloud Revival for a minute, you might know that C. S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters is one of my all-time favorite books. 

It’s the book I have read and re-read the most, and it’s also the source of some of my favorite read-aloud memories with my young adult son.

Today’s guest has written a book in a similar style with the modern woman in mind, and in this episode we talk about how the enemy is working the hearts and minds of women today. 

Emily Wilson Hussem is the author of Sincerely Stoneheart: Unmask the Enemy’s Lies, Find the Truth That Sets You Free, as well as a speaker and YouTuber who shares her faith around the world. It was a delight to have her on the show. 

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• How Emily adapted C. S. Lewis’s format to get to the heart of the most common struggles in women’s lives
• Why embracing friendship, connection, and community is key to thriving as women and mothers
• The ways distraction, comparison, and dissatisfaction all pull us away from living in the truth of our identities as beloved daughters of God 

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/emily-wilson

Order Flora and the Jazzers by Astrid Sheckels!

On the last episode of the Read-Aloud Revival, we talked about why Shakespeare is not a school subject. I hope we were able to convince you!

But if we know that Shakespeare isn’t a school subject or an item on a checklist, how do we actually do it? And how do we make Shakespeare not just doable in our homeschools, but delightful?

Today, we’ll talk through a simple framework your family can use to experience one of the richest and most rewarding literary treasures in the world in a way that is absolutely magical and a whole lot of fun.

I'm willing to bet that if you implement the framework that we discuss in this episode, you won’t mistake Shakespeare for a school subject ever again!

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Why we don’t start teaching Shakespeare with the original text
• Simple, easy ways to build connections with Shakespeare’s works and with each other
• How incorporating performance makes Shakespeare come alive for the whole family

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-to-shakespeare

Order Flora and the Jazzers by Astrid Sheckels!