Reading to Succeed with Elizabeth Morphis

Alan Barillaro is a children’s author and illustrator. He is also the director of Piper, which won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Based on his experience reading with his children, he has written a series, Buns Rabbit–it blends illustrations into a novel, making it extremely accessible for readers.
Alan talks about why he believes in this format–particualry in this digital-age. He also talks about his practice of keeping a sketchbook to document what he notices–and later puts into his creative work.
Buns Rabbit was nominated for the Barnes & Noble Children’s Book Award–it’s a book that your kids will absolutely enjoy–check it out here: https://www.candlewick.com/9781536247619/bunns-rabbit/
And, check out Alan’s work: https://www.alanbarillaro.com/#/

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Many authors talk about the benefits of keeping a notebook handy so that ideas can be documented in the moment. When speaking with children’s author, illustrator, and filmmaker, Alan Barillaro about his Buns Rabbit books, he shared his practice of keeping a sketchbook with him so that he can document what he notices and return to it at a later date. Elizabeth tried this with her younger daughter and she has been loving this strategy!
So, today’s tip is to get a notebook or a sketchbook for your kid (or students) and have them document what they notice. After a few entries, have them take you through their noticings!
Check out today’s mini episode for more about keeping an idea notebook!

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Elizabeth continues speaking with authors this summer, and this week's episode features N. West Moss who is the author of the middle grade book, Birdy. Birdy is a beautiful book about a girl, Birdy, and her brother, Mouse, who move from their home in New York City to upstate New York to live with relatives they have never met. This book shows how joy can be found--even after experiencing the most difficult loss.
N. West Moss talks about how she developed the characters and why nature (and animals) are so important in life. We end with a discussion of the role of journaling and why it's so beneficial for kids to have a space to write their thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams, and frustrations.
This is an episode that you won't want to miss! Please check out N. West Moss's website and order a copy of Birdy: https://www.nwestmoss.com/about

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This month, the United States is celebrating 250 years of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. After speaking with Barbara Caroll Roberts about her forthcoming picture book, When George Washington Bowed to the Nation, Barbara shared an idea for parents when reading this book, which is talking to your kids about the United States what is is about and how we got here. You may even decide to take it one step further and ask what it means to your child to be an American. This is a huge milestone for our country, so what better reason to start up a conversation about what your child thinks and knows about our nation's history.

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The United States is celebrating a big milestone--a 250th Birthday! And, to help younger generations learn about our history, Barbara Carroll Roberts has a book about George Washington coming out in August.
In this conversation, Barbara talks about the tremendous amount of research that she did in order to write this book (check out her website to see a picture of a very thick book she read!). She also shares the story behind what led her to do this research and write this book (you won't want to miss this story). And, Barbara shares some advice for parents and teachers about how this book can spark discussions with younger children who are just beginning to learn about the history of the United States.
Check out Barbara Carroll Roberts's website and preorder her book here: https://barbaracarrollroberts.com/

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It's summer! And, that means that it's time for summer reading! If you want to encourage your kids to keep reading over the summer, talk to them about the books that they are reading. Discussing books with kids helps them think through what the book is all about. After speaking with Shifa Saltagi Safadi, the author of the Amina Banana about writing bravely, Elizabeth has been thinking about how we can help kids think more deeply about the characters. This episode shares general questions that you can ask about the characters in the book as well as questions that connect to your child's life. And, Elizabeth introduces the Have You Ever type of question you can ask your kids.

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It's finally summer! To kick off summer reading, Elizabeth is speaking with authors about their books.

In this episode, Elizabeth speaks with Shifa Saltagi Safadi, the author of the Amina Banana series and Kareem Between. They begin by talking all about the Amina Banana series--where she got the idea for the series and how she decided to tackle tough topics in the books. Elizabeth and Shifa discuss writing authentically and how Shifa represents the culture authentically so that her character's backgrounds are truly seen. The conversation ends with ideas for kids about how to write bravely--and how parents and teachers can encourage this.

Check out Shifa's work: https://shifasafadi.com/

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The American Library Association is hosting its Annual Conference this month--and to gear up for the conference, this episode is about the library!
Should your child only read books on their level? The short answer is no! So, to look for books that your child will enjoy on a variety of levels, hit the library! And, now is a great time--to get your summer reading stack!

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The American Library Association is gearing up for its Annual Conference (June 25-29, 2026)--and joining Elizabeth is Dan Montgomery, who is the Executive Director of the ALA.
In our conversation, Dan talks about the importance of celebrating 150 years of the ALA, what to expect at the Annual Conference (and why you should go!), and what the ALA is facing today. Libraries are facing challenges in these changing times, but there are core values that they are upholding.
To learn more about the ALA's Annual Conference, check out their website: https://2026.alaannual.org/

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To celebrate the American Library Association's 150th Anniversary and their upcoming Annual Conference, this week's mini episode is library themed!
Libraries are known for books and reading materials, but they also have materials and resources that serve their particular community. Listen to this episode to learn about some of the materials libraries lend out--then check out your library to see what they have in store for you!

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