Remember Reading Podcast

Picture books, while they may be sparse in language, can pack in big and complex lessons about friendship, or difficult feelings. Their lessons often follow us into our adulthood. And, as for lessons, here is one for teachers — maybe hold off on telling students they can't draw. They may just grow up and turn you into an iconic mean character. If you’re really lucky though and kind and honest you just might become a superhero wrestler in training or a green light or a hippo with an incredible knack for friendship.

In this episode, we pay homage to illustrator and author, James Marshall. His George and Martha books integrate the tension sometimes felt between friends with valuable lessons of non-judgmental communication. Author of the World of Vamos! Books, Raúl the Third discusses the value of illustrations in books to help the story. And, Breanna Carzoo, author of Lou and Greenlight, explores how characters, even inanimate ones, respond to conflict and self-doubt.

To learn more about James Marshall, Raúl the Third, or Breanna Carzoo’s books, visit harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/james-marshall

harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/ral-the-third

harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/breanna-carzoo

Do you have a story about how a classic book changed your life? Tweet @readingpod or email us at [email protected]. Learn more at rememberreading.com. And, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

[:25] In a recorded interview from 1987, Jim reflects on his birthplace, San Antonio, Texas, and how he weaves some memory of it into all of his stories.

[1:15] Raúl the Third, author of the World of Vamos! books shares an unforgettable moment from The Box from George and Martha Back in Town.

[3:45] Breanna Carzoo, author of Lou, appreciates the George and Martha books because of the beautiful and honest depiction of friendship they depict.

[5:10] In his own words, Jim shares the origin of the idea that George has had it with Martha’s split pea soup.

[6:20] Breanna shares the unlikely inspiration behind her book, Lou, and offers a glimpse into how she uses negative space to create movement in a scene.

[8:48] Raúl’s love of larger-than-life characters inspired him to use Luchadores as characters in his soon-to-be-released book, Tacos Today.

[10:49] Raúl reveals his passion for the various approaches cartoonists take to tell a story through drawings, even if his art teachers weren’t impressed.

[15:43] The teachers in James Marshall’s books, Viola Swamp, and Miss Nelson, are polar opposites of each other.

[19:20] Reflecting on her childhood, Breanna uses humor to offset Lou’s otherwise shameful and deeply depressing existence.

[22:55] Both Jim and Raúl share the significance of the never-changing, summertime landscape of Texas as the backdrop of many of their books.

[25:54] In her new book, Greenlight, Breanna explores our need for the approval of others and the big feelings that expose themselves when we feel rejected.

[27:24] The friendship between George and Martha in Jim’s books is realistic, sometimes tense, and always truthful.

Continue Your Journey:

James Marshall

Raúl the Third

Breanna Carzoo

HarperCollins

Remember Reading Podcast

@ReadingPod on Twitter

There is much to be learned from stories, whether they feature ghosts, witches, or monsters, even when they scare us. It is the lessons learned in the face of darkness that make supernatural stories important for young readers. And, it is telling, that stories of ghosts and graveyards stay with us. They might cause us a bit of grief, but when we face them, we face ourselves, our fears, and our histories, and in confronting them we learn collaboration, problem-solving, empathy, and companionship.

In this episode, we dredge up some Halloween spirit and examine our favorite graveyards and the ghosts that haunt them. J.A. White and Chantel Acevedo join the Queen of Tween Screams, Mary Downing Hahn to appreciate her supernatural classic, Wait Till Helen Comes. A self-proclaimed scaredy cat, Mary shares how the dysfunction of the family at the center of her book served to create an opening for a ghost to entice itself into a renewed existence. Mary, J.A., and Chantel unearth the dark secrets and histories of villains and ghastly beings to help readers understand that whatever haunts their nightmares just may hold an important lesson.

To learn more about Mary Downing Hahn’s, J.A. White’s, or Chantel Acevedo’s books, visit harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/mary-downing-hahn

harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/j-a-white

harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/chantel-acevedo

Do you have a story about how a classic book changed your life? Tweet @readingpod or email us at [email protected]. Learn more at rememberreading.com. And, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

[1:58] Mary shares the frightful churchyard revelation that became/inspired Wait Till Helen Comes.

[4:01] Chantel reflects on how Mary succinctly portrays the complex yet simple way many children think about death.

[6:51] J.A. White believes the supernatural elements of Wait Till Helen Comes only add to the existing tension of the underlying family drama.

[7:38] Mary shares how writing about a blended family adds conflict and makes her story relatable to young readers.

[11:34] In The Curse of Spectacle Key, Chantel’s young characters are encouraged to feel free from the pressures of growing up and that loving and being loved is enough.

[16:30] J.A. White loves the idea of budding young authors identifying with the plight of Alex from Nightbooks, and Gravebooks.

[19:46] In their books, Mary, Chantel, and J.A. all explore the lurking pasts of their villains and how that history shapes their fears and actions.

[21:21] In The Curse at Spectacle Key, the main character Frank has a mission to break the curse of the island and expose the hidden history of orphaned ghosts.

[25:27] Mary recalls the many different responses she has received about Wait Till Helen Comes from 1986 when supernatural books were a point of debate.

Continue Your Journey:

JA White Books

Chantel Acevedo

HarperCollins

Remember Reading Podcast

@ReadingPod on Twitter

Shareables:

“It speaks about death in ways that are emotionally complex but also simple to grasp.” — Chantel Acevedo, author, The Curse on Spectacle Key

“Sometimes I forget who I am writing for when I am caught up in writing. When I really get into the book it is almost like the story is telling itself.” — Mary Downing Hahn, author, Wait Till Helen Comes

“She uses all these supernatural elements to augment the tension that is already there. I think that is my favorite type of supernatural story.” — J.A. White, author, Gravebooks on Mary Downing Hahn’s Wait Till Helen Comes

“A ghost is the ultimate outsider.” — Mary Downing Hahn, author, Wait Till Helen Comes

Middle grade is a time when readers can be especially moved by the books they pick up. Books can center kids marginalized by conflict, can inspire other readers to decenter themselves, to listen better, and to be more intentional with welcome signs. In one sense, borders are fiction, lines made up by winners of wars. In another sense, borders have a potent impact on the lives of the people who cross them, often as a result of those wars. but the truth of crossing borders is in the smallest details of people’s lives and in the white space between those details.

In this episode, three authors reveal the experiential journey of their child characters who cross borders and merge cultures in their books. Thanhhà Lai, Rajani LaRocca, and Jasmine Warga share their personal journeys of arriving in a new land, learning English, making friends, and what inspired them to find their character’s voice in poetry. Stories like theirs remind all readers that just by being mindful of the way we treat each other, we can make the world anew … every day.

To learn more about Thanhhà Lại’s, Rajani LaRocca’s, or Jasmine Warga’s books, visit harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/thanhh-lai

harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/rajani-larocca

harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/jasmine-warga

Do you have a story about how a classic book changed your life? Tweet @readingpod or email us at [email protected]. Learn more at rememberreading.com. And, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

[:25] Rajani and Jasmine share treasured moments from Inside Out and Back Again.

[3:32] Thanhhà describes her book as a recollection of her daily routine living amid war and the shock of adjusting to Alabama and English.

[8:04] Jasmine and Rajani describe what inspired them to structure the narrative of their books in prose poems.

[10:45] In Other Words for Home, Jasmine portrays the tension points of dealing with Islamophobia in the U.S. and the joy that exists in the Arab and Muslim community for her young adult character, Jude.

[12:51] In Red, White, and Whole, Rajani’s protagonist, Reha, swirls between Indian and American culture while her mother is sick with Leukemia.

[14:52] Falling back into her past allowed Jasmine to channel Jude’s adolescent voice.

[16:15] Thanhhà describes how she blends a youthful point of view into a complicated situation.

[17:00] War, refugees, freedom, and the truth of crossing borders.

Children’s literature offers a rehearsal for the real world. A safe place for young readers to practice seeing beyond the easy narratives that are handed to them by their communities or that they might see in the media or even that they are taught in schools. It is the foundation for critical thinking. Children come to books already having a deep and wide emotional landscape they will use to navigate the world. Books can pull back the curtain on how things work and give kids a head start on making their corner of the world a little brighter.

In this episode, Karina Yan Glaser and Anne Ursu reflect on the influence of Lois Lowry’s powerful Newbery award-winning, The Giver, and explain how their books disclose the injustices of patriarchy, power, and pallidity on society. Lois shares her personal experience of having her books banned and ponders the future of children who have not been exposed or provoked through literature.

To learn more about Lois Lowry’s, Karina Yan Glaser’s, or Anne Ursu’s books, visit harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/lois-lowry

harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/karina-yan-glaser

harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/anne-ursu

Do you have a story about how a classic book changed your life? Tweet @readingpod or email us at [email protected]. Learn more at rememberreading.com. And, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

[5:50] Lois, Karina, and Anne recount the purposeful words used to describe the nefarious conditions in The Giver.

[12:46] The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy was, in part, a response to Anne Ursu’s rage after witnessing the patriarchal narrative during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings.

[16:32] Karina shares the principal theme of her book, A Duet for Home.

[22:34] Characters who challenge misinformation is a theme that runs through The Giver, A Duet for Home, and The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy.

[25:33] Anne contends that by banning books and taking away history our ability to empathize will also be eliminated.

[26:26] Lois’ book, Number the Stars, has also been added to a few banned book lists.

[29:11] Lois’ advice for authors who find themselves on a banned book list.

Continue Your Journey:

Lois Lowry

Karina Yan Glaser

Anne Ursu

HarperCollins

Remember Reading Podcast

@ReadingPod on Twitter

Magic and fantastical elements can get kids reading. Young adult fantasy novels construct portals readers can get sucked into, and when they emerge, they often have more nuanced and keen insights for making or remaking the world around them. The parallels to contemporary society can even give kids another way to see themselves. In this episode, Megan Whalen Turner, author of the Queen’s Thief series, Roseanne A. Brown, author of A Song of Wraith and Ruin, and Garth Nix, author of the Old Kingdom series, describe how the real world can be an inspiration for fantasy worlds, how a civilization’s myths and religions offer depictions of the people, how to create compelling and dynamic characters who overcome even when great harm befalls them, and the many forms of magic in stories.

To learn more about Megan Whalen Turner, Roseanne A. Brown, or Garth Nix’s books, visit harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/megan-whalen-turner

harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/roseanne-a-brown

harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/garth-nix

Do you have a story about how a classic book changed your life? Tweet @readingpod or email us at [email protected]. Learn more at rememberreading.com. And, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

[1:21] Looking back at how Megan created The Thief’s fantastically detailed world.

[5:16] Historical and geopolitical strife are not common components in Young Adult novels.

[8:16] Roseanne describes how adding myths to a story gives readers an understanding of how characters see the world.

[11:24] Megan describes the unique process she used when writing the Queen’s Thief series.

[12:09] The role of storytelling and folklore in Roseanne’s book, A Song of Wraith and Ruin.

[13:59] Upending the idea of what a hero should be to create stories with integrity.

[17:27] Garth and Rosanne describe how they create and utilize magic in their stories.

Continue Your Journey:

Megan Whalen Turner

Rosanne A. Brown

Garth Nix

HarperCollins

Remember Reading Podcast

@ReadingPod on Twitter

Books help young people wrap their minds around who they are, how they fit into the world and give them the language to demand the world make space for them. Queer Young Adult books can guide young readers through the myriad of experiences of coming out in different contexts and cultures. And, love stories can help young gay kids imagine themselves into meaningful adult lives and into fulfilling relationships that validate, nourish, and sustain them. In this episode, three authors of queer YA books share their personal coming-out experiences, which they later translated into their character’s coming-out journey, and share the impact reading queer YA books can have on generations of gay kids in developing their personal agency.

To learn more about Becky Albertalli, Adbi Nazemian, or Jason June’s books, visit harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/becky-albertalli

harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/abdi-nazemian

harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/jason-june

Do you have a story about how a classic book changed your life? Tweet @readingpod or email us at [email protected]. Learn more at rememberreading.com. And, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

[1:00] In 2015, Becky Albertalli published the award-winning novel about a gay teen, Simon vs. The Homosapien Agenda.

[5:02] Author of Like a Love Story, Abdi Nazemian describes how coming out today is different than in decades past.

[9:00] Part of Abdi’s personal coming-out story is similar to his character's experience in Like a Love Story.

[10:40] In Jay’s Gay Agenda, Jason June wanted to move the main character past his coming-out story.

[12:03] Without a thriving gay community, love, romance, and sexual experiences can be out of reach for gay teens as Jason June explores in Jay’s Gay Agenda.

[16:18] After Simon vs. The Homosapien Agenda was published, a storm of criticism led Becky to come out publicly in an essay.

[21:22] Becky, Abdi, and Jason discuss how being able to relate to queer characters in books matters.

[22:28] Authors share their favorite reads in the Queer Young Adult book space.

Continue Your Journey:

Becky Albertalli

Abdi Nazemian

Hey Jason June

HarperCollins

@ReadingPod on Twitter

Shareables:

“Oftentimes when we’re taught history, we’re taught we learn history, so as not to repeat it. And as I was writing the book, I was like, but what if we flip that? And we teach the reverse of it, which is, let’s study the history that we do want to repeat. Let's study ACT UP. How did they form, how did they actually create such a monumental change in the world? How did the queer community come together when everyone turned their backs on them?” — Abdi Nazemian, Author, Like a Love Story

“We need to explore the magic and the complications and all the layers of getting to be queer and what that means.” — Jason June, Author, Jay’s Gay Agenda

“When you are trying to write about an experience that looks different for every person it’s hard to definitely say something is right or wrong but I wanted it to feel authentic.” — Becky Albertalli, Author, Simon vs. The Homosapien Agenda

There is a magical age, somewhere between eight and twelve, where young people’s wonder at the natural world can be galvanized into meaningful engagement with the threats and challenges that humans bring to bear on nature. It is within this window that the right book at the right time can help a young person make sense of the big feelings that come with adolescence — and with unforeseen hardships, like global pandemics.

In this episode, with the help of Sara Pennypacker, author of Pax and Pax, Journey Home, Colby Sharp, literacy advocate and teacher, and Philippe Cousteau, co-author of The Endangereds series, we discuss the serious, real-life challenges that young readers face and how animal characters in books can help them identify and express their feelings of grief, loss, and trauma.

To learn more about Sara Pennypacker’s or Philippe Cousteau’s books, visit harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/sara-pennypacker

harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/philippe-cousteau

Do you have a story about how a classic book changed your life? Tweet @readingpod or email us at [email protected]. Learn more at rememberreading.com. And, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

[2:33] The reaction Sara received from a group of fourth-graders after reading a chapter of Pax, led her to make changes to the original text.

[4:24] Sara prefers to write about how wounded children attempt to carry on and heal their wounds after trauma.

[5:18] A scene in the book, when Peter decides not to return to the therapist, spurs Colby to consider the state of his children post-pandemic.

[8:56] Sara describes why Pax is purposefully written to exclude a distinct time or place.

[12:07] After interviewing several animals, for Sara, there was no question the character Pax would be a fox.

[14:37] Philippe Cousteau describes his book series, The Endangereds and how learning from animals helps children identify with the major environmental crisis we face.

[18:17] How writers can introduce young readers to serious, real-world issues.

[20:02] Pax’s ending left readers with the opportunity to envision their version of what happens to the characters but as questions emerged Sara decided to write the sequel Pax, Journey Home.

[29:09] Colby’s non-fiction, Gamechanger, addresses the need to get books in the hands and minds of children.

Continue Your Journey:

Sara Pennypacker

Mr. Colby Sharp

Philippe Cousteau

HarperCollins

Remember Reading Podcast

@ReadingPod on Twitter

Shareables:

“There's nothing like a read-aloud on this planet, sharing a book with a bunch of kids in the classroom and having those conversations. And, I believe that kids in my class will remember our reading aloud of Pax for the rest of their life.” — Colby Sharp, literacy advocate and author

“'I’m not the writer who writes about the damage happening to kids. As a writer, I'm more interested in what they do afterward. So, I want to be really respectful of kids who have been wounded or have had losses in this way.” — Sara Pennypacker, author, Pax

“Passion and excitement and adventure need to be part of any good story. Those are kinds of universal rhetorical truths about storytelling that I drew from when working on The Endangereds. How could we tell stories that could make kids excited, but then also try to give them a little bit of agency?” — Philippe Cousteau, co-author of The Endangereds: Melting Point

Meg Cabot’s bestselling series, The Princess Diaries spans almost two decades. The main character of the series, Mia, shares her unfiltered, innermost thoughts as private diary entries. Young adult readers of the books are privy to and captivated by Mia’s internal and external landscape as she morphs from an awkward teen and into a royal princess. Author Elise Bryant was one such reader. In her book, Happily Ever Afters, the main character, Tessa, tackles similar teenage issues and emotions to Mia, but as a black girl. In this episode, Meg and Elise share their thoughts about why love stories belong in young adult libraries, why epistolary novels capture a reader's attention, and why a true representation of diversity can enhance the connection kids have with literature.

To learn more about Meg Cabot’s or Elise Bryant’s books, visit harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/meg-cabot or harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/elise-bryant

Do you have a story about how a classic book changed your life? Tweet @readingpod or email us at [email protected]. Learn more at rememberreading.com. And, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

[1:34] When switching her then adult novel to a young adult novel, Meg leaned on a friend’s daughter to help her choose a format for the book.

[3:07] As luck would have it, Meg had her childhood diaries for inspiration.

[5:32] Meg summarizes Mia, the main character of The Princess Diaries.

[10:39] Both Elise and Meg describe their discomfort when coming to terms with their love of coming-of-age romance novels.

[13:03] The Princess Diaries addresses real issues teenage girls face, such as love and sex.

[17:01] True representations of diversity in books offers kids the opportunity to profoundly identify with characters.

[21:12] Elise’s forthcoming book, One True Loves is a companion novel to Happily Ever Afters.

Continue Your Journey:

Meg Cabot

Elise Bryant

HarperCollins

@ReadingPod on Twitter

Shareables:

“I had notes in my diary from, like, Algebra. This is why I got such bad grades. I wasn't clearly paying attention. So, I thought — oh, I could just transfer this right into the book and it will be really funny. So everything in those books is taken right from my actual notebooks from high school.” — Meg Cabot, Author, The Princess Diaries

“I loved rom-coms from a very early age but it was almost impossible at that point in the late ’90s or early 2000s to find those books with girls that looked like me. And so I started, just like Tessa does in Happily Ever Afters, I started writing those stories myself. I would write the kind of voicey, funny, happy, joyful love stories that I love to read but then I would write them with a girl that was black like I am.” — Elise Bryant, Author, Happily Ever Afters

“I think it's so important for kids to see themselves in all types of narratives, like being the hero, being the prince or princess, fighting bad guys, fighting monsters, solving mysteries and you know — falling in love. It helps kids to dream even bigger dreams when they see that reflected in stories. ” — Elise Bryant, Author, Happily Ever Afters

The right book at the right time can provide kids with models of self-love that can guide them through growing pains. Today on Remember Reading, host Katie Dutton unpacks a book that does just that for young readers. Join us as we head to West Texas, where we enter a beauty pageant, do some Dolly Parton fan-folking, and talk drag and self-love through the lens of one of our all-time favorite characters, Ms. Willowdean Dixon, the plus-sized heroine of Julie Murphy's 2015 breakout book, Dumplin'.

To learn more about the Dumplin’ series, visit harpercollins.com/collections/books-series-dumplin

Do you have a story about how a classic book changed your life? Tweet @readingpod or email us at [email protected]. Learn more at rememberreading.com. And, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

[:47] The idea for Dumplin’ was inspired by a series of photographs but Julie needed time to process her feelings before writing the book.

[2:19] Why Angie Manfredi was excited about the publishing announcement of Dumplin’.

[5:24] The fat characters who influenced Julie and Angie as children.

[7:06] In the book, Dumplin’s love life disrupts common misconceptions about what makes one worthy of love.

[11:03] Willowdean’s obsessions with Dolly Parton and drag culture are sourced directly from Julie’s passions.

[19:14] The ‘Other’ F Word essay collection was born out of a conversation Angie had with a group of skinny teenagers.

[21:18] Julie explains how Dumplin’ gives credence to the understanding that all bodies are worth advocating for.

[23:32] Angie recalls an example of how Dumplin’ sparks important conversations with young readers.

Continue Your Journey:

Julie Murphy - www.imjuliemurphy.com

Fat Girl Reading - https://fatgirlreading.com

HarperCollins - www.harpercollins.com

Remember Reading Podcast - www.harpercollins.com/pages/remember-reading-podcast

@ReadingPod on Twitter

Representation matters, especially in children’s literature and stories that represent Native American people. In this episode, we focus on Heartdrum, an imprint about stories by Native American creators who publish stories with an emphasis on the present and future of Indian Country, and on the strength of young Native American heroes. Author-curator Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Creek), author and co-founder of We Need Diverse Books, Ellen Oh, and HarperCollins editor Rosemary Brosnan discuss how the Heartdrum project came to fruition and a sample of the beautifully diverse stories now available to young readers.

To learn more about Heartdrum, visit Diversebooks.org/programs/heartdrum

Do you have a story about how a classic book changed your life? Tweet @readingpod or email us at [email protected]. Learn more at rememberreading.com. Until next time!

[:01] In her book, Jingle Dancer, Cynthia Leitich Smith depicted Native American girls and women, who are underrepresented in children’s literature.

[5:01]The books by authors of color that impacted Cynthia and Ellen as children.

[7:40] In her series, Indian Shoes, it was important to Cynthia the characters be in contemporary, urban settings.

[10:57] When publishers shifted away from multiculturalism and inclusion, Cynthia successfully pivoted and created paranormal stories including the Feral series.

[13:23] The progressive ideas that fuel We Need Diverse Books make the organization much more than a hashtag.

[15:42] Ellen, Cynthia, and Rosemary Brosnan instigated the creation of Heartdrum, the first native imprint at a major publisher.

[21:36] The Sea in Winter by Christine Day is one of the first books published by Heartdrum.

[26:14] Current trends in contemporary children’s literature and future opportunities for Heartdrum.

[29:44] Ellen describes her motivation for writing her very personal latest book, Finding Junie Kim.

[32:02] Ancestor Approved is a collection of stories and poetry that showcases the diversity within Indian Country and pairs new and established authors.

Continue Your Journey:

Cynthia Leitich Smith

Ellen Oh Books

We Need Diverse Books

HarperCollins

Remember Reading Podcast

@ReadingPod on Twitter