Scholastic Reads

Libraries are the heart of a school, but many suffer from chronic under-funding. Author James Patterson is working to change that. In this episode, he joins us to discuss his pledge to donate $1.75 million to school libraries for the second year in a row. We also hear from librarian Teresa Israel, who works at one of the schools that received a grant from Patterson’s 2015 pledge. 

Guests:

• James Patterson received the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community at the 2015 National Book Awards. A tireless champion of the power of books and reading, he has created a new children's book imprint, JIMMY Patterson, whose mission is simple: "We want every kid who finishes a JIMMY Book to say, 'PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER BOOK.'" He has donated more than one million books to students and soldiers and has over four hundred Teacher Education Scholarships at 24 colleges and universities. He has also donated millions to independent bookstores and school libraries. Patterson will be investing proceeds from the sales of JIMMY Patterson Books in pro-reading initiatives. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.  

Additional Resources:

• View the full list of schools receiving grants

Special Thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl

Graphic novels are having a moment. Inspired by the rise of this popular genre, we asked Greg Grunberg, actor and author of the recently released Dream Jumper, to share the story of his inspiration. Illustrator Lucas Turnbloom also discusses his role in the book and his artistic process. Finally, David Saylor, the founder and editorial director of Scholastic's Graphix imprint, joins us with an exciting announcement: a new Graphix contest, where aspiring graphic novelists can get published.

Guests:

• Greg Grunberg has appears in the award-winning series Heroes, Alias, and Felicity, among others. Grunberg's film credits include Mission: Impossible III, Austin Powers, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens directed by J.J. Abrams. Greg is also co-host of AMC's "Geeking Out," a new late-night talk show hosted by Kevin Smith and Grunberg that takes a timely look at pop culture through a fanboy lens and features talk, clips, celebrity interviews, and out-of-the-studio segments. Dream Jumper is his first graphic novels. 

Additional Resources:

• Dream Jumper (purchase it here)

Special Thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl

Just in time for Halloween, Dan Poblocki, author of the new multiplatform series Shadow House, joins us to talk about the origins of his spooky tales. The series comes with an app, which is perfect for young readers. In the episode, Dan (pictured here with his bewitching editor, Erin Black) reveals all of the creepy things that have happened to people who have worked on the Shadow House series. Join us for some scary stories!

Guest:

• Dan Poblocki is the author of The Stone Child, The Nightmarys, The Ghost of Graylock, The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe, The Book of Bad Things, and the Mysterious Four series. He lives in Brooklyn with two adorable cats and more books than he has room for. Visit him at danpoblocki.com. Dan welcomes readers to Shadow House, a new multiplatform series filled with ghostly apparitions, spooky noises, and things that go bump in the night. The Gathering, Book 1 in the series, is in stores now. Book 2, You Can’t Hide, is coming in January 2017.

Additional resources:

• The Shadow House website

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl

15 years ago, Scholastic partnered with Chicken House, a publishing company based in the UK begun by publisher Barry Cunningham. In this episode, Barry, perhaps best-known for being the original acquiring editor of a little book called Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in the U.K., shares his vision of book publishing and talks about the state of the industry. He's joined by Chicken House author M.G. Leonard, writer of Beetle Boy, who regales listeners with her story of writing children's books about creepy-crawlies...while being utterly terrified of them.  

Guests:

• Barry Cunningham is the founder of Chicken House, a lively and creative company publishing highly original and enjoyable children’s books, with a special emphasis on new fiction. Chicken House launched in the US in 2001 and marked its 15th anniversary here this past summer. Barry is also known for signing up J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone while at Bloomsbury. Together with Chicken House and Scholastic, Barry is proud to have brought the voices of five-time New York Times bestselling author Cornelia Funke (The Thief Lord; Dragon Rider; the Inkheart trilogy), Printz Honor Award-winning Lucy Christopher (Stolen), Kevin Brooks (Martyn Pig; Lucas; Candy), Rachel Ward (Numbers trilogy), Cathryn Constable (The Wolf Princess), and M.G. Leonard (Beetle Boy) to the world.

Additional resources:

• Chicken House Books 

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl

Maria Dominguez, executive editor at Scholastic en Español, and Nancy Mercado, editorial director of Scholastic Press, share their experiences reading and editing Spanish-language or Latino-culture-driven children's books in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. They discuss the books they love and recommend, from Sonia Manzano's Becoming Maria to Christina Diaz Gonzalez's Moving Target. Maria also highlights her own experience growing up in Cuba, while Nancy talks about the importance of reading Spanish-language books to her daughters.

Guests:

• Maria Dominguez, executive editor, Scholastic en Español

Additional resources:

Books discussed in this episode include:

• Esperanza Rising, The Dreamer, and Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl

For generations, teachers have been using Scholastic Reading Club to help their students foster a lifelong love of reading. Judy Newman, President of Scholastic Reading Club, joins us to talk about the unique business, its book-selection process, and her team of book-loving editors. We’re also joined by teacher-customer turned employee Carol Levine; Editorial Director David Allender; and Reading Club Teacher Advisor Beth Prince.  

Guests:

• Judy Newman. President, Reading Club and E-Commerce. Judy oversees Scholastic Reading Club, the company's school-based book distribution channel which has been a treasured tradition for teachers and students since 1948. Scholastic Reading Club reaches more than 1 million teachers and 26 million children in classrooms nationwide every year. The Club's e-commerce platforms on Scholastic.com made Internet Retailer’s Hot 100 list in 2009. In 1999, Judy created Scholastic Reading Club's ClassroomsCare initiative, which helps children understand the value of reading and giving. Scholastic donates up to 1 million books to children in need when students in each participating classroom read 100 books. Judy also oversaw the development of Clubs Ordering On-Line (COOL), a service that allows teachers to submit Reading Club orders via the Internet, and Parent COOL, which enables families to submit book orders to their teachers online. Judy also currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Reach Out and Read.

Beth Prince, Kindergarden teacher at Hearst Elementary School in Washington, D.C., and Scholastic Reading Club Teacher Advisor.

Additional Resources:

• Learn more about Scholastic Reading Club here.

Thirty years ago this month, readers were first introduced to the founding members of The Baby-sitters Club: Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne, and Stacey. With nearly 250 titles in print, and new graphic novel adaptations by Raina Telgemeier, The Baby-sitters Club remains one of the most beloved series of all time. In this episode, we talk with BSC creator Ann M. Martin and her longtime editor, David Levithan, about the groundbreaking series and its loyal following.

Guests:

• Ann M. Martin's Baby-Sitters Club series has more than 176 million copies in print worldwide. Martin, who lives in upstate New York, is also the author of the Main Street series; the Newbery Honor-winning A Corner of the Universe; Here Today; A Dog's Life; and On Christmas Eve; as well as the much-loved collaborations P.S. Longer Letter Later and Snail Mail, No More with Paula Danziger.

Additional resources:

• Read excerpts, play games (we recommend taking the What Type of Baby-sitters Club Member Are You? Quiz), and meet the characters over at The Baby-sitters Club website.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl

Lauren Tarshis, author of the bestselling I Survived series, explains why her stories of survival resonate so deeply with young readers. Her thrilling tales about such momentous events as the sinking of the Titanic and the bombing of Pearl Harbor allow her fictionalized characters to confront life-or-death challenges. Lauren also dons her editor’s hat to talk about Storyworks Jr., Scholastic's new English Language Arts magazine for third graders.

Guest:

• Lauren Tarshis’s I Survived series has sold more than 21 million copies. The fictionalized tales take characters on harrowing journeys, where they must draw on their smarts and resilience. In her work, Lauren has brought to life such events as the Joplin tornado, the destruction of Pompeii, Hurricane Katrina, and, most recently, one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions in U.S. history—I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980. Lauren is also the editor of Scholastic Storyworks and Storyworks Jr. magazines and the author of Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree and Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love. She can be found online at laurentarshis.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurenTarshis. 

Additional resources: 

• Browse the I Survived Series and read excerpts from each book here.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl

Photo credit: David Dreyfuss

In this episode, we’re joined by Edwidge Danticat, whose work recounts the stories of Haitians and Haitian-Americans. Her haunting YA novel, Untwine, tells the story of an unbreakable bond between twin sisters of Haitian descent. 

Guest:

• Edwidge Danticat is the author of several award-winning works, including Breath, Eyes, Memory, an Oprah’s Book Club pick; Krik? Krak!, a National Book Award nominee; The Farming of Bones, an American Book Award Winner, and Untwine (Scholastic, 2015). Edwidge, who was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2009, lives in Miami, Florida, with her family. You can learn more about her work at www.EdwidgeDanticat.com.

Additional Resources:

• Learn more about Untwine and read an excerpt here.

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl

Photo credit: Mark Dellas, 2015

June is Pride Month, so we’re dragging it up with Jeffery Self! Jeffery is the author of Drag Teen, his debut YA novel. The book follows a high school senior (and aspiring drag queen) on a quest to go to college. Jeffery is joined by his editor, acclaimed YA novelist David Levithan.

Note: This episode was recorded before the tragic shootings in Orlando. Our hearts are with the victims, families, and friends of this devastating event.

Guests:

• Jeffery Self is a writer and an actor who has appeared in Desperate Housewives, 90210, and 30 Rock. He has also starred in his own show, Jeffery & Cole Casserole. Jeffery currently appears as the host of the MTV talk show, Scream After Dark. The author of two books for adults, he hosts a weekly podcast called This Is Really Important on iTunes. In a starred review, Booklist praised Drag Teen, Jeffery’s first novel for young adults, saying, “Drag queens are virtually nonexistent in YA fiction, and Self does an excellent job introducing that world, as well as conveying the happiness that performing brings JT…. In the end, it may not be Prince Charming who is JT’s prize, but rather the discovery of his true self.” Follow Jeffery on Twitter at @JefferySelf.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about Drag Teen here, and read an excerpt of Drag Teen here!

Special thanks:

• Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl