Scholastic Reads

Lauren Tarshis remembers the responsibilities that fell to her on March 11, 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic was declared, and schools around the country began to shift to virtual learning. Lauren is the editor-in-chief and publisher of Scholastic Classroom Magazines.

The magazines, which reach more than 25 million students and their teachers, have been a staple in classrooms for more than a century. In this episode, Lauren tells host Suzanne McCabe how a talented team of writers, editors, designers, video producers, and IT experts have helped support educators and keep students engaged and learning this past year—even though many classrooms have been empty.

Lauren is also the author of the best-selling I Survived book series, which recounts terrifying and thrilling stories from history through the eyes of a child who lived to tell the tale.

Later in the episode, Scholastic Kid Reporter Siroos recounts his journalistic experiences during the pandemic. Siroos, who is 12 years old and lives in New York City, is a member of Scholastic Kids Press, a team of 45 young journalists from around the world who report “news for kids, by kids” on our websites and in our Classroom Magazines.

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The Killer Flu of 1918: Young readers learn about the powerful flu that claimed millions of lives and disrupted everyday life.

Science World Magazine’s COVID-19 News Hub: Young readers can get updates on the virus and vaccines here.

NEW: Filled with music and special sound effects, this audio feature brings students into the action of the story and boosts their reading and listening skills. Try it for free here.

Scholastic Classroom Magazines: Reserve your magazines for the fall now, and get free online access.

Meet Lauren Tarshis: Learn more about Lauren and I Survived, her best-selling book series for kids.

Scholastic Kids Press: Check out recent articles by our Scholastic Kid Reporters. If you know a 10- to 14-year-old with a nose for news, encourage them to apply to Kids Press. Applications must be received by June 1. Learn more here.

Scholastic Kid Reporter Siroos Pasdar: Read Siroos’s news articles for our young readers.

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Inside the music biz with authors Tami Charles and Lamar Giles

Do you know a little girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut, a fighter pilot, or an aeronautical engineer? In this episode, we celebrate the achievements of women who dared to follow their own dreams at a time when they were laughed at and dismissed.

First, host Suzanne McCabe talks with Rebecca Siegel, the author of To Fly Among the Stars: The Hidden Story of the Fight for Women Astronauts. Rebecca describes the early years of America’s space program, when 13 brave women trained in a secret, privately-funded program, hoping to earn their spot among the stars. These accomplished air racers, test pilots, and flight instructors later lobbied the White House and Congress to have women included in the astronaut program. Rebecca’s riveting tale about Jerrie Cobb, Janey Hart, and 11 other women serves as an inspiration for any girl who doubts that she can achieve whatever she sets her mind to.

Suzanne also talks with Dr. Ronke Olabisi, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the University of California, Irvine. She tells listeners about her childhood dream of becoming an astronaut and how that led to her career as a biomedical engineer and inventor.

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In this episode, author Varian Johnson and illustrator Shannon Wright talk about Twins, their new graphic novel for middle-graders. The story centers around Maureen and Francine Carter, twin sisters who are growing up—and growing apart as they enter middle school. The Carter sisters also happen to be Black. “Writing the girls in this way, where there’s not a big trauma arc, was a very intentional choice,” Varian says. “It’s almost like a political act.”

Varian has written several critically-acclaimed novels, including The Great Greene Heist and The Parker Inheritance, which was named a Coretta Scott King Honor Book in 2019. He and Shannon describe the experience of creating their first graphic novel together and why they think Twins is such a hit with young readers.

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For 12 years, World Read Aloud Day has challenged participants to grab a book, find an audience, and read aloud. The global effort is now celebrated in 173 countries and counting.

For the past decade, Scholastic has been the title sponsor of World Read Aloud Day, which was created by LitWorld, a global non-profit that fosters a love of reading in children everywhere.

In this episode, host Suzanne McCabe talks with literacy expert and author Pam Allyn, who is the founder of LitWorld. She'll share ideas for educators and families who would like to participate in this year's celebration, which takes place on February 3.

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In this episode, we focus on anti-racism education in the classroom and at home. Host Suzanne McCabe talks with Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, an associate professor of language and literacy at Georgia State University and the author of Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy. Muhammad explains how researching Black literary societies from the 1800s inspires her work with students and teachers around the country. Monique Melton, an author, international speaker, and host of the Shine Brighter Together podcast, also offers her perspective on “what it looks like to actually explore, identify, and eliminate racism in every aspect of our society from the inside out.”

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“Only those who try can achieve the impossible.” In this episode, we spotlight Stillwater, a new animated children's series from Apple TV Plus. Inspired by the beloved Zen shorts book series by Jon J Muth, the new series follows the adventures of three siblings whose neighbor happens to be a giant panda named Stillwater. Through his beautiful stories, the wise Stillwater helps the children cope with life's disappointments and sorrows, and hold onto their sense of joy and wonder.

Host Suzanne McCabe talks with Mallika Chopra, an author, speaker, and wellbeing expert who serves as the mindfulness consultant on the TV series, and award-winning children's book illustrator and artist, Jon J Muth.

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Today, we're celebrating Scholastic's 100th anniversary with President, Chairman, and CEO Dick Robinson. Dick's father, Maurice R. Robinson, known affectionately to generations of staffers as Robbie, founded the company in 1920, a venture that started with a small weekly newspaper has since grown into the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. Generations of readers have fond memories of attending a Scholastic Book Fair on an autumn afternoon, or checking off a list of books to purchase on one of the many Scholastic Book Club order forms that arrived in classrooms.

Kids have grown-up with, and obsessed over Clifford the Big Red Dog, Goosebumps, The Baby-Sitters Club, Harry Potter, and Captain Underpants. Stories by Suzanne Collins, the late Walter Dean Myers, Raina Telgemeier, Pam Muñoz Ryan, and Kelly Yang, to name a few, still captivate young readers. Scholastic News and Junior Scholastic are still staples in classrooms across the country, and Scholastic Kid Reporters are still out there getting stories that matter to them and their young readers.

In this episode, we’re celebrating Hispanic Heritage with two of our favorite Latinx authors. First, host Suzanne McCabe talks with Aida Salazar about how one word, “deportation,” led to her heart-wrenching new novel, Land of the Cranes. Aida is also the author of The Moon Within, which won an International Latino Book Award for middle-grade fiction in 2019.

Then Francisco Stork, the author of such acclaimed YA titles as The Memory of Light and Marcelo in the Real World, talks about his latest novel, Illegal. This page-turning thriller follows Sara Zapata and her brother, Emiliano, and their desperate escape from Mexico to the U.S. Illegal is a sequel to Francisco’s earlier novel, Disappeared.

You can learn more about Land of the Cranes, Illegal, and all of our latest fiction and nonfiction at scholastic.com/kids. For a catalog of diverse books for readers of all ages, click here.

When you hold a new book in your hands, the rest of the world seems to fade away. Lots of great titles from Scholastic are hitting the shelves this fall, bringing the promise of adventure to our young readers.

We wanted to give you a preview of the books you can look forward to, so we invited some of our authors to read aloud. First, Tami Charles reads All Because You Matter, her love letter to Black and brown children. (2:31)

Next, Christina Soontornvat takes us inside the pages of Icing on the Snowflake, the latest title in her popular chapter book series, Diary of an Ice Princess. Christina’s adventures for elementary school readers start with a simple premise: What if Frozen’s Elsa went to regular school? If you have any Elsa fans in your house, this is the series for them! (6:41)

We also hear from Brazilian author Vitor Martins. He shares an excerpt from his new queer romance, Here the Whole Time. This story about the magic of first love explores the insecurities that many teens feel around body image. (11:12)

Then, Kara McDowell reads from her new novel for young adults, One Way or Another. It’s a poignant story about a girl who learns to face her debilitating anxieties as she navigates a relationship with her best friend and longtime crush. (17:55)

For 8- to 12-year-olds who enjoy horror and spooky mysteries, Daka Hermon reads from her suspense-filled debut, Hide and Seeker. (25:39)

Last but not least, middle-grade favorite Kelly Yang reads the opening pages of Three Keys, the highly-anticipated sequel to her debut best-seller, Front Desk. (31:52)

You can learn more about these titles and all of our latest fiction and nonfiction at scholastic.com/kids.

To check out the Scholastic Student Vote, a virtual mock-election, that has been running since 1940 visit scholastic.com/election.

Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl

“It all started at the very beginning of seventh grade.” Sound familiar? To millions of Baby-Sitters Club fans, Kristy Thomas, Claudia Kishi, Mary Anne Spier, Stacey McGill, and Dawn Schafer are favorite childhood friends. In this episode, the breakout stars of the new Netflix TV show—Sophie Grace (Kristy), Momona Tamada (Claudia), Malia Baker (Mary Anne), Shay Rudolph (Stacey), and Xochitl Gomez (Dawn)—answer questions from our Scholastic Kid Reporters.

We also spotlight author Ann M. Martin, who created the beloved book series. Host Suzanne McCabe spoke with Ann in 2016, amid celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the best-selling series, which began in 1986 with the publication of Kristy’s Great Idea.

You can learn more about The Baby-Sitters Club book series, including the graphic novels, here and the Netflix TV show here.

Music composer: Lucas Elliot Eberl