Tea, Tales, and Tomes

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I kick off this episode with a vampire story but it lands somewhere unexpectedly practical: how to raise scientifically curious children without turning your home into a worksheet factory. We’re making the case that fiction, not just non-fiction science books, can build the real foundations of scientific thinking: attention, observation, affection, and the courage to keep asking questions when you don’t yet have answers. We walk through a carefully chosen reading list of “science meets fiction” for different ages, from picture books to adult novels. You’ll hear how stories like The Very Hungry Caterpillar lock biology into memory, how woodland animal tales can spark conversations about ecosystems and decomposition, and how The Curious Garden turns a simple plot into an invitation to explore ecology, biodiversity and urban greening. We also dig into books that open children’s eyes to human impact, including a standout story that introduces light pollution and nocturnal food webs in a way that feels magical rather than preachy. Then we shift into STEM-forward favourites that celebrate failure and iteration, including Ada Twist Scientist and the wider series, plus chapter books that respect kids enough to use real scientific language. From there it’s puzzles, codes and middle grade problem solving, before moving into YA and adult “science in stories” that tackle grief, ethics, engineering, evolution and the biggest ‘what if’ questions. Along the way, we keep coming back to one simple goal: help readers fall in love with the world, because what we love is what we pay attention to. This is an episode you don't want to miss if you not only want to raise readers, but also scientifically minded curious kids. 

Links mentioned in this episode: 

Interview with New York Times Bestselling Author Beth Ferry 

My Interview with the amazing Anne Bogel on her show What Should I Read Next? 

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder. 

Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill. 

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What do house-sitting for a world-renowned scientist, a fascination for deep time and dinosaurs, being a self-confessed book dragon, and drinking copious quantities of tea have in common? Absolutely nothing… unless, of course, you’re Elizabeth Shreeve! And luckily for us, she is our guest today. 

 In today's episode, we are continuing our exploration of the intersection between science, storytelling, and wonder and trace a thrilling path from deep time to legend, exploring how fossils, misunderstood animals, and cultural storytelling may have sparked myths like mermaids, griffins, sea serpents, and of course dragons. If you love science books for kids, dinosaurs, folklore, and the hidden history inside stories, this conversation is for you.

One thing about our chat that I hope will stand out for all listeners is Elizabeth's unusual route into writing. Starting with a science and arts childhood, studying geology at Harvard, learning in the orbit of Stephen Jay Gould and E O Wilson, then a long career in landscape architecture and urban planning before she turned fully to books - it all reinforces what the Tea, Tales, and Test Tubes segment of this podcast keeps discussing. The wonder of scientific inquiry isn't only found in classrooms and in labs.  That blend shows up on every page of Dinosaurs To Dragons, from its “let’s imagine” openings to its evidence-led investigations and playful questions about what it would take, biologically, to be a mythical creature.

Cool stuff mentioned in the episode: 

Elizabeth Shreeve's website

Video trailer for Dinosaurs to Dragons 

Generation Skeptics Education Resources (and all the links therein)

The “ridiculous” bibliography for Dinosaurs to Dragons – all the resources that formed part of Elizabeth’s research for this wonderful book

Paleo Nerds podcast

Stephen Jay Gould’s Life’s Grandeur 

Read all about the amazing EO Wilson

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder. 

Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill. 

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A rotten bean in a glass jar should be a brilliant science moment, right? Instead, it becomes the moment my child looks at me with worry and says, “I’m going to lose marks.” That fear is what sends me down a bigger question: when primary school science education becomes worksheets, right answers, and ticking boxes, are we accidentally teaching children to hate science and even to hate learning? The shock! The horror! 

We start with the “growing bean experiment” and pull it apart like real scientists. We talk about what happens when a classroom leaves no space for “but why?”, and how quickly curiosity gets replaced by compliance. Then we leave the doom and gloom aside and invite hope and wonder back into the equation. 

Here's why you don't want to miss this episode: 

• I get practical and provide genuinely doable activities for busy parents who do not see themselves as “science people”. 
• I share ways to make inquiry-based learning part of ordinary life using the example of the water cycle (this might blow your mind!)
• Because this is a bookish podcast, I point you in the direction of some awesome non-fiction books to get the wonderful language into your kids spongy brains (brains so ready to absorb beautiful knowledge). 
• And because I know children and I am also a busy parent, I embrace TV and other tech - from YouTube shows I love to Netflix doccies, podcasts that we can listen to endlessly, and a new-to-me website that will honestly turn on scientific thinking... simply.

If you want to raise a scientifically literate child without burning out, press play, then share this with a parent who needs hope. 

Links and other cool stuff mentioned in this episode: 

Get wonderful scientific language into your kids beautifully spongy brains by reading the best non-fiction. Not sure what the best non-fiction is? I got you: 

https://teatalesandtomes.wordpress.com/2025/07/01/episode-9-beyond-fiction-this-mums-reluctant-journey-into-the-world-of-childrens-nonfiction-books/

Season 1, Episode 9: From the Gentle Science of Baby Loves Quarks to Laugh-out-Loud Learning with Bill Bryson: Non-fiction is Fun Too

Season 1, Episode 10: Between Stories and Science: Where Non-Fiction Becomes Art

Cool ways to learn the water cycle

Dr. Binocs on Youtube. 

Jane Goodall’s Famous Last Words

The best podcast all about dinosaurs

Listen to the latest scientific discoveries but through an exciting audio cartoon format with Wow! In the World 

How about a website that does the hard work for you with all the experiments and resources well thought out? Generation Skeptics has absolutely blown my mind ever since I heard about it. Just go check it out! You will not be disappointed.

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder. 

Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill. 

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A child can read every word on the page and still not understand what the page is saying and that’s the heart of today’s season finale. We’re responding to a literacy crisis that doesn’t only live in under-resourced schools; it shows up in thriving homes, in “fine” report cards, and in older children and teens who decides they are not readers. When reading becomes performance, measurement, and pressure, the love drains away, and the gaps in vocabulary and comprehension grow in the background.

This episode busts all the reading aloud myths that keep getting perpetuated in bookish circles and take aim at all the fixes (that don't actually fix anything) that seem to be popping up: prescribed reading minutes, endless worksheets, and reading apps that reward tapping more than thinking. 

Come listen and we can solve this growing literacy crisis... simply. 

Links to episode mentioned: 

If this episode shifts your thinking, subscribe, share it with a parent or teacher who needs a calmer plan, and leave a review so more families can find it. What’s one tiny read-aloud habit you’re willing to try this week?

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder. 

Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill. 

We'd love your feedback. Send us a message.

“Boy or girl?” sounds like a helpful question in a bookshop, but it can be the start of a much bigger problem. After watching Inside the Manosphere, I couldn’t stop thinking about where boys first learn the idea that empathy is weakness and softness is shameful. Long before algorithms and influencers, those messages show up in less obvious places: toy aisles, classrooms, and the way we sort children’s books into pink shelves and “poop and fart jokes” shelves.

In today's episode, I dig into the gender divide in children’s books and why it isn’t just a quirky marketing trend. We talk about how publishing and retail use gendered marketing to maximise profit, why “books for boys” lists can narrow a child’s identity, and how self-censorship keeps kids from trying stories they’d genuinely love. I also unpack what research actually suggests about average differences, neuroplasticity, and socialisation, plus why the phrase “that’s so girly” carries such a heavy insult.

And the best part, I get practical with book recommendations that cut straight through the stereotypes, from classics to middle grade series and graphic novels, and I share simple ways to talk about themes instead of gender. If you’re a parent, teacher, librarian, or caregiver who wants inclusive children’s literature, healthier masculinity, and stronger reading habits for boys and girls alike, this one is for you.

Subscribe for more bookish conversations, share this with a fellow parent or educator, and leave a review if it sparks a rethink of your own bookshelf. What “wrong gender” book did you secretly love as a kid?

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder. 

Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill. 

We'd love your feedback. Send us a message.

Today's episode is truly special. We welcome New York Times bestselling author Beth Ferry for a rich, warm conversation about how wonder, research, and a love for a good story turn words into worlds that invite wonder.  

We also tackle today’s thornier topics. Beth draws a line between personal digital styles and generative AI that flattens voice, arguing that heart can’t be prompted. On book bans, she makes a clear case for access: stories are mirrors and windows, and removing them narrows who gets to be seen. Along the way we talk about the writing process, ideas sparked by lyrics and catalogues, fifty or so revisions, treating each book like a child who deserves equal care, and look ahead to her new middle grade novel in verse about the hard art of being happy for a friend.

If you love children’s literature, illustration craft, or the power of a perfect read‑aloud, this conversation will light you up and send you hunting for more Beth Ferry on your shelf. Subscribe, share with a bookish friend, and leave a review telling us which children’s book you’ll never outgrow. 

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder. 

Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill. 

We'd love your feedback. Send us a message.

In today's episode, I am asking parents to take a backseat and let the kids control the speakers. I am talking directly to kids about why books are not competing with screens but powering the worlds they love. We unpack the brain science of reading, the courage in choosing your own stories, and the reason books get banned when ideas scare people in positions of power. We dig deep into: 

• how books seed games, films and shows we love
• how reading lights up the brain and builds focus
• how stories help us to feel seen and heard, and 
• the truth about bans and why ideas frighten power

I end with a gentle challenge to try one story this week and invite children to  ask their parents to drop me a message, tell me what type of story they hope to find, tell me what they like, what they don’t like, and I will find it them. 

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder. 

Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill. 

We'd love your feedback. Send us a message.

Do you think you can find 10 minutes in your day to do the one thing that is proven to not only boost academic performance, but also bring you closer as a family? Reading together. Just ten minutes. 

In today's episode, we are talking about small rituals that will create big readers. It's a New Year and a great time for a reading reset. We share a practical plan to build a joyful reading culture at home in a screen‑heavy world, anchored by a ten‑minute read‑aloud that fits any day. From confidence gains to a school book swap, we show low‑pressure ways to make stories social, affordable, and fun.

• why reading for pleasure drives cognition, mental health and empathy
• designing low‑pressure rituals that make books the default
• the 10‑minute read‑aloud challenge and rewards
• early wins with pronunciation, confidence and classics
• flexible timing that survives busy schedules
• kids using apps to log, review and discover
• launching a budget‑friendly school book swap
• and lastly, cutting to our classic guide on home book club culture where we revisit Episode 11 (Season 1): Creating a Home Book Club Culture: No Homework Required to give you awesome tips for how you can incorporate reading in your home life this year. 

A few links from this episode: 

- Learn more about the RAR Read Aloud Challenge

Some websites I mention in the episode revisit: 

Art for Kids Hub

Little School of Smiths 

Tea, Tales, and Tomes blog 

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder. 

Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill. 

We'd love your feedback. Send us a message.

The mic failed, the tea was hot, and the books were unforgettable. Come sit down with us as we reflect on a noisy 2025 and the stories that stayed: a Kyoto restaurant that recreates lost flavours to unlock memory, a graphic novel that treats young readers with uncommon respect, a middle grade marvel that made our whole family laugh and cry, a picture book that blooms like a botanical secret, and a nonfiction gem that turns lake lore into living curiosity.

Not every pick landed. We unpack why a widely recommended fantasy for children failed our suitability test and talk frankly about choosing books with care: age-appropriate, safe, respectful. Then we look ahead to 2026: kids discovering the Warriors series on their own terms, family drives with The Mysterious Benedict Society, and a small, thoughtful adult book club starting with Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Expect new segments, author conversations, and episodes that ask brave, necessary questions about how stories are made and how they shape us.

If these conversations light you up, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a good read, and leave a review to help more bookish people find us. What was your standout read of 2025?

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder. 

Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill. 

We'd love your feedback. Send us a message.

The shops are shouting buy more, but we’re making a different case: skip the shiny book junk and choose stories that actually get read. Come with me and walk through the holiday aisles together and call out the biggest traps - gimmicky bundles, flimsy movie tie-ins, lazy age-badged anthologies and swap them for books with staying power and more meaningful bookish gifts.

If you’re craving ease over excess, you’re in good company here.

A few things we touch on today: 

• skipping gimmicky bundles that add plastic, not story
• steering clear of movie tie-ins and lazy anthologies
• smarter alternatives for middle grade and seasonal reads
• age-appropriate comics and graphic novels that land
• choosing engaging, well-designed nonfiction over coffee-table tomes
• why annuals and activity books are risky gifts unless you know the child
• ditching weak booklights for practical, lasting accessories
• tech picks that stretch budgets: subscriptions, audiobooks, headphones
• how to gift adults without awkward self-help misfires
• choosing a slower, calmer Christmas that puts people before purchases

Feel free to DM me on Instagram for recommendations because recommending books to you will be like giving me a gift this Christmas. 

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder. 

Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill.