The Read-Aloud Home

Bill Spence was a primary school teacher for 20 years before working as a university lecturer and literacy consultant, he is also a father and a grandfather. Bill is passionate about reading aloud, he read aloud to his own children and grandchild, as a university lecturer he read aloud to his students. In this episode, Bill talks us through the general principles of reading aloud.

Follow along for updates: @thereadaloudhome

Show notes:

• Anthony Browne (author/illustrator)
• In Just (1923) by E.E Cummings
• One Winter's Night (1991) by Primrose Lockwood, illustrated by Elaine Mills
• Drummer Hoff (1967) by Barbara Emberley, illustrated by Ed Emberley
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969) by Eric Carle
• Peepo (1981) by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
• Spot (1980) by Eric Hill
• Christopher Cheng (author/illusrtrator)
• Jeannie Baker (author/illustrator)
• The Duck and the Darklings (2014) by Glenda Millard, illustrated by Stephen Michael King
• Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type (2000) by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin
• Lara Cain Gray (picture book activist)
• Little Modern Reader by Emily Chan
• Interview with the Founder of Little Modern Reader, Emily Chan
• Storybox
• Zeno Sworder
• Antonia Pesenti (author/illustrator)
• Hello Cocky (2025) by Hilary Bell and Antonia Pesenti
• The Children's Book Council of Australia
• The Jolly Postman (1986) by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
• The Jolly Pocket Postman (1995) by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
• The Jolly Christmas Postman (1991) by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
• Babette's Beastly Birthday Book (1990) by Babette Cole
• John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat (1977) by Jenny Wagner, illustrated by Ron Brooks
• Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge (1984) by Mem Fox, illustrated by Julie Vivas
• Waves by Donna Rawlins, Heather Potter and Mark Jackson

Mother of 3 Jenny McCann worked as a high school English teacher for 15 years, she then started Bear Bookshop in Birmingham. Jenny came onto The Read-Aloud Home Podcast to talk about creating a home where kids read for pleasure, leaning into what your children enjoy and the value of libraries. Jenny now creates beautiful Literature based learning resources that you can find online @childhoodbychapter

Follow along for updates:

@thereadaloudhome

Booksellers, books and people mentioned:

• Bear Bookshop
• James Daunt (Managing Director of Waterstones)
• Waterstones
• A Kind of Spark Series by Elle McNicoll
• The Pond (2017) by Nicola Davies
• Anne of Green Gables (1908) by Lucy Maud Montgomery
• The Beast Quest Series by Adam Blade
• The Great Gatsby (1925) by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Pamela Butchart (author)
• Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling
• Lord of the Rings (1954) by J.R.R Tolkein
• The Dark (2013) by Lemony Snicket and illustrated by Jon Klassen
• The Jolly Postman (1986) by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
• Where's Wally (1987) by Martin Handford
• The Hilda Series by Luke Pearson
• @childhoodbychapter

Ellie Brooks talks us through how she rotates her children's book collection throughout the year. She also shares tips and tricks on how to build up your home library through secondhand shopping and a few thoughts on AI children's books . Ellie is creative, thoughtful and warm and and you'll come away from this episode inspired to find the best new and old books for your children and to find ways to showcase them in your read-aloud home.

Follow along for updates: @thereadaloudhome

Books and People Mentioned:

• Charlotte Mason (British Educator)
• Waldorf Education
• The BFG (1982) by Roald Dahl
• The Mysterious Benedict Society Series by Trenton Lee Stewart
• The Children's Treasury of 20th Century Literature (1998) selected by Janet Schulman
• Bedtime for Frances (1995) by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Garth Williams
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) by Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert
• The Stinky Cheeseman by Jon Scieszka
• Make Believe (2026) by Mac Barnet
• Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring (2020) by Kenard Pak
• The Usborne Book of Farmyard Tales (2002) by Heather Amery and Stephen Cartwright
• Jan Brett (author/illustrator)
• Arnold Lobel (author/illustrator)
• Wishy Washy books by Tabitha Page
• Brambly Hedge books written and illustrated by Jill Barklem
• Brown Bear Wood books, poems by Rachel Piercey, illustrated by Freya Hartas
• Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) by A.A Milne, illustrated by E. H. Shepard
• Winnie-the-Pooh Audiobook read by Alan Bennett
• The Boxcar Children Series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
• I am a Bunny (1963) by Ole Risom and Richard Scarry
• Sea Story (1990) by Jill Barklem
• Little House in the Big Woods (1932) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Farmer Boy (1933) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Amber O'Neal Johnston on the Read-Aloud Home Podcast
• Thunder Cake (1990) by Patrician Polacco
• Water Is Water (2015) by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Jason Chin
• Tales from Martha B. Rabbit (1999) by Shirley Barber
• A Year on our Farm (2002) by Penny Mathews, illustrated by Andrew McLean
• Snowman - Cold = Puddle: Spring Equations (2019) by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Micha Archer
• Yucky Worms (2015) by Vivian French, illustrated by Jessica Ahlberg
• Little Witch Hazel: A Year in the Forest (2021) by Phoebe Wahl
• How Does my Garden Grow? (2014) by Gerda Muller
• A Year Around the Great Oak (1991) by Gerda Muller
• Where Do They Go When It Rains? by Gerda Muller
• The Story Orchestra: Four Seasons in One Day (2016) by Jessica Courtney-Tickle
• slow down: Bring Calm To A Busy World with 50 Nature Stories (2020) by Rachel Piercey, illustrated by Freya Hartas
• @elliebrookscreate

Audiobooks can be so helpful for busy parents. There might even be a few that are better left to the professionals.

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Audiobooks and podcast episodes mentioned:

• A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, narrated by Tim Curry
• Friends and collaborators Antonia Pesenti and Hilary Bell talk creativity, rhyme and the origins of "Alphabetical Sydney"
• The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton, narrated by Kate Winslet

• Winnie-The-Pooh: The Complete BBC Collection by A. A. Milne and narrated by Alan Bennett

Finding books that are windows for my children has been a priority for me over the past 10 years. In today's episode I share 5 books that are windows in our read-aloud home. Which books are windows for your children and which books are mirrors?

Follow along for updates: @thereadaloudhome

Books, people and podcast episodes mentioned:

• Charlotte Mason, 'living books' and reading the classics responsibly with Amber O'Neal Johnston
• Amber O'Neal Johnston
• Charlotte Mason (educator and reformer)
• Dr Rudine Sims Bishop
• Grandma's Treasured Shoes by Coral Vass, illustrated by Christina Huynh
• What Happened To YOU? by James Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George
• The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story by Tina Cho, Illustrated by Jess X. Snow
• John Brown Rose and the Midnight Cat by Jenny Wagner, illustrated by Ron Brooks
• Ellie's Dragon by Bob Graham

Other than using different voices for book characters what else can we do to make reading aloud a little more fun and theatrical? Here are 4 simple ideas that might work for you!

Follow along for updates: @thereadaloudhome

People, books, talks, exhibitions mentioned:

• Pamela Allen (author/illustrator)
• The Curious World of Pamela Allen at the State Library of NSW
• Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever (2008) by Mem Fox, illustrated by Judy Horacek
• Mac Barnett (author)
• Jon Klassen (author/illustrator)
• Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen, City Arts & Lectures (podcast episode)
• Dub Leffler (author/illustrator)
• Bruce Pascoe (author)
• Dub Leffler at the 2015 Library of Congress National Book Festival
• Hairy Maclary (1983) by Lynley Dodd
• Tiddler (2007) by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Sheffler

Too busy to read aloud? This week's episode is for you! Host Laura Cunningham shares a mindset shift as well as some practical solutions to help you find extra time throughout the week to read aloud to your children.

Follow along for updates: @thereadaloudhome

Article mentioned:

• Goodnight to the bedtime story: The reason fewer parents are reading aloud to their children by Lauren Ironmonger

Even if your school doesn't have a librarian you can arrange author/illustrator visits. These visits are a wonderful way to inspire children to read and be creative. In this episode, we share a few very simple ways to help you arrange an author/illustrator visit and to help the kids at your school get the most out of it.

Follow along for updates: @thereadaloudhome

Books, people, websites mentioned:

• Raising Readers: How to nurture a child's love of books by Megan Daley
• Australia Reads
• Booked Out
• Where is the Green Sheep? (2004) by Mem Fox, illustrated by Judy Horace

You want to read to your baby/toddler but they have other ideas. They are on the move, they don't want to listen so you need to get creative! Here are three super simple ideas to help you find the ease and joy in reading to a wriggly child.

Follow along for updates: @thereadaloudhome

Books, exhibitions and humans mentioned:

• Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever (2008) by Mem Fox
• Hairy Maclary (1983) by Lynley Dodd
• Hands Can (2003) by Cheryl Willis Hudson, illustrated by John-Francis Bourke
• Pamela Allen (author/illustrator)
• The Curious World of Pamela Allen (Exhibition at the NSW State Library)
• Julia Donaldson (author)
• Axel Sheffler (illustrator)

"In my home, Charlotte Mason has an afro" - homeschooling mother of four, Amber O'Neal Johnston, talks about how she has adapted the Charlotte Mason philosophy to suit her children. We also talk about books as mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors, questions to ask when you are curating your home library, why we don't need to cancel the classics and so much more.

Books, people, websites mentioned:

• Heritagemom.com
• A Place to Belong: Celebrating Diversity and Kinship in the Home and Beyond (2022) by Amber O'Neal Johnston
• Soul School: Taking Kids On a Joy-Filled Journey Through the Heart of Black American Culture (2025) by Amber O'Neal Johnston
• Homegrown: Guidance and Inspiration for Navigating Your Homeschooling Journey (2025) by Amber O'Neal Johnston
• Saint Valentine (1992) by Robert Sabuda
• Charlotte Mason (educator and reformer)
• Stone Girl Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning (1999) by Laurence Anholt, illustrated by Sheila Moxley
• Pride and Prejudice (1813) by Jane Austen
• The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson
• Frindle (1996) by Andrew Clement
• Wonder (2012) by R.J Palacio
• The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf, Grace Lin TEDx Talk
• The Guardian Poll on Australia's best picture book
• The Little House on The Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Birchbark House (1999) by Louise Erdrich
• One Big Open Sky (2024) by Lesa Cline-Ransome
• The Cosby Show
• Pollyanna (1913) by Eleanor H Porter
• Charles Dickens (author)
• Stories of Colour
• Redeemed Reader
• Biblioguides
• Me and Mama (2020) by Cozbi A Cabrera
• Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters (1987) by John Steptoe
• A Story About Afiya (2020) by James Berry and Anna Cunha
• Hip Hop Speaks to Children (2008) by Nikki Giovanni

More from Amber:

• Heritagemom.com
• Instagram - @heritagemomblog