The Reading Culture

By BeanstackEducation Arts Books

The Reading Culture episodes

December 23, 2025The Reading Culture: Yearbook 2025
Three years strong, y’all! We’re back with our favorite tradition: The Reading Culture Yearbook.

As we close out 2025, we’ve gathered superlatives and stories that celebrate some of the memorable authors who joined us on the show this year.
This year’s edition features awards such as “Most Revolutionary,” “Grandma’s Hands,” “Scariest Story,” and, of course, “Best Reading Advice.”
I’m also saying a brief farewell as we go on hiatus for the winter. But don’t worry, we’ll be back in 2026 with exciting things on the horizon!
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Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter.
Show Chapters
Chapter 1: Most Revolutionary
Chapter 2: Most Gracious
Chapter 3: Best Fan-Girl-Turned-Author
Chapter 4: Best Reminder of History Repeated
Chapter 5: Most Likely to Pay Homage
Chapter 6: Grandma’s Hands
Chapter 7: Best Reading Advice for Kids
Chapter 8: Scariest Story Award
Chapters 9 & 10: Best Advice for Dealing with Loss
Chapter 11: Most Uplifting
Chapter 12: Most Defiant
Chapter 13: Meet Your (S)Heroes Award
Chapter 14: “Poet and You Didn’t Know It” Award
Chapter 15: Best Friend Advice

Links
The Reading Culture
The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture
Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Host and Production Credits

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Producers: Mel Webb and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
44 min
December 10, 2025No Wasted Sunshine: Sophie Blackall on the Meaning of Home
“When we are making books, we are making little homes for our readers that they can return to hopefully again and again and again, just as we return to books and find a sense of home, we return to the person we once were, when we were reading that book.” — Sophie Blackall

Home. It’s something we spend our whole lives building and rebuilding. Sometimes it’s made of walls and windows. Others, it’s made of words.

Sophie Blackall builds hers through imagination and community. The two-time Caldecott Medal-winning author and illustrator, known for works such as Hello Lighthouse, If You Come to Earth, and Finding Winnie, has spent her life transforming that search into stories.
In this episode, No Wasted Sunshine: Sophie Blackall on the Meaning of Home, Sophie shares her nomadic childhood, her fixation on the idea of home, and why she never feels settled. She also discusses the books she reaches for to feel safe. We also talk about Milkwood—the magical farm retreat she created for the children’s book community to cook, commune, and collaborate.
Settle in for a wide-ranging conversation that explores the meaning we construct within and around our lives.
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For her reading challenge, Home, Sophie has curated a collection of books that explore how we build and replace the places that hold us.
Peruse selected titles and Sophie’s complete reading challenge for free at thereadingculturepod.com/sophie-blackall
This week's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Kimberly Thompson, the library media specialist at East Side Middle School in Bullock County, Kentucky. She tells us all about the Kentucky Bluegrass Awards and how they’re getting everyone in her school reading, including the adults!
Show Chapters

Chapter 1: Where Is Home?
Chapter 2: Wasted Sunshine
Chapter 3: A Perfect Picture Book
Chapter 4: Not Just a Farmhouse
Chapter 5: Under Milk Wood
Chapter 6: Paper Houses
Chapter 7: So Now What?
Chapter 8: Reading Challenge
Chapter 9: Beanstack Featured Librarian

Links
The Reading Culture
The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
Sophie Blackall
Sophie Blackall website
Milkwood Farm
How to Not Waste Your Live (The Marginalian)
Roxaboxen
Under Milk Wood
A creative retreat for the children’s book community
Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture
Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Host and Production Credits

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Producers: Mel Webb and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
34 min
November 25, 2025Joy to the People: Mychal Threets Live from AASL
“The library is where I felt, I'm safe here. I have friends in Encyclopedia Brown, Junie B. Jones, Amelia Bedelia, Stanley Yelnats, and all these various characters. I think that's the beauty. That's the sanctuary, the sacredness of that physical space.” – Mychal Threets

Mychal Threets grew up among the stacks and, from a young age, experienced the magic and shelter of the library. Today, he is a librarian, a social media sensation, a mental health advocate, and the new host of the beloved show Reading Rainbow.

In this episode, we take a trip to St. Louis, where my conversation with Mychal was recorded live on stage at the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Conference. You’ll hear all about how Mychal is stepping into his own rainbow-colored shoes while honoring LeVar Burton’s legacy, how he turned pain into purpose, and the power of “library joy.” And wow, the joy among the librarians in that convention hall, including two standing ovations for Mychal, was palpable.

This week, in place of a featured librarian, we hear a round of Q&A with Mychal and some of those librarians in the audience.
Settle in for a conversation full of Mychal’s signature warmth, heart, and honesty.
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Links
The Reading Culture
The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
Mychal Threets Lays Out His Life in Books
Mychal Threets Instagram
Mychal Threets TikTok
Reading Rainbow on YouTube
Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture
Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Host and Production Credits

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Producers: Mel Webb and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
44 min
November 12, 2025Expanding Woman: Nic Stone on Forgiveness and the Freedom to Change
“It's important that my perspective stays flexible because my perspective could need updating, it could need to be changed based on new information.” — Nic Stone

Nic Stone isn’t interested in staying in her lane.
A #1 New York Times bestselling author, her young adult novels—Dear Martin, Chaos Theory, and Clean Getaway—explore nuances of racism, power, and mental illness with clarity and compassion.
Now, she’s stepping into uncharted territory with Boom Town, her first adult novel. Set in a legendary Atlanta strip club, it’s a story about women, survival, and social power, and is a reflection of Nic’s own creative evolution.
In this Second Chapter conversation, Expanding Woman: Nic Stone on Forgiveness and the Freedom to Change, Nic returns to the podcast and gets real about what it means to grow louder, freer, and to become more yourself. She talks about lighting rage letters on fire, a recent existential crisis (hello, middle age), and the surprising way her new book helped her dad heal old wounds.
Settle in for a conversation that’ll make you want to live a little louder and embrace every chaotic (and beautiful) version of who you are.

http://thereadingculturepod.com/nic-stone-second-chapter

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Show Chapters
Chapter 1: Unpaved Territory
Chapter 2: Right on Schedule
Chapter 3: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Chapter 4: Learning the Steps
Chapter 5: Let It Burn

Links
The Reading Culture
The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
Nic Stone
Nic Stone Instagram
Boom Town
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture
Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Host and Production Credits

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Producers: Mel Webb and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
34 min
October 29, 2025You Can't Just Move On: Erin Entrada Kelly on Limbo
“It’s that old expression that I love, which is ‘wherever you go, there you are.’ So you never really get out of the limbo, because the limbo is you.” — Erin Entrada Kelly
There are seasons when life slows down, even as our minds continue to race. When we find ourselves caught somewhere between motion and stillness, haunted by what came before and reaching for what’s next.

That tension has become deeply personal for Erin Entrada Kelly. After an aggressive cancer diagnosis, Erin found herself living in a space between who she was and who she was becoming.

A two-time Newbery Medal winner, best known for “Hello, Universe,” “We Dream of Space,” and “First State of Being,” Erin has always written stories that reveal the quiet courage of ordinary kids. But lately, her life–and her writing– have taken on a new kind of gravity.

In this episode, You Can’t Just Move On: Erin Entrada Kelly on Limbo, Erin returns to the show for a “Second Chapter” conversation. This time, Erin reflects on recovery, rest, and redefining momentum. She shares how illness has reshaped her creative process, the surprising calm she’s found in cinematic ASMR, and a haunting true story from a hotel in New Orleans that might just make you believe in ghosts.

Settle in for an honest, tender conversation about living in the in-between.

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http://thereadingculturepod.com/erin-entrada-kelly-second-chapter
This week’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Kimberly Thompson, the library media specialist at East Side Middle School in Bullock County, Kentucky. After all that talk about being stuck in limbo and building momentum, Kimberly shares a story of one reader who found his mo’.
Show Chapters

Chapter 1: Momentum
Chapter 2: Walt Whitman
Chapter 3: Please Hold
Chapter 4: False Alarm
Chapter 5: The Tell-Tale Heart
Chapter 6: Push & Pull
Chapter 7: Toxic Positivity
Chapter 8: Beanstack Featured Librarian

Links
The Reading Culture
The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
Erin Entrada Kelly
Erin Entrada Kelly Instagram
The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe
Moonlight Cottage ASMR
The hotel!
Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture
Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Host and Production Credits

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Producers: Mel Webb and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
38 min
October 15, 2025Tender Heart: Kate DiCamillo on Awe and Grief
“This is what awe always does: it’s the zoom out. All of a sudden, you can see how tiny and insignificant you are, and you plug into that bigger thing” - Kate DiCamillo
When was the last time you were so captivated by the beauty of the world around you that it stopped you in your tracks? Kate DiCamillo intentionally has those moments daily. In a world that can feel dark and hopeless, she maintains a sense of awe. It’s the force that helps her move through both joy and loss. It’s what allows her to keep noticing the miraculous in the ordinary.
One of the most beloved voices in children’s literature, Kate is a two-time Newbery medal winner and author of more than 25 books—from Because of Winn-Dixie to The Tale of Despereaux to The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.

In this episode, Tender Heart: Kate DiCamillo on Awe and Grief, Kate returns to the show for the first of “The Second Chapter” conversations with previous guests. This time, Kate reflects on awe, grief, and the beauty that connects them. She shares the moments that have gobsmacked her across decades—from childhood discoveries of “protective coloration” to the painting she has revisited at every stage of her life. Kate also opens up about coping with tragedy and how the best way through those moments in life is “the doing of it.”
Settle in for an honest, hard, and still uplifting conversation with one of the most cherished voices of a generation.
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https://www.thereadingculturepod.com/kate-dicamillo-second-chapter
This week's Beanstack Featured librarian is Chelsea Pisani, a rockstar children's librarian at Maple Valley Branch Library in Akron, Ohio. She returns to share her secret sauce for igniting a love of reading in all kids.
Show Chapters
Chapter 1: The Art of Noticing
Chapter 2: The Hem of the Garment
Chapter 3: Charlotte’s Web
Chapter 4: Ramona the Great
Chapter 5: Then and Now
Chapter 6: Beanstack Featured Librarian

Links
The Reading Culture
The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
Kate DiCamillo
Repast in a Garden Painting
Charlotte’s Web
The Accidental Tourist
Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture
Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Host and Production Credits

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Producers: Mel Webb and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
32 min
October 01, 2025I Love You, Man: Jason Reynolds on Masculinity
"I don’t want to be whatever version of masculinity y’all keep telling me I have to be. Why are all the benchmarks violent and aggressive? I don’t wanna do it. I’m not interested” — Jason Reynolds

We all inherit scripts about who we’re supposed to be. For boys, they often center on toughness, aggression, and hiding their emotions. Jason Reynolds has spent his life questioning those scripts, carving out space for tenderness and love, honoring friendships that offered freedom, and exploring what masculinity might mean beyond the narrow definitions passed down to us.
Jason Reynolds is a national treasure. A Newbery Medal winner, a National Book Award finalist, a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, and a two-time National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, he is the beloved author of “Ghost,” “Long Way Down,” “Look Both Ways,” “Twenty-four Seconds From Now,” and so many more. Jason brings expansiveness to his books, illuminating the gentleness, humor, and vulnerability too often left out of stories of boyhood.

In this episode, Jason shares his thoughts on masculinity: the good, the bad, and the beautiful. He explains why everyone needs to have a 'tuning fork' friend, reveals how Saturn flipped his life around at age 30, and pays an incredible tribute to the tattooed biker badass who was his loving father.

Settle in for a vulnerable, revelatory conversation with an icon of American literature.
***
For his reading challenge, Challenging Conventions, Jason has curated a collection of books that push back against the narrow definitions of boyhood and girlhood many of us have come to live by. Peruse selected titles and Jason’s full reading challenge for free at thereadingculturepod.com/jason-reynolds.
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This week's Beanstack Featured Librarians are not actually librarians, but they are integral members of the literary community who are pioneers when it comes to student voice and writing. They happen to be friends of Jason Reynolds. Kathy Crutcher and Sasa Aakil – from Shout Mouse Press – share about their upcoming book, “Bright Before Us Like a Flame,” which Jason Reynolds called “a gift,” and for which a previous guest of the podcast, Elizabeth Acevedo, wrote the foreword.

Show Chapters
Chapter 1: Aaron
Chapter 2: It’s OK to Say I Love You
Chapter 3: It’s Complicated
Chapter 4: Growing Pains
Chapter 5: Girl
Chapter 6: Cultivating What Matters
Chapter 7: Reading Challenge
Chapter 8: Beanstack Featured Librarian

Show Links
The Reading Culture
The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds on Instagram
Girl by Jamaica Kincaid
The Cosby Show
Good Times
Bright Before Us, Like a Flame
Shout Mouse Press
Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture
Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Host and Production Credits

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Producers: Mel Webb and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
39 min
September 17, 2025Under My Thumb: Brian Selznick on Control
“When you're a kid, you have so little control over things. To be the big entity controlling the smaller entity, whether it's dolls or [toy] soldiers or whatever it is, they do what you tell them to do. They become the story you are making.” — Brian Selznick

We all want to feel in control, mold our lives and experiences, and shape the world into something we can hold. But control is slippery; one moment, it can steady us, the next, it slips away.

Brian Selznick—#1 New York Times bestselling author, illustrator, and Caldecott Medal winner—has spent his career playing with this tension. From "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" to "Wonderstruck" and, most recently, "Run Away With Me," Brian believes that it's his job as the author to control the reader's experience, forcing page turns and placing illustrations in a particular order, all while acknowledging that control is ceded to the reader once a book is in their hands.

In this episode, Under My Thumb: Brian Selznick on Control, Brian reflects on his lifelong pull toward control in life and art—what drives it, how it shapes his work, and when the need to let go becomes inevitable. He shares his fascination with all things miniature and opens up with unflinching honesty about his complicated relationship with his father, spanning life and loss. He also reveals a formative influence you might not expect, and a most extraordinary afternoon with Ray Bradbury.
Settle in for a fascinating, moving episode with one of the great creators of our time.
***
For his reading challenge, Brian has curated two lists: one exploring queerness in literature over time and the other celebrating the power of the page turn. The latter is about his commitment to books, experimenting with form, and the balance of control between writer and reader.
Peruse selected titles and Brian's complete reading challenge for free at thereadingculturepod.com/brian-selznick
This week's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Chelsea Pisani, a rockstar children's librarian at Maple Valley Branch Library in Akron, Ohio. She shares the story of how one student, also with a keen ability to take control, is spreading his passion for reading among his peers by setting up his own book club.
Show Chapters
Chapter 1: Who Holds the Reins?
Chapter 2: Size Matters
Chapter 3: It's All Under Control
Chapter 4: Merwin and Louise
Chapter 5: The Martian Chronicles
Chapter 6: A Most Extraordinary Afternoon
Chapter 7: Reading Challenge
Chapter 8: Beanstack Featured Librarian

Links
The Reading Culture
The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (check here for a video that will show off Brian's incredible miniature collection)
Brian Selznick
Brian Selznick Instagram
Where the Wild Things Are
Guernica
The Borrowers
Ray Bradbury
The Martian Chronicles
Dandelion Wine
The Houdini Box (read aloud - check out the page turns)
Beanstack resources to build your community's reading culture
Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Akron Summit Public Library
Case Study about Akron Summit Public Library and featured librarian Chelsea Pisani
Host and Production Credits

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Producers: Mel Webb, Ryan Sutton, and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Ryan Sutton, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
44 min
September 03, 2025The Unchosen Ones: Victoria Aveyard on Fairness in Fantasy
”Why are some people treated differently? Why are some people chosen ones for no particular reason? And why do some people get to have that extra shine?” — Victoria Aveyard

Unfairness is a pervasive theme in a lot of fantasy fiction. With battles between good and evil dominating title after title, these tales appear to have a tight grasp on fairness and justice. But for Victoria Aveyard, the world of fantasy frequently falls short on these promises. Even in some of her favorite works, the light may ultimately overcome the darkness, but not every character is given a fair chance to shine.
Victoria Aveyard is the number one New York Times bestselling author of The Red Queen series and the Realm Breaker series. In her work, she creates epic fantasy landscapes where women loom large and conventions around chosen characters are challenged.
In this episode, Victoria opens up about why her sense of fairness took shape early, shares which undersized movie character is her icon, and reflects on why there’s no escaping politics in literature. Settle in for a fast-paced episode filled with humor and a variety of Victoria’s hot takes.
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For her reading challenge, Chosen/Unchosen, Victoria encourages readers to question the trope of “the chosen one.” She asks us to challenge why some are handed the quest, the crown, or the magic…and what happens to everyone else.
Peruse selected titles and Victoria’s complete reading challenge for free at thereadingculturepod.com/victoria-aveyard
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This week's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Camille Perez, a former media specialist at the elementary and high school levels in Osceola County, Florida, and now a Beanstack team member. Today, Camille shares her hot takes on the modern school library and why shush culture should be a thing of the past.

Show Chapters

Chapter 1: Rotten With the Need for Justice
Chapter 2: Hell Yeah, There’s My Personality
Chapter 3: The Invisible Women
Chapter 4: Six of Crows
Chapter 5: Everything is Political
Chapter 6: Whipped Cream Shire
Chapter 7: Reading Challenge
Chapter 8: Beanstack Featured Librarian

Links
The Reading Culture
The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
Victoria Aveyard
Victoria Aveyard Instagram
Red Queen
Realm Breaker
Number the Stars
A New Hope opening scene
Samuel Delaney
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture
Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Host and Production Credits

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Producers: Mel Webb, Josia Lamberto-Egan, and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
32 min
August 20, 2025Unintentional Monsters: Tiffany D. Jackson on Real Horrors and Core Memories
“Whenever I think of people who have gone through something, I'm always like, but they were human before this. Before they were monsters, they were human. Before they were zombies, they were human.” — Tiffany D. Jackson

Some of the most unsettling monsters don’t come from nightmares or ghost stories. They walk among us in daylight, smiling widely and blending in. They can be shaped by our environments, our circumstances, or people’s choices—and in stories, as in life, they challenge us to look closer and see the human before the horror.
Tiffany D. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Allegedly, The Weight of Blood, Blood in the Water, and many more. She received of the Margaret E. Edwards Award, honoring her significant and lasting contribution to teen literature. She blends real-world horrors with the sharp tension of a thriller, always keeping our emotions and nerves on edge!
In this episode, Tiffany shares how her own encounters with “unintentional monsters” have shaped her writing. She opens up about how growing up between Brooklyn and Westchester sharpened her view of the world and the people in it. Tiffany also talks about finding her voice in film school, why stories like Monday’s Not Coming are drawn from real-life cases, and how fiction is her way of building empathy where the headlines fall short. Buckle up for a gripping episode from Tiffany’s very first anecdote about a childhood horror.
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Tiffany’s reading challenge celebrates African-American horrors and thrillers, genres she’s been questioned for writing.
Peruse selected titles and Tiffany’s full reading challenge for free at thereadingculturepod.com/tiffany-d-jackson
This week's Beanstack Featured Librarian is once again Kelly Shelton, an elementary librarian for Garland ISD in Garland, Texas. She shares how building a strong reading culture goes beyond the library—into the hallways, the bus line, and even your students' plays!
Show Chapters
Chapter 1: Unintentional Monsters
Chapter 2: Take Me Back to Brooklyn
Chapter 3: What Happened to You?
Chapter 4: A Safe Harbor
Chapter 5: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Chapter 6: Core Memories
Chapter 7: Reading Challenge
Chapter 8: Beanstack Featured Librarian

Links
The Reading Culture
The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
Tiffany D. Jackson
Tiffany D. Jackson Instagram
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Sister Souljah
Lockdown TV Series
Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture
Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Host and Production Credits

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Producers: Mel Webb and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
35 min

About The Reading Culture

From the publisher's feed

Host Jordan Lloyd Bookey speaks with authors and reading enthusiasts to explore ways to build a stronger culture of reading in our communities. They'll dive into their personal experiences,…