Books, Kids & Creations with Tracy Blom

Tracy sits down with Stephen White, Chief Strategy Officer at COSI (one of her favorite science museums!), and discusses Learning Lunchboxes, the power of STEM, and engaging exhibits that people love. Mr. Stephen White, Esq. is the Chief Strategy Officer, and serves as In-House Counsel at the Center for Science and Industry (COSI), the number one science center in the nation by USA Today. During h...

Shakir Rashaan has been “corrupting minds, one book at a time” and creating unique and lavish worlds for years, writing engrossing stories that revolve around strong-willed, complicated people. When he isn’t conferring with characters, new and old, inside of his “NEBU Universe,” he can be found binge-watching series on various streaming platforms. Shakir lives in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, with hi...

Tracy Sits down with author Jen Malia to discuss her book series, The Infinity Rainbow Club, geared towards neurodivergent kids. She writes the books that she wishes she had growing up, and works to inspire children to be more inclusive of others. About Jen: An autistic mom of three autistic kids, Jen Malia is the author of the children’s chapter book series The Infinity Rainbow Club and the pictu...

Grab a pencil and a sheet of paper, and join us on this fun-filled drawing activity with Mark Kistler! Learn about creativity, drawing, and how anyone can become an artist. (yes, even you!) Over the past 44 years, Mark Kistler has taught millions of children how-to-draw on his Public Television Series “The Secret City” in the 1980’s, and “The Imagination Station” in the 1990’s. He has presented th...

Join me on a melodic journey as we celebrate the remarkable career of Kathy Wade, an EMMY-award-winning jazz singer and visionary co-founder of Learning Through Art, Inc. For over three decades, Kathy's passion has touched the lives of over a million participants, leaving an indelible mark on the arts education landscape. As the brilliant mind behind Books Alive! For Kids®, a nationally acclai...

In this interview, Tracy sits down with award-winning animator and producer Carlos Douglas Jr. to discuss his incredible project, Kenya's Symphony. Carlos masterfully combines his love for music with his profound ability for storytelling and talks about the journey to create such a magical piece. Carlos Douglas Jr is the director and producer of the award-winning animated short, Kenya’s Sympho...

You don't have to go to a galaxy far, far away to learn about Christopher Sean... you can do that right here! In this interview, Tracy sits down with actor Christopher Sean to discuss storytelling, manifestation, and his incredible journey as an actor. Christopher Sean is a versatile actor known for his captivating performances on both the big and small screens. Born and raised in California,...

Barb Magnotta and Jade Greene-Grant are two teachers from New York who have taught at the same school for over a decade. They always wanted to publish a book to help their students with literacy but encountered several roadblocks along the way. It wasn’t until they decided to try their luck on The Wheel of Fortune that everything changed. As luck would have it, they won enough money to hire an ill...

Sophia Gholz is an award-winning children's book author, music lover, magic seeker and avid reader. Sophia enjoys writing fiction with humor and heart. When writing nonfiction, she pulls on her love of science and her strong family background in ecology. Since 2017, Sophia has helped oversee the  Henry L. Gholz SEEDS National Field Trip Endowment  for The Ecological Society of America, funding...

In this interview, Tracy sits down with children's author, founder, and CEO of Cardinal Rule Press, Maria Dismondy. When Maria Dismondy was a little girl she was teased for her curly hair and favorite lunch-box fare, spaghetti in a hot dog bun. Many moons later, these and other real-life moments continue to fuel what is now her critically acclaimed career in the publishing world. In 2020, Mari...

In this interview, Tracy sits down with children's author, world traveler, and sailor Susea Spray to discuss her children's book, A Big Blue Boat.   Susea has always written in one form or another. A decade ago, she and her husband commenced on an around-the-world sailing odyssey. Their travels were recorded on their sailing blog, https://www.gratisaustralis.com .  Over the decades, Suse...

In this interview, Tracy sits down with award-winning children's book author and travel journalist, Maxine Schur. Her stories convey the depth of her world travels and provide readers a glimpse into the rich, and enchanting world she has discovered. With decades of writing experience, Maxine is truly a master at what she does, and her passion for travel and experiencing all that the world has to o...

In this interview, Tracy sits down with award-winning author, Ritu Anand to discuss her heartwarming children's book, Kara's Dreams. Ritu Anand draws her inspiration from nature around her and her scripture – Sri Guru Granth Sahibjee.               When she sat down to write Kara’s Dreams, her pen flowed its ink onto paper, as a rive...

Who doesn't love a good Sherlock Holmes Story? Well, how about five of them written by Emmy Award Winning writer, Bonnie Macbird?   In this interview, Tracy sits down with Bonnie to discuss her incredible career as an author/director/producer and gets a rare glimpse into the world of Sherlock Holmes.    San Francisco native Bonnie MacBird attended Stanford University where she earne...

Katie Otey is an author and poet with a passion for spinning heartwarming tales laced with humor. When she’s not writing she’s singing, performing skits with her kids, practicing Spanish, traveling, and making her family laugh. Every Other Christmas is a nod to her children and her heartfelt desire to blend her experiences as an African-American with close ties to Colombian culture.    A...

In this interview, children's author Tracy Blom sits down with Ziggy Marley to discuss his incredible career as well as his newest children's book, Music is in Everything.    ZIGGY MARLEY is an eight-time GRAMMY Award winner, Emmy Award winner, author, philanthropist, and reggae icon. He has released thirteen albums to much critical acclaim and is the author of the children’s books I Lov...

In this interview Tracy sits down with Helen and Thomas Docherty to discuss the creative process, walking to your own beat, and their newest book, Blue Baboon Finds Her Tune, published by Sourcebooks.    About The Authors   Helen is a children’s author based in Swansea, Wales. Her picture books have been translated into 27 languages, shortlisted for various national awards, and stag...

Kaela Rivera grew up believing in will-o’-the-wisps and el chupacabra, but even ghost stories couldn’t stop her from reading in the isolated treetops, caves, and creeks of Tennessee’s Appalachian forests.  She still believes in the folktales of her Mexican-American and British parents, but now she writes about them from the adventure-filled mountains of the Wild West. When she’s not crafting...

Janet Sumner Johnson lives in northern Utah with her husband, three kids, and a dog. She is the author of both middle-grade novels and picture books, including The Last Great Adventure of the PB&J Society (Capstone, 2016), and Help Wanted: Must Love Books (Capstone, 2020), and the upcoming Braver than Brave (Capstone, August 2022). When she isn’t writing, she loves eating cookies, playing the...

Escaping Gravity: My Quest to Transform NASA and Launch a New Space Age   The Authors on the Air Global Radio Network presents, Books, Kids & Creations with Tracy Blom a podcast that features people who inspire and uplift future generations with their work.  In this episode we sit down with Lori Garver, Former NASA Deputy Administrator, to discuss her experience with NASA, serving un...

Get ready to be inspired!!   In this interview, Tracy sits down with Creative Director for PBS, Matthew Kennedy, and discusses his experience with branding, storytelling, toy creation, and more!   As a Creative Director Matthew has developed video, interactive, print, and social marketing for brands including Animal Planet, PBS Kids, and Cartoon Network.    To learn more a...

KAROL RUTH SILVERSTEIN (she/her/disabled) is a screenwriter and writer of various genres of children’s books. Karol’s debut young adult novel, Cursed (Charlesbridge Teen), was loosely drawn from her experience of being diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at thirteen. A funny, frank and unsentimental take on the “sick kid” genre, Cursed won the prestigious Schneider Family Book Award in 20...

Award-winning author Laurie Wallmark writes picture book biographies of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) as well as fiction. Her books have earned multiple starred trade reviews, been chosen as Junior Library Guild Selections, and received awards such as Outstanding Science Trade Book, Best STEM Book, Crystal Kite Award, Cook Prize Honor, and Parents’ Choice Gold Medal. H...

In this episode, Tracy sits down with author, teacher, and theatre enthusiast Dianne Pede to discuss her newest book, My Dancing Feet.  Dianne Koebel-Pede’s life-long calling is turning work into play. Whether teaching, writing, reading, or reviewing children’s books, her adventures have been rewarded and sprinkled with tons of love, laughter, gratitude, and awe. (And a few zillion mistakes,...

Join Tracy as she interviews Steenz, a St. Louis-based cartoonist, editor, and professor. They’re the cartoonist on the Ringo Award-Nominated syndicated comic strip ‘Heart Of The City’, the co-creator of Dwayne McDuffie Award-Winning GN Archival Quality, and is featured in short story anthologies such as Eisner and Ignatz Award-Winning Elements: Fire, Mine!, and Dead Beats. Steenz also launched an...