Our Book Bench | Kids and Adults, Reading Together

We did something fun for our final Bridge to Terabithia episode — we finished the book, then watched the movie together. In this mini season finale, Lisa and David talk about what the film got right, why (as always) they think the book is better, and how you get through a story this tender all the way to the end.  They also look back on the whole summer mini season — the good, the honest, and the...

The World Can Be Beautiful and Devastating at the Same Time Chapter ten is called "The Perfect Day" — and it really is. Then chapter eleven begins. In this episode, Lisa and David sit with the chapters that make this book unforgettable: the joy right before everything changes, the grief that comes in waves, and what Jess Aarons does with it at the very end. David leads the hardest part o...

In chapters five through eight, Jess Aarons keeps doing something quietly remarkable — he changes his mind. About Janice Avery, the bully who hurt someone he loves. About Leslie's unconventional dad. About what it costs to help someone who hasn't earned it. In this episode, Lisa and David talk about what makes Jess more thoughtful than the people around him realize, what the right Christ...

We're kicking off our summer mini season with Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, and these first four chapters are all about discovery. We meet Jess Aarons, a boy who gets up before dawn to run because he's decided he'll be the fastest kid in school, and who keeps his love of drawing quietly to himself. Then a new girl named Leslie moves in next door and changes everything....

We're back! And this time with something a little different for the summer. This is a short teaser episode to announce our Summer Mini Season, and David has a book he's been wanting to get to. He picked it himself, he's read it once before, and he has thoughts on why we should all pick it up this summer. For now we'll just say: it's the kind of book that opens the type of...

Season 2 is complete, and before we head into what's next, Lisa and David take a moment to look back at the season and what it meant to them. In this final episode, they reflect on the moments that stayed with them, the theme of loyalty that ran through Impossible Creatures from beginning to end, and what their first-ever in-person library event revealed about what Our Book Bench is becoming....

We made it. In this episode of Our Book Bench, Lisa and David reach the final chapters of Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell — pages 297 through 334, from The Gray Mist through What She Said . Christopher is alone in the maze. The darkness is physical and emotional — jealousy, misery, dread, the cold gray mist pressing in. He doesn't know if it will work. He goes anyway. And then, when...

What does it look like when someone chooses to be brave — not because they have to, but because they love someone enough to? In this episode of Our Book Bench , Lisa and David discuss pages 244–296 of Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (Chapters: The Island of Murderers through The Maze ). This is the section we've been building toward all season. Mal faces the banished centaur, makes...

In this episode of Our Book Bench , Lisa and David discuss pages 196–243 of Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell , where the journey to save the Archipelago takes a few dangerous turns. The crew faces heartbreaking loss, unexpected allies, and new dangers that make their mission feel almost impossible. From the attack that costs them Gelifen the griffin to the shocking poisoning of Nighthand,...

This week on Our Book Bench , the adventure shifts. We sail away from the City of Scholars full of wonder — new boat, wide skies, and the promise that “We’ll see it together.” But that joy quickly collides with danger as Christopher falls from a crumbling mountainside, riddles must be answered before sphinxes decide whether to eat anyone, and a truth is revealed that changes everything. For the fi...

What happens when the danger doesn’t fade — it deepens? In this episode of Our Book Bench, Lisa and David discuss pages 102–148 of Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (Chapters: “Fidens Nighthand’s Preferred Drinking Establishment” through “The City of Scholars”). The Flying Senate has turned against them. Mal is still being chased — and we don’t yet know why. Dragons scorch islands. A krake...

What happens when someone says, “I need your help” — and you say yes? In this episode of Our Book Bench, Lisa and David discuss pages 53–101 of Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (Chapters: The Dog in the Water through The Flying Senate ). This week, Mal asks Christopher to leave everything behind and return to the Archipelago — and that one sentence sets off a breathtaking chain of events:...

In this episode of Our Book Bench , Lisa and David dive into the opening chapters of Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (pages 1–52), where we meet Mal and Christopher and begin to understand who they are through the choices they make. Together, we talk about character development, bravery, compassion, and how great stories show us who characters are instead of telling us. We explore Mal’s...

Season 2 is here — and we’re returning to a story we love. In this short opening episode, Lisa and David welcome listeners back to Our Book Bench and share why they’re rereading Impossible Creatures for the third time. They talk about what it’s like to return to a book as you grow, what they’re curious to notice this time around, and the big question they’ll be holding as they revisit the Archipel...

We’re getting ready to begin Season 2 of Our Book Bench , and we’re excited to share what’s coming next. This season, we’re reading Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell — the first book in the series. After starting with The Poisoned King in Season 1, many of you asked to go back and begin at the beginning together, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. Season 2 is especially meaningful becaus...

In this final episode of our Christmas mini-series, we finish The Best Christmas Pageant Ever , covering chapters 4–7, where the pageant finally comes together and the story takes an unexpected turn. As rehearsals unravel and expectations fall apart, something surprising happens. Hearing a familiar story in a new way changes not just the pageant, but everyone watching it. We talk about humor, pers...

In this episode of Our Book Bench , we dive into  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson, covering chapters 1–3. We meet the Herdmans — the kids everyone loves to hate — and watch as they bring chaos, curiosity, and a whole lot of disruption into the town’s Christmas pageant. If you’ve seen the movie, much of this will feel familiar; but reading the story together invites us to slow d...

We’re celebrating the season with a cozy Christmas mini-series!  Join Lisa and David as we kick off our special holiday read-along of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever —a funny, heartfelt classic that’s perfect for families to enjoy together. In this short introduction, we share why we chose this book, what to expect in the coming weeks, and how you can read along with us at home. Be sure to let us...

We’re kicking off a special Christmas mini-series on December 7th! While we’re on pause between Season 1 and our next full book season in the new year, we’re reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever —a quick, funny, and heartfelt classic the whole family can enjoy. This short teaser gives you a peek at what’s coming and why this story is the perfect cozy December read. Grab your copy from your loca...

We’ve come full circle! In this season-finale episode, we look back on The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell—the dragons, the courage, the laughter, and the unforgettable moments that kept us turning pages week after week. Together, we share what surprised us most, what we learned about justice and friendship, and why Anya’s bravery and Christopher’s loyalty made this such a powerful story to fin...

🎃 This special Halloween crossover brings together Our Book Bench and Unsolved Wyoming for a spooky, laughter-filled adventure through R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps: Welcome to Dead House ! In this bonus episode, David is joined by his Aunt Renee — host of the Unsolved Wyoming podcast — to talk zombies, ghosts, haunted houses, and all things creepy. Together they explore what makes scary stories so irr...

In this week’s reading of The Poisoned King (pages 217–273, chapters Ever Onward → The Justice of Dragons), Anya and Christopher’s story reaches its breathtaking conclusion—a finale filled with dragons, justice, and one unbelievable twist. As we dive into Part 3: Revenge, we explore how courage and compassion collide. Together, we talk about Arach’s loyalty, Anya’s final choice, and the lessons th...

In this week’s reading of The Poisoned King (pages 163–214, chapters The Secret Door → The Star Tower), Christopher and Anya discover a hidden library, meet a harpy librarian and her mouse assistant, and encounter two truly dangerous creatures—a manticore and a chimaera.   There’s humor, heartbreak, and a big moment of disagreement between our heroes as they search for the antidote for the dragons...

In this week’s reading of The Poisoned King (pages 111–162, chapters The Islet of Glimt → The Loquillan), Christopher and Anya arrive at the Island of Glimt with their friends Niravala, Gallia, and Jacques—only to uncover a heartbreaking discovery that will change everything. As they meet Irian and Nighthand and learn how Glimt became a sanctuary for magical creatures, new questions arise about co...

In this week’s reading of The Poisoned King (pages 53–108, chapters Rage → Freshwater Spring), Anya faces impossible choices after her father is taken away for allegedly poisoning the King.   With the castle doctor raising questions, her uncle tightening his grip, and the gagana birds whispering warnings, Anya’s courage is tested as she dares to enter her grandfather’s room, uncovers startling sec...