Reach Out and Read

What can fossils — yes, fossils! — tell us about the history of shared parental care and infant helplessness? Jeremy DeSilva, an Endowed Professor of Archaeology, Paleontology, and Ethnology at Dartmouth takes us on a few million years' deep dive into human evolution and what the fossil record tells us about the evolution of family relationships and behavior.

Whether man-made or naturally-occurring, chances are children will be exposed to some level of trauma at some point. How we regard these situations and recognize the protective effect of positive relationships will help guide how we may talk to kids and — we hope — buffer the effects of trauma.  Yevgenia Nayberg joins us to talk about "Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters", her new book that draws...

The 20th Century was a time of unparalleled industry, creativity, innovation, and reach in the toy industry. Michael Kimmel, a SUNY distinguished professor emeritus and author of Playmakers: The Jewish Entrepreneurs Who Created the Toy Industry in America, joins us to talk about the immigrants who practically single-handedly created the material culture of American childhood as we know it.

Can fear and enchantment be two sides of the same coin?  How can stories help children navigate through darkness and wonder?  Maria Tatar, the John L. Loeb Research Professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures and of Folklore and Mythology at Harvard University, joins us to discuss the role of children's literature in offering curiosity and courage in young readers.  Warning: you may never thin...

We often understand why building strong relationships in pediatric clinical care is important, but the details of how matter.  Linda Gilkerson, PhD, Founder and Executive Director of the Fussy Baby FAN Network at the Erikson Institute, joins us to talk about reflective practice and how strengthening the provider-parent relationship helps parents become attuned to their infants and ready for trying...

What does it mean to be "enough" as a parent, caregiver, or professional?  Where is my "maternal instinct" if I don't feel an instant bond? How do fathers come to feel like fathers — and what if the connection doesn't come right away?"  These are just some of the questions explored using narrative and reflection by Dr. Junlei Li and Thelma Ramirez in their new early relational health project,  The...

She's the most influential person you may never have heard of.   A new book, Books Good Enough for You: The Storied Life of Ursula Nordstrom, Editor of Extraordinary Children's Books, recounts how she nurtured and edited some of the greatest books of the past 100 years, including titles such as Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon, The Carrot Seed, Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and dozens m...

When, why, and how did we decide as a society to dedicate all our parenting resources to the "human capitalization of children"—and at what cost? Nina Bandelj, Chancellor's Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine, joins us to help answer this question (and many others) from her new book Overinvested: The Emotional Economy of Modern Parenting.

Commemorating America 250, we asked author Laurie Halse Anderson to join us to discuss Rebellion 1776, a historical fiction middle grade adventure about a girl struggling to survive amid a smallpox epidemic, the public's fear (yes!) of inoculation, and the seething Revolutionary War.

Underneath every 'comeback story' is a deep well of resilience that emerges from fundamental human capabilities that are at the same time both ordinary and powerful.  Ann Masten, Regents Professor of Child Development at the University of Minnesota and author of Ordinary Magic, joins us to talk about how we can build and promote the building blocks of resilience in early childhood.

Many families today have a child who is a "picky eater", but before the 1930's, the concept of a picky eater didn't even exist.  What's responsible?  Changes in parenting? Psychology? Food manufacturing? Advertising? Technology? As it turns out… all the above. Helen Zoe Veit, author of Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History joins us to explore this puzzle by looking to...

Baby laughs do more than just make us feel good — they actually serve a critical role in a baby's development. Dr. Gina Mireault, a developmental psychologist and professor at Vermont State University, joins us to explain how "laughter and humor are fundamental to how babies learn about and participate in the world"; those giggles are less about comedy and more about connection, she tells us.

Ideally, books offer something for kids and adults alike.  Chances are if you and your child are independently enjoying a book, you probably will enjoy reading that book together .  Hugo Award–winning, Eisner Award–nominated author Zach Weinersmith joins us to talk about writing for kids and adults, adapting Beowulf (yes, Beowulf! ) for children, and his new novel Sawyer Lee and the Quest to Just...

Many pediatricians care for underserved populations, and have long recognized the inextricable links between the well-being of families and the outcomes for their children.  Dr. Terri McFadden, professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, medical director for Reach Out and Read Georgia, and president-elect for the American Academy of Pediatrics, joins us to talk about a new book...

It's been a few thousand years and yet Greek myths can still capture our imagination.  What makes these stories so timeless?  Katherine Marsh, an award-winning author of novels for middle-grade readers—including Medusa: The Myth of Monsters and The Gods' Revenge— joins us to talk about how modern adaptations can make these incredible stories more accessible to young readers.

We're always surprised — and a little chagrined — to find a piece of history we had not yet heard about.  Author Maria Dolores Aguila joins us to talk about her new book A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez, a uniquely American story about one child's stand against poverty, deportation, racism, and colorism in southern California in the early 1900s.

For a question that brings up strong feelings on both sides, try asking: Do audiobooks qualify as 'reading'? Brian Bannon, the Merryl and James Tisch Director of Branch Libraries and Education and Chief Librarian at The New York Public Library, joins us to talk about the rise of—and stigma around—audiobooks, and why the environment in which we read might matter more than the modality. 

We know that stress and trauma uniquely affects children.  But we also know that intervening early can help reduce the associated adverse health outcomes — and that a strong caregiver/child relationship is especially powerful at buffering the effects of stress.  Dr. Heather Forkey, professor of pediatrics and the vice chair of pediatrics at UMass Chan Medical School and division director of the Fo...

A child's engagement with digital media isn't just with a device or an app, but with an entire digital ecosystem.  Managing these ecosystems can be challenging enough under regular circumstances, but tech's commercialization has outpaced families' access to helpful supports around health development, relationships, and well-being — not just of individual children or families, but of communities an...

Stories with a hefty emotional punch often stick with us — and when it comes to timeless stories (think fairy tales) — that punch is often rooted in some pretty dark feelings. Exploring Hans Christian Anderson's famous tale "The Little Match Girl", Sadie Stein, an editor at the New York Times Book Review, joins us to talk about how parents and caregivers can help children navigate challenging emot...

A few months ago, our host, Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, was one of several experts asked by  The Atlantic magazine to share nominations for "best picture books for children", from the past 100 years.   Dr. Navsaria and guest Emma Sarappo, a senior editor at The Atlantic, break down the process, which books made their list, and why.

Language shapes all aspects of our lives, including how we connect with our family.  Often, the more "insider" that language is, the stronger the family bonds are.  Cynthia Gordon, a professor in the linguistics department at Georgetown University and the author of "Making Meanings, Creating Family", joins us to talk about "familect" — a unique dialect particular to each and every family — and why...

In early November 2025, nearly 300 people from the Reach Out and Read and Nurture Connection worlds — comprising clinicians, staff, community leaders, funders, and parents — gathered in Washington, DC for the National Summit. This event convened a coalition of innovative organizations representing the nation's early childhood community, child health systems, and networks of public and private inve...

We're thankful, all year round, to those who read aloud to young children and who encourage shared reading with others. To celebrate Thanksgiving 2025, we're revisiting a powerful selection of stories from Traci Sorell, Ann Clare LeZotte, and Dr Sayantani DasGupta, three children's authors who joined us share their own stories of thanks.

Over 200,000 children enter foster care each year in the United States. How can we create safe, stable, and nurturing environments for foster children who have, by definition, experienced a rupture of at least one of these elements ?  Dr. Camille Broussard, Executive Committee member for the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care and co-editor in chief of...