Reach Out and Read

Over the decades, more and more US children are being raised by their grandparents.  Dr. LaShawnDa Pittman, author of the new book, "Grandmothering While Black: A Twenty-First-Century Story of Love, Coercion, and Survival", joins us to talk about how the interweaving of love, obligation, bureaucracy, historical factors, race, gender, and economic inequality particularly shape Black Grandmothers' r...

Writing for children—especially books that can be emotionally challenging—requires a great deal of insight, honestly, talent, and self reflection; and that's before you even pick up the pencil! Peter Brown, author of The Wild Robot, a beautifully crafted and deeply moving middle grade novel about technology, nature, and family, joins us to talk about his approach to this work.

The Gretchen Hunsberger Medical Champion Award honors a clinician whose exemplary personal and professional medical leadership has helped to make delivery of the Reach Out and Read program model all it can be. Meet this year's winner!

Season 5 of our podcast kicks off with highlights from expert voices in early relational health, pediatrics, and publishing, captured live at the Reach Out and Read Leadership Conference in New York City in May 2024.

Recent data shows that in school, by almost every metric, boys of all ages are doing worse than girls. How did this happen, how can we thoughtfully approach it, and turn the situation around? Ruth Whippman, author of "BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity" joins us to talk about raising boys in the US — how our boys are being shaped by society, how they're reacting, and...

Racism and discrimination affects the health of children, and can have lifelong consequences.  Dr. Ashaunta Anderson, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Southern California and Children's Hospital Los Angeles, has been studying this, and in particular the concept of racial socialization.  We discuss with her how 'positive childhood experiences' – such as embracing and enhancing...

Eat with the funniest person in the office; when you wake up, give yourself a high five; turn off screens one hour before bed, and demand a bedtime story.  These are just a few of the secrets to a happier life that our guest, Dr. Hasan Merali, author of "Sleep Well, Take Risks, Squish the Peas: Secrets from the Science of Toddlers for a Happier, More Successful Way of Life", says we can and should...

In this special 'double feature' podcast recorded in front of a live audience, the Early Relational Health Funders Summit hear from four speakers with different experiences of building and maintaining a robust Early Relational Health ecosystem.  We're looking at the practices, programs, and policies that need to work independently, and also together, to fully benefit families with young children....

Thirty-five years ago, Reach Out and Read was founded in one clinic in Boston as a route to supporting shared reading with young children at home. Today, we're in all 50 states with 6200 program sites, comprising 8.8 million interactions through 7 million books. Marking that anniversary, and in partnership with Scholastic, we've created 35 for 35 , a visionary, wide ranging collection of books tha...

We know that kids' brains change as they grow, but did you know that their parents' brains change too? Dr. Darby Saxbe, a clinical psychologist, professor and director of clinical training at the Department of Psychology, and the Principal Investigator of the NEST Lab (NeuroEndocrinology of Social Ties Lab) at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, joins us to talk about emerging re...

Beloved author Meg Medina, current National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and the first of Latina heritage in the program's history, joins us to talk about 'mirrors and windows' in children's books and why what kids hear coming off the page is just as important as what they see.

"If you love a book, no doubt many other people love it, too. That shared love connects us and sparks that miraculous feeling of not being alone in the world." Jane Mount's illustrations of book spines, covers, beloved bookstores, fanciful libraries, and so much more, bring that world vividly to life and illustrate how, indeed, Books Make Good Friends.

Kate DiCamillo knows books. By far one of America's most successful children's writers (44 million books in print, translated into 41 languages), Kate joins us to talk about how reading – and reading aloud – has made her into the reader —and writer— she is today.  We also learn — improbably — about how even sardine tins can be speakers of truth.

Reach Out and Read has been working on a remarkable new strategy around a key element of what we do: books!  A strong approach is key to supporting our mission and as a sustainable part of how we work.  Angela Cunningham, Reach Out and Read's National Director of Books Strategy and Partnerships, joins us to talk about how we approach books, and what the future might hold.

Lullabies can not only help soothe a sleepy baby, they may also help them learn language.  Dr. Giovanni Di Liberto of the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience at The University of Dublin, joins us to talk about his new study that challenges conventional understanding of early language acquisition in the infant brain.

Leo Lionni changed the picture book landscape with beloved titles such as  Frederick ,  Swimmy , and  A Color of His Own . But those books are just a small window into his extensive career as a graphic designer, painter, and a master of fine art.  Annie Lionni, Leo's granddaughter, and Leonard Marcus, a children's book historian, join us to talk about the life and art of Leo Lionni as shared in th...

You've likely heard of the Caldecott Medal. But how much do you know about Caldecott himself and his revolutionary work?  Barbara McClintock and Michelle Markel, illustrator and writer, respectively, of  Tomfoolery! Randolph Caldecott and the Rambunctious Coming of Age of Children's Books, join us to talk about Caldecott's art as a turning point in the history of children's books, and the enduring...

Crosby Kemper, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, joins us to explain the role of the federal government in the support and empowerment of America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development.   His careful stewardship and deep thoughts around how we protect and promote these incredible American civic institutions are...

Writing for children—especially books that can be emotionally challenging—requires a great deal of insight, honestly, talent, and self reflection; and that's before you even pick up the pencil! Peter Brown,   author of The Wild Robot,  a beautifully crafted and deeply moving middle grade novel about technology, nature, and family, joins us to talk about his approach to this work.

A new report from Harvard University and the Burke Foundation reinforces what we have long known at Reach Out and Read: simple, well-delivered initiatives to support early relational health have proven and profoundly beneficial results for children and their families.  Dr. Junlei Li, lead author of the report and co-chair of the Human Development and Education Program at the Harvard Graduate Schoo...

In 1920, as Black art and writing flourished during the Harlem Renaissance, W.E.B. Du Bois created the first magazine aimed specifically at Black youth.  Titled "The Brownies' Book: A Monthly Magazine for Children of the Sun", the magazine featured celebrated Black creatives of the time.  Nearly 100 years later, Dr. Karida Brown and Charly Parker have revived and expanded upon Du Bois' work to "sh...

A core role of parents and caregivers is to help children make sense of an often-challenging world around them.  Miriam Udel, professor of German and Jewish Studies at Emory University, joins us to talk about how children's books can help parents and children alike when their world is "on fire".

The American Academy of Pediatrics has long recognized that the world outside the walls of hospitals and clinics has a major impact on the health of children. A new book from the Academy, "Untangling the Thread of Racism", aims to be a thoughtful, practical, and hands-on resource that addresses many aspects of this important but challenging topic. Dr. Jacqueline Dougé, a general pediatrician, publ...

We're thankful to every person who reads aloud to a child. To mark this holiday devoted to giving thanks, we're bringing back an episode we recorded during the pandemic.  We asked three children's authors — Traci Sorell, Ann Clare LeZotte, and Dr Sayantani DasGupta — to read aloud their own stories of gratitude, and we're grateful to share those stories with you again.

Reach Out and Read has commissioned and published its first children's book, Talk Baby Talk!  In an effort to increase access to books that are representative of families from all races, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds, this book is reflective of Reach Out and Read's mission, which focuses on the parent/caregiver-child relationship through daily reading. We discuss with Alex Chu, Executive...