Scholastic Reads

Memorial Day is a time of reflection and patriotism. But we recognize that it can sometimes be challenging to explain what we're celebrating — and the realities of war — to children. In this episode, we talk with authors C. Alexander London (Dog Tags and Tides of War series), Kate Messner (Rolling Thunder), and Lauren Tarshis (I Survived series) who share with us why and how they write about war f...

Know a kid with a nose for news? The Scholastic News Kids Press Corps is accepting applications through May 31, 2017. Find out more details and apply here ! Additional resources: Learn more about the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps Read recent stories from the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps Read Esther Appelstein's stories Read Adedayo Perkovich's stories Read Titus Smith III's stories Read Max...

"A poem begins with a lump in the throat; a homesickness or a love sickness." — Robert Frost This week, we're celebrating Poetry Month by talking about the power and joy of poetry. First, we hear from renowned novelist, essayist, and poet Calvin Trillin, who shares some of the inspiration behind his new poetry collection for children, No Fair! No Fair!. We also talk with two high school students,...

Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst are trying to change how we read. In their new book, Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters , the award-winning authors and literacy educators explore a new approach where reading is viewed as a transformational experience rather than a practice of decoding, recalling, and responding to questions. As Bob says, "We're looking for the replacement of artificial...

  What do you do with a story that's too big to be contained in a book series? This week, we're talking about Horizon, a new multiplatform adventure for 9- to 12-year olds. Joining us in the studio are  New York Times  bestselling author Scott Westerfeld ( Uglies ,  Leviathan ,  Afterworlds ), game designer Gavin Brown, and editor Nick Eliopulos to talk about the uniq...

Author Peter Reynolds is redefining what ADHD stands for. In his world, and in his new picture book, Happy Dreamer,  it's simply an acronym for Amazing Delightful Happy Dreamer. This week, we talk with Peter and educator Lester Laminack about how we can encourage dreamers of all forms to feel included, engaged, and welcomed whether it's at home, in the classroom, or on the playground. Additio...

How many times have you heard the story of Cinderella? Or Beauty and the Beast? Probably dozens. And yet somehow, they never get old. No matter how they're told and re-told, we know good will triumph over evil, our heroine will find love, and everyone will live happily ever after. But why do those stories have so much appeal? Today, we have two fairy tale experts joining us to share their thoughts...

This week, we're talking about the importance of raising children's voices. First, we're joined by Carmen Agra Deedy, the acclaimed author of the new picture book  The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! , an allegorical tale of a brave, little rooster in a town where singing has been outlawed. Carmen shares the story of her own childhood as a Cuban refugee living in Decatur, Georgia, and talks a...

On February 16, we are celebrating the power of the read aloud with World Read Aloud Day . Every year, this global celebration calls attention to the importance of sharing stories by challenging participants to grab a book, find an audience, and read out loud. In fact, data from Scholastic's Kids & Family Reading Report  shows us that reading aloud to children regularly from birth is cruc...

In the sixth edition of our Kids & Family Reading Report , we asked U.S. parents and children about their attitudes and behaviors around reading books for fun, and now the results are in! Key findings reveal what kids and parents look for in children's books, the increase in reading aloud to children from an early age, the inequities around access to books in the home, and more. View all our f...

Scholastic Reads recently celebrated its first anniversary, and we wanted to mark the occasion by sharing some of our favorite moments from the last year! In this short episode, we'll hear clips from Lauren Tarshis ( I Survived series ), Sonia Manzano ( Becoming Maria ), Edwidge Danticat ( Untwine ), Dav Pilkey ( Captain Underpants series ), Ann M. Martin ( The Baby-sitters Club series ), Arthur A...

Laughter is a universal language, and  Dav Pilkey  speaks it fluently. The award-winning author and illustrator of the Captain Underpants series joins us in the studio this week to introduce his newest series, Dog Man, and to talk about why funny books are often the right books to spark a love of reading. Dav also shares his own story about growing up with ADHD, dyslexia, and behavi...

The holidays bring many wonderful thing to Scholastic, chief among them, the employee book fair! There's something for readers of every age, from picture books, coloring books, and cookbooks, to how-to books, graphic novels, and memoirs. In this episode, we talked with colleagues who are shopping and volunteering at the fair to find out what are the must-have books this holiday season. Here's a li...

Pam Muñoz Ryan , the celebrated and critically acclaimed author of  Esperanza Rising ,  The Dreamer , and  Riding Freedom , among many others, joins us in the studio today with her editor, Tracy Mack , to talk about her writing process, the genesis of her latest  New York Times  bestselling, Newbery Honor novel,  Echo , and why so many of her novels contain theme...

Libraries are the heart of a school, but many suffer from chronic under-funding. Author James Patterson is working to change that. In this episode, he joins us to discuss his pledge to donate $1.75 million to school libraries for the second year in a row. We also hear from librarian Teresa Israel , who works at one of the schools that received a grant from Patterson’s 2015 pledge.  Guests: Ja...

Graphic novels are having a moment. Inspired by the rise of this popular genre, we asked Greg Grunberg , actor and author of the recently released Dream Jumper , to share the story of his inspiration. Illustrator Lucas Turnbloom also discusses his role in the book and his artistic process. Finally, David Saylor , the founder and editorial director of Scholastic's Graphix imprint, joins us with an...

Just in time for Halloween, Dan Poblocki, author of the new multiplatform series Shadow House, joins us to talk about the origins of his spooky tales. The series comes with an app, which is perfect for young readers. In the episode, Dan (pictured here with his bewitching editor, Erin Black) reveals all of the creepy things that have happened to people who have worked on the Shadow House series. Jo...

15 years ago, Scholastic partnered with Chicken House, a publishing company based in the UK begun by publisher Barry Cunningham. In this episode, Barry, perhaps best-known for being the original acquiring editor of a little book called Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in the U.K., shares his vision of book publishing and talks about the state of the industry. He's joined by Chicken Ho...

Maria Dominguez, executive editor at Scholastic en Español, and Nancy Mercado, editorial director of Scholastic Press, share their experiences reading and editing Spanish-language or Latino-culture-driven children's books in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. They discuss the books they love and recommend, from Sonia Manzano's Becoming Maria to Christina Diaz Gonzalez's Moving Target . Maria...

For generations, teachers have been using Scholastic Reading Club to help their students foster a lifelong love of reading. Judy Newman, President of Scholastic Reading Club, joins us to talk about the unique business, its book-selection process, and her team of book-loving editors. We’re also joined by teacher-customer turned employee Carol Levine; Editorial Director David Allender; and...

Thirty years ago this month, readers were first introduced to the founding members of The Baby-sitters Club: Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne, and Stacey. With nearly 250 titles in print, and new graphic novel adaptations by Raina Telgemeier, The Baby-sitters Club remains one of the most beloved series of all time. In this episode, we talk with BSC creator Ann M. Martin and her longtime editor, Dav...

Lauren Tarshis, author of the bestselling I Survived series, explains why her stories of survival resonate so deeply with young readers. Her thrilling tales about such momentous events as the sinking of the Titanic and the bombing of Pearl Harbor allow her fictionalized characters to confront life-or-death challenges. Lauren also dons her editor’s hat to talk about Storyworks Jr., Scholastic'...

In this episode, we’re joined by Edwidge Danticat, whose work recounts the stories of Haitians and Haitian-Americans. Her haunting YA novel, Untwine , tells the story of an unbreakable bond between twin sisters of Haitian descent.  Guest: Edwidge Danticat  is the author of several award-winning works, including  Breath, Eyes, Memory , an Oprah’s Book Club pick;  Krik? Krak! , a...

June is Pride Month, so we’re dragging it up with Jeffery Self! Jeffery is the author of Drag Teen, his debut YA novel. The book follows a high school senior (and aspiring drag queen) on a quest to go to college. Jeffery is joined by his editor, acclaimed YA novelist David Levithan. Note: This episode was recorded before the tragic shootings in Orlando. Our hearts are with the victims, families, a...