The Reading To Connect Show

What if a single children's book could bridge the gap between parents and their young ones, fostering empathy, understanding, and a love for reading? This episode promises to deliver on that thought, as we welcome Eleni Fuiaxis to our show. Eleni is a mother,  teacher, and published author, whose children's book "Picky Patrick" is making waves in the world of parenting and educ...

What if there existed a magical world where little eggs journeyed across the globe, learned various cultures, and served their communities? Welcome to the wonderous world of 'Good Eggs', crafted by the charismatic author and teacher, Sandy Ciaramitaro. Her love for storytelling ignited during her childhood and has evolved into a series of children's books that instill virtues, celeb...

Every story has a beginning, and for our guest, Timothy Stuetz, it started with a box of bears mysteriously delivered to his doorstep and an offhand remark from his mother. The result? A thrilling journey into the world of children's books and the creation of 86 whimsical tales (at the time of the recording), each filled with lessons on reaching one's potential. In our chat, Timothy unra...

Get ready for an incredible episode that's all about helping your child grow and thrive through the magic of reading! Our special guest, Dave Cole, has a passion for both math and storytelling, and he's here to share his fantastic book series, 'The Math Kids,' which is all about learning and adventure. In this heartwarming conversation, Dave tells us how reading with your child...

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Children's book author, Winsome Bingham, joins us for a discussion around Black family tradition, diversity in books, and her Coretta Scott King Award Winning Book, 'Soul Food Sunday'. Learn more about Winsome Bingham >> https://binghamwrites.com/   Grab the book Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham, illustrated by C. G. Esperanza >> https://amzn.to/3d4sE2h   Connect with...

We often hear about adoption from the adoptive parent’s point of view. Rarely do we get to step into the mind of a child and learn what the experience is for them. Once the actual adoption process is finalized, it’s easy to negate all the emotions the child experiences. And while adoption is beautiful, the child often struggles through trauma, separation, and loss.    Before children can even expl...

Over the last few years, we’ve all taken the time to consider exactly what family means to us. We would venture into the world avoiding unfamiliar people, sanitizing multiple times a day– all to keep our family safe.   What a crazy time! A time that made us realize what matters the most, family . A group of people, blood-related or not, that loves and cares for each other because, at the end of th...

The past few years have drastically changed our way of living. It changes the way we communicate, work, and educate our children. While we are so busy adjusting to change, we often forget that our children also need support.   Today, the author spotlight is on Dr. Tamera Foley, a veteran educator and advocate for children's trauma and mental health issues.    She is passionate about helping p...

Have you ever been in a situation where your child wakes up as Mr. Grumpy pants, and you feel like you’re walking on eggshells around them?    Their negative energy affects you and everyone else in the household, and they have no idea how to deal with the bad attitude. What we can do to help them as parents is to show the flip side of what it will look like if they choose to be in a good mood.   T...

Did you know that reading books together creates a warm, emotional bond between you and your children?    They help create a special connection, not only a parent-children bond but also a link to encourage us to dream.   This episode’s author spotlight is on Michael John Sullivan; if the name sounds familiar, there may be a couple of reasons why.   Michael is a multi-talented, award-winning writer...

What are you feeling right now? Happy? Sad? Lonely? Something you can’t quite describe?   With so many emotions to feel, it can be overwhelming. And if it’s overwhelming for us– imagine how your kids may be feeling! The best we can do to help our children is to create the space to allow the hard conversation to happen and help to guide them through.   Today, the author spotlight is on Hallee Adelm...

Ever wonder why some kids take to reading a bit more than others?    Especially at home, when you ask them to read aloud, they may feel like it's a school assignment rather than an engaging activity.   We play an important role in modeling reading for our kids. Children learn through observation and modeling, and we, as caregivers (teachers too!), are the main influencers to motivate them to...

Does your child talk comfortably at home but behave differently around other people? Like when they need to go back to school, they tend to be more reserved, shy, and quiet.   Our children go through a lot of changes in their life, and those transitions may result in fear and anxiety that can affect their communication skills. As parents, we want to help our children adapt to change and become mor...

Do your children have a best toy buddy? That one friend who is always by their side. A playmate and companion just like Buzz LightYear to Andy in Toy Story.    Our children have a special bond with their toys. For some children, a robot model is not just a toy but a robot friend.   If that’s your kid, this episode is for you!   Sari Karplus is back for another author spotlight with the second seri...

Remember the time when you had a FQ (friendship quarrel) with your BFF? How do you handle the situation? Do you feel that friend is a real friend or not really a friend?    Because the truth is even best friends don't always get along, and that is OKAY!   The author's spotlight is on Jessica Speer today. With her master's degree in Social Science, Jessica explores the social-emotion...

Have you ever read a book and then watched its movie adaptation or vice versa? What have you noticed?   The book is more detailed! It allows you to feel, react, and act in a certain way because books have a power that resonates with the reader in a way that no other medium does. So, we need more books on the front line, especially in this age of social media filters and edits.   In this episode, w...

Did you know that aside from shooting laser beams and having supernatural powers, superheroes also solve everyday problems?   Today’s author spotlight is on Erin Twamley, an award-winning children’s book author of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) books and an educator. Erin shared how she co-authored the book “Everyday Superheroes” and discovered how career superheroes solve our e...

Helping Kids Understand Breast Cancer - Interview w/ Children's Book Author, Marci Greenberg Cox 'Mommy Has a Boo-Boo' We chat about her book and author journey. To learn more, visit https://www.florpublishing.com/ Check out Marci's books here:  https://amzn.to/3AVTMYo This episode was originally recorded via video on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AidynsBooks/videos/538193...

Dr. Sheila R. Thomas, affectionately known as The Parent Partner , is a passionate educational leader who finds joy in helping others succeed. On this episode, we talk about how her work supports, encourages, and inspires parents to take action to support their child's journey-- in every area of their life. To learn more, visit https://www.drsheilathomas.com/ Check out Dr. Sheila's books...

Pres Shauntee Burns-Simpson of the Black Caucus American Library Association joined us to discuss how the association continues to serve as an advocate for the development, promotion, and improvement of library services and resources to the nation’s African American community; and provides leadership for the recruitment and professional development of African American librarians. To learn more, vi...

I sat with award-winning author, poet, and school librarian Alice Faye Duncan to discuss her contributions to children's literature. Heavily focused on her books, Evicted! and Opal Lee And What It Means To Be Free, we travel down memory lane with Alice as she details how she brought these stories to life.    To learn more, visit https://alicefayeduncan.com/ Check out Alice's books here:...

Children's book author, Winsome Bingham, joins us for a discussion around Black family tradition, diversity in books, and her Coretta Scott King Award Winning Book, 'Soul Food Sunday'. To learn more, visit https://binghamwrites.com/ Check out Winsome's book here: books here: https://amzn.to/3d4sE2h This episode was originally recorded via video on facebook: https://www.facebook...

Ben is the father of four Princesses and a Superhero. Raising five beautiful, smart, independent children has inspired and challenged him to use creative and original ideas to teach them essential life lessons. The Flip and Friends series are stories he originally created to educate his own children in a fun and relatable way. As an early writer of poetry, the transition to children's books w...

As an educator, Angelina uses books to teach kindness, social-emotional learning, empathy, and many more values. She hopes her books will be used by parents, caregivers, and educators to do the same.  To learn more, visit https://www.kindnessandstories.com/ Check out Angelina's books here: What Kind of World Would it Be? - https://amzn.to/3hEsuhg I Love You To The Treetops - https://amzn.to/3...