Episodes
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How do you work with your mother on a book? How do you work on 15 books with your mother? We talk to the mother/daughter team behind Dork Diaries, Rachel Renée and Nikki Russell. Kitty Felde is host.
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Everybody wants to go to ParisâŠespecially Nikki Maxwell! Readers from Hollingworth Elementary School discuss the latest entry in Rachel RenĂ©e Russellâs series. Itâs Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Posh Paris Adventure. Rachel and daughter Nikki Russell, who illustrates the books, answer questions from the kids. Our celebrity reader is actress/screenwriter Kate Orsini. Kitty Felde is host.
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Episodes manquant?
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Madeleine L'Engle's granddaughters share their memories about their legendary grandmother and talk about some of her writing practices.
Come see us at Comic Orange Saturday, April 13th from 11-3 at the Tustin Library.
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We continue our series of episodes about books that have been banned or challenged around the country. This time, itâs the Newbery Award winning novel by Madeleine LâEngle: A Wrinkle in Time.
According to the Carnegie Mellon Banned Books Project, the book was challenged in 1985 by parents in Florida who said the book âopposes Christian beliefs and teaches occult practices. The school principal did not remove the book from 4th grade curriculum.
In 1990, a parent in Alabama asked to have the book removed because it âsends a mixed signal to children about good and evil.â The school board and superintendent voted unanimously to deny the request.
Six years later, the book was challenged in North Carolina for undermining religious beliefs.The school board denied the request.
Madeline LâEngle herself told the New York Times in 2001 that âit seems people are willing to damn the book without reading it.â
We read it with a group of young readers and this is what they have to say about A Wrinkle in Time.
This week, we tackle a classic â the 1963 winner of the Newbery Award âA Wrinkle in Timeâ by Madeleine LâEngle. Our readers are 5th graders from the British International School in Washington, DC. Our celebrity reader is public radio journalist Stephanie OâNeill. Madeline LâEngle passed away in 2007, but we're joined by her granddaughters Charlotte Jones Volklis and Lena Roy. They've written a biography of their grandmother based on her journals called âBecoming Madeleine.â Kitty Felde is host.
FAVORITE BOOKS FROM BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL:Panda-monium - Stuart Gibbs
Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
The Tiger Rising - Kate DiCamillo
Space Case - Stuart Gibbs
FAVORITE BOOKS FROM CHARLOTTE JONES VOIKLIS AND LENA ROYA Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine LâEngle
A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles
STEPHANIE OâNEILLâS FAVORITE BOOK:Charlotteâs Web - E.B. White
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Want to be on a future Book Club for Kids podcast episode? Listen to this special episode to find out how.
Here's the favorite books on this episode:
Wings of Fire - Tui Sutherland
Never Let me Go - Kazuo Isiguro
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
Keeper of the Lost Cities - Shannon Messenger
The Cricket in Times Square - George Selden
Dino-Mike - Franco Aureliani
The Little Book of the Avengers - Roy Thomas
Join us Saturday, April 6, 2024 at the City of STEM/LA Maker Faire all day at the Los Angeles State Historic Park north of downtown Los Angeles for YOUR chance to be on a future show!
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You may know John Cho from his acting work in "Star Trek" and "Harold and Kumar" movies. But listen to this thoughtful conversation Cho and host Kitty Felde about his work as a writer - including convincing his Korean immigrant parents that his work was his work as an artist was making the world a better place.
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On April 29th, 1992, a jury in Simi Valley, a town just north of Los Angeles, did not convict four LAPD officers for the beating of an African American motorist named Rodney King. Within hours, rioting broke out across the city. A particular target was liquor and convenience stores owned by Korean immigrants. The event is at the heart of actor and writer John Choâs novel Troublemaker.
Cho joins us to talk about his inspiration for the book and LAPD Officer Tony Hyong Im is our celebrity reader. Readers from Tyler Elementary School in Washington D.C. discuss their own solutions to finding solutions to a communityâs anger. Kitty Felde is host.
Favorite Books from Tyler Elementary School:
My Year in the Middle - Lila Quintero Weaver
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
City Spies - James Ponti
Godzilla - Shigeru Kayama
JOHN CHOâS FAVORITE BOOK
The Joke - Milan Kundera
OFFICER TONY IMâS FAVORITE BOOK
The Mickey Mantle Murder - Walt Brown
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Looking for your next favorite book? Here are some suggestions from readers at Watkins Elementary School on Capitol Hill:
Geronimo Stilton - Geronimo Stilton
Athletes vs Mathletes - W.C. Mack
Scare Stories to Tell in the Dark - Alvin Schwartz
Guts - Raina Telgemeier
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
Basil and Oregano - Melissa Capriglione
Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan
Matilda - Roald Dahl
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling
Flora and Ulysses - Kate DiCamillo
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul - Jeff Kinney
Another Kind - Trevor Bream
Last Kids on Earth - Max Brallier
The Babysitters Club - Ann M. Martin
Stone Fox - John Reynolds Gardiner
The Day the Crayons Quit - Drew Daywalt
Magic Treehouse - Mary Pope Osborne
The Getaway - Jeff Kinney
Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan
Grandude's Green Submarine - Paul McCartney
Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
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"Divergent" writer Veronica Roth talks about finding the courage to call yourself a writer...and bouncing back from failure.
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We continue our Banned Books series, airing episodes that have been banned or challenged around the country. This week, itâs Vernica Rothâs dystopian adventure Divergent. Back in 2015, Ashland High School in Oregon banned Divergent because â according to the schoolâs online newspaper - the book âshows a girl fighting against society which we do not want to strengthen.â What do you think? Give a listen to our discussion of Veronica Rothâs Divergent.
We venture into a dystopian universe created by writer Veronica Roth. Divergent is a tale about finding out where you fit in â and whether youâre brave enough to take a literal leap of faith. Our celebrity reader is the 2018 Ms. Senior California and a familiar voice on KUNV Rita Pardue. Our readers are from Benjamin Trasker Middle School and we taped the episode at the Bowie, Maryland branch of the Prince Georges County Memorial Library. Kitty Felde is host.
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What are the challenges of writing in two languages? Christina Diaz Gonzalez talks about some of the pitfalls of getting the nuances right when Spanish speaking characters are from different countries.
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There are some people we just don't notice. A quiet student, immigrants speaking in their own language, a homeless person living in a van - you could call them invisible. That's the name of our book Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez. Students from Swanson Middle School in Arlington, Virginia discuss the bilingual graphic novel with host Kitty Felde. Our celebrity reader is Monica Sanchez.
Favorite Books from Swanson Middle School:
Fifth Quarter - Mike Dawson
The Tryout - Christina Soontornvat
Cirque du Freak - Darren Shan
Every Last Word - Tamara Ireland Stone
Miss Quinces - Kat Fajardo
Michael Jackson in Comics - Ceka
Christina Diaz Gonzalez' Favorite Book:
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
Favorite Books of Monica Sanchez
Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
I'll Love You Forever - Owen Hart
Books by Monica Brown
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Who says kids who love STEM subjects aren't readers? We take to the stage for a live taping of the Book Club for Kids podcast at the 2023 LA Maker Faire/STEM Festival where host Kitty Felde asks kids our hardest question: What's your favorite book and why? Here's their answers:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
The Magic Treehouse - Mary Pope Osborn
Frog and Toad are Friends - Arnold Lobel
The Golden Books - Disney
Little Blue Truck - Alice Schertle
Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan
The One and Only Ivan - Katherine Applegate
Junie B. Jones - Barbara Park
Pete the Cat - James Dean and Kimberly Dean
Couch Potato - Jory John
They Both Die at the End - Adam Silvera
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder - Holly Jackson
The School for Good and Evil - Soman Chainani
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
The Inheritance Games - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Bad Kitty - Nick Bruel
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Looking to start the New Year with some new books? Kids in LA County share their favorites with host Kitty Felde.
Refugee - Alan Gratz
The Secret Lives of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
Harry Potter and the Sourcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
Parrot in the Oven - Victor Martinez
Enola Holmes - Nancy Springer
The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart
Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Dork Diaries - Rachel Renée Russell
The Couch Potato - Jory John
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More than 100 million people have fled violence and persecution around the world. But that's just a number. Who are these refugees? Meet Omar. Readers from Dorothy Hamm Middle School in Arlington, Virginia discuss When Stars Are Scattered by Omar Mohammed and Victoria Jamieson. Our celebrity reader is Matthew Saltmarsh from the UNHCR. Kitty Felde is host.
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We're happy to report that our most popular episode in 2023 is no mystery...actually, it IS a mystery: Varian Johnson's The Parker Inheritance.
And by the way, if your school is in LA County, we'll come out and tape a Book Club for Kids episode in your classroom! Just have your teacher, parent, or librarian contact us at the website and click on the "Want to be on the show?" button.
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How do you know which books make the best gifts? Kids in LA County share a few suggestions with host Kitty Felde.
The Last Kids on Earth - Max Brallier
The Art of Seduction - Robert Greene
Dogman - Dav Pilkey
You Matter - Christian Robinson
What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night - Refe and Susan Tuma
King and Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth - Dori Hillestad Butler and Nancy Meyers
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Amulet - Kazu Kibuishi
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
Mickey Mouse - Phoenix International
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We continue to look through our many episodes of the Book Club for Kids podcast to examine the titles that have been banned or challenged. Today, we look at the 1977 Newbery Medal awarded novel by Mildred D. Taylor Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.
The book has been challenged in school districts from Burbank, California to Oviedo, Florida to Huntsville, Alabama mostly for the use of the "N" word.
In Burbank, the book was removed from required reading lists, though kids can choose to read the book and it can be used in small groups after the teacher has undergone training on facilitating conversations on racism, implicit bias, and racial identity.
Mildred D. Taylor said "As a parent I understand not wanting a child to hear painful words, but as a parent I do not understand not wanting a child to learn about a history that is part of America, a history about a family representing millions of families that are strong and loving who remain united and strong, despite the obstacles they face."
Here's some links to our resources:
https://www.marshall.edu/library/bannedbooks/roll-of-thunder-hear-my-cry/ https://ncac.org/update/letter-from-ncac-to-protest-the-challenging-of-roll-of-thunder-hear-my-cry https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2020-11-12/burbank-unified-challenges-books-including-to-kill-a-mockingbirdWe turn back the clock to a difficult period of history in Jim Crow America. The book is the Newbery award winner Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. Readers from Immaculate Heart Catholic School discuss the difference between present-day Bronx and the south of the 1930's. Actress Tracy Leigh is celebrity reader. Literary historian Dr. Dianne Johnson-Feelings of the University of South Carolina offers her perspective on the author.
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