Book Club for Kids

The Bicycle Spy by Yona Zeldis McDonough

This week, we travel back to occupied France during World War II for a tale of bravery and bread. Students from Jefferson Middle School Academy in Washington, D.C. discuss Yona Zeldis McDonough’s novel The Bicycle Spy. Our celebrity reader Gwen Deglise Moore has been knighted by the French government for her work in cinema. Kitty Felde is host. Favorite Books from Jefferson Academy

Your Favorite Book Phone Calls Part One

What if you want to be on the Book Club for Kids podcast and you don't live in a city near DC or LA? No problem. You can just call us and tell us about your favorite book, just like these kids from around the country. Information about where to call and what to say at the end of the episode. Kitty Felde is host. Favorite Books: Sarafina and the Black Cloak - Robert Beatty The Cat I Never Named - Amra Sabic-el-Rayess & Laura L. Sullivan Diary of Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules - Jeff Kinney ...

A Conversation with Beth Lincoln

Writer Beth Lincoln talks about how her debut novel The Swifts came to life and the difference between audiences for middle grade novels in the U.S. compared to Great Britain. Kitty Felde is host.

Episode 150 The Swifts: a Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln

Do our names define us? We celebrate our 150th episode with readers at the Artesia branch of the LA County Public Library discuss Beth Lincoln's tale of a family whose names come from the dictionary. Our celebrity reader is LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn. Kitty Felde is host. Favorite Books from the Artesia branch of the LA County Library: The Lemonade War - Jacqueline Davies Restart - Gordon Korman Spy x Family - Tatsuya Endo Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Da...

City of Stem Favorite Books 2024

Favorite Books from the City of Stem LA Maker Faire 2024: Wings of Fire: Winter Turning - Tui T. Sutherland A Wrinkle in Time - Madeline L'Engle Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - Laura Numeroff The Bad Guys - Aaron Blabey Lunch Lady and the Schoolwide Shuffle - Jarrett J. Krosoczka   We have HUNDREDS of book suggestions from young readers at the website. Kitty Felde is host.    

A Conversation with Jerry Craft

Writer Jerry Craft confesses that he wasn't much of a reader when he was a kid. Kitty Felde is host.

Challenged Books New Kid by Jerry Craft

We continue our series of episodes featuring books that have been banned or challenged around the country. This time, it’s the Newbery Award-winning graphic novel NEW KID by Jerry Craft. Books in Katy, Texas were pulled from library shelves in 2021 after a parent petition complained that it contained harmful content about critical race theory. CRT examines how racism has shaped laws and public policy in America. Writer Jerry Craft says he’d never heard the term before and had to google i...

A Conversation with Rachel Renée and Nikki Russell

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.

Episode 149 - Dork Diaries by Rachel Renée Russell

Everybody wants to go to Paris…especially Nikki Maxwell! Readers from Hollingworth Elementary School discuss the latest entry in Rachel Renée Russell’s series. It’s 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.

A Conversation About Madeleine L'Engle

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.

Challenged Books - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

We continue our series of episodes about books that have been banned or challenged around the country. This time, it’s the Newbery Award winning novel by Madeleine L’Engle: 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 “opposes 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 hav...

How to Star on the Book Club for Kids Podcast

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...

A Conversation with John Cho

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.

Troublemaker by John Cho

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 Cho’s novel Troublemaker.  Cho joins us to talk about his inspiration for the book and LAPD Officer Tony Hyong Im is our celebrit...

Book Club for Kids Drops in on the State of the Union

Favorite Books from Watkins Elementary School in Washington DC

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 Cham...

A Conversation with Veronica Roth

"Divergent" writer Veronica Roth talks about finding the courage to call yourself a writer...and bouncing back from failure.

Banned Books Divergent by Veronica Roth

We continue our Banned Books series, airing episodes that have been banned or challenged around the country. This week, it’s Vernica Roth’s dystopian adventure Divergent. Back in 2015, Ashland High School in Oregon banned Divergent because – according to the school’s online newspaper - the book “shows a girl fighting against society which we do not want to strengthen.” What do you think? Give a listen to our discussion of Veronica Roth’s Divergent. We venture into a dystopian universe cre...

A Conversation with Christina Diaz Gonzalez

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.

Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

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 S...

Live from the 2023 Maker Faire and City of Stem Stage Show

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 Jacks...

Live from the 2023 LA Maker Faire and City of Stem Stage Show

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 Jacks...

Challenged Books Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

The Books Kids in LA County Love

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 Pota...

When Stars Are Scattered by Omar Mohammed and Victoria Jamieson

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.

Favorite Episode of 2023 The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

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.

Gift Suggestions from Kids in LA County

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...

Challenged Books: Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

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 th...

A Conversation with G Neri

Writer Greg Neri talks to Kitty Felde about the role of luck and his rule of saying "yes" to new projects. 

Episode 145 Yummy by G Neri

Where do gangsters come from? How can we keep kids out of gangs? Our readers from Charles Hart Middle School in Washington, D.C. have some ideas. They discuss G Neri’s graphic novel Yummy and have a few questions for him. Celebrity reader is Ariel Richardson.     FAVORITE BOOKS FROM CHARLES HART MIDDLE SCHOOL: Demon Slayer - Natsuki Hokami One Piece - Eiichiro Oda Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling G NERI’S FAVORITE BOOK: The Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster ARIEL RICHARDSON’S F...

More Favorite Books from LA County

It's the hardest question in the world: what's your favorite book? Kids from LA County schools have some answers for host Kitty Felde. The Fashion Fairies #2: Claudia the Accessories Fairy - Daisy Meadows Rascal - Sterling North Goosebumps - R.L. Stine Dog Man - Dav Pilkey Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland Jedi Academy - Jeffrey Brown The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan

Banned Books: James and the Giant Peach

Last year, nearly two thousand books were challenged in libraries across America. According to the American Library Association, that’s a 20 percent jump over a year ago.    We looked back at the nearly 150 episodes of the Book Club for Kids and realized how many titles have been challenged over the years. We’re going to revisit those episodes and bring them to you over the coming months, along with the reasons they have been challenged. Our first book is James and the Giant Peach ...

A Conversation with Claribel Ortega

Writer Claribel Ortega talks about why she loves writing fantasy. She also confesses that she's been writing about witches for a long time. Kitty Felde is host. And give a listen to our Dia de los Muertos episode of The Fina Mendoza Mysteries podcast. Here's a link to the free curriculum guide.

Witchlings by Claribel Ortega

Do witches have cliques? What happens when you're an outcast? Would you be brave enough to hunt down monsters? Students at Brookland Middle School in Washington, DC discuss Claribel Ortega's novel Witchlings. Veteran journalist Stephanie Roberts is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde his host. Want to learn more about Dia de los Muertos? Listen to this special episode from our sister podcast THE FINA MENDOZA MYSTERIES. There is free curriculum for this episode. Favorite Books from Brooklan...

A Conversation with Ali Benjamin

Writer Ali Benjamin (The Thing About Jellyfish) talks about how she manages to focus and block out distractions. Kitty Felde is host.

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

A young girl struggles to find out how her best friend died. It must be a deadly jellyfish. So she seeks out the experts. The book is The Thing by Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin. Readers from Newport Mill Middle School discuss death, "borrowing" their parents' credit card, and jellyfish. Writer Ali Benjamin talks about finding a character's voice. Legendary marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

Favorite Books from LA County

Readers from Los Angeles County tell us their favorite books. Thanks to the LA County Department of Arts & Culture. Click here for a list of everybody's favorite book.

A Conversation with Varian Johnson

What makes a good mystery? We talk to writer Varian Johnson, author of The Parker Inheritance. Kitty Felde, who writes her own mystery series THE FINA MENDOZA MYSTERIES is host.

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

Do you love a mystery? Do you love playing detective, looking for clues on every page? This week’s novel is about a lot of things – segregation, bullying, and most of all, a family mystery.  This week's episode is "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson. Our readers are from Washington DC’s AIM Academy. Actress Sheila Collins is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. FAVORITE BOOKS FROM AIM ACADEMY: The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas Children of Blood and Bone - Tomi Adeyemi Long Wa...

A Conversation with Lois Lowry

Newbery Award-winning author Lois Lowry talks about book bans, balancing serious and silly topics, and gives a sneak preview of her newest book. Kitty Felde is host.

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

Looking for an "old fashioned" book...with a twist? We discuss Lois Lowry's tale The Willoughbys with readers from Taylor Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia. Our celebrity reader is the host of the daily news podcast The Gist Mike Pesca. Kitty Felde is host. Favorite Books from Taylor Elementary School: Because of Winn-Dixie - Kate DiCamillo Keeper of the Lost Cities - Shannon Messenger Front Desk - Kelly Yang Number the Stars - Lois Lowry Lois Lowry's Favorite Books: Sar...

Favorite Books from Newport Mill Middle School

We've got a group of fantasy lovers this week from Maryland. Readers at Newport Mill Middle School share their favorites and explain why fantasy is such a favorite among their peers. Kitty Felde is host. Favorite Books: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan I Lived on Butterfly Hill - Marjorie Agosin A Magic Steeped in Poison - Judy I. Lin Keeper of the Lost Cities - Shannon Messenger  

Our Teacher is a Vampire and Other (Not) True Stories at Fall for the Book Festival

Recorded live at Virginia's Fall for the Book Festival, our trio of readers Jay, Neha and Naomi discuss Mary Amato's novel Our Teacher is a Vampire and Other (Not) True Stories. Topics range from writing to the world's worst substitute teachers. Actor Jonathan Cagle-Mulberg is our celebrity reader. The kids ask writer Mary Amato about the book. Mindy Shaw is guest host.  

Favorite Books from Ireland and the LA Maker Faire

School's starting. Have you finished your reading assignment? Need some more book suggestions? We've got a bunch from kids in Ireland and Los Angeles! Here's a link to our episode of Esperanza Rising.  Kitty Felde is host.

A Conversation with Kate DiCamillo

Writer Kate DiCamillo admits that she's a pantser, not a plotter. Host Kitty Felde talks with the Newbery Award-winning writer.

The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo

Suppose you discovered a tiger in a cage. Would you set him free? That's the dilemna for the heros of The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo. Readers from Maury Elementary in Washington, DC tackle the book and its moral questions. Writer Kate DiCamillo joins us as well. Veteran political reporter Dave Bryan is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

A Conversation with Dianne K. Salerni

Does teaching teach you how to be a better writer? Book Club for Kids host Kitty Felde asks Diane K. Salernia who moved from the classroom to the writer's room.

The Carrefour Curse by Dianne K. Salerni

Do you like spooky stories? Give a listen to The Carrefour Curse,  tale about the power of gemstones and family secrets. Readers from Atwater STEAM Elementary School in Los Angeles discuss the mystery with host Kitty Felde. Writer Dianne K. Salerni admits that she was inspired by a forbidden TV show. Our celebrity reader is Lost in Space actress Marta Kirsten.

Meet the Ten News Podcast

We’re sharing our airwaves with one of our friends from Kids Listen, a grassroots organization of people who make podcasts for kids. Give a listen to the Ten News podcast. It’s their on the road episode...all about space. Ten News Road Trip Remix:   We're hitting the road and tuning into our favorite space segments with the Ten News. ⁠  Did you ever hear the segment about the 9th planet from Jacob and Olivia Rozencwaig from the Curious Kid Podcast?   Or, when Bethany spoke to T...

A Conversation with Johnnie Christmas

What comes first, the story or the characters? How do you become a graphic novelist? We get the answers from writer/illustrator Johnnie Christmas of Swim Team. Kitty Felde is host.