Book Club for Kids

A Conversation with Dana Middleton

Writer Dana Middleton has some advice about finishing a novel or story. She also looks back at the beginning of her writing career.

Not A Unicorn by Dana Middleton

You think you've got problems? Try being born with the horn of a unicorn in the middle of your head. Dana Middleton's tale of fitting in and standing out is discussed by students from Louis Armstrong Middle School, Walter Reed Middle School, and Toluca Lake Elementary School. They've got a list of questions for the writer as well.  Pam Rogers, creator of the poetry and nonsense podcast Buttons & Figs is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

Culver City Favorites

We return to the Culver City Book Festival to find out what younger kids are reading. Kitty Felde is host. You can see a list of all their favorite books at the website.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

We celebrate National Poetry Month with the National Book Award winning novel The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Readers from Charles Hart Middle School in Washington DC talk about poetry, MeToo, and favorite books with host Kitty Felde. Celebrity reader is Monica Vigil, who costars in The Fina Mendoza Mysteries podcast, which launches season 2 on May 3rd.

A Conversation with Jacqueline Davies

How do you get unstuck as a writer? Author Jacqueline Davies talks about how she took a vacation from the YA novel she was working on and wrote The Lemonade War in 19 days just to prove to herself that she could finish a book. Jacqueline also has advice for writers working on a series. Kitty Felde is host. Free tips for reluctant readers at the website: www.bookclubforkids.org

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies

Did you ever have a lemonade stand when you were a kid? This particular lemonade stand led to The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies. Fifth graders from Loyola Village Elementary School in Los Angeles discuss the book with host Kitty Felde. Actress Linda Graves is celebrity reader.

Favorite Books from City of STEM

Think scientists and math majors are all about  numbers? Nope. They're great readers as well. We ask kids at the City of STEM festival at the Columbia Space Center in Downey, California to tell us their favorite books.

Dan Gutman

Writer Dan Gutman talks about his other popular My Wierd School series.

Jackie and Me by Dan Gutman

Interested in baseball? Time travel? Civil rights? Anger management? Readers from Murch Elementary School in Washingotn, D.C. tackle them all in this episode about Dodger legend Jackie Robinson. The book is Dan Gutman’s Jackie & Me, a time travel story that takes us back to 1947 on the night before Jackie’s debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Another Dodger legend, two time National League batting champ Tommy Davis is our celebrity reader. He talks about how Jackie Robinson was the one who pe...

AJ Steiger

How many rejections did writer A.J. Steiger get before her first book was published? A lot, says A.J. The author talks about rejection, world building, and the very first book she wrote at age 9. Kitty Felde is host.

Cathedral of Bones by A.J. Steiger

What makes us human? Do you believe in reincarnation? How does the loss of family affect us? Our book this week Cathedral of Bones raises so many questions for our readers at Changing Hands bookstore in Tempe, Arizona. Writer A.J. Steiger discusses world building in a fantasy novel. Our celebrity reader is actor Gary Lamb. Kitty Felde is host.

Favorite Books from the Culver City Book Festival

What are kids in Southern California reading these days? Host Kitty Felde takes Book Club for Kids on the road to talk to young readers at the Culver City Book Festival to find out. 

Milo Spec Accidental Agent by Linda Urban

Donna Barba Higuera

Kitty Felde talks to the author of Lupe Wong Won't Dance Donna Barba Higuera about creating an unlikeable character. She also gives us a sneak preview of a new science fiction novel she's writing.

Episode 128 Lupe Wong Won't Dance

Does square dancing count as an athletic activity? Lupe Wong doesn't think so and is willing to fight the system to make her point. Readers from Charles Hart Middle School in Washington, DC discuss the book with host Kitty Felde and interview the writer Donna Barba Higuera. Our celebrity reader is the former president of United Square Dancers of America. 

A Conversation with Shannon Messenger

Thinking of writing a series? We ask New York Times bestselling writer Shannon Messenger about the 101 things a series writer has to think about. Kitty Felde is host.

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Whatever happened to Atlantis? To elves? To magic? This week, readers from St. Elizabeth School in Maryland discuss Shannon Messenger's fantasy adventure Keeper of the Lost Cities. The girls ask our writer to pick her favorite characters, something she hates to do. Our celebrity reader is KPCC's All Things Considered host Nick Roman. Kitty Felde is host.

A Conversation with writer Jasmine Warga

Writing a novel is hard enough, why would a writer choose to write one in verse? We continue our conversation with Jasmine Warga, author of Other Words for Home. She also tackles the topic of Own Voices in her choice to write about a family of Syrian refugees.

Other Words For Home by Jasmine Warga

Kids from Washington, DC consider life as a refugee as they discuss the Newbery-Honor winner Other Words For Home by Jasmine Warga. Readers from Tyler Elementary School talk about learning a new language, moving away from home, and even non-verbal communication in an era of wearing masks. Our celebrity reader is Sarra Gahzi, Country Director for Jordan with the International Rescue Committee. Kitty Felde is host. FYI, here's a link to curriculum for last week's episode, "Losing is Democra...

Losing is Democratic Part Two THE FINA MENDOZA MYSTERIES

Something a little different this week. As we approach January 6th, parents and teachers may be looking for a way to discuss the attack on the U.S. Capitol with children. Our other podcast THE FINA MENDOZA MYSTERIES created this special 2-part episode to help open a discussion about the events, without scaring kids. In this episode, 10-year-old detective Fina Mendoza, the daughter of a congressman, has a new mystery to solve: who stole the 5th grade's pizza? Her class discusses the attack ...

Losing is Democratic Part One Bonus Episode of The Fina Mendoza Mysteries podcast

Something a little different this week and next. As we approach  January 6th, parents and teachers may be looking for a way to discuss the attack on the U.S. Capitol with children. Our other podcast THE FINA MENDOZA MYSTERIES created this special 2-part episode to help open a discussion about the events, without scaring kids.  In this episode, 10-year-old detective Fina Mendoza, the daughter of a congressman, has a new mystery to solve: who stole the 5th grade's pizza? Her class discusses ...

Jerry Craft on Writing

Newbery Award-winning writer Jerry Craft confesses that he was not much of a reader as a kid. But he wanted to create a book for kids like him. He talks about which comes first in his graphic novels, the pictures or the words. He tells host Kitty Felde how to write a joke in four panels.

New Kid by Jerry Craft

We're so excited to talk about the Newbery Award-winning graphic novel New Kid by Jerry Craft. Students at Randle Highland Elementary School in Washington, DC debate whether they'd rather go to a fancy pants school on the other side of town, or the school in their own neighborhood. Actor Gary Anthony Williams is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

Favorite Books from Hope Christian School in Albuquerque

What makes a book personal to you? We talk to a group of readers from Albuquerque, New Mexico about the books that mean something special to them. Kitty Felde is host.

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

Get out the Kleenex and a warm jacket and gloves. This week is a heartbreaking tale of troubled foster kid who finds comfort among a herd of cows in Maine. Readers from Carter G. Woodson Charter School in Chicago discuss Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt. U.S. Senator Angus King is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

A Conversation About Writing Collaboratively with Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

How do you write a novel together without destroying a friendship? We ask the writers of "A Place at the Table," Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan. 

A Conversation About Writing Collaboratively with Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

How do you write a novel together without destroying a friendship? We ask the writers of "A Place at the Table," Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan. 

A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

What does it mean to be an ally? How do you confront racism face to face? What's it like to be the child of an immigrant? And can food bring people together? We talk about it all with a trio of students from Columbia Heights Educational Campus in Washington, DC. Writers Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan answer questions about writers block from our readers. Our celebrity reader is USA Today journalist Tami Abdollah. Kitty Felde is host.

Bonus: Lots of Wimpy Kid and Minecraft

Got a favorite book? Need a great book to read next? These fourth graders from Cienega Elementary School in Los Angeles have LOTS of suggestions.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Want to keep that Halloween feeling going? We offer a Southern tale of witches and spooky houses. And the Civil War. It's Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. We're lucky to have DC's Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton as our celebrity reader. Students from Washington DC's Jefferson Academy discuss the novel with host Kitty Felde.

Bonus: Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead

Today and Tuesday are special days in the Catholic and Mexican calendar: Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. As an added bonus episode of Book Club for Kids, we wanted to share this snippet from our other podcast The Fina Mendoza Mysteries. It's the story of a 10-year-old detective on Capitol Hill, but it's also a family story about coming to terms with the death of Fina's mother. In this mini-episode, Fina and her sister Gabby and grandmother Abuelita remember her on Dia de los Muertos....

Episode 124 - The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

Would you like to live forever? When is it okay to lie? How do we prepare for a disaster? These and other big questions are tackled by students at Farmdale Elementary School in Los Angeles as they discuss The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch. Actress Satomi Hofmann is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. www.bookclubforkids.org

The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

Would you like to live forever? When is it okay to lie? How do we prepare for a disaster? These and other big questions are tackled by students at Farmdale Elementary School in Los Angeles as they discuss The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch. Actress Satomi Hofmann is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. www.bookclubforkids.org

Favorite Books from California

The 4th and 5th graders in the Bookopolis Book Club meet weekly to discuss, share, and celebrate their love of books. They share some of their favorites with us.

Hypatia Academy by Esther Goldenberg

Did Harry Potter make you wish you were going to boarding school? This week, we visit another extraordinary boarding school with invisible students and k'lepreechons. It's Hypatia Academy by Esther Goldenberg. It's the favorite book of this trio of Maryland readers. NPR's Morning Edition host Rachel Martin is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.   www.bookclubforkids.org  

An Interview with Canadian Writer Gina McMurchy-Barber

Is there a connection between archeology and writing? Writer Gina McMurchy-Barber digs deep with host Kitty Felde. www.bookclubforkids.org

The Jigsaw Puzzle King

Suppose you had a sibling with Down Syndrome? How would this change your life? That's the question in The Jigsaw Puzzle King by Gina McMurchy-Barber. Readers from Hamilton Wentworth District School Board Remote School in Ontario, Canada discuss the book and discuss the merits of peanut butter and pickle sandwiches.  We're joined by celebrity reader Tammy McLeod, who just broke the Guinness World Record for speed, solving a jigsaw puzzle. Kitty Felde is host.

Bonus Sherri L. Smith

Where do ideas come from? Writer Sherri L. Smith shares some of the things that inspired her writing. She also has some advice for young writers. Kitty Felde is host.

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

Hurricanes and pandemics - sounds like the latest headlines. But it's a dystopian novel by Sherri L. Smith called Orleans. Readers from the Benjamin D. Foulois Creative and Performing Arts Academy in Maryland discuss the book with host Kitty Felde and talk about why dystopian novels are so popular with young readers. Public radio journalist Cheryl Devall is celebrity reader. More episodes at bookclubforkids.org

Back to School Special

Book Club for Kids wants to send you back to school with some inspiration from kidcasters from around the country. In this special bonus episode, you'll get a taste of what's available for young ears, produced by our colleagues at Kids Listen, a collaborative of creators of content for kids. 

A Conversation with Christina Soontornvat

Attention fantasy writers: Christina Soontornvat, whose novel A Wish in the Dark offers some tips about world building in a mythical Thailand. More author interviews at www.bookclubforkids.org.

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soonturnvat

This week, readers at The Meridian School in Seattle discuss Christina Soonturnvat's unusual novel A Wish in the Dark and interview the author. Actress Pimmie Juntranggur is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. You can find a list of everyone's favorite book and find out how your young reader can be on the show at the website www.bookclubforkids.org.

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

This week, readers at The Meridian School in Seattle discuss Christina Soontornvat's unusual novel A Wish in the Dark and interview the author. Actress Pimmie Juntranggur is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. You can find a list of everyone's favorite book and find out how your young reader can be on the show at the website www.bookclubforkids.org.

Favorite Books from Around the World

Looking for some great end-of-summer book suggestions? Kids from around the world have some great suggestions. Kitty Felde is host. Complete list of books at www.bookclubforkids.org.

The Shadows by Jacqueline West

Looking for a late summer thriller? We discuss the first book in Jacqueline West's Books of Elsewhere series The Shadows with the Girlfriends BookClub Baltimore. Public radio journalist Doualy Xaykaothao is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. Free reading tips at the website: bookclubforkids.org.

A Conversation with Writer Veera Hiranandani

Veera Hiranandani explains why she chose to use diary entries to tell her story in The Night Diary and offers tips to young people about how to get their older relatives to open up about their life stories. Kitty Felde is host.

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani

What would you bring with you if you had to leave your home forever? It's just one of the topics we discuss with readers from Tyler Elementary School in Washington, D.C. as we tackle The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani. It's a novel written as a diary about the creation of independent India and Pakistan. Our celebrity reader is actress Nivi Varanasi. Kitty Felde is host.

Favorite Books from the National Archives

We ask kids and their parents to answer our favorite question: what's your favorite book? Listen for some great summer reading suggestions!

A Little Wicked

We reprise our episode taped before a live audience at the National Archives. Readers from the Girlfriends BookClub Baltimore discuss A Little Wicked by Janet Macreery with host Kitty Felde. Celebrity reader is NPR Special Correspondent Susan Stamberg.

Bonus Geoff Rodkey

Geoff Rodkey is both a successful screenwriter and writer of books for kids. Including "We're Not From Here." He talks about the difference between writing screenplays and novels, about science fiction, and about creating non-binary characters. Kitty Felde is host. Lots more interviews with authors at the website www.bookclubforkids.org.