Book Club for Kids
338 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★ - 331 ratingsThe place where young readers meet to talk about books. The show includes a celebrity reader and an interview with the author. The host is award winning public radio journalist Kitty Felde. Book Club won the California Library Association Technology Award and the DC Mayor's Award for Excellence in the Humanitites. Named one of the top 10 podcasts for kids by THE TIMES of London.
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Episodes
Summer Intern Hannah Matzecki's Favorite Episode - Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar
August 14, 2019 10:00 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBThe worst summer vacation ever? Being stuck in the middle of a New Mexico desert with the crabbiest grandfather on planet earth. But there are also magical bees that promise the end of of a drought. Students from Belvedere Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia. Our celebrity reader is New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Kitty Felde is host. This episode is the favorite of summer intern Hannah Matzecki.
Favorite Books Arlington Heights, Illinois
August 07, 2019 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.52 MBReaders from the Arlington Heights Memorial Library in Illinois share their favorite books with host Kitty Felde.
Episode 94 - The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman
July 31, 2019 10:00 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBWhat’s it like to be adopted? Does your adopted family’s history become your history or do you feel the need to find your biological story? Our book this week is "The Length of a String" by Elissa Brent Weissman. It’s a Holocaust story about a Jewish family separated by the war. Readers from the Girlfriends Book Club of Baltimore at Hazelwood Elementary Middle School discuss the book and pose lots of questions to our writer. Actor and producer Bari Hochwald is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde i...
Margaret Peterson Haddix
July 24, 2019 10:30 - 10 minutes - 9.29 MBWriter Margaret Peterson Haddix has published nearly four dozen novel. We talk to her about how she manages to write so many books, the difference between writing fiction and non-fiction, and get a sneak preview of her newest series. Kitty Felde is host.
Episode 93 - Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix
July 17, 2019 10:00 - 21 minutes - 19.8 MBC’mon. Admit it. Don’t you just wish sometimes that your parents would just disappear? But what happens next? That’s just part of the plot for our book this week “Double Identity” By Margaret Peterson Haddix. Our readers are from Sousa Middle School in Washington, D.C. Our celebrity reader is actress Molly Parker, from "Deadwood" and "Lost In Space." Kitty Felde is host. Oh, and just a warning: the discussion contains spoiler alerts, so you might want to read the book before you listen t...
Bonus Episode: The Search for the Real Great Brain
July 10, 2019 10:00 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBHas a book inspired you to take a summer vacation to a particular place? "The Great Brain" series seems to have inspired a lot of readers - including Sharon Madsen's family. Sharon's become the unofficial John D. Fitzgerald historian, archivist, and tour guide, taking fans of "The Great Brain" series around Fitzgerald's hometown of Price Utah. Kitty Felde talks to Sharon Madsen about her family's obsession.
Episode 92 - The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald
July 03, 2019 10:00 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBThis week, we catch up with readers in Houston, Texas who love "The Great Brain" books by John D. Fitzgerald SO much, they named their book club after it. Not familiar with the book? A lot of the plot involves the oldest brother Tom who always has a new scheme to separate kids from their money. Our celebrity reader is J. Keith van Straaten, host of the game show podcast Go Fact Yourself. Our writer John D. Fitzgerald is no longer with us, but Sharon Madsen, the resident expert on Fitzgerald,...
Summer Reading from the LA Public Library's Mini Maker Faire
June 26, 2019 10:00 - 9 minutes - 8.75 MBLooking for great summer reading ideas? This group from Southern California have lots of suggestions.
Episode 91 - Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
June 19, 2019 10:00 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBDo you ever feel different? Peculiar? Perhaps not as peculiar as the kids in "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children." Readers from the DC International School discuss Ransom Riggs' novel and pose questions to the author. NPR Special Correspondent Melissa Block is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Favorite Books from the LA Public Library's Maker Faire
June 12, 2019 10:00 - 6 minutes - 6.09 MBWe usually talk to middle school kids on Book Club for Kids. This week, we hear book suggestions from some of our youngest listeners. The episode was recorded at the LA Public Library's Mini Maker Faire at the downtown Central Library. Kitty Felde is host.
Episode 90 - Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
June 05, 2019 10:00 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MB"Esperanza Rising" is a riches to rags tale about a wealthy Mexican family who end up as farmworkers in California's Central Valley. Students from Murch Elementary School in Washington, DC compare the book to Frances Hodgson Burnett's "A Little Princess." Actress Christine Avila is celebrity reader. Writer Pam Munoz Ryan talks about her real-life grandmother whose life inspired the book. Kitty Felde is host.
A conversation with graphic novelist Nidhi Chanani
May 29, 2019 10:00 - 6 minutes - 6.31 MBWriter Nidhi Chanani always wanted to be a writer. Kitty Felde talks to Nidhi and finds out how did she end up writing her graphic novel "Pashmina."
Episode 89 - Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
May 22, 2019 10:00 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBIs a podcast about a graphic novel like dancing about architecture? Give a listen to our latest episode "Pashmina" by Nidhi Chanani. It's a tale about a magical pashina and secrets and mothers and daughters. Our readers are students at Kelly Miller Middle School in Washington, DC. Rasika Mathur is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Veronica Roth on Writing
May 15, 2019 10:00 - 6 minutes - 5.68 MB"Divergent" writer Veronica Roth talks about her latest writing adventures.
Episode 88 - Divergent by Veronica Roth
May 08, 2019 10:00 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MBWe venture into a dystopian universe created by writer Veronica Roth. "Divergent" is a tale about finding out where you fit in – and whether you’re brave enough to take a literal leap of faith. Our celebrity reader is the 2018 Ms. Senior California and a familiar voice on Southern California Public Radio KPCC 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.
Bonus Chris Tebbetts
May 01, 2019 10:00 - 7 minutes - 6.72 MBChris Tebbetts talks about book packaging, collaboration with James Patterson, and using storyboarding and other techniques as a writer. For more with Chris Tebbetts, listen to the entire episode of “Public School Superhero.”
Episode 87 - Public School Superhero by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts
April 24, 2019 10:00 - 23 minutes - 21.1 MBDo you dream about becoming a superhero? What kind? 5th graders from DC's School Within a School discuss "Public School Superhero" by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts. In the book, our hero Kenny dons his alter ego Stainless Steel just to survive at a very lousy middle school. Actor Chuma Hunter-Gault is our celebrity reader and Chris Tebbetts joins us to talk about collaborating. Kitty Felde is host.
Bonus episode with writerDan Gutman
April 17, 2019 10:00 - 3 minutes - 3.07 MBWhat's next for Dan Gutman's My Wierd School series?
Bonus Episode: A Conversation with Dodger Legend Tommy Davis
April 15, 2019 18:26 - 5 minutes - 4.81 MBBaseball legend Tommy Davis only signed with the Dodgers because of phone call from Jackie Robinson. And even though he played in a different era, Tommy experienced racism from baseball fans firsthand.
Episode 86 - Jackie & Me by Dan Gutman
April 10, 2019 10:00 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBEvery April 15th, Major League Baseball celebrates the day that Jack Roosevelt Robinson started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers, the day that integrated baseball. This year marks Jackie Robinson’s 100th birthday and to celebrate, we’re discussing the novel “Jackie & Me” by Dan Gutman. Readers from Murch Elementary School in Washington, DC discuss the book with host Kitty Felde. Our celebrity reader is another legendary Dodger, the two-time National League batting champion, Tommy Davis.
Favorite Books from You
April 03, 2019 10:00 - 7 minutes - 7.04 MBReaders from across the country call in and tell host Kitty Felde their favorite books.
Episode 85 - Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
March 27, 2019 10:00 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MBWould you like to be a legend? To have people tell stories about you long after you’re gone? Would you like to be “Maniac Magee” by Jerry Spinelli? This Newbery Award-winning classic is our Book Club for Kids pick this week. Our readers are from Anne Beers Elementary School in Washington, D.C. and John Michael Higgins (“Pitch Perfect” and “A Mighty Wind”) is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Favorite Books from Palos Heights Illinois
March 20, 2019 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.17 MBReaders at the Palos Heights Public Library share their favorite books...and many of them are our favorites, too!
Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder with Congressman Adam Schiff
March 13, 2019 10:00 - 27 minutes - 19.3 MBWould you like to grow up on a desert island with no adults to boss you around? That's the locale for our book "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder. Our readers from Percy Julian Middle School in Oak Park, Illinois talk about the challenges of growing up and try to get our writer to disclose some of the answers to the mysteries in the book. Congressman Adam Schiff, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, is our celebrity reader.
Bonus Episode - Favorite Books from Houston
March 06, 2019 11:30 - 7 minutes - 7.1 MBWe hear from readers at Marcella Intermediate school in Houston Texas who share their favorite books. Many of them are by Book Club for Kids authors. Kitty Felde is host.
Episode 84 - Hello Universe
February 27, 2019 11:00 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBVirgil's grandmother keeps telling him scary stories as life lessons. One of his friends is convinced she can predict the future. Virgil is trying to find a way out of his shell. This week we discuss Erin Entrada Kelly's 2018 Newbery Award-winning novel "Hello Universe." Actress Kat Purgal is our celebrity reader. Members of the Rocket Readers book club of Newport Beach, California discuss the book and talk about how school testing stresses them out. Kitty Felde is host.
Favorite Books from Daniel Boone Regional Library in Missouri
February 20, 2019 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.33 MBReaders from the "show me" state show us their favorite books to host Kitty Felde.
Episode 83 - Monster by Walter Dean Myers
February 13, 2019 11:00 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBHe's on trial for murder. Does that make him a bad person? Our readers from Kramer Middle School in Washington, DC tackle tough questions about a tough book: Walter Dean Myer's award-winning novel "Monster." Actor Larry Powell is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Bonus Episode: A conversation with writer Shannon Messenger
February 06, 2019 11:00 - 9 minutes - 8.37 MBEver wonder how writers keep all the details organized when they're writing a long series? Find out in this conversation with writer Shannon Messenger. Kitty Felde is host.
Episode 82 - Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
January 30, 2019 11:00 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MBDo you wish you had a super power? Want to hang out with some elves? This week, a book club from Maryland picks our book: Shannon Messenger's "Keeper of the Lost Cities." Nick Roman is our celebrity reader and our readers interview the writer. Kitty Felde is host.
Nikki Grimes
January 23, 2019 11:00 - 4 minutes - 3.48 MBLast week, our readers from Washington DC discussed Nikki Grimes’ novel in verse GARVEY’S CHOICE. This week, we hear some more from poet Nikki Grimes about the power of poetry, spirituality in a secular world, and a sneak preview of her next project.
Episode 81 - Garveys Choice by Nikki Grimes
January 16, 2019 11:00 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MB"Garvey's Choice" is the poetic tale of a star-struck young man trying to please his father. Award-winning writer Nikki Grimes answers questions from readers at Alice Deal Middle School in Washington, DC. Actor Haskell V. Anderson III is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Bonus Donna Jo Napoli
January 09, 2019 11:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBLast week, we talked to writer Donna Jo Napoli about her novel ALLIGATOR BAYOU. It’s a novel set in Louisiana, a tale about the relationship between Italian immigrants and the African American population. We talked to Donna at Podcast Movement in Philadelphia and she had much more to say about her writing process.
Episode 80 - Alligator Bayou by Donna Jo Napoli
January 02, 2019 11:00 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBNew Orleans is a city rich in history and rich in wonderful food. Both are topics in this week's discussion of Donna Jo Napoli's novel "Alligator Bayou." Readers at the New Orleans Public Library discuss the book with host Kitty Felde. Our celebrity reader is NPR National Correspondent Debbie Elliott.
Bonus Episode - Katherine Marsh
December 26, 2018 11:00 - 6 minutes - 4.48 MBKatherine Marsh says her son helped a lot with the creation of "The Door by the Staircase." She also offers some writing tips.
Episode 79 -The Door By The Staircase by Katherine Marsh
December 19, 2018 11:00 - 21 minutes - 19.5 MBThis week, we get a new look at an old fairy tale – the story of the Russian witch known as Baba Yaga. A boys book club in Portland, Oregon met us at Powell's Books to discuss Katherine Marsh's novel "The Door by the Staircase" with host Kitty Felde. Congressman Earl Blumenauer, who represents Portland on Capitol, is celebrity reader.
Bonus Episode - Favorite Books from Virginia's Gunston Hall
December 12, 2018 11:00 - 7 minutes - 6.46 MBThis week, we talk to group of young writers who met for a workshop at Virginia’s historic Gunston Hall, home of founding father George Mason. Host Kitty Felde asked these writers our favorite question: what’s your favorite book?
Episode 78 - The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963
December 05, 2018 11:00 - 22 minutes - 21 MB‘The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963” touches on a tragic moment in American history: the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. But it’s really a family story about a road trip. Readers from Two Rivers Public Charter School in Washington, DC discuss the novel with host Kitty Felde. Writer Christopher Paul Curtis won the Newbery, the Golden Kite, and the Coretta Scott King awards for this book. He talks about how all those statues allowed him to become a full time writer. Our celebrity re...
Bonus Episode St Tammany
November 28, 2018 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.55 MBWhat are kids in Louisiana reading these days? We hear from readers who all participanted in the 2018 Battle of the Books competition in at a public library about 45 miles north of New Orleans in a community called St. Tamany Parish. Kitty Felde is host.
Episode 77 - Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac
November 21, 2018 11:00 - 22 minutes - 20.2 MBWe discuss a fictionalized story about one of the Navajo Code Talkers - the Marines who were recruited to use their native language to help the Allies win World War II. Students from Chesterbrook Elementary School in Virginia discuss Joseph Bruchac’s novel “Code Talker” with host Kitty Felde. Our celebrity reader is Elayne Silversmith. the librarian at the Vine Deloria, Jr. library at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC.
Bonus Episode Australia
November 14, 2018 11:00 - 5 minutes - 4.73 MBThis week, we’re talking to kids in Australia, asking them their favorite books. We caught up with two of them on a tram – the same tram where the royal couple Prince Harry and his new bride Meghan took to a beach in south Melbourne. We have pictures on our website.
Episode 76 The Meringue Witches by Isora Morales Suarez
November 07, 2018 11:00 - 19 minutes - 17.4 MBThis episode began with a chance meeting in a tiny art gallery in the city of Cienfuegos, Cuba. Writer Isora Morales Suarez was minding the store to pay the bills, but just had her first novel for kids published in English. The Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore discuss her unusual fairy tale “The Meringue Witches” with host Kitty Felde. Cuban ex-pat Adolfo Nodal is celebrity reader.
New Zealand's Favorite Books
October 31, 2018 10:00 - 6 minutes - 6.1 MBThis week, we take you thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean to the south island of New Zealand. In and around the city of Christchurch, we asked kids to tell us their favorite books. You may be surprised by some of their choices.
Hoodoo by Ronald L. Smith
October 24, 2018 10:00 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBWriter Ronald L. Smith takes us on a trip down south, to the backwoods of Alabama, where a young boy was born with a heart-shaped birthmark, the mark of magic, or Hoodoo, according to his grandmama. Hoodoo must learn to tap his inner powers of magic to battle evil. Veteran public radio journalist Brian Watt is celebrity reader. Ron Smith just won the Corretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award from the American Library Association for "Hoodoo."
Ribblestrop by Andy Mulligan
October 17, 2018 10:00 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBAmericans have a romanticized image of English boarding schools. RIBBLESTROP is the opposite of that. Writer Andy Mulligan has created what must be the most dangerous school on planet earth. And this trio of readers at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, New Jersey, debate whether they'd like to attend. Peter Sagal, playwright and host of NPR's quiz show "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!" is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Orleans - Sherri L. Smith
October 10, 2018 10:00 - 21 minutes - 9.87 MBWhat if hurricanes just get worse and worse? That's the premise for Sherri L. Smith's dystopian tale "Orleans." Students from Benjamin D. Foulois Creative and Performing Arts Academy in Maryland explain why dystopian novels are actually hopeful. At least for girls. Journalist Cheryl Devall is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.
Bonus Episode: More about Madeleine LEngle
October 03, 2018 10:00 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MBCharlotte Jones Voiklis and Lena Roy have written a new biography about their grandmother, Newbery Award winning writer Madeleine L’Engle called "Becoming Madeleine." They share stories about the woman who wrote 'A Wrinkle in Time."
Episode 75 - A Wrinkle in Time
September 26, 2018 10:00 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBThis week, we tackle a classic – the 1963 winner of the Newbery Award A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L’Engle. Our readers are 5th graders from the British International School in Washington, DC. Our celebrity reader is public radio journalist Stephanie O’Neill. Madeline L’Engle passed away in 2007, but we're joined by her granddaughters Charlotte Jones Volklis and Lena Roy. They've written a new biography of their grandmother based on her journals called BECOMING MADELEINE. Kitty Felde is h...
Bonus Bilingual Episode
September 18, 2018 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.62 MBThis week, we’re asking students at MarFarland Middle School in Washington DC our favorite question: what’s your favorite book? What’s so special about that? These students are telling us all about it in English – and español. It’s our first bilingual episode of the Book Club for Kids. The readers will answer first in English, and then in Spanish. Kitty Felde is host.
Episode 73 - Tales From the Odyssey
September 12, 2018 10:00 - 21 minutes - 15.3 MBDo you believe in one-eyed monsters? Greek gods? This week, readers from two Washington, D.C. schools discuss Mary Pope Osborne’s take on Homer’s classic adventure “Tales from the Odyssey.” Mary talks about writing a modern take on Odysseus - as well as her best-selling “Magic Treehouse” series. Our celebrity reader is John Dryden, a veteran of BBC radio dramas and head of scripted content for the podcast network Panoply Media. Kitty Felde is host.