The Joyful Learning Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

And We're Back! We could not think of a better person to 'ring the bell' for season three of our podcast than the talented middle grade author, Jamie Sumner! This conversation celebrates the release (April 9th, 2024) of Jamie's seventh middle grade novel and first novel in verse, Deep Water.

Melissa is in conversation with middle grade DEBUT author, Matt McMann. He speaks about his journey of becoming a published author, and how the journey goes all the way back to middle school. On the day this episode goes live, Matt will celebrate his BOOK BIRTHDAY for the first two books in his Monsterious Series, Escape from Grimstone Manor and The Snatcher of Raven Hollow.

As a professional musician, Matt McMann played an NFL stadium, a cruise ship, and the International Twins Convention. Now he writes the kind of spooky mystery-adventure books he loved as a kid. He’s hiked the Pacific Northwest, cruised Loch Ness, and chased a ghost on a mountain. While he missed Bigfoot and Nessie, he caught the ghost. He enjoys brainstorming new books with his wife, New York Times bestselling author Lisa McMann; viewing his son Kilian McMann’s artwork; and watching his daughter, actor Kennedy McMann, on television.

Visit Matt's website for more information: https://mattmcmann.com/

Happiest Book Birthday to Invisible Spy (Forgotten Five Series, Book 2) which released this week! This is Lisa McMann's 29th book! 

In this bonus episode, Lisa McMann gives an overview of the series, the stories behind the stories, and a fun book 3 teaser! If you have not already read Map of Flames (Forgotten Five Series, Book 1), that title is now available in paperback! 

Melissa Thom and special guest episode co-host Jennifer Halbur have the great honor of interviewing author Lisa McMann during the "Summer Book Party" promotional tour for Lisa's New York Times bestselling middle grade book The Map of Flames published by Penguin Random House.    Guest Bio: Lisa McMann lives in Tempe, Arizona. She is married to fellow writer, Matt McMann, and they have two adult children. Her son is artist Kilian McMann, and her daughter is actor Kennedy McMann. Lisa is the author of over two dozen books for young adults and children. Some of her most well-known books are The Unwanteds series for middle grade readers and the Wake trilogy for young adults. The Forgotten Five: Map of Flames was an instant New York Times bestseller in March 2022. It is the first book in Lisa's new middle grade fantasy series. It's about five supernatural kids who were born in a deserted hideout and abandoned by their criminal parents. They find a flaming map and enter civilization for the first time in search of treasure...and they hope to find their parents, too. But they soon discover that civilization is not kind to supernatural people like them. Book 2, The Invisible Spy, will be out November 8, 2022. Episode Resources: Connect with podcast host, Melissa Thom: @MsThomBookitis*http://melissathom.com** Connect with podcast co-producer, Carrie Seiden: @LoveALibrary  Connect with podcast guest, Lisa McMann: @Lisa_McMann* http://lisamcmann.com* Facebook Instagram Connect with podcast guest co-host, Jennifer Halbur: @HalburJennifer** Brookline Booksmith (https://www.brooklinebooksmith.com) * Longfellow Books (https://www.longfellowbooks.com/)* RJ Julia Booksellers (https://www.rjjulia.com/)* Turning the Page Books (https://www.turningthepagebooks.com/) * Independent Bookstore Day (https://www.bookweb.org/independent-bookstore-day)#Bookposse  #mgbookchat Book 1: Map of Flames Book 2: Invisible Spy

Episode 4: The Joy of Magical Realism with Natalie Lloyd [10/18/22] Follow the Joyful Learning Podcast on: Twitter Instagram Facebook Episode Summary: Melissa Thom is in conversation with New York Times Bestselling middle grade author, Natalie Lloyd about her latest book Hummingbird, a special teacher who helped Natalie get through tough moments as a kid, disability representation in children's lit, and 80s/90s nostalgia! Guest Bio: Natalie Lloyd is the New York Times Bestselling Author of novels for young readers (and the young at heart). Her first novel, A Snicker of Magic (2014), was an ALA Notable Book, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, a top 10 Kids Indie Next Pick and an NPR, iBooks and Parents Magazine best book of the year for children. The book has been optioned for television by Sony Tristar. Natalie’s other novels include The Key to Extraordinary, The Problim Children series, Over the Moon and Silverswift. Hummingbird, her seventh (and most personal) novel for kids, was published in August 2022 and has received starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, BookPage and Shelf Awareness. Natalie writes in the shadows beside a sunny window in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She loves adventuring with her husband, Justin, and their dogs. Episode Resources: Connect with podcast host, Melissa Thom: Twitter  Instagram Website  Connect with podcast co-producer, Carrie Seiden: Twitter  Connect with podcast guest, Natalie Lloyd: Twitter Web Facebook Instagram Link to Tweet about Natalie’s 3rd Grade Experience Link to photo of Melissa with Heart shaped glasses Books Mentioned Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen Roll With It by Jamie Sumner The First Thing About You by Chaz Hayden Poet Mary Oliver

Nationally recognized and award-winning Teacher Librarian, speaker, and host of the Joyful Learning Podcast, Melissa Thom in conversation with middle grade author, Jo Watson Hackl the author of Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe and the founder of Outdoorosity, a free resource for information and inspiration about nature. (The interview took place during the International Association of School Librarians (IASL) conference in Columbia, South Carolina, where both Melissa and Jo were invited to present.)

Jo Watson Hackl is the author of the bestselling novel, Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe, published by Random House Children’s Books.  Smack Dab was awarded the Southern Book Prize and is an Amazon Teacher’s Pick.  Jo also is the founder of Outdoorosity.org, a free resource for information and inspiration about nature. Jo is a first-generation college graduate on a mission to help students connect with nature, build skills that promote grit, resiliency and SEL skills, and improve overall writing, and she loves to do school visits. In collaboration with experienced educators, she and her team have developed a bounty of free resources for educators and other readers, available at www.johackl.com, and Outdoorosity.org.  

Episode Resources:

• About Jo’s book  Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe published by Penguin Random House
• The Joy Report Podcast: Nature is for Everyone: Equity in the Outdoors  "The Joy Report" is a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality, optimism, and joy with host Arielle King (@ariellevking), an environmental justice advocate.
• Commitment to Create More Equitable Access to Parks & Nature

Books Mentioned:

• George, Jean Craighead. (1959). My side of the mountain.
• Konigsburg, E. L. (1967). From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
• Lloyd, N. (2022). Hummingbird. Scholastic Press.
• Mapp, R. (2022). Nature swagger: Stories and visions of black joy in the outdoors. Chronicle.

Connect with Melissa Thom: Twitter  Instagram  Website 

Connect with Jo Watson Hackl: Twitter Facebook Web  

Connect with Carrie Seiden: Twitter

Nationally recognized and award-winning Teacher Librarian, speaker, and host of the Joyful Learning Podcast, Melissa Thom chats with Barbara Johnson, a influential school library media specialist, Maker, wife and mother of four—with a long list of interesting hobbies and diverse paying side jobs—about collecting, curating and sharing ideas in a digital world, building diverse school library collections, and preparing for and responding to book challenges. Don’t miss this great conversation!

Barbara’s Bio: Barbara is a former Director of Technology & Technology Integration Specialist, and earned her MLIS in 2014. She is passionate about bringing innovative technology to my school learning community. Barbara organized the MakerMeetup for Maker Librarians to play, hack, and discuss library issues. In 2018 the MakerMeetup was the Connecticut Association of School Librarians’ (CASL) Pre-Conference and had over 130 attendees. She also initiated Colchester’s Annual Digital Learning Day, a community-wide event that allows students to become the teachers in an "edCamp" style evening. Last spring, 75 students facilitated 25 activities for over 600 participants.

Barbara continuously advocates for school libraries as the Past President of CASL and a member of both the State of Connecticut Commission for Educational Technology and Digital/Media Literacy Advisory Council. She is the AASL Affiliate Representative for Connecticut and has presented at the last three AASL Conferences on innovative teaching practices and school libraries.

List of resources, suggested materials, affiliated links, and social media:

• Connect w/ Barbara: Twitter Facebook
• Connect w/ Kristina Holzweiss: Twitter Facebook
• Connect w/ Melissa: Twitter
• Connect w/ Carrie: Twitter

Resources

Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors article by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop

Office for Intellectual Freedom 

Barbara’s Johnson’s interview with Connecticut Public Radio/WNPR regarding book challenges, “Connecticut Librarians Brace for ‘Tsunami of Book Challenges”

Top 10 Most Challenged Books Lists 

Book Recommendations

For Middle Grade Readers:

Ban this Book: A Novel by Alan Gratz

Property of the Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes

Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King

For Young Adult Readers:

Suggested Reading by Dave Connis

Nationally recognized and award-winning, Teacher Librarian, speaker, and host of the Joyful Learning Podcast, Melissa Thom shares an overview of the brand new Joyful Learning podcast. Topics of this inaugural episode include information about the guests and interviews featured in Season One, and an invitation to take part in the Joyful Learning Pod online community .

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Link to show notes: http://bit.ly/JLPshownotes

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Melissa’s Bio and Social Media

Melissa Thom, MA, (she/her) is a teacher librarian at Bristow Middle School in West Hartford, CT. She earned her bachelor’s in elementary education from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, a master’s in elementary education from Northern Arizona University and a master’s in educational psychology/gifted and talented from the University of Connecticut. She spent 12 years teaching grades four to six as a classroom teacher, and seven years ago she earned her library media specialist certification from the ARCLMS program. She is the President of the Connecticut Association of School Librarians (CASL), a member of the Teacher Advisory Board for Bookelicious, and was a 2019 AASL Social Media Superstar Reader Leader finalist. She has been honored by CASL for the Follett Creativity Award in 2018  and the Carlton W.H. Erickson Award in 2020. She was awarded the 2021 Outstanding Professional Award by the UCONN NEAG Alumni Board, and most recently was named  a library journal mover and shaker. Her publications include an article in the School library journal about Makerspace and NGSS also know as the  (next generation science standards), as well as an article in the October 2019 issue of School Library Connection entitled, Create a Culture of Reading. In addition, she has hosted multiple webinars for School Librarian Connection and EdWeb on topics such as Developing Inclusive Collections, Making the Most of Your Digital Collection, and Building a Culture of Reading.

*Follow Melissa on Twitter (https://twitter.com/MsThomBookitis) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/msthombookitis)*

*Follow Carrie on Twitter (https://twitter.com/lovealibrary)

Book Recommendations

Downs, A. F. (2022). Chase the fun: 100 days to discover fun right where you

      are. Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Meinzer, K. (2019). So You Want to Start a Podcast: Finding Your Voice, Telling

     Your Story, and Building a Community That Will Listen. HarperCollins.

Follow the Joyful Learning Podcast on Twitter (https://twitter.com/joyfullearnpod) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/joyfullearningpod/)

Welcome to the Joyful Learning Pod–a new podcast and online community whose mission is to highlight and celebrate examples of joyful lifelong learning, both inside and outside of the classroom. Join host, Melissa Thom, and her personal and professional learning network of friends (or soon-to-be friends)— that include educators, authors, librarians, makers and others—who are passionate about making teaching and learning joyful for all children, young adults, and educators everywhere. Tune in to find your people and bring about important and impactful change to your entire educational community.

Melissa is in conversation with author Chris Baron. Chris is the award winning author of Novels for Children including ALL OF ME, an NCTE Notable Book, THE MAGICAL IMPERFECT a Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Book/ a SLJ Best Book of 2021 & the forthcoming novels, THE GRAY (23) FOREST HEART (24) from Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, and SECRET OF THE DRAGON GEMS, a Middle Grade novel co-authored with Rajani LaRocca from Little Bee Books (23) and editor of ON ALL OTHER NIGHTS: A MIDDLE GRADE PASSOVER ANTHOLOGY, from Abrams (24), He is a Professor of English at San Diego City College and the director of the Writing Center. He grew up in New York City, but he completed his MFA in Poetry in 1998 at SDSU. HE lives in San Diego with his family. He is represented by Rena Rossner from the Deborah Harris Literary Agency. 

Twitter: @baronchrisbaronInstagram: @christhebearbaron