How can we create homes where reading with children happens with ease and enjoyment? How do we know which children's books are good quality? How do we maintain enthusiasm for reading aloud during the early years and beyond? Welcome! It is so great to have you here to join me for this read-aloud revolution. Modern parents are faced with unprecedented levels of technological distractions and endless to-do lists. It is easy to let, days, weeks, months go by without reading to our children. This podcast will give you ideas and inspiration for creating the best possible read-aloud environment in a modern world. You will find tips, tricks and beautiful booklists as well as interviews with literacy experts, authors, illustrators and more to help you cultivate your read-aloud home. Learn how to create a literary feast for the children in your care that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Whether you are a stay-at-home carer, a working parent or an early childhood worker this podcast has something for you!
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How to raise kids who read for pleasure with Jenny McCann
Season 4 · Episode 2
Tuesday, October 13, 2026 • Duration 52:33
Mother of 3 Jenny McCann worked as a high school English teacher for 15 years, she then started Bear Bookshop in Birmingham. Jenny came onto The Read-Aloud Home Podcast to talk about creating a home where kids read for pleasure, leaning into what your children enjoy and the value of libraries. Jenny now creates beautiful Literature based learning resources that you can find online @childhoodbychapter
Book rotations and building a beautiful home library from secondhand books with Ellie Brooks
Season 4 · Episode 1
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 • Duration 01:02:32
Ellie Brooks talks us through how she rotates her children's book collection throughout the year. She also shares tips and tricks on how to build up your home library through secondhand shopping and a few thoughts on AI children's books . Ellie is creative, thoughtful and warm and and you'll come away from this episode inspired to find the best new and old books for your children and to find ways to showcase them in your read-aloud home.
Five picture books that are "windows" for my children
Season 3 · Episode 5
Wednesday, August 26, 2026 • Duration 15:02
Finding books that are windows for my children has been a priority for me over the past 10 years. In today's episode I share 5 books that are windows in our read-aloud home. Which books are windows for your children and which books are mirrors?
Grandma's Treasured Shoes by Coral Vass, illustrated by Christina Huynh
What Happened To YOU? by James Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George
The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story by Tina Cho, Illustrated by Jess X. Snow
John Brown Rose and the Midnight Cat by Jenny Wagner, illustrated by Ron Brooks
Ellie's Dragon by Bob Graham
Four simple ways to bring a bit of fun and drama to reading aloud
Season 3 · Episode 4
Monday, August 17, 2026 • Duration 09:43
Other than using different voices for book characters what else can we do to make reading aloud a little more fun and theatrical? Here are 4 simple ideas that might work for you!
Tiddler (2007) by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Sheffler
Getting creative about how to find time to read aloud to your children in a busy world
Season 3 · Episode 3
Thursday, July 23, 2026 • Duration 14:35
Too busy to read aloud? This week's episode is for you! Host Laura Cunningham shares a mindset shift as well as some practical solutions to help you find extra time throughout the week to read aloud to your children.
How to arrange and make the most out of an author/illustrator visit (when your child's school doesn't have a librarian)
Season 3 · Episode 2
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 • Duration 07:48
Even if your school doesn't have a librarian you can arrange author/illustrator visits. These visits are a wonderful way to inspire children to read and be creative. In this episode, we share a few very simple ways to help you arrange an author/illustrator visit and to help the kids at your school get the most out of it.
Where is the Green Sheep? (2004) by Mem Fox, illustrated by Judy Horace
Three ideas to make reading aloud to a wriggly baby or toddler easier
Season 3 · Episode 1
Monday, July 6, 2026 • Duration 11:06
You want to read to your baby/toddler but they have other ideas. They are on the move, they don't want to listen so you need to get creative! Here are three super simple ideas to help you find the ease and joy in reading to a wriggly child.
Charlotte Mason, 'living books' and reading the classics responsibly with Amber O'Neal Johnston
Season 2 · Episode 7
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 • Duration 55:48
"In my home, Charlotte Mason has an afro" - homeschooling mother of four, Amber O'Neal Johnston, talks about how she has adapted the Charlotte Mason philosophy to suit her children. We also talk about books as mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors, questions to ask when you are curating your home library, why we don't need to cancel the classics and so much more.
Symbolism, the language of feet and depicting difficult scenes: an interview with Dub Leffler
Season 2 · Episode 6
Sunday, April 12, 2026 • Duration 01:21:10
From his childhood to school workshops to a particular Fleetwood Mac album cover, award-winning writer/illustrator Dub Leffler talks to us about what impacts his work.
Bear and Rat (2021) by Christopher Cheng, illustrated by Stephen Michael King
Big Nuisance (2001) by Junko Morimoto
My Hiroshima (1987) by Junko Morimoto
The Two Bullies (1997) by Junko Morrimotto
Flotsam (2006) by David Weisner
Art and Max (2010) by David Weisner
Each Peach Pear Plum (1987) by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
**during this talk we discussed Junko Morimoto and after recording I read that sadly she died in 2017. Junko is one of my favourite author/illustrators and I have no doubt her work will be with my children and many others for the rest of their lives.
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