Host Jordan Lloyd Bookey speaks with authors and reading enthusiasts to explore ways to build a stronger culture of reading in our communities. They'll dive into their personal experiences, inspirations, and why their stories and ideas are connecting so well with kids.
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Always in the Room: Elizabeth Acevedo on Ancestors, Neighbors, and Secret Mentors
Episode 53
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 • Duration 39:50
“I cannot do an interview without talking about who I come from as it pertains to the writers who have influenced my work because their fingerprints are all over [it].” - Elizabeth Acevedo
In an interview, we may hear Elizabeth Acevedo's singular voice, but she assures us she is not alone. Elizabeth reminds us that she is part of a lineage and an amalgamation of many voices. She, like all of us, represents those who came before her, those whose books she devours, those who have shaped her life, and those who inspire her. A Greek chorus, if you will.
In fact, when I asked Elizabeth about her personal journey, she called on her community and family at every phase—the community that raised her and continues to nurture her. Elizabeth credits everyone, from the neighborhood boys who encouraged her to spit bars at the local corner store to the teacher-mentors, with being essential to her rise as a critically acclaimed author and international slam poet star.
Elizabeth Acevedo is a beloved poet and author, celebrated for winning prestigious honors like the National Book Award, the Prinz Medal, and the Pura Belpré Award. She also held the title of Young People's Poet Laureate. And on a personal note, she is one of my all-time favorite authors. Elizabeth is renowned for her young adult novels, including "The Poet X," "Clap When You Land," and "With The Fire on High," along with her recent adult novel, "Family Lore." Her writing vividly explores her Afro-Latina heritage, delving into themes of identity, family, and the relentless pursuit of dreams.
In this episode, we discuss Elizabeth's secret mentors (and mentees), and some of the spurns she has encountered within the literary community. She reminisces about Friday nights in her apartment building, reflects on the importance of names, and ruminates about what her future may hold. She even shares her original rap name!
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True to her poetry roots, in her reading challenge, "Novels Through Poems" Elizabeth has compiled a list of books that are just that tell stories through poetry. Learn more and download Elizabeth's recommended reading list at thereadingculturepod.com/elizabeth-acevedo.
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This episode's Featured Librarian is Tammy McIntyre. Tammy served as a library media specialist in Gwinnett County Georgia for many years and now works with us at Beanstack! She shares a memorable interaction with a student that continues to resonate with her, highlighting the vital role the library plays as a community space.
Producers: Jackie Lamport, Elena Guthrie, and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Worthy of Protecting: Ari Tison Faces Down Monsters With Words
Episode 52
Tuesday, September 3, 2024 • Duration 42:41
“I talked about how I didn't process things in my journals. Well, in poetry, I did. All of a sudden, it was cracking that door open.” - Ari Tison
When we’re kids, the world still feels so big. Everything is a discovery, from why flowers bloom to why we go to school and what it feels like to make friends… everything is new. But for some kids, life can hit faster than they’re ready to process. The logical side, the “why,” isn’t as important as the safe space to feel the emotions. In Ari’s native Bribri culture, monsters play an important role in stories, but for Ari the monsters were also present in her real life. She was young and unable to understand or logically process her trauma when she experienced it, but through reading and writing poetry, Ari found an emotional outlet.
A debut author, Ari has already gained critical acclaim for her novel, “Saints of the Household,” which earned accolades such as the Walter Award, the Walden Award, and the Pura Belpré Award. She’s also an accomplished poet, using her craft to delve into deep themes of identity, healing, and self-discovery.
In this episode, Ari shares how art connects her to her ancestral heritage. She discusses her unheard call for help with poetry, healing at her own pace, spirituality, the poets who shaped her writing, growing up between multiple places and cultures, and much more.
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Ari’s reading challenge, YA With Creative Structures, is inspired by her forthcoming novel, “Together We See.” She has curated a list of books that take unconventional approaches to structure, from the use of time to the inclusion of unexpected narrators. Learn more and download Ari’s recommended reading list at thereadingculturepod.com/ari-tison.
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This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Jared Lessard, Branch Manager for the Calcasieu Parish Public Library System in Southwest Louisiana. He told us about an experience that constantly reminds him about the power of libraries in rural communities.
Filling in the Blanks: Cece Bell on the Comedy of the Absurd
Episode 43
Tuesday, April 30, 2024 • Duration 43:09
"...the reader's mind is filling in the blanks in between those panels and as a lip reader, that's what I do. I fill in the blanks. I'm trying to piece together what that person says. So, comics really make sense to me.” - Cece Bell
I first came to know Cece Bell through her groundbreaking semi-autobiographical graphic memoir novel, “El Deafo.” It was SO good that I had to read more by her. That's when I found out, through reading aloud with our (then younger) kids, that Cece's work is hilarious. Her zany, expressive storytelling combined with her vibrant illustrations create her unique style which she dubs, “absurdism for children.” During our conversation, Cece explains that it is in fact a style born out of misunderstandings, of her trying to make sense of the world around her while navigating it with deafness.
While Cece is best known for "El Deafo," which received a Newbery honor, most of her books are for a slightly younger set. These include her laugh-out-loud funny "Chick and Brain" series, and her earlier Sock Monkey trilogy. Cece’s journey to pursuing a career as an artist was first dependent on her discovering confidence in her abilities, and also in her disability. Something that she didn’t fully realize until she wrote “El Deafo.”
In this episode, Cece shares insights into her creative process, revealing how her experiences navigating the world with deafness have shaped her storytelling and sense of humor (and draws the connection between her deafness and her love for puns). She also tells us about the gory job that convinced her to pursue a career as an artist. For any budding comic creators, she also reveals the only book you need to read before your write your first graphic novel.
For her reading challenge, Cece has curated a list of books that highlight the special relationships between siblings, something that has always fascinated her. In case you wondered, Cece has two older siblings. You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com/cece-bell
Hero of the Anti-Heroes: Gregory Maguire on the Value of Second Chances
Episode 42
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 • Duration 42:40
"That's really all we are obliged to do for those we call our enemies. We are obliged to see them as humans, and then we behave the way we will. We are obliged not to consider them as less than human because that way, all hell breaks loose. - Gregory Maguire
Gregory Maguire expresses himself with extreme precision. While many of us may grasp for words to communicate a specific emotion or to describe a series of events, Gregory seemingly has words and turns of phrase on command. What a delight it is to listen to Gregory talk about his journey, his writing, and his thoughts on a wide variety of topics.
Close to Gregory’s heart is the belief that everyone has a backstory, a context—even our enemies. And no matter how difficult the task may seem, he believes it is our duty to understand that story and find it within ourselves to empathize with them—not to excuse them but to simply see them as humans.
Gregory has built his career around telling the stories of antiheroes, most notably through the reimaginings of classic fairytales in novels such as "Wicked," "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister," and "Mirror Mirror." That ability to find empathy and a curiosity to understand even the most seemingly undeserving characters emerges in his other children's and young adult books and is deeply rooted in experiences from Gregory’s early life.
In this episode, Gregory shares those early life experiences (which can honestly be described as “Dickensian”) and how his relationships with his father and siblings have impacted his writing and life choices. He tells us about his love of the “arresting strangeness” of literary worlds and how this sensation inspired him to become a writer. He also shares why he believes in the children's stories he writes, not always getting a “happily ever after.”
Simple Thing, Felt: Nina LaCour on Unwrapping a Moment
Episode 41
Tuesday, April 2, 2024 • Duration 37:57
"I spend a lot of time trying to hope that I'll remember little things and how a certain simple thing felt. … Writing is one way of trying to capture that feeling, even if I'm fictionalizing it still.” - Nina LaCour
If Nina LaCour were a drink, she would be a cozy cup of tea. You’re not rushing to finish a conversation with Nina. Rather, you are spending time exploring the details. And that is exactly what we did in this episode.
The world moves fast. Usually faster than we’d like it to. But writing can gift us the ability to slow a moment down, to digest and analyze at a more intentional pace. For Nina LaCour, writing starts with observing the world around you, getting ready to break it down into words and unravel the meaning on a page.
As a new writer, Nina found it best to share those observations through young adult literature after falling in love with it in college. She has since written a picture book, “Mama, Mommy and Me in the Middle,” and returned to an adult novel she shelved early in her career (“Yerba Buena”). More recently, she released "The Apartment House on Poppy Hill," the sweetest chapter book.
Nina’s work is notably thoughtful and gentle. Her complex topics have resonated deeply with young readers and adults alike (including our own recent guest, Mark Oshiro). She’s best known for her novels such as “Hold Still,” "Everything Leads to You," and "We Are Okay," which received the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature.
In this episode, she shares her journey to falling in love with young adult literature and how Virginia Woolf helped her find the love of her life. She also explores writing's capacity to uncover the depth within every moment and discusses the importance of queer family representation in literature.
The World As It Should Be: LeUyen Pham Illustrates an Ideal
Episode 40
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 • Duration 40:53
"There's something very lovely about feeling like, well, it's not my name, and it's not me, it's just the books.” - LeUyen Pham
To listen to LeUyen Pham is to feel inspired. She is full of hope and ideas and sees potential everywhere and in everyone. In LeUyen’s ideal world, diverse representation is a natural outgrowth of art that truly reflects our world. Her career as an artist and writer has been her contribution to making that a reality. Her career as an artist and writer has been her contribution to making that a reality. If you have ever read a book that LeUyen illustrated, you already know this to be true. The diversity we see in LeUyen’s pages is at once realistic and aspirational.
Her illustration credits include over 130 books, such as “Bear Came Along,” recognized with a Caldecott Honor, the popular “The Princess in Black” series, “Lunar New Year Love Story,” and my kids’ favorite when they were younger, “Grace for President.” She has also illustrated and written a few of her own, including the award-winning “Outside, Inside” and “Big Sister Little Sister.”
In this episode, LeUyen tells us why she prefers to be an “art chameleon” (and how that led to challenges early in her career). She talks about how support from her teachers showed her that a career as an artist was even a possibility and how an accusation of cheating (well, not really) put her on the right path.
In her reading challenge, Chasing Home, LeUyen gets personal and invites us to explore the concept of what home means, especially from her perspective as a refugee.
You can find her list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com/leuyen-pham
If Your Heart Breaks, It’s Working: Nicola Yoon on Love and Other Risky Behaviors
Episode 39
Tuesday, March 5, 2024 • Duration 40:58
"Love is risky. Love always ends. Should you do it anyway?” - Nicola Yoon
Love is a feeling that never exists solely on its own, and those likely companions to love (anxiety, grief) often bring questions such as, is this worth it? It’s this question and others like it that Nicola Yoon explores in each of her novels.
Nicola is a hopeless romantic. The affliction began in childhood after the discovery of her aunt’s harlequin romance collection. From then on, Nicola’s love of love would only grow stronger. But while her passion for romance was a love at first sight, her passion for writing was more of a slow burn.
Today, Nicola Yoon boasts an impressive resume as a two-time New York Times bestselling author, a finalist for the National Book Award, a recipient of the Michael L. Printz Honor Book, and a winner of the Coretta Scott King New Talent Award. Notably, her first two novels have been successfully adapted for the big screen.
In this episode, she’ll tell us why she fell in love with the romance genre, and how she found her way to writing as a career after 15 years in finance. She also shares her own ridiculously cute, out-of-a-movie love story about how she ended up with her husband and fellow writer, David Yoon.
Inspired by her own novel, "Instructions for Dancing,” in her reading challenge, Good Grief, Nicola invites us to explore the intersection of love and grief with a list of some of her favorite books.
The Blackest Book Ever: Derrick Barnes on Writing Unapologetically
Episode 38
Tuesday, February 20, 2024 • Duration 39:50
"I'm putting every single ounce of who I am into every single book that I write, so y'all know to expect the blackest books you have ever read from yours truly.” - Derrick Barnes
Derrick Barnes’ introduction to vulnerable storytelling was through the jazz and R&B records he found in his family’s collection. For young Derrick, reading the liner notes in albums was just as important as any other kind of reading. Eventually, artists like Prince, Rakim, and John Coltrane taught him about the power in simply and truly being yourself. Inspired, young Derrick began writing his own poetry and short stories, which served as the beginning of a long and fruitful writing career. A career that includes being the first black creative copywriter for Hallmark cards.
In his work as an author, Derrick embodies the authenticity of his idols, being uncompromising in his goal to tell an array of black stories, for black kids. Although already an established writer, Derrick’s breakthrough picture book, "Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut" brought him national attention and accolades such as the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award, a Newbery Honor, and the Coretta Scott King Award. More recently he earned a National Book Award honor for the graphic novel “Victory Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice.”
In this episode, Derrick tells the story of how music inspired him to write, how his idols taught him to never compromise his voice as a black man, and why he considers himself a freedom fighter.
In Derrick’s reading challenge, "Resistance and Resilience" he invited us to read powerful stories of resilience from America’s black history.
Rabbit Holes: Brandy Colbert on Deep Research and Deep Characters
Episode 37
Tuesday, February 6, 2024 • Duration 39:48
"I'm a bad liar. So I'm just like, I'm really good at telling the truth.” - Brandy Colbert
Going down internet rabbit holes and discovering everything there is to know about random subjects is a relaxing way to spend an evening, according to Brandy Colbert. This passion for research is part of the secret sauce that helps her build such deep and believable characters in her fiction work. In her nonfiction writing, Brandy’s ability to bring humanity to the real “characters” in the story is what brings history to life.
Brandy is a true acolyte of the writing craft. She spent her youth creating stories of her own and occasionally borrowing and reinterpreting tales from TV. After studying journalism in college she spent the early stages of her career contributing to niche magazines, where she honed her research prowess.
Today, Brandy brings all those skills together to write gripping, detail-oriented, character-driven fiction and nonfiction stories.
Brandy Colbert is known for works such as "Little & Lion," which won the Stonewall Book Award, "The Only Black Girls in Town," and "Pointe". Meanwhile, her nonfiction book about the Tulsa Race Massacre, "Black Birds in the Sky" won the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.
In this episode, she tells us where she developed and honed her research skills, how she brings characters to life, and why a character by any other name is just…. not the same character.
In Brandy’s reading challenge, "Powerful Nonfiction" she challenges us to read a list of nonfiction books that she says will, “open minds, challenge assumptions, and highlight the power of historical truth.”
The One and Only John: Mr. Schu Turns His Heart Inside Out
Episode 36
Tuesday, January 23, 2024 • Duration 38:22
"Books can be the perfect prescriptions to let us know that we're going to be okay.” - John Schu
John Schu’s entire life has been shaped by books. As a kid, he fell in love with Shel Silverstein; Emily Dickinson comforted him as he was battling an eating disorder, and “The One and Only Ivan,” well, that book changed his life. In fact, it nearly put him into debt (he tells that story in the episode!)
The powerful impact books have had on his life inspired him to dedicate his life to sharing this power with everyone he can. His career as an educator led him to the library, the library led him across America, and now he has started a new career as a writer of stories himself.
John made his debut with "This is a School," followed by "This is a Story" and "The Gift of Story." However, in his latest work, "Louder Than Hunger," he bravely delves into a new realm of vulnerability. This semi-autobiographical tale draws from the most challenging period in his life, navigating the depths of his battle with anorexia.
In this episode, Mr. Schu, as in Mr.SchuReads, tells us about the transformative reads that shaped his life and explains how some of those stories helped him and some actually harmed him. We’ll hear how he became an author, and about the emotional toll it took to write “Louder Than Hunger.”
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Sibling Stories,
This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Amanda Maslonka, a 26-year veteran in education, and an elementary school librarian at Pasadena ISD in Texas. She tells us a funny and heartwarming story from her days working with first graders.
Contents
Chapter 1 - Funny Family (2:02)
Chapter 2 - No One Makes Fun of the Funny Kid (6:23)
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
In his reading challenge, Arresting Strangeness (a term coined by J.R.R. Tolkien), Gregory has compiled a list of his favorite books that envelop you completely and force you to look at the world around you anew. You can find his list and all past reading challenges at thereadingculturepod.com/gregory-maguire
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This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Lauren Mobley, a middle school librarian in Atlanta, Georgia. She tells us about a fun reading program she set up in her school inspired by a hit reality TV show.
This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Faith Rice Mills, librarian at Nelda Sullivan Middle School in Pasadena, Texas. She tells us a heartwarming story to remind librarians of the importance of their work, even when that impact isn't obvious.
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
This episode’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Marva Coney, a librarian at Jackson Intermediate in the Pasadena Independent School District. She shares a story about just how important books can be as kids start to grow and experience newer and harder parts of life for the first time.
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Today's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Nikki Hayter, a library manager with the Des Moines Public Library system. As summer inches closer, she tells us about a unique program her library started a couple of years ago with graphic novels.
Contents
Chapter 1 - Harlequin Romance (1:37)
Chapter 2 - An Unrequited Love (6:36)
Chapter 3 - The Great Gatsby (11:24)
Chapter 4 - A Requited Love (16:26)
Chapter 5 - The Airport Scene (19:02)
Chapter 6 - Questions About Love (22:53)
Chapter 7 - Not a Case of Love at First Sight (25:43)
Chapter 8 - Expectations of Love (27:34) Chapter 9 - Don’t read this book! (applies to children) (31:21)
Today's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Connie Sharp, a Librarian Training and Development Specialist at Metro Nashville Public Schools. She told us about how her district utilizes Beanstack with community partnerships to encourage students to read.
Contents
Chapter 1 - Jazz, Hip Hop, R&B (1:59)
Chapter 2 - Literacy and Lyrics (6:31)
Chapter 3 - A Hallmark Story (9:11)
Chapter 4 - The Fresh Cut (12:52)
Chapter 5 - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (19:22)
Today’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Cindy Philbeck, Teacher-Librarian at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She told us a heartwarming story about a student's discovery of Sabaa Tahir's All My Rage.
Contents
Chapter 1 - Reading in the Ozarks (1:47)
Chapter 2 - Early heartbreaks (5:54)
Chapter 3 - A Midwestern college experience (11:57)
Today's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Amanda Maslanka, a 26-year veteran in education and an elementary school librarian in South Houston. She offered valuable advice for parents and caregivers to get kids excited about reading.
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
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