For the Love of Literacy

Georgia is a mastermind on writing for children and publishing the books! She now runs her own publishing house, Salus Publishing. Tune in to hear more of her story & insights!

Just another fun children's author to author chat with new author Liz Leonard, who published Frizzy Lizzy earlier this year. She has a cute back story to her character & a great story that kids are just eating up!

While I set out to interview a bookstore owner from Arkansas, this conversation turned into a lovely discussion on children's literature, board & card games, & what I want to be when I grow up; a librarian or bookshop owner! So many good things shared in this episode.

Did you grow up watching "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood?" If so, Wysteria's chat with me about her research into Mr. Rogers' life (for her book) about attachment styles is probably going to blow your mind. And also make so much sense! She has a new book for you to check out & a website with a plethora of useful information & tips for all attchment types. ...& it's not just limited to children's attachment styles.

Have you become a fan of audiobooks over the years? Have you wondered why audiobooks are good for learning? What the differences are between podcasts and audiobooks? Well please tune in, because Becky Parker Geist is the guru on all things audiobooks; you'll probably want to check out her website & company Pro Audio Voices, the AMPlify app, & her podcast. There's so many good things we get into in this episode!

If you're intrigued by STEM & AR, books for kids, traveling the world without leaving your couch, writing for kids or maybe interactive books for kids, this conversation with engineer & creative mind, Riyon Harding, will probably be one of your favorites! And you'll have to go check out her books after this, just so you can see what we were talking about.

Meet Adam Wallace & the creative genius behind many of his books for children. We had a very long discussion from writing books for kids & publishing, to doing book tours & author visits....plus, my son makes a little appearance & we discuss his love of dinos too.

It was time to do a little solo episode & I hope you'll appreciate my thoughts on why we should get kids reading, how to get kids reading & how to make it enjoyable for everyone!

Have you wanted to learn more about hybrid publishing? What the steps are to get a manuscript ready to publish? Add to that, Miss Carrie has a fascinating background in Hollywood & learned a lot of what she applies to children's literature & hosting storytime from those times. You'll be intrigued by our convo!

Bruce is a fun, talented grandparent who just wrote & sold his fifth children's book "Tina & the First Tooth Fairy." His theme was sustainability, but he presented it in a fun, engaging fashion. Be sure to tune in & learn more about the publishing process & options!

If you have a child learning to read, or even a student who is a reader and needs extra assistance, you do not want to miss this episode! We also discuss the Science of Reading movement at length & then Marnie explains the background that influenced her to create the program, Reading Simplified.

Are you a morning person? I'm usually not, but my kids sure are! And I have a fun new book for you to check out, as well as a fantastic person-- Robyn. She wrote a book for starting your day, without having a background as a writer or author. Her thoughts & tips are fascinating....plus you'll hear some funny mom stories as we relate to one another this week.

Do you value social emotional learning & how have you taught it? Children need to know how to talk about their feelings & voice their opinions; we need to give them the tools to do so (as their caretakers, educators, parents, etc.) Books are a valuable way to put into words what we don't quite know how to say. Tune in for some great SEL dialogues, Lynn's podcast, books & for some tips for writers who want some help publishing.

If you've ever experienced Yoga, you know how relaxing, meaningful & special it can be. Well, think about what Yoga can mean to young kids, especially as we try to teach them about relationsihps & mindfulness. Author Sarah Finniss just wrote her first children's book about Yoga (a girl named Iris who does yoga with her mom) & you'll love our chat about this.

I have always loved reading books that win awards, & wanted to research more of the criteria that goes behind the major book awards. Join me as I cover everything from Caldecott & Newbery medal winners, to Coretta Scott King & the Nautilus award (which was new to me!) There was so much information & I have the feeling this episode will have a sequel; so stay tuned!

Have you ever heard that motions can help children learn phonics? Do you know a kinesthetic learner? An audiovisual learner? This would be the best way to get them blending sounds & digraphs, segmenting sounds, & phonics as a whole, and has proven to be a very effective method, that works for everyone. The work they've done is fascinating at P.I.M & also incredible because of the research behind language mapping and development in the brain. If we want to encourage & motivate young readers, this is the route to take!

If you've dealt with serious loss & grief, but have wondered how best to discuss it with kids, you'll want to tune in to today's episode. Former Harpers Collin editor & now children's author Jayne has incredible insights for how to help children (and adults) cope with grief, specifically death & loss and she has written the sweetest, most special children's book that you'll want to add to your library after listening!

More in-depth discussion of what it looks like to create a culture around reading in the school environment by delving into the Cowboy Reads program, Harry Potter, & other great reading material both Terry & Katie enjoy.

This episode dives into the importance of making reading appealing & exciting to kids, as librarian Terrie & I discuss Cowboy Reads & ways to make reading even more inviting (and not so intimidating) to children.

Some great tips for early literacy & how to foster a love of it in your home, with book expert Aimee Smith of @keepabookout.