Category: Read Aloud

Ep. 99: Jason Chin & Andrea Wang on the 2022 Caldecott Medal Winner, Watercress

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This week, we have a very special episode. I’m speaking with the team behind this year’s Caldecott winning picture book, Watercress: Andrea Wang and Jason Chin. In case you’re not familiar, the Caldecott is basically the Academy Award for picture books, so this is very exciting! Watercress also won a Newbery Honor and the Asian Pacific/Pacific American Award for Literature.

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“Andrea Wang’s heartfelt and nuanced intergenerational story comes to life through Jason Chin’s brilliant watercolors, making Watercress a feast for the senses. But be warned: Come prepared with tissues.”~ Minh Lê, for NPR

 

 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

About the Author/Illustrator:

Andrea Wang is an acclaimed author of children’s books. Her book Watercress was awarded the Caldecott Medal, a Newbery Honor, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, a New England Book Award, and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor. Her other books, The Many Meanings of Meilan, Magic Ramen, and The Nian Monster, have also received awards and starred reviews. Her work explores culture, creative thinking, and identity. She is also the author of seven nonfiction titles for the library and school market. Andrea holds an M.S. in Environmental Science and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing for Young People. She lives in Colorado with her family. To learn more about Andrea Wang and follow her on social media visit https://andreaywang.com.

Jason Chin is a celebrated author and illustrator of many children’s books including Your Place in the Universe, Miranda Paul’s Nine Months: Before a Baby is Born, a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book,  and Andrea Wang’s Watercress. His book Grand Canyon was awarded a Caldecott Honor, a Sibert Honor, and the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award. His other acclaimed nonfiction titles—Redwoods, Coral Reefs, Island: A Story of the Galápagos, and Gravity—have received numerous starred reviews and other accolades. He is also the illustrator of Stephanie Parsley Ledyard’s debut title, Pie Is for Sharing, and Miranda Paul’s Water Is Water. Jason lives in Vermont with his wife and children. To learn more about Jason Chin and follow him on social media visit https://www.facebook.com/authorjchin/.

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

 

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Register for the Newburyport Literary Festival

NLF Register now IG

Looking for more bookish conversations? Registration is now open for the 2022 virtual Newburyport Literary Festival: https://newburyportliteraryfestival.org/2022-schedule-of-events/.  

I hope to see you at my session: Romance by the Book with Lauren Kate (By Any Other Name) and Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegmund-Broka (The Roughest Draft)! Register here.

Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 91: Debbi Michiko Florence on Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai

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Today my guest is Debbi Michiko Florence, whose new middle grade novel Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai is sure to fly off library and classroom shelves and into the hands of young readers.

Debbi Michiko Florence is also the author of Keep It Together Keiko Carter, the Jasmine Toguchi chapter book series, and the co-author of a picture book biography, Niki Nakayama: A Chef’s Tale in 13 Bites. A former classroom teacher, Debbi has spoken on panels at conferences and book festivals, taught writing workshops for children and adults, and loves doing author visits at schools and libraries. She is on the faculty of The Highlights Foundation. A third-generation Japanese American, born and raised in California, Debbi now lives in Connecticut where she writes in her studio, The Word Nest.

 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

 

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Fans of Keep it Together, Keiko Carter will love this beautiful companion novel about Jenna Sakai and her struggle to “stay cool” when life gets messy. Jenna’s determination to avoid heartbreak by building walls between herself and those who love her comes at a lonely cost, but the journey leads to a deeper understanding of her own heart, and her capacity to love and be loved. A beautiful story about healing from heartbreak, and discovering the strength that comes from opening your heart to others. Jenna is a gem! -Jo Knowles, author of Where the Heart Is

To learn more about Debbi Michiko Florence, follow her on social media, and stay in the know about upcoming author events visit https://debbimichikoflorence.com/.

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 81: Children’s Book Author Andrea J. Loney

Posted in Children's, Podcast, Read Aloud1 Comment

Aspiring kidlit writers, parents, teachers, and librarians: check out this fascinating behind the books conversation with children’s book author Andrea J. Loney.

Andrea is the author of Double Bass Blues, which won a Caldecott Honor. She also won the 2014 Lee & Low New Voices Award for Take a Picture of Me, James Vanderzee! and is the author of Bunnybear. 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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“A book about a lot of things—music, and determination, and straddling worlds, and the celebration of Black boyhood and family—that nevertheless feels cohesive and effortless.” 

—Horn Book, Starred Review

To learn more about Andrea, follow her on social media, and stay in the know about upcoming author events visit https://andreajloney.com.

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page. 

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 69: Raùl the Third, Mass. Book Award Winner for Vamos!

Posted in Children's, Podcast, Read Aloud, Reading LifeLeave a comment

Today on A Bookish Home my guest is Raúl The Third, this year’s Massachusetts Book Award winner in the children’s picture book and early reader category for Vamos! Let’s Go to the Market. I had the honor of serving as a juror in this category and was so happy to get to discuss this wonderful picture book with Raúl!

Raúl is an illustrator, author, and artist living in Boston. His work centers around the contemporary Mexican-American experience and his memories of growing up in El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He is currently working on the expanded world of his Vamos! series, and illustrating the fourth volume of the Lowriders series, written by Cathy Camper.

About the Book:

“Richard Scarry’s Busytown gets a Mexican-American makeover in the marketplace of a buzzing border town from Pura Belpré Medal-winning illustrator Raúl the Third.

Bilingual in a new way, this paper over board book teaches readers simple words in Spanish as they experience the bustling life of a border town. Follow Little Lobo and his dog Bernabe as they deliver supplies to a variety of vendors, selling everything from sweets to sombreros, portraits to piñatas, carved masks to comic books!”

Listen and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

To learn more about Raúl The Third visit https://www.raulthethird.com.

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

A Bookish Home has teamed up with Bookshop.org! Support A Bookish Home and independent bookstores at the same time when you purchase books from our new online bookshop!*

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Browse books by authors interviewed on the podcast, titles mentioned on the show, and more recommendations from your host and librarian, Laura Szaro Kopinski. 

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Is there an author or someone in the book world you’d love to hear interviewed on the podcast? Let me know in the comments or wherever you hang out on social media, I’m @abookishhome.

Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. Thanks for supporting A Bookish Home and your local indies!

Ep. 66: Amy Elizabeth Bishop, Literary Agent at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret

Posted in Books for Adults, Children's, Libraries, Podcast, Read Aloud, Reading LifeLeave a comment

Are you curious about the role of the agent in the publishing process? Tune into this week’s episode with Amy Elizabeth Bishop, Literary Agent with Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.

On this episode you’ll also hear from Amy about one of her projects that was recently chosen for Reese’s Book Club and Book of the Month!

Amy joined Dystel, Goderich & Bourret in 2015, after completing an internship with them in 2014. Before diving into the world of publishing, she graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a degree in Creative Writing.

Listen and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

To learn more about Amy Elizabeth Bishop and follow her on social media visit https://www.dystel.com/amy-bishop.

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

A Bookish Home has teamed up with Bookshop.org! Support A Bookish Home and independent bookstores at the same time when you purchase books from our new online bookshop!*

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Browse books by authors interviewed on the podcast, titles mentioned on the show, and more recommendations from your host and librarian, Laura Szaro Kopinski. 

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Is there an author or someone in the book world you’d love to hear interviewed on the podcast? Let me know in the comments or wherever you hang out on social media, I’m @abookishhome.

Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. Thanks for supporting A Bookish Home and your local indies!

Ep. 65: Kelly Yang, Author of Three Keys

Posted in Books for Adults, Children's, Libraries, Podcast, Read Aloud, Reading LifeLeave a comment

Today we have a special episode with one of my favorite kid lit authors, Kelly Yang. Librarians, parents, and teachers, her books are must purchases for your bookshelves!

Kelly Yang is the NYTimes Bestselling author of the middle grade novel Front Desk and its new sequel Three Keys, as well as a young adult novel, Parachutes. Front Desk won the 2019 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature and was chosen a Best Book of the year by multiple Organizations including NPR, the Washington Post and the NY Public Library.

Kelly’s family immigrated to the United States from China and she grew up in California in circumstances very similar to those of Mia Tang in the the Front Desk books.. She went to college at thirteen, eventually graduating from UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School. She is the founder of The Kelly Yang Project, a leading writing and debating program for children in Asia and the United States. Kelly has three children and splits her time between Hong Kong and San Francisco, California.

Listen and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

To learn more about Kelly Yang and follow her on social media visit https://kellyyang.com.

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

A Bookish Home has teamed up with Bookshop.org! Support A Bookish Home and independent bookstores at the same time when you purchase books from our new online bookshop!*

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Browse books by authors interviewed on the podcast, titles mentioned on the show, and more recommendations from your host and librarian, Laura Szaro Kopinski. 

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Is there an author or someone in the book world you’d love to hear interviewed on the podcast? Let me know in the comments or wherever you hang out on social media, I’m @abookishhome.

Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. Thanks for supporting A Bookish Home and your local indies!

Ep. 64: Author Michelle Hoover Shares the 2020 Massachusetts Book Award Winners

Posted in Books for Adults, Libraries, Podcast, Read Aloud, Reading LifeLeave a comment

Today we have a special episode all about the Massachusetts Book Awards! The winners and honorees were just announced yesterday.

My guest is author Michelle Hoover, the 2020 Coordinator for the Massachusetts Book Awards, who I served with as a lead juror in the children’s picture book and early reader category. Michelle will give some behind the scenes and help us add to our “to be read lists” as she shares the winners and honorees.

Michelle is a 2014 NEA Fellow and has been a Writer-in-Residence at Bucknell University, a MacDowell Fellow, and a winner of the PEN/New England Discovery Award. Her debut, The Quickening, was a 2010 Massachusetts Book Award “Must Read.” Her latest novel, Bottomland, was the 2017 All Iowa Reads selection. Michelle teaches at GrubStreet, where she leads the Novel Incubator program.  She is a native of Iowa and lives in Boston. 

Listen and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

To learn more about Michelle Hoover and follow her on social media visit http://www.michelle-hoover.com. 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

A Bookish Home has teamed up with Bookshop.org! Support A Bookish Home and independent bookstores at the same time when you purchase books from our new online bookshop!*

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Browse books by authors interviewed on the podcast, titles mentioned on the show, and more recommendations from your host and librarian, Laura Szaro Kopinski. 

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Is there an author you’d love to hear interviewed on the podcast? I’d love to hear! Let me know in the comments or wherever you hang out on social media, I’m @abookishhome.

Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. Thanks for supporting A Bookish Home and your local indies!

10 Virtual Author Events Coming Soon

Posted in Books for Adults, Children's, Events, Read Aloud, Summer ReadingLeave a comment

Do you love hearing authors discuss their books and writing lives? One upside of this challenging time is all of the virtual author events now available.

You don’t have to live within driving distance of a particular bookstore or library to see some of your favorite authors discuss all things reading and writing. All you have to do is cozy up on your couch and turn on a device!

Not sure where to start? Here are 10 virtual events to add to your calendar. 

1. Tuesday July 14th at 7pm

J Courtney Sullivan Presents Friends and Strangers in Conversation With Robin Young

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“J. Courtney Sullivan’s latest novel, Friends and Strangers, follows Elisabeth, an accomplished journalist and new mother struggling to adjust to small town life, and Sam, a college senior worrying about what her future might hold. Sullivan explores themes of power dynamics and motherhood through flawed but relatable characters, and their complicated relationships. Sullivan has won multiple prestigious awards for her fiction, including Time Magazine’s Best Book of the Year in 2011 for her novel, Maine. Join us to learn more about her most recent book!

2. Wednesday July 15th – 6:30pm, Belmont Books

VIRTUAL: Christina Soontornvat and Erin Entrada Kelly in support of Read It Forward

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“Join usfor an amazing dual event with two fantastic middle grade authors: Christina Soontornvat and Newbery award-winning author Erin Entrada Kelly!”

3. Thursday July 16th- 7pm- Bay Area Book Festival

Virtual: Braving Deep Waters: Female Fearlessness and Friendship with Sue Monk Kidd and Lisa See

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“Dive into an exploration of female power and brilliance like you’ve never seen before with bestselling authors Sue Monk Kidd (The Secret Life of Bees, The Invention of Wings) and Lisa See (The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane) moderated by Aimee Phan (The Reeducation of Cherry Truong).”

 

Virtual: National Book Award winner and New York Times bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi discusses “How to Be an Antiracist.”

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“2019 Guggenheim Fellow and New York Times bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi will discuss his renowned book “How to Be an Antiracist” on Monday, July 20 at 7:00 p.m. with Dr. Charlene M. Dukes, president of Prince George’s Community College. Dr. Dukes is the first African-American woman to serve as president of the College and has 30 years of progressive leadership experience and administrative responsibility in higher education.”

5. Thursday July 23rd at 4pm – A Mighty Blaze

Virtual: Amy Poeppel in Conversation With Fiona Davis

 

 
“Please join Amy Poeppel, author of Musical Chairs and Fiona Davis, author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue, on the A MIghty Blaze Facebook page. Event link to come!”

 

Ep. 54: Children’s Book Author- Illustrator, Matt Tavares

Posted in Children's, Libraries, Podcast, Read AloudLeave a comment

This week I’m delighted to welcome award winning children’s book author-illustrator, Matt Tavares to the podcast. His picture books include Crossing Niagara, Henry Aaron’s Dream, Red and Lulu, Dasher and many more. His latest book is called Ben of All Trades: The Most Inventive Boyhood of Benjamin Franklin, written by Michael J. Rosen.

 

**Note: this episode was recorded ahead of time, before the COVID-19 situation changed dramatically.**

You can also listen on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

To find out more about Matt Tavares you can visit https://www.matttavares.com

Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Ben of All Trades

Lady Liberty

Dasher

Red and Lulu

Zachary’s Ball

New Kid

Save the Cat

The Secrets of Story Matt Bird

Making Comics Scott Cloud

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please take a moment to subscribe. If you could also take a moment to rate and review A Bookish Home on iTunes to help people find the show, it would be so helpful.

What are you and your kids reading at home? Let me know in the comments or on social media @ABookishHome.

Stay safe and happy reading,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

Affiliate links are used in this post. At no extra cost to you, we may receive a small commission if you purchase something through the links provided.

Thanks for supporting A Bookish Home!

Ep. 53: Bobbie Pyron, Author of Stay

Posted in Children's, Libraries, Podcast, Read AloudLeave a comment

This week my guest is Bobbie Pyron, who’s new middle grade book Stay was called “Timely, important, and truly beautiful” by Newbery Award winner Katherine Applegate. 

Bobbie has worked in libraries and bookstores in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah and has been active in local animal rescue work for many years. She’s also the author of A Pup Called Trouble, A Dog’s Way Home, and Lucky Strike, among others. Bobbie lives in Ashville, NC, with her husband, Todd, and their dog, Sherlock.

**Note: this episode was recorded last month, before the COVID-19 situation changed dramatically. I know it can be jarring to hear a conversation from “Before”. But now more than ever, this is a book and a topic worthy of attention.**

You can also listen on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

To find out more about Bobbie Pyron you can visit https://www.bobbiepyron.com

Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Stay

My Dog Always Eats First: Homeless People And Their Animals 

Invisible Nation: Homeless Families In America

Don’t Overthink It

Casey the Utterly Impossible Horse

Season of Ponies

Pippi Longstocking

Olive Again

Look Both Ways

Long Way Down

The Dutch House

This Is Happiness

 

Additional Information from Bobbie:

“The organization I volunteered with in Salt Lake City is no longer, but there’s a new one that’s doing the same thing: Street Dawg Crew of Utah. The national organization I mentioned is Pets of the Homeless 

STAY was supposed to have an Author’s Note at the end:

·      The most recent (2017) national estimate of people experiencing homelessness in America is 553,742

·      Approximately 34% live in place not meant for human habitation such as parks, abandoned buildings, cars, under bridges.

·      35% of people experiencing homelessness are families with children.

·      2.5 million children will experience homelessness this year in America.

·      About 10-15% of people experiencing homelessness have a pet.

·      Less than 1% of shelters allow pets.
Here are some other organizations that help folks experiencing homelessness:

·      PETS OF THE HOMELESS   petsofthehomeless.org

·      THE STREET DOG COALITION    thestreetdogcoalition.org

·      NATIONAL ALLIANCE TO END HOMELESSNESS    endhomelessness.org

·      THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS

 

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please take a moment to subscribe. If you could also take a moment to rate and review A Bookish Home on iTunes to help people find the show, I’d be so grateful.

 

What are you reading at home? Let me know in the comments or on social media @ABookishHome.

Stay safe and happy reading,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

Affiliate links are used in this post. At no extra cost to you, we may receive a small commission if you purchase something through the links provided.

Thanks for supporting A Bookish Home!