The Children's Literature Podcast

HBO has announced the actors playing the three leads of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger in its new adaptation of the Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling. I had big problems with their casting choice for Snape, as it deviates too far from the text, changing the character and introducing themes to … Continue reading "188 – Be Nice to Hermione"

Not all picture books are for children. Joke books for grownups are a lot of fun, but some authors use “children's books” to fight political and cultural battles. While I support the rights of authors to publish anything they like so long as no laws are broken, I don't approve of using children or children's … Continue reading "187 – Matt Walsh's Children's Book Has Sparked a Lawsuit"

I asked you to share what it was like for you when you found out that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker's father, and you did NOT disappoint! The fact that so many strangers were able to share similar experiences is proof of the staying power of Star Wars as a great story — mediocre modern … Continue reading "186 – Your Adorable Star Wars Stories"

Double feature! In this fireside fairy tale, I share the (relatively) modern first printed versions of The Three Little Pigs, which started out as a tale about Pixies. Later on, it's a wolf who goes after the pigs, but the cleverest of the three definitely comes off better in the end.

Writer Jenna Schroeder and illustrator Yamerpro (aka Mandy Ecenbarger) were given the task of transforming the popular card game Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. Their collaboration has resulted in the first book in a series of graphic novels — The Case of the Missing Hat! This book is colorful, fun, and accessible. Fans of the … Continue reading "184 – Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza and the Case of the Missing Hat"

Here's a cranky mommy rant about how standardized testing can stress out kids for no good reason. I KNOW teachers and schools are under a lot of pressure, but adults should never dump their anxieties onto children. Especially when the cause of so much worry is so unimportant compared to the big picture of life.

“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” by Albert von Tilzer and Jack Norworth is America's second national anthem. Many Americans don't even remember learning it because it is such a natural part of childhood. But worldwide it's not known very well, and even the biggest baseball fans may not know that this song has … Continue reading "182 – Take Me Out to the Ball Game . . . has verses?"

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman perfectly expresses how little children feel sometimes — I want my mom, and I want to go home. But it also has a sweet and subtle message about how the modern world can exist with nature if only we remember to show a little compassion to the little … Continue reading "181 – Are You My Mother?"

I watched both of the Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey movies. They are NOT for kids. But they do take ideas from Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne with illustrations by E.H. Shepard and use them in some creative, interesting, and icky ways. Again, don't show these movies to your … Continue reading "180 – Winnie the Pooh Blood and Honey Is . . . Lore Accurate?"

“Die zertanzten Schuhe,” or “The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces” was first published in 1815 in the second volume of tales collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. It's usually translated into English as “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.” In this one I DO NOT burn my marshmallow (YAY!) and celebrate by making a Thin Mint … Continue reading "The Shoes that Were Danced to Pieces"

Six actors have been confirmed for the new Harry Potter series on HBO. But are all of them good choices? When a book is adapted to the screen, how can casting choices be creative without breaking the story, distorting the characters, or introducing themes that simply don't belong?

Come join me by the fire while I read “Cenerentola,” which was written in the 17th century by Giambattista Basile. It's the oldest recorded European version of a Cinderella story, and I think it's a lot wilder and funnier than the better known one by Charles Perrault. In this reading you'll get some commentary to … Continue reading "177 – A Fireside Reading of Cenerentola"

Big things have happened to the show in the last week. I have pleased the Algorithm Gods and my YouTube channel is getting a lot of attention. My inbox is overflowing with emails and I have had a few offers from sponsors, but I won't change anything for now. I want to take some time … Continue reading "176 – Fireside Fairy Tale: Ye Xian"

As a palate cleanser from the utter dreck that was Disney's latest live action remake, I got cozy by my back yard fire pit and read the original 1812 version of “Snow White” as recorded by the Brothers Grimm. They made heavy edits to their folktales over the years, so you might be surprised by … Continue reading "175 – Let's Read the Original Snow White from 1812"

To nobody's surprise, Snow White (2025) was awful and has pulled in my lowest Snape Score ever for its total lack of faithfulness to its literary source material. I usually approach episodes with the attitude that the stories and people on my show are my guests, and I try to roll out the red carpet … Continue reading "174 – The Snow White Remake was Dreadful"

A beloved statue of Paddington Bear in author Michael Bond's hometown of Newbury was sawed in half by two guys for reasons that are hard to comprehend. The culprits have been caught, but can the damage to this adorable statue be fixed? Luckily I know someone who knows a thing or two about fiberglass — … Continue reading "173 – Can the Paddington Statue Be Repaired?"

Disney's live action remake of Snow White is nearly upon us. This is the most pre-hated movie ever, largely because the film's star Rachel Zegler disparaged the original film as being “very evidently” a product of 1937. She wasn't wrong about that — the only problem was her attitude.

Dave Cullen is a YouTuber who focuses on pop culture and science fiction, and his debut novel Deus V Machina: A Cody Stockton Mystery is one of the most intersting independent books I've read in a while. This novel blends multiple genres in creative and unexpected ways, and it will appeal to thoughtful teenagers who … Continue reading "171 – A Chat with Dave Cullen"

Ben Dixon is back on the show! The author of the Neil Peel book series has now published Vengeance and Honour, a fun sword and sorcery adventure. He also has useful advice for writers who want to publish a children's book, but aren't sure about whether to try for traditional publishing or take the leap … Continue reading "170 – What Ben Dixon Loves About Independent Publishing"

Happy Valentine's Day! Children's Literature isn't usually about romance, but there are some great — and not so great — couples that have made an impression on me over the years. They can teach kids a lot about what a good relationship should (or shouldn't) be! Find out which romances I think are Good, Bad, … Continue reading "169 – Good, Bad and Ugly Romances"

The Dog Man book series by Dav Pilkey is DUMB. It's IMMATURE. And so is the new movie adaptation. And those are COMPLIMENTS!! Find out how accurately the comics were adapted to the screen, with input from the 11, 10, 8, and 4 year old experts who came with me to the theater. Apologies for … Continue reading "168 – Dog Man Movie Review"

When I was a kid of course I had heard of Shakespeare, but I didn't think much about it . . . until I saw a scene from Henry V performed in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Introducing classic art to kids is easier than you think — it just needs to … Continue reading "167 – How Star Trek Introduced Me to Shakespeare"

Netflix has a very poor record when it comes to adapting works of classic literature. Instead of coming up with original stories, the streaming giant tends to pick off the skin of beloved characters and use them to act out modern day political and social issues. It's frustrating to prejudge a show that doesn't even … Continue reading "166 – Netflix Will Ruin Little House on the Prairie"

Neil Gaiman is one of the most widely read and influential authors of the present day, and he's written a lot of children's books. So what should parents, teachers, librarians, and book lovers do with his books now that several women have made similar — and very serious — accusations against him? How can we … Continue reading "165 – What Should We Do With Neil Gaiman's Children's Books?"

My heart is breaking for my hometown. First of all for the lives lost, then for the homes and livelihoods lost, but I am also very sad for the damage and threat to the cultural landmarks of Los Angeles. We won't know the full damage for some time, but here's a first look at the … Continue reading "164 – The Cultural Damage of the Los Angeles Fires"

Have you made a New Year's Resolution? I stopped making them, oddly enough, because I go to the gym a lot and accidentally noticed a few things about goal setting and motivation. Many of you may have a goal to write a children's book, and I think that's great. That's why I've decided to make … Continue reading "163 – Did You Resolve to Write a Children's Book?"

At the beginning of the year, I made predictions about films based on children's books that would come out in 2024. Was I right? Was I wrong? And what's coming up in 2025? (AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!) This episode managed to get published somehow despite kids screaming and opening the door a barking dog my … Continue reading "162 – 2024 and 2025 in Film"

Tom the Tale Teller joins me to talk about one of the greatest movies ever made – The Muppet Christmas Carol. Tom has been a guest on the show, talking about his books Leicestershire Folk Tales for Children and Forest Folk Tales for Children, as well as his performances in schools and theaters as a … Continue reading "161 – The Muppet Christmas Carol is THE BEST Christmas Carol"

Do you have one more person on your holiday shopping list? Need some help? I've got you covered with several recommendations of books that make great gifts. Also in this episode, I give a little update on the drama surrounding those dolls from the Wicked film. It turns out there is a lawsuit over the … Continue reading "160 – Last Minute Gift Guide"

I didn't think I'd have much to say about Disney's latest live action remake, Snow White, until it actually came out. But unfortunately a new trailer has revealed such substantial changes to the story that I can already say this will have little to do with the beloved folktale recorded by the Brothers Grimm or … Continue reading "159 – This Is NOT Snow White"

As an American who lives in England, I do my best to blend in but am happy to introduce aspects of American culture that will benefit my neighbors. Goldfish Crackers, meat loaf, and baseball have all gone down well, but the more Brits I talk to about Thanksgiving, the more I can see that this … Continue reading "158 – Why Brits Should Celebrate Thanksgiving"

The Paddington film franchise is a great example of how it IS possible to take beloved characters from children's literature and write new adventures for them that remain true to the spirit of the original stories. So how does Paddington in Peru measure up? Is it as good as Paddington 2? How many Snapes does … Continue reading "157 – Paddington in Peru"

In this episode, co-host Chloë tells us about Sapphire Battersea, a book that's really captured her. She has loved every book that she has ever read by Jacqueline Wilson, and whether this author is tackling grounded, real-world family drama or the more fantastical world of circus sideshows, Chloë has always noticed and latched onto the … Continue reading "156 – Will Wicked Connect with Kids?"

Samantha Parkington was the first character that I read about in the American Girls book series. She was introduced when I was a little girl. I grew up on this book series and it has been wonderful to see that my daughter loves them just as much as me. She has her own dolls now, … Continue reading "155 – Samantha – Our First American Girl"

Paddington, the beloved creation of author Michael Bond, was recently given a British passport. But . . . how would he have qualified? I speak to my delightful neighbor (ok, let's spell it neighbour since, after all, I do live in England) Norman, who is a retired immigration judge, about how Paddington might have been … Continue reading "154 – I Talk to an Immigration Judge about Paddington's Passport"

I loved Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark as a kid. Alvin Schwartz' retellings and Stephen Gammell's bonechilling drawings kept me hypnotized. The excitement and fun of a good scary story has kept these books popular for generations. What's YOUR favorite Scary Story?

ANOTHER celebrity has decided to dabble in writing for children. Whooptie-doo. In more exciting news, co-host Chloë has checked out not just one Max Crumbly book from the library to read during the school break but also THREE volumes of the Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell. Opinion: Another Celebrity Children's Book I spotted a … Continue reading "152 – Another Celebrity Children's Book"

A recent article in The Atlantic caught my attention. “The Elite College Students Who Can't Read Books” by Rose Horowitch shares stories from professors at elite schools who have found that over the last 20 years (the time period in which kids got smartphones . . . hmmm . . .) students' attention spans have … Continue reading "151 – Why Can't University Students Read?"

We've reached 150 Episodes!! We can hardly believe it and are celebrating by answering questions from YOU. Find out what kind of hate mail we've been getting, what happens to poor Chloë when Mom starts geeking out about the Silmarillion, which Taylor Swift songs are our favorites, and a lot more! The format of the … Continue reading "150th Episode Mailbag!!!"

Howard Shore carefully brought the text of The Lord of the Rings to life in Peter Jackson's film trilogy, choosing instruments and melodies that the people of Middle-Earth could have created for themselves. No theme shows this better than the one that speaks for the people of Rohan, from the clever selection of a Hardanger … Continue reading "149 – The Voice of Rohan"

Just two episodes to go before our 150th Episode celebration! This time you'll hear: – A tribute to James Earl Jones, who had a bigger impact on children's literacy than you might realize! – What we are reading now. Chloë is enjoying The Misadventures of Max Crumbly and T.Q. is cracking open a comic book … Continue reading "148 – The Voice of The Shire"

This is the first episode in a series about how Howard Shore's film score for the Lord of the Rings film trilogy drew directly on the text of the book, supporting the story at all times. There's also a bit of show business to attend to, including some great conversations I've been having with listeners, … Continue reading "147 – Tolkien About Music"

The drama around Snow White, the troubled remake of Disney's 1937 masterpiece, is unfortunate because it really was unnecessary! Just a little bit of familiarity with the folktale published by the Brothers Grimm in 1812 could have spared the filmmakers (and some outspoken actors) a lot of time and trouble. Also in this episode, you … Continue reading "146 – Snow Much Drama"

I predicted that the film adaptation of Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson would focus too much on adults at the expense of telling a story for children. It looks like I was right. And shockingly . . . I'm about to make the case that Deadpool and Wolverine is more of a … Continue reading "145 – Film Review: Harold and The Purple Crayon"

Co-hosts T.Q. Townsend and Chloë Townsend (and the rest of the family) saw a very funny musical production of The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck put on by Quantum Theatre at Bradgate Park in Leicestershire. This was NOT a show that was just for kids. Parents were laughing just as much as the children, and the … Continue reading "144 – The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck by Quantum Theatre"

What does the world's biggest pop star have to do with Lord Byron? Quite a lot actually, at least in terms of her poetry. Taylor Swift writes catchy songs about dramatic, volatile relationships — the kind that aren't a good idea in real life but are awfully fun to sing about. And her song “Blank … Continue reading "143 – The Poetry of Taylor Swift"

This was supposed to be a short video about a good use of localization in children's books and then I found out that Where's Wally has far deeper lore than you would expect. And then my wacky imagination ran with it. Lots of localization is annoying, because it's done by publishers who don't have confidence … Continue reading "142 – Where's Wally Has Lore"

I saw Hamlet performed by The Lord Chamberlain's Men at Bradgate Park in Leicestershire on June 22, 2024. This theater company performs Shakespeare plays the way they were done back in the Bard's day: no microphones, minimal sets, props, and costumes, and an all male cast. It was a fascinating experience to see Hamlet performed … Continue reading "141 – Hamlet Unplugged Review"

Jane Austen didn't wait to become an adult to start writing. As a kid she was telling stories to her family, and in her early work you can see her wicked sense of humor and her ability to step inside the mind of another person — even if that person held views completely different from … Continue reading "140 – Jane Austen: Sassy Teen Author"

This is a recording of “The History of England, from the Reign of Henry the 4th to the Death of Charles the 1st” by Jane Austen, written when the author was only 16 years old. It was illustrated by Jane's sister Cassandra and completed in 1791.

Peter Jackson is getting the band back together to make movies about . . . finding Gollum?? For real? Will these films be any good? Will this be another case of a filmmaker trying and failing to recapture the magic? Find out what I think about the prospects for these new films. Check out the … Continue reading "138 – Can Peter Jackson Recapture the Magic?"