Podcasts about harpercollins children's books

Today, we are celebrating Indigenous Peoples Month with an interview with author Cynthia Leitich Smith.  A member of the Muscogee (Creek) nation, Smith is a bestselling, award-winning children's-YA writer and the author-curator of the Native-centered Heartdrum imprint  at HarperCollins Children's Books. She also is the 2024 Southern Mississippi Medallion Winner and the 2021 NSK Neustadt Laureate and is widely recognized for her fiction for young readers that centers on contemporary  Native American characters.  In this podcast, we discuss her recent YA novel [Harvest House](https://www.candlewick.com/cat.asp?browse=subject&mode=book&isbn=1536227285&bkview=p&pix=n%20() an "indigenous ghost mystery" that grapples with serious themes of missing Native women and girls while emphasizing the empowerment of young Native voices. She also discusses the importance of including themes such as first love, strong family bonds, and vibrant community ties in her writing to underscore the joy that can be found in the daily lives of Indigenous kids.  The conversation takes us through the interconnectedness of characters in Cynthia's Native-centered stories, returning to the beloved Wolf family, first introduced in her 2000 picture book Jingle Dancer.  Cynthia reflects upon the inspiration behind her award-winning book  Hearts Unbroken, exploring the tensions between artists and their art, speech in its many forms, and the importance of navigating apologies and amends.  We discuss her sense of responsibility as a writer for young readers, aiming to provide stories that do no harm and offer empowerment, while still tackling difficult issues. Cynthia shares her journey through the publishing industry's challenges, her strategic pivot to fantasy and gothic genres, and eventual return to contemporary Native American stories.  She discusses her role as curator of Heartdrum, a Native imprint at HarperCollins, its goals and continued growth, and finally  her vision for the expansion of Native literature across genres and representations.

Today, we are celebrating Indigenous Peoples Month with an interview with author Cynthia Leitich Smith.  A member of the Muscogee (Creek) nation, Smith is a bestselling, award-winning children's-YA writer and the author-curator of the Native-centered Heartdrum imprint  at HarperCollins Children's Books. She also is the 2024 Southern Mississippi Medallion Winner and the 2021 NSK Neustadt Laureate and is widely recognized for her fiction for young readers that centers on contemporary  Native American characters.  In this podcast, we discuss her recent YA novel [Harvest House](https://www.candlewick.com/cat.asp?browse=subject&mode=book&isbn=1536227285&bkview=p&pix=n%20() an "indigenous ghost mystery" that grapples with serious themes of missing Native women and girls while emphasizing the empowerment of young Native voices. She also discusses the importance of including themes such as first love, strong family bonds, and vibrant community ties in her writing to underscore the joy that can be found in the daily lives of Indigenous kids.  The conversation takes us through the interconnectedness of characters in Cynthia's Native-centered stories, returning to the beloved Wolf family, first introduced in her 2000 picture book Jingle Dancer.  Cynthia reflects upon the inspiration behind her award-winning book  Hearts Unbroken, exploring the tensions between artists and their art, speech in its many forms, and the importance of navigating apologies and amends.  We discuss her sense of responsibility as a writer for young readers, aiming to provide stories that do no harm and offer empowerment, while still tackling difficult issues. Cynthia shares her journey through the publishing industry's challenges, her strategic pivot to fantasy and gothic genres, and eventual return to contemporary Native American stories.  She discusses her role as curator of Heartdrum, a Native imprint at HarperCollins, its goals and continued growth, and finally  her vision for the expansion of Native literature across genres and representations.

Natalie Doherty, Children's Publishing Director at HarperCollins, on what she looks for when acquiring books, the case against writing toward market trends, different categories of children's books, and what makes a magical children's book. *ABOUT NATALIE DOHERTYNatalie Doherty is Fiction Publishing Director at HarperCollins Children's Books, where she joined the team in May 2023 and is now working to build a brilliant new list of talent. She was previously an editor at Penguin Random House Children's, working with a list of award-winning and bestselling authors including Tom Fletcher, Robin Stevens, R J Palacio, Tamzin Merchant and Nazneen Ahmed Pathak. *RESOURCES & LINKSHarperCollins Children's Books Writers' & Artist's YearbookWonder by R.J. PalacioMurder Most Unladylike Series by Robin StevensDog Man by Dav PilkeyBunny vs Monkey by Jamie SmartHeartstopper by Alice OsemanCompass and Blade by Rachel GreenlawThe Last Life of Lori Mills by Max BoucheratThe Last Bear, The Lost Whale and Finding Bear by Hannah GoldCompass and Blade by Rachel GreenlawThe Suitcase Kid and The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline WilsonThe Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness *For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers' Hours: writershour.com*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS' SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you're enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

We are thrilled to welcome Sara Sargent, Senior Executive Editor at Random House Books for Young Readers, to the podcast. In our cozy member lounge format (rather like a neighborhood potluck, we think, that happens to feature publishing experts), we asked her questions about how editors choose books, how writers get book deals without agents, and the inner workings of a publishing house—and what this means for you when you pitch your book. Want to try out our new “leave a voicemail” feature (in beta)? Check it out here. We can't wait to hear from you: https://www.podpage.com/the-manuscript-academy/ You can book a meeting with Sara here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/sara-sargent Sara Sargent is a Senior Executive Editor at Random House Books for Young Readers. She has previously held positions at HarperCollins Children's Books, Simon & Schuster, New York Magazine, and Meet the Press. Sara has worked with New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USAToday bestselling authors such as #1 New York Times bestselling authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, plus TV star Daymond John, celeb power couple Ciara and Russell Wilson, Olympians Laurie Hernandez and Karen Chen, TV personality Ainsley Earhardt, YouTube star StacyPlays, and fiction writers Abbi Glines, Rosamund Hodge, and Lisa Maxwell. Sara has also worked with internationally bestselling author and actress Lily Collins; National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti; and social media influencers Laci Green, Matthew Espinosa, Baby Ariel, and Arden Rose. Sara received her Master of Science in journalism from Northwestern University. She lives in Brooklyn. Sara is looking for picture books that serve a true purpose—perhaps the perfect bedtime, holiday, potty-training, other-growth-moment story. She loves funny stories with great rhythm and cadence. And she especially loves stories about both identities and childhood experiences that are under-explored and under-served in the current market.

In this intriguing and fun interview Stephen Fraser talks about his love for children's books, his careers as editor at HarperCollins Children's Books and as executive agent at the Jennifer de Chiara Literary Agency, and his premise that "Joy should drive the publishing industry." Along the way, he shares great advice to aspiring picture book authors: Picture book manuscripts are a 'launch pad for the illustrations.' Write out of joy and passion (not towards a trend), make every word count, have your manuscripts read to you aloud, make room (lots of room) for the role of the illustrator, concentrate more on the manuscript (and less on the query letter), avoid art notes, be theatrical and love what you're doing. And, towards the end, there is even a musical surprise!!! Enjoy! Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this intriguing and fun interview Stephen Fraser talks about his love for children's books, his careers as editor at HarperCollins Children's Books and as executive agent at the Jennifer de Chiara Literary Agency, and his premise that "Joy should drive the publishing industry." Along the way, he shares great advice to aspiring picture book authors: Picture book manuscripts are a 'launch pad for the illustrations.' Write out of joy and passion (not towards a trend), make every word count, have your manuscripts read to you aloud, make room (lots of room) for the role of the illustrator, concentrate more on the manuscript (and less on the query letter), avoid art notes, be theatrical and love what you're doing. And, towards the end, there is even a musical surprise!!! Enjoy! Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

How do you find your passion in life? Mansi Zaveri asked this question to Instagram sensation and popular food blogger and author Shivesh Bhatia! We were so impressed with the clarity in his answers and how he found his true calling and stuck to it. He shares his journey from studying political science to penning 4 cookbooks on this exclusive podcast on Kidsstoppress. His latest release "A Cookbook For Special Days, Special People" by HarperCollins Children's Books is becoming every li'l chef's favourite and we can't wait for you to read the book and get inspired too! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kidsstoppress/message

Literary agent Sarah Landis joins me for a deep dive into the Speculative Fiction / Fantasy genre.  Sarah breaks down these terms, shares popular books in these genres, and discusses the trends she's seeing in the publishing industry.  Also, Sarah shares both her book recommendations and her go-to books for those looking to dive into these genres! This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Highlights Differentiating between genres: Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Climate Fiction. The genres that scare publishers and the toughest genre to define! The sub-genres of fantasy: High / Epic, Grounded, and Historical. How the term ‘Speculative' is actually a broader umbrella term. The trends and performance in publishing for Speculative Fiction and Fantasy.  Why many fantasy books are written as a series. How the “Harry Potter” generation seems to be shaping both readers and authors. Sarah's go-to recommendations for those new to these genres! Sarah's Book Recommendations [30:31] Two OLD Books She Loves The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:56] The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:18] Two NEW Books She Loves Babel by R. F. Kuang | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:16] Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:12] One Book She Didn't Love The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:58] One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About House of Cotton by Monica Brashears (April 4, 2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:33] Last 5-Star Book Sarah Read The Cloisters by Katy Hays | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:08] Other Books Mentioned The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood [5:59] Red Clocks by Leni Zumas [6:11] Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett [6:56] The Measure by Nikki Erlick [7:15] The One by John Marrs [7:33] The Passengers by John Marrs [7:38] The Road by Cormac McCarthy [9:25] Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel [9:51] Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam [10:01] After the Flood by Kassandra Montag [10:52] Wanderers by Chuck Wendig [11:45] Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn [12:19] A Game of Thrones by James R. R. Martin [12:52] The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien [12:54] The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern [13:13] The Magicians by Lev Grossman [13:15] The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman [13:22] Circe by Madeline Miller [16:00] Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead [16:31] One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez [17:00] The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab [18:58] Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo [19:04] The Midnight Library by Matt Haig [19:06] Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens [21:12] The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins [21:15] Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus [22:05] Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin [22:10] Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo [26:40] The Change by Kirsten Miller [27:24] The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman [28:52] The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley [29:18] Beauty by Robin McKinley [29:21] Spindle's End by Robin McKinley [29:22] The Peripheral by William Gibson [30:16] In Five Years by Rebecca Serle [30:23] The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang [37:41] Yellowface by R. F. Kuang [37:49] The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake [40:15] Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton [47:09] Necessary People by Anna Pitoniak [47:19] Cover Story by Susan Rigetti [47:28] About Sarah Landis Website | Twitter | Instagram Sarah Landis represents a wide range of fiction from middle grade to adult. Sarah is particularly drawn to high-concept plots, big hooks, speculative fiction, twisty thrillers, novels with a strong emotional core, and sweeping fantasy. She is always on the lookout for new talent and narrative risk-takers. Her clients' novels have received a variety of accolades, including Barnes and Noble book club selections and Reese's Book Club, and have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists as well as international bestseller lists around the globe. Before joining Sterling Lord Literistic in 2017, Sarah worked as an editor for fifteen years, holding roles at G.P. Putnam's Sons, Hyperion Books, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers. Sarah graduated with a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia.

This week, we are joined by New York Times bestselling author of books for young readers, Cynthia Leitich Smith! Cynthia's books include HEARTS UNBROKEN, which won the American Indian Library Association's Youth Literature Award. Cynthia is also the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint at HarperCollins Children's Books, and the Katherine Paterson Inaugural Endowed Chair on the faculty of the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Cynthia is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Austin, Texas.Follow Cynthia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cynthialeitichsmith/Follow Cynthia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CynLeitichSmithCynthia's Website: https://cynthialeitichsmith.com/Follow SCBWI on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scbwi/Follow SCBWI on Twitter: https://twitter.com/scbwiFollow SCBWI on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealscbwiJoin SCBWI: https://www.scbwi.org/join-scbwi/Support the show

Welcome to the Shelf Care Interview, an occasional conversation series where Booklist talks to book people. This Shelf Care Interview is sponsored by by HarperCollins Children's Books. In this episode of Shelf Care Interview, Sarah Hunter talks to Johnnie Christmas about his first middle-grade comic, SWIM TEAM. Johnnie Christmas is the number one New York Times best-selling and award-winning graphic novelist, who's perhaps best known for co-creating Margaret Atwood series Angel Catbird and for adapting William Gibson's lost screenplay for Alien 3 into a critically acclaimed graphic novel of the same name. After gaining plenty of acclaim in the world of sci-fi and speculative comics for adults, he's making the move into middle-grade comics with SWIM TEAM, the first of several projects for the age group. A graduate of the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, Johnnie makes Vancouver, British Columbia his home.

Jen Ferguson is the first author to write in the YA category for The Heartdrum imprint of HarperCollins Children's Books, which focuses on the present and future of Indian Country and on the strength of young Native heroes. Her new book, The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, deals with teen trauma faced by indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. Learn more about Jen Ferguson here: https://www.jenfergusonwrites.com/ LIMElight with Jessie is part of the WGRT 102.3 FM Podcast Network. For the latest episodes of all of our featured podcasts, visit our website here: https://wgrt-1023-fm-podcast-network.captivate.fm/ (https://wgrt-1023-fm-podcast-network.captivate.fm) WGRT's LIMElight with Jessie is produced by the following team members: Executive Producer: Jessie Wiegand Audio Engineer: George James Administrator: Jessie Wiegand Marketing: Jessie Wiegand Follow Jessie on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/wgrt_jessie/ (https://www.instagram.com/wgrt_jessie/)  

Who Was Ronald Reagan? Join us today as we learn about the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. Sources: Patrick, Denise Lewis. Ronald Reagan: From Silver Screen to Oval Office. HarperCollins Children's Books, 2006. Send us listener mail! Send an audio message: anchor.fm/inquisikids-daily/message Send an email: podcast@inquisikids.com

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, many publishing companies are allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until June 30, 2022. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books. Today's story is One Candle, by Eve Bunting. This is a more modern and realistic Hanukkah story, that I think you'll enjoy. It always brings a tear to my eye. Maybe it will for you, too. Now sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life.

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, many publishing companies are allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until December 31, 2021. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books. At the ending of the last episode, there was a loud knocking at the front door of the big old house on Walden Street. When Aunt Lily opened the door, what a wonderful surprise! The lost were found at last! Everything began to fall into the right place again. But what about the treasure? And the back taxes, and Uncle Freddy's befuddled mind? To find out, sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life. 

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, many publishing companies are allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until December 31, 2021. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books. With the deadline very quickly approaching for Aunt Lily to pay the back taxes or lose their beloved house, Eleanor and Edward decide to sleep one last night in the tower room. The dream they have is the most dangerous yet, and Eddy has a terrible accident! Aunt Lily forbids the children to sleep upstairs anymore. But there are only two more stanzas of the mystery poem to solve, and the children can't resist trying just one more time to find the jewels that will help their family.Now sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life.

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, HarperCollins Children Books Company is allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until December 31, 2021. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books. In these chapters, Eleanor has a dream of her own, in which she watches Prince Krishna build a beautiful dress out of snow. And then both children, so tired of winter, dream of walking a sandy beach and climbing into a chambered nautilus. Still, winter lingers on and on in Concord, and Mr. Preek has given Aunt Lily an ultimatum. The Hall family must pay the back taxes in full, in two weeks' time, or lose the house! Uncle Freddy's idea of living in the hollow apple tree is charming, but unrealistic. If only they could find some jewels!Now sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life.

Welcome to the Shelf Care Interview, an occasional conversation series where Booklist talks to book people. This Shelf Care Interview is sponsored by HarperCollins Children's Books. In this latest installment, Sarah Hunter talks to Sara Pennypacker, author of PAX: JOURNEY HOME. Sara Pennypacker is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling PAX; the award-winning Clementine series and its spinoff series, Waylon; and the acclaimed novels SUMMER OF THE GYPSY MOTHS and HERE IN THE REAL WORLD. She divides her time between Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Florida. Read the transcript here: https://www.booklistonline.com/The-Shelf-Care-Interview-Sara-Pennypacker-Hunter-Sarah/pid=9754682

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, HarperCollins Children Books Company is allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until December 31, 2021. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books. Again, Eleanor and Edward have some strange shared dreams. In one of these, they find themselves in a strange and mysterious maze made of mirrors. By carefully choosing their path, they stumble across some very exciting futures for themselves. But growing up is hard, and the future seems very far away, especially because the children haven't found any diamonds or other jewels to help Aunt Lily pay all the back taxes! The adventure continues!Now sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life. 

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, HarperCollins Children Books Company is allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until December 31, 2021. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books. In these chapters of The Diamond in the Window, Eleanor and Edward continue to have very revealing dreams about the early inhabitants of Concord, Massachusetts. They see a doll's-eye view of the Alcott girls and eat delicious breadcrumbs thrown to their little mouse-selves by Henry David Thoreau himself! Poor old Uncle Freddy lands himself in a bit of hot water to the embarrassment of Eddy and Eleanor when he starts harassing tourists at Walden Pond. But are the children any nearer to finding the jewels to help Aunt Lily?To find out, sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life.

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, HarperCollins Children Books Company is allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until December 31, 2021. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books. In these next four chapters of The Diamond in the Window, Eleanor and Edward Hall decide to solve the clues to the treasure hunt that were scratched into the glass at the top of the tower room. They have a mysterious dream that leads them to the first treasure, but they haven't found any jewels yet. So, they are ready to try to figure out the second clue! Now sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life. 

Welcome to part 2 of our chat with husband and wife duo Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gaddis about their love of Los Angeles, blending their music and acting careers with parenting, raising their kids bilingually, and their new picture book. Paletero Man is a vibrant debut picture book celebrating the strength of community and inclusivity (on-sale June 1 from HarperCollins Children's Books). This bilingual read-aloud book is based on Lucky's diverse Los Angele neighborhood and Latinx culture. The Lucky Band (by Diaz and Gaddis) are among the top artists in family music. For more than a decade, their songs and performances have celebrated diversity and inclusion, blending cultures seamlessly through song. Among their many awards and nominations, they won an Emmy Award for their kids' variety show, “Lishy Lou and Lucky Too,” and Latin GRAMMYs for two of their family music albums: ¡Fantastico! (2013) and ¡Buenos Diaz! (2019). Read more about this dynamic duo HERE

We're so excited to chat with husband and wife duo Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gaddis about their love of Los Angeles, blending their music and acting careers with parenting, raising their kids bilingually, and their new picture book. Paletero Man is a vibrant debut picture book celebrating the strength of community and inclusivity (on-sale June 1 from HarperCollins Children's Books). This bilingual read-aloud book is based on Lucky's Los Angeles diverse neighborhood and Latinx culture. The Lucky Band (by Diaz and Gaddis) are among the top artists in family music. For more than a decade, their songs and performances have celebrated diversity and inclusion, blending cultures seamlessly through song. Among their many awards and nominations, they won an Emmy Award for their kids' variety show, “Lishy Lou and Lucky Too,” and Latin GRAMMYs for two of their family music albums: ¡Fantastico! (2013) and ¡Buenos Diaz! (2019). Read more about this dynamic duo HERE

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, HarperCollins Children Books Company is allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until December 31, 2021. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books. Meet Christopher Brown, a very friendly, kind boy who just happens to have the table manners of a wild animal! Can Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's marvelous pig, Lester, help cure him of his horrible eating habits? His mother certainly hopes so! Today's story is “The Bad Table-Manners Cure,” from Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic. Now sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life.

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, HarperCollins Children Books Company is allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until December 31, 2021. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books. Here is “The Tattletale Cure,” from Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Magic. Wendy and Timmy Hamilton have recently come down with a bad case of Tattletaleitis! They tell on each other and on their classmates all day long. It is very annoying. But Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has a remarkable cure!Now sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life.

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, HarperCollins Children Books Company is allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until December 31, 2021. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books. When I was a little girl, we had in our house a very old copy of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic, by Betty MacDonald, that had been my mother's when she was a little girl. We read that book over and over again until the cover was coming off and the pages were all loose. But the words stayed with us and became part of our family lore. For example, when we are eating dinner together and someone says, “Fleas gasp and mutter,” we all know that that person is asking for the butter. Here is “The Thought-You-Saider's Cure,” along with the wonderful introductory chapter, “Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic.”Now sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life. 

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, HarperCollins Children Books Company is allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until December 31, 2021. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books. Today's story is Warton and the Traders, by Russell E. Erickson. It is fall, and Warton is taking the toads' yearly gift of preserves to their Aunt Toolia. When he arrives at her house, she is nowhere to be found. Warton searches all over, until a friendly whippoorwill tells him that his aunt may have gone to The Bog. Even worse, a mean wildcat is prowling around! What can Warton do?To find out, sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life!

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, HarperCollins Children Books Company is allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until December 31, 2021. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books. Today's story is Warton and Morton, by Russell E. Erickson. Warton persuades Morton to go outside and explore. All is well until their tent gets swept away in a rainstorm and the brothers are separated. Luckily, Warton is taken in by some friendly muskrats. But where is Morton?To find out, sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life!

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, HarperCollins Children Books Company is allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until December 31, 2021. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books. Today's story is A Toad for Tuesday, by Russell E. Erickson. Warton and Morton are two little toads who live under an old tree. Warton does all the cleaning, and his brother, Morton, does the cooking. One day Morton makes such a delicious batch of beetle brittle that Warton wants to take a box of it to their Aunt Toolia. The only  problems are that it is winter, and a big fierce owl lives in the wood between the toads' house and Aunt Toolia's. But Warton is brave, and after he builds himself some skis, off he goes! Now sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life!

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, HarperCollins Children Books Company is allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until December 31, 2021. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books. Today's story is "Mortimer Says Nothing," which is the first chapter in the book of the same name by Joan Aiken. This is the last of the Arabel and Mortimer stories I'll be sharing on this podcast. Next time I'll start an entirely new book and author. But you can find many more stories about Arabel and Mortimer in the public library.  And don't stop there! Joan Aiken wrote scores and scores of wonderful books I'm sure you will enjoy! In this tale, Mrs. Jones is having quite a bit of stress. About thirty members of The Rumbury Ladies Kitchen Club have invited themselves to her house for a light luncheon.  Not only is she frantically making scones and macaroons and meringues and mayonnaise and prawn cocktails, but she saw a mouse in the house! At least Mortimer is behaving himself---by refusing to cooperate with an ornithologist sound recorder. Now sit back,  relax,  and listen to this story come to life!

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, HarperCollins Children Books Company is allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until December 31, 2021. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books.  Today's story is “The Mystery of Mr. Jones's Disappearing Taxi,” a segment from the book Mortimer's Cross, by Joan Aiken. Mr. Jones's taxi has been using a LOT of gasoline lately, and so Mr. Jones, Chris Cross, Arabel, and Mortimer plan a stake-out to discover why. They end up at Rumbury Tower Heights where all sorts of interesting things are happening. Now sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life.

Welcome to Stories Come to Life. I am your host, Kathryn Lopez Luker. During this time of Covid, many people aren't able to use the library in the same way as in the past. To help bring more stories to more readers, HarperCollins Children Books Company is allowing books that are normally unavailable for copyright reasons to be read out loud and shared with others until December 31, 2021. The stories that fall under that special permission will all be taken down on that date, so listen now, while they're available! Today's story is shared with permission of HarperCollins Children's Books.  Today's story is “Arabel's Birthday,” a chapter in the book Mortimer Says Nothing, by Joan Aiken. There are guests at Rainwater Crescent, Cousin Gladys and her daughter, little Annie Line, have come to stay while Cousin Gladys has some dental work done. But Annie is not a very nice little girl, and she has a doll that whispers secrets only to her. Mortimer doesn't like this, so he makes some mischief! Now sit back, relax, and listen to this story come to life.