Reading With Your Kids Podcast

In this episode of Reading With Your Kids Jed welcomes author-illustrator Ashley Belote to discuss her early-reader graphic novel, Squirrel Lock Holmes: Mystery at the Corny Maze. Ashley describes Squirrel Lock as a spirited woodland detective partnered with Mole Watson. The character grew from her childhood love of Nancy Drew, Junie B. Jones, and Spy Kids. The idea arrived during a playful "squirrel moment" while she was researching another project and sketching a flying squirrel.
Chip the Chipmunk disappears in a corn maze, and more animals go missing, prompting Squirrel Lock and Watson to investigate. Ashley says animal characters can make lessons feel less intimidating for young readers. She finds horses challenging to draw. Moving from picture books to an 80-page graphic novel gave her room to build relationships, develop clues, and create a fuller mystery. She starts with the solution and works backward to plant clues. She also values how readers infer what happens between panels and read visual cues. Ashley shares that book three, A Mole in One Mystery, is planned for June 8, 2027, and she is working on book four. She hopes families will make their own guesses as they read.
The episode also features Samantha Reynolds discussing Help Me Be Me, her parenting picture book inspired by conscious parenting. She encourages parents to let children make choices, make mistakes, and learn from natural consequences instead of trying to control every outcome. A hidden teddy bear adds playful fun to reading. Samantha also mentions upcoming creative projects, including a family film and animated programs.

Jed Doherty welcomes listeners to two conversations about books and literacy.
First, Mia Wenjen celebrates the third annual Newton Children's Book Festival, taking place November 15 at the American Legion Nonantum Post 440. Its accessible venue will welcome 100 authors and illustrators, with young adult books included for the first time. After growing from 1,000 attendees in its first year, the festival offers more room, parking, and food options. Wenjen describes her goal of bringing children face-to-face with authors and showcasing creators from diverse backgrounds and genres.
She also discusses her picture book Barbed Wire Between Us, a story connecting Japanese American incarceration during World War II with the experiences of immigrants. Wenjen explains how she shaped it as a reversal poem: the words are repeated in reverse order, while punctuation shifts the meaning. Illustrator Violeta Encarnacion's sepia and turquoise palettes help distinguish the book's past and present.
In the second conversation, Varsha Bajaj talks about her middle-grade novel Roar. Rohan, a 12-year-old boy from Houston, travels to northern India to visit his grandfather at a tiger sanctuary. The story alternates between Rohan's perspective and Arya, a tigress protecting her cubs. Bajaj says visiting a sanctuary transformed her understanding of the story and inspired her to give the tiger a voice.
The conversation explores identity and belonging, as Rohan feels both an insider and outsider in a country connected to his heritage. Bajaj highlights the book's conservation themes and how it can spark family discussions about wildlife, friendship, and finding one's passion.

Join host Jed Doherty for an episode featuring two authors whose books invite readers to lead with kindness and imagination.
First, Janet Zappala introduces Guapo in the Mystery of Goodness Grove, a picture book inspired by Guapo, a steer weighing more than 3,000 pounds. Guapo is famous for his gentle nature, heart-shaped forehead marking, and friendship with Mabel, a pot-bellied pig. Janet explains how their bond sparked a story about celebrating differences and treating others with kindness. She believes children learn values by watching caring actions, not just hearing advice. She discusses moving from journalism to children's books, collaborating with writer Wendy Perkins and illustrator Laura Kaleja, and the joy she finds in reading with children. Profits from her books support animal rescues.
Then Christopher Mannino shares Starkeeper, a standalone middle-grade fantasy in his shared Builder's World, where natural wonders are someone's job. Jack is expected to hang stars, but longs to become a poet. Menino traces the novel's whimsical inspiration to theater, imagery, and a desire to create wonder and cozy fantasy. He describes starting with a striking image and building a story around it.
Living in Malta, Mannino introduces a virtual pen-pal program for students in grades three through six. Zoom sessions will explore Malta's history, culture, geography, and daily life, including island realities such as importing essential resources. He hopes the program will connect students to his books and spark curiosity about the world. Together, the conversations celebrate stories that foster empathy, learning, and joy.

This episode brings together two authors whose work helps children connect with books and learning in different ways.
Martha Seif Simpson joins Jed to talk about her easy-reader graphic novel, I Will Not Eat Latkes, designed for readers and the Hanukkah season. She explains how family latke-making traditions inspired the story: oxidized potatoes once prompted a guest to call them "rusty potato mush." In the book, Nosh the koala encourages Potchki the ring-tailed lemur to try latkes by being brave like his hero, Judah Maccabee. Martha shares why easy readers use simple language, how illustrations and graphic novel panels bring the tale to life, and why libraries and audiobooks can welcome more children into reading.
Rachel Glowacki then introduces Move with Me Books, her movement-based literacy project, and her book All Through the Crown. Inspired by yoga and the song "The Wheels on the Bus," the book uses colors, body parts, rhythm and movement to help children explore feelings and energy. Rachel explains how movement can support attention, mood and learning, especially for children who benefit from kinesthetic experiences. She also reflects on making learning inclusive and playful.
Across both conversations, Jed and his guests celebrate libraries as welcoming community resources, honor different ways children learn, and encourage adults to follow kids' interests rather than judging what they choose to read. The episode is a reminder that stories can spark curiosity, build confidence, and bring families together—whether around a plate of latkes or a rainbow of movement.

In this episode, host Jed Doherty welcomes picture-book creators Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox to talk about their new book, Beware the Sock Monkeys. The couple describes how they began making books together and how their close collaboration lets them shape both manuscript and illustrations. Jonathan shares the playful premise: a family's missing socks may have been taken by sock monkeys. Inspired by folklore, family jokes, and an orange stuffed monkey, the story follows three sisters and a skeptical dad. They also discuss school visits, children's unexpected questions, and Heather's advice for young artists: keep drawing, read widely, and make use of the library.
Jed then speaks with Minseo Cha, author of the wellness series You Are Not What You Eat. Minseo explains that the books grew from her experience recovering from an eating disorder. The first reflects on her journey and how seemingly harmless comments about food or appearance can affect someone who is vulnerable. Her second book gathers perspectives on food as culture and connection, beyond nutrition alone. She shares how support from family and therapy helped her, and how writing allowed her to reflect on her growth and offer understanding to others. She also discusses the pressures of social media and celebrity ideals, and hopes to study psychology and how systems can help people seek support.
Together, these conversations celebrate creativity, collaboration, and the power of stories to entertain, encourage, and help people feel less alone. Both interviews show how stories can connect, inspire, and support us all.