Book Club for Kids

Witches, monsters, and a brave little thief. Those are the ingredients in Claire Legrand's novel "Foxheart." The book was chosen by Book Club for Kids fan Kailas. She and her two fellow readers Iona and Gabi discussed the novel one sunny Sunday afternoon upstairs at Boulder Bookstore with host Kitty Felde. Our celebrity reader is actor Wesley Mann. And writer Claire Legrand explains how "Foxheart" began as a short story on a website.

What's it like to be adopted? Does your adopted family's history become your history or do you feel the need to find your biological story? Our book this week is "The Length of a String" by Elissa Brent Weissman. It's a Holocaust story about a Jewish family separated by the war. Readers from the Girlfriends Book Club of Baltimore at Hazelwood Elementary Middle School discuss the book and pose lots of questions to our writer. Actor and producer Bari Hochwald is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host.

Last week, we heard a bit from writer Jennifer L. Holm when we discussed her book "Turtle in Paradise." In this Bonus Episode, we hear more about Jenni's trilogy of books inspired by family stories.

Listeners dive into the tropical world of Key West with nicknames, quirky characters, and challenges faced by Turtle in 'Turtle in Paradise'. The discussion includes insights on relationships, parenting styles, and the impact of classic authors like Shel Silverstein and Lloyd Alexander.

Kristin Levine, author of The Lions of Little Rock, discusses the historical context and themes of her book. Students reflect on desegregation and education, while the narrator talks about studying math and conversations about race mixing. The friendship between Marley and Liz and the author's inspiration and research process are also explored.

Ever wonder what it's like to write one of the American Girl novels? We get the inside scoop from Lisa Yee.

We explore an immigration story: a Chinese immigrant who ends up in Minnesota. It's the Newbery Honor Award winning tale "Maisie Chen's Last Chance." Writer Lisa Yee tells readers at Overland Elementary School that the book is based on her own family's history. Our celebrity reader is public radio journalist Josie Huang from LAist. Favorite Books from Overland Elementary School: Rick - Alex Gino Amulet - Kazu Kibuishi The City of Ember - Jeanne Duprau Lisa Yee's Favorite Book: Honestly Katie John - Mary Calhoun Josie Huang's Favorite Book: Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery And check out our other podcast The Fina Mendoza Mysteries!

Can a book be funny and deal with one of the toughest topics around? "Milo: Sticky Notes & Brain Freeze" is writer and illustrator Alan Silberberg's tale of 7th grade angst and dealing with the loss of a parent. Seventh graders from Eliot-Hine Middle School in Washington, D.C. discuss the book and ask questions of author Silberberg. Actor Joshua Malina ("West Wing," "Scandal," the "West Wing Weekly" podcast) is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. NOTE: the phone number mentioned in the episode doesn't work anymore. But if you want to be on the show, email us for information about how your school or library can be featured on a new episode: bookclubforkidspodcast@gmail.com. Favorite Books from Eliot-Hine Middle School: Holes - Louis Sachar The Girl Who Fell - S.M Parker Out of My Mind - Sharon M. Draper ALan Silberberg's Favorite Book: Half Magic - Edward Eager Joshua Malina's Favorite Book: Busy, Busy World - Richard Scarry

Writer Edward Bloor talks about the biggest lesson he learned about writing and how to handle criticism with host Kitty Felde.

A story about family divisions, economic divides, history, and growing citrus trees. It's "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor. Our readers from the Laurence School in Los Angeles discuss the novel and interview our writer. Actress Jovita Molina is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. www.bookclubforkids.org