Episodes - Book Club for Kids

Looking for your next favorite read? We've got it, courtesy of kids at the City of Stem/LA Maker Faire. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - Kate DiCamillo Magic Treehouse - Mary Pope Osborne Bunny vs Monkey -Jamie Smart A Little Princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett Fart Quest - Aaron Reynolds Hilo - Judd Winick Masterminds - Gordon Korman The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart We have LOTS of other book suggestions at our website

2025 is a very special year for Book Club for Kids as we celebrate our 10th anniversary! But a different version of the show aired on a local cable channel, LA36, taping episodes at the downtown LA public library. This year, we’ll be sharing those conversations once a month and we start with readers from St. Mark’s Lutheran School in Hacienda Heights, California discussing Gail Carson Levine’s classic take on Cinderella “Ella Enchanted” with host Kitty Felde. You can WATCH this episode on YouTube. Click here.

We end the year with a special episode from our other podcast THE FINA MENDOZA MYSTERIES. Fina is the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman who solves mysteries in the U.S. Capitol with the help of a big orange dog named Senator Something. This episode takes place January 6th, 2021 and is designed to help adults talk to kids about the events of that day. It's based on the book LOSING IS DEMOCRATIC: HOW TO TALK TO KIDS ABOUT JANUARY 6TH and contains curriculum for use in the classroom or homeschool.  Here's a link to purchase an autographed copy of the book.

Everybody wants to go to Paris…especially Nikki Maxwell! Readers from Hollingworth Elementary School discuss the latest entry in Rachel Renée Russell’s series. It’s Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Posh Paris Adventure. Rachel and daughter Nikki Russell, who illustrates the books, answer questions from the kids. Our celebrity reader is actress/screenwriter Kate Orsini. Kitty Felde is host.

For a writer who both illustrates and creates the story for a book, which comes first? We ask writer/illustrator Alina Chau who created "Marshmallow & Jordan."

Did you ever wish that you had a pet elephant? Well, Jordan was lucky enough to find one. That unusual relationship is at the heart of our book Jordan and Marshmallow by Alina Chau. Readers from Atwater Elementary School in Los Angeles discuss disabilities, sports, and Indonesia with host Kitty Felde. Our celebrity reader is NPR’s host of “All Things Considered” Ailsa Chang. Favorite Books from Atwater Elementary School: One Piece - Eiichiro Oda The Wild Robot - Peter Brown Dogman - Dav Pilkey Captain Underpants - Dav Pilkey The Funjungle Series - Stuart Gibbs Trickster: Native American Tales - Matt Dembicki Dirty Rotten Bugs: Arthropods Unite to Tell Their Side of the Story - Jujutsu Kaizen - Gege Akutami Amulet - Kazu Kibuishi Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan   Alina Chau's Favorite Book: Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne Ailsa Chang's Favorite Book: When Love is More than Words - Jocelyn Chung

We continue our series of episodes highlighting banned books. This week, it’s Elizabeth Acevedo’s novel The Poet X. The novel in verse was challenged in 2020 by parents in North Carolina who argued that the book was unconstitutionally hostile to religion. The challenge was turned down by the courts. It was again challenged in 2023 in Wisconsin because of objections about frank language about  sex.  In both cases, the books were part of the high school’s curriculum. The book is all about poetry and body image and standing up for yourself. It’s the National Book Award winning novel The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Readers from Charles Hart Middle School in Washington, DC discuss the novel with host Kitty Felde. Our celebrity reader is actress Monica Vigil from our other podcast THE FINA MENDOZA MYSTERIES.

Are you that aunt or uncle – the one who only gives books for birthdays and holidays? I hope so. But if it’s been a few years since you’ve picked up a middle grade novel, we have help from some experts – kids who visited us at the City of Stem LA Maker Faire to tell us about their favorite books. Start making your list and checking it twice… Favorite Books for Black Friday Shopping: Eragon - Christopher Paolini The Good Egg - Jory John and Pete Oswald The Land of Stories - Chris Colfer Amulet - Kazu Kibuishi Hop on Pop - Dr. Seuss The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett The Babysitter's Club - Ann M. Martin Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery This episode is made possible by a grant from the LA Department of Arts and Culture as part of Creative Recovery LA, an initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan.

How did Oprah inspire a writing career? Listen to this conversation with Nikki Shannon Smith, author of Stranded.

Readers from Las Vegas are live, onstage at the Las Vegas Book Festival, talking about Nikki Shannon Smith's tale of adventure Stranded. Award-winning journalist Rita Pardue from KUNV is celebrity reader. Taped before a live audience, readers have lots of questions for writer Nikki Shannon Smith. Kitty Felde is host.   FAVORITE BOOKS FROM THE LAS VEGAS BOOK FESTIVAL: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - Kate DiCamillo Cleopatra in Space - Mike Maihack Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling Wings of Fire -  Tui T. Sutherland Battle Dragons City of Thieves - Alex London  Weird Kid - Greg von Eekhout Oh My Gods! - Stephanie Cooke NIKKI SHANNON SMITH'S FAVORITE BOOK: Roots - Alex Haley RITA PARDUE'S FAVORITE BOOK: Charlotte's Web - E.B. White

Writer MC Ryder talks about writing song lyrics and middle grade book series with host Kitty Felde.

It's that time of year: Halloween! This week, we tackle M.C. Ryder’s tale of romance, betrayal, and creatures of the night The Darkest Side of the Moon. Journalist and actress Hettie Lynne Hurtes is our celebrity reader. Our readers are from Rosecrans Elementary School in Compton, California. Kitty Felde is host.  NOTE: There are some plot spoilers.   Favorite Books from Rosecrans Elementary School: Attack on Titan - Hajime Isayama  Because of Winn Dixie - Kate DiCamillo Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling Beyond the Story: 10-year Record of BTS - BTS, Myeongseok Kang    MC Ryder's Favorite Book: The Search - Iris Johansen   Hettie Lynne Hurtes' Favorite Book: Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte   The Fina Mendoza Mysteries

Peter Brown's wonderful book is now a movie! This week,we return to the source material. Do you have a relationship with the robot in your life? You'll fall in love with "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown. 4th graders from Flora Hendley Elementary School in Washington, D.C. discuss artificial intelligence and their own favorite robotic devices. U.S. Congressman Scott Peters from San Diego is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. Favorite Books from Flora Hendley Elemetary School: Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney Dork Diaries- Rachel Renée Russell The True Story of the Three Little Pigs - Jon Scieszka Peter Brown’s Favorite Book: The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien Congressman Scott Peter’s Favorite Book: East of Eden - John Steinbeck

September is the perfect time of year to start a new habit. How about 15 minutes a day reading a book YOU want to read? Need some suggestions? Give a listen as we hear from kids as the City of Stem LA Maker Faire about the books they LOVE to read.  Projekt 1065 - Alan Gratz Little Women - Louisa May Alcott The Light in Hidden Places - Sharon Cameron Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney Princess in Black - Shannon Hale The Magic Factory - Morgan Rice This episode is made possible by a grant from the LA Department of Arts and Culture as part of Creative Recovery LA, an initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan.  And if you're looking for a way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, check out the Fina Mendoza Mysteries podcast. It tells the story of the 10-year-old daughter of a congressman who solves myseries inside the US Capitol...and introduces civics to kids. The podcast is based on the Fina Mendoza series of books in both English and Spanish.  Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza Bienvenida a Washington Fina Mendoza Losing is Democratic: How to Talk to Kids About January 6th State of the Union Estado de la Unión

As school is starting up, there are tons of books your teacher wants you to read. But what about a book YOU really want to read? Today we hear from kids as the City of Stem LA Maker Faire about the books ThEY love to read. Give a listen. Favorite Books:   Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney  Keeper of the Lost Cities - Shannon Messenger Captain Underpants - Dav Pilkey Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling Ada Twist, Scientist - Andrea Beaty Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan Dog Man - Dav Pilkey

We talk to writer Charles Waters about his life as an actor and how it led to his life as a poet and children's book writer. He also talks about how the Highlights Foundation changed his life. Kitty Felde is host.

What do you do when your long-time school mascot is offensive to others? That's the topic in Mascot by Charles Waters and Traci Sorell. Students from Eliot-Hine Middle School discuss the novel and interview the writer. California State Los Angeles theater professor Carolyn Dunn is celebrity reader. Kitty Felde is host. Favorite Books from Eliot-Hine: Stunt Boy - Jason Reynolds The Falling Sword - Ben Kane The Firekeeper's Daughter - Angeline Boulley Keeper of the Lost Cities - Shannon Messenger Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut Charles Waters' Favorite Books: Ordinary People - Judith Guest Raymond Carver short stories Bronx Masquerade - Nikki Grimes Under the Mesquite - Guadalupe Garcia McCall Carolyn Dunn's Favorite Books: Love Medicine - Louise Erdich The Master Butchers Singing Club  - Louise Erdich Lilith's Brood - Octavia E. Butler

We continue our look at books that have been challenged or banned. This week, we revisit STELLA DIAZ HAS SOMETHING TO SAY by Angela Dominguez. In 2000, the Central York School District pulled books from shelves that dealt with race. In fact, every book removed from school classrooms and libraries were written by people of color. After months of protests, the books were once again available to students in 2001. Give a listen to STELLA DIAZ HAS SOMETHING TO SAY.

We invited kids onstage at the City of Stem LA Maker Faire with host Kitty Felde to tell the audience about their favorite books:  Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland Dork Diaries - Rachel Renee Russell Zoey and Sassafras - Asia Citro Go Team Spidey - Steve Behling The Secret Series - Pseudonymous Bosch

Book Club for Kids live onstage! We visit the City of Stem LA Maker Faire to bring kids onstage to talk about their favorite books! The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - Kate DiCamillo The Secret Cookie Club - Martha Freeman Shel Silverstein's books of poetry Dog Man - Dav Pilkey   This episode is supported in art by the LA County Department of Arts and Culture, as part of Creative Recovery LA, an initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan.