Reading With Your Kids Podcast

In this episode of the Reading With Your Kids Podcast, we're celebrating two very different – but beautifully connected – books that can spark powerful family conversations.
First, Jed welcomes Denise Abdale, author of the back‑to‑school picture book "Jacob Gets Organized." Drawing on over 40 years as an educator and special education advocate, Denise explains what executive functioning skills really are—planning, organization, time management—and why so many kids struggle with them. She shares practical, parent-friendly strategies: color‑coded notebooks and folders, labeled buckets, predictable routines, and breaking "clean your room" into tiny, concrete steps. Denise emphasizes that behavior is communication, not defiance, and urges parents to advocate for their kids at school while teaching independence at home. We also hear about her other books, including "The Adventures of Pickles and Rufus," many inspired by her students' real‑life challenges.
Then we shift gears into spooky season with Ryan Douglass, author of the YA horror novel "Night of Madness." Ryan introduces us to Mara Jacobs, an 18‑year‑old horror fan who enters an overnight movie competition that turns into a deadly, locked‑room challenge. The story blends '80s horror vibes with very modern themes: toxic social media competition, the pressure to be "famous," and the search for validation online. Ryan talks about collaborating with Temple Hill, crafting characters who surprise even him, and why he hopes families use this book to talk about what truly matters in life—and to remind young people that they are enough, just as they are.

In this inspiring episode of the Reading With Your Kids Podcast, Jed welcomes two wonderful guests whose picture books open the door to big, heartfelt family conversations.
First, Jed chats with Erin Washington, author of I'm Just Like Me. Erin shares how her biracial, very tall 10‑year‑old daughter inspired the story after feeling different from her classmates. When Erin went looking for a picture book that celebrated a child who didn't look like everyone else, she couldn't find one—so she wrote it. Erin talks candidly about her own 20‑year struggle with body image and eating disorders, and how becoming a mom, embracing intuitive eating, and learning to truly respect her body changed everything. She also introduces the Blue Butterfly Foundation, her free mentorship program for teen girls struggling with body image and self‑worth, and explains why representation in books and media is so critical for kids' dreams and confidence.
Then Jed welcomes back author‑illustrator Anoosha Syed, here to celebrate Love in Every Language, the companion to her hit book That's Not My Name. The story follows Merha, a young Pakistani American girl who can't speak Urdu and struggles to communicate with her grandmother. Anoosha and Jed explore how many immigrant kids love family deeply even when they don't share a language, and how some cultures rarely say "I love you" with words, instead showing love through food, care, nicknames, and time together. Anoosha also shares how becoming a mom has changed the way she creates picture books and tests them with her own son.

This episode of the Reading With Your Kids Podcast is a joyful celebration of music, memory, and intergenerational connection, featuring two fantastic creators: Shadra Strickland and Celina Frenn.
In the first half, Jed chats with Shadra about her vibrant new picture book, Here Comes the Band, a tribute to HBCU marching band culture. Shadra shares her own background in Atlanta's band scene and describes the electrifying energy of halftime shows—the booming bass drums, sizzling cymbals, sequined dancers, and jaw-dropping pageantry that make the band the real main event. She talks about working with illustrator John Holyfield, whose fluid, movement-filled art captures the musicality of the text, and reflects on how she had to "unlearn" some of her formal art training to rediscover play, joy, and improvisation in her work. Shadra also offers beautiful insights into community, creativity, and the conversations families can have about instruments, music, and joining a band.
In the second half, Jed welcomes Celina Frenn, author of the middle grade graphic novel Spy Grandma. Inspired by her very different real-life grandmothers, Celina introduces a tough-on-the-outside, gooey-on-the-inside grandma with a mysterious past as a spy. Celina explains how the story evolved from a TV pilot into a graphic novel and explores themes of trust, secrets, and building relationships across generations. She and Jed discuss the power of asking questions, co-reading graphic novels with kids, and using stories as a springboard for honest family conversations.
Together, these conversations highlight how stories—and shared reading—can bring families closer, spark curiosity, and keep the music and memories going.

In this lively episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed celebrates two fantastic picture books that blend heart, humor, and big feelings.
First up we celebrate "Owl Capone" with debut author Christy Ewers and illustrator Rob Sayegh Jr. Christy shares how a lifelong fascination with classic gangster movies and Al Capone's quote, "Don't mistake my kindness for weakness," eventually hatched into Owl, the kindest soul in the Windy Forest. She wanted to flip the gangster trope, exploring what happens when someone kind is hurt or betrayed—and how choosing to "kill 'em with kindness" is its own kind of strength.
Rob, who is also represented by Christy as his agent, talks about instantly seeing the character in his mind and diving deep into Chicago and Capone lore. He sprinkles the art with playful Easter eggs—like the Green Bill (a wink to Chicago's Green Mill) and Deers & Roebuck—creating layers of jokes and details that kids will love and grown-ups will quietly appreciate. Christy also pulls back the curtain on the role of a literary agent, describing it as part producer, part lawyer, part therapist, and full-time advocate for creators navigating a constantly shifting marketplace.
Later, Jed welcomes Loryn Brantz, author-illustrator of "I Am a Spicy Nugget." Inspired by her own fiery, big-feelings kid, Lauren uses humor and imaginative play—like pretending her daughter turned into a "spicy nugget"—to diffuse meltdowns. The book helps families name big emotions, talk about anger, and see tantrums with more empathy and playfulness, while reminding kids (and parents) that feelings are powerful, but manageable.

In this episode of the Reading With Your Kids Podcast, Jed welcomes back award-winning author and teacher Adriana Cuevas to celebrate her spooky new middle grade novel, Mischief and Monsters. Adriana explains what cryptids are—creatures born from mythology, urban legends, and local lore—and shares how each state, including her home state of Texas, seems to have its own mysterious monsters. Listeners meet some of the unforgettable creatures in the book, from the Bear King of Marble Falls and La Lechuza to the Houston Batman, Wampus Cat, Madre de Aguas, and of course, a chupacabra.
Adriana talks about why cryptid stories endure, connecting them to our human need to explain the unexplainable and our love of storytelling. She also digs into why spooky middle grade books are so magnetic for kids—especially readers with ADHD or shorter attention spans—highlighting how tension, suspense, and cliffhanger chapter endings keep kids turning pages. Drawing on her experience as a middle school teacher of English language learners, Adriana shares how graphic novels, short stories, choice, and rereading help reluctant readers fall in love with books and see themselves as readers. Families who co-read Mischief and Monsters will find rich opportunities to talk about fitting in, standing out, and finding your voice, and they might even be inspired to invent their own cryptids and stories together.
In the final segment, Jed chats with debut author Shannon Mulholland about Finding Sea Legs, a modern pirate story set off the coast of San Francisco that explores identity, truth, and what's really "real" in a world full of stories, legends, and "fake news."