Tea, Tales, and Tomes

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Today's episode is truly special. We welcome New York Times bestselling author Beth Ferry for a rich, warm conversation about how wonder, research, and a love for a good story turn words into worlds that invite wonder.  

We also tackle today’s thornier topics. Beth draws a line between personal digital styles and generative AI that flattens voice, arguing that heart can’t be prompted. On book bans, she makes a clear case for access: stories are mirrors and windows, and removing them narrows who gets to be seen. Along the way we talk about the writing process, ideas sparked by lyrics and catalogues, fifty or so revisions, treating each book like a child who deserves equal care, and look ahead to her new middle grade novel in verse about the hard art of being happy for a friend.

If you love children’s literature, illustration craft, or the power of a perfect read‑aloud, this conversation will light you up and send you hunting for more Beth Ferry on your shelf. Subscribe, share with a bookish friend, and leave a review telling us which children’s book you’ll never outgrow. 

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder.
Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill.

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In today's episode, I am asking parents to take a backseat and let the kids control the speakers. I am talking directly to kids about why books are not competing with screens but powering the worlds they love. We unpack the brain science of reading, the courage in choosing your own stories, and the reason books get banned when ideas scare people in positions of power. We dig deep into: 

• how books seed games, films and shows we love
• how reading lights up the brain and builds focus
• how stories help us to feel seen and heard, and 
• the truth about bans and why ideas frighten power
I end with a gentle challenge to try one story this week and invite children to  ask their parents to drop me a message, tell me what type of story they hope to find, tell me what they like, what they don’t like, and I will find it them. 

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder.
Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill.

We'd love your feedback. Send us a message.
Do you think you can find 10 minutes in your day to do the one thing that is proven to not only boost academic performance, but also bring you closer as a family? Reading together. Just ten minutes. 
In today's episode, we are talking about small rituals that will create big readers. It's a New Year and a great time for a reading reset. We share a practical plan to build a joyful reading culture at home in a screen‑heavy world, anchored by a ten‑minute read‑aloud that fits any day. From confidence gains to a school book swap, we show low‑pressure ways to make stories social, affordable, and fun.

• why reading for pleasure drives cognition, mental health and empathy
• designing low‑pressure rituals that make books the default
• the 10‑minute read‑aloud challenge and rewards
• early wins with pronunciation, confidence and classics
• flexible timing that survives busy schedules
• kids using apps to log, review and discover
• launching a budget‑friendly school book swap
• and lastly, cutting to our classic guide on home book club culture where we revisit Episode 11 (Season 1): Creating a Home Book Club Culture: No Homework Required to give you awesome tips for how you can incorporate reading in your home life this year. 

A few links from this episode: 
- Learn more about the RAR Read Aloud Challenge
Some websites I mention in the episode revisit: 
Art for Kids Hub
Little School of Smiths 
Tea, Tales, and Tomes blog 

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder.
Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill.

We'd love your feedback. Send us a message.
The mic failed, the tea was hot, and the books were unforgettable. Come sit down with us as we reflect on a noisy 2025 and the stories that stayed: a Kyoto restaurant that recreates lost flavours to unlock memory, a graphic novel that treats young readers with uncommon respect, a middle grade marvel that made our whole family laugh and cry, a picture book that blooms like a botanical secret, and a nonfiction gem that turns lake lore into living curiosity.

Not every pick landed. We unpack why a widely recommended fantasy for children failed our suitability test and talk frankly about choosing books with care: age-appropriate, safe, respectful. Then we look ahead to 2026: kids discovering the Warriors series on their own terms, family drives with The Mysterious Benedict Society, and a small, thoughtful adult book club starting with Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Expect new segments, author conversations, and episodes that ask brave, necessary questions about how stories are made and how they shape us.

If these conversations light you up, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a good read, and leave a review to help more bookish people find us. What was your standout read of 2025?
Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder.
Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill.

We'd love your feedback. Send us a message.
The shops are shouting buy more, but we’re making a different case: skip the shiny book junk and choose stories that actually get read. Come with me and walk through the holiday aisles together and call out the biggest traps - gimmicky bundles, flimsy movie tie-ins, lazy age-badged anthologies and swap them for books with staying power and more meaningful bookish gifts.
If you’re craving ease over excess, you’re in good company here.
A few things we touch on today: 
• skipping gimmicky bundles that add plastic, not story
• steering clear of movie tie-ins and lazy anthologies
• smarter alternatives for middle grade and seasonal reads
• age-appropriate comics and graphic novels that land
• choosing engaging, well-designed nonfiction over coffee-table tomes
• why annuals and activity books are risky gifts unless you know the child
• ditching weak booklights for practical, lasting accessories
• tech picks that stretch budgets: subscriptions, audiobooks, headphones
• how to gift adults without awkward self-help misfires
• choosing a slower, calmer Christmas that puts people before purchases

Feel free to DM me on Instagram for recommendations because recommending books to you will be like giving me a gift this Christmas. 

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder.
Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill.