Here Wee Read
Hosted by Charnaie Gordon, of the blog Here Wee Read, this podcast celebrates diverse and inclusive books for kids and adults. In addition to interviewing kid lit and adult writers and illustrators on occasion, you’ll be updated on the latest bookish headlines and hear 30-second book reviews. This podcast is especially good for parents, caregivers, homeschoolers, librarians, and teachers who have the desire to diversify their bookshelves.
Episodes
64 episodes
Mighty Mara: Celebrate Disability Pride Month with Author Carino Ho
Carina Ho is dancer and musician who performs under the moniker ONIKHO. Having trained in dance and music since childhood, Carina joined AXIS Dance Company, a physically integrated dance company that casts dancers with and without disabilities,...
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15:31
Miss Edmonia's Class of Wildfires: Author Victoria Scott-Miller
Victoria Scott-Miller is an award-winning Raleigh-based entrepreneur, documentarian, author, creator of "The Museum Lives in Me” book series, and owner of North Carolina’s first black-owned children’s bookstore, Liberation Station. She was indu...
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34:10
Mental Health Awareness Month with Author Lynn Joseph: My Code Word
Lynn's picture book, My Code Word: For When I'm Scared or Afraid, is a great recommendation to read during Mental Health Awareness Month or anytime of the year. It's a story about a young boy who acutely sees what's going on in the world and in...
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30:50
The Switch: Kickstart Your Summer Reading with Author Jesse Byrd
Jesse Byrd is an international award-winning children’s book author and the youngest NPR Board member. At 6’8”, Jesse pivoted from playing basketball at UCSB to pursue his passion for storytelling. After working at Google in Silicon Valley and ...
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31:01
Bunso Meets a Mumu - Celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month with Author/Illustrator Rev Valdez
Rev Valdez is a Filipino-American illustrator based in Brentwood, CA. He’s passionate about introducing readers to the myths of Filipino culture through fun, funny and visual storytelling.In this episode we discuss his book, Bunso M...
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28:09
Look Up!: Fontaine the Pigeon Starts a Revolution (Screen Free Week) Britt Gondolfi & Amanda Romanick
To kick off Screen Free Week, listen as author Britt Gondolfi and illustrator Amanda Romanick discuss their picture bookFontaine the Pigeon Starts a Revolution and the impacts that screens are having on children and families.Britt G...
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50:35
Jeet and Fudge: Get to Know Author, President, & CEO of Baker & Taylor Amandeep Kochar.
Step into the world of literature and publishing with author, President, & CEO of Baker & Taylor Amandeep S. Kochar, the creative force behind the Jeet and Fudge early readers series.In this episode, Amandeep shares his personal ...
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31:46
Like Lava in my Veins with Author Derrick Barnes
Derrick Barnes is a National Book Award Finalist for his 2022 graphic novel Victory Stand!: Raising My Fist For Justice, which also won the 2023 YALSA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction Award, and a Coretta Scott King Award Author Ho...
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Season 6
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Episode 2
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47:42
Always With You, Always With Me Kelly Rowland and Jessica McKay
Kelly Rowland is a four-time Grammy Award–winning singer, songwriter, actress, and executive producer with over 40 million records sold. She’s known worldwide as a founding member of Destiny’s Child, one of the bestselling female groups of all ...
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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58:22
My Fade is Fresh: Getting to Know Shauntay Grant
Shauntay Grant is an author, poet, playwright, and multimedia artist. Her love of literature stretches back to her storytelling roots in Nova Scotia's historic Black communities.Shauntay holds an MFA in creative writing from the Universi...
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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32:26
Mi Cuidad Sings: Getting to Know Debut Author Cynthia Harmony
Cynthia Harmony is an author and educational psychologist, originally from Mexico City. She has published for the educational market and was awarded the 2020 We Need Diverse Books Mentorship. Her debut picture book MI CIUDAD SINGS is a Junior L...
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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20:59
Black Boy, Black Boy: Jorge Redmon and Ali Kamanda
Ali Biko Sulaiman Kamanda is an award-winning filmmaker and social entrepreneur from Sierra Leone, West Africa. He runs BIKO Studios, a cross-cultural film production company and is the President of Salone Rising, a non-profit organization that...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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43:33
To New Heights: Tacko Fall and Justin Haynes
Tacko Fall emigrated from Senegal as a teenager to play basketball and rose to prominence when he was selected by the Boston Celtics and became a seven-foot-six ball-playing sensation. He has played for the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cava...
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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43:44
50 - American Desi: Jyoti Rajan Gopal and Supriya Kelkar
Jyoti Rajan Gopal is a writer, mom, and Kindergarten teacher. Growing up, she lived in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, India, and China. Twenty-eight years ago, she moved to New York and now lives in Yonkers in a quirky old Victorian, with her hu...
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Season 4
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Episode 16
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49:58
49 - The First and Only Openly Gay Strongman in the World: Rob Kearney & Eric Rosswood
Rob Kearney is an American Professional Strongman as well as the first and only openly gay professional strongman in the world. Rob decided to compete in the Heavyweight class where he took 1st place in the 2016 Log Lift Worl...
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Season 4
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Episode 15
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33:20
48 - Why I’m Planning to Pivot on Social Media to Share Bookish Content
In response to a recent post in my Instagram stories, I’m talking about the positive and negative impacts social media has had on my life over the past seven years.Connect with Charnaie online in the following places:Blog:
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Season 4
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Episode 14
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15:13
47 - The Bad Guys: Live Interview with Aaron Blabey and Pierre Perifel
This episode is a recording of a live interview that took place on April 13th on the campus of DreamWorks Animation Studio in Glendale, California. I had the incredible opportunity to interview the author and executive producer of the movie The...
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Season 4
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Episode 13
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21:52
46 - Twelve Dinging Doorbells: Book Chat with Author Tameka Fryer-Brown
Tameka Fryer Brown (a native of Miami, Florida) has called Charlotte, North Carolina home for over 20 years. Her first literary accomplishment as a children’s book writer came when she was awarded one of two First Prizes in the 2008...
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Season 4
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Episode 12
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41:03
45 - Mango and Marigold Press: Chatting Books and Diversity with CEO Sailja Joshi
Growing up, Sailaja was a voracious reader. From Leo the Lop to Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Amelia Bedelia, she loved every book she read. If you were to ask her today what her favorite book is, she'd...
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Season 4
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Episode 11
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48:34
44 - Here Wee Read Live: New York Times Bestselling Author Derrick Barnes and Vanessa Brantley-Newton – The Queen of Kindergarten
This episode is a recording from a live author panel event that took place on March 8, 2022.This was an intimate couch conversation with author-illustrator Vanessa Brantley-Newton and New York Times Bestselling Author Derrick Bar...
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Season 4
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Episode 10
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1:38:38
43 - 10 Children’s Books Publishing in 2022: JaNay Brown-Wood, PhD
JaNay Brown-Wood, PhD is an author, educator, literary advocate, and mother who is committed to nurturing the next generation of readers by writing stories with more diversity and representation.Among her books releasing this...
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Season 4
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Episode 9
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47:18
42 - Here Wee Read Live: Black Children’s Book Week Author Panel
This episode is a recording from a live author panel event that took place on February 28, 2022 as part of Black Children’s Book Week, a week-long literary event celebrating Black children in literature.This was an intimate couch co...
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Season 4
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Episode 8
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1:17:25
41 - We Got the Spirit: Up Close and Personal with Frank and Connie Morrison
Frank Morrison started his journey as a graffiti artist in New Jersey, tagging walls with spray paint. Frank's work can be found in numerous award-winning children’s books including Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award winner Jazzy...
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Season 4
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Episode 7
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37:58
40 - When the World Feels Heavy: Children’s Book Recommendations
In response to all of the troubling current events happening around the world, I’m sharing a few children’s book recommendations.You can join the conversation by sending me an email message to:
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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11:01
39 - Blackout: Chatting Books with NYT Bestselling YA & Picture Book Author Tiffany D. Jackson
Tiffany D. Jackson is the NYT Bestselling, award winning author of YA novels Monday’s Not Coming, Allegedly, Let Me Hear A Rhyme, Grown, White Smoke, Santa in The City and co-auth...
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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42:14