The Children's Literature Podcast

Mar 10 2025 10 ep. 18 mins 3

The Children's Literature Podcast artwork

The Children’s Literature Podcast is a grown-up discussion of children’s books, aimed not at kids but at grown-up book lovers, teachers, parents, and maybe even a few savvy teenagers. This podcast looks into the background and cultural context of a story, helping educators and parents to deliver deeper understanding to the kids they teach. With each episode you’ll find lessons, activities, and fun that can bring a story to life whether it’s being read at home or taught in the classroom.

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171 – A Chat with Dave Cullen

Mar 10 2025 50 mins

Dave Cullen is a YouTuber who focuses on pop culture and science fiction, and his debut novel Deus V Machina: A Cody Stockton Mystery is one of the most intersting independent books I’ve read in a while. This novel blends multiple genres in creative and unexpected ways, and it will appeal to thoughtful teenagers who are ready to think about complex philosophical ideas but who

170 – What Ben Dixon Loves About Independent Publishing

Mar 03 2025 32 mins

Ben Dixon is back on the show! The author of the Neil Peel book series has now published Vengeance and Honour, a fun sword and sorcery adventure. He also has useful advice for writers who want to publish a children’s book, but aren’t sure about whether to try for traditional publishing or take the leap and go for independent publishing. Ben has put out books both ways,

169 – Good, Bad and Ugly Romances

Feb 14 2025 11 mins

Happy Valentine’s Day! Children’s Literature isn’t usually about romance, but there are some great — and not so great — couples that have made an impression on me over the years. They can teach kids a lot about what a good relationship should (or shouldn’t) be! Find out which romances I think are Good, Bad, and Ugly. Also, you’ll hear that

168 – Dog Man Movie Review

Feb 11 2025 12 mins

The Dog Man book series by Dav Pilkey is DUMB. It’s IMMATURE. And so is the new movie adaptation. And those are COMPLIMENTS!! Find out how accurately the comics were adapted to the screen, with input from the 11, 10, 8, and 4 year old experts who came with me to the theater. Apologies for the background noise in this episode — emergency repairs are going on at my house

167 – How Star Trek Introduced Me to Shakespeare

Feb 06 2025 16 mins

When I was a kid of course I had heard of Shakespeare, but I didn’t think much about it . . . until I saw a scene from Henry V performed in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Introducing classic art to kids is easier than you think — it just needs to happen in small, interesting, digestible moments that tempts young readers to discover more. Find out how Star

166 – Netflix Will Ruin Little House on the Prairie

Jan 31 2025 6 mins

Netflix has a very poor record when it comes to adapting works of classic literature. Instead of coming up with original stories, the streaming giant tends to pick off the skin of beloved characters and use them to act out modern day political and social issues. It’s frustrating to prejudge a show that doesn’t even have a script or a cast yet, but at this point the patt

165 – What Should We Do With Neil Gaiman’s Children’s Books?

Jan 20 2025 16 mins

Neil Gaiman is one of the most widely read and influential authors of the present day, and he’s written a lot of children’s books. So what should parents, teachers, librarians, and book lovers do with his books now that several women have made similar — and very serious — accusations against him? How can we use this situation as a case study of when it is an

164 – The Cultural Damage of the Los Angeles Fires

Jan 12 2025 11 mins

My heart is breaking for my hometown. First of all for the lives lost, then for the homes and livelihoods lost, but I am also very sad for the damage and threat to the cultural landmarks of Los Angeles. We won’t know the full damage for some time, but here’s a first look at the irreplaceable culture being wiped out by the fires. So far the Zane Grey estate in Altadena h

163 – Did You Resolve to Write a Children’s Book?

Jan 01 2025 9 mins

Have you made a New Year’s Resolution? I stopped making them, oddly enough, because I go to the gym a lot and accidentally noticed a few things about goal setting and motivation. Many of you may have a goal to write a children’s book, and I think that’s great. That’s why I’ve decided to make amateur and independent authors the theme for the show this y

162 – 2024 and 2025 in Film

Dec 31 2024 16 mins

At the beginning of the year, I made predictions about films based on children’s books that would come out in 2024. Was I right? Was I wrong? And what’s coming up in 2025? (AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!) This episode managed to get published somehow despite * kids screaming and opening the door * a barking dog * my equipment failing several times * needing to get this done in a