For the Love of Reading Podcast

This week's episode takes a look at tactical ways parents can use this time at home to help nurture a love of reading in their children. Our guest, Alison Green Myers, is program director for the nonprofit Highlights Foundation, which supports children’s book writers and illustrators. She’s served as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, curriculum writer, and school director. She is a National Writing Fellow, an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and has a tower of TBR books, always!  

Our guest for the third episode of our For the Love of Reading podcast is Emily Arrow, a popular children’s musician who inspires kids to read by writing and performing her songs about her favorite picture books. She even sings for us! You can catch her each Tuesday and Thursday at 10 am on her You Tube show.

In this episode, join host, Christine French Cully, as she speaks with guest, Christina Sharkey Geist, children's author and mom, about her family's love of reading. During this time in quarantine, Christina and her kids are closing out each day by reading their favorite books aloud to friends and family (and anyone who chooses to tune in) via Facebook live, all from the comfort of their living room. As one fan says, "it's a daily dose of goodness."

In episode 7, our host, Christine French Cully, talks with Danay, the 13-year-old founder of Reading Heart. Danay started Reading Heart at the age of eight because she wanted to share her passion for reading with other children. ReadingHeart.org is a non-profit that distributes books to children who want to read but have limited access to books. An avid reader herself, Danay and her entire family work to share her passion for reading with other children. Listen and be inspired by this young entrepreneur!

In this final episode of our For the Love of Reading podcast, host Christine French Cully talks with Dr. Christine Herring on how parents can use books to open conversations with their kids about social justice. Dr. Herring is a leading expert in the field of Race, Equity & Inclusion training in the Pittsburgh area. Dr. Herring and her husband, Dr. Charles Herring, are the founders of  Herring Seminars where they work with organizations and school communities to develop ways of understanding complex relations between self and systems with regard to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability/disability, and other lived cultural experiences. To help parents, Dr. Herring has graciously compiled this booklist of books with social justice themes. You can contact Dr. Herring at herringseminars@gmail.com.