In our house, a weekly family meeting on Sunday afternoons helps set expectations, troubleshoot issues, and - best of all - make plans for FUN! In today's episode Sarah does a deep dive into how family meetings work in the Powers house, from what, when, why, and how they happen to sample agenda items and ideas for making them fun for kids of different ages.

As more families start to travel again this spring and summer, we’re chatting about our own wanderlust, and how it relates to the media we consume. We talk about where we’ve been, where we’d like to go, and how the books we read and the shows we watch have inspired our travel goals. Plus we’ve got updates to what we’re reading (and listening to), and what YOU’re reading too. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Ana Luisa

Ana Luisa designs ethically-made jewelry with a conscience, with new styles released every Friday. Allegra loves these Sia earrings and Sarah’s a huge fan of the Mara ring. Visit www.analuisa.com/kidlit to shop for timeless, beautiful jewelry pieces.

Links we discussed:
Books:
Murder Is Bad Manners
Time Traveling With A Hamster
The Baby-Sitters Club Super Special #6: New York, New York!
The War That Saved My Life
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
Shows:
The Aquarium
Taste The Nation
Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy
The Amazing Race
Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry
We are part of the Amazon Affilates Program, which means if you click through one of our Amazon links and make a purchase, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks!

What we’re reading:
What you’re reading:
Email us at hello@kidliteratepodcast.com – we’d love to hear from you!

Behind the books we read, the podcasts we love, the movies we watch, and the music we listen to are the methods by which we consume the media. From smart speakers to apps, headphones to charging solutions, today's episode is all about the tech in our lives that helps us consume the media we love.

It's easy to get excited about new books at the library or in stores, but sometimes we forget just how many great books we already have at home. In today's episode Sarah and Allegra each choose four books - across multiple age levels and genres from picture books through YA fiction - to spotlight from our home shelves. We share why we chose them, why we love them, and who else might love them too.

From encyclopedias to biographies, nonfiction additions to your home library make for great learning--and fun--at all ages. In Episode 29 we share some of the reasons we love a well-curated nonfiction collection, recommendations for capturing kids' natural interest through nonfiction books, tips for reluctant readers, and more.

From animated comedies to edgy documentaries, 1990s mega-hits to new releases, our family is big into streaming television lately. Today’s episode is fully of recommendations for TV shows to watch as a family as well as shows specifically for elementary-aged viewers, tweens, and teens. As always, we round out the episode with book recommendations inspired by what we’re reading AND what you’re reading with your kids these days. Join us!

Links we discussed:
We mentioned our past episode on Survivor vs. The Amazing Race
Sarah and Allegra love listening to Office Ladies to supplement our watching of the American version of The Office
The World’s A Little Blurry, the Apple TV+ documentary about Billie Eilish, has mature content but was such a great watching experience for parents/teen together
All Creatures Great & Small, on PBS, is family-friendly but possibly a little slow for kids
Gravity Falls (Disney Plus)
We Bare Bears (Netflix)
Wandavision (Disney Plus)
Nailed It! (Netflix)
The West Wing (Amazon, HBO)
We are part of the Amazon Affilates Program, which means if you click through one of our Amazon links and make a purchase, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks!

What we’re reading:
Sarah is reading Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age by Sanjay Gupta
Allegra is about to start This Tender Land: A Novel by William Kent Krueger
What you’re reading:
Joyce, mom to a 5-year-old and 3-year-old is loving Rodham: A Novel, by Curtis Sittenfeld
With Max, age 5, she’s reading aloud Magic Tree House: Merlin Missions and Ivy & Bean
They’ve enjoyed audiobooks The Lighthouse Family series by Cynthia Rylant; Winterbourne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally Carter; and the Henry Huggins books by Beverly Cleary
Joyce’s 3-year-old’s current favorite picture books are Madeline, Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman, and the Pigeon books by Mo Willems
Email us at hello@kidliteratepodcast.com – we’d love to hear from you!

Let’s talk about food and cooking–and the media that helps us make and eat yummy stuff! In Episode 27 we share our favorite ways to get kids inspired in the kitchen, from magazines to cookbooks, TV shows to apps. Allegra talks about a multi-course, internationally-inspired meal she recently made from scratch for a school project, and, as always, we round out the episode with what we’re reading and what YOU’re reading. Join us!

Links we discussed:
Highlights Magazine
Subscription Box Services
KidStir
Raddish Kids
America’s Test Kitchen Kids
Cookbooks
American Girl Baking
Favorite Cakes
Masterchef Junior Cookbook
TV Shows
MasterChef Junior
Kids Baking Championship
Top Chef Junior
Chopped Junior
Apps
Toca Kitchen
Toca Kitchen Monsters
Toca Kitchen Sushi
NYTimes Cooking App (Apple | Google)
Gadgets & Gifts
Small chefs knives, like these that we’ve had for years
Wilton Decorating Piping Tip Set
Other episodes we mentioned
Magazine Subscriptions For Kids & Teens
TV Shows To Watch As A Family
We are part of the Amazon Affilates Program, which means if you click through one of our Amazon links and make a purchase, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks!

What we’re reading:
Sarah is reading Untamed by Glennon Doyle
Allegra is reading Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari and The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
What you’re reading:
Amibeth emailed us a great list of book recommendations based on what she is reading to, and with, her three boys, ages 6 and 3 (twins!):

Connor (Age 6):

Zoey and Sassafras series by Asia Citro
Real Pigeons series by Andrew McDonald
Dragon Masters series by Tracey West
Pet Shop Private Eye series by Colleen AF Venable
13-story Treehouse Series by Andy Griffiths
Read Alouds to Connor:

Frank Einstein Series by Jon Scieszka
Encyclopedia Brown by Donald Sobol
Samantha Spinner and the Super Secret Plans by Russell Ginns
Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris
Read Alouds with all 3 kids:

Toys Go Out series by Emily Jenkins
Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
Mouse and the Motorcycle Series by Beverly Cleary
I (mom, Amibeth) am reading:

Sophie Kinsella books
Nora Ephron’s Heartburn
Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Email us at hello@kidliteratepodcast.com – we’d love to hear from you!

Listening to audiobooks is a great way to pass the time on car rides or during long days at home, and we have some specific suggestions for HOW to get your kids hooked on listening to great books. In today's episode we share ideas for getting started with audiobooks (even with very young children), plus some specific titles that we love for little kids and several more our bigger kids have been loving lately. As always, we wrap up the episode with what we've been reading and what YOU've been reading.

If you're listening, you probably identify as a reader. But do you give much thought to WHERE, WHEN, and HOW you read? Today's episode is all about our family's reading habits; with two grownups and three kids, we run the gamut between late-night marathon readers to early birds who read in the morning, and everything in between. In this episode we also chat about electronic vs. paper books, reading in bed vs. outside, and more. Plus we'll share what we're reading and what YOU're reading.

Whether it's through an old attic, a mysterious tree house, or a speeding Delorian, the idea of traveling through time to another era makes for great storytelling. Inspired by a new television series that hooked us recently, we look at time travel as a genre: from why we love it to how different authors handle it. We offer some book, TV and movie suggestions for other fans of time travel and, of course, we also share what we're reading and what YOU've been reading lately.

Ready to read more in 2021? We’ve got you covered with listener-recommended books for everyone in the family, toddler through adult! Join us as we welcome in a new year of reading by sharing what’s new and what’s motivating us in our own reading lives, and then present YOUR book suggestions through emails and voicemails we’ve collected recently. You’ll hear from kids and grownups from around the world as they share what books they’ve been loving lately. Enjoy!

Want to help us out? Take our short listener survey by clicking here.

Links we discussed:
Looking for book recommendations for babies through early elementary? Go check out friend of the podcast Katie, teacher and mom of three, and the creator of @littleslicesoflit on Instagram. Highly recommend!

We are part of the Amazon Affilates Program, which means if you click through one of our Amazon links and make a purchase, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks!

What we’re reading:
Allegra recently finished Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel , and also loved Jefferson’s Sons by Kimberly Brubraker Bradley
Sarah finished The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd and is now reading Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking The Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski
What you’re reading:
Here are the books mentioned by listeners, in the order you heard them on the podcast:

Ella, age 8, is reading the Zoe & Sassafrass series and The Worst Witch series
Erin of Canberra, Australia recommended the Nancy Clancy chapter book series for her 5-year-old, and for her 3-year-old loves Sherri Duskey Rinker’s Construction Site books, Goodnight, Truck by Sally Odgers, and this personalized trucks book from the I See Me! collection
Taryn, age 11, loved the Pages & Co series by Anna James (which led her to reading some classics!). She and her mom Allison are reading Little Women together, and Allison recommends Daring Greatly by Brene Brown and The Road Back To You by Ian Morgan Cron
Abby, mom to 2-year-old Reid, loved Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, and she and Reid love reading Eric Carle’s The Very Busy Spider together
The Crail Family sent in three messages together!
Mom Kim loved The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal, Good Girl Bad Girl by Michael Robotham, The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde, and What Rose Forgot by Nevada Barr
Cameron (almost 10) recommends The Apothecary by Maile Meloy, One Life by Megan Rapinoe, Hatchet by Gary Paulson, and Restart by Gordon Korman
Quinn (age 7) loved Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball by Jeff Kinney
Cate, age 12, is reading Little Women, and together with her mom is enjoying All Creatures Great & Small by James Herriott. Mom (and children’s book author!) Emma Bland Smith is reading Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
Marina is reading My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor, and her 2-year-old loves looking at the First 100 Words and First 100 Animals books
Kayden, age 8, loved Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Email us at hello@kidliteratepodcast.com – we’d love to hear from you!

With the holidays coming and winter upon us, crafting and making have taken over our house! Join us for a conversation full of recommendations for bringing maker arts into your home: we cover paper airplane making and origami, self-taught knitting, bead work, craft kits, and more. We also share resources for learning these handicrafts online, plus how our family organizes supplies for creative making. As always, we'll share what we're reading, too!

Today's episode is a BIG roundup of the books, movies, and other media our family has been loving lately. We cover everything from little kid tablet games to YouTube art tutorials, sci-fi books to documentary series. And, as always, we share what we've been reading AND what you've been reading.

Magazine subscriptions make great holiday gifts (or anytime-gifts!), and we’re here to round up our favorites for preschoolers on up through teens. Plus we share what we’ve been reading (or, in Sarah’s case, not reading) and what YOU’ve been reading. Join us!

Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls

This episode is sponsored by Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls, the best-selling book and podcast (now in its fourth season!). Look for the podcast wherever you like to listen, and thanks to Rebel Girls for sponsoring our show!

We are part of the Amazon Affilates Program, which means if you click through one of our Amazon links and make a purchase, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks!

Links we discussed:
High Five from Highlights
National Geographic Little Kids
Ranger Rick Junior
Babybug and Ladybug from Cricket Media
Sports Illustrated Kids
National Geographic Kids
Ranger Rick
LEGO Life
Highlights
Ask, Muse, and Cobblestone, all from Cricket Media
What we’re reading:
Allegra is reading Artemis by Andy Weir
Sarah is STILL reading The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kid, but shared a tip about checking out different types of books from the library–things like cookbooks and home decor books
What you’re reading:
Kristen, Katie and Caleb wrote to us back in the summer, and shared what they were reading then.

Katie, age 11, recommended The Summer I Saved the World . . . in 65 Days, by Michele Weber Hurwitz
Caleb, age 8, recommended Time Castaways #1: The Mona Lisa Key by Liesl Shurtliff
Email us at hello@kidliteratepodcast.com – we’d love to hear from you!

This year, breaking news and current events have been hard to avoid–2020 just keeps on delivering unbelievable twists and turns. Join us for Episode 19 of Kidliterate, where we look at a few ways kids can stay informed without getting bored or overwhelmed, and how families can discuss the news together in a way that works for everyone. Plus, we talk about what we’re reading and what YOU’re reading. Enjoy!

Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls

This episode is sponsored by Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls, the best-selling book and podcast (now in its fourth season!). Look for the podcast wherever you like to listen, and thanks to Rebel Girls for sponsoring our show!

We are part of the Amazon Affilates Program, which means if you click through one of our Amazon links and make a purchase, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks!

Links we discussed:
KidNuz, a daily news podcast for kids
The Week Junior, a weekly news magazine for kids
What we’re reading:
Sarah is still reading The Book Of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd, and has Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle on deck
Allegra is reading The Martian by Andy Weir
What you’re reading:
Madison wrote to us to say that her one-year-old loves Dinosaurumpus (Tony Mitton), We’re Going On A Bear Hunt (Helen Oxenbury), and The Snail And The Whale (Julia Donaldson). She’s reading The Magic Tree House series (Mary Pope Osborn) aloud to her three-year-old, and enjoying Hamilton and Peggy! A Revolutionary Friendship (L.M. Elliott). Thanks for listening, Madison and family!

Email us at hello@kidliteratepodcast.com – we’d love to hear from you!

For a family who doesn’t do a ton of screen-based entertainment during the week, we have a lot to say about gaming! In Episode 18 of Kidliterate, Sarah and Allegra are joined by 10-year-old Reid for a look at video game console systems, the upsides to social gaming (especially in a pandemic!), and which games our family loves lately. We also talk about the virtual reality headset our family purchased in 2019, and where it fits into the gaming and entertainment picture. As always, we share what we’re reading lately, and what you’ve been reading too. Enjoy!

Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls

This episode is sponsored by Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls, the best-selling book and podcast (now in its fourth season!). Look for the podcast wherever you like to listen, and thanks to Rebel Girls for sponsoring our show!

We are part of the Amazon Affilates Program, which means if you click through one of our Amazon links and make a purchase, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks!

Links we discussed:
Apple Arcade
Nintendo Switch
Sneaky Sasquatch
Animal Crossing
Oculus Quest
Beatsaber
Angry Birds VR
Ecosphere
National Geographic VR Explore
What we’re reading:
Reid is reading The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Allegra is reading What Not To Do If You Turn Invisible by Ross Welford
Sarah is reading The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
What you’re reading:
Catherine, Amelia and Lucy are listening from Melbourne, Australia! They love The Treehouse Series by Andy Griffiths and The Very Cranky Bear Hardcover by Nick Bland (we forgot to mention it, but Catherine herself is reading Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan)

Email us at hello@kidliteratepodcast.com – we’d love to hear from you!

It’s October, and we’re excited to celebrate Halloween all month long with books, movies, TV series, games, and activities. Join us in our post-hiatus return for an all-Halloween chat to get you inspired for the month ahead. And, as always, we’ll share what we’ve been reading lately. Enjoy!

Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls

This episode is sponsored by Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls, the best-selling book and podcast (now in its fourth season!). Look for the podcast wherever you like to listen, and thanks to Rebel Girls for sponsoring our show!

We are part of the Amazon Affilates Program, which means if you click through one of our Amazon links and make a purchase, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks!

Links we discussed:
Littlebat’s Halloween Story, by Diane Mayr
Pumpkin Day, Pumpkin Night, by Anne Rockwell
Room on the Broom, by Julia Donaldson
A to Z Mystery series, by Ron Roy
Mickey’s House Of Villains
Just Add Magic
Spooky Buddies
Hocus Pocus
Scary (But Not TOO Scary!) Halloween Movies (Common Sense Media)
Marble Pumpkins with Nail Polish by Color Made Happy
Toca Boo
Tricky Town Game
What we’re reading:
Sarah mentioned I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, by Austin Channing Brown
Allegra finished Alexander Hamilton, by Ron Chernow
What you’re reading:
Send us an email (hello@kidliteratepodcast.com) or a voicemail about what YOU are reading these days, and we might feature your family on the podcast! Be sure to tell us kids’ names and ages along with the books they recommend (and we love to hear what parents are reading, too!).

Email us at hello@kidliteratepodcast.com – we’d love to hear from you!

It’s been a while, but we are BACK this fall with more new episodes of Kidliterate! A lot has changed since we wrapped up in the spring, and we’re excited to bring you new episodes every other Monday starting next week. We’re starting with an episode all about Halloween books, movies and ideas for celebrating … Continue reading "We’re Back!"

It's time to talk summer reading! We discuss how we find books to read over the summer, how to motivate reluctant readers and whether our family uses reading challenges or incentives, and one special tradition that kicks off summer reading in our family every year. And, as always, we talk about what we're reading and what YOU all are reading.

Books and other media make for great gifts! In Episode 15 we offer 10 birthday gift ideas for kids from preschool through teen--most of them from the realms of learning and literacy. We also chat about quarantine birthdays and, of course, what we're reading lately.