Reading With Your Kids Podcast

In this episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes Jimmy Vee, author, magician, ventriloquist, marketer, and proud "weirdo," to celebrate his new series beginning with There Are No Dinos In This Book. Jimmy shares how his background in magic, ventriloquism, and marketing copywriting fuses into a unique creative voice for kids—funny, interactive, and packed with personality.
He explains how the classic children's magic idea of "look no see"—where kids see something the magician "doesn't"—became the structural engine of his book. On the page, the narrator insists there are no dinosaurs, while kids spot visual clues and "argue" with the narrator, recreating the energy of a live magic show in a read‑aloud experience. Jed notes that it's the kind of book you can't read flat; it demands performance, voices, and engagement.
Jimmy walks through the challenge of capturing live-show energy in static text, drawing on his experience writing mass‑media ads and picturing himself on stage as he drafts. He talks about tailoring humor across ages, the joy of "selfish jokes" that mostly please the performer, and the wild differences between intimate school shows and massive, anything‑goes crowds in places like Puerto Rico and El Salvador.
They also dive into titles and covers as marketing hooks, unpacking how Jimmy built memorable names like PD Perfect Pants and Professor Nincompoop, using alliteration, rhythm, and a clear hook to stand out in a tiny thumbnail.
In the final segment, Jed briefly visits with returning guest Helena Ku Rhee to spotlight her new picture book Sora's Seashells, a gentle, name-centered story about identity, kindness, and family love.

In this episode, Jed welcomes two wonderful guests who are using story to build kids' hearts and minds.
First, Allie Slocom joins us from Colorado to celebrate her middle grade novel Is There Hope for Theodore Cope. Theo is an 11‑year‑old aspiring magician who's also neurodiverse and gifted. He's brilliant at math, reading, basketball, dog walking, and magic tricks—but struggles with executive functioning. Allie explains that Theo isn't irresponsible; he simply hasn't yet developed the skills to manage his time, commitments, and big "yes" energy.
Drawing on her work as a gifted education teacher, Allie talks about the importance of helping kids practice executive function through games and real-life experiences. She shares how her Character Club—an after‑school group she ran in her home—grew into an entire book series focused on traits like responsibility, compassion, integrity, and forgiveness, with historical vignettes featuring figures such as Ernest Shackleton and Clara Barton.
Next, Jed heads to New Jersey to chat with Nicole Smith‑Schultz, school librarian and author of the picture book My Baby Doll. Inspired by her own daughter, Nicole's book beautifully mirrors getting a beloved baby doll as a child with becoming a mom for the first time. She reflects on the joy and surprise of motherhood, the innocence of play, and the powerful ways kids imitate the care they receive.
Nicole also shares her passion for librarianship, media literacy, and making sure every child finds a book they truly love—while advocating for the vital role of school librarians in our communities.

In this uplifting episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes two very different – but equally inspiring – guests who are helping kids fall in love with reading in their own ways.
First, Jed talks with educator Sheila Robitaille about Reading Eggs, a science-of-reading–based ed tech program that helps children move from learning to read to reading to learn. Sheila breaks down the five pillars of reading—phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency—and explains how Reading Eggs weaves them together in a fun, gamified environment. She describes how kids earn "golden eggs," level up through Fast Phonics, Reading Eggs, and Reading Express, and explore a digital library of over 4,500 books with optional "read to me" audio and comprehension quizzes. Sheila also addresses the old "reading wars," why some kids need more time for their brains to rewire for reading, and how the program can support struggling readers, English language learners, and even parents who may not be confident readers themselves.
Then Jed is joined by 10-year-old author Aizelle San, who wrote her picture book Skye's Wacky Raindrop Rescue after watching raindrops fall outside her window at age eight. Aizelle shares Skye's adventurous quest to find her missing parents, introduces listeners to quirky characters like a wart-covered frog and an ant named Antsy, and talks about working with her mom, brother, and illustrator to bring the story to life. She's already drafting more books, including a chapter book called The Compass. Aizelle closes with wise advice about love, support, and reading together as a family.

In this uplifting episode, Jed welcomes New York Times bestselling author Sharon McMahon to celebrate her new picture book, We Are Mighty. Sharon shares how her lifelong love of reading started with a mom who read aloud every day and walked her to the library so often it became a second home. She and Jed talk passionately about why public libraries are "one of humanity's best inventions" and truly democratic spaces where every child can access the same stories and information.
Sharon explains that We Are Mighty grew out of her adult book, The Small and the Mighty, and out of a problem she kept hearing from readers: "I feel like nothing I do matters." Through 12 powerful stories, she shows kids that being "mighty" isn't about being rich, famous, or a president—it's about doing the next needed thing, no matter your age or circumstances.
Jed and Sharon dive into inspiring figures like Septima Clark, who taught civil rights leaders at Highlander Folk School, and Maria de Lopez, a little-known suffrage activist and WWI ambulance driver whose courage rippled out to thousands, even though history almost forgot her. They connect these stories to modern kids' lives, talking about community, loneliness, violence, and how small acts of care—from remembering a birthday to showing up for a child on the margins—quietly tell kids, "You matter."
In the final segment, Jed chats with teen author Manasi Vegesna, whose book Maya's Tiny Warriors turns the immune system into a kid-friendly adventure, helping children see their own bodies as brave allies fighting to keep them safe.

In this episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes beloved author-illustrator Ryan T. Higgins, joining from his home state of Maine to celebrate his new picture book, Good Night, Bruce. Ryan shares the origin story of Bruce, the famously lovable grump who unexpectedly becomes the mom to three mice and four geese. Bruce, Ryan explains, is his outlet for all the grumpy feelings he usually keeps inside—a character who complains his way through life but always does the right thing for his family.
Ryan talks about how a single sketch of a bear being followed by baby birds sat in his sketchbook for a year before, in a moment of professional desperation, it blossomed into the first Mother Bruce story—written in one inspired sitting. He opens up about his early years self‑publishing, selling books through school visits, and literally hauling 10,000 copies of a self-published book from office to office before landing a three-book deal with Disney-Hyperion. Jed and Ryan also swap stories about Maine's wilderness, moose encounters, and how real-life moments sneak into Bruce's world as jokes, side gags, and emotional throughlines.
Near the end of the episode, Jed is joined by Tammi Kirkness, author of Why Do I Feel So Worried? Follow the Arrows from Anxiety to Calm. Tammi offers simple, kid-friendly tools—like gargling water, singing, and the "rag doll" yoga pose—to help families navigate anxiety together, and she and Jed reflect on how embracing our quirks and worries can become a true superpower for kids and parents alike.