Touched for the Very First Time: Soman Chainani on Books That Turn Scrollers into Readers

“Those moments of connection when you can have them with people who seem so different from you on the outside, I really do think that it braids a level of connectiveness and empathy, and it is much harder to harden your heart.” — Gayle FormanWhat does it mean to rise to the occasion, not once, but over and over again? Sometimes it means reckoning with grief. Other times it means stumbling forward, messing up, and trying again. And sometimes it means simply showing up, imperfect, but still trying to be better.Gayle Forman is the bestselling author of If I Stay, Frankie & Bug, Not Nothing, Afterlife and more. Whether it’s Mia in If I Stay, Alex in Not Nothing, or Amber in Afterlife, her characters often walk a jagged path toward healing, falling short, trying again, and inching closer to the people they hope to become.In this episode, Gayle talks about growing up as a self-described “odd duck,” the Ramona books that shaped her childhood and parenting, and the formative years she spent traveling solo. She opens up about why she is so drawn to flawed characters and how fiction became a way to survive grief and stay connected to the people she has lost.***For her reading challenge, Flawed, Gayle is going to bat for the prickly, messy, not-here-to-be-liked protagonists. She points out that kids are used to reading about heroes, but it can be just as powerful, maybe even more so, to read about characters who fall short and grow anyway. Peruse selected titles and Gayle’s full reading challenge for free at thereadingculturepod.com/gayle-forman.This week’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Lori Shallio, media specialist at Heritage Intermediate School in Middlebury, Indiana. She shares how a Hot Ones-style challenge involving her principal and spicy nuggets helped students smash their community reading goal.Show ChaptersChapter 1: What We CarryChapter 2: Odd DucksChapter 3: Top School, Bottom MarksChapter 4: Beezus and RamonaChapter 5: University of LifeChapter 6: What We ShareChapter 7: Mind the GapChapter 8: Embrace ItChapter 9: Rise to the OccasionChapter 10: Reading ChallengeChapter 11: Beanstack Featured LibrarianLinksThe Reading CultureThe Reading Culture Newsletter SignupFollow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Gayle FormanGayle Forman InstagramBeezus and RamonaCountesthorpe AcademyIf I Stay (film)Sassy MagazineYom KippurBeanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureJordan Lloyd BookeyHost and Production CreditsHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducers: Mel Webb and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

“As my own mother is aging, she's telling me … before I take this to my grave, here is something you should know. So the secrets are coming out. And as more and more secrets are revealed, I'm learning more about myself.” - Ibi Zoboi Ibi Zoboi writes to remember—her own story, her family’s legacy, and the long history of migration, myth, and memory that shaped them both. For Ibi, storytelling is a form of resistance and reclamation. It’s how she makes sense of the secrets that shaped her life and gives voice to those left out of the narrative. A National Book Award finalist and the bestselling author of American Street, Pride, Star Child, and (S)Kin, Ibi’s work blurs the line between folklore and futurism. In this episode, Stories Left Untold: Ibi Zoboi on Secrets Lost and Found, she opens up about growing up Haitian in 1980s Brooklyn, discovering a half-sister decades later, and finding her way to writing through soap operas, Stephen King, and the voices of women who came before her. She also shares how a Vodou ceremony in Brooklyn changed her relationship to her culture, why she always sought out elders and activists, and how she’s still learning to push back against the pressure to fit a mold—on the page and off.Ibi’s reading challenge, Haitian Creations, celebrates stories of migration and identity from first-generation and immigrant voices—stories that, like hers, speak to the truths we inherit and the ones we uncover for ourselves.Download Ibi’s reading challenge at thereadingculturepod.com/ibi-zoboiAnd this week’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is once again William Shaller, the librarian at Hoffman Middle School in Houston, Texas. This time, he shares how a surprise resurgence of Twilight led to an unforgettable moment of joy and connection in his school library.Show ChaptersChapter 1: Under The TableChapter 2: Danny BoyChapter 3: Two Thousand Suns Chapter 4: Brooklyn VodouChapter 5: GhostedChapter 6: Reading ChallengeChapter 7: Beanstack Featured LibrarianLinksThe Reading CultureThe Reading Culture Newsletter SignupFollow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Ibi ZoboiIbi Zoboi InstagramTwo Thousand SeasonsBeanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureJordan Lloyd BookeyHost and Production CreditsHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducers: Mel Webb and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

“I tell kids that books are not there to torment you. The author has to get you in the first ten pages. If they do not, they fail, because a book is like a lawnmower—you pull it, and either it starts or it doesn't start.” –Soman ChainaiSoman Chainani wants reading to feel irresistible. The bestselling author of "The School for Good and Evil," series and the recently released graphic novel, "Coven," shares how his own reading life began—powered by Anne Rice, Michael Crichton, and a complete lack of adult supervision—and how those early obsessions shaped his belief that stories should be bold, boundary-pushing, and personal.In this episode, Soman explains why middle grade books can (and should) feel dangerous, how his grandmother’s glamorous storytelling shaped his imagination, and what a book needs to do in its first ten pages to hook a reader. He also unpacks the “moral grayness” that defines his favorite novels and his own writing, and makes a compelling case for why kids need more honesty, not less, in the stories we give them.Tune in for a fast-paced episode that includes Madonna, hot takes, and tips for breaking (all) the rules. ***Soman’s reading challenge, Immersive, is all about getting lost in a story. The books he curated blur the line between fiction and reality, pulling the reader in so completely you forget the world around you. Learn more and download Soman’s recommended reading list at threadingculturepod.com/soman-chainani***This week’s featured librarian is Jasmine Haverly from Aldine Independent School District in Texas. Jasmine shares how competitions and “book tastings” are growing the reading culture in her library.Show ChaptersChapter 1 - Florida Man Chapter 2 - Well, That Escalated Quickly Chapter 3 - The Picture of Dorian GrayChapter 4 - The Rules Are Made UpChapter 5 - Main Character Energy Chapter 6 - Use Your ImaginationChapter 7 - Express YourselfChapter 8 - Reading ChallengeChapter 9 - Beanstack Featured LibrarianLinksThe Reading CultureThe Reading Culture Newsletter SignupSoman ChainaiSoman Chainani SubstackSoman Chainani Instagram“The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar WildeFollow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureJordan Lloyd BookeyHost and Production CreditsHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducers: Mel Webb and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

"I think all of us had the experience after reading the book of looking in maybe our grandparents' wardrobe, our parents' wardrobe, and like knocking on the back of the wardrobe and being like, maybe this is my time. Maybe they're gonna call me in here."— Mychal ThreetsFor this week’s episode, we are testing out a slightly different format, something we have named a “Mixtape” episode. Rather than making the reading challenge the last bit of an author’s show, we have made the reading challenge the show itself.  We could not be more excited to welcome the biggest spot of joy on the web, Mychal Threets, to the podcast. In this episode, we learn about Mychal’s playlist, the books that shaped him, and when he was a young library kid. As someone who grew up in the stacks and eventually made his calling his career, Mychal walks us through the books that sparked what he calls his "book joy."As it happens, Jordan will be doing a full interview with Mychal during a live recording at the upcoming American Association of School Librarians meeting (AASL) in St. Louis this October. But who wants to wait for the joy that Mychal brings? Nobody! Content Note: This episode includes discussion of mental health and suicide, which come up in Mychal’s reading passage. If you’d prefer to skip this portion, it runs from [19:50-23:35].Tune in for an episode that will brighten your day and give you insight into the early life and times of someone who has shined a light on the joy and importance of libraries (and librarians!).We have set up Mychal’s mixtape “playlist” as a reading challenge that can be downloaded for free or activated on your Beanstack site. Learn more and download Mychal’s reading challenge at thereadingculturepod.com/mychal-threetsShow ChaptersChapter 1 - Holes by Louis SacharChapter 2 - Henry Huggins by Beverly ClearyChapter 3 - Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine PatersonChapter 4 - The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. LewisChapter 5 - Son of the Mob by Gordon KormanChapter 6 - The Giver by Lois LowryChapter 7 - Love Among the Walnuts by Jean FerrisChapter 8 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsChapter 9 - Letters to You by Jazz ThorntonLinksThe Reading CultureThe Reading Culture Newsletter SignupFollow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Mychal Threets InstagramMychal Threets TikTok2025 AASL National ConferenceBeanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureJordan Lloyd BookeyHost and Production CreditsHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducers: Mel Webb, and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

“And I think that’s what reading is… It’s a personal interpretation of the story, and it may not be the same as somebody else's. That’s the whole idea of a good teacher. There should be different interpretations, and sometimes a student will come up with something that I never thought of.” —Sharon M. Draper  Give a story to twenty kids, and you might get twenty different takeaways. Some will catch the details you didn’t even notice. Others will pull out meaning that wasn’t intentionally placed, but rings true all the same. Sharon M. Draper writes for everyone and fiercely advocates for students’ right to read for themselves.Sharon knows the capacity of a book to transport and transform kids; she was the kid who maxed out her library card every Saturday at the Cleveland Public Library. She then became the teacher who read aloud to even the most skeptical students, and the writer whose bestselling novel "Out of My Mind," which was adapted into a film for Disney+ and remains requisite reading for many middle schoolers year after year. A two-time Coretta Scott King Award winner, Sharon is the author of "Stella by Starlight," "Blended," "Tears of a Tiger," and many, many more.In this episode, "Good Luck, They’re Yours: Sharon Draper on Giving Students Room to Read," Sharon discusses what it means to trust readers, how her students helped guide her first book, and seeing her stories banned in classrooms. We also talk about church music, spiked lemonade, and how she ended up with a special library card that gave her access to the library's adult section, even as a child.When we asked Sharon to come up with a reading challenge, she was reluctant to give us a list of must-reads. Maybe that’s not surprising, given her past frustrations with inflexible required reading lists. In true teacher fashion, she flipped the assignment and gave us a lesson plan. This week’s Beanstack featured Librarian is William Schaller, the middle school librarian at Hoffman Middle School in Houston, Texas, for the past seven years! William shares his secret sauce for getting kids excited about reading. Show ChaptersChapter 1 - The Reader KidChapter 2 - Spike Lemonade and Porch StoriesChapter 3 - Shut Up and Say You Like ItChapter 4 - We Never Say That in the Locker RoomChapter 5 - Student TeachersChapter 6 - Reading ChallengeChapter 7 - Beanstack Featured LibrarianLinksThe Reading CultureThe Reading Culture Newsletter SignupFollow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Sharon DraperSharon Draper InstagramCleveland Public LibraryUp the Down StaircaseSharon M. Draper receiving the National Teacher of the Year AwardBeanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureJordan Lloyd BookeyHost and Production CreditsHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducers: Mel Webb and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

"It's very rare for a person to just be one thing. Most issues, most things that matter, are not so black and white." – Debbie LevyWe all want to believe in heroes and villains, right and wrong, and clear-cut answers. But history and life are rarely that simple. Debbie Levy has spent her career exploring the gray areas, challenging readers to see multiple perspectives and embrace complexity. A former lawyer, journalist, and now award-winning children’s author, Debbie has written books like “I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark,” “The Year of Goodbyes,” and “A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight Over Science in Schools.” Her work invites readers to think critically, recognize misinformation, and understand that even those we disagree with are still human.   In this episode, We Contain Multitudes: Debbie Levy on the Dangers of Reductionist Thinking, Debbie reflects on what rabbis and Supreme Court justices have in common, why she’s optimistic about students’ ability to deal with disinformation, and how books can help kids hold space for complexity. Plus, a book so sad it was sold with tissues in it, a surprising childhood obsession with Superman, and why her mom taught her that being too good wasn't always a good thing. We also have a special hidden track at the end of the show. Debbie reflected on our conversation and shared a special story about her dad’s unbelievable but real wartime experience that we saved for the very end.Tune in for an episode that will make you re-think your perspectives and let you settle into some delightful storytime moments!***Jewish identities vary across families, experiences, places, and so much more. In short, they are not one-size-fits-all. Debbie’s reading challenge, Illuminating the Jewish Experience, highlights books that capture its richness and diversity. Learn more and download Debbie’s reading challenge at thereadingculturepod.com/debbie-levy.*** This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is once again Amy McMichael, the media specialist at Dutchman Creek Middle School in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and the lead librarian for all secondary schools in her district. In this episode, Amy shares about the biggest impact Beanstack has had on the reading culture in her library and school.Show ChaptersChapter 1: Marbles on the Sewer TopChapter 2: Schoolyard Fist FightsChapter 3: The Funny GuyChapter 4: Tearjerker of the MonthChapter 5: Dissenting Opinions WelcomeChapter 6: It’s ComplicatedChapter 7: The Art of Being WrongChapter 8: Reading ChallengeChapter 9: Beanstack Featured LibrarianLinksThe Reading CultureThe Reading Culture Newsletter SignupFollow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Debbie LevyDebbie Levy InstagramThe Funny GuyBeanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureJordan Lloyd BookeyHost and Production CreditsHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducers: Mel Webb, Jackie Lamport, and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

“I lean on my community. I lean on the power of the pen. I lean on remembering who my ancestors are and what they endured, the colonization that they survived in the Americas, I think, ‘we've been here before, and the lineage from which I come is one that is powerful and resistant.’ I would be dishonoring that legacy and that lineage if I didn't step up in this moment.” — Aida SalazarAida Salazar believes deeply in the power of words to change the world. For Aida, writing isn’t just a creative act; it’s a responsibility—an act of honoring her ancestors, healing personal wounds, and empowering her young readers. Her stories like The Moon Within, Land of the Cranes, Jovita Wore Pants, and Ultraviolet center on identity, social justice, and healing, with a particular focus on the immigrant experience. As a poet, novelist, activist, and mother, Aida discusses how writing helped her process grief, how Latin American literature gave her the permission to dream, how growing up in a mixed-status household shaped her, and how motherhood steered her toward children’s literature.In this episode, she shares how the act of writing itself has been a huge part of helping her heal and survive difficult chapters in her own story. Plus, she reflects on how a fart poem, a Parker pen, and a punk rock-inspired zine all had unique roles in shaping her journey as a writer.Tune in for an episode that moves from gut-wrenching stories to gut-splitting laughs, the best kind of listening roller coaster!***For her reading challenge, Banned in Middle Grade, Aida curated a list of banned middle-grade books that reflect themes of identity, social justice, and the experiences of young readers navigating complex worlds. Aida is devoted to middle grade literature and wants to amplify the important stories that are so important for those readers. From Melissa by Alex Gino to Ghost Boys by Jewel Parker Rhodes, these titles spark essential conversations. Learn more and download Aida’s reading challenge below.Download Aida’s reading challenge at https://www.thereadingculturepod.com/aida-salazar.***This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Amy McMichael. She is the media specialist at Dutchman Creek Middle School in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and the lead librarian for all secondary schools in her district. She does it all! In this episode, she discusses her strategy for luring reluctant readers with an unconventional library setup.Show ChaptersChapter 1: Fart PoemsChapter 2: A Spark from Clark and a Parker PenChapter 3: Writing Through GriefChapter 4: Beneath the Shadow of the Freeway Chapter 5: Writing Through Grief. Again. Chapter 6: The Three Pillars of Poetry Chapter 7: Reading ChallengeChapter 8: Beanstack Featured LibrarianLinksThe Reading CultureThe Reading Culture Newsletter SignupFollow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Aida SalazarAida Salazar InstagramZacatecas, MXPoema al Pedo ;)The Parker Pen!Sarah Cynthia Sylvia StoutBeneath the Shadow of the FreewayBeanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureJordan Lloyd BookeyHost and Production CreditsHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducers: Mel Webb, Jackie Lamport, Pippa Johnstone, and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

“Their white classmates can read Harry Potter and relate to going to Hogwarts and flying on brooms. But a Black kid can't aspire to go to Paris, which can actually happen.” – Jerry CraftGrowing up, Jerry Craft did not enjoy reading. He says he simply never encountered a children's book that intrigued him enough or felt right. But Jerry loves defying expectations, and so naturally, the boy who rarely set foot in a library grew up to become a celebrated children’s book author and illustrator. He has made defying expectations—and breaking stereotypes—a guiding principle in his storytelling. Jerry Craft is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator, best known for “New Kid,” the first graphic novel to win the Newbery Medal. “New Kid,” along with the subsequent books in the three-part series—“Class Act” and “School Trip”—were groundbreaking for middle-grade literature, especially the power of graphic novels. While many of us may know and love Jerry’s more recent graphic novels, his road to those books was winding and unexpected.  In this episode, Jerry tells us about the one teacher who finally found the secret to inspiring him, explains how being a Black comic strip creator was a lot like the movie Highlander, and ponders whether his dad’s night shifts might be the reason he still works best at 3 AM.Settle in for an episode filled with wry humor and the colorful stories of Jerry Craft’s journey to becoming a beloved author for students and teachers alike!***Jerry curated a group of graphic novels for his reading challenge, How It Started, How It’s Going. These graphic novels chronicle his own journey as a creator—from the books that inspired him to those that helped forge his path and finally to those for which he laid the groundwork. Learn more and download Jerry’s reading challenge at thereadingculturepod.com/jerry-craft***This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Laurie Schalliol, media specialist at Heritage Intermediate School in Middlebury, Indiana. Laurie dishes about a spicy incentive that pushed her students’ reading to the next level.***Show ChaptersChapter 1 - Oh SnapChapter 2 - Stay HumbleChapter 3 - Xylem StripsChapter 4 - To One PersonChapter 5 - The HighlanderChapter 6 - That’s Not For YouChapter 7 - Reading Challenge Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured LibrarianLinksThe Reading CultureThe Reading Culture Newsletter SignupJerry CraftMomma’s BoyzTo the World… (Jerry’s Quote)Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureJordan Lloyd BookeyHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducers: Mel Webb, Jackie Lamport, and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

“For every child that thinks something is wrong with them, my books are saying, ‘be you, even if others can’t see you. The people who don’t see your beauty, see your glory–they have a problem. Something is wrong with their eyes, their soul.’” – Jewell Parker RhodesRaised mainly by her grandmother on a steady diet of porch stories (and lots of bread), Jewell Parker Rhodes spent decades writing for adults, perfecting her craft in order to “be good enough” to write for kids. For Jewell, that has meant creating books that speak to a range of kids with different experiences and backgrounds (like her grandma used to refer to as a “mixed blood stew”) and to the educators and librarians supporting them.Jewell channels her inner Hamilton, as she notes, always writing like she is running out of time. And since she started writing for kids, she has indeed been prolific. Jewell is an award-winning author whose work spans adult and children's fiction. Her children’s books include her children’s debut, “Ninth Ward,” which won a Coretta Scott King Honor Award, “Bayou Magic,” “Towers Falling,” and “Ghost Boys,” a New York Times bestseller that continues to spark critical conversations about racial justice. And many, many more. In this episode, Jewell opens up about her tumultuous childhood, reflects on her grandmother’s wisdom, and recounts many of the surprising twists of her life. That includes Jewell’s amazement at living this long and what she’d tell her students if she ever returned as a ghost.Settle in for an episode you don’t want to miss with the exceptionally colorful stories of Jewell Parker Rhodes!***Jewell’s reading challenge, Comic Trips, celebrates timeless classics she adored as a child alongside today's graphic novels. It’s an opportunity to explore how the comic art form has grown and to challenge the misconception that graphic novels aren’t “real” books. Learn more and download Jewell’s recommended reading list at thereadingculturepod.com/jewell-parker-rhodes***This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is once again Kat Gatcomb, previously a youth services supervisor at Nashua Public Library in New Hampshire and now in customer success at Beanstack! This week, she shared two key lessons she wished she had known earlier as a librarian. ***Show ChaptersChapter 1 - Bread Freak (03:27)Chapter 2 - Spellbound (09:53)Chapter 3 - Prince(ss) Valiant (15:13)Chapter 4 - The People Could Fly (17:50)Chapter 5 - Simply Complex (25:10)Chapter 6 - Schoolbound (32:32)Chapter 7 - You Can’t Pierce My Soul (35:25)Chapter 8 - Gunnin’ for 120 (41:49)Chapter 9 - Comic Trips, Jewell's Reading Challenge (45:10)LinksThe Reading CultureThe Reading Culture Newsletter SignupJewell Parker RhodesJewell Parker Rhodes Instagram“The People Could Fly” by Virginia HamiltonFollow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureJordan Lloyd BookeyHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducers: Mel Webb, Jackie Lamport and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

“Every time I read “Big” at a school, obviously I’m there to speak to kids about the story, and I hope they’re all connecting with it, but at every single reading there is always an adult woman that comes to me and says, this is my story, I needed this when I was young. And I just wish we all knew that we were all going through the same thing.” -Vashti HarrisonVashti Harrison burst onto the children’s book scene with her book, “Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History.” But to hear her tell it, Vashti still cannot believe that her entry point for kidlit was through nonfiction. Perhaps that is why she took such care and tenderness in creating her first fictional picture book, “Big.” In “Big,” we meet a young girl whose journey feels universally relatable, even if her story is uniquely hers. The book earned Vashti many accolades, including the Caldecott Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award. But its profound effect on her personally was also a great gift and illuminating force for Vashti.  A New York Times bestselling author, illustrator, and filmmaker, Vashti’s words and artwork explore themes of identity, self-acceptance, and representation. In this episode, “Scratching the Surface: Vashti Harrison on Going Past Skin Deep,” Vashti reflects on how everyday magic and storytelling have shaped her life and work. She reflects on her childhood in "Only Lonely," Virginia, where she immersed herself in books and films and first thought of herself as a drawer. She also considers how she has navigated the complexities of beauty standards and body image over the years and shares the drawing contest she entered on a whim that led to a book deal in 24 hours!***Vashti’s reading challenge, The BIG Reading List, is a curated list of books that inspired and helped her write “Big.” The titles are all about understanding and dismantling anti-fat and adultification bias and celebrating Black girlhood. Learn more and download Vashti’s recommended reading list at thereadingculturepod.com/vashti-harrison***This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Kat Gatcomb. She was previously a youth services supervisor at The Nashua Public Library in New Hampshire and is now in customer success at Beanstack! Kat shares about an innovative program she facilitated that called upon a cross-section of her community. ***Show ChaptersChapter 1 - Lonely OnlyChapter 2 - Big Trouble in Little VashtiChapter 3 - Picking The WoundChapter 4 - The Secret GardenChapter 5 - Missing WinnieChapter 6 - Can You Be A Drawer? Chapter 7 - ReturningChapter 8 - Drawing In Little Readers Chapter 9 - Vashti’s Caldecott SpeechChapter 10 - Vashti’s BIG Reading ChallengeLinksThe Reading CultureThe Reading Culture Newsletter SignupVashti HarrisonVashti Harrison Instagram“The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Barnett“The Secret Garden” MovieVashti’s 2024 Caldecott Medal Acceptance SpeechFollow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading cultureJordan Lloyd BookeyHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducers: Mel Webb, Jackie Lamport, and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey