In this episode, Saadia Faruqi will share recommendations for picture books about people of color living regular lives, and Ann Braden will share her conversation with Dr. Krista Aronson, founder of the Diversity Book Finder.

Lifelines: Books That Bridge the Divide

Episode 22: Finding a Range of Diverse Books

Today, Saadia Faruqi will share recommendations for picture books about grief  and then Ann Braden will share her conversation with educator, Jillian Heise, founder of #ClassroomBookaDay, an initiative encouraging educators to read aloud one picture book a day in their classrooms.

Episode 21: Picture Books on Grief and #ClassroomBookADay

In Episode 20, Saadia Faruqi will share recommendations for books that take place in other parts of the world. Then, Ann Braden will share her conversation with educator Jen Vincent about the Identity Unit she used with her students to begin the school year.

Episode 20: Around the World & An Identity Unit

This is Episode 19, our first episode of season 4. Today, Saadia Faruqi will share recommendations for books that have a theme of perseverance. Then, Ann Braden will share her conversation with the School Library Journal news editor Kara Yorio who recently wrote an article about students facing housing insecurity.

Lifelines Episode 19 - Books with Grit and Determination

This episode focuses on welcoming new Americans. Saadia Faruqi will share her book recommendations and then Ann Braden will share her conversation with Kirsten Cappy, the heart and brains behind the I’m Your Neighbor project as well as Curious City, which offers free kidlit programming for educators.

Episode 18: Welcoming New Americans

Today Saadia Faruqi will recommend some good books with African-American main characters, and then Ann Braden will share her conversations with three different educators, Chris Tuttell, Elizabeth Kyser, and Kerri Moccia, who all have found a way to get books into kids hands over the summer.

Episode 17: Getting Books into Kids' Hands Over the Summer

Today, Saadia will share recommendations for books that help us make cultural diversity part of our environment and and then Ann will share her conversation with librarians Wendy Garland and Todd Burleson who got to experience a cultural exchange of their own with a trip to United Arab Emirates. 

Episode 16: Learning from Other Cultures

Today our focus is on ensuring that LGBTQ students see themselves on our bookshelves. Saadia will share recommendations for good books with LGBTQ characters and then Ann will share her conversation with author K. A. Holt, who recently released a survey that explores the dynamics involved when educators want to put diverse titles on their shelves but are worried there might be consequences.

Episode 15 - Bookshelves That Respect LGBTQ Students

Today instead of having separate segments, we’re going to share one good meaty interview with Matthew Winner, a school librarian, the host of the Children’s Book Podcast, and a writer.

Episode 14: Ensuring African American Students See Themselves

Saadia Faruqi shares recommendations for good books that help us empathize more deeply with those dealing with mental illnesses, whether it’s ourselves or someone else. Then Ann Braden shares her conversation with librarian Kathie MacIsaac, a librarian in Manitoba and a mover and shaker in the online middle grade community.

Episode 13: Books that Build Deeper Empathy Around Mental Health

Two weeks ago, Saadia Faruqi and Ann Braden got to meet in person for the very first time, and they decided to interview each other to find out all the things they wanted to know — and hopefully that you wanted to know, too. So, this episode has no book recommendations and no separate segments — it’s just one meaty interview with two book people who care a lot about bridging divides.

Episode 12: A Conversation Between Saadia Faruqi and Ann Braden

Saadia Faruqi recommends culturally appropriate and non-traditional Thanksgiving books, and Ann Braden shares her interview with public librarian Sam Maskell. Finally, it concludes with information about the non-profit First Book, which works to get books into the hands of kids who can’t afford them.

Episode 11 - Culturally Responsive Thanksgiving Books

This is the second part of our 2-part special on reaching kids in poverty. Saadia Faruqi recommends middle grade and YA books about the reality of poverty, and Ann Braden shares the conclusion of her conversation with 5th grade educator Kristin Crouch. Kristin is uniquely positioned to help us bridge the class divide having broken the cycle of generational poverty to become an educator. In this part of the conversation she shares some book recommendations of her own and talks about what teachers can do to be true allies for kids who are struggling.

Episode 10: Reaching Kids Living in Poverty -- Part TWO

Today's episode is part one of a two-part special on reaching kids in poverty. Saadia Faruqi will share recommendations of great picture books that discuss the realities of poverty. Then, Ann Braden will share the first half of her conversation with 5th educator Kristin Crouch. Kristin is uniquely positioned to help us bridge the class divide. She will discuss her experience growing up in a family struggling to make ends meet, how she broke out of the cycle of poverty, and how she now works to support her students who are dealing with the same struggles.

Episode 9 - Reaching Kids in Poverty -- Part ONE

In this episodes, Saadia Faruqi takes over the podcast and recommends a ton of great non-fiction biographies.

Episode 8: Saadia Recommmends Great Non-Fiction Biographies

Here we share conversations with librarians, educators, and readers about the children's books that can be bridges across our cultural divides… the books that can open minds and the books that can be the lifeline a child needs to remember they're not alone. The hosts are Ann Braden and Saadia Faruqi. Ann is a middle grade author, a community organizer, a former middle school teacher and a mother of two. Saadia is a Pakistani American author, an interfaith activist, cultural sensitivity trainer, and a mother of two.

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Lifelines: Books That Bridge the Divide

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