Book Club for Kids is a free, 20-minute podcast designed to turn reluctant readers into lifelong book lovers.
The show features a conversation by a group of young readers about a middle grade novel, an interview with the author, and a celebrity reader. We finish the show by asking everyone, “what’s your favorite book?” Our “celebrity” readers have included members of Congress, NPR personalities, an NBA player, even the FBI agent in charge of protecting us from weapons of mass destruction. There’s even a free newsletter for teachers, librarians, and parents full of reading tips.
Want your students to be the stars of an upcoming Book Club for Kids podcast? It’s easy.
There are two ways to be on the show. If your school is within driving distance of Washington, DC, we come to you to tape. (We have flown as far away as Pasadena, California to tape full episodes when a school has travel money.)
But there’s a second way to be on the show that’s free and can be done from any location. It’s for the “what’s your favorite book?” segment that we include at the end of every show. It’s easy. All you need is a smartphone.
– find the recording app on your smartphone – set the level somewhere in the middle – record one kid per file (longer files are tough to email) – have the reader introduce her/himself as: Hi, my name is – (first name only) I’m from (what city) My favorite book is – Because – (not the plot, but why YOU like this book and why you’d recommend it to someone else) You take care of any clearances/permissions required by your school or library. Email the audio files to us here at bookclubforkidspodcast@gmail.com. Your kids will become part of an upcoming podcast. If you send recommendations from more than four readers, we’ll create a bonus episode with just your kids. Here’s a link to one of our bonus shows. You can also send pictures of the kids. Our trademark is a picture of kids peeking over the top of a book, with just their nose and eyes showing. This usually satisfies any privacy issues, but again, get any necessary clearances/permissions on your end. I’ve attached a sample of what the pictures look like. We use them on the website and social media. We even have a free newsletter for parents, teachers, and librarians offering tips to turn reluctant readers into lifelong book lovers.
Here’s a little background on the show.
Book Club for Kids began as a segment on Kitty Felde’s public radio talk show in Los Angeles, inspired by conversations she had with young readers at the LA Times Festival of Books. They were bored out of their mind, trapped in mom’s carpool, forced to listen to public radio, desperate to hear young voices or conversations about things that interested them. She asked them, “What would YOU like to listen to?” The show moved from radio to cable TV and now to a podcast. They’ve won the Literacy in Media award and iTunes named listed them as a “New and Noteworthy” podcast. Young readers and their parents can subscribe iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or listen online at www.bookclubforkids.org.
Contact Kitty for other questions at 202-713-0947.
