Rereading Our Childhood

Mary Grace McGeehan and Deborah Kalb
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Revisiting the children's books that made us who we are today

  1. FEB 19

    Rereading The Young Unicorns by Madeleine L'Engle

    For this episode, we reread Madeleine L’Engle’s 1968 novel The Young Unicorns, the third book in the Austin family series. We discussed 1960s New York, racial representation, family musical evenings, and how absolutely bonkers this book is. Mentioned on this episode: Other books by L’Engle: A Wrinkle in Time (1962) Meet the Austins (1960) The Moon by Night (1963) A Ring of Endless Light (1980) Troubling a Star (1994) A Severed Wasp (1983) New York Times review of The Young Unicorns by Maia Wojciechowka Blog posts on The Young Unicorns on Pickle Me This (this is the one where the writer thinks L’Engle wrote Dave as a Black character) and Lady Fancifull Article on The Young Unicorns by Mari Ness on Reactor 2004 New Yorker article about Madeleine L’Engle New York Times article on race in the Wuthering Heights movie (gift link) Other episodes: Rereading A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle You can find Deborah at deborahkalb.com and Mary Grace at My Life 100 Years Ago. This episode was edited by Adam Linder of Bespoken Podcasting. Podcast website at rereadingourchildhood.com

    49 min

  2. JAN 22

    Rereading A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

    On this episode, Deborah introduces Mary Grace to A Bear Called Paddington, the first book in the beloved series about a bear from Peru who ends up living with a London family. We discuss Paddington’s timeless appeal to children, his status as a British icon, and how the book can be read as a refugee’s story. Mentioned on this episode: Paddington, the 2014 movie (trailer here) “Paddington Bear, Refugee,” by Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, June 28, 2017 Olga da Polga series by Michael Bond Monsieur Pamplemousse series by Michael Bond “Ma’amalade Sandwich, Your Majesty?” (video of Queen Elizabeth with Paddington on the British royal family’s website) Article about the Paddington movie in the New York Times, January 9, 2015 Recommended for Paddington fans: Mary Grace: Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers, Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne Deborah: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, Stuart Little by A.A. Milne Other episodes mentioned: Rereading Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren Rereading Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers Rereading Stuart Little by E.B. White You can find Deborah at deborahkalb.com, Mary Grace at My Life 100 Years Ago, and Jean at jeanfreedman.com. This episode was edited by Adam Linder of Bespoken Podcasting. Podcast website at rereadingourchildhood.com

    35 min

  3. 12/18/2025

    Our Favorite Picture Books

    We celebrated our 50th episode by talking about our favorite picture books and discussing our favorite memories from the two and a half years we've been doing the podcast.  Mentioned on this episode: Deborah's favorites:  Curious George Takes a Job by H.A. Rey The House on East 88th Street by Bernard Waber Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry Mary Grace's favorites: Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson  The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats Also mentioned: Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats  The U.S. Postal Service's The Snowy Day stamps The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein  New York Times articles about The Giving Tree (here and here) Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak  Danny Dunn: Into the Volcano (forthcoming)  Other episodes mentioned:  Rereading Stuart Little by E.B. White Rereading Danny Dunn and the Anti-Gravity Paint by Jay Williams and Raymond Abrashkin Rereading Little Town on the Prairie, with Judith Kalb You can find Deborah at deborahkalb.com and Mary Grace at My Life 100 Years Ago. This episode was edited by Adam Linder of Bespoken Podcasting. Podcast website at rereadingourchildhood.com

    38 min

  4. 11/20/2025

    Rereading Theater Shoes, with Jean Freedman

    Writer and scholar Jean Freedman joins us to talk about Noel Streatfeild’s 1944 book Theater Shoes (originally published in the UK as Curtain Up), the story of three children who attend a theatrical school. We discuss London during World War II and welcome the (offstage) reappearance of the three sisters in Streatfeild’s beloved Ballet Shoes (1936). Mentioned on this episode: Other books by Jean Freedman: Whistling in the Dark: Memory and Culture in Wartime London and Peggy Seeger: A Life of Music, Love, and Politics Books by Noel Streatfeild: Circus Shoes, Dancing Shoes, Tennis Shoes, Skating Shoes A website on Streatfeild that includes a detailed discussion on Theater Shoes/Curtain Up Recommended by Jean: A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett; Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare, and Dress Rehearsal by Monica Stirling; fairy tales by Oscar Wilde Recommended by Deborah: The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright; Half Magic by Edward Eager Recommended by Mary Grace: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis Other episode: Rereading Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild You can find Deborah at deborahkalb.com, Mary Grace at My Life 100 Years Ago, and Jean at jeanfreedman.com. This episode was edited by Adam Linder of Bespoken Podcasting. Podcast website at rereadingourchildhood.com

    47 min

  5. 10/16/2025

    Rereading Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

    For this episode, we reread E.B. White’s 1952 classic Charlotte’s Web.  Also by White: Stuart Little, The Trumpet of the Swan, The Elements of Style, Is Sex Necessary?, Essays of E.B. White, Letters of E.B. White, "Death of a Pig" Blog post on Henry Fussy New Yorker article on Garth Williams The Story of Charlotte’s Web, Michael Sims Eudora Welty’s New York Times review Recommended: Anne of Green Gables, Caddie Woodlawn (Mary Grace); Stuart Little, The Trumpet of the Swan, Misty of Chincoteague, The Cricket in Times Square (Deborah) Adaptations: 1973 movie, 2006 movie, 2025 miniseries You can find Deborah at deborahkalb.com and Mary Grace at My Life 100 Years Ago. This episode was edited by Adam Linder of Bespoken Podcasting. Podcast website at rereadingourchildhood.com

    44 min

  6. 09/18/2025

    Rereading Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues by Donald J. Sobol

    For our third annual Encyclopedia Brown episode, we matched wits with each other and with Encyclopedia in trying to crack the cases in Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues, which was published in 1966. We included the relevant clues in our discussion, so you can solve along with us. We discussed the origins of Bugs Meany's hat and solved the mystery of what state Idaville is in. Also, Mary Grace mispronounced "divining rod" about 15 times.  Mentioned on this episode: Other Encyclopedia Brown books: Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret Pitch Other Rereading Our Childhood episodes: Rereading Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes Rereading Henry Reed, Inc. by Keith Robertson Also mentioned: Goodreads review of Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues by Chance Hansen Reddit thread on what state Encyclopedia lives in "Donald Sobol and the Case of the Elusive Mystery Writer," interview with Donald Sobol by Elizabeth Weinstein, Oberlin Alumni Magazine, Fall 2011 Clip from a 2024 episode of Futurama featuring Wikipedia Brown You can find Deborah at deborahkalb.com and Mary Grace’s adventures in the 1920s at My Life 100 Years Ago.  This episode was edited by Adam Linder of Bespoken Podcasting. Podcast website at rereadingourchildhood.com

    36 min

  7. 08/21/2025

    Rereading The Long Secret by Louise Fitzhugh

    For this episode, we reread Louise Fitzhugh's 1965 novel The Long Secret, the sequel to Harriet the Spy. We discussed the mystery of who is leaving notes for residents of Water Mill and Fitzhugh's fascinating but tragic life. Mentioned on this episode: Other books by Fitzhugh:  Suzuki Bean by Sandra Scoppettone, illustrated by Fitzhugh (1961) Harriet the Spy (1964) Nobody's Family is Going to Change (1974) Sport (1980) Also mentioned: Sometimes You Have to Lie: The Life and Times of Louise Fitzhugh, Renegade Author of Harriet the Spy, by Leslie Brody Deborah's interview with Leslie Brody The Tap Dance Kid, the musical based on Nobody's Family is Going to Change (highlights here) Gloria Vanderbilt's New York Times review of Harriet the Spy Goodreads reviews of The Long Secret Recommended by Deborah: Freaky Friday and A Billion for Boris by Mary Rodgers; Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume Recommended by Mary Grace: Magic by the Lake by Edward Eager, The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars, All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor Previous episode: Rereading Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh You can find Deborah at deborahkalb.com and Mary Grace at My Life 100 Years Ago.  This episode was edited by Adam Linder of Bespoken Podcasting. Podcast website at rereadingourchildhood.com

    59 min

  8. 07/16/2025

    Rereading Little Women, with Jamie Stiehm

    On this episode, syndicated columnist Jamie Stiehm joins us to reread Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel Little Women, which was published in two parts in 1868 and 1869. Mentioned on this episode: Other books by Alcott: Little Men (1871), Eight Cousins (1874), Rose in Bloom (1876), Jo’s Boys (1886) Also mentioned: Peyton Thomas’s tweet saying Alcott was trans Peyton Thomas’s New York Times guest column saying that Alcott was trans Peyton Thomas’s podcast Jo’s Boys (on Apple and Spotify) Film adaptations: Little Women (1933), with Katharine Hepburn (trailer here); Little Women (1949), with June Allyson and Elizabeth Taylor (trailer here); Little Women (1994), with Wynona Ryder (trailer here); Little Women (2019), directed by Greta Gerwig (trailer here) Recommended for fans of Little Women: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Jamie); My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, Men in Trouble by Sarah Payne Stuart, and Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (Mary Grace); Little House on the Prairie (Deborah) Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why it Still Matters, by Anne Boyd Rioux (2018) March by Geraldine Brooks (2006) You can find Deborah at deborahkalb.com and Mary Grace’s adventures in the 1920s on her blog, My Life 100 Years Ago. You can find Jamie at jamiestiehm.com. This episode was edited by Adam Linder of Bespoken Podcasting. Podcast website at rereadingourchildhood.com

    55 min
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About

Revisiting the children's books that made us who we are today

Information

  • Creator
    Mary Grace McGeehan and Deborah Kalb
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    52
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Rereading Our Childhood
  • Show Website
    Rereading Our Childhood