Book Club for Kids kitty felde

Writer Greg Neri talks to Kitty Felde about the role of luck and his rule of saying "yes" to new projects. 

Where do gangsters come from? How can we keep kids out of gangs? Our readers from Charles Hart Middle School in Washington, D.C. have some ideas. They discuss G Neri’s graphic novel Yummy and have a few questions for him. Celebrity reader is Ariel Richardson.     FAVORITE BOOKS FROM CHARLES HART MIDDLE SCHOOL: Demon Slayer - Natsuki Hokami
One Piece - Eiichiro Oda
Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
G NERI’S FAVORITE BOOK: The Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster
ARIEL RICHARDSON’S FAVORITE BOOK: All About Love - Bell Hooks

It's the hardest question in the world: what's your favorite book? Kids from LA County schools have some answers for host Kitty Felde.
The Fashion Fairies #2: Claudia the Accessories Fairy - Daisy Meadows
Rascal - Sterling North
Goosebumps - R.L. Stine
Dog Man - Dav Pilkey
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling
Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Jedi Academy - Jeffrey Brown
The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart
Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan

Last year, nearly two thousand books were challenged in libraries across America. According to the American Library Association, that’s a 20 percent jump over a year ago. 
 
We looked back at the nearly 150 episodes of the Book Club for Kids and realized how many titles have been challenged over the years. We’re going to revisit those episodes and bring them to you over the coming months, along with the reasons they have been challenged.
Our first book is James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. According to the University of Tulsa, in 1986, a Wisconsin town banned the book after religious groups said a scene in the book where a spider licks her lips could be interpreted as sexual. A year later, the book was temporarily banned in schools after a woman complained about the depiction of tobacco and whiskey in the book. And in the early 1990’s a Texas public school system banned the book from elementary schools after the district said the use of curse words like “ass” were inappropriate. None the less, we present our podcast episode of James and the Giant Peach.
 
 
 
Link to Curriculum for James and the Giant Peach

Writer Claribel Ortega talks about why she loves writing fantasy. She also confesses that she's been writing about witches for a long time. Kitty Felde is host.
And give a listen to our Dia de los Muertos episode of The Fina Mendoza Mysteries podcast. Here's a link to the free curriculum guide.

Do witches have cliques? What happens when you're an outcast? Would you be brave enough to hunt down monsters? Students at Brookland Middle School in Washington, DC discuss Claribel Ortega's novel Witchlings. Veteran journalist Stephanie Roberts is our celebrity reader. Kitty Felde his host.
Want to learn more about Dia de los Muertos? Listen to this special episode from our sister podcast THE FINA MENDOZA MYSTERIES. There is free curriculum for this episode.
Favorite Books from Brookland Middle School:
Judy B Jones series - Barbara Park
Best Babysitters Ever - Caroline Cala
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
Claribel Ortega's Favorite Book:
The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Stephanie Roberts' Favorite Book:
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day -Judith Viorst