Why do kids see themselves in animals? Children’s media is full of stories from and about the perspective of animals. But why? Katherine Applegate has been exploring this question since she was a child, fascinated by the inner worlds of the animals around her. The answer she’s come to is hope. Like animals, kids exist in a state of a lack of control over their own lives, which the adults around them essentially dictate. And the greatest antidote to that sense of powerlessness is hope. Teaching that is what she believes to be the true purpose of a children’s author.

However, holding onto hope can be challenging for kids as they face the harsh realities of our world, feeling powerless in the face of injustice, suffering, and even death. Stories play a crucial role in helping our children build resilience to face these hardships.

Katherine Applegate is a prolific and celebrated author best known for the beloved “Animorphs” series, “Wishtree,” “Odder,” and, of course, her Newbery Medal-winning “The One and Only Ivan.” In this episode, she discusses the unique bond between kids and animals, including her early stint as a gerbil peddler! 😱 Katherine shares about how a community rallied to fight the censorship of her book “Wishtree,” her part in that fight, and why she always chooses comedy over tragedy, even when the world seems bleak. Plus, Katherine reveals the real reason she’s not roughing it out in the wild with Jane Goodall and the gorillas.

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Connect with Jordan and The Reading Culture @thereadingculturepod and subscribe to our newsletter at thereadingculturepod.com/newsletter. 

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Inspired by the positivity of the season, Katherine’s reading challenge is designed to make you smile. In “Exploring the Animal Human Bond”, she’s curated a list of books perfect for the dog days of summer, all featuring animals. Download the list at thereadingculturepod.com/katherine-applegate

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This episode’s Beanstack Featured Librarian is Lexi Whitehorn, Literacy Specialist at the North Dakota State Library. Lexi tells us about a heartwarming relationship she built with a struggling student through recommending books.

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Chapter 1 - Gerbil Peddler (2:09)

Chapter 2 - Really Bad Waitress (8:32)

Chapter 3 - Powerlessness (and otter facts) (10:33)

Chapter 4 - E.B. White - Letters (deja-vu?) (16:14)

Chapter 5 - The Attempted Felling of Wishtree (23:09)

Chapter 6 - Ivan Settles Down (30:14)

Chapter 7 - Exploring the Animal-Human Bond (33:37)

Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (35:35)

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Producers: Jackie Lamport  and Lower Street Media

Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey