MATTHEWCWINNER

Heidi EY Stemple, author of The Poetry of Car Mechanics (Wordsong), joins Matthew to talk about becoming curious and making every bit of your writing intentional.

Erin Entrada Kelly, author of At Last She Stood (Greenwillow Books) and The Last Resort (Scholastic Press), joins Matthew to talk about crafting stories as meaningful as possible to the reader.

Lin Oliver, SCWBI cofounder and author most recently of the Fantastic Frame series, stops by the podcast to talk about loving a painting from the inside out, measuring success by how you feel, and having kids that are not at all interested in trips to the art museum.

John David Anderson, author of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, stops by the podcast to talk about trying to find the hero of the story, the shared narrative that exists among any group of friends, and the presence of Obi Wan Kenobi teachers.

Kate DiCamillo, author Raymie Nightingale and the 2016 National Summer Reading Champion, stops by the podcast on behalf of the Collaborative Summer Library Program to talk about reasons to read this summer, some titles from her recommended reading list, and her habit of always making other people read books.

Crystal Allen, author of Between Two Brothers (Storytide), joins Matthew to talk about figuring out your truth while not knowing how to feel.

Andy Griffiths, author of the 52-Story Treehouse, the newest book in The 13-Story Treehouse series illustrated by Terry Denton, stops by the podcast to talk about the world’s most dangerous treehouse, confidently trying to fix a problem, and understanding that every word for an emergent reader costs effort.

Pseudonymous Bosch, author most recently of Bad Luck, the newest book in the Bad Magic series, stops by the podcast to talk about constantly writing for a new audience, the weight of responsibility, and how he started writing for one particular girl.

Kate DiCamillo, two-time Newbery-winning author most recently of Raymie Nightingale, stops by the podcast to talk about her time as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, how you can’t write anything without revealing yourself, and likening writing a story to trying to get a wild animal to eat out of your hand.

Recorded live on the PopTop Stage at the American Library Association's annual conference, three Newbery Honorees and powerful female voices in the children's literature share the stories behind their successful and upcoming middle grade novels. Cece Bell shares SMELL MY FOOT! Kate DiCamillo shares BEVERLY, AT LAST. Shannon Hale shares PRINCESS IN BLACK.

Padma Venkatraman (@padmatv) shares THE BRIDGE HOME, a 2019 Global Read Aloud choice. The story centers on two sisters, Viji and Rukku, who are orphaned at the hands of an abusive father and a mother who is too afraid to leave him. Viji is the caretaker of her sister, and in no small way these girls are survivors. Padma writes from a place of experience, strength, and survival herself.

Peter Brown, author/illustrator of The Curious Garden, Children Make Terrible Pets, and Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, and now debut middle grade author of The Wild Robot, stops by the podcast to talk about paying attention to wording and phrasing, telling the story as efficiently as possible, and certain subjects you can’t avoid.

Faith Erin Hicks, author/cartoonist of The Nameless City, stops by the podcast to talk about drawing like a kid, unstable ground, and putting the readers in the shoes of the character.

Karen Rivers, author of The Girl in the Well is Me, stops by the podcast to talk about casual cruelty, feeling anxiety start at an early age, and her metaphor for popularity.

Pam Muñoz Ryan, author of El Niño (Scholastic Press), joins Matthew to talk about story ideas as a confluence of rivers leading its author to a narrative.

Daniel Nayeri, author of The Teacher of Nomad Land (Levine Querido), joins Matthew to talk about the utility of beauty in our lives.

James Kennedy, author of The Order of Odd-Fish and founder of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival, stops by the podcast to talk about the stink of worthiness, blood-thirsty monsters, and the most frequently adapted Newbery winner.

Jess Keating, author of Pink is for Blobfish and How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes are Untied, stops by the podcast to talk about toning down the voiceyness, using all 88 keys to show everything you love about life, and to share a concept reveal of her upcoming Monsters of the Natural World.

George Jreije, author of Bashir Boutros and the Jewel of the Nile (HarperCollins) , joins Matthew to talk about trying to inhabit the voice of someone to whom he wouldn’t have otherwise related.

Madelyn Rosenburg, author of How to Behave at a Dog Show and Nanny X Returns, stops by the podcast to talk about the sweet spot of talking to kids, pushing the reset button a lot, and how her stories are helping her fiure out what kind of person she wants to be.