MATTHEWCWINNER

This is a rebroadcast of a conversation with the late Jane Yolen that originally aired on this podcast on June 26, 2017.

John Patrick Green, cartoonist of Weather or Not (First Second), joins Matthew to talk about the journey of a new school year and never having exactly the same class again.

Julie Fiveash, cartoonist of The Froggy Library: Welcome to Soggy Stump (Levine Querido), with colors by Jess Lome, joins Matthew to talk about getting over the challenge of a new project pretending that you know enough about what you’re doing.

Andy Griffiths, author of You and Me and the Peanut Butter Beast (Feiwel & Friends), joins Matthew to talk about puncturing the vanity and making us believe.

Katherine Applegate, author of Wombat Waiting (Storytide), joins Matthew to talk about books providing the opportunity to practice being a better human.

Ernesto Cisneros, author of Queso, Just in Time (Quill Tree Books), joins Matthew to talk about valuing our own stories and meeting our parents as who they were.

Carole Lindstrom, author of Red River Rose (Bloomsbury Children's Books) and The Gift of the Great Buffalo (Bloomsbury Children's Books), illustrated by Aly McKnight, joins Matthew to talk about the truth that all things don’t end the way we wish.

Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr, author and illustrator of Life on the Moon (Knopf Books for Young Readers), join Matthew to talk about things so awful they can only be encountered through humor.

Debbi Michiko Florence, author of The Mastermind’s Trap (Aladdin), joins Matthew to talk about finding a way to get back home.

Chris Tebbetts, co-author of Dr. Zeus (Jimmy Patterson), with James Patterson, joins Matthew to talk about free-form school visits and moving stuff off the desk.

Introducing the winners and honors of the Sydney Taylor Book Award (2026), presented annually by the Association of Jewish Libraries to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience.

Alison Green Myers, author of This Way to Happy (Dutton Books for Young Readers), joins Matthew to talk about the inconsistent upbringings and emotional rollercoasters.

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.