Reading With Your Kids Podcast

In this powerful episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes Dr. Christopher Choukalas, author of Even the Darkest Night: A Memoir of Paternal Postnatal Depression. Dr. Chris shares how what began as a simple journaling practice during a traumatic postpartum period—twins born at full term alongside his wife's life‑threatening postpartum hemorrhage—became a memoir to help other fathers feel less alone.
An anesthesiologist and ICU doctor during the height of COVID, Dr. Chris describes the emotional dissonance of holding his healthy babies while knowing, in clinical detail, just how close his wife came to dying. This stress, combined with years of infertility treatment, spiraled into severe anxiety, sleeplessness, and depression. With honesty and vulnerability, he explains how his wife, Lindsay, first recognized that something deeper was wrong and gently pushed him toward therapy.
Dr. Chris reflects on the stigma men face around mental health, why he uses the term "paternal postnatal depression," and how naming his condition reduced shame and allowed him to do the hard work of healing. He also connects his struggle to unresolved pain from his own father's abandonment, and shares how therapy, time, and intentional connection—especially reading with his now almost‑six‑year‑old twins—helped rebuild his marriage and his sense of self.
Later in the episode, Jed also chats with Miss Bri, author of Having a Giraffe as a Classroom Pet, and Anastasia Saridakis, author of My First Time on a School Bus, both offering gentle, kid‑friendly stories about inclusion, courage, and big feelings around new experiences.

On this episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes two fantastic creators who help families see the world—and their walks around the block—a little differently.
First, Jed chats with Matt Van Rensburg, author of the Reading With Your Kids Certified Great Read "How to Sell the World: The Stonehearted Story of Greyson Grimm." Matt explains the unforgettable premise: Greyson is the caretaker of the world, tasked with eating invisible "bad thingamajigs" that appear whenever people are unkind. His work keeps the world in balance, but each bite slowly turns his heart to stone. Matt and Jed dive into the deeper themes of empathy, emotional "vibes," and how adults often forget the joy and pure-hearted perspective of children. Matt shares how David Bowie, Nirvana's "The Man Who Sold the World," stand‑up comedy, and over 20 years of teaching young kids all helped shape this whimsical, meaningful middle grade series.
Then Jed welcomes back Lucy Knisley, author-illustrator of the charming new picture book "Searching for Wocks." Lucy shares how the story grew from pandemic days in Chicago, when playgrounds and lakefronts were closed and her three-year-old began collecting little treasures—rocks, pen caps, leaves—on slow, careful walks. They called these treasures "walks," and Lucy turned that real-life ritual into a tender, funny story about a child's serious, almost scientific engagement with the world. She talks about thinking in comics, balancing words and images, how parenting reshaped her creative life, and why letting kids lead their own explorations (without leaning on generative AI) is so important.
This episode is full of heart, creativity, and great ideas for sparking family conversations after you read together.

In this heartwarming episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes two middle grade authors whose stories are perfect for sparking big family conversations.
First, singer-songwriter and author Tia McGraff joins us from the shores of Lake Erie to celebrate her new novel In Your Dreams, Jake, part of the Jake the Road Dog series. Tia shares how her rescue dog Jake, once just a day away from being euthanized, became a beloved "road dog" traveling to festivals, bookstores, and schools—and eventually inspired a middle grade story told through his eyes. She and Jed talk about the joy of live family events, the sacred honor of performing for kids, and how music, books, and creativity help families cope with grief, change, and challenging times. Tia also reflects on her journey from country music stages and Johnny Cash appearances to writing children's novels and kid-friendly songs like her "Caterpillar Song."
Then, Jed chats with Austin Kairnes, author of The Blind Boy Who Saw the Invisible King. Austin explains how a title that came to him on a COVID-era walk grew into a rich quest story about Joe, a blind boy searching for answers from a mysterious king. They explore themes of bullying, empathy, faith, and seeing the world through non-visual senses. Austin shares how his Catholic faith quietly shapes the story, how reading aloud shaped his own family life, and why he believes nightly reading is one of the best ways to pass on values and build lifelong connections.

In this heartwarming episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes back second-grade teacher and picture book author Andrew Hackett to celebrate his new book, In This Classroom, and later sits down with Susan Cain and her son Eli Cain to talk about their tender picture book, Lucky and Norman: Saying Goodbye Is Bittersweet.
Andrew shares how he juggles teaching, parenting, and writing—squeezing in drafts on soccer sidelines and early mornings—and why he actually loves revision more than drafting. He describes In This Classroom as his "manifesto" for what a classroom community can and should be: a place where differences are celebrated, kindness is taught alongside academics, and every child feels seen. Jed and Andrew talk honestly about the pressures on teachers, the loss of play in early grades, and how families can partner with educators to build truly inclusive, caring classrooms.
In the second half, Susan and Eli recount the real-life story behind Lucky and Norman: two donkeys in Spain that Eli and his brother fell in love with—and then had to leave. Together they explore how kids experience goodbyes for the first time, why that pain can feel endless, and how memories can transform sorrow into something quietly beautiful. Susan connects this to her work in Quiet and Bittersweet, while Eli reflects with striking wisdom on longing, love, and growing up.
This is a gentle, thoughtful conversation about community, empathy, and helping kids navigate big feelings—through reading, listening, and simply being there.

In this episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes three fantastic guests who each showcase a different way stories can shape our lives.
First, Bruce Littlefield joins from his farm in upstate New York to celebrate his picture book "Everything You Need to Know About Life You Can Learn from a Dog." Bruce shares how his usually optimistic outlook was shaken by a rough morning—bad news, a broken porch—and how his dog Felix, joyfully unfazed, inspired him to rethink who the real "lifestyle expert" in the house was. Drawing on years of watching dogs in New York City and at home, Bruce turns traits like self-acceptance, curiosity, forgiveness, and the ability to "shake things off" into gentle life lessons for kids and grown-ups. He and Jed swap heartfelt dog stories—border collies carving tracks in the yard, childhood pets like Snuggles and London teaching responsibility, calm, and empathy—and reflect on how dogs help children learn to care for others.
Then Gregory Rizzi discusses his YA sci‑fi novel "Continuum." Set on a harsh distant planet, the book follows Jacob, a Praetorian Guard soldier, as he discovers the planet's hidden history, strange creatures, and deeper truths about creation, fathers, and sons. Gregory talks about how becoming a father and returning to his faith reshaped the story's themes of suffering, resilience, and what we pass on to our kids.
Finally, Amy Doslich introduces her picture book "STEM Day" and her kid-powered podcast "Kids Ask Authors Answer." A former actuary turned author-illustrator, Amy celebrates lesser-known STEM careers and invites children to ask authors their own fun, surprising questions—plus she's organizing a big free kids' ebook day on August 5.