New Reach Out and Read Podcasts on LGBTQIA+ Children's Literature

Dr. Jamie Campbell Naidoo shared the following on a recent ALSC discussion board:

Two new podcasts on LGBTQIA+ children's literature came out recently from the literacy organization Reach Out and Read. These are the last in a three-part series that explores the creation and history of LGBTQIA+ children's literature as well as the presence of these books in libraries. I was honored to be a guest in episode two to talk about my research in this area. More information on the podcasts below:

 

Episode 1 – Inner Truths: Crafting LGBTQ+ Children's Books 

LGBTQ+ children's books play a crucial role in offering 'mirrors and windows' for all children and their caregivers, yet they remain not only hard to find, but often challenged by society.  In Part 1 of our two-part series, we'll explore the craft and creativity behind LGBTQ+ children's literature with Lesléa Newman, author of 75 books including the well-known "Heather Has Two Mommies", and Kyle Lukoff, author of "Call Me Max" and "When Aidan Became A Brother."

 

Episode 2 – Inner Truths, Part 2:  The Research Behind LGBTQ+ Children's Books 

In Part 2 of our series on LGBTQ+ children's books, we talk to Dr. Jamie Campbell Naidoo, a professor at the University of Alabama's School of Library and Information Studies.  We discuss how to evaluate LGBTQ+ books for kids, common portrayals of 'rainbow families' in children's books, balancing accessibility and privacy issues for books around these topics, and, of course why, year after year, LGBTQ+ children's books continue to be the most challenged genre.

 

Episode 3 – William's Doll and the Legacy of Charlotte Zolotow (Bonus Episode) 

The publication of Charlotte Zolotow's picture book William's Doll (1972) not only broke gender stereotypes, but became a landmark moment in American children's literature.  In a bonus episode of our "Inner Truths: LGBTQ" series, host Dr. Perri Klass speaks with Charlotte's daughter, Crescent Dragonwagon (a prolific author herself), about the making of William's Doll and her mother's cultural impact as a writer and editor of books that have encouraged tolerance, kindness, and authenticity for generations of children. 

Thanks and a h/t to KT Horning for alerting us to these excellent podcasts!