Season 6
“The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us” | August 21, 2025
Judy Blume is one of the most prolific and beloved writers of our time — but is also at the center of many debates over what is appropriate for children, to the point of being one of the most banned. Rachelle Bergstein, author of the new book “The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us,” joins us to talk about Blume’s life, how the changing social and political ideologies of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s influenced her work, and how Judy came to write “culture-altering” works for generations of readers. View the transcript here.
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Rachelle Bergstein
Rachelle Bergstein is a writer, author, and editor whose work has appeared in the New York Post, the New York Times, NPR, and more. Her latest book is “The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us.”
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“Junie B. Jones Continues to Delight Children and Frustrate (Some) Adults” | August 7, 2025
Junie B. Jones was first introduced to young readers over 30 years ago, but her ability to make children laugh — and some adults angry — hasn’t changed. Colleen AF Venable, a seasoned children’s author whose graphic novel adaptation of Barbara Park’s “Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus” hit shelves earlier this year, joins us to talk about the beloved children’s series, its namesake, and the controversies that have followed it from the beginning. View the transcript here.
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Colleen AF Venable
Colleen AF Venable is the author of the National Book Award Longlisted “Kiss Number 8,” a graphic novel co-created with Ellen T. Crenshaw. Her other books include the “Katie the Catsitter” series with Stephanie Yue; “Mervin the Sloth is About to Do the Best Thing in The World” with Ruth Chan; “The Oboe Goes Boom Boom Boom” with Lian Cho; and the “Guinea Pig,” “Pet Shop Private Eye” series, also with Stephanie Yue and nominated for the Best Publication for Kids Eisner. Her latest book is an adaptation of Barbara Park’s “Junie B. Jones” series called “Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus.”
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“Kevin Henkes & Laura Dronzek: A Conversation” | July 24, 2025
Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek are two of the most remarkable, beloved writers and illustrators working in children’s books today. Working both together and separately, they have created dozens of well-known and acclaimed books — and show no signs of slowing down! In a rare interview, Kevin and Laura share their creative process and how finding an “emotional truth” is at the heart of all their stories. View the transcript here.
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Kevin Henkes
Kevin Henkes has been praised both as a writer and an illustrator and is the recipient of the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to literature for children. He received the Caldecott Medal for “Kitten’s First Full Moon;” Caldecott Honors for “Waiting” and “Owen;” Newbery Honors for “Olive’s Ocean” and “The Year of Billy Miller;” and Geisel Honors for “Waiting” and “Penny and Her Marble.” His other books include “The World and Everything in It,” “A House,” “A Parade of Elephants,” “Chrysanthemum,” and the beloved “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse.”
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Laura Dronzek
Laura Dronzek is a fine artist who, in addition to having her work displayed at the Madison Children’s Museum, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Gardiner Art Gallery, has illustrated several children’s books including “Birds” by Kevin Henkes, “Moonlight” by Helen V. Griffith, and “Rabbit’s Gift” by George Shannon, among many others.
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