Reading Inspires by Reading Is Fundamental
Reading Inspires is Reading Is Fundamental’s new podcast celebrating the power of books and the joy of reading. Each episode invites educators, librarians, families, authors, illustrators, and all who champion children’s literacy to explore one big question: What does reading inspire for you? Through engaging conversations and storytelling, Reading Inspires bridges the gap between research and real-world practice—showing what literacy looks and feels like in classrooms, libraries, and homes. Grounded in evidence yet open-ended in approach, this is a space for curiosity and connection. Whether you’re an educator seeking fresh ideas, a parent hoping to spark a love of reading, or simply a lifelong bookworm, you’ll find inspiration, practical insights, and stories that remind us all why reading matters—and how it changes lives.
Episodes
Summary
Grace Bastidas joins Reading Inspires to talk about the stories, books, and cultural traditions that shaped her as a reader—and how she is passing those gifts on to her own children. Grace is a journalist, speaker, parenting expert, and the former editor in chief of Parents.
Drawing on her Colombian heritage and experience raising bilingual children in a multicultural home, Grace shares practical ways families can use...
Summary
What does it take to help children see themselves in the story of space exploration? Lane Polak, a technical writer and strategic communications professional for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) at Marshall Space Flight Center, joins Reading Inspires to talk about his unconventional path to NASA and the creative work behind making the Artemis program accessible to young readers.
Lane explains how his background in wri...
Summary
Erin Bailey talks with Denine Torr of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and Alicia Levi of Reading Is Fundamental about why literacy access is a community responsibility. They discuss the long partnership between Dollar General and RIF, the specific barriers facing rural communities, the importance of books in homes and schools, and the role of motivation, confidence, and practice in developing skilled readers.
The con...
Summary
What happens when two cousins turn a drawer full of lost socks into a graphic-story universe? Erin Bailey talks with Shidan and Roshan Youssefian, creators of Life Really Socks, a playful book series about mismatched socks, friendship, individuality, and belonging.
Shidan and Roshan grew up in Italy in a culturally mixed family, followed different professional paths, and came together during the pandemic to build a creative w...
Dr. Erin Bailey sits down with Abby Quammen Conrad, former Miss New York 2024, to discuss her lifelong passion for children's literacy. Abby shares how books became a source of stability after losing her home at age 12, and how that experience shaped her Read Lead Succeed initiative, through which she's run book drives, after-school reading programs in the Bronx, and tutored students one-on-one — including the powerful story ...
Dr. Erin Bailey talks with Dr. Tiffany Munzer, a developmental behavioral pediatrician and digital media researcher at the University of Michigan, about screen time and children's development. They discuss how screen time guidance has shifted from rigid time limits to a focus on quality, content, and connection — emphasizing co-viewing, high-quality media (like PBS Kids and Skybrary), and using screens as conversation starter...
In this episode, Dr. Erin Bailey speaks with Rina Madhani, co-founder of Start Lighthouse, about transforming underutilized school libraries into vibrant literacy hubs across New York City public schools. Rina shares how her time as a Bronx classroom teacher revealed deep inequities in access to books, inspiring her to launch an organization that staffs full-time educators in school libraries, curates culturally representative book...
In this episode, Dr. Erin Bailey hosts Christine Hjorth (author of the Aligned Decodables and CEO of Aligned Educational Resources), Cherish Mims (Epic's Manager of Education Relations), and Letitia Truslow (leads Epic School Plus) to discuss Epic's expansion of 250+ decodable books on its platform. The conversation covers what makes decodable texts effective for early readers, how they're aligned to 23+ different curricula scope-a...
In this episode, host Erin Bailey sits down with Dr. Valerie Lee, Dr. Marjorie Madden, and Dr. Susan Browne — longtime colleagues and co-authors from Rowan University — to discuss their book Literary Life Histories: Reclaiming, Reading, and Living the Story. The three educators share how their RISP framework (Read, Interpret, Script, Perform) invites students of all ages to go beyond surface-level comprehension by embod...
In this episode, host Dr. Erin Bailey sits down with Spencer Russell, founder of Toddlers Can Read, to discuss his journey from a struggling reader to a literacy advocate and educator. Spencer shares how his own challenges with reading as a child shaped his mission to empower parents as the most powerful — yet underutilized — tool in fighting illiteracy.
About Spencer Russell:
Spencer Russell is an award-winning early...
At just 15, Orion Jean — TIME's 2021 Kid of the Year and founder of Race to Kindness — joins Dr. Erin Bailey to discuss how a fourth-grade kindness speech contest sparked a movement that's grown into initiatives distributing toys, meals, and over 500,000 books. Orion shares the origins of his nonprofit, his current Race to One Million Acts of Kindness campaign, and lessons on leadership drawn from his books "Race to Kin...
In this episode, host Dr. Erin Bailey sits down with Shannon Live, founder of Bat City Comics, at Comic-Con to explore how comics and graphic novels can transform literacy education. Shannon shares her journey from reluctant educator to comics advocate, explains the research behind why graphic novels boost vocabulary and lower the "affective filter" that blocks learning, and offers practical advice for parents and teachers on nurtu...
In this episode of Reading Inspires, host Dr. Erin Bailey talks with author, educator, and bookseller Jenna Elyse Johnson about writing authentic disability representation for kids. Jenna shares her path from teacher to author, her personal experience with cerebral palsy and epilepsy, and how her books Every Body Move and I Spark Like Lightning celebrate mobility tools and epilepsy with joy and honesty. The conversation covers comm...
In this episode, Dr. Erin Bailey is joined by three literacy educators and co-authors — Dr. Chase Young (Sam Houston State University), Dr. Seth Parsons, and Dr. Allison Ward Parsons (both from George Mason University) — to discuss their book Artfully Teaching Reading with Project-Based Learning and the Future of Engaging Literacy Instruction. Together, they make a passionate case for bringing creativity, joy, and syner...
In this episode, Dr. Erin Bailey sits down with Mary Pope Osborne — author of the beloved Magic Tree House series — to explore how a life of adventure, imagination, and a love of words led to one of the most iconic children's book series of all time. Mary shares the origin of Jack and Annie's tree house, her dedication to literacy access through the Magic Tree House Classroom Adventures program and Gift of Books initiat...
In this episode, Dr. Erin Bailey sits down with Jay Flores — engineer, author, and upcoming American Ninja Warrior competitor — to explore the powerful intersection of literacy, STEM, and representation. Jay shares how his lifelong curiosity, nurtured by a supportive family, led him from tinkering with pots and pans as a child to becoming an engineer and now a children's book author. His bilingual picture book Engineer ...
In this episode host Dr. Erin Bailey sits down with Channing Chasten — former Ohio State and professional soccer player, author of The 1% Kid, and founder of the 1% Kid Foundation. Channing shares how growing up with a teacher mom, a love of Percy Jackson, and a determination to get "1% better every day" shaped both his athletic and academic journey. He opens up about navigating the demands of Division I athletics, the power ...
In this episode, Dr. Erin Bailey sits down with Khrisma Antoinette, author of children's books for kids in non-traditional family structures, including Precious Love and He's Mine. Khrisma shares how a church book club first introduced her to a main character who looked like her — a moment that sparked her mission to ensure all children see themselves in the books they read.
The conversation covers why family representation ma...
In this episode, host Dr. Erin Bailey welcomes Dr. Aimee Ketchum, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of Aimee's Babies, and Dr. Crystal Loose, a former teacher, reading specialist, and professor of early learning at West Chester University. Together, they co-host the Plant the Seed of Learning podcast and co-authored The Early Childhood Promise: Sparking Change for Parents, Early Childhood Professionals, and Policy Make...
In this episode, host Dr. Erin Bailey welcomes Maya Lê, creator of MaiStoryBook, in celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Maya shares her personal journey as a half-Vietnamese, half-Filipino creator who grew up with little cultural representation in children's books, and how that experience shaped her mission to ensure every child can see themselves — and others — in the st...
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