The Classroom Bookshelf
March 7, 2026 by Travis Jonker
Jasmine Warga takes us behind the scenes of her latest middle grade novel.
February 28, 2026 by Travis Jonker
Travis: To celebrate the 400th (!) episode of the Fuse 8 n’ Kate poscast, Colby Sharp and I joined Betsy Bird and her sister Kate to discuss THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET. Is it a classic? Is it a picture book? We look at the matter from all angles. We hope you enjoy this episode: […]
January 19, 2026 by Colby Sharp
COLBY: When I heard that Kelly Yang and Kate DiCamillo were coming out with a new podcast, I got very excited. Then I reached out to Kelly to learn more about the new show. She agreed to hop on a call to chat about her new adventure with Kate. I hope you enjoy our conversation. […]
January 2, 2026 by Travis Jonker
Travis: In the latest episode of The Yarn, Colby and I look ahead to 2026. We talk about upcoming books, make some predictions, and realize that fanclubs don’t exist anymore. We hope you enjoy this episode. Subscribe below to catch every episode of The Yarn: iTunes Spotify Stitcher
December 24, 2025 by Travis Jonker
Travis: Every December Colby and I like to look back at the year in children’s books. We had a lot to talk about. In this special extended episode we discuss our favorite books, memorable moments, Newbery/Caldecott predictions, and many other topics. We hope you enjoy this episode: Subscribe below to catch every episode of The […]
November 24, 2025 by Colby Sharp
COLBY: I had the best time chatting with SLJ blogger and librarian Betsy Bird for The Yarn. We chatted about the origins of her blog, her 31 lists and 31 days project, and the current state of children’s literature. I hope you’ll give it a listen on your podcast listening app of choice. If you […]
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November 16, 2025 by Travis Jonker
Back in late June I talked with author, librarian, and Fuse #8 Production blogger Betsy Bird about her excellent 2025 picture book POP! GOES THE NURSERY RHYME.
October 27, 2025 by Colby Sharp
COLBY: Every time I have the opportunity to chat with Derrick Barnes I feel so alive after the conversation. He cares so much about the work that he does, and the stories that he puts out into the world are important and amazing. I hope you enjoy our conversation about his new book The Incredible […]
October 18, 2025 by Travis Jonker
Travis: Back in June at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Philly, I sat down with Katie Kennedy to talk about her excellent middle grade nonfiction book Did You Hear What Happened in Salem? The Witch Trials of 1692. In this episode, Katie talks about what it was like to revisit one of the […]
September 29, 2025 by Travis Jonker
Travis: Back in June, I talked with author/illustrator Zeke Peña about his beautiful new picture book, SUNDUST. In this episode, Zeke talks about the unique way SUNDUST was created, and his unconventional path to making picture books. We hope you enjoy this episode. Subscribe below to catch every episode of The Yarn: iTunes Spotify Stitcher
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A Fuse #8 Production
by Betsy Bird
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