Show Notes
In this special live episode of The Reading Symphony Podcast, Katie sits down with colleague and friend Kindred Obas for a conversation about joyful reading culture, complex texts, identity, and the kinds of classroom experiences that help children see themselves as readers. Together, Katie and Kindred discuss: how to build a classroom culture where reading feels joyful, social, and meaningful why classroom libraries should include both mirrors and windows what Kindred learned from watching students move from books like Dog Man to much more complex texts over time how her sixth grade Jane Austen book club is helping students grow as readers, thinkers, and community members why exposure to complex text, paired with support and belonging, can strengthen comprehension and confidence how families can talk with children about harder histories with honesty, empathy, and care why it matters to offer books about children of color that are not only rooted in struggle, but also in joy, curiosity, and possibility Kindred’s next chapter at Stanford, where she will study curriculum, teaching, race, language, and healing-centered approaches to teaching hard history This episode is a beautiful reminder that reading growth is not just about skill. It is also about identity, access, belonging, and the communities we build around books.
Katie Megrian | 10:15 AM (0 minutes ago) | | to me Fundraiser by Kindred Obas : Fund Our Journey to Jane Austen's England https://www.gofundme.com/f/fund-our-journey-to-jane-austens-england https://www.gofundme.com/f/fund-our-journey-to-jane-austens-england?attribution_id=sl:e9fcfcf6-52f6-4666-8406-5c5cc968e35a&lang=en_US&ts=1773612248&utm_campaign=man_sharesheet_dash&utm_content=amp17_tb-amp20_t2&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link Books and Texts Kindred Discusses Kindred by Octavia Butler Emma by Jane Austen A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L’Engle A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle Persuasion by Jane Austen Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty The Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Levinson and Vanessa Brantley-Newton Love Is by Diane Adams The Great Cake Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith The Breakfast Club Adventures series by Marcus Rashford The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time by Lisa Yee
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