Category: Episodes

176 – Fireside Fairy Tale: Ye Xian

Big things have happened to the show in the last week. I have pleased the Algorithm Gods and my YouTube channel is getting a lot of attention. My inbox is overflowing with emails and I have had a few offers from sponsors, but I won’t change anything for now. I want to take some time to think about what the show’s growth could mean and make choices that will be the best for myself, my family, and my values.

In the main segment, join me for another Fireside Fairy Tale. This time I’m revisiting “Ye Xian,” a Cinderella story recorded over 1000 years ago in China. This time I wanted to provide commentary that focused on the story’s Confucian values. I actually think it would be a great way to introduce these concepts to children who are studying ancient China.

I had better success with toasting my marshmallow this time as well, which I am quite pleased about. You can watch the YouTube version of this Fireside Fairy Tale here:

175 – Let’s Read the Original Snow White from 1812

As a palate cleanser from the utter dreck that was Disney’s latest live action remake, I got cozy by my back yard fire pit and read the original 1812 version of “Snow White” as recorded by the Brothers Grimm. They made heavy edits to their folktales over the years, so you might be surprised by what’s in this older tale — including the fact that the villain is NOT Snow White’s stepmother and what “black as ebony” actually refers to!

Please tell me if you enjoyed this fireside fairy tale with commentary. I will be happy do do more, weather permitting, and can read fairy tales with or without commentary as you prefer.

174 – The Snow White Remake was Dreadful

To nobody’s surprise, Snow White (2025) was awful and has pulled in my lowest Snape Score ever for its total lack of faithfulness to its literary source material. I usually approach episodes with the attitude that the stories and people on my show are my guests, and I try to roll out the red carpet by dressing my best and doing some nice graphics and editing. This movie deserves none of that. You’re just getting me ranting in my gym clothes while in full on cranky mommy mode.

173 – Can the Paddington Statue Be Repaired?

A beloved statue of Paddington Bear in author Michael Bond’s hometown of Newbury was sawed in half by two guys for reasons that are hard to comprehend. The culprits have been caught, but can the damage to this adorable statue be fixed? Luckily I know someone who knows a thing or two about fiberglass — my dad.

172 – Rachel Zegler wasn’t wrong about Snow White being so 1937

Disney’s live action remake of Snow White is nearly upon us. This is the most pre-hated movie ever, largely because the film’s star Rachel Zegler disparaged the original film as being “very evidently” a product of 1937. She wasn’t wrong about that — the only problem was her attitude.

https://youtu.be/8kSimEe6-Yw

171 – A Chat with Dave Cullen

Dave Cullen is a YouTuber who focuses on pop culture and science fiction, and his debut novel Deus V Machina: A Cody Stockton Mystery is one of the most intersting independent books I’ve read in a while. This novel blends multiple genres in creative and unexpected ways, and it will appeal to thoughtful teenagers who are ready to think about complex philosophical ideas but who also want to enjoy some good action and adventure.

During our conversation, Dave explains his ideas about how artificial intelligence will affect authors and illustrators, and we focus on the themes and ideas in Deus V Machina rather than its actual plot and characters, because we don’t want to spoil the story for readers.

Our conversation is also on YouTube:

170 – What Ben Dixon Loves About Independent Publishing

Ben Dixon is back on the show! The author of the Neil Peel book series has now published Vengeance and Honour, a fun sword and sorcery adventure. He also has useful advice for writers who want to publish a children’s book, but aren’t sure about whether to try for traditional publishing or take the leap and go for independent publishing. Ben has put out books both ways, so he is the perfect guest to help me explore the advantages and disadvantages of each way to get a book out in print.

Also, this week my kids are reading Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss as well as Shakespeare Stories by Leon Garfield with pictures by Michael Foreman. Find out what the girls loved about these works by two maestros of the English language.

My interview with Ben Dixon is also on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe to the channel as I sometimes put extra videos up that don’t come through on the audio feed!

169 – Good, Bad and Ugly Romances

Happy Valentine’s Day! Children’s Literature isn’t usually about romance, but there are some great — and not so great — couples that have made an impression on me over the years. They can teach kids a lot about what a good relationship should (or shouldn’t) be! Find out which romances I think are Good, Bad, and Ugly. Also, you’ll hear that co-host Chloë is deepening her appreciation for Enid Blyton books, an author most Americans are unfamiliar with but clearly has a lot to offer middle grades readers!

What are YOUR favorite couples in children’s books? Which romantic moments made you laugh, cry, or cringe?

168 – Dog Man Movie Review

The Dog Man book series by Dav Pilkey is DUMB. It’s IMMATURE. And so is the new movie adaptation. And those are COMPLIMENTS!! Find out how accurately the comics were adapted to the screen, with input from the 11, 10, 8, and 4 year old experts who came with me to the theater.

Apologies for the background noise in this episode — emergency repairs are going on at my house and that’s just how things had to be. I wanted to get this review out in a timely manner to tell parents that this is well worth the expense of a trip to the theater.

167 – How Star Trek Introduced Me to Shakespeare

When I was a kid of course I had heard of Shakespeare, but I didn’t think much about it . . . until I saw a scene from Henry V performed in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Introducing classic art to kids is easier than you think — it just needs to happen in small, interesting, digestible moments that tempts young readers to discover more. Find out how Star Trek set me on a path to live long and prosper with the works of William Shakespeare.