jason reynolds

This week’s Story Seeds collaboration follows the one and only Chris Grabenstein, author of the NYTimes best-selling Mr. Lemoncello's Library series, and creative rockstar Jasper! 

Chris Grabenstein helps Jasper grow this idea:

A story about a 74 foot tall mystery solver.

Follow this special Story Seeds adventure with host Betsy Bird as: 

• Chris invites Jasper over to his NYC apartment to chat about his giant story seed which is about a 12 year old boy detective named Zeta Zingone who is 74 feet tall
• They talk about how to root even the wackiest and wildest storytelling ideas in  logic and facts
• They get a view from Chris' rooftop deck and imagine what it’s like to be 74 feet tall

The episode concludes with this week’s storytime segment (15:55) where Chris reads the story he grew from Jasper’s story seed: The World’s Biggest Detective.

Last but not least, this episode was recorded when Jasper was 12 years old. He is now 13, a proud teenager. 

Books mentioned in this episode: Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein. Tall Tales: Jack and the Beanstalk, Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, John Henry, Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind.  

Calls to Action

Bonus Episode: Check back next week to hear Betsy's interview with Chris Grabenstein. He talks about getting his start by writing for the school newspaper and shares tips on how to write a great mystery.

Kids: Call The Story Seeds Hotline at 646-389-5153, email us at storyseeds@literarysafari.com, or visit our website to submit your story ideas. You can also join The Story Seeds Society, our kids listeners club .

Grownups: Visit www.storyseedspodcast.com for subscription links, to sign up for our newsletter, and to download our printable activity e-zines for your kids (or the  kid in you!). You can also follow us on Instagram @storyseedspod, on Twitter @litsafarimedia, and on Facebook @literarysafari. 

Get our Imagination Lab: Experiments in Creativity activity book! It pairs perfectly with the podcast and features tons of episode-inspired prompts and projects! Order your copy here!

This episode is also available on YouTube. Subscribe here. 

Show credits

Produced and written by Sandhya Nankani and Anjali Sakhrani. Kayla Fedeson is our Associate Producer. Scoring, mixing, and sound design by Ania Grzesik and Matt Boynton of Ultraviolet Audio. Field audio recorded by Nathan Miller. Hosted by Betsy Bird. Music by Andrew VanWyngarden, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/musician and co-founder of MGMT. 

The Story Seeds Podcast is a creation and production of Literary Safari www.literarysafari.com

Listen along as The Story Seeds Podcast host Betsy Bird chats with Veera Hiranandani (author of the Newbery Honor-winning book THE NIGHT DIARY). They go behind the scenes and talk about what it was like to grow 10 year old Willa’s story seed into the short story "Under the Maple Tree" for Episode 2 “From Homeschool to Public School."

In this bonus episode, Veera also shares writing tips, including the importance of drawing inspiration from your own experiences and naming your characters. Plus, she talks about her writing life and tells us the cool story of her journey to becoming a published children's book author. 

Books and Media mentioned in this episode: The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani. Dora the Explorer. Spongebob Squarepants. Blue's Clues. 

Call to Action

Kids: Call The Story Seeds Hotline at 646-389-5153, email us at storyseeds@literarysafari.com, or visit our website to submit your story ideas. You can also join The Story Seeds Society, our kids listeners club! 

Get our Imagination Lab: Experiments in Creativity activity book! It pairs perfectly with the podcast and features tons of episode-inspired prompts and projects! Order your copy here!

Grownups: Visit www.storyseedspodcast.com for subscription links, to sign up for our newsletter, and to download our printable activity e-zines for your kids (or the  kid in you!). You can also follow us on Instagram @storyseedspod, on Twitter @litsafarimedia, and on Facebook @literarysafari. 

This episode is also available on YouTube. Subscribe here. 

Show credits:  Matt Boynton and Ania Grzesik of Ultraviolet Audio for the sound mixing, design, and score of our bonus episode. Theme music is composed and performed by Andrew VanWyngarden. And, our host is Betsy Bird. 

The Story Seeds Podcast is a creation and production of Literary Safari www.literarysafari.com

This week’s Story Seeds collaboration follows Veera Hiranandani, author of the Newbery Honor winning novel The Night Diary, and 10 year old creative rockstar Willa! 

Veera Hiranandani helps Willa grow this story seed about:

A girl and her mom live in the middle of the woods in a small cottage. She's never gone to school but she's learned all her school subjects through her surroundings. Suddenly, they were beginning to lose money, so her mom decides that she needs to get a job, and her daughter needs to go to a real school. This is a huge change for her, and she has to find a way to fit in in her new school.

Follow Veera and Willa's Story Seeds adventure with host Betsy Bird as they: 

• Meet in person and go on a tour of Willa’s school, The Blue School, in downtown New York City
• Brainstorm ideas for Willa’s story seed and compare notes about their school experiences
• Chat about the importance of names and what it feels like to be a fish out of water
• Hash out the inciting incident

The episode concludes with this week’s storytime segment (13:00) where our featured author, Veera Hiranandani, reads the story she grew from Willa’s story seed: Under the Maple Tree

Books mentioned in this episode: The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani.  

Calls to Action

Bonus Episode: Check back next week to hear Betsy's interview with Veera Hiranandani. You’ll  get to hear about how she made her start as a writer and her secret connection to Dora the Explorer!

Kids: Call The Story Seeds Hotline at 646-389-5153, email us at storyseeds@literarysafari.com, or visit our website to submit your story ideas. You can also join The Story Seeds Society, our kids listeners club! 

Get our Imagination Lab: Experiments in Creativity activity book! It pairs perfectly with the podcast and features tons of episode-inspired prompts and projects! Order your copy here!

Grownups: Visit www.storyseedspodcast.com for subscription links, to sign up for our newsletter, and to download our printable activity e-zines for your kids (or the  kid in you!). You can also follow us on Instagram @storyseedspod, on Twitter @litsafarimedia, and on Facebook @literarysafari. 

This episode is also available on YouTube. Subscribe here. 

Show credits: Produced and written by Sandhya Nankani and Anjali Sakhrani. Kayla Fedeson is our Associate Producer. Scoring, mixing, and sound design is by Ania Grzesik and Matt Boynton of Ultraviolet Audio. Field audio was recorded by Julia Botero. Our host is Betsy Bird. 

Music by Andrew VanWyngarden, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/musician and co-founder of MGMT

The Story Seeds Podcast is a creation and production of Literary Safari www.literarysafari.com

Listen along as The Story Seeds Podcast host Betsy Bird chats with Dan Gutman (best-selling author of the My Weird School series). They  go behind the scenes and talk about what it was like growing 11 year old Hannah’s story seed in Episode 1 “The Magic Seed.” 

In this special bonus episode, Dan also tells us the story of how he became a published author, gives us a peek into his writing process, and shares a few writing tips for young writers! 

Books mentioned in this episode: My Weird School series and  My Weird Writing Tips by Dan Gutman.  

Call to Action

Kids: Call The Story Seeds Hotline at 646-389-5153, email us at storyseeds@literarysafari.com, or visit our website to submit your story ideas. You can also join The Story Seeds Society, our kids listeners club!

Get our Imagination Lab: Experiments in Creativity activity book! It pairs perfectly with the podcast and features tons of episode-inspired prompts and projects! Order your copy here!

Grownups: Visit www.storyseedspodcast.com for subscription links, to sign up for our newsletter, and to download our printable activity e-zines for your kids (or the  kid in you!). You can also follow us on Instagram @storyseedspod, on Twitter @litsafarimedia, and on Facebook @literarysafari. 

This episode is also available on YouTube. Subscribe here.

Show credits: Matt Boynton and Ania Grzesik of Ultraviolet Audio for the sound mixing, design, and score of our bonus episode. Theme music is composed and performed by Andrew VanWyngarden. And, our host is Betsy Bird. 

The Story Seeds Podcast is a creation and production of Literary Safari www.literarysafari.com

There's a new bad guy in town and his name is COVID-19, AKA, the novel Coronavirus.  Although Coronavirus has already made many, many people around the world really sick, you don't have to feel helpless.  Information is power. On this special PSA for The Story Seeds Podcast, Jason Reynolds, National Book Award finalist and the 2020 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, inspires us to be everyday superheroes in the fight to stop the spread of Coronavirus. He shares eight simple things kids (and their grownups) can do to fight germs everyday ... plus a recipe for home-made hand sanitizer. 

We recommend these additional resources for families & schools
The Coronavirus Outbreak: What Parents Should Know (UNICEF)
Just for Kids:  A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus (NPR) Coronavirus Explained! (for kids) (Dr. Michelle Dickinson aka Nanogirl)
Illustrated free printables for handwashing to the tune of "Frere Jacques" (by cartoonist Lucy Kinsley)
How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus (PBS for Parents)
Answering Kids' Questions about Coronavirus (Tumble Science Podcast for Kids, also available in Spanish) 

Media mentioned in this episode: 

Books: Ghost, Look Both Ways, and Stamped by Jason Reynolds and the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
TV & Film: Frozen, The Avengers: Infinity War

About The Story Seeds Podcast

Our podcast celebrates creativity and storytelling by putting kids and their imaginations at the same table with their favorite authors who grow their ideas into original stories. Subscribe to listen to Season One which runs from March 5-July 16, 2020 and features 10 author-kid collaborations and 10 behind the scenes author interviews with our host Betsy Bird.  Jason Reynolds will appear later this season along with the original story, Hoo and Wut, that he has grown from 12 year old Irthan's story seed. 

Calls to Action

Kids: Call The Story Seeds Hotline at 646-389-5153, email us at storyseeds@literarysafari.com, or visit our website to submit your story ideas. You can also join The Story Seeds Society, our kids listeners club!

Grownups: Visit www.storyseedspodcast.com for subscription links, to sign up for our newsletter, and to download our printable activity e-zines for your kids (or the  kid in you!). You can also follow us on Instagram @storyseedspod, on Twitter @litsafarimedia, and on Facebook @literarysafari. 

Get our Imagination Lab: Experiments in Creativity activity book! It pairs perfectly with the podcast and features tons of episode-inspired prompts and projects! Order your copy here!

This episode is also available on YouTube. Subscribe here.

Show credits

Produced and written by Sandhya Nankani and Anjali Sakhrani. Scoring, mixing, and sound design is by Ania Grzesik and Matt Boynton of Ultraviolet Audio. Narrated by Jason Reynolds. Music by Andrew VanWyngarden, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/musician and co-founder of MGMT

The Story Seeds Podcast is a creation and production of Literary Safari www.literarysafari.com

The Story Seeds Podcast kicks off Season One with a collaboration between our 11 year old creative rockstar Hannah and  Dan Gutman, best-selling author of the My Weird School series! 

On this episode, Dan Gutman helps Hannah grow her story seed:

A girl and boy find a magic seed that grows into a plant that sparks whatever they want on command. They wish for small things. They're not greedy. One day, an evil person steals the plant and uses it for bad things. The girl and the boy learn that there's a twin seed that stops the evil from spreading. They have to travel all over to find the seed.

Follow Dan and Hannah's Story Seeds adventure with our host Betsy Bird as they: 

• Meet up in person and take a field trip to Dear Mama Coffee on the Columbia University science campus (Jerome L. Greene Science Center) in New York City
• Drink yummy hot chocolate
• Brain dump their writing ideas (should the story be set in Alaska?) on index cards
• Meet a money tree named Jude.

The episode concludes with a storytime segment (14:26) where our featured author reads  the story they grew together: The Magic Seed!

Books mentioned in this episode: My Weird School series, The Kid Who Ran For President, My Weird Writing Tips, and Million Dollar Shot by Dan Gutman. 

Calls to Action

Bonus Episode: Check back next week to hear Betsy's interview with Dan Gutman. You’ll hear more about how he decided to become an author and get a few Dan-approved writing tips. Who knows? You could become really famous if you use them :) 

Get our Imagination Lab: Experiments in Creativity activity book! It pairs perfectly with the podcast and features tons of episode-inspired prompts and projects! Order your copy here!

Kids: How would you continue "The Magic Seed?"  Call The Story Seeds Hotline with your ideas at 646-389-5153 and let us know. You can also leave us a message with your own story seed (idea)  for a chance to be featured on a future episode. 

Grownups: Join our mailing list at www.storyseedspodcast.com for news and updates. You can also follow us on Instagram @storyseedspod, on Twitter @litsafarimedia and on Facebook @literarysafari. 

This episode is also available on YouTube. Subscribe here.

Show credits

Produced and written by Sandhya Nankani and Anjali Sakhrani. Kayla Fedeson is our Associate Producer. Scoring, mixing, and sound design is by Ania Grzesik and Matt Boynton of Ultraviolet Audio. Our field audio was recorded by James Boo. And thank you to our very special child handler, Amrita!

Love our theme song? We do too! It's by Andrew VanWyngarden, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/musician and co-founder of MGMT.

The Story Seeds Podcast is a creation and production of Literary Safari www.literarysafari.com.

Kids are creative rockstars! Introducing The Story Seeds™ Podcast, where we match kids and their story ideas with beloved authors who grow their story seeds into original, short stories! Follow along on each episode as children ages 6-12 and authors go on inspiring field trips in NYC to grow their story ideas (ahem, seeds!) through conversation and collaboration. 

Hosted by kidlit maven and librarian Betsy Bird, this season, you’ll hear 10 never-before heard stories written by your favorite authors, including Jason Reynolds, Dan Gutman, Carlos Hernandez, Aram Kim, Chris Grabenstein, and more. Music by Andrew VanWyngarden, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/musician and co-founder of MGMT. 

Books mentioned in this trailer: 

Cat on the Bus  & No Kimchi for Me by Aram Kim, My Weird School series by Dan Gutman, and Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series by Chris Grabenstein

Calls to Action

Kids: Call The Story Seeds Hotline at 646-389-5153, email us at storyseeds@literarysafari.com, or visit our website to submit your story ideas. You can also join The Story Seeds Society, our kids listeners club!

Grownups: Visit www.storyseedspodcast.com for subscription links, to sign up for our newsletter, and to download our printable activity e-zines for your kids (or the  kid in you!). You can also follow us on Instagram @storyseedspod, on Twitter @litsafarimedia, and on Facebook @literarysafari. 

Get our Imagination Lab: Experiments in Creativity activity book! It pairs perfectly with the podcast and features tons of episode-inspired prompts and projects! Order your copy here!

This episode is also available on YouTube. Subscribe here.

The Story Seeds Podcast is a creation and production of Literary Safari www.literarysafari.com

Jason Reynolds is the New York Times bestselling author of Long Way Down and many other books for kids, middle grade and young adults. His novels feature diverse characters and are unfailingly compelling, compassionate, and timely. They take an unflinching look at gun violence, police brutality, family, loss, and friendship. In this interview, he speaks with fellow author Chris Lynch.

Read more on our podcast page where we also have a link to Jason's 2018 Commencement speech at Lesley University and information about our Creative Writing in MFA program, where both Jason and Chris teach.

Launching Nov. 1! Why We Write is a new podcast for writers (aspiring and otherwise) and book lovers. Each episode we'll speak with an author from the Lesley University community and beyond about their work, inspiration, and more. Join us this season to hear from Jason Reynolds, Katie Cotugno, Rachel Kadish, Susan Goodman, Enzo Silon Surin and more.

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