About this episode
Katherine Applegate is a prolific and celebrated author best known for the beloved “Animorphs” series, “Wishtree,” “Odder,” and, of course, her Newbery Medal-winning “The One and Only Ivan.” In this episode, she discusses the unique bond between kids and animals, including her early stint as a gerbil peddler! 😱 Katherine shares how a community rallied to fight the censorship of her book “Wishtree,” her part in that fight, and why she always chooses comedy over tragedy, even when the world seems bleak. Plus, Katherine reveals the real reason she's not roughing it out in the wild with Jane Goodall and the gorillas.
“I think it has to do with powerlessness and with the kind of hierarchy that kids endure every day, where these grown-ups are not making sense, and the world doesn't make sense, and animals are basically suffering the same fate.” - Katherine Applegate
However, holding onto hope can be challenging for kids as they face the harsh realities of our world, feeling powerless in the face of injustice, suffering, and even death. Stories play a crucial role in helping our children build resilience to face these hardships.
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You will not be surprised by the theme for Katherine’s reading list challenge, “Exploring the Animal-Human Bond.” In it, she has curated a list of books perfect for the dog days of summer, all featuring strong human-animal relationships. Download the list at thereadingculturepod.com/katherine-applegate.
Whatever you do, keep reading!
Contents
- Chapter 1 - Gerbil Peddler (2:09)
- Chapter 2 - Really Bad Waitress (8:32)
- Chapter 3 - Powerlessness (and otter facts) (10:33)
- Chapter 4 - E.B. White - Letters (deja-vu?) (16:14)
- Chapter 5 - The Attempted Felling of Wishtree (23:09)
- Chapter 6 - Ivan Settles Down (30:14)
- Chapter 7 - Exploring the Animal-Human Bond (33:37)
- Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian (35:35)
Author Reading Challenge
Download the free reading challenge worksheet, or view the challenge materials on our helpdesk.
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Links:
- The Reading Culture
- The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
- Katherine Applegate
- The One and Only Ivan | Official Trailer | Disney+
- In Virginia, Censors Attempt to Axe 'Wishtree'
- Letters of E.B. White
- Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
- Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture
- Jordan Lloyd Bookey