Tag Archives: Fantasy

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J. R. R. Tolkien: an interview with Antonio Sacre

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Podcast #083

For my eighty-third Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author and storyteller Antonio Sacre about the classic fantasy novel The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J. R. R. Tolkien. Bilbo Baggins is a Hobbit like any other, wanting nothing more than to sit in his comfortable home with his pipe. But when adventure coming knocking on his door, literally, Bilbo sets off to meet trolls and dragons and elves and more adventure than he ever knew was possible.

Antonio Sacre is author of  such books A Mango in the Hand and My Name is Cool. He is also story teller who story telling recordings include Looking for Papito and High Five Dad. His latest story album is “World’s Second-Best Dad” which just won a 2020 Family Choice Award and a 2020 National Parenting Product Award. You can find his website at antoniosacre.com

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! And if you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author and motivational speaker Michael Arterberry about the classic children’s picture book Curious George by H. R. Rey. It will be published on Monday, September 7th, 2020.

The Book of Three- The Chronicles of Prydain, Book #1: an interview with John David Anderson

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Podcast #078

For my seventy-eighth Dream Gardens children’s books podcast, I interviewed author John David Anderson about the middle grade fantasy novel The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander, which is the first book of his Chronicles of Prydain series. Taran, tired of being just the assistant pig-keeper, wants a life of adventure. So when he meets the Horned King one day in the woods, adventure is exactly what he finds, and much more than he bargained for. Full of Lloyd Alexander’s trademark humor, fast pacing, and an array of quirky and interesting characters, the first book is a great introduction to the classic fantasy series.

John David Anderson is author of the novels Granted, Ms. Bixby’s Last Day which was the subject of another Dream Gardens podcast, Posted, and Finding Orion. His most recent middle grade novel is One Last Shot. You can find John David Anderson’s website at www.johndavidanderson.org.

Podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! And if you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author Karen Blumenthal about the YA non-fiction book The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slaternder. It will be published on Monday, June 15th, 2020.

The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle – an interview with Dan Richards

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Podcast #065

For my sixty-fifth Dream Gardens kid lit podcast, I interviewed author Dan Richards about the middle grade novel The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox. Part historical fiction, part supernatural fantasy, and part espionage thriller, the novel tells the story of twelve year old Kat Bateson and her siblings, who are sent to a boarding school at the mysterious Rookskill Castle, run by the equally mysterious Lady Eleanor. Sent there to escape the Blitz of London, they become entangled in a series of strange events that may prove to be just as dangerous. Dark magic, spies, hidden rooms and terrible secrets lurk in the shadowy halls of the castle, and Kat must discover what is really going on before Lady Eleanor, who is not what she seems, finds her out first.

Dan Richards is author  the middle grade novels Stu Truly and Stu Truly: First Kiss, the picture books The Problem With Not Being Scared of Monsters and The Problem With Not Being Scared of Kids,  and the recently released picture books Once Upon a Goat and Penny and Penelope. You can find Dan’s website at www.danrichardsbooks.com.

All podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! And if you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with literacy expert, author, and creator of World Read Aloud Day Pam Allyn about the classic children’s novel Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. It will be published on Monday, December 2nd.

The Golden Compass (Northern Lights): His Dark Materials, Book 1 – an interview with Kat Zhang

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Podcast #064

For my sixty-fourth Dream Gardens kid lit podcast, I interviewed author Kat Zhang about the classic fantasy novel The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1) by Philip Pullman. Originally published in the UK with the title Northern Lights, The Golden Compass is first of three books (The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass being the other two) that tell the adventures of a young girl, Lyra, and her demon Pantalaimon, as the search out to find the meaning of a mysterious Dust that’s got everyone panicked, and why something known only as the Gobblers are kidnapping children. Along the way she’ll meet an army of talking armored bears, prophesying witches, and the enchanting Mrs. Coulter, who may not be what she seems. In this book Philip Pullman creates a world that is both completely original and yet oddly familiar, and brings us one of the great characters of fiction in the form of the wild and big-hearted Lyra Belacqua.

Kat Zhang is author the YA series The Hybrid Chronicles, the middle grade novels The Emperor’s Riddle  and The Memory of Forgotten Things, the recently published picture book Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao, and coming in 2021, Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon. You can find Kat’s website at katzhangwriter.com.

All podcasts are available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. Please link, share, comment, write a review or subscribe. Let me know what you think! And if you are interested in participating in the Dream Gardens podcast, send me a request through my contact page.

My next podcast will be with author Dan Richards about the middle grade historical supernatural thriller The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle. It will be published on Monday, November 18th.