How do you know a good book when you see it?

I remember walking into the big, beautiful children’s section at the library with my oldest, who was a baby. I wanted to find books to read aloud to her, but it was hard to know which ones we would love.

That longing to find good books for my children was the spark that eventually became the Read-Aloud Revival podcast and RAR Premium community, where we’re always trying to find and share the very best books to read aloud with your family.

Today, RAR Premium Coordinator Leilani Curtis joins me to chat about how we select the books for our booklists here at Read-Aloud Revival. We’re also going to share our best advice for being more confident in choosing books to bring into your home, whether it’s at the bookstore or the library.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How our booklists can help you choose quality books to share with your family
• Three quick questions to help you decide if a book is worth a longer look
• The qualities we look for in books we recommend

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/how-we-choose-books

• Get Christmas School
• Order a copy of Beyond Mulberry Glen by January 7, 2025 to get your free gifts!

A library should be a kind of paradise, don’t you agree? Author and illustrator Barbara Cooney certainly thought so.

Barbara Cooney was an extraordinary author and illustrator of over 100 children’s books with stories that span the world, from the shores of Greece to the mountains of Appalachia. The more I learned about Barbara, the more I wanted to tell the story of this beautiful artist who, in every aspect of her life–from raising four children to traveling to gardening to winning awards for her illustrations–was committed to capturing the beauty in (and for!) the world.

Because Barbara: Barbara Cooney Paints Her World has been nearly six years in the making. Today, I want to take you behind the scenes and introduce you to the team that made it happen, from the very first draft to the final, beautiful book you’ll hold in your hands.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The many drafts, revisions, critiques, and edits that brought me to the throughline of Barbara’s wonderfully full and creative life
• How the art team took on the daunting task of styling and illustrating the book to echo Barbara’s style without directly imitating it
• How sound design and animation bring the audio and video books to life

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/making-because-barbara

• Get Christmas School
• Order a copy of Beyond Mulberry Glen by January 7, 2025 to get your free gifts!

Raising creative kids is a beautiful, worthwhile endeavor, but not one that is always neat and tidy!

In today's episode, I’ve invited two of my good friends and fellow creatives—authors S. D. Smith and Carolyn Leiloglou—for a conversation on how our creative work as adults impacts our kids. We discuss everything from the challenges of nurturing creativity in our families to the influence of stories on our hearts and minds.

S. D. Smith is the author of the wildly popular and perennial Let the Kids Speak favorite Green Ember series and is a father to four imaginative children.

Carolyn Leiloglou is the author of the middle-grade fantasy series The Restorationists and a homeschool mom to four creative kids.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How connecting with the wonder in our kids fuels and enhances creativity
• The value of boredom (a best-kept creative secret!)
• The nuances of how we measure creative success

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/fostering-wonder-and-creativity

👀 Watch this episode on Youtube!