Reach Out and Read

Epic, the most-widely used electronic health record system, recently made changes to their EMR that smooths the process of documentation and reporting around Reach Out and Read. It's now easier for clinicians to indicate shared reading conversations, and for clinic coordinators to generate reporting data. Building on long-standing engagement with Reach Out and Read, Dr. Jackie Gerhart, a practicing family physician and Chief Medical Officer at Epic, and Ashley Gibson, the Story Coordinator at EPIC, join us to talk about what inspired those changes, and how - and why - Epic chose to incorporate our work into theirs.

What can fossils — yes, fossils! — tell us about the history of shared parental care and infant helplessness? Jeremy DeSilva, an Endowed Professor of Archaeology, Paleontology, and Ethnology at Dartmouth takes us on a few million years' deep dive into human evolution and what the fossil record tells us about the evolution of family relationships and behavior.

Whether man-made or naturally-occurring, chances are children will be exposed to some level of trauma at some point. How we regard these situations and recognize the protective effect of positive relationships will help guide how we may talk to kids and — we hope — buffer the effects of trauma. Yevgenia Nayberg joins us to talk about "Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters", her new book that draws upon her own upbringing in 1980s Ukraine and how she grounded herself in love and art throughout a childhood full of uncertainty.

The 20th Century was a time of unparalleled industry, creativity, innovation, and reach in the toy industry. Michael Kimmel, a SUNY distinguished professor emeritus and author of Playmakers: The Jewish Entrepreneurs Who Created the Toy Industry in America, joins us to talk about the immigrants who practically single-handedly created the material culture of American childhood as we know it.

Can fear and enchantment be two sides of the same coin? How can stories help children navigate through darkness and wonder? Maria Tatar, the John L. Loeb Research Professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures and of Folklore and Mythology at Harvard University, joins us to discuss the role of children's literature in offering curiosity and courage in young readers. Warning: you may never think about some classic books the same way again...

We often understand why building strong relationships in pediatric clinical care is important, but the details of how matter. Linda Gilkerson, PhD, Founder and Executive Director of the Fussy Baby FAN Network at the Erikson Institute, joins us to talk about reflective practice and how strengthening the provider-parent relationship helps parents become attuned to their infants and ready for trying new relational approaches.

What does it mean to be "enough" as a parent, caregiver, or professional? Where is my "maternal instinct" if I don't feel an instant bond? How do fathers come to feel like fathers — and what if the connection doesn't come right away?" These are just some of the questions explored using narrative and reflection by Dr. Junlei Li and Thelma Ramirez in their new early relational health project, The Shock and Beauty of Early Parenthood.

She's the most influential person you may never have heard of. A new book, Books Good Enough for You: The Storied Life of Ursula Nordstrom, Editor of Extraordinary Children's Books, recounts how she nurtured and edited some of the greatest books of the past 100 years, including titles such as Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon, The Carrot Seed, Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and dozens more. Author Nancy Hudgins joins to talk about the impact Ursula Nordstrom had - and continues to have - on the world of children's literature.

When, why, and how did we decide as a society to dedicate all our parenting resources to the "human capitalization of children"—and at what cost? Nina Bandelj, Chancellor's Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine, joins us to help answer this question (and many others) from her new book Overinvested: The Emotional Economy of Modern Parenting.

Commemorating America 250, we asked author Laurie Halse Anderson to join us to discuss Rebellion 1776, a historical fiction middle grade adventure about a girl struggling to survive amid a smallpox epidemic, the public's fear (yes!) of inoculation, and the seething Revolutionary War.

Underneath every 'comeback story' is a deep well of resilience that emerges from fundamental human capabilities that are at the same time both ordinary and powerful. Ann Masten, Regents Professor of Child Development at the University of Minnesota and author of Ordinary Magic, joins us to talk about how we can build and promote the building blocks of resilience in early childhood.

Many families today have a child who is a "picky eater", but before the 1930's, the concept of a picky eater didn't even exist. What's responsible? Changes in parenting? Psychology? Food manufacturing? Advertising? Technology? As it turns out… all the above. Helen Zoe Veit, author of Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History joins us to explore this puzzle by looking to the past: when children ate completely differently than they do today—and with vastly more pleasure.

Baby laughs do more than just make us feel good — they actually serve a critical role in a baby's development. Dr. Gina Mireault, a developmental psychologist and professor at Vermont State University, joins us to explain how "laughter and humor are fundamental to how babies learn about and participate in the world"; those giggles are less about comedy and more about connection, she tells us.

Ideally, books offer something for kids and adults alike. Chances are if you and your child are independently enjoying a book, you probably will enjoy reading that book together. Hugo Award–winning, Eisner Award–nominated author Zach Weinersmith joins us to talk about writing for kids and adults, adapting Beowulf (yes, Beowulf!) for children, and his new novel Sawyer Lee and the Quest to Just Stay Home.

Many pediatricians care for underserved populations, and have long recognized the inextricable links between the well-being of families and the outcomes for their children. Dr. Terri McFadden, professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, medical director for Reach Out and Read Georgia, and president-elect for the American Academy of Pediatrics, joins us to talk about a new book which serves as a valuable 'how-to' on applying a two-generation approach to serving children and their families in an integrated manner — and offers primary care strategies for promoting optimal health and better developmental outcomes for children living in low-resourced environments.

It's been a few thousand years and yet Greek myths can still capture our imagination. What makes these stories so timeless? Katherine Marsh, an award-winning author of novels for middle-grade readers—including Medusa: The Myth of Monsters and The Gods' Revenge—joins us to talk about how modern adaptations can make these incredible stories more accessible to young readers.

We're always surprised — and a little chagrined — to find a piece of history we had not yet heard about. Author Maria Dolores Aguila joins us to talk about her new book A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez, a uniquely American story about one child's stand against poverty, deportation, racism, and colorism in southern California in the early 1900s.

For a question that brings up strong feelings on both sides, try asking: Do audiobooks qualify as 'reading'? Brian Bannon, the Merryl and James Tisch Director of Branch Libraries and Education and Chief Librarian at The New York Public Library, joins us to talk about the rise of—and stigma around—audiobooks, and why the environment in which we read might matter more than the modality.

We know that stress and trauma uniquely affects children. But we also know that intervening early can help reduce the associated adverse health outcomes — and that a strong caregiver/child relationship is especially powerful at buffering the effects of stress. Dr. Heather Forkey, professor of pediatrics and the vice chair of pediatrics at UMass Chan Medical School and division director of the Foster Children Evaluation Service at UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center joins us to help us understand what trauma and stress does to children and how we can help address it.

A child's engagement with digital media isn't just with a device or an app, but with an entire digital ecosystem. Managing these ecosystems can be challenging enough under regular circumstances, but tech's commercialization has outpaced families' access to helpful supports around health development, relationships, and well-being — not just of individual children or families, but of communities and societies. Dr. Tiffany Munzer, a lead author of the AAP's new Digital Ecosystems, Children, and Adolescents Policy Statement, joins us to explain this new publication and its recommendations for families, caregivers, society — and industry.