Read-Aloud Revival ®

We all want to make lasting memories with our kids, especially at this time of year. 

We want them to remember freshly-baked cookies, the fragrance of a freshly cut Christmas tree, the crackling warmth of a fire, the melody of your family’s favorite carols… The list goes on until suddenly we have a to-do list longer than the trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

Christmas is naturally a time for memory-making. But it’s also a time that invites us to slow down and savor the season as we wait in joyful hope for the birth o...

Today, I am over the moon to welcome one of my very favorite guests back to the show. She’s been on the show and visited us in RAR Premium several times over the years and I always love our conversations.

You know her as the author of some of your kids’ favorite books, like the Mercy Watson series, The Tale of Despereaux, and Because of Winn-Dixie. That’s right, Kate DiCamillo is back!

She’s here to tell us all about the brand-new, absolutely gorgeous 20th anniversary edition of The M...

There is a type of children’s book that we haven’t talked much about here in twelve years of Read-Aloud Revival. But it’s one that almost anyone who has spent time with babies knows well: board books.

Board books are how so many of our kids meet stories and books for the first time. They’re often the first books babies and littles are able to really get their hands (and mouths!) on, and experience touching the pictures and turning the pages for themselves. 

So today, we’re going to do a bit of a deep d...

We all want our kids to be readers. 

Not just kids who can read, but kids who actually do read. Who then grow up and keep choosing to read because they want to, not because they have to.

But there’s a curious thing that those of us who care deeply about raising lifelong readers tend to do, which is to treat our kids’ reading lives in exactly the opposite way that adult readers actually read. 

We choose all their books. We tell them how lo...

The heart of homeschooling is relationships. Building meaningful, lasting connections is the real secret sauce of reading aloud with your kids. Those connections are also built when you spend time in nature together. 

Sounds simple, right? Read books. Go outside. But it can also feel like yet another thing to add to your already packed to-do list. How do we make time in our already full days to get outside with our kids?

We’ve got an absolute treat for you today on the show. Ginny Yurich, the founder of the global 1000 Hours Outside movement, is...

Over the past few months on the podcast, we’ve talked a lot about how reading aloud benefits kids academically, how it develops their resilience, empathy, and virtue, and even reduces physiological stress. Today on the show, we’re diving into the flip side of reading: writing. 

Without writing, we’d have no stories to read. But creating books to share with others isn’t the only reason why writing is so important. Writing also has tremendous benefits to the person sitting down and putting words on a page.  

In this ep...

Books are so much more than just a collection of words. They are lanterns that illuminate our lives in so many incredible ways.

Today, I want to share a story with you about a group of women who also believed in the power of books to transform lives. So much so, that they were willing to endure quite a lot of hardship to get books into the hands of people who otherwise wouldn’t have had access to them during a difficult period of American history. 

In this episode, I’m...

How long is your to-do list? 

What if you added in all the extra shoulds and supposed-tos that you are in your head but you don’t even write down because that would be too overwhelming? How long is it then?

It might feel a little cliché to talk about how busy we are. But I think it’s helpful to acknowledge that most of us are at least a little bit (or more) fried. 

So why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we k...

Here at the Read-Aloud Revival, we’ve been asked more times than I can count to create virtue-based book lists. And I always say no.

Today, our Creative Director (and my eldest daughter) Audrey is back with me to talk about why we don’t make lists of books that specifically set out to teach kids about kindness, honesty, or other virtues. 

The reality is, all good books have a powerful capacity to inspire us towards virtue, and the ones that are the most effective are the ones that don’t set out to teach. They ju...

 When you think about the various work that goes into making a children’s book, research probably isn’t at the top of your list. 

It might not make it on your list at all!

But research is often an essential part of the process. And I can tell you from personal experience that research can be a time-intensive, sometimes overwhelming, but often the most delightful task. 

Today on the show, we’re hearing from some incredible authors and illustrators about the research that goes into...

When I mention Shakespeare, a lot of people immediately conjure up visions of high school English class, struggling through Julius Caesar line by line.

Which is an absolute shame, because Shakespeare’s plays are meant to be experienced–performed, seen, heard, felt. 

And experiencing Shakespeare with your kids is truly one of the most joyful things you can do together.

Today, I’m returning to my conversation with one of my favorite Shakespeare lovers, Ken Ludwig.

Ken is the author of How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare and one of our...

How do we homeschool high school? It’s *the* question, isn’t it?

A lot of us go into homeschooling ready and excited for the younger years. Then as high school approaches, things start to feel… a little more complicated. To say the least. Navigating difficult subjects, transcripts, college applications, and alternatives to college if that isn’t a good fit for your child can be intimidating.

It’s no wonder that homeschooling high school is one of the most-asked topics here at RAR.

As many of you know, I have three...

One of the very best ways to travel with your children is through books.

Physically travelling as a family isn’t always possible for a variety of reasons, but by reading with our kids, we give them the gift of windows into unfamiliar worlds. Stories develop empathy and invite us to engage with another’s experiences in ways that can even go deeper than visiting a place in real life. 

Today, RAR’s Creative Director (and my eldest daughter) Audrey is with me to talk about the power of books to take us places, even when we...

 What would happen if you decided to be your child's mentor rather than their teacher? 

What if you awakened their wonder and curiosity so that they became the kind of people who thirst for knowledge and understanding?

Today, I’m revisiting a conversation about those very questions that I had a few years ago with Sally Clarkson. I’m lucky to count Sally as a dear friend and I know that her work has been transformational for me and for so many of you.

In this episode, Sally shares how we can inspire our ki...

What is your calling in life? 

For poet, songwriter, and academic, Malcolm Guite, it’s unequivocally clear–to be a storyteller. 

Today on the podcast Audrey and I chat with Malcolm about the first volume in his new retelling of the classic King Arthur stories, Galahad and the Grail, illustrated by the incredible Stephen Crotts and published by our friends over at Rabbit Room Press. 

Not only is Malcolm adapting the legends of King Arthur, he’s doing it in poetic ballad form, which means they are basically designed to be read aloud. 

In ou...

Learning to read can be hard. And when our kids are still learning to read fluently and well, helping them fall in love with books can feel impossible.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Today on the show, I’m sharing some strategies to help hook your developing reader. And of course, I have some suggestions for books that they won’t be able to resist.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

We all want to build those meaningful and lasting connections with our kids. 

Around here, we’re usually talking about doing that through books and reading aloud. But how do we extend these connections into our everyday, ordinary parenting moments?  

Today, I’m talking to one of my favorite people to listen to when it comes to relationships. Dr Matthew Breuninger is a clinical psychologist and author of Finding Freedom in Christ: Healing Life’s Hurts and in this episode he shares how safe, secure attachment forms the foundation of close relationships with our kids and how...

Today, we’re revisiting a listener-favorite episode that has some advice and an activity that I think are perfect for this time of year in our homeschools.

Jon Acuff, author of All It Takes Is a Goal, joined me a while back for a perspective-shifting conversation about setting and achieving goals for our homeschools, and how looking back at our best moments, from major milestones to pockets of joy, helps us envision the kind of future we really want. 

Jon also shares some practical tips for reframing the urge to compare ourselves to others, especially on...

We talk a lot around here about the incredible impact stories have on our kids. They build empathy and connection, letting us walk a mile in another’s shoes. And some stories also help us see what it looks like to be brave and courageous, even in the face of fear or daunting challenges.

Today, Audrey is back to talk with me about how stories inspire courage in our kids and ourselves and can connect us to profound truths, no matter how fantastical the setting.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

Why do we read aloud to our kids? Especially those who can read to themselves? 

This is a topic that comes up all the time at Read-Aloud Revival and it’s one I’m super passionate about. It’s foundational to what we do around here and I firmly believe it’s vital to our kids becoming lifelong readers. 

In this episode, we’re talking about the impact reading aloud has on our children, regardless of their independent reading level. Research shows that there are many benefits to reading aloud to your kids, and today, we’re going...

Today’s episode is a special treat featuring the return of a listener-favorite guest who happens to be one of my favorite people, too. 😉

Back on episode 209, my eldest daughter, Audrey joined me to share her perspective on what it was like growing up in our bustling homeschool family. Ever since that episode aired, listeners have asked for updates on what she’s up to and how she’s doing. Suffice it to say, she’s had a few more adventures since we recorded that episode!

So I’m delighted to welcome Audrey back to the podcast t...

If I were to ask you if your life ever felt tranquil, you would probably do one of two things: bust out laughing or look at me like I was from another planet.

I get it, I really do. 

Which is why I’m so excited to have the author of one of my absolute tippy-top recommended books with me today. Laura Vanderkam is a time management expert, mother of five, and the author of Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters. 

What if I told you there’s an Icelandic Christmas tradition where the whole point is to spend an evening sitting around, sipping hot cocoa, and reading books?

Sign me up, right?

Today, we’re talking about Jolabokaflod, which loosely translates to “Yule Book Flood,” how it started, and how you can bring the magic of this bookish tradition into your home this Christmas.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

We all know there is no shortage of Christmas picture books out there. 

But for a book to make it onto my kids’ Christmas stack or onto a Read Aloud Revival Christmas Book List, it has to be excellent. 

And the books we choose for Christmas School? Those are the ones that go above and beyond excellent and are some of our most treasured, tippy-top favorite Christmas read-alouds.

Today, I have the author-illustrator of one of my all-time favorite Christmas picture books, Red and Lulu...

Hey hey, it's Sarah Mackenzie!

I am here with a bonus episode. I host another podcast — it's called Circle with Sarah— and it's a short, weekly podcast that helps all of us become the peace-filled, joyful mamas we're called to be. It goes up at RAR Premium every Monday during the school year. 

Recently, I recorded an episode for that podcast called "God is Not Disappointed in You." And not only did it really resonate with RAR Premium members, but we got several requests from members to please post this on the Read...

Have you ever worried that you’re not meeting all of your child’s needs—academically, emotionally, spiritually, or even socially? Pretty much every day, right? 

You’re not alone. Most of us have asked ourselves if we are giving our kids everything they need at one time or another.

In this episode, I’m sharing a replay from one of our Circle with Sarah live sessions where RAR Community Manager Kelsey Murphy and I dug into what education is really for, because if we know what it’s for, we’re be...

Many of you will already know that I am a huge fan of The Chronicles of Narnia. Today, I want to introduce my fellow Narnia lovers to a new book that jumped right off the shelf as soon as I saw it. 

Giant is a middle-grade novel by debut author Judith McQuoid where we meet Davy, a fictional working class boy from East Belfast, Ireland who is sent to work in the wealthy Lewis household in 1908. There, he forges a friendship with Jacks–as C.S. Lewis was known to his friends and family–over...

Astrid Sheckels continues the wit and whimsy of childhood through her marvelous and magnificent illustrations and storytelling. 

You might recognize her from the Hector Fox and Friends series or Sea Dog and Sea Dog Rescue, and she created the gorgeous cover and interior illustrations for Beyond Mulberry Glen by Millie Florence. 

Today we’re chatting about her new book, Flora and the Jazzers, which Kirkus called “sumptuously illustrated” in their starred review and I couldn’t agree more. This jazz-age Cinderella story starring a ferret named Flora and set in a 1920s...

Peace. It sounds lovely, right? It’s what so many of us want more than anything else in our homeschools. We long for peace, even if it often feels unattainable.

But what does peace actually look like in the midst of a real, chaotic homeschool day?

Last month in Circle with Sarah–my mentoring program for homeschool moms inside RAR Premium–we had a retreat. And our theme? Maintaining Peace in Your Homeschool.

Over four sessions, we walked through practical tips for letting go of guilt and holdin...

What does having a happy homeschool mean to you? 

How would you describe it? What would you be doing?

Our homeschools are all unique. We have different kids, different spouses, different resources, different homes, different demands on our time and energy. And yet I have a hunch that when we think about what having a happy homeschool means, our answers would be remarkably similar.

As many of us are getting into the swing of a new school year, I want to revisit a topic that I think is incredibly important to keep in m...

Today, I have a very special treat for you! This spring, our publishing imprint here at RAR, Waxwing Books, celebrated the release of Painting Wonder: How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien at one of my favorite bookstores, Fabled Bookshop in Waco, Texas.

I had so much fun talking to Painting Wonder’s incredibly talented author and illustrator, Katie Wray Schon, about this picture book biography of the fascinating woman behind the iconic illustrations in the works of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. 

One of the all-time most useful things I’ve implemented in my homeschool is Quiet Reading Time.

I did Quiet Reading Time with my three eldest kids, who are now in college and beyond, during the most hectic years when I had all six at home (three of whom were babies at the time!), and I still do it with those younger three today. It has made a bigger difference in our homeschool than almost anything else.

It isn’t always quiet. And it isn’t always reading, in the mo...

Summer break . . . It’s often not much of a break, right?

Even if you find yourself with a little less on your plate, anxiety and second-guessing have a way of filling the gaps where we want rest and relaxation to fill.

To find peace that lasts throughout the school year, we can’t just “take a break.” 

We need to break free from the stories and fears that keep us mired in anxiety.

When homeschooling moms ask me for advice, they rarely need advice. What they’re really asking for...

Have you ever read a book and thought, “Wow, how did the author do that?!” 

Or maybe you’d love to sit down with your favorite author and pick their brain about their writing process or tips and tricks for when you get stuck.

Today, the Read-Aloud Revival team has compiled some of our favorite advice about getting creative from the archives of RAR Premium’s Family Book Clubs. 

Whether you write, draw, paint, or engage in any other creative pursuit, and whether you’re seven or...

If you’ve been around the Read-Aloud Revival for a minute, you might know that C. S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters is one of my all-time favorite books. 

It’s the book I have read and re-read the most, and it’s also the source of some of my favorite read-aloud memories with my young adult son.

Today’s guest has written a book in a similar style with the modern woman in mind, and in this episode we talk about how the enemy is working the hearts and minds o...

On the last episode of the Read-Aloud Revival, we talked about why Shakespeare is not a school subject. I hope we were able to convince you!

But if we know that Shakespeare isn’t a school subject or an item on a checklist, how do we actually do it? And how do we make Shakespeare not just doable in our homeschools, but delightful?

Today, we’ll talk through a simple framework your family can use to experience one of the richest and most rewarding literary treasures in the world in a...

Why should we read the classics? 

So many of us want to read and enjoy them, but we don’t want to spend our precious free time feeling like we’re incompetent because we just don’t get it or that the internet has completely ruined our brains (is this just me?).

This winter in RAR Premium, we did a whole retreat about falling in love with your reading life again, and today I'm sharing one of those sessions, called How to Read Classics (and Actually Enjoy Them). RAR Community Manager Kelsey Murphy and I talk al...

In this episode, RAR Community Manager Kelsey Murphy and I sat down to tackle some of your listener questions. 

We put our heads together to answer questions about loved ones who don’t support your choice to homeschool, curriculum overwhelm, reading aloud with older kids or a wide age range of ages, how to encourage your kids to read high quality literature, and more!

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

Today, one of my very favorite authors returns to Read-Aloud Revival. 

You know him as the author of Sweep, The Night Gardener, the Peter Nimble series, and The Fabled Stables. That’s right–Jonathan Auxier is back!

This time, we’re talking about the much-awaited conclusion to the Peter Nimble series, The War of the Maps. In our conversation, we delve into the guiding questions he explores during the writing process, and how each of these questions becomes a doorway for discovering who we are, whose we are, and what ou...

One of my favorite reads of 2024 was The Myth Makers by John Hendrix.

This gorgeous graphic novel tells the story of the remarkable friendship of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. I thought I already knew quite a bit about these Inklings, but there was even more to uncover.

Today, I’m delighted to share my conversation with the author and illustrator of The Myth Makers, John Hendrix. We dive into his research and writing process, exploring how the threads of the story came together. 

...