NPR's Backseat Book Club
If you're a kid who likes to read, we want to hear from you! Every month, we'll pick a Backseat Book Club selection. We hope you'll read it and send in your questions. At month's end, we'll put some of your questions to the book's author during our afternoon radio program, All Things Considered.
May Backseat Book Club Pick: 'Heart Of A Samurai'()
April 24, 2012 Margi Preus' Heart of a Samurai tells the story of Manjiro, a fisherman's son who dreams of becoming a samurai. When his boat is shipwrecked off the coast of Japan, he embarks on a series of adventures that turn his dreams into reality.
Both Community And Garden Grow In 'Seedfolks'()
April 24, 2012 An inner-city Cleveland community is drawn closer together as it works to transform a dirty vacant lot into a lush communal garden in Seedfolks. Author Paul Fleischman says the title came from an old word meaning "ancestors."
Cast Your Vote: The 'Children's Choice Book Awards'()
March 26, 2012 When it comes to what we read, we like to make sure our Backseat Book Club readers are in the driver's seat! We invite you to cast your vote in the Children's Choice Book Awards — and help us pick our book for June!
'Mysterious Benedict': Solve A Puzzle, Save The World()
March 26, 2012 Puzzle-solving genius kids form a pint-size crime-fighting Mod Squad in this month's Backseat Book Club pick. Trenton Lee Stewart, author of The Mysterious Benedict Society, takes questions from young readers about the book's twists, turns and creative conundrums.
April Backseat Book Club Pick: 'Seedfolks'()
March 26, 2012 Seedfolks follows the interconnected stories of 13 people whose lives are changed when they begin to care for a neglected community garden. Author Paul Fleischman said he found inspiration for Seedfolks close to home; at his childhood home in Los Angeles, his parents were dedicated urban farmers.
March Book Pick: 'The Mysterious Benedict Society'()
February 29, 2012 In March, we turn to swashbuckling adventure and head-scratching conundrums in The Mysterious Benedict Society. Trenton Lee Stewart tells the story of four genius kids on a secret mission to save the world. Don't be surprised when young readers grab pen and paper to work out the puzzles and riddles by hand.
Young Photographers Turn Their Lenses On Love()
February 29, 2012 In February, we asked members of NPR's Backseat Book Club to send in photographs of the people and places they love. This gallery is just a small sampling of the hundreds of beautiful submissions we received.
Two Books For Kids About How Hard It Is To Fit In()
February 29, 2012 In February, the young readers in NPR's Backseat Book Club read a pair of books: The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes and Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai. They were published 60 years apart but share similar themes about standing out, getting teased and being strong.
Kids: Share Photos Of The People And Places You Love()
January 31, 2012 In February, NPR's Backseat Book Club will read Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai. In the book, a boy finds his voice — and the chance to find his lost little sister — through photography. Now it's your turn: Send us your photos of the people and places special to you.
'Birmingham': A Family Tale In The Civil Rights Era()
January 26, 2012 A road trip from Michigan to Alabama places the Watson family in Birmingham in 1963, just as racial tensions are roiling. Christopher Paul Curtis draws upon his own experiences growing up in the 1960s for this Newbery Honor-winning novel.
February Book Picks: 'Shooting Kabul' And 'The Hundred Dresses'()
January 26, 2012 This month, NPR's Backseat Book Club will read two books that explore what it's like to try to create a new home while still missing the one you've left behind. Join us as we read Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai and The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes.
January Kids' Book Club Pick: 'The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963'()
December 20, 2011 Christopher Paul Curtis tells the story of a Michigan family traveling south to Alabama during the height of the civil rights movement. Curtis composed the novel in his head while working on automobile assembly lines in Flint, Mich.
'Breadcrumbs': Young Readers Follow A Wintry Tale()
December 20, 2011 Anne Ursu's novel is a modern-day fairy tale set in the snowy woods near Minneapolis. In the latest installment of NPR's Backseat Book Club, Ursu explains that Breadcrumbs was inspired by her own childhood memories of white winters in Minnesota.
Best Books Of 2011
Top 5 Books For Backseat Readers (Age 9 And Up)()
December 8, 2011 Since starting NPR's Backseat Book Club, Michele Norris has been swimming in "kid lit." The five stories on her year-end list will seep into your heart and leave you thinking about the characters long after you've turned the final pages.
December Kids' Book Club Pick: 'Breadcrumbs'()
November 29, 2011 Anne Ursu's big-hearted story about friendship and adventure is set in the snowy woods — and perfect for wintry reading. When 11-year-old Jack disappears in the Minnesota woods, it's up to his best friend, Hazel, to trudge through the snow to find him.
Kids' Book Club Takes 'Tollbooth' To Lands Beyond()
November 29, 2011 The pun-filled Phantom Tollbooth turns 50 this year. Author Norton Juster takes questions from young readers about the story of Milo, a bored little boy who finds adventure in a very strange land full of riddles and wordplay.
Kids' Book Club: A 'Graveyard' Tour With Neil Gaiman()
October 28, 2011 Welcome to NPR's Backseat Book Club, where author Neil Gaiman is here to answer your questions about The Graveyard Book. Gaiman explains how Nobody Owens, a young boy raised in a graveyard, learns the value of life from the dead.
Meet The Readers In NPR's Backseat Book Club()
November 14, 2011 Young readers across the country are taking a trip to the Lands Beyond with Milo, Tock and Humbug in The Phantom Tollbooth. To help us all get to know one another, we asked book club members to send in photos of themselves reading the book.
Nov. Kids' Book Club Pick: 'The Phantom Tollbooth'()
October 28, 2011 Even after 50 years, the story of a bored little boy who travels to the Lands Beyond still feels fresh. We know you will love Milo's story — and we invite you to send in your questions for author Norton Juster and illustrator Jules Feiffer.
Read 'Graveyard' With NPR's Backseat Book Club()
October 21, 2011 Introducing a new NPR book club ... for kids! Our first book will be The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Young readers are invited to read the book and share their thoughts and questions with us. Just before Halloween, Gaiman will be on the program to answer questions from young listeners.
