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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
'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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
