Mostly Book Talk
A podcast for teachers, librarians, and parents who are passionate about supporting children's and teenagers' reading for pleasure. We dive into the vibrant world of children’s and YA literature, offering expert book recommendations, engaging author interviews, and practical advice on how to nurture a lifelong love of reading.
Whether you’re looking to expand your classroom or library collection, discover fresh titles for your students or children, or explore proven strategies for creating reading-rich environments, you will find it here. From picture books to young adult novels, we highlight new releases, hidden gems, and must-read favourites that are sure to grow your 'To Be Read' pile.
Tune in for thoughtful conversations and inspiring ideas that make reading irresistible for every young reader.
- Perfect for educators, school librarians, and book-loving families
- New episodes regularly featuring authors, reading experts, and literacy advocates
- Build reading cultures, spark book buzz, and celebrate the joy of stories
Subscribe now and join a community committed to making reading a pleasure.
Episodes
69 episodes
Fairy Tales at the British Library - a Family Adventure through Enchanted Stories
Join us as we talk to lead curators Alison Bailey and Laura Walker, of the British Library's Fairy Tales Exhibition. This interactive and child friendly exhibit is on until 23 August 2026 and covers many familiar tales as well as lesser known s...
Episode 51 - Kid Rex to the Rescue with Mayo Agard-Olubo
Join us talking to Mayo Agard-Olubo about his debut picture book, Kid Rex to the Rescue, illustrated by Diane Ewen. Max's imagination transforms him into the superhero Kid Rex, and he's ...
Episode 50 - The Carnegie Medal for Illustration Shortlist
Following on from episode 48 when we went through the Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlist together with expert Carnegie followers Alison Jewitt and Amy McKay, in this episode we go through the Carnegie Medal for Illustration shortlist and make...
Episode 49 - Dead Straight Line with Malcolm Duffy
Join us as we talk with author Malcolm Duffy about his YA book Dead Straight Line. This is his fifth book and is inspired by a teenage game of traveling in a straight line through, over ...
Episode 48 - The Carnegie Medal for Writing Shortlist
Together with expert Carnegie followers Alison Jewitt and Amy McKay we go through the Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlist and make our ill fated predictions for the winners.Alison Jewitt is an English teacher at the London Nautical City...
Episode 47 - Home is a Hug with Cindy Hume
Join us as we chat with Cindy Wume, Taiwanese author and illustrator, about her new picture book, Home is a Hug. The book imagines all the different ways in which we can think about home. It has interactive elements with cutouts and flaps and l...
National Year of Reading - Royal National Institute of Blind People
For the National Year of Reading, we are sharing a series of short conversations with people who are involved in promoting reading with young people. This could be a programme, resources or a literary event...
Episode 46 - Musical - and other - Truth(s) with Jeffrey Boakye
We talked to Jeffrey Boakye and tried very hard to stay on the topic of children's books (and mostly succeeded). We talked about his middle grade series which starts with Kofi and the Rap Ba...
Episode 45 - The Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award with poet Nicola Davies
In this episode we talk with poet Nicola Davies about the Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award (CLiPPA). The CLiPPA is the UK’s leading prize for poetry for children and each year highlights outstanding new collections for the young and ...
National Year of Reading - Learning with Parents
For the National Year of Reading, we are sharing a series of short conversations with people who are involved in promoting reading with young people. This could be a programme, resources or a literary event...
National Year of Reading - Inclusive Books for Children
For the National Year of Reading, we are sharing a series of short conversations with people who are involved in promoting reading with young people. This could be a programme, resources or a literary event...
Episode 44 - Recharging our batteries with Molly Harris' new book Whirby
We talk to author Molly Harris about her new picture book Whirby, illustrated by
National Year of Reading - The Federation of Children's Book Groups
For the National Year of Reading, we are sharing a series of short conversations with people who are involved in promoting reading with young people. This could be a programme, resources or a literary event,...
Episode 43 - Ultimate Superstar: Rashmi Sirdeshpande on her new books Hari Kumar and Super Uma
In this episode we are joined by author Rashmi Sirdeshpande about her new books - Hari Kumar Ultimate Superstar (illustrated by
National Year of Reading - EmpathyLab
For the National Year of Reading, we are sharing a series of short conversations with people who are involved in promoting reading with young people. This could be a programme, resources or a literary event, and we're giving them the opportunit...
National Year of Reading - Chapter One
For the National Year of Reading, we are sharing a series of short conversations with people who are involved in promoting reading with young people. This could be a programme, resources or a literary event, and we're giving them the opportunit...
National Year of Reading - Coram Beanstalk
For the National Year of Reading, we are sharing a series of short conversations with people who are involved in promoting reading with young people. This could be a programme, resources or a literary event, and we're giving them the opportunit...
Part 6 - The Reading Crisis - Why children aren't reading and what we can do about it
For Part 6 we asked all our interviewees for one thing they would do to address the reading crisis. Properly funded libraries and librarians were unsurprisingly a strong theme, but also a rethink about how we position children's reading - ho...
National Year of Reading - Books for Keeps
For the National Year of Reading, we are sharing a series of short conversations with people who are involved in promoting reading with young people. This could be a programme, resources or a literary event, and we're giving them the opportunit...
Episode 42 - Rock the Vote! with Nadia Shireen
In this episode we talk with Nadia Shireen about the mad and upredictable world of Grimwood and book five in the series, Rock the Vote! which has recently come out in paperback.
Episode 41 - I Want Everything! with author and illustrator Sophy Henn
In this episode we talk to author Sophy Henn about her new picture book I Want Everything! - which is about how sometimes it might feel like you want everything, but when you real...
Part 5 - The Reading Crisis - Why children aren't reading and what we can do about it.
In part 5 we continue looking at what works to support reading for pleasure, focusing more this time on opportunities for authors to engage with readers and the importance of wider family and community involvement and spaces to discover and ...
Episode 40 - Author Sarah Crossan talks about her new thriller, Gone for Good
We are joined by author Sarah Crossan to talk about her new verse novel, Gone for Good . It is a read in one go thriller about the troubled teen industry....
Part 4 - The Reading Crisis - Why children aren't reading and what we can do about it
In part 4 we hear more about what we should be doing to address the decline in children’s reading for pleasure. In this episode we focus on approaches in schools and how to involve staff and pupils in creating a reading for pleasure cult...
National Year of Reading - Youth Libraries Group
For the National Year of Reading, we are sharing a series of short conversations with people who are involved in promoting reading with young people. This could be a programme, resources or a literary event, and we're giving them the opportunit...
