When we first began the podcast, our main goal was to inspire more folks to read. But we also talked about how we might offer content to help parents inspire their kids become life long readers. It isn’t easy, and there is no magic bullet, but we have some of the best of the best to tell us how to do it and why it’s so important. Emma Lee is the Associate Director of the Fred Rogers Institute at St Vincent College, Kate DiCamillo is a beloved children’s author, and Holly Weinkauf is the owner of the Red Balloon Children’s Bookshop in St. Paul. We spoke with them for a piece we did for Good Morning America that aired at the end of November. But we loved these conversations so much we wanted to bring them to our podcast audience, extended. There is some great advice here, and it’s worth hearing what these remarkable women have to say.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

• Mercy Watson is Missing by Kate DiCamillo
• The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo
• The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo
• Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo
• Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
• The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo
• Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo
• Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo
• The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo
• Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo
• The Mercy Watson Series by Kate DiCamillo

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