James Meredith and The March Against Fear
In 1966, Civil Rights pioneer James Meredith set out on The March Against Fear. We talk to historian Ann Bausum about the history and impact of the march.
Kids Behavior and Parents Expectations
We explore why kids behave the way they do in certain situations, and offer strategies for dealing with a child that can help them grow more responsible.
Teaching Kids to Read by Expanding Their World
Our guest offers suggestions to parents, educators and policymakers about how expanding our children’s knowledge base in school will help make them read better.
Men, Women and Equality
Our guests talk about issues of gender equality, why they happen, and how we can level the playing field for both women and men.
Teens and Dystopian Literature
A great many books and films these days deal with a dark, forbidding world where young people are warring with the villainous adults to save civilization. Teens are drawn to these stories, but why? What is it about dystopian fiction that fascinates young people? We talk to two successful authors of these stories about how kids are working out some of the issues in their own lives through these …
Drew Barrymore: A child actress talks about life, love and family (2016)
Everyone remembers little Gertie from the movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and the actress who played the part – Drew Barrymore. Now, as a 40-year-old mother of two, Barrymore talks about her growing up, the problems she had with her family, fending for herself at age 14, and what she’s learned on the way to becoming an accomplished actress and a mature and loving mother.
The American Revolution: When Did It Really Begin?
In school we learn that the American Revolution began with the battles of Lexington and Concord. But did it? We talk to a historian and author about the events that preceded those battles that effectively threw out British rule in Massachusetts and set the stage for the other colonies to revolt and fight for freedom from England.
Teaching Kids to Read: It Starts Before They Even Begin to Speak! (2015)
Every parent wants their child to excel in school, and a big part of succeeding is learning to read well. Some parents try to teach their children to read when they’re toddlers, but is that too early? When should children be taught to read and how? Our two guests, one a professor specializing in early childhood, the other an author of children’s books, share their opinions on the subject.
Talking About Abortion and Other Touchy Topics in a New Way
Our guest offers a new way to discuss abortion – without taking sides, without name-calling or raised voices -- that brings the issue to a more personal and compassionate level.
The Great Fire: An unsung hero who saved thousands
After World War I there was a great conflict in Turkey and many Christians and others were killed. The city of Smyrna was set ablaze and even more people had to run to the beaches just to escape the flames. Refugees poured into the city from towns and rural areas and soon there were tens of thousands stranded on the shore with nowhere to go.
A New Look at the Bill of Rights
When we learn about the Bill of Rights in school, we often look at it as ten separate amendments to our Constitution instead of as a single, well-structured work, like a poem or symphony. Our guest didn’t see this either, until he needed a document to type while practicing his word processing program. We’ll hear about his realization that the Bill of Rights is, indeed, a cohesive and carefully …
Brown Girl Dreaming: Diverse voices in literature
Our guest, an award-winning author, says it’s time to hear from different voices in literature – beginning when children just start to open books. We’ll hear how she became a writer, and get a peek inside her memoir of growing up in two worlds – written entirely in verse.
The Future of the Mind
It’s amazing that in the 21st century, science knows so much about all of the organs of the body save one: the brain. We talk to a scientist and author about the unbelievable abilities of the brain, how memories help us predict the future, where dreams are located, how brain injury can sometimes make someone a genius, and how research into brain function is opening up new areas of understanding …
