Welcome to That’s Terrible! — the fun, fascinating podcast where terrible things turn into amazing learning adventures for kids!
Hosted by 10-year-old Amelia and her mom Erika, That’s Terrible! explores some of the world’s most shocking disasters, mysterious events and unbelievable mishaps in a kid-friendly format. Each episode features expert guests who help us understand the stories behind the headlines and the history that shaped our world. Perfect for curious kids, families, classrooms, road trips, and anyone who loves weird history and real-life mysteries!
What you’ll find on That’s Terrible!:
• Expert interviews that explain history and science
• Educational storytelling for curious kids
• Book recommendations for further learning
Subscribe and join Erika and Amelia as we ask: What terrible thing should we learn about next?
Dave Sanderson shares his harrowing firsthand account of the "Miracle on the Hudson" and how the event reshaped his perspective on flying in this interview with Erika and Amelia.
15 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Eastland Disaster
Erika and Amelia interview Ted and Barb Wachholz of the Eastland Disaster Historical Society about the tragic 1915 capsizing of the SS Eastland and its lasting impact.
1 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Eurovision Song Contest
Host Erika and Amelia interview Eurovangelists host Dimitry Pompée about the Eurovision Song Contest's history and its surprising resilience amidst global challenges.
18 May 2026TRANSCRIPT
Mount St. Helens
Host Erika and Amelia interview park ranger Alysa Adams about life before, during, and after the Mount St. Helens eruption, offering insights into living near a volcano.
4 May 2026
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire occurred over three days in October 1871 and destroyed more than three square miles of the city. It began in a barn belonging to Catherine and Patrick O'Leary, but what sparked the fire and who was responsible remains a mystery to this day.
The most popular theory is that a cow kicked a lantern over (probably because there's actually a song about it) but the real culprit could be as human as you and me.
In this episode, Erika and Amelia talk to Ann Keating, a history professor in Naperville, Illinois about the fire and how it changed Chicago.
If you want to learn more about the fire, check out these books:
The Great Chicago Fire and the Myth of Mrs. O'Leary's Cow by Richard Bales
I Survived the Great Chicago Fire by Lauren Tarshis. There's also a graphic novel version.
We learned after recording this episode that Aly's Monkey Movement has ended their operations, but there's a new group taking up its cause. The Brookie Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting children with neurodivergence and medical needs. Their core work is to provide resources and items for these children, but through their initiative called Brookie's Bears, they're able to provide stuffed animals that bring comfort to those who need it most.
20 Apr 2026
Centralia, Pennsylvania
Welcome to Centralia, Pennsylvania, a town with just a few residents and a wild history. Long ago, it was a bustling coal mining town, but everything changed in 1962 when a fire broke out underground. That fire still burns today and will probably continue for 250 years.
Erika and Amelia are joined this week by David DeKok, author of Fire Underground: The Ongoing Tragedy of the Centralia Mine Fire. He shares his theory about how the fire started and what it's like to visit Centralia today.
Find more kid-friendly Centralia history here.
And don't forget to check out the Fish Doorbell and assist the lock keeper of Utrecht in The Netherlands in helping the fish move through the lock.
6 Apr 2026
Amelia Earhart
Get ready for an adventure into one of history’s greatest mysteries! In this episode, hosts Amelia and Erika take to the skies to explore the incredible life—and puzzling disappearance—of pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart. Who was she? What made her such a fearless trailblazer? And what might have happened on her final flight?
Joining the show is special guest Sterling Falk from the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison, Kansas, who shares fascinating facts, behind-the-scenes stories, and kid-friendly insights about Earhart’s legacy.
Packed with curiosity, history, and a dash of mystery, this episode invites young listeners to think like explorers, ask big questions, and imagine what it takes to chase your dreams—even when the journey gets tough.
Special thanks this week to the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum. Also worth visiting in Atchison: the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum, where Amelia herself once lived and the Atchison Area Visitor and Information Center, where we learned the town's rich history outside of aviation.
If you want to read more about Amelia Earhart, here are some books we think you'll enjoy:
The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray
Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History (young readers edition) by Heith O'Brien
Who Was Amelia Earhart? by Kate Boehm Jerome
20 Hours, 40 Minutes, Our Flight in the Friendship by Amelia Earhart
23 Oct 2023
S1 E8: The stuff that holds us back from joy
In the season 1 finale, A.M. Alpin, the documentary filmmaker behind The Story of the Stuff, discusses the burden gifts like teddy bears put on a grieving community.
9 Oct 2023
S1 E7: Origin story: How Geoff Johns turned his sister into a superhero
Geoff Johns is a writer, producer and showrunner who made a name for himself in comics. But in 1996, he was just beginning his career when he lost his sister Courtney in the crash of TWA 800. In his work, her legacy became entwined with his.
25 Sept 2023
S1 E6: The truth no one could say out loud
In 1997, Anne McGinty was commissioned to compose a piece for the Montoursville High School band in memory of three band members who had died in the crash of TWA 800. It should have been just another job.
"'Tis a Gift" shared by licensing agreement with Neil A. Kjos Music Company.
Executive producer and host: Erika Grotto
Sound design and editing: Matt Grotto
Theme music courtesy of Champagne Sunday
Visit us on Instagram @survivedbypodcast
11 Sept 2023
S1 E5: What you see when you look at the front page
Pamela Wood reflects on what it was like to report on a shooting at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, after five employees were murdered in the newsroom.
Executive producer and host: Erika Grotto
Sound design and editing: Matt Grotto
Theme music courtesy of Champagne Sunday
Visit us on Instagram @survivedbypodcast
28 Aug 2023
S1 E4: This one time, I don’t wanna be alone
Heidi Snow Cinader was 24 when her fiance, Michel Breistroff, died in the crash of TWA 800. As she sought to rebuild the future she'd planned for herself, she found the most comfort talking with people who had gone through similar losses. Through her efforts, ACCESS--AirCraft Casualty Emotional Support Services--came to pass. Now, her daughter Sadie has learned from her example and also uses a traumatic event in her past to help others.
Links:
http://accesshelp.org/
https://www.instagram.com/comfortkitsforkids/?hl=en
https://alysmonkeys.org/
Executive producer and host: Erika Grotto
Sound design and editing: Matt Grotto
Theme music courtesy of Champagne Sunday
Visit us on Instagram @survivedbypodcast
14 Aug 2023
S1 E3: The “beloved 13,” and two names Frank DeAngelis will never say
Every morning before former Columbine principal Frank DeAngelis gets out of bed, he recites the names of his "beloved 13," the 12 students and teacher who died in the attack on the school on April 20, 1999. In their memory, he reaches out to other school communities who are hurting. But there are some things he'll never understand about what happened in Littleton, Colorado that day.
Executive producer and host: Erika Grotto
Sound design and editing: Matt Grotto
Theme music courtesy of Champagne Sunday
Visit us on Instagram @survivedbypodcast
31 Jul 2023
S1 E2: When the phone rings in Oklahoma
In 1995, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols built and planted a truck bomb outside of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City with the goal of inciting a revolution against the federal government. Instead, the nation united behind a city reeling from loss. And a phone call from one first lady to another began a movement that would continue for decades.
Executive producer and host: Erika Grotto
Sound design and editing: Matt Grotto
Theme music courtesy of Champagne Sunday
"Teddy Bears Picnic" from Library of Congress Jukebox collection
Visit us on Instagram @survivedbypodcast
17 Jul 2023
S1 E1: Things that happened in the gym
On July 17, 1996, TWA 800 exploded over the Atlantic Ocean 12 minutes after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. There were no survivors. Among the 230 on board were 16 French Club students and 5 chaperones from Montoursville High School in Pennsylvania. The town would never be the same.
In the aftermath of the crash, flowers, gifts and notes poured in from all over the world. One item, a stuffed bear sent from Oklahoma City, was just beginning its journey.
Read more:
EXPLOSION ABOARD T.W.A. FLIGHT 800: THE FRENCH CLUB;A Pennsylvania Town Asks, 'Why Us?'
Terror on Flight 800
CBS This Morning open 7-18-96
Executive producer and host: Erika Grotto
Sound design and editing: Matt Grotto
Theme music courtesy of Champagne Sunday
Visit us on Instagram @survivedbypodcast
2 Jul 2023
Trailer: Coming soon
Imagine the worst moment of your life unfolding with the world watching. A phone call saying "turn on the news." A knock on the door. Your friends' faces on a magazine cover.
This summer, a new podcast explores how people affected by public tragedies work their way through the trauma with the hope of emerging stronger.
This is Survived By.
Host: Erika Grotto
Sound design: Matt Grotto
Music: "Year of the Night (Summer Sun)" by Champagne Sunday
Art: Josh Seybert
Inside a recent episode
Miracle on the Hudson: US Airways Flight 1549
Published 29 Jun 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Are there any lessons here for kids? When I speak to kids, and I love speaking to kids especially, I talk about the three Cs. Clarity. What do I know right now? Don't make it any bigger than it is. Don't make it any smaller than it is. The second C is courage. Like Amelia was talking about, bravery. […]
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