About The Book Faire: Children's Literature for Grownups
Do you struggle keeping up with new books for young readers? Are you concerned about book bans? Welcome to the Book Faire! This podcast is all about the latest in kidlit, from Middle Grade to YA interviewing authors and professionals in the children’s publishing industry, highlighting diverse new releases, and covering stories that impact public schools, educators and librarians. Check in for Two weekly episodes covering the latest news and author interviews!
Contact: Bookfairepod@gmail.com Patreon: patreon.com/TheBookFaire @bookfairepod.bsky.social
Author & Middle School Counselor Tunisia Williams on Found Family and Positive Representation
https://www.tunisiawilliams.com/ (https://www.tunisiawilliams.com/)
In this episode of The Book Faire Podcast, host Anthony sits down with middle school counselor and debut author Tunisia Williams to discuss her heart-centered children's book, The Uncles (illustrated by Blance Evans). Tunisia shares the deeply personal inspiration behind the story—modeled after a young boy who lost his mother and was surrounded by a strong, supportive village of community men.
Tunisia discusses how the book follows young Kevin as he navigates the loss of his father by calling on a group of close family friends who step in to offer love, mentorship, and guidance. She opens up about the importance of authentic representation in children's literature, intentionally weaving in cultural nuances—like streetlights coming on as the universal sign to come home—while actively combating harmful stereotypes about Black fathers and family structures.
Drawing from her professional background in education, Tunisia also offers profound insights into how adults can support grieving children, emphasizing why it is vital to talk about lost loved ones, celebrate their memories, and listen actively to young people.
Teachers, school counselors, librarians, and parents will find this episode invaluable for exploring social-emotional learning (SEL) tools, navigating conversations around loss and resilience with children, and championing inclusive, joyful representation on library shelves.
Takeaways
Importance of found family
Representation matters in literature
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:50 The Concept of Found Family
05:05 Representation in Children's Literature
13:30 The Impact of Grief and Memory
18:30 Being Present in Children's Lives
22:05 The Role of Representation in Writing
28 Oct 2026
Florida Pulls 1,800 Library Books: The Review Process Breakdown | Microsoft’s AI Staff Training
In this news-focused episode of The Book Faire Podcast, host Anthony breaks down the systemic mechanics and hidden consequences of modern school library censorship. We examine a recent analysis from Book Riot tracking what happens to challenged books during the review window, revealing how temporary removals effectively achieve the goals of censorship advocates by denying student access for months at a time.
We turn to Florida, where the Department of Education’s statewide memo has forced Palm Beach County schools to pull 1,800 library titles for review despite zero parent objections, stretching district budgets and staff thin amidst ongoing layoffs. In Minnesota, we look at the lingering fallout in rural districts like North Woods School, where an indefinite administrative hold kept over 80 books locked away from students following a librarian's firing over a Banned Books Week display.
Shifting to industry and economic impacts, a new Publishers Weekly report highlights how severe school budget shortfalls and administrative anxiety are scaling back visiting author programs, cutting off a vital source of income for creators and an essential engine for student book discovery. Finally, we cover a positive community initiative: Microsoft partnering with the Public Library Association to launch digital literacy training and AI guidance resources for public library staff nationwide.
Teachers, school librarians, and education advocates will find this episode essential for navigating library challenge policies, understanding the economic pressures facing children's authors, and defending the freedom to read.
New Releases:
Noor the Storyteller by Seina Wedlick, illus. by Leah Giles (Ages 4-8)
Boundless: 17 Stories Starring Disabled Kids Edited by Marieke Nijkamp (Ages 8-12)
This is a Door by Daniel Nayeri (Ages 8-12)
You’re No Better by Andrew Joseph White (Ages 14+)
Takeaways
Emerging themes in children's literature
Impact of censorship on libraries
Chapters
00:00 Exploring New Children's Releases
08:30 Censorship and Book Challenges
16:37 Impact of Budget Cuts on Literature
20:28 AI Literacy in Libraries
23 Oct 2026
"The Most Honest Story I've Ever Told": Tony DiTerlizzi on 'The Wump' and Bullying
https://diterlizzi.com/ (https://diterlizzi.com/)
In this episode of The Book Faire Podcast, host Anthony sits down with Caldecott Honor-winning author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi (The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Search for WondLa) to discuss his illustrated middle-grade novel, The Wump. Tony reflects on the 20-year journey to write what he calls the most honest story of his career, drawing directly from his own middle school experiences with bullying, feelings of powerlessness, and a fascination with insects. Tony breaks down how the story's main character, Tim, sees his internal anger and suppression manifest as a physical shadow monster—a "wump"—that starts as a revenge fantasy before raising the stakes. He explains how he consulted with a child psychologist to explore Jungian shadow-self theory, using alter-ego tropes like Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and The Incredible Hulk to give a young protagonist the agency needed to stand up for himself. The conversation also dives into the craft and business of middle-grade publishing. Tony explains how he collaborated with Dial and Penguin to print the heavily illustrated book on heavy graphic novel paper, intentionally creating a visual bridge to help reluctant readers transition from comics to prose. Teachers, school librarians, and parents will find this episode invaluable for understanding middle-grade social-emotional learning (SEL), visual literacy in the classroom, and how empathy-building literature helps young readers navigate grief, anger, and self-acceptance.
Welcome to the Book Faire Podcast, my name is Anthony and this show is all about children’s literature and the freedom to read. This week we have an interview with Tony DiTerlizzi, author of the Wump.
Takeaways
Exploration of bullying themes
Importance of self-identity in literature
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to The Wump
03:02 Character Development and Personal Reflection
06:34 Tim's Relationship with His Mother
08:10 Creating Larger-than-Life Characters
11:42 Navigating Middle School Challenges
15:36 The Evolution of The Womp
18:08 Illustration and Visual Storytelling
23:27 Publishing Insights and Community Support
25:36 Final Thoughts on Storytelling
Who has been a guest on The Book Faire: Children's Literature for Grownups
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Gordon Korman
Joanna Ho
Kyle Casey Chu
Grace Russo
Beth Ferry
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
4,657,724,699
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.4 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 74 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
83
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
68
Contact The Book Faire: Children's Literature for Grownups
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about The Book Faire: Children's Literature for Grownups
Who hosts The Book Faire: Children's Literature for Grownups?
Anthony host the show. Published by The Book Faire | Children's and YA Literature.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does The Book Faire: Children's Literature for Grownups take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
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