The Children's Literature Podcast

About The Children's Literature Podcast

Grown-up discussion of works written for children, with lesson ideas and activities to share with kids

Publisher

T.Q. Townsend

Category

arts · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

17 Jan 2024

Latest episode

4 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

160 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Nov 2026

   273 – Wildwood Wasted Amazing Stop Motion on a Useless Story

   I saw Wildwood and I’m grumpy about it. Based on the novel by Carson Meloy, this film has connected with a small and enthusiastic audience, but that audience doesn’t match the budget and it seems likely this film will turn a profit. This was the biggest stop motion project ever, and the skill that went into crafting the world of Wildwood is impressive. But lovely scenery and first-rate filmmaking can’t make up for the bland, generic fantasy plot, the pointless scenes showcasing Portland, Oregon, and the dull characters who won’t resonate with kids at all.

2. 

   31 Oct 2026

   272 – My Friend’s Mom Scared Us with La Llorona

   It’s HALLOWEEN and to conclude my 13 Nights of Halloween, I will tell the tale of how I learned about La Llorona, the weeping ghost who lost her children . . . so now she roams the world searching for children to take as replacements. Is the Mexican legend of a wicked, cursed, and/or wronged woman true? WHO CARES! It gets little girls to shut up and go to bed when they stay up way too late and get way too loud at a slumber party.

3. 

   30 Oct 2026

   271 – The Young Man Who Learned What Fear Was

   It wouldn’t be Halloween without something Grimm, and so for my penultimate tale in my 13 Nights of Halloween I offer you “Märchen von einem, der auszog das Fürchten zu lernen” or “The The Story of a Young Man Who Went Forth to Learn Fear.” This tale was translated in 1889 by Andrew Lang to be included in his famous Blue Fairy Book. It’s about a young man who is too stupid to know fear, and his greatest wish is to learn to shudder. Darkly funny, gory, and deeply weird, this is the kind of story that most grownups don’t think is appropriate for children these days. But I say tell the kids scary stories! They can handle a lot more than we give them credit for, and fictional peril helps build the kind of resilience that will make someone stronger when the troubles of real life come to pass.

Who has been a guest on The Children's Literature Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jenna Schroeder
• Yamerpro
• Tom the Tale Teller

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

669,519

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

16 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 83 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

94

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

85

Contact The Children's Literature Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about The Children's Literature Podcast