Book Club for Kids

Book Club for Kids does exactly what its name promises, but better than you'd expect. Hosted by Kitty Felde, an award-winning public radio journalist, the show brings together actual young readers to discuss books in a real book club format. Each episode features kids talking about what they loved (and didn't love) about a recent title, plus a celebrity reader performing a selection from the book and an interview with the author. The show covers a huge range of children's and young adult literature — from Rick Riordan adventures to quieter literary fiction — and the kid panelists are refreshingly honest in their opinions. They don't just say everything is great. They push back, disagree with each other, and sometimes prefer different books entirely. It's genuine discussion, not scripted praise. Episodes run 19 to 24 minutes and release biweekly, with 251 episodes in the archive. Felde won the California Library Association Technology Award and a DC Mayor's Award for Excellence in the Humanities for this show, and The Times of London named it one of the top 10 podcasts for kids. The 4.2-star rating from 348 reviews is solid, and the show has a loyal following among families, educators, and librarians. For tweens who already love reading, it's a way to discover new books and hear other kids' perspectives. For reluctant readers, hearing peers get excited about a story can be the spark that gets them to pick it up themselves. Either way, it's a thoughtful, well-produced show that takes young readers seriously.