Reading Lady Blog

Spring is coming in fits and starts here in upstate NY, reaching out tendrils of sunshine across the area.  It’s a season of warmth and renewal, which makes our newest books that much more pertinent.

We’re pleased to welcome Annie MacDonald to the Reading Lady family of authors!  Ms. MacDonald is working on a touching series of books about Jenny and Poppo–a little girl and her grandfather, who contracts ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.  They were inspired by the real-life Poppo, who was Ms. MacDonald’s graduate school professor and asked that she write something for his granddaughters to help them understand his illness.

Now in post-production are two new Reading Lady episodes featuring the first two Poppo books: What’s Up With Poppo? and Poppo’s Half-Birthday Wish.  Each of these books offers a look at the journey Jenny and her family take in learning to cope with the progression of Poppo’s ALS.  Presented with humor and gentleness, these stories are great for parents and kids to share.  We feel honored to be able to present them to our viewers.

For more information on ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease, you can visit the ALS Association Website at http://www.alsa.org.

And give Poppo and Annie MacDonald a visit at http://mypoppo.org!

…time for a new Christmas episode of The Reading Lady!  Believe it or not, that time of year is creeping closer, and all of us here at bananaEd Productions are very excited to be wrapping up and sending out the 2009 Christmas episode, “Christmas Spirit”.  The Reading Lady has really outdone herself this year, incorporating the very first interactive craft project of the series.  Kids and their parents will be able to follow along and make fantastic paper snowflake decorations to brighten up their homes this holiday season!

We’re also happy to be introducing a new author, Artie Knapp, as the new year rolls in.  Mr. Knapp has written many stories for children that have been published in newspapers such as California Kids and the Detroit Free Press, as well as online in the Teachers.net Gazette.  The Reading Lady is proud to present one of Mr. Knapp’s fun tales, “The Shell-Shocked Turtle”, in another upcoming episode.  You can visit his website by clicking on the link above, or in the author list in the blog sidebar!

So keep an eye out for these new episodes on your local public access station(s) around Christmas and the new year!  If you’re not sure where or when The Reading Lady airs in your area, check out the newly-updated station list.

Happy Thanksgiving, and happy reading!

Happy spring, everyone!  It doesn’t look much like spring outside our windows here right now, but it’s only a matter of time before the sun comes out and everything begins to turn green.

While new life is stirring in nature, new things are coming together for The Reading Lady!  We’re happy to announce that we have two brand new episodes in post-production, getting ready to make their way to the airwaves.  Kids and parents will get to meet our new author friend, Ken Danczyk, and experience his enchanting book, Grandpa’s Farm.  And we’ll be returning to the work of Katie Hart Smith, this time for some fun with healthy food!

We can’t wait to share these fun books!  So think spring, and be on the lookout for new things from The Reading Lady.