Today we talked to author and podcast host, Heather Hester. Heather is the host of the podcast More Human. More Kind. and the author of Parenting with Pride: Unlearn Bias and Embrace, Empower and Love Your LGBTQ+ Teen. As a speaker, author, coach, and LGBTQ+ advocate, she helps parents, allies, and organizations move from fear to fierce, informed love with clarity, compassion, and courage. She believes in the magic of connection and that kindness and belonging aren’t just a feeling, they’re a practice. You can find out more about her podcast at morehumanmorekind.com and more about the many ways she advocates for the LGTBQ+ community @ heatherhester.net

Books we discussed on the podcast include:

The Boxcar Children, by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Last of the Really Great Wangdoodles, by Julie Andrews Edwards

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, by Robert C. O’Brien

The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness

Anything by the author Emily Henry

I Am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai

"Stories bond us, but so does struggle"

~Sam Helmick

In this episode of Rogue Librarians, we speak with Sam Helmick, President of the American Library Association. This is our third conversation with Sam! This time we are focusing on the upcoming Youth Media Awards and what this event means to children, librarians, and book lovers everywhere. Below are all the pertinent links.

Stream the Youth Media awards at ala.unikron.com and on the ALA Facebook page.

For more information go to the ALA Youth Media Awards information page

Sam Helmick’s contact information:

@geometric rabbit or @shelmick on Instagram

@samhelmick on Bluesky

@samhelmick on Facebook

Some books we talked about during the podcast:

Bluebird, by Sharon Cameron

American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins

The 13 ½ Lives of Captain Bluebear, by Walter Moers

Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures, by Walter Moers

Good Spirits, by BK Borison

Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White - special edition

The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo

Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O’Dell

The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare

Big, by Vashti Harrison

Hair Love, by Matthew A. Cherry, Illustrated by Vashti Harrison

Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak

A Heart In The Body Of The World, by Deb Caletti

In this episode we do a close reading of the book I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban, by Malala Yousafzai. As always, we found the conversation enlightening and cathartic. Learning about Pakistan’s history and the Pashtun people was fascinating. We also found that the struggle between religious conservatives and those challenging traditional values is universal, not isolated and far away. Additionally, we tried the sacred reading practice Florilegia, which we learned from the folks over at Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. The result was compelling.