🎧 The Reader's Heart Podcast | Guest: Tae Keller
- Jennifer LaGarde
- 14 hours ago
- 3 min read
One of the things I love most about children's literature is its ability to help us wrestle with difficult questions while still leaving room for hope. It's also one of the reasons I really wanted to have Tae Keller as a guest on The Reader's Heart. Tae joined me to discuss her latest novel, When Tomorrow Burns, a story that follows three young people as they navigate climate anxiety, social media, questions of identity, and the complicated realities of growing up in a world that often feels overwhelming.
As we talked, we found ourselves returning to this question: What does it mean to grapple with fires we didn't start?
Together, Tae and I explored the pressure many young people feel to somehow fix the challenges they have inherited, from climate change to online radicalization. More importantly, we talked about why hope requires us to reject the idea that any one generation must carry these burdens alone.
I loved chatting with Tae and continue to think deeply about When Tomorrow Burns. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Tae Keller as much as I did.
ABOUT THIS WEEK'S GUEST
Tae Keller is the Newbery Medal-winning and New York Times bestselling author of When You Trap a Tiger, Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone, The Science of Breakable Things, and When Tomorrow Burns. Her work often explores identity, family, belonging, and the ways stories help us make sense of the world around us.
In addition to her novels, Tae is the author of We Carry the Sun, illustrated by Rachel Wada, and the early chapter book series Mihi Ever After. Before becoming a full-time writer, Tae worked as a teacher and librarian. She now lives in Seattle, Washington, where she continues to write stories for young readers.stories for young readers.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
EDUCATOR ACTIVITY
One of my goals for this season of The Reader's Heart is to create resources that help readers continue thinking about the ideas explored in each episode. Whenever possible, I'll be creating student activities inspired by my conversations with authors and illustrators and sharing them here as a free resource for educators. While The Reader's Heart is a podcast for adults, the books we talk about are written for kids. My hope is that these activities will serve as a bridge between the two. I'm excited to share the first activity, which was inspired by my conversation with Tae Keller.
To make these activities as useful as possible, I've created them as Canva templates. That means you can make your own copy, adapt them for your learners, and customize them to fit your classroom, library, or book club needs.
That said, although this should go without saying, while I very much hope you'll use these resources with the readers you serve, you are not allowed to sell them. Please feel free to share them (with credit), but I absolutely do not want to find them on Teachers Pay Teachers, y'all.
👉 Download the When Tomorrow Burns Educator Activity
RESOURCES & LINKS
Please enjoy a special discount of 20% off the titles mentioned in this episode (or others of your choice) by visiting Bookelicious and using the code JENNIFERLAGARDE. Note: I do not make any money from these sales, but I am delighted that you get to save some!
Tae's books on Bookelicious
Connect with Tae
MORE ABOUT THE READER’S HEART
Rooted in the belief that our world needs the magic of children’s literature now more than ever, the Reader’s Heart podcast captures conversations with authors and illustrators about children's literature as a vehicle for empathy and joy in a dark world. I'm so excited about this project and it's my wish that it brings you as much light and hope as it has brought me.
Special thanks to Corinna Luyken for creating the beautiful illustration that will serve as the show's logo. I've always found Corinna's art so moving and she perfectly captured the spirit of what I am trying to do, which is to put warmth and love into the world during a time when so many are working to limit kids' access to the warmth and love inherent in children's literature. (Also, don't forget, you can use the discount above to buy Corinna's books from Bookelicious, too!)
If all goes to plan, episodes will drop every two weeks through September 2026. Once you've had a chance to listen, I hope you will consider leaving The Reader's Heart a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review! Podcast reviews are one of the best ways to support your favorite shows and help others find these conversations.
WHERE TO LISTEN:
Wherever you listen to podcasts!
