The Reader's Heart | Librarygirl

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🎧 The Reader's Heart Podcast

The Reader’s Heart is a podcast of conversations with authors and illustrators about children's literature as a vehicle for empathy and joy in a dark world. The reader’s heart is rooted in the belief that our world needs the magic of children’s literature more than ever, so… let’s get started!

Click each episode (below) to access recordings, transcripts and show notes.

Promotional illustration for the podcast, The Reader’s Heart, featuring a young person with black hair, wearing a yellow shirt and striped pants, standing with their head slightly tilted and hands in their pockets. The background shows abstract, radiating gray and white lines forming a pattern, with text that reads 'The Reader’s Heart with Jennifer Lagarde' in a casual, handwritten-style font.

The beautiful illustration for The Reader's Heart was created by author/illustrator Corinna Luyken.

Season 3 (2026)

Promotional graphic for Season 3, Episode 001 of The Reader’s Heart podcast with Jennifer LaGarde, featuring guest Tae Keller. The cream-colored background features textured gray sunburst rays. A circular portrait of Keller, smiling and wearing glasses and a black shirt, appears beside the colorful cover of her novel When Tomorrow Burns, which depicts children standing near a tree surrounded by flames. To the right, a hand-drawn illustration depicts a child in a yellow shirt with their head tilted downward. A yellow banner at the top identifies the episode and guest.

Promotional graphic for Season 3, Episode 002 of The Reader’s Heart podcast with Jennifer LaGarde, featuring guest Cynthia Leitich Smith. The cream-colored background features textured gray sunburst rays. A circular portrait of Smith, smiling and wearing purple glasses, appears beside the cover of Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories, an anthology edited by Smith. To the right, a hand-drawn illustration depicts a child in a yellow shirt with their head tilted downward. A yellow banner at the top identifies the episode and guest.

Promotional graphic for Season 3, Episode 003 of The Reader’s Heart podcast with Jennifer LaGarde, featuring guest LeUyen Pham. The cream-colored background features textured gray sunburst rays. A circular portrait of Pham, smiling and looking to the side with her dark hair pulled back, appears beside the blue, starry cover of As I Dream of You, a picture book written by Jennifer Lee and illustrated by Pham. To the right, a hand-drawn illustration depicts a child in a yellow shirt with their head tilted downward. A yellow banner at the top identifies the episode and guest.

Promotional graphic for Season 3, Episode 004 of The Reader’s Heart podcast with Jennifer LaGarde, featuring guests Emily Barth Isler and Vesper Stamper. The cream-colored background features textured gray sunburst rays. Two circular portraits are stacked vertically: Isler appears at the top, smiling with shoulder-length dark hair, while Stamper appears below with reddish-brown hair pulled back, red lipstick, and a dark shirt. To the left is the colorful, illustrated cover of Three Pieces of Broken Glass, written by Isler and illustrated by Stamper. To the right, a hand-drawn illustration depicts a child in a yellow shirt with their head tilted downward. A yellow banner at the top identifies the episode and both guests.

Promotional graphic for Season 3, Episode 005 of The Reader’s Heart podcast with Jennifer LaGarde, featuring guest Rex Ogle. The cream-colored background features textured gray sunburst rays. A circular portrait of Ogle, smiling with curly brown hair and a short beard, appears beside the covers of two of his books: Absent, featuring a school desk against a pale blue background, and When We Ride, featuring two illustrated teenage boys against a vibrant, graffiti-inspired background. To the right, a hand-drawn illustration depicts a child in a yellow shirt with their head tilted downward. A yellow banner at the top identifies the episode and guest.

Promotional graphic for Season 3, Episode 009 of The Reader’s Heart podcast with Jennifer LaGarde, featuring guest Corinna Luyken. The cream-colored background features textured gray sunburst rays. A circular portrait shows Luyken seated at a table, smiling gently and holding a white mug, with green plants and a sunlit window behind her. To the left are two picture book covers: An Octopus Named Houdini, written by Zana Fraillon and illustrated by Luyken, featuring an underwater scene with a giant octopus, and Hello, Ocean!, written and illustrated by Luyken, featuring a child with flowing dark hair and outstretched arms. To the right, a hand-drawn illustration depicts a child in a bright yellow shirt, standing with hands in pockets and head tilted downward. A yellow banner at the top identifies the episode and guest.

Animated graphic featuring a bright yellow circular shape with bold black text reading “COMING SOON.” The circle rotates and flips against a yellow background, creating a playful, eye-catching animation that repeats in a continuous loop.

Promotional graphic for The Reader’s Heart with Jennifer LaGarde, Season 3, Episode 6, featuring guest John Schu. The design includes a circular portrait of John Schu smiling, the cover of Lily-Mae’s Joyful Day, and an illustration of a child in a yellow shirt. The podcast title appears prominently across the center, with the guest’s name in a yellow banner at the top.

Promotional graphic for Season 3, Episode 010 of The Reader’s Heart podcast with Jennifer LaGarde, featuring guest Huda Fahmy. The cream-colored background features textured gray sunburst rays. A circular portrait shows Fahmy smiling and wearing a soft pink hijab, with bookshelves behind her. To the left is the illustrated cover of her graphic novel Huda F Would Love You?, featuring a cartoon girl in a blue hijab standing in front of an elegant event space, with the speech bubble “What’s not to love?” To the right, a hand-drawn illustration depicts a child in a bright yellow shirt, standing with hands in pockets and head tilted downward. A yellow banner at the top identifies the episode and guest.

Animated graphic featuring a bright yellow circular shape with bold black text reading “COMING SOON.” The circle rotates and flips against a yellow background, creating a playful, eye-catching animation that repeats in a continuous loop.

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Promotional graphic for Season 3, Episode 011 of The Reader’s Heart podcast with Jennifer LaGarde, featuring guest Chrystal D. Giles. The cream-colored background features textured gray sunburst rays. A circular portrait shows Giles smiling, wearing glasses and a bright yellow top, with long, dark locs draped over her shoulders. To the left are two colorful book covers: Listen to the Girls, featuring an illustrated girl surrounded by vibrant pink, orange, and purple flowers, and We Are Joy, illustrated by Kitt Thomas, depicting a group of smiling children gathered around a glowing butterfly. To the right, a hand-drawn illustration depicts a child in a bright yellow shirt, standing with hands in pockets and head tilted downward. A yellow banner at the top identifies the episode and guest.

Animated graphic featuring a bright yellow circular shape with bold black text reading “COMING SOON.” The circle rotates and flips against a yellow background, creating a playful, eye-catching animation that repeats in a continuous loop.

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Promotional graphic for Season 3, Episode 012 of The Reader’s Heart podcast with Jennifer LaGarde, featuring guest Kate DiCamillo. The cream-colored background features textured gray sunburst rays. A circular portrait shows DiCamillo with short, curly white hair, glasses resting on her head, and dangling earrings. To the left are two images: a gray Norton placeholder announcing “Cover to be Revealed” for an upcoming book, and the deep red cover of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, written by DiCamillo and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, featuring a small gold silhouette of a rabbit. To the right, a hand-drawn illustration depicts a child in a bright yellow shirt, standing with hands in pockets and head tilted downward. A yellow banner at the top identifies the episode and guest.

Animated graphic featuring a bright yellow circular shape with bold black text reading “COMING SOON.” The circle rotates and flips against a yellow background, creating a playful, eye-catching animation that repeats in a continuous loop.

Season 2 (2025)

Promotional image for 'The Reader's Heart with Jennifer Lagarde,' Season 2, Episode 001, featuring guest Federico Erebia. The image includes a circular photo of Federico Erebia, a man with short gray hair, glasses, and a neutral expression, wearing a suit jacket and blue shirt. Below his photo is the cover of his book, 'Pedro & Daniel,' showing colorful illustrations of people and landscapes. To the right, an illustration of a child looking down shyly appears against a textured background with sunbeam-like patterns.

Promotional image for 'The Reader's Heart with Jennifer Lagarde,' Season 2, Episode 002, featuring guest Dashka Slater. The image includes a circular photo of Dashka Slater, a woman with blonde hair, glasses, and a friendly smile. Below her photo, the cover of her book, 'Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed,' is displayed. To the right is an illustration of a child looking down shyly, set against a textured background with sunbeam-like patterns.

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Season 1 (2024)

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Let's Connect!

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