Dr. Diane's Adventures in Learning
Are you ready for an adventure in learning? Need some STEMspiration in your life? Each episode brings a new adventure as we talk with fascinating guests about connecting real world experiences, multicultural children's literature, and engaged STEM/STEAM learning -- with a little joy sprinkled in for good measure! Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor travels the world in search of the coolest authors, illustrators, educators, adventurers, and STEM thought leaders to share their stories and inspire the WOW for early childhood and elementary educators, librarians, and families!
Have an idea for a podcast episode? Share it with diane@drdianeadventues.com
Links to the books featured in the weekly podcast can be found here: https://bookshop.org/shop/drdianeadventures
Full show notes can be found at: https://www.drdianeadventures.com/blog
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Dr. Diane's Adventures in Learning
Spooky Storytelling With Strong Family Ties: Meet Finch House Author Ciera Burch
Are you looking for shivers this spooky season? Today. Encanto meets Coraline in Finch House, a delightfully thrilling middle grade novel by Ciera Burch. I read Finch House in a day, and I thought it was incredibly spooky, as well as warm and wonderful, and I highly recommend you run out and grab it. Finch House is a gloriously creepy read (but not TOO creepy) with strong characters and an ending that will haunt you -- a perfect read aloud as we head into October. Ciera Burch is a lifelong writer and ice cream aficionado, who holds a BA from my alma mater, American University, (Go Eagles!) and an MFA from Emerson College. And she would be an excellent choice for the Rick Riordan Presents imprint.
[00:47] Welcoming Ciera Burch
[00:50] Finch House
Ciera shares some details about her book and the inspiration behind it.
[01:11] Finch House
- A young girl named Micah, an old Victorian house, and family secrets.
- Inspiration from her grandfather's spooky basement.
- Origins of the book's characters, particularly how Micah and Ciera connect.
[03:43] Balancing Spookiness
Finding the right balance of spookiness in a middle-grade book to appeal to young readers without being too scary.
[04:19] Open-Ended Ending
Hints about the open-ended nature of Finch House and the possibility of more adventures for Micah.
[05:26] Reading an Excerpt
Ciera reads a passage from "Finch House" (Chapter 6) that highlights the characters' curiosity and sense of adventure.
[07:58] Book Birthday Debut at Politics and Prose
Ciera shares her experience working with Kwame Alexander and his imprint, highlighting his personable nature and insightful questions.
[08:54] Adventures in Learning (reading, writing, and mom)
[11:32] Impact of Education
[14:13] Working in Publishing
[15:27] Upcoming Book: Something Kindred (2024)
[16:07] RecurringTheme of Ghosts in Ciera's Books
[16:35] Influential Childhood Books
Books that influenced her as a child, including Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, the Percy Jackson series, and Bridge to Terabithia
[18:10] Diverse Voices in Literature
The importance of diverse representation in children's literature and the concept of "windows and mirrors."
[19:55] Writing with Diverse Characters
Ciera shares her motivation for including black or brown main characters in her stories and emphasizes the impo
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*Disclosure: I am a Bookshop.org. affiliate.
