Read-Aloud Revival ® Podcast

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!

When most of us hear the name “Shakespeare,” we probably think back to a high school classroom, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, while we struggled through Romeo and Juliet line by line—“wherefore art thou” and all that.

But here’s the truth:

Shakespeare was never meant to be dissected like a frog under a microscope.

His work, in fact, was never meant to be read AT ALL. He meant for his plays to be experienced. To be performed, seen, heard, and felt.

We tend to think of Shakespeare as a school subject. Or that we should read it as part of a rich literature curriculum in order for our children to be well-versed academically.

While Shakespeare’s plays are part of a rich literary heritage, I want to make a case today that Shakespeare is not a subject at all. It’s not a thing you “should” do in your homeschool to have well-educated kids.

Today, I want to talk about why experiencing Shakespeare with your kids might be one of the most joyful things you ever do together. And one of my very favorite people, Ken Ludwig, celebrated playwright, fellow Shakespeare nerd, and author of How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, joins me to help me make my case.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• What traditional classrooms often get wrong when introducing Shakespeare
• Why Ken recommends having kids start with reciting and memorizing passages 
• How Shakespeare provides an entry to point to learning and loving complex language

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes: readaloudrevival.com/shakespeare-is-not-school

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!

Why should we read the classics? 

So many of us want to read and enjoy them, but we don’t want to spend our precious free time feeling like we’re incompetent because we just don’t get it or that the internet has completely ruined our brains (is this just me?).

This winter in RAR Premium, we did a whole retreat about falling in love with your reading life again, and today I'm sharing one of those sessions, called How to Read Classics (and Actually Enjoy Them). RAR Community Manager Kelsey Murphy and I talk all about how to find your way into the classics and *really* begin to relish them.

Most of this translates to reading classics with your kids, but this session really is for you. We want you to discover the fun and enjoyment in classic literature because it makes your life richer and better. It also makes you a more peaceful and joy-filled mama to those sweet kids of yours. 

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Helpful entry points to reading the classics 
• How to approach classics as an invitation to learning and enjoyment (not like homework)
• Why watching the movie first will not get your Homeschool Mama card revoked (we promise!)

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/read-the-classics

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!

In this episode, RAR Community Manager Kelsey Murphy and I sat down to tackle some of your listener questions. 

We put our heads together to answer questions about loved ones who don’t support your choice to homeschool, curriculum overwhelm, reading aloud with older kids or a wide age range of ages, how to encourage your kids to read high quality literature, and more!

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• How to make peace with your choice to homeschool even when loved ones misunderstand 
• Ways to keep connecting with older kids through reading aloud even with busy schedules 
• The importance of “fun” books in developing your child’s reading life

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/growing-in-confidence

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!

Today, one of my very favorite authors returns to Read-Aloud Revival. 

You know him as the author of Sweep, The Night Gardener, the Peter Nimble series, and The Fabled Stables. That’s right–Jonathan Auxier is back!

This time, we’re talking about the much-awaited conclusion to the Peter Nimble series, The War of the Maps. In our conversation, we delve into the guiding questions he explores during the writing process, and how each of these questions becomes a doorway for discovering who we are, whose we are, and what our work is here in the world.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Why Jonathan often explores the tension of the end of childhood in his books 
• How trying to solve a guiding question shapes the narrative of Jonathan’s works 
• The best way to write a story 

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/jonathan-auxier-is-back

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!

One of my favorite reads of 2024 was The Myth Makers by John Hendrix.

This gorgeous graphic novel tells the story of the remarkable friendship of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. I thought I already knew quite a bit about these Inklings, but there was even more to uncover.

Today, I’m delighted to share my conversation with the author and illustrator of The Myth Makers, John Hendrix. We dive into his research and writing process, exploring how the threads of the story came together. 

In this episode, Jon shares a better definition of myth, and illustrates the differences between a myth, a fairytale, and a story. I even make him choose which series he’d rather bring to a desert island, The Chronicles of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings. 

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• John’s creative process for creating graphic novels 
• How choose-your-own adventure stories inspired the The Myth Makers 
• Why John chose the Lion and the Wizard as his main characters 

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/john-hendrix