Since 1996, The Webby Awards have honored the best of the Internet, so it is kind of a big deal that our small and independently produced podcast is nominated for one this year!  The episode we are nominated for is Episode 11: "A Nose that Knows" which brought together nine-year old leukemia survivor Jocelyn and Katherine Applegate, the Newbery Award-winning author of The One and Only Ivan, to grow  a real-life inspired story about a super dog named Sally who helps a girl with cancer feel better. This episode is not only about the power of imagination, but also about resilience and f ..read more

Listen along as host Betsy Bird and Newbery Award-winning Katherine Applegate have a fun and heartwarming conversation about what it was like working with 9 year old Jocelyn in a special presentation of The Story Seeds Podcast which raises awareness of childhood cancer.  In the interview, Betsy and Katherine: Talk about what it was like working with Jocelyn and learning about her cancer journey  [04:19] Discuss how Jane Goodall and Greta Thunberg inspired Katherine’s new eco-fable Willodeen   [12:37] Get witty and silly in a fun rapid fire q&a! [17:01] This episode is ..read more

This special Story Seeds collaboration brings together nine-year old Jocelyn and Newbery Award-winning Katherine Applegate, author of The One and Only Ivan and Willodeen. Katherine helps Jocelyn grow this story idea: My story seed is about a super service dog (based off of my own dog Sally) who helps kids with cancer feel better.  Join our host Betsy Bird as she guides you through this collaboration full of hope and resilience. Featured segments include: Katherine and Jocelyn's meeting over video chat where they get to know each other, meet each other's dogs, and brainstorm how to grow J ..read more

Priyanka and Riya are best friends. Morgan and Mercedes are daughter and mother. They are just four of the voices you will hear in this montage of eight short interviews created by kids ages 8-15 during the inaugural Story Seeds On Air Summer 2021 Podcasting Camp where aspiring podcasters learned from expert guests and each other the art and technical skills they need to amplify their voices and broadcast their ideas into community conversations big and small.   In these interviews, campers from around the United States ask intimate questions of people they know very well, and in the ..read more

This specific episode which we released in June 2020 is featured on CBC Podcast Playlist this week in an episode titled "Feel good stories for when you need them most."  Though it originally aired last summer, we're giving it the good ole' encore treatment—along a  brief update from our host Betsy Bird on some exciting new happenings in the Story Seeds  world (like our summer camp for kids)! About the Episode A Worm's Worth: Twelve-year old Brooklynite, Irthan, joins forces with the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Jason Reynolds, to grow his story seed about a ..read more

Who says podcasts are just for listening? Our activity book is ideal for at home fun, distance learning, or the classroom, and brings together the best of a magazine, workbook, and journal. It features over 80 pages of episode inspired, screen-free prompts and projects. Scan the QR codes inside to blast off on your interactive listening adventures! Now available to order. Get your copy here.  We also have single activity kits for each episode. Browse here. Show credits The Story Seeds Podcast is a Literary Safari production, created and executive produced by Sandhya Nankani.  Music C ..read more

Listen along as The Story Seeds Podcast host Betsy Bird chats with the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Jason Reynolds (author of Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, a Remix of the National Book Award-winning book by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi.) They talk about what it was like working with 12 year old Irthan in Episode 10  “A Worm’s Worth” and growing his story seed about a worm that turns into a human on a full moon’s night.  Jason also talks to Betsy about how he got his start as a writer and shares advice for keeping your imagination alive: go learn the thing you’re n ..read more

This week’s Story Seeds collaboration brings together 12 year old Irthan and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Jason Reynolds (poet, storyteller, National Book Award finalist, Newbery Honoree, and New York Times best-selling author.) Jason's latest work is Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, a Remix of the National Book Award-winning book by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. As National Ambassador, he recently started the Grab the Mic platform  which empowers young people  to share their own personal stories. Jason sat down with 12 year old Irthan at Brooklyn Public Library ..read more

Listen along as The Story Seeds Podcast host Betsy Bird chats with Bil Lepp (five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars’ Competition and author of the 2014 PEN award-winning picture book, THE KING OF LITTLE THINGS.) They go behind the scenes and talk about what it was like working with 11 year old Keshav in Episode 9 “Look Before You Eat” to grow his fractured fairytale of a story seed about a cow with an ice cream house, a bunny with a chocolate abode, a fox with a chili pepper den, and a big bad wolf hungry to eat them all! Bil also shares lots of valuable advice for young writers and our ..read more

This week’s Story Seeds collaboration brings together 11 year old Keshav and Bil Lepp (professional storyteller, five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars’ Competition and author of the 2014 PEN award-winning The King of Little Things.) Bil helps Keshav grow this story idea: Once there was a cow, a bunny and a fox. There was also a bad wolf who liked eating up people's houses. The cow made a house out of ice cream, the bunny made a chocolate egg house and the fox made his house out of red hot chilies. Now the wolf, being very greedy. Loved ice cream. So he went to the cows house and ate it ..read more