Parents' Guide to

The Story Seeds Podcast

Podcast Kids & Family Literary Safari Media Average run time: 35 minutes
Cartoon seed sprouting from a hand surrounded by objects like a book, rocket, and planet.

Common Sense Media Review

Lakshmi Hutchinson By Lakshmi Hutchinson , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 6+

Creative kids work with authors to craft diverse stories.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 6+?

Any Positive Content?

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What's It About?

Each episode of THE STORY SEEDS PODCAST matches a creative kid who has "story seeds" in mind with a children's book author who helps them turn their ideas into a story. The child and author have a meeting (often at an interesting location in NYC) where they get to know each other, discuss the story seeds, and talk about the writing process. The author guides the kid they are paired with -- and the listeners along with them -- through thinking about characters, genre, and ways to keep the reader hooked. The author works on the story with input from the child, and at the end the story is read out to the listeners. In some episodes it's a finished story, and in other episodes the author leaves the ending for the listener to complete. For those who want to hear more about a particular author, there are bonus Q&A episodes with the author available.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This is an enjoyable and educational podcast that will delight readers and aspiring writers of all ages. What makes The Story Seeds Podcast really stand out is that the kids are treated as equal partners in the collaboration, and their thoughts and opinions are welcomed. The concept of matching a young writer with a published author succeeds in part because listeners can put themselves in the child's place and learn from the author as well. Young listeners will learn a lot from guest authors including Katherine Applegate, Susan Muaddi Darraj, and Chris Grabenstein.

The podcast's conversational style is complemented by lively commentary from the host, Betsy Bird, who provides context, backstory on the authors, and lots of rich descriptions of locations. Kids will love the catchy theme song and music, courtesy of Andrew VanWyngarden (of MGMT fame). With its mix of personal anecdotes, literary discussion, and storytelling, The Story Seeds Podcast is a great choice for kids and families looking for an inspiring show that sparks creativity.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how kids and adults collaborate in The Story Seeds Podcast. What do you think it's like for kids to learn from a mentor who's treating them like an equal -- that is, adults speaking with them rather than to them? Is it different from how kids might learn in school?

  • How does it make you feel to have someone who looks like you in a story? Do you think it's valuable to see people from different backgrounds in books? Why, or why not?

  • In the episode "A Nose That Knows," we hear that "a personal story can be a story for everyone." Can you think of examples of stories where a character's personal challenge or joy resonated with you?

Podcast Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

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