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A child can read every word on the page and still not understand what the page is saying and that’s the heart of today’s season finale. We’re responding to a literacy crisis that doesn’t only live in under-resourced schools; it shows up in thriving homes, in “fine” report cards, and in older children and teens who decides they are not readers. When reading becomes performance, measurement, and pressure, the love drains away, and the gaps in vocabulary and comprehension grow in the background.

This episode busts all the reading aloud myths that keep getting perpetuated in bookish circles and take aim at all the fixes (that don't actually fix anything) that seem to be popping up: prescribed reading minutes, endless worksheets, and reading apps that reward tapping more than thinking.

Come listen and we can solve this growing literacy crisis... simply.

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If this episode shifts your thinking, subscribe, share it with a parent or teacher who needs a calmer plan, and leave a review so more families can find it. What’s one tiny read-aloud habit you’re willing to try this week?

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder.

Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill.

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“Boy or girl?” sounds like a helpful question in a bookshop, but it can be the start of a much bigger problem. After watching Inside the Manosphere, I couldn’t stop thinking about where boys first learn the idea that empathy is weakness and softness is shameful. Long before algorithms and influencers, those messages show up in less obvious places: toy aisles, classrooms, and the way we sort children’s books into pink shelves and “poop and fart jokes” shelves.

In today's episode, I dig into the gender divide in children’s books and why it isn’t just a quirky marketing trend. We talk about how publishing and retail use gendered marketing to maximise profit, why “books for boys” lists can narrow a child’s identity, and how self-censorship keeps kids from trying stories they’d genuinely love. I also unpack what research actually suggests about average differences, neuroplasticity, and socialisation, plus why the phrase “that’s so girly” carries such a heavy insult.

And the best part, I get practical with book recommendations that cut straight through the stereotypes, from classics to middle grade series and graphic novels, and I share simple ways to talk about themes instead of gender. If you’re a parent, teacher, librarian, or caregiver who wants inclusive children’s literature, healthier masculinity, and stronger reading habits for boys and girls alike, this one is for you.

Subscribe for more bookish conversations, share this with a fellow parent or educator, and leave a review if it sparks a rethink of your own bookshelf. What “wrong gender” book did you secretly love as a kid?

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder.

Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill.

We'd love your feedback. Send us a message.

Today's episode is truly special. We welcome New York Times bestselling author Beth Ferry for a rich, warm conversation about how wonder, research, and a love for a good story turn words into worlds that invite wonder.

We also tackle today’s thornier topics. Beth draws a line between personal digital styles and generative AI that flattens voice, arguing that heart can’t be prompted. On book bans, she makes a clear case for access: stories are mirrors and windows, and removing them narrows who gets to be seen. Along the way we talk about the writing process, ideas sparked by lyrics and catalogues, fifty or so revisions, treating each book like a child who deserves equal care, and look ahead to her new middle grade novel in verse about the hard art of being happy for a friend.

If you love children’s literature, illustration craft, or the power of a perfect read‑aloud, this conversation will light you up and send you hunting for more Beth Ferry on your shelf. Subscribe, share with a bookish friend, and leave a review telling us which children’s book you’ll never outgrow.

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder.

Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill.