Episode 89: Sarah Arthur & Mitali Perkins

Lindsey Cornett, Managing Editor of Englewood Press, spoke with authors Sarah Arthur and Mitali Perkins about the value and significance of children’s literature for spiritual formation. We discuss how literature connects us to the heart of God, how Mitali and Sarah think about their own audiences as they write, and why adults should be reading children’s literature. As always, the conversation wraps up with a discussion of what we’ve been reading lately.Lindsey Cornett is a loud talker, obsessive coffee drinker, and lover of the written word who lives in Indianapolis with her family. She is the Managing Editor of Englewood Press and a Senior Writer at Indianapolis Moms. You can find her writing at lindseycornett.substack.com. Mitali Perkins is an award-winning author of novels and picture books for young readers, including You Bring the Distant Near; Forward Me Back to You; Rickshaw Girl; and Bamboo People, among others. Her books have been nominated for the National Book Award, have won the South Asia Book Award, and have been listed as Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and School Library Journal. Born in Kolkata, India, Perkins has lived in India, Ghana, Cameroon, Great Britain, Mexico, Bangladesh, Thailand, and the United States. She lives and writes in the San Francisco Bay Area.Sarah Arthur is a fun-loving speaker and the bestselling author of a dozen books for teens and adults, including Once a Queen and Walking with Frodo. Among other nerdy adventures, she has served as preliminary fiction judge for the CT Book Awards, was a founding board member of the annual C. S. Lewis Festival in Northern Michigan, and codirects the Madeleine L’Engle Writing Retreats.Books Mentioned in this Episode:If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) Once A Queen (Book 1 of the Carrick Hall Novels) by Sarah ArthurOnce a Castle (Book 2 of the Carrick Hall Novels) by Sarah ArthurYou Bring the Distant Near by Mitali PerkinsRickshaw Girl by Mitali PerkinsThe Golden Necklace: A Darjeeling Tea Mystery by Mitali PerkinsSteeped In Stories: Timeless Children's Novels to Refresh Our Tired Souls by Mitali PerkinsThe God-Hungry Imagination: The Art of Storytelling for Postmodern Youth Ministry by Sarah Arthur A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson BurnettThe Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson BurnettCharlotte's Web by E.B. WhiteA Light so Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L'Engle by Sarah ArthurA Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'EnglePeace Like a River by Leif AngerThe Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine PatersonMy Friends by Fredrick BackmanThe Eyre Affair (Thursday Next #1) by Jasper FfordeEmily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace