Literacy Archives - The Children's Hour

The Kids Crew explores the world of dragons with author Mari Mancusi. From ancient myths to modern stories, kids learn about many types of dragons and how they appear across cultures. The episode also includes a Kids Crew book review and what makes dragon stories fun to read.

This time on The Children’s Hour, our summer interns Julia Wolfe and Sophie Anderson-Haynie have co-written and produced a program about Banned Books. They teach us what that means, the history of banning books, and how it’s even possible in the era of digital reading, and with the First Amendment right to free speech. This episode comes with a new learning guide.

How does money work? In this episode of The Children’s Hour, the Kids Crew explores earning, saving, budgeting, borrowing, and investing. With guidance from KidVestors co-founder Courtney Petway and New Mexico State Treasurer Laura Montoya, listeners gain practical skills for making thoughtful financial decisions.

What makes a great story? Spend time with legendary storyteller Joe Hayes, who has been telling stories for more than fifty years, sharing tales passed down through families, cultures, and communities of the American Southwest. Joined by the Kids Crew at the Outpost Performance Space, Joe explains why stories matter, how listeners help shape every story, and why imagination is such an important part of listening.

The Kids Crew explores the world of reading to dogs and learns how therapy dogs help kids feel calm, safe, and excited to read. Guests from the local library explain how the program works, why dogs make great listeners, and how reading out loud builds confidence. The episode also includes the story of Rover the Reading Dog, who helps students overcome fear and enjoy books. This show celebrates reading, friendship, and the special bond between kids and animals.

Join our Kids Crew in a conversation with the beloved children's authors, Goosebump's author RL Stine and Marc Brown, the author and illustrator of the Arthur books and TV show. We discover their secrets to creating some of the most widely read kids' books of all time. Get reading with The Children's Hour!

Creativity comes in many forms, and on this episode of The Children's Hour, we celebrate the artists, authors, musicians, and performers who create their own way. We meet Albuquerque street artist Maewyn Padilla, hear from legendary actor William Shatner, and chat with bestselling author Dan Gutman and young actress Celestina Harris about their creative journeys. Plus, we premiere A Balloon’s Breath, a symphony for strings composed by 12-year-old Evan Daitz, inspired by the sound of hot air balloons. Join us as we explore the power of imagination and self-expression!

This time on The Children’s Hour, the Kids Crew explores graphic novels. These modern day comic books can help kids become better readers, while keeping them engaged and learning. Dr. Lee Francis IV has a publishing house featuring graphic novels for all ages written by Native authors and illustrators. We also meet a science illustrator whose books help kids understand complex scientific topics. Plus we have book reviews!

This special episode of The Children’s Hour honors Indigenous Peoples' Day with guest author Laurel Goodluck, who shares stories from her books that highlight indigenous perspectives. Laurel, who is of Mandan Hratsa and Tsimshian heritage, reads excerpts from her books, including Too Much, My Great Big Native Family and She Persisted: Deb Haaland. The Kids Crew engages with Laurel on topics like family, resilience, and cultural pride, while indigenous music from around the world weaves throughout the program, creating an enriching experience for listeners of all ages.

On this episode of The Children's Hour, we learn all about the Post Office from the American Postal Workers Union Local 380 President, Ken Fajardo. Mr. Fajardo has worked at the United States Postal Service for over 30 years, and explains what happens when a letter goes through the mail. We also learn about stamp collecting and how the postal service makes a big difference in elections. Plus, puzzlemaker Riya Joshi challenges the Kids Crew to a puzzle on the air. Learn with us!

This time on The Children’s Hour, New Mexico Poet Laureate Lauren Camp inspires us to find our poet within, putting our feelings, thoughts, stories and ideas into words to create our own poetry. Featuring poems read by Bob Odenkirk, Joy Harjo, and others, we celebrate poetry and explore our own poet within each one of us.

This time on The Children's Hour, we meet Ms. Caitlin Gooch from Saddle Up And Read, an organization that motivates kids to read with horses. Evan Daitz reviews My Life In The Fish Tank, and Maya Falcon gives us her review of PANDEMIC 2020: A 9 Year Old's Perspective by Prisha Hedau. The kids in the Extinction Diaries teach us about why some zebras are being born with bizarre stripe patterns, and what that means. We've got great music on this show, too. Learn with us!

We showcase some of the best of 2023 for kids music. The Kids Crew is joined by guests Bob Odenkirk and his daughter Erin Odenkirk. Their book Zilot & Other Important Rhymes is our pick for the best book of 2023 for children. Celebrate the best of 2023 with The Children's Hour.

This time on The Children’s Hour, it’s a full hour of stories and story-songs with authors Todd Parr and Michelle Adam, and many more. We hear stories from Bill Harley, Joanne Shenandoah, and song stories throughout the program. This episode takes us on adventures to new worlds and ideas. Join us while we tell you stories, this time on The Children’s Hour.

It's National Poetry Month in the USA, and we are celebrating with a Poetry Palooza on The Children's Hour!

This week on The Children’s Hour, Katie and the Crew learn about the Little Free Library network with Shelby King, program director and coordinator of the Impact Library Program. Airdrie reviews Rowen And The Rascal Lion, and Evan gives us a review of A Wolf Called Wander. Mixed with excellent music celebrating books, libraries, and reading.

This time on The Children's Hour, we partner with our friends at Well Beings Studio to create a show that's about using poetry to heal, support and express yourself. Creating art with kids impacted by medical trauma, Well Beings Studio brings their students' work to The Children's Hour.

This week on The Children’s Hour, we try to make sense of money with Dr. Reilly White from the University of New Mexico, Associate Professor of Finance at the Anderson School of Management.

This week on The Children's Hour, we explore the genre of science fiction with our musical friends from Ramah, New Mexico, MeriDean. This type of storytelling allows our imagination to become immersed in other worldly places, with advanced technologies, on exoplanets, or flying through space, and using actual science to help us believe the impossible. With excerpts of famous works of "Sci-Fi" like The War of the Worlds, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Slaughterhouse Five, and original pieces recorded by masterful storytellers, we immerse ourselves in futuristic fantasy.

How do we stay calm and centered during times of anxiety, and how do we practice being peaceful? The Children's Hour Kids Crew explore strategies together, and with Andy Mason, a singer songwriter from Santa Fe New Mexico who helps kids find their inner strength through music.

On this edition of The Children's Hour, we get puzzled by the world's most syndicated daily puzzle maker, David L. Hoyt, author of the Jumble Puzzle found in more than 600 newspapers every day, worldwide. We'll create a puzzle together during the show that kids can play!  Plus we learn about the Doomsday Seed Vault from our friends at the Extinction Diaries.

This week on The Children's Hour, meet kids who are pollinator protectors with Wild Friends of New Mexico. These students from the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy successfully lobbied the state legislature for a license plate, in order to raise funds to build pollinator friendly medians and roadways. We also find out more about their school, where classes are taught in sign language. And we meet Cecil Williams, a photographer who helped capture Civil Rights History with his lens.

On the next episode of The Children's Hour radio show and podcast, we take a look back at some of our favorite clips and music from 2019. We spoke with New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, author Kwame Alexander, kids concerned about the climate, and many others. Featuring music recorded at our many live programs.

The Children's Hour broadcasted live from the Los Griegos Library in Albuquerque's historic Los Griegos neighborhood. Dive into the Summer Reading program, hear storytellers Scott and Johanna Hongell Darsee, and learn about Albuquerque Public Schools' Refugee and Newcomers Program.  With musical guest, Maya Falcón from The Children's Hour Kids Crew.

This week on The Children's Hour we explore bilingual books with authors Ana Baca and Anna Nogar, who teach us about writing books in multiple languages. Plus the we had Sean Etigson and the Full Circle Singers from Bosque School, who explore the Bard, William Shakespeare through music, poetry, and his unusual use of language.

In a live broadcast at Albuquerque's Taylor Ranch Library, The Children's Hour heard from Albuquerque's former poet laureate Hakim Bellamy. We also learned from the Taylor Ranch librarians about what's happening at the library this spring, and we had musical guests, Samantha Daitz and Lisa Donald from the Sky Velvet Vassar Music Foundation.

The Children's Hour broadcast live from the Tony Hillerman Branch Library in Albuquerque. Daughter Anne Hillerman explained why we named a library after author Tony Hillerman. We had live original music from Sage Harrington kids in the Bosque Song School. Librarian Laura Metzler read us Tony Hillerman's "Buster Mesquite's Cowboy Band" and we learned about the Albuquerque Rose Garden, home to more than 1000 roses.

On January 2, 2016 poet and author Hakim Bellamy joined us into the studio to read his new children's book, Samuel's Story. What do you want to be when you grow up? Samuel wrestles with that question as he considers his options.