{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"What Happens When A Wish Breaks Your Family?","description":"In this inspiring episode of Reading With Your Kids, host Jed Doherty welcomes author Celesta Rimington to talk about her powerful new middle grade novel \u201cReach.\u201d Centered on a boy named Denver, Reach explores the complicated emotions that come with blended families, sibling tension, and the grief of losing the \u201cold\u201d version of your family. When a mysterious magical forest and an ancient talking tree transform Denver\u2019s younger stepbrother into a tree, Denver is forced to confront his unspoken wishes and big feelings about change, loss, and love. Celesta shares how her own childhood\u2014losing her father at a young age, becoming the older half-sibling in a large blended family, and feeling both responsible and displaced\u2014informs Denver\u2019s journey. She also explains how nature, national parks, and asking \u201cwhat if?\u201d questions fuel the magic in her stories, including Reach, The Elephant\u2019s Girl, and Tips for Magicians. Parents and educators will love her ideas for using Reach to spark family conversations about grief, change, identity, and the idea of \u201cforced family\u201d versus chosen family, as well as the fun STEM elements in the book, from robotics to the \u201cwood wide web.\u201d Later, Jed talks with Michael Cottman, author of \u201cSegregated Skies: David Harris\u2019s Trailblazing Journey to Rise Above Racial Barriers.\u201d Michael shares the inspiring true story of David Harris, the first Black commercial airline pilot for a major U.S. airline, and how his perseverance, humility, and courage during the Civil Rights era can inspire young readers, especially during Black History Month. ","author_name":"Reading With Your Kids Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/readingwithyourkids.libsyn.com\/site","html":"