Join us for Shakespeare Summer!

When most of us hear the name “Shakespeare,” we probably think back to a high school classroom, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, while we struggled through Romeo and Juliet line by line—“wherefore art thou” and all that.

But here’s the truth:

Shakespeare was never meant to be dissected like a frog under a microscope.

His work, in fact, was never meant to be read AT ALL. He meant for his plays to be experienced. To be performed, seen, heard, and felt.

We tend to think of Shakespeare as a school subject. Or that we should read it as part of a rich literature curriculum in order for our children to be well-versed academically.

While Shakespeare’s plays are part of a rich literary heritage, I want to make a case today that Shakespeare is not a subject at all. It’s not a thing you “should” do in your homeschool to have well-educated kids.

Today, I want to talk about why experiencing Shakespeare with your kids might be one of the most joyful things you ever do together. And one of my very favorite people, Ken Ludwig, celebrated playwright, fellow Shakespeare nerd, and author of How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, joins me to help me make my case.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• What traditional classrooms often get wrong when introducing Shakespeare
• Why Ken recommends having kids start with reciting and memorizing passages
• How Shakespeare provides an entry to point to learning and loving complex language

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes: readaloudrevival.com/shakespeare-is-not-school

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!

Why should we read the classics?

So many of us want to read and enjoy them, but we don’t want to spend our precious free time feeling like we’re incompetent because we just don’t get it or that the internet has completely ruined our brains (is this just me?).

This winter in RAR Premium, we did a whole retreat about falling in love with your reading life again, and today I'm sharing one of those sessions, called How to Read Classics (and Actually Enjoy Them). RAR Community Manager Kelsey Murphy and I talk all about how to find your way into the classics and *really* begin to relish them.

Most of this translates to reading classics with your kids, but this session really is for you. We want you to discover the fun and enjoyment in classic literature because it makes your life richer and better. It also makes you a more peaceful and joy-filled mama to those sweet kids of yours.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Helpful entry points to reading the classics
• How to approach classics as an invitation to learning and enjoyment (not like homework)
• Why watching the movie first will not get your Homeschool Mama card revoked (we promise!)

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/read-the-classics

Join us for Shakespeare Summer!

In this episode, RAR Community Manager Kelsey Murphy and I sat down to tackle some of your listener questions.

We put our heads together to answer questions about loved ones who don’t support your choice to homeschool, curriculum overwhelm, reading aloud with older kids or a wide age range of ages, how to encourage your kids to read high quality literature, and more!

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How to make peace with your choice to homeschool even when loved ones misunderstand
• Ways to keep connecting with older kids through reading aloud even with busy schedules
• The importance of “fun” books in developing your child’s reading life

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/growing-in-confidence

Today, one of my very favorite authors returns to Read-Aloud Revival.

You know him as the author of Sweep, The Night Gardener, the Peter Nimble series, and The Fabled Stables. That’s right–Jonathan Auxier is back!

This time, we’re talking about the much-awaited conclusion to the Peter Nimble series, The War of the Maps. In our conversation, we delve into the guiding questions he explores during the writing process, and how each of these questions becomes a doorway for discovering who we are, whose we are, and what our work is here in the world.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why Jonathan often explores the tension of the end of childhood in his books
• How trying to solve a guiding question shapes the narrative of Jonathan’s works
• The best way to write a story

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/jonathan-auxier-is-back

One of my favorite reads of 2024 was The Myth Makers by John Hendrix.

This gorgeous graphic novel tells the story of the remarkable friendship of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. I thought I already knew quite a bit about these Inklings, but there was even more to uncover.

Today, I’m delighted to share my conversation with the author and illustrator of The Myth Makers, John Hendrix. We dive into his research and writing process, exploring how the threads of the story came together.

In this episode, Jon shares a better definition of myth, and illustrates the differences between a myth, a fairytale, and a story. I even make him choose which series he’d rather bring to a desert island, The Chronicles of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• John’s creative process for creating graphic novels
• How choose-your-own adventure stories inspired the The Myth Makers
• Why John chose the Lion and the Wizard as his main characters

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/john-hendrix

What comes to mind when you think of C. S. Lewis’s Narnia and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings?

There’s a good chance a lot of us are seeing very similar pictures. We’re seeing images that swept us into the whimsical world of wonder beyond the wardrobe (and into the Shire).

The beloved images of these childhood stories remain with us.

But it’s likely we don’t know much about the woman who created the iconic illustrations of the White Witch, Mr. Tumnus and Lucy, and the Pevensie children having tea with Mr. and Mrs. Beaver.

Her name is Pauline Baynes, and her artwork brought the worlds of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien to life.

Today, author and illustrator Katie Wray Schon is here to share her gorgeous new book, Painting Wonder: How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. This stunning picture book biography tells the story of the woman behind the pictures of Narnia that we know and love so much. You’re going to want to add it to your shelves!

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Katie’s own creative journey led her to Pauline Baynes’s story
• The joys and challenges of illustrating a book about an illustrator
• Katie’s advice for holding onto creativity as a source of enrichment in your life, even as a busy mama

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/woman-behind-narnia

Today, I’m thrilled to share a peek at the riches inside RAR Premium, our online community that helps you make meaningful and lasting connections with your books and helps homeschool mamas become the peace-filled, joyful mamas they’re called to be.

Last summer, our Family Book Club selection was On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, the first book in the Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson. And we were lucky enough that Andrew agreed to join us to answer kids’ questions about the books.

This episode is spoiler-free, so listen in even if you haven’t read the books yet. I’m pretty sure by the end you’ll want to! We talk about the inspiration for the Wingfeather Saga, Andrew’s ridiculous made-up words (that we actually use in my house), developing a rich fantasy world, and even which Wingfeather character is most like him!

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How reading aloud C. S. Lewis to his children inspired Andrew to go after his dream of writing stories for kids
• The tons of tiny, often behind-the-scenes choices that go into creating a fantasy world
• Why Andrew doesn’t write with a specific message in mind, but wants readers to connect with his books in their own way

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/wingfeather

📖 Order your copy of Painting Wonder: How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien by Katie Wray Schon.

Have you ever read a book and felt like you’d actually been to that place?

Me too. Once, while standing in line at an amusement park, I met a couple who told me they were visiting from Maine. And I almost said, “Oh, I was just in Maine!” Except I’ve never actually been to Maine. I had just read a book that was set in Maine, and it was so immersive, it felt like I’d been there.

That’s the power of books. They take you places.

Books help us experience different narratives and cultures from all over the world and throughout history. They give us a taste of places and people we might not otherwise encounter. Reading books can enhance our real travel experiences, too.

Today, I’ve invited RAR Premium Coordinator Leilani Curtis to join me to talk about how books take us places. Plus, we’ll share a very fun new booklist we’ve created and plans for a whole new series of lists that will be coming up!

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How stories help us forge connections to places
• Our perspective about the way reading can inspire family adventures, big and small
• Tips for tailoring travel reading around your child’s interests and your destination

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/books-take-you-places