Chalk and Ink: Season 1, Episode 8

Interview with K-12 Librarian and Children's Book Author, Jolene Gutierrez
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Welcome back to Chalk and Ink: the podcast for teachers who write and writers who teach. Meet K-12 librarian and children's book author, Jolene Gutierrez. Jolene is the author of Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs and Beaks and Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader. I learned a ton chatting with her.

In this episode, Jolene talks about the necessity of sensitivity readers, the importance of pursuing one's goals today and the art of putting the perfect book in each reader's hands.

When we talked about Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader, I mentioned how excited I was that Elana K. Arnold had written a blurb praising Jolene's book. This led to both of us gushing about how Elana K. Arnold is a versatile and talented author. She's generous, too. One time Elana K. Arnold did a Skype visit with my classroom after we finished reading her novelFar From Fair. When the school year ended, one of my students told me she never liked reading until she had the opportunity to interact with Elana.

Jolene thinks picture books are one of teaching's most powerful tools no matter the age of the students. She uses picture books when she pushes into all of her classrooms K-12. Jolene recommends that every school library have Stonewall by Rob Sanders because it's beautiful, brilliant, important and powerful. In addition, every library should have a copy of Beth Anderson's Lizzie Demands a Seat: Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Streetcar Rights. It tells the story of an African American schoolteacher who fought back when she was denied entry to a streetcar. This event happened 100 years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus. One Plastic Bag by Miranda Paul is a beautiful biography. For an important layered text, everyone should have a copy She Leads by June Smalls.

Happy Listening!