Mindful, Happy Kids

Dr. Elisabeth Paige welcomes middle grade and YA author Tracy Badua to Mindful Happy Kids to discuss her contemporary and contemporary fantasy books that weave in Filipino folklore, humor, mystery, and heartfelt moments. Badua explains differences between middle grade and YA, her path from legal writing to fiction, and why Filipino American voices and folklore matter, including intergenerational dynamics, identity, and community. She discusses co-writing the baking mysteries The Cookie Crumbles and Their Just Desserts with Alicia Dow, including research, representation, and themes of friendship. Tracy summarizes Thea and the Mischief Makers, Freddy vs. the Family Curse, Ghoul Summer, The Takeout , and her YA novel This Is Not a Personal Statement , covering topics like popularity, anxiety, cultural pressure, and belonging. She shares advice for aspiring authors to find writing community. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

Dr. Elisabeth Paige interviews middle grade author Diana Harmon Asher about her writing journey and books "Side Tracked," "Up Staged," and "Trouble Finds Evie Lefkowitz." Asher explains why she writes for ages 8–12 and recounts years of rejections before "Side Tracked" sold to Abrams, followed by her other novels. She discusses weaving Jewish culture and Yiddish into her work, drawing on her father’s role as a cantor for Evie’s story of grief and a mother dating, and adding a Japanese American character inspired by her books’ Japanese translations and recognition in a national student essay competition. Asher argues for diversity in books, describes a negative reaction to LGBTQ inclusion in "Up Staged," and emphasizes representing learning challenges (ADD/ADHD, dyslexia), shyness, nuanced bullying, friendship, and varied family structures. She is working on another book featuring "Side Tracked" characters and advises writers to join groups, accept critique, and persist. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

Loretta Lopez in conversation with Dr. Elisabeth Paige shares her writing journey from early encouragement and mentors to publishing her debut middle-grade novel, "City Girls", and explains how her work as a case manager for undocumented children inspired the character Elisa and the asylum storyline. She summarizes the book’s three 11-year-old protagonists—Elisa, Lucia, and Alice—each facing trauma, grief, divorce, or a parent’s illness as their friendship develops over a school year, and discusses using different narrative forms for each voice. Lopez addresses writing about abuse for middle graders, announces the Spanish translation coming in May, and describes a new novel-in-progress set in Guadalajara. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

Dr. Elisabeth Paige interviews YA author and literary agent Sandra Proudman about her debut YA fantasy Salvación and her work in publishing for her podcast, Mindful, Happy Kids: Embracing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Sandra introduces her upcoming books, including the YA dystopian "The End of Us" (out in October) and another standalone YA fantasy with Wednesday Books, "Lost and Darling Things," a Peter Pan retelling (coming next fall), and describes her role at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency and her commitment to representing diverse and underrepresented creators, including many Latinx voices. She shares her non-“unicorn” writing path through years of querying, editing the anthology "Relit: 60 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories," and how Salvación originated from a collaborative prompt for a Zorro retelling set in the Gold Rush era, featuring salt magic. They discuss the book’s plot, feminism, colonization themes, key characters, and sibling and romance dynamics, plus advice on reading, writing, learning publishing, and patience, and where to find her on Instagram and her website. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

In this powerful episode, Sonido Reyes joins Elisabeth Paige to discuss his journey as an acclaimed author bringing vital representation to young adult literature. Sonido shares his late-blooming love for writing, sparked through fan fiction and a journey from shame to joy in self-expression. The episode delves deep into Sonido’s award-winning novels, including The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School and The Golden Boy's Guide to Bipolar . Sonido unpacks how these works weave in complex issues—queerness, mental health struggles, immigration, and nuanced family dynamics—reflecting real challenges in the Mexican and larger Latinx community. He stresses the importance of showing characters struggling—and still deserving happy endings—so readers can see themselves fully and find hope. A highlight is the candid conversation about destigmatizing mental illness and suicidality, particularly in the Mexican community where such topics are often taboo. Sonido and Elisabeth discuss the challenges of therapy, medication, and the healing power of support groups, emphasizing the necessity of empathy for those living with bipolar disorder. Sonido also touches on his next project, a “Mexican Hunger Games”—style dystopian novel, and offers encouragement to young and aspiring writers: embrace your truth and write what feels authentic, even when it’s hard. This episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about diverse storytelling, mental health advocacy, and authentic voices in YA literature. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

Physician and children's author Rajani LaRocca has published over 20 books for kids of all ages. In this second interview (you can also see the first interview by scrolling), we talk about her forthcoming young adult novel about grief, truth, authenticity, and friendship and her published fantasy middle grade adventure based in Indian culture on colonialism. We also spoke about two very relevant picture books, one on vaccines and one on birthright citizenship. Finally we covered her chapter book about flexibility and being true to yourself. We hope you enjoy! You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

Dr. Elisabeth Paige interviews middle grade author and English professor Chris Baron about two recent books: the Passover anthology "On All Other Nights," which he co-edited with Joshua Levy and Naomi Milliner, and his verse novel "Spark" about California wildfires. Baron discusses his preference for poetry, his writing journey into middle grade, and why certain stories choose verse versus prose and vice versa. He explains Passover’s meaning, family traditions, and how the anthology maps short stories to Seder steps with discussion questions, aiming to strengthen unity and Jewish identity in a difficult climate. "Spark" follows best friends Finn and Rabbit in a Northern California town facing wildfires, evacuation, grief, and rebuilding; Baron reads several poems, describes extensive research, and highlights themes of hope, agency, conservation, PTSD support from a teacher-counselor, Jewish heritage symbolism, and the role of pets. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

Dr. Elisabeth Paige interviews middle grade author Dan Gemeinhart about his writing journey and three of his ten novels: The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, Coyote Lost and Found, and Busted. Dan discusses why his stories include grief and death as backstory, how he balances heavy themes with humor, and why animals and friendship are central. They outline Coyote’s road-trip plot to save a buried memory box while Coyote secretly tricks her grieving father, Rodeo, into going home, and describe Coyote Lost and Found as a standalone sequel set in April 2020 during COVID, involving the search for a lost Mary Oliver poetry book that contains the mother’s wishes for scattering her ashes, including masking and an anti-Asian racism incident. They also cover Busted , a comedic intergenerational caper about Oscar, Natasha, and retired mobster Jimmy, and Gemeinhart’s plans to write Midnight Children into a screenplay. He gives advice for kids and aspiring authors. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

Dr. Elisabeth Paige and Mike Rosenstein interview children’s author and illustrator Johnny Marciano about his career writing from board books to chapter books to middle grade books and young adult books. He’s even written adult nonfiction. His first book was about his grandfather Ludwig Bemelmans, author of the Madeline series. Johnny discusses learning to paint in Bemelmans’ style for Madeline books but eventually choosing to work primarily with outside illustrators. He explains the dark humor of The Nine Lives of Alexander Baddenfield , and The No-Good Nine and the satire and humor of the Claude series co-created with Emily Chenoweth. He also describes the Frankie Caridi cult-and-telekinesis series, and an in-progress Madeline graphic novel set in occupied Paris. He talks about his forthcoming book, a middle grade historical novel about his Italian grandfather surviving the 1908 Messina earthquake and tsunami. Finally, he provides recommendations for aspiring authors. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

This is a heart-wrenching and fascinating interview with Nora Lester Murad: Activist, Educator, and Writer About Palestine. Nora is Jewish and married a Palestinian, Muslim man. Together they raised three daughters in the West Bank during the Israeli occupation. Her middle grade novel, "Ida in the Middle" was inspired by her daughter and her own experiences living in the West Bank and coming back to the US to share her experiences. “Ida in the Middle” was a way for Nora to talk about the life she and her family were forced to endure under the Israeli occupation of Palestine. She talks about her book and the horrific living situation in Palestine and how she believes the only true peace can come if "equality is the only way they'll be a settlement that respects all the people. So, the whole land needs to be decolonized. Whoever wants to live there, should live there, but equally not with rights that are more than other people, which is what they have right now. Jewish people have more rights than non-Jews. That's not stable, it's not defendable, and it will lead to continued conflict until that's, that's fixed." Please visit my website for more information: www.mindfulhappykids.com. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

The Petitation Companion: Enhance the Lives of You and Your Pets with Mindfulness Meditation are the adventures of Pago and Pippi, Schipperke pups trying to teach Norman, the negative cat to Petitate. I will be reading you the book, written by myself, Dr. Elisabeth Paige and Joanne Leslie chapter by chapter. I will also be adding the Petitations 1 by 1 set to music composed and recorded by Steve Gruskin. You can buy the book on Amazon and visit my website www.mindfulhappy kids.com and my Substack, "Mindful, Happy News" for the written versions. The book is dedicated to Pippi and Pago, I loved tghem with all my heart.] Elisabeth You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

Julio and Jacoby created Latinx awesome graphic novels focusing on immigration, border crossing, bullying, and radicalization of white supremacies. They are both interviewed in this engaging conversation with Elisabeth Paige and Mike Rosenstein. They talk about their processes, books and futures. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

In this extremely engaging and interesting conversation, Hannah talks about her book; "Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine;" Interlink Publishing, her family's publishing company where they publish books from Palestine and the Global South; and her role as a "queer, fat, Palestinian activist." She identifies the historical and current plight of Palestinians both in Palestine and in the United States. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

In our house, we start the year with a day of thanks. And, with Bobbie reaching a healthy and happy two and us in good health with meaningful jobs and podcast/writing and great people in our lives, we've got a lot to be grateful for. Bobbie and I appreciate all of you who are listening to this podcast and hope that you visit the website: www.mindfulhappykids.com to read about the authors/illustrators we interview. About a decade ago, I wrote a book, "The Petitation Companion" with my Mom, Joanne Leslie, from the perspective of Pago the Schipperke dog as he has adventures with his friends Pippi the Schipperke and Norman the Negative Cat. I read the gratitude chapter for this podcast, along with adding The Gratitude Petitation set to music for you to do with your pets. Enjoy! Let me know how you like it at epaigeconsulting@gmail.com. Elisabeth and Bobbie You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

Dan Gutman author of over 200 children's books for all ages talks with Dr. Elisabeth Paige about his writing process, his newest book, "The Picasso Curse" (particularly relevant given the recent heist in Paris), and his many other book series. A particularly entertaining and fun conversation. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

Jenan Matari wrote a powerful book about the connection of her Jiddo's to his garden and how he was forced to flee Palestine, important for Palestinians, other indigenous children, and their friends to understand. She also talks about Palestine pre and post October 7th 2023. Finally, she gives recommendations for how one can help Palestinians. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

It’s the tail end of Latinx Heritage Month and we’re approaching Halloween and Los Dios de Los Noches the perfect time to highlight “Lost on Doll Island,” by Cassandra Ramos-Gomez. In this conversation, middle grade, Mexican American, horror author Cassandra talks about her writing journey, her debut novel and her future. The book is spooky, creepy and loads of fun. You’ll find plenty of spooky dolls, spiders, and even Mexican magic. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

Taqwa Ahmed Al-Wawi is a 19-year-old journalist born and raised and currently living through the horrors of Gaza. She's written over 40 articles and 25 poems for international publications. As she says, she went from her writing being her private therapy to a "duty" to portray the struggles of her people. This powerful interview is intense, heartbreaking and can bring tears to your eyes. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

Welcome to Mindful Happy Kids! I’m Dr. Elisabeth Paige, and today we have a truly special guest—award-winning author Dana Alison Levy. In this episode, we dive into the world of banned books, explore the importance of diversity in science, and discover how hope can empower young readers. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or book lover, you won’t want to miss this inspiring conversation. Let’s get started! You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.

In our busy world, finding moments of calm can be a challenge—especially for children. But what if mindfulness could be as simple as spending time with a beloved pet in a structured way set to relaxing music? Enter the Petting Petitation, a gentle meditation practice that combines the soothing act of petting an animal with the principles of mindfulness. What Is the Petting Petitation? The Petting Petitation is a playful, accessible way to introduce mindfulness to kids (and adults!). The idea is simple: as you pet your dog, cat, or any furry friend, you focus your attention on the sensations and the present moment and when your thoughts stray, you label them as observing, planning, remembering, judging, or worrying and then refocus on your pet. This practice helps quiet the mind, reduce stress, and deepen the bond between you and your pet. You can find information about Dr. Elisabeth Paige at www.mindfulhappykids.com.