History-Sode | Colonial Witches
The air is crisp, the leaves are falling and it’s the perfect time for a little spooky history! In this special October history-sode, Auntie Jo Jo takes you back to the 1600s and 1700s to explore the real witch trials of colonial America.Sources for this episode:“Records of the Witchcraft Cases in Virginia” – Virginia Colonial Records Project, Library of Virginia (mentions Grace Sherwood, Joan Wright, Katherine Grady).Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive & Transcription Project – University of Virginia.Karlsen, Carol F. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman (1987) — a well-researched book on witch trials in New England and Virginia.Godbeer, Richard. Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692 (Oxford University Press, 2005).Demos, John. Entertaining Satan: Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England (Oxford University Press, 1982).Hoffer, Peter Charles. The Salem Witchcraft Trials: A Legal History (University Press of Kansas, 1997).Library of Congress: “Witchcraft in Colonial America” primary source set.National Park Service: Grace Sherwood Statue, Witch of Pungo history summary.
2 Loka 20256min
Pinecone Password
Quick Note: There is no music with this episode due to technical issues. When a mysterious geocache pops up in Cedar Hollow Preserve, best friends Lila and Noor follow a trail of riddles, pinecones with secret tags, a hidden meadow of whispering flags, and a lock that only opens with the right four-letter word.
30 Syys 202513min
History-Sode | Kids in 1671
Quick Note: This episode has no music due to technical issues. In this history-sode, Auntie JoJo takes listeners back to colonial Virginia in 1671. Through sound and storytelling, you’ll walk through a plantation at sunrise, sit at a colonial dinner table, peek at an early hornbook, and hear what might have scared kids and adults at night. This episode blends facts with imagination to make history feel alive.Morning chores and daily life for children on a Virginia plantationTypical colonial meals and why sugar was a rare treatEducation and church life in the 1600sGames, storytelling, and simple fun kids made for themselvesThe tobacco economy and colonial society under Governor Sir William BerkeleyThe atmosphere of fear that sometimes led to witchcraft accusationsYou can include this in your show notes/blog so listeners can learn more:Lorena S. Walsh, Motives of Honor, Pleasure, and Profit: Plantation Management in the Colonial Chesapeake (University of North Carolina Press, 2010)Philip Alexander Bruce, Institutional History of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1910)Library of Virginia – Digital Collections on Colonial Virginia LifeEncyclopedia Virginia, entries on Colonial Society and Governor Sir William BerkeleyJamestown Settlement & American Revolution Museum – “Daily Life in 17th Century Virginia” (living history resources)
25 Syys 20255min
The Library Lantern : Part 3
Quick Note: There is not music with this podcast due to technical issues. When the Lantern glows with a new golden word "COME" Wren is called back to the Hall of Hidden Wonders in the middle of the night. But this time, the hall is under threat: a Shadow Collector is stealing unfinished stories and erasing books from existence.
23 Syys 20257min
History-Sode | The 13 Colonies
Quick Notes:1. This episode does not include intro or outro music. Travel back in time with Auntie Jo Jo’s Library as we explore the story of the original thirteen colonies! From the rocky coasts of New England to the warm fields of Georgia, discover why settlers came to America, how each colony had its own personality, and what life was like for kids growing up in the 1600s and 1700s.
18 Syys 20256min
The Cloud Without A Name
Quick Notes: 1. Episode does not have intro or outro music due to technical issues. 2. Auntie Jo Jo has been out of the country for a week and was not able to record in her studio. So, the sound quality is not the best. 3. Auntie Jo Jo is doing her best to provide you with stories weekly - please understand this is the best she could do this week!Have you ever wondered if clouds have names? In this heartwarming story, we meet a small, plain little cloud who feels invisible up in the big sky.
17 Syys 20256min
History-Sode | International Talk Like A Pirate Day
Every year on September 19th, people all around the world celebrate by saying things like “Ahoy, matey!” and “Shiver me timbers!” But where did this silly holiday come from? In this history-sode, we’ll discover how two friends invented International Talk Like a Pirate Day in 1995, how it grew from an inside joke to a worldwide tradition, and why it reminds us that sometimes the best holidays are the ones that make us laugh and use our imaginations.Sources:International Talk Like a Pirate Day – Wikipedia“All the Fun and Important Holidays in September” – AFA Education Blog
11 Syys 20252min
The Lantern In The Tree | Read by Amelia
One autumn evening in the town of Willowbend, Thomas discovers something strange hanging high in the branches of the old oak tree—a lantern that glows with a mysterious light. When he and his friend Lily climb up to touch it, the lantern bursts with magic, letting them hear the whispers of the world around them: squirrels gossiping, roots humming, and even stars beginning to sing. Together, they promise to keep its secret safe, guarding their “library of voices” hidden in the branches above.
9 Syys 20254min
