Can you catch the Gingerbread man?

Backpacks may seem like a simple school essential, but their history stretches back thousands of years. From ancient hunters carrying supplies in animal skins, to Roman soldiers with leather packs, to the invention of the zippered backpack in 1938, these handy bags have always been a part of human life. In this history-sode, we’ll explore how kids used to carry their books with straps instead of bags, how the yellow pencil revolution inspired colorful, stylish backpacks, and even how modern versions can charge your devices!Sources:“Backpack” – Britannica Kids (history of carrying packs and early school use).John C. Cunningham’s 1938 invention of the zippered backpack: Smithsonian / hiking history archives.“Book straps before backpacks” – Smithsonian National Museum of American History.Brand history: Faber-Castell (on the spread of writing tools, pencils and packs for school).Cultural history of yellow pencils and school supplies: Pencils.com

4 Sep 20252min

In today’s story, we’ll meet a little cloud who feels left out because everyone else seems to have a name, children, birds, even airplanes! Determined to find one for herself, she floats across mountains, oceans, and forests, asking each what she should be called. But when she drifts over a meadow full of children, she discovers something magical: she doesn’t need just one name. She can be many things to many people - soft as a feather, watery as raindrops, or even shaped like a bunny or a ship!

2 Sep 20255min

Why do we say this when a secret is revealed?Sources used:Oxford English Dictionary (OED) – historical citations for “let the cat out of the bag” and idiom notesMerriam-Webster Dictionary – idiom entry and usage historyEtymonline (Online Etymology Dictionary) – discussion of proposed origins and early attestationsThe Phrase Finder – idiom background, “pig in a poke” connectionSmithsonian Magazine (language/etymology features) – context on idioms with uncertain origins

28 Aug 20253min

Wren returns to the Hall of Hidden Wonders - a magical place that feels alive, changing each time she visits. The man in the green coat is waiting, and today he has a challenge: find her spark, the gift that proves she belongs here.

26 Aug 20258min

There’s a tiny tool in your backpack with a giant history. In this kid-friendly history-sode, Auntie Jo Jo traces the pencil’s journey from a 1500s graphite discovery in England to the first wooden pencils in Germany, the invention of the rubber eraser, and why so many pencils are painted yellow.We’ll also peek at how pencils helped soldiers, artists, and even early astronauts put ideas on paper—anywhere.Sources used:Encyclopaedia Britannica — “Pencil” (history, materials, manufacturing)Smithsonian Magazine — “Why Are Pencils Yellow?” (branding and 19th-century graphite trade)Royal Society of Chemistry — Joseph Priestley and the discovery of “rubber” for erasing (1770)NASA History Office — Early writing tools in space (pencils and later pressurized pens)Henry Petroski, The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance (Knopf)

21 Aug 20254min

Wren Calder has always been good at staying invisible: at home, at school, even in the crowded hallways where louder voices take up all the space. But on a quiet afternoon in the school library, she stumbles upon something she was never meant to see: a brass lantern glowing faintly in the dustiest corner of the shelves.When she lifts it, the shelves shift to reveal a hidden staircase… and a doorway into a place beyond anything she’s imagined. Talking books, rope bridges of paper cranes, and a man in a green coat who seems to know her name and insists she’s here for a reason.One question echoes in Wren’s mind: What’s a spark… and could she really have one?

19 Aug 20259min

Auntie Jo Jo’s Library opens her library to a very special guest! This episode I sat down with author Christine Devane to talk about her children’s book, Elephant Beach.Christine shares how she brings her story to life during classroom readings and community events, and we explore the ways introverts and extroverts experience stories differently. We also talk about the invaluable role of your local public library. From storytime to countless free resources. Christine gives us a sneak peek into her next project, a heartfelt book about navigating grief.Upcoming Children's Author Fair at Hummingbird Books- August 23, 2025. Learn more about Christine Devane and her work: http://www.christine-devane.com/Purchase through Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Beach-Christine-Devane/dp/1665765763Purchase through Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elephant-beach-christine-devane/1147288164

15 Aug 202524min

Popcorn and movies go together like peanut butter and jelly but how did this crunchy, buttery snack become a star at the theater? Sources used:National Popcorn Board – History of PopcornSmithsonian Magazine – How Popcorn Became a Movie Theater StapleHistory.com – The History of PopcornLibrary of Congress – The Great Depression and Popcorn SalesThe New York Times – Popcorn’s Long and Storied Past

14 Aug 20254min