LTL Podcast Episode: The Importance of Following the Conversation: Talking Books and Writing with Author Matt de la Peña

Books by author Matt de la Peña!

In episode 19, I spoke with author Matt de la Peña. Some of Matt’s books include The Last Stop on Market Street, Love, Carmela Full of Wishes, Patchwork, and Milo Imagines the World. Matt discusses some of his books and how he decided to write about these particular topics and themes. He shares how relationships are key to his books. For example, in Carmela Full of Wishes, he highlights the relationship between siblings - a brother and his sister. In the book, Carmela is a nuisance to her older brother, but in the end, they are family and he is there for her.

Matt has frequently worked with the illustrator, Christian Robinson. He shares some details about their collaborations and how they decide what to work on together as well as how they approach new projects when working together.

As a children’s author, Matt visits many schools and speaks with students. He talks about how teachers (and even parents!) can follow the conversations that come from reading his books with students. It’s a great reminder to let the students lead the conversations and it is supporting their understanding and comprehension of the text.

Finally, we end by discussing writing and how teachers can support students when they are working on writing. I love Matt’s approach to writing and he offers some excellent ideas to support students. I hope you will listen to this episode and learn something new about his books and approach to writing.