Episode 124: The Wishing Flower with AJ Irving

Be a Better Ally: critical conversations for K12 educators

I cannot talk about AJ Irving's soon-to-be-released (May, 2023) book 'The Wishing Flower' without getting emotional. It is groundbreaking, beautiful, and a must-buy for school libraries. We talk about the power of books, the power of groups ensuring the truth always has a home in classrooms, and what we can do to collaboratively ask for more books like this one. About the Author: A.J. Irving grew up in Boise, Idaho, writing stories and daydreaming about becoming an author. Now, she writes picture books and poetry beneath an old elm tree in Salt Lake City. A.J. reads kidlit every day and dances every chance she gets. She is the author of Dance Like a Leaf (Barefoot Books, 2020) and The Wishing Flower (Knopf BFYR, May 30, 2023). As a children’s author and former bookmobile librarian, A.J. is passionate about inspiring kids to love books. When she’s not reading, writing, or dancing, she enjoys exploring Utah with her husband, two children, and their English bulldog. A.J. received a B.A. in journalism and women’s and gender studies from the University of Oregon. She is represented by Jordan Hamessley of New Leaf Literary. Learn more: https://ajirving.com/ Pre-order The Wishing Flower: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-wishing-flower/18882866?ean=9780593430446 Explore the teaching guides: https://ajirving.com/activities/ Connect with the author: https://ajirving.com/contact/ Mentioned in this episode: Dr. Bishop's work: https://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/experts/rudine-sims-bishop Pride and Less Prejudice: https://www.prideandlessprejudice.org/ Freadom: https://www.freadom.us/ Right to read: https://www.literacyworldwide.org/get-involved/childrens-rights-to-read For a transcript of this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RPyUCYkzJxhhWflnGjK1lfzoIM3hsc5JxeP8_vDgODc/edit?usp=sharing To win a free copy of The Wishing Flower enter to win by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/6X8sgw1vQxW7Jq92A Or email tricia(at) shiftingschools (dot com)