Yang and DiCamillo Renew StoryKind for Young Readers and Writers

A good reading conversation does not have to begin with a worksheet. It can begin with a question about a character, a funny behind-the-scenes detail from an author, or permission to admit that writing is sometimes difficult. That is the opening StoryKind aims to create for young readers and aspiring writers. According to the podcast’s announcement, bestselling children’s authors Kelly Yang and Kate DiCamillo launched the second season of their kid-focused reading and writing podcast on October 5, 2026, at the start of National Book Month.

The renewal is welcome news for families and classrooms looking for brief, book-centered listening that can lead into richer discussion. The organization says the weekly program continues the pair’s conversations about storytelling, practical writing ideas, and questions sent by listeners. In a media environment where short content can often crowd out sustained attention, the stated focus on helping children reconnect with longer stories and their own drafts gives the project a particularly thoughtful educational purpose.

A literary conversation designed with young audiences in mind

According to the announcer, StoryKind was created by Yang and DiCamillo as a concise listening experience: episodes are designed to offer about 15 minutes of inspiration. The organization says the original idea was to encourage children to move away from short-form video viewing and toward reading longer stories and trying creative writing themselves.

That framing matters because it treats young people as participants in literary culture, not simply consumers of it. The announcement says Season 2 will retain the core format of writing tips, conversations about the authors’ craft, and responses to listener and fan-mail questions. It also says the hosts want to recognize teachers and librarians whose work supports literacy and a love of human storytelling.

Yang said in the announcement that listener feedback helped shape the decision to continue. She described the conversations with DiCamillo as “real, earnest dialogue” about the ups and downs of being a writer, and said she hopes the program gives children a glimpse of creators’ lives and encourages them to give stories and books a chance. DiCamillo, according to the announcement, called it an honor to connect with readers, writers, teachers, librarians, parents, and students through the conversations.

Why the format can be useful in classrooms and at home

For teachers, a short author conversation can work as an approachable literacy routine rather than an additional major assignment. The organization says teachers have shared StoryKind with students in classrooms, a response the hosts described as a pleasant surprise after the podcast’s initial launch. That reported use suggests a simple way to position an episode: as a prompt for talking, reading, or writing—not as a replacement for any of them.

Parents and educators might try a light structure after listening:

• Name one craft idea: Ask students to identify a detail about characters, settings, dialogue, revision, or plot that stood out.
• Connect it to a current book: Invite readers to find an example of that idea in their independent reading or read-aloud text.
• Write for five minutes: Offer a low-stakes prompt, such as “Give a side character a secret” or “Describe a place using two unexpected senses.”
• Make room for uncertainty: Ask what felt hard or surprising about the authors’ process. This helps students see that drafting is a process rather than a performance.

The value of this approach is its flexibility. A first-grade class might draw a setting before writing a sentence about it, while older students might discuss how an author revises a scene or answers reader questions. At home, a caregiver and child can use one question from an episode to start a car-ride or dinner-table conversation about a favorite book.

Two established voices, one shared invitation to create

According to the organization, Yang is the author of the Front Desk series, New From Here, Finally Seen, and other books for young readers; the announcement also identifies her as a recipient of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature. It says she founded the Kelly Yang Project, a writing and debating program for children in Asia.

The organization identifies DiCamillo as the author of books including Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tiger Rising, The Tale of Despereaux, Flora & Ulysses, and the Mercy Watson early-chapter-book series. According to the announcement, she is National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Emerita. Their combined experience gives StoryKind a potentially inviting mix: authors who can speak about the work behind books while keeping the audience centered on young people’s questions.

The announcer says the podcast has received thousands of monthly listens across audio streaming platforms. It also says a new StoryKind website was launched to make it easier for children, educators, and other interested listeners to submit questions and feedback that may inform future episodes. That invitation is a meaningful feature: when students see that questions about writing are worth asking, they may be more likely to notice their own choices as readers and writers.

Building a wider circle of learning support

Stories can be a natural bridge into other learning conversations. A student who becomes curious about an author’s word choice may want help expanding a description, organizing a response, or talking through a difficult reading assignment. In those moments, COSMIQ offers free voice-driven AI tutoring, free forever for every K-12 student, as an additional place to ask questions aloud and practice at a comfortable pace.

For educators, the strongest use of any author-centered resource remains intentional: choose a clear purpose, protect time for students’ own reading and writing, and welcome many kinds of responses. A child does not need to become an author to benefit from hearing authors discuss their work. They may instead become a more attentive reader, a more confident question-asker, or someone willing to begin a first imperfect draft.

According to the announcement, StoryKind’s second season renews Yang and DiCamillo’s commitment to brief, lively conversations about books and writing. Their decision to keep teachers, librarians, families, and young listeners in that circle deserves congratulations. It is a generous reminder that literacy grows not only through assigned pages, but also through curiosity, conversation, and the chance to make a story of one’s own.