The Ten News – "Treat Your-shelf to these Summer Reads 📖 (Re-air)"

Podcast: The Ten News, News For Curious Kids
Date: July 24, 2025
Host: Small But Mighty Media

Overview

This episode of The Ten News is all about summer reading recommendations for kids and families. Set in a playful library scene, the hosts dive into conversations about books that feature strong, unique heroes and fantastical worlds. The show highlights interviews with celebrated authors E. Lockhart (Whistle) and Shannon Messenger (Keeper of the Lost Cities series), exploring their writing inspiration, world-building, and the meaning of representation in stories. The tone is light-hearted and conversational, perfect for young listeners and their grownups.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Celebrating Summer Reading at the Library

• The episode opens in a library where characters humorously negotiate borrowing more than the allowed four books at a time, underscoring kids’ enthusiasm for summer reading.
  • Notable moment: Repeated, playful warnings from the library staff to keep voices down and not break the book limit rules.

2. Book Spotlight: Whistle by E. Lockhart

[01:17 – 07:05] Interview with E. Lockhart

About Whistle:

• Whistle is a graphic novel about Willow Zimmerman, a Jewish teenage activist in Gotham City who gains dog-related superpowers.
• Willow’s story intertwines classic Gotham villains and centers around her sick mother, financial hardships, and community activism.

On Willow’s Superpowers:

• E. Lockhart [02:33]:
  “They are dog related superpowers... I invented this character who is a Great Dane... her name is Lebowitz... they have like a mind meld and they can talk to each other. Willow also develops super powered hearing and super powered smell, like a dog... she also develops a superpowered whistle that can call all the dogs in the area to come to her aid.”

Representation Matters:

• Willow is the first Jewish superhero in DC Comics.
• E. Lockhart [04:13]:
  “She’s very connected to the community centers and the synagogues and the delicatessens and the bagel stores, which have Jewish history. And so she’s a local superhero... she’s connected to her city, and I feel very connected to my city of New York City and to its Jewish history.”

Facing Moral Dilemmas:

• Willow must decide whether to stay involved with the “glamour” of Gotham’s underworld or follow her conscience.
• E. Lockhart [05:52]:
  “She has to make the choice to betray some of those people in order to become a hero and operate on the side of right... lots of kids have in their lives... nobody is always a perfect person… superhero stories are actually a really cool and fun way to get at some of those really important questions.”

3. More Summer Reading: Skyfall Trilogy & Keeper of the Lost Cities

[07:12 – 16:51] Interview with Shannon Messenger

About the Keeper of the Lost Cities Series

• A best-selling fantasy adventure about Sophie, a girl who discovers she’s an elf with unique powers, and is swept into a hidden world.

Worldbuilding & Inspiration:

• Shannon Messenger [08:44]:
  “It really came from all different places... I knew that I wanted to write about elves, and I had from, you know, starting a short story that was actually with Fitz’s character… I was kind of just trying to, you know, unstuck that story by writing from one of the side characters. POVs. And out came Sophie into that story.”

Creating Memorable Characters:

• Messenger allows her characters to “run the show,” letting them surprise her and guiding plot choices based on what feels authentic.
• Shannon Messenger [10:36]:
  “My brain has a very vivid imagination, and so I tend to start to see the character kind of fully formed. The one question that I do always ask a character before I start writing them is, I ask, what is this character hiding from me?... once I know those things, that really tells me everything that I need to know about the character.”

Naming Characters:

• Shannon Messenger [12:45]:
  “I own an abundance of baby name books... The names have a meaning that says something to me about the characters. Some it’s very on the nose. Like, Keith means handsome... or like Sophie, it means wisdom. And I feel like that’s something that Sophie brings to the Lost Cities.”

Answering Fan Questions:

• On writing complex characters like Tam:
  • “It just really comes down to putting thought into what I know about him... He’s a study in contrasts.” [13:33]
• On relationships:
  • Messenger avoids spoilers and lets relationship dynamics develop organically: “I never plan relationship stuff... that’s all to do with feelings. And so, again, that's all something that I just kind of let unfold.” [14:34]
• Upcoming books:
  • Book 9 will be released in November; there will be a 10th and final book to follow a year later. [15:27]

4. Fun, Memorable Moments

• Library Humor:
  The running joke of kids (and adults!) trying to sneak out extra books, and library staff threatening "timeout" for rule-breakers.

  • Library Staff [17:20]:
    “Do you need to timeout too, ma'am, so you can think about the rules and why we follow them?”

• Time Out Reading:
  Ryan, sent to timeout for being too excited, starts reading Keeper of the Lost Cities and is instantly hooked.

  • Ryan Willard [16:57]:
    “I started Keeper of The Lost Cities while in timeout and I love Sophie. I'm gonna pre order her next book.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:17] – Introduction to the featured book Whistle and interview with author E. Lockhart
• [02:33] – E. Lockhart explains Willow’s powers and the importance of her dog sidekick, Lebowitz
• [04:13] – The significance of Willow’s Jewish identity
• [05:52] – Conversation on moral complexities and superhero choices
• [07:12] – Book recommendations: Skyfall trilogy and Keeper of The Lost Cities
• [08:44] – Shannon Messenger discusses world-building for Keeper of the Lost Cities
• [10:36] – Messenger’s approach to character creation
• [12:45] – The story behind character names
• [13:33] – Writing Tam and dealing with relationships in the story
• [15:27] – Updates on future Keeper of the Lost Cities books
• [16:57] – Ryan’s reaction to reading Keeper of the Lost Cities in timeout
• [17:20 & 17:32] – Final comedic “timeout” and library limit banter

Notable Quotes

• E. Lockhart [02:33]:
  “When I got the chance to invent a superhero, the first thing I thought was, I would like to have a dog sidekick that I could talk to if I was going to be a superhero.”

• E. Lockhart [04:13]:
  “She’s a local superhero... she’s connected to her city, and I feel very connected to my city of New York City and to its Jewish history.”

• E. Lockhart [05:52]:
  “Nobody is always a perfect person. Right. The question is just how do you make your decisions and can you live with them?”

• Shannon Messenger [10:36]:
  “Once I know that character’s secrets, I kind of get them. I kind of own them in a way... I try to really think of them as real people.”

• Library Staff [17:20]:
  “Do you need to timeout too, ma'am, so you can think about the rules and why we follow them?”

Final Thoughts

This energetic and fun episode of The Ten News encourages kids to dive into reading adventures, championing books with diverse heroes, difficult choices, and fantastical worlds. Both E. Lockhart and Shannon Messenger shine light on the creative process and the importance of authentic, relatable characters. The playful tone, family-friendly humor, and insider author interviews make this an inspiring listen for curious young readers and their adults.