Sunday Special: The Books We Read in School

About this episode

<p>As kids across America head back to school, Gilbert Cruz, the editor of The New York Times Book Review, is thinking about the books he read when he was in school.</p><p>On today’s Sunday Special, Gilbert talks with the Book Review editor Sadie Stein and the author Louis Sachar (“Wayside School” series, “Holes”) about the books they read when they were students, and ways to encourage young readers today to keep reading.</p><p><strong>Additional reading</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/books/preschool-books.html" target="_blank">10 Books for Kids Starting Preschool</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/30/books/kindergarten-books.html" target="_blank">12 Books for Kids Starting Kindergarten</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/28/books/middle-school-books.html" target="_blank">15 Books for Kids Starting Middle School</a></p><p>For a future Sunday Special, ask us your <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/style/what-are-your-personal-style-questions.html" target="_blank">personal style questions</a>.<br /><br />Photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle, via Getty Images</p> <p><p>Subscribe today at <a href="http://nytimes.com/podcasts">nytimes.com/podcasts</a> or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher">https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher</a>. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.</p></p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>