About

We are Team Friendship: three cousins who also happen to be best friends! We host the podcast Reading the Newberys, a monthly podcast reviewing Newbery Medal Award winning children’s books. Our mission is to read and review each of the Newbery books beginning with the first winner from 1922, The Story of Mankind by Hendrik van Loon. In addition to discussing the Newbery books, we also discuss our love of books, movies, television, and more in our For the Love of Books episodes!

Meet the ladies of Team Friendship!

Meet Leah

Leah LOVES Gilmore Girls, the Upper West Side and bread! Her favorite children’s books include the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Leah lives in Northern Illinois with her husband and daughter.

Meet Lauren

Lauren LOVES Star Wars, dark chocolate, and naps! Some of her favorite children’s books include Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey, Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. Lauren lives in Northern Illinois with her husband and daughter.

Meet Mandalay

 Mandalay LOVES Dungeons and Dragons, cats and cake! Her favorite children’s books/YA books include the first 37 pages of Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer, The first 75 pages of the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and the first 51 pages of The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Mandalay lives in Northern Illinois with her husband and pets: Mary Jane (Cat), Ahsoka and Padme’ (dogs), and Falkor (bearded dragon).