The Perkins Platform

Courage Has No Color: Writing About The Truth for Children

The Perkins Platform Season 14 Episode 275

Podcast Description

In this episode, I sit down with acclaimed children’s nonfiction author Tanya Lee Stone to explore the power of telling the truth about history and elevating voices too often left out of the narrative. Known for uncovering little-known stories of extraordinary people, Stone shares how she approaches writing narrative nonfiction that is as gripping as fiction while remaining grounded in rigorous research. We talk about celebrating the uncelebrated, challenging simplified versions of the past, and trusting young readers with complexity. Drawing on her experience as a writer, former editor, and educator, Stone reflects on why honest storytelling matters, how history gets constructed, and what it means to write books that empower the next generation to see themselves and the world more clearly.