Episodes

Monday May 22, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - Helping Kids Deal with Change
Monday May 22, 2023
Monday May 22, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc speaks with spiritual director and author Kimberly Novak about ways to help kids handle change in their lives, and we review the teen book, A Single Bead, by Stephanie Engelman.

Tuesday May 09, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - Helping Kids Find Their Identity in Christ
Tuesday May 09, 2023
Tuesday May 09, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc speaks with Catholic school teacher and author C.D. "Chris" Smith about ways to encourage our youth to find their true identities in Christ, and we review the inspirational movie, Bright Ones.

Tuesday May 09, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - Challenges & Blessings in Adoption
Tuesday May 09, 2023
Tuesday May 09, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc speaks with adoptive mother and award-winning author Allison Gingras about the beauty and challenges in raising adopted children, and we review Adoption: Room for One More?, by Jamie Wolfe.

Tuesday May 09, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - Social Challenges for Youth Today
Tuesday May 09, 2023
Tuesday May 09, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc speaks with clinical counselor and school speaker Julane Fisher about the challenges facing kids today with school and social media, and we review her award-winning novels that affirm positive youth values and identities.

Monday Apr 17, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - Developing Spirituality In Our Kids
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Monday Apr 17, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc speaks with editor, author, and lecturer Gary Jansen about developing spiritual practices in little steps with our youth, and we review his award-winning family picture book, Remember Us With Smiles.

Monday Apr 17, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - Developing Spirituality In Our Kids
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Monday Apr 17, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc speaks with editor, author, and lecturer Gary Jansen about developing spiritual practices in little steps with our youth, and we review his award-winning family picture book, Remember Us With Smiles.

Thursday Apr 13, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - Building Virtue in Our Kids
Thursday Apr 13, 2023
Thursday Apr 13, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc speaks with cathechist and educator Cathy Gilmore about how to build the virtues in our youth, and we review her Tiny Virtue Heroes book series.

Monday Mar 27, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - Tips for Aspiring Teen Writers
Monday Mar 27, 2023
Monday Mar 27, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc interviews book-reviewer and blogger Carrie Schmidt about how teen writers can improve their craft and get published, and we review two children's picture books: Nana the Great Comes to Visit and Everyone Belongs.

Monday Mar 13, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - The Grieving Daughters’ Club
Monday Mar 13, 2023
Monday Mar 13, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc interviews author and high-school teacher Andrea Bear about how families can deal with grief and the loss of a family member, and we review the series, Adventures with the Saints, by Maria Riley.

Monday Mar 06, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - Keeping Faith with Disabled Children
Monday Mar 06, 2023
Monday Mar 06, 2023
n this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc speaks with author and travel-blogger Denise Mercado about raising a disabled child while keeping faith in the family, and we review It Is Good To Be Here, by Christina Chase.

Monday Feb 27, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - Faith from a Teen’s Perspective
Monday Feb 27, 2023
Monday Feb 27, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc speaks with Kate Waldyke, part of the YouTube duo, Catholic Mom and Daughter, about her take on faith from the perspective of a teenager today, and we review The Other Side of Beauty, by Leah Darrow.

Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - Protecting Kids from Web Exploitation
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc speaks with D. Rodney Brown, an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, about how to avoid child sex exploitation from predators on the internet, and we review the website that helps educate kids on web safety, NetSmartz.

Monday Feb 06, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - A Lenten Anthology for Teens
Monday Feb 06, 2023
Monday Feb 06, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc speaks with Leslea Wahl, co-founder of CatholicTeenBooks.Com, to discuss how teens can engage in the Lenten Season, and we review the short story anthology for Lent, Ashes: Visible and Invisible.

Tuesday Jan 31, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - Using Imagination to Teach History
Tuesday Jan 31, 2023
Tuesday Jan 31, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc speaks with Marianne Hering, author of over 50 children's books, to discuss how imagination and fiction can be used to help kids learn history, and we review The Tree Street Kids series by Amanda Cleary Eastep.

Tuesday Jan 24, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - Turning the Tide of Teen Atheism
Tuesday Jan 24, 2023
Tuesday Jan 24, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc speaks with Bryan Mercier, a popular speaker with teens across the nation, about stemming the rise of atheism in our youth today, and we review his site, TheCatholicTruth.Org.

Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - Teens Active in the Cause for Life
Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc speaks with Hannah Blosser, the teen president of a national homeschool chapter of Students for Life, about helping teens be more active in promoting a culture of life, and we review the pro-life movie, Unplanned.

Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
The Shepherd’s Pie - A Writing Community for Teens
Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc interviews Dominic de Souza, the founder of Legend Fiction, about the importance for teens to have a writing community for self-expression and mentorship, and we review his site, Legend Fiction.

Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
The Shepherd’s Pie - A Parent’s Guide to Social Media
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc interviews Evan Barber, a publisher at Axis, about the various social media platform challenges and opportunities for parents and teens today, and they review five of the Axis Guidebooks by Tyndale Kids.

Monday Dec 12, 2022
The Shepherd’s Pie - Controversial Saints and Our Kids
Monday Dec 12, 2022
Monday Dec 12, 2022
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc interviews teacher and author Joseph Lewis about the best ways to speak with kids about controversial saints, and we review Joseph's YA novel, "Miracle at the Mission."

Friday Dec 09, 2022
The Shepherd’s Pie - Christmas Activities for Kids
Friday Dec 09, 2022
Friday Dec 09, 2022
In this episode, Antony Barone Kolenc interviews author Mindy Baker about her picture book, "Mouse's Christmas Gift," and about creative ways to bring Advent and Christmas to your family, and we review the children's book, "Christmas Love Letters from God."