Podcasts to try and maybe subscribe to:
(The links below take you to their websites. You could also look them up in Google Podcasts--or other podcast providers--and listen/subscribe to them there.)
Book Club for Kids--appropriate for Grades 5-8
Brains On!--science topics
Candlewick Press Presents--features children's and middle-grade book authors
Encyclopedia Womanica--5-10-minute daily episodes highlight a woman and her historical accomplishments
KidNuz--5-minute daily newscast appropriate for kids
LB School & Library--authors discuss their books--some middle-grade selections
TED Talks Daily--wide range of topics--appropriate for middle school students and older
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel--from Gen-Z Media--appropriate for middle-grade students--serial mystery scripted story performed by kids
Wow in the World--science and technology topics that encourage innovation
The Yarn--author or illustrator talking about how they created the featured book--some middle-grade selections
Specific podcast episodes:
Muhammad Ali: I Am Still the Greatest (his essay read by his wife Lonnie Ali) from podcast
This I Believe