Introduction:

Five Years of Planting Seeds and Leaving a Legacy

Five years ago, when I started the Johannesluisterbieb here at our local school in Amsterdam, the goals were simple and close to the ground: to help our children with their reading and listening practice. I’m Khadija, the founder, producer, and chief librarian/volunteer of this small initiative.

This project is deeply personal to me; it’s a way of giving back to the primary school my own children attended, leaving behind something meaningful for future generations.

You know, the publishing world can be tough. After searching I personally choose to publish on demand.

I remember one student asking me, “Khadija, why did the book join the police?” I had no idea, of course.

The answer? “Because it had a lot of arresting chapters!” Well, our chapters, whether in print or audio, are certainly stopping people in their tracks.

Today, I’m bursting with pride to announce that the Johannesluisterbieb has been ranked No. 68 on the prestigious Million Podcasts list of the “Best 90 Children Literature Podcasts.”

The link does work but if it doesn’t https://www.millionpodcasts.com/children-literature-podcasts/

To the world, we might look like a podcast with just 63 subscribers on Spotify. But to our community, we are a five-year-old movement and a global contender!

The Legacy Project:

From Brainstorm to Published Author

The foundation of the Johannesluisterbieb is not purely digital; it is rooted in a physical space—our own school library, established in 2018. This continuity, connecting the library to the podcast, ensures our project remains grounded in literacy.

The true turning point came with the idea of a legacy.

My vision was for the final-year students to create a monumental piece of work they could leave behind for the younger classes.

The Group 8 class of 2025 took this challenge and transformed it into a world-class educational model:

Co-Creation and Authorship: The students are the absolute co-creators of the content.

They brainstorm the ideas, invent the characters, decide on the plot, and ultimately craft the sentences their characters speak. This is the children’s story, written in their own voices.

Integrating Modern Tools: I encourage them to use tools like ChatGPT to test their ideas and refine their characters’ backstories. It’s amazing watching them treat the AI not as an answer generator, but as an assistant—a true lesson in directing technology.

The Power of Print and Performance: The finished script is more than just a document. We print out the finished pages—a tangible manuscript—which the students then turn into a play. I spent my summer as the volunteer producer adapting and translating these pieces so the children could read and perform their stories together.

The highest mark of their achievement is that their collective play piece is now a commercially available book.

This work, created from their brainstorm to printed pages, is available for anyone to purchase.

The children of Group 8 (2025) are now published authors, leaving an indelible mark on the school’s history.

Why Rank No. 68 is Our Greatest Achievement

When you look at our subscriber count—just 63 wonderful, dedicated listeners—you might scratch your head at the No. 68 ranking. But this is the beauty of this particular accolade.

It confirms what I’ve always known: that quality, methodology, and educational impact trump sheer popularity.

Being ranked in the Million Podcasts Top 90 means the evaluators didn’t just count downloads; they looked at the soul and structure of the project.

Validation of Our Methodology: This ranking validates our core belief: that the most effective way to teach literacy is through active creation. The judges recognized our groundbreaking, project-based model that connects the 2018 library, the classroom, and the digital world.

Recognition of Volunteer Dedication: As the sole founder, producer, and volunteer, this ranking is deeply personal. It affirms the late nights spent supporting the children’s project—from adapting scripts to handling the logistics of book publishing.

I might be a busy volunteer, but as one of our students asked, “What is a bee’s favorite book?” The answer? “The Great Gats-bee!”

I might not have a lot of free time, but I sure make time for this great project!

An Endorsement of Educational Innovation: Our brave step to use tools like ChatGPT to refine the children’s ideas was a risk.

This ranking proves it was a smart, innovative move.In a sea of millions of passive listening experiences, the Johannesluisterbieb shines as an example of active learning, and that is what landed us among the global elite.

The Road Ahead:

Leveraging Our New Platform

Now that we have this incredible accreditation, the work doesn’t stop. The No. 68 ranking is a powerful tool to amplify the legacy of the Group 8 (2025) authors and inspire future classes.

My plan is to use this validation to do three things:

Attract Local Support: I can now tell potential partners that supporting our small, school-run project means supporting a Top 90 global education initiative that produces published books.

This prestige will help us secure grants and resources to continue this legacy for the next graduating class.

Celebrate the True Stars:

The students deserve the biggest celebration. They are now officially the co-creators of a globally-ranked podcast and published authors. This success will be a powerful reinforcement of their self-confidence and their love for literature.

Share Our Model: We will proudly share our model—the full creative cycle that turns a class of students into published authors.

This school-run model, built on the foundation of our 2018 library and fueled by the dedication of volunteers and students, can inspire other schools worldwide.

Conclusion:

Join Our Journey

This achievement is a collective victory—a testament to the creativity of the students, the foresight of the school, and the dedication of our community.

Thank you for listening, for believing in the Johannesluisterbieb, and for proving that when you give children the stage, they can become global authors.

Call to Action:

Support the Young Authors

You can help us continue this legacy project and support the future authors of the Johannesluisterbieb!

* See Our Ranking: View the official list that ranks us No. 68 on the Best Children Literature

Podcasts list:

Million Podcasts Ranking

Buy the Book (The Legacy Project): Purchase the play piece written and performed by the Group 8 (2025) students and support our future projects:

Brave New Books (Author Page): Khadija Louise Profile

* Amazon (EU): Our Book on Amazon

* Subscribe and Share: Search for “Johannesluisterbieb” on Spotify or your favorite podcast app to hear the children’s performances.