When the pandemic closed schools in Spring 2020, few people could have predicted just how damaging it would be to kids’ social, emotional, and physical health and learning. Or that it would take more than a year in many places to reopen school doors. Former NPR education reporter ANYA KAMENETZ believes that in many ways, we failed children by not doing enough to prioritize their needs during the pandemic – and many are still struggling today.

For her new book, The Stolen Year: How COVID Changed Children’s Lives, Kamenetz profiles dozens of families across the country about these difficult years and how they were affected. This hour, she’ll share their stories and the uneven impact school closures had on children and families, and talk about the mistakes made and policies needed to ensure that young people are protected.