John and Vera from ChinesePod talk about their most recent projects. John has begun to release a graded series of Chinese stories for beginners called Mandarin Companion. Modeled after Western classics, these stories should prove as interesting as they are educational. You can find out which stories are currently part of the series here. Vera is getting ready to represent ChinesePod at the upcoming American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) in Orlando, Florida. If anyone wants to meet up and talk Chinese academics, drop her a line!