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http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1168426092

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4/5: This is the sort of book, I believe, that often leaves a sour taste in some readers' mouths based on the selfishness and other unlikeable qualities in the main (female) character.

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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1261997742

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Rachel's review of After Abel and Other Stories

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5/5: I've been waiting awhile to get to these short stories; when I first heard about them, my interest in biblical retellings was reignited. I kind of/sort of attempted this for one NaNoWriMo, where without much in the way of scholarly merit, I tried to imagine the lives of the matriarchs.

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Hanukkah at Valley Forge and Oskar and the Eight Blessings

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Hanukkah at Valley Forge and Oskar and the Eight Blessings

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http://jaja-cas.blogspot.com/2015/12/two-terrific-books-for-hanukkah.html

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http://tinyurl.com/hem7bcz

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4/5: I received an ARC of Angels at the Gate from the publisher (thanks!) T.K. Thorne's ability to transport the reader to another time and place is amazing. The bible story of Lot's nameless wife starts out with a desert trading caravan where Adira, disguised as a boy for safety, travels with her father.

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http://www.emunaroma.com/blog/readukkah-book-review-the-garden-of-healing

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Review: Alouette's Song, Andrew Jonathan Fine #Readukkah

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The book at Amazon and on Kindle Majority of the book I read fall into one of three categories: sci-fi, Jewish/Judaism related books or Hungarian novels. I am always thrilled when I learn about books that combine my favorite genres. (I am still looking or one that combines all three.)

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The last candle in the Menorah was lit last night and today is the last day of Hanukkah. Eight days sure do go by quickly. In his introduction to the book, Eric Kimmel tells us what a wonderful storyteller his grandmother was and how much he wanted to be just like her. Especially welcomed were his grandmother's Hanukkah stories, one told on each night after lighting the candles, and Kimmel wanted to follow in her storytelling footsteps. If you look at Kimmel's In Those are just two of the wonderful tales in this book, but I have to admit my favorite was the tale told for the Eight Night of Hanukkah, I loved the black and white realistic illustrations throughout each story, mostly because artist Leonard Fisher has really captured the true sense of these old folktales. And even though the tales in T The Spotted Pony is my last #Readukkah for this year and I saved it for last on purpose.
resumé, you will see that he, too, is a very accomplished storyteller, certainly one his grandmother would be proud of.
The Spotted Pony is a collection of eight tales, one for each night of Hanukkah, edited and retold by Kimmel, and each story begins with a Shammes, a brief introduction to what the story is about. There are tales about wise men, heroes, fools and tricksters, like Hershel of Ostropol in The Wonderful Shamir, wise King Solomon must find a solution to building the Holy Temple in Jerusalem without using anything made of iron as per the Lord's command. He hears about a creature called a shamir, no bigger than a barleycorn, that has the power to slip massive stones. Benayahu, a brave man in Israel, volunteers to seek out the demon Ashmodai to find out where the The Spotted Pony. This is a tale about kindness, loyalty, and letting go and should be read to be appreciated. shamir can be found and then flying on the back of an albatross to find it, carrying only a piece of cut glass. What is the glass for? Benayahu was not only brave, but wise and he did bring the he Spotted Pony aren't strictly about Hanukkah, they are folktales that will entertain and help readers celebrate the Festival of Lights each night. And while the stories are from Jewish tradition, they can be read and appreciated by anyone. shamir back to Jerusalem, but just how exactly did he manage to do it? Read on... When Hershel Eats (the Seventh Night tale). In it, Hershel figures out how to trick the Reb Shimon out of his dinner. Reb Shimon would invited one person to his house for Friday night dinner, but he would pester them with so many questions, they never got to eat any of the food at the far end of the table before the servants took it away. When Reb Shimon sees Hershel of Ostropol one Friday, he invites Hershel to dinner. Did Hershel become a victim of the Reb Shimon's mean trick? Well, it takes a trickster to know a trickster, doesn't it?

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

I hope everyone had a very Happy Hanukkah!

This is book 4 of my #Readukkah Reading Challenge for celebrating Chanukah hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries

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The Spotted Pony: A Collection of Hanukkah Stories edited by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher

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The last candle in the Menorah was lit last night and today is the last day of Hanukkah. Eight days sure do go by quickly. In his introduction to the book, Eric Kimmel tells us what a wonderful storyteller his grandmother was and how much he wanted to be just like her.

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Jennifer S. Brown's review of Unterzakhn

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5/5: This graphic novel was quite powerful, and while I know that many graphic novels have intense stories, this is the first one I read where I truly felt moved by the story. I became emotionally involved in the characters even though the story jumps around from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

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Meg Wiviott - Author. 216 likes. Meg writes for children and young adults. She is a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults.

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Okay, I know I said I was going to have to pass on Readukkah this year. Then I said I was going to read The Hired Girl after all. Well, let me tell you, Hanukkah is nowhere near as long as I thought it was when I was a kid. ("They get presents for eight days! And nights!") Well, it is eight days, but I only have three of them left to finish reading The Hired Girl and get my Readukkah post posted. That's not going to happen.

However, I had what I would call an interesting Readukkah experience while I was making dinner Wednesday. I kid you not. While I was browning chicken wings, I listened to the Enough with the Holocaust Books for Children! podcast at The Book of Life. In it, panelists discussed an abundance of children's books dealing with the Holocaust while other aspects of Jewish life and history don't get as much attention in children's literature. I particularly enjoyed the bit about wanting to find trashy Jewish YA for those teenage readers who would embrace that. How to make other types of Jewish children's books successful? our panelists asked.

Well, if you listen to the entire podcast, as I did, toward the end the panelists start discussing nonHolocaust Jewish children's titles. Imagine my surprise and delight when one of them mentions Company's Coming by Arthur Yorinks with illustrations by David Small. It is a marvelous picture book that absolutely should not be out of print. (Oh, my gosh. I just discovered there's an oop sequel.)

Company's Coming had a huge impact on my life. The day after I read it to my sons, it inspired my short story, How Mom Saved the Planet, which was later published in Cricket Magazine. And another version of How Mom Saved the Planet became the first chapter of my first book, My Life Among the Aliens. I may not have had a writing career, if not for Company's Coming.

I just reread this book for this post, because I own a copy. Now that it has been pointed out to me that there is a Jewish vibe to this story, I can see it. The characters have names like Moe and Etta. I can definitely imagine a character in Seinfeld telling this story about one of his family members going over-the-top because unfamiliar dinner guests are expected. "They brought a hostess gift, for crying out loud! When do aliens bring hostess gifts?" (Which is, of course, the punchline/climax in Company's Coming.) Jerry Stiller could play Moe in a movie. Shirley's voice may have a tone we've come to associate with Jewish characters. "They look like nice boys." "So they look a little different, I'm sure they're friendly."

Now that it has been pointed out to me that there is a Jewish vibe to this story, I can see something deep and subtle going on here--Oh, let it go, Gail. This is a funny book about your favorite type of humor--the culture clash that occurs when two different groups come together. The aliens bumping up against middle aged Jewish characters inspired my books about aliens bumping up against suburban child characters.

Another interesting point I realized about this book this morning: This is a picture book with no child characters and no animal characters filling in for kids. Adult characters, Jewish connection...Some enterprising student in a child lit course could do a big paper on Company's Coming.

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Okay, I know I said I was going to have to pass on Readukkah this year. Then I said I was going to read The Hired Girl after all. Well, let me tell you, Hanukkah is nowhere near as long as I thought it was when I was a kid.

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Post by RedsCatReading.

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Looking for the perfect Chanuka gift for the children in your life? Story Solutions is a great series of picture books for your little people. #Readukkah

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Post by JewishJoyReading.

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Post by RedsCatReading.

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The Bridge Builder: The Life and Continuing Legacy of Rabbi Yechiel Epstiein

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The Bridge Builder: The Life and Continuing Legacy of Rabbi Yechiel Epstiein

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by Mitchell Weitzman
December 11th, 2015

Book Review ofThe Bridge Builder: The Life and Continuing Legacy of Rabbi Yechiel Epstein

As portrayed in an "authorized biography" by Zev Chavets, an American-Israeli author and columnist, Rabbi Yechiel Epstein is a driven, courageous, and complex figure.

He is the founder and president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, a group dedicated to building bridges of understanding between mostly Evangelical Christians and Jews in support for the state of Israel and other humanitarian causes.

Rabbi Eckstein's outreach to Evangelic Christians was groundbreaking and fraught with naysayers and criticsconcerned about Evangelical Christian motives (supporting Israel only to bring on Armageddon) and possible intentions with regard to proselytizing Jews. Critics and concerns aside (no conversions related to the Fellowship have been reported), Eckstein has grown the Fellowship into a multi-million dollar operation engaged in numerous philanthropic endeavors.

Who is the man behind all this? With a rabbinic legacy and ordination from Orthodox-based Yeshiva University, Yechiel Eckstein was an unlikely candidate to be a bridge-builder between Christians and Jews. Biographer Chavets depicts the origins of Eckstein's path, which Eckstein terms a divine mission, when he is humiliated at his daughter's Bat Mitzvah. The presiding rabbi there deemed him unfit to recite public prayer due to his visiting Christian churches in the early stages of his bridge building.

Chavets chronicles Eckstein's slow rise to success, overcoming resistance from the Jewish establishment, financial struggles, and family disapproval. For all the text devoted to his accomplishments, it is Eckstein's humanity that is most compelling in the book.

He seeks approval from a reluctant father. He struggles to balance his desire for personal, emotional prayer with the demands of being a rabbi on the public stage. He longs to serve Israel as a member of the Israeli Defense Forces, and not only frombehind an office desk.

From this complex man emerges bold acts like the following: In the aftermath of awidely perceived slight from the president of the Southern Baptist Convention about the value of Jewish prayer that does not acknowledge Jesus, Eckstein broke away from the voices of consternation expressed by the Jewish establishment and saw an opportunity to engage the preacher with dialogue and understanding.

As a writer who is also exploring themes of bridge building, I found myself appreciating Eckstein the man as much as I do the Fellowship he created. I only wonder whether a memoir would have been a better instrument to tell his story, affording readers a more intimate connection with him.

Eckstein's journey resonates with our own life journeys. Quoting Genesis, he recalls God commanding Abraham to take his son 'to the land I will show you,' but he doesn't tell Abraham where it is. If we don't yet know where our destiny lies, Yechiel Eckstein's story reminds us that it can be on a road less traveled.

#Readukkah

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Building Bridges Between Christians and Jews

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Book Review ofThe Bridge Builder: The Life and Continuing Legacy of Rabbi Yechiel Epstein As portrayed in an "authorized biography" by Zev Chavets, an American-Israeli author and columnist, Rabbi Yechiel Epstein is a driven, courageous, and complex figure. He is the founder and president of the International Fellowship

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by Mitchell Weitzman
December 11th, 2015

This review might have had a very different tone if I were in middle school, a girl-or a Palestinian. I chose to read Where the Streets Had A Name, published in 2008 by Randa Abdel-Fattah, because I am in the process of writing a middle-grade/young adult allegory based on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and wanted to better understand the Palestinian viewpoint, especially through the eyes of a young narrator. I was not gearing for a battle, just a great story with something I could take away.

The book revolves around thirteen-year-old Hayaat, a likeable sensitive soul who lives in Bethlehem (West Bank) and embarks on a mission to retrieve a handful of soil from her grandmother's ancestral home in Jerusalem in order to cure her ailments. She takes the journey with her best friend, Samy, a brave Christian boy with chutzpah. Together, they encounter checkpoints, security walls, and protests along the way.

Beautifully told, with deft use of child-friendly humor and adult historical context, Hayaat is a girl to cheer for, one who struggles to come to terms with the predicament her people are in, horrific memories of her recent past, and hope for the future.

Palestinian life is well rendered, with family quirks and squabbles mixed in with generational wisdom that anyone can relate to, including Palestinians and Israelis. The Palestinians who populate Where the Streets Had a Name are not terrorists, Islamic fundamentalists, or Jihadists. They are, simply, human beings.

Unfortunately, and this is where perspective comes in, Israelis are not rendered as kindly, save for a liberal American-Israeli couple who work with a human rights watch group. Others, mostly Israeli police and military figures, are drawn one dimensionally, as cold-hearted, thoughtless characters who seem to derive pleasure from humiliating Palestinians. There is no acknowledgment that they are there to protect Israelis who have been under near constant siege since the day Israel was established.

Security walls loom large in the book-very large-but there is never any sense of why the walls are there in the first place. In one of the few mentions of suicide attacks, the concern of Abdel Fattah's characters is not the welfare of an innocent Israeli or others who may have been killed, but what punishment awaits them from the ruthless Israelis.

Hayaat's family longs for their pre-Israel home and life, quite understandably. Yet Abdel-Fattah makes only fleeting mention of the contextual situation that underpins much of the conflict and thus misses a golden opportunity to add some depth and understanding to the story, especially for young Palestinian readers who may not be familiar with history.

In one scene, following the 1967 Six Day War, Hayaat's grandparents attempt to reclaim their home that had been seized by the Israelis. A Jewish couple now living there answered the door and refused a request to leave. They were Holocaust survivors, the woman said; her entire family had been gassed. The response is one commonly heard from Palestinians. "I'm sorry for what happened to your family, but why must we be punished."

Whatever the merits of either party's position in that encounter, what's missing from both is empathy. And it reaches back to the origins of the state of Israel, and the crushing of Palestinian hopes for a state of their own. Jews beleaguered by pogroms and the Holocaust nevertheless might have been more sensitive to Palestinian concerns about land grabs and domination. And Palestinians might have recognized the beleaguered state of Jewish refugees and acknowledged their historical ties to the land. Compromise and cooperation could have conquered the day. Instead we have more than six decades of war and terror, where one lovely fictional girl lives in an occupied land under conditions no one should have to experience.

As the book concludes, our Palestinian heroine retains her desire to not only survive, but to love. "That in the end," she says, "we are all only human beings who laugh the same, and that one day the world will realize that we simply want to live as free people, with hope and dignity and purpose."

If she can express the same wish for the people across the wall, then indeed there may be hope.

#Readukkah

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Book Review of Where the Streets Had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah

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This review might have had a very different tone if I were in middle school, a girl-or a Palestinian.

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I expected Safekeeping by Jessamyn Hope, my choice for #Readukkah, to be another Holocaust story centered around a piece of jewelry and ending the tale in Israel. I was pleasantly surprised to find...

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Post by jackie.benefraim.

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An Officer and a Spy has 16,259 ratings and 1,912 reviews. Jeffrey said: "There is no such thing as a secret--not really, not in the modern world, not wi...

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4/5: I received this book as a gift when I visited Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia and I am reviewing it for the 2015 #Readukkah Challenge. This is a delightful story of a little known hero of the American Revolution. In 1776, Haym Saloman was a Jewish immigrant who was fluent in 7 languages and adept at handling money.

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Hanukkah Bear, Grandfather's Coat & More

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Hanukkah Bear, Grandfather's Coat & More

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I'm in research mode for an article a Holocaust

educator asked me to write in promotion of a great January

2016 event in our town, involving the story of Anne Frank.

And so I've found a treasure of new books/books new to me

on several Jewish topics, which I feel privileged to know.

I'm happy to share some of the picture books. They aren't

about the Holocaust, but have titles such as HANUKKAH BEAR.

Researching the piece this week creates a harmonic convergence.

When I approach the commemoration of the U.S. entry into

the Allies' fight against the Axis in WWII (Monday Dec. 7

is Pearl Harbor Day) I smile about my wonderful parents' roles

My father volunteered for WWII as a drill sergeant.My mother,

still single & who hadn't met Dad yet,helped on the home front in

several ways, including as Victory Garden Editor for her newspaper.

Then I find as I interview people about this Anne Frank event, I am

joyfully wishing them bright Hanukkah lights. This year, the holiday

begins this Sunday, Dec. 6.

So I briefly present bright titles that may make good gifts, in this

month of giving.And they would be good to borrow from your library.

Jim Aylesworth/Barbara McClintock

This is a family story that celebrates love, resourcefulness & men who sew. It will

also appeal to rhymers & readers of rhymes. It is a deft retelling of a treasured old

Yiddish tale. The ilustrations are joyful and layered with great details.

THE CASTLE ON HESTER STREET

Linda Heller/ Boris Kulikov

The grandfather spins wild tales about immigration to America.

And the grandmother keeps things more realistic. It's like a dueling story,

page to page. Meet up with Moishe, a singing goat & of course, that castle.

It's also a retelling.

A Russian family emigrates through Ellis Island, sending son Shmuel on ahead to secure a job. They follow with the daughter, Gitl. In Jane Yolen's lyrical language, this is a story rich in well-researched historical scene-setting, made doubly vivid with the Jim Burke art.

Eric Kimmel/Mike Wahnovtka

Grandma bakes latkes for the rabbi, but guess who's coming to dinner, instead?

A delightful remake of a 1990 story (THE CHANUKAH GUEST.)

Young Leora helps her father keep a wayward chicken in their yard comfy, so it can later

be reunited with the unknown owner. This retelling of a lovely tale of honesty, is inspired by Deuteronomy, chapter 22, verses 1-3. It highlights the rabbinical teaching that"finders isn't keepers."

(On a personal note, I was thrilled to read at the illustrator's blog that Elsa Kleven's mother, Lorraine Art Schneider, created "Primer, the iconic "War is not healthy for children and other living things" miniature art known around the world. I have kept a copy of this close to me for decades.)

Carla Heymsfeld/ Vlad Guzner

Float along with Freida's relatives, as she has fun in the kitchen.

A silly out-of-print romp.

I hope your December is filled with joy & more giving of thanks.

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HANUKKAH BEAR, GRANDFATHER'S COAT & More

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I'm in research mode for an article a Holocaust educator asked me to write in promotion of a great January 2016 event in our town, involving the story of Anne Frank. And so I've found a treasure of new books/books new to me on several Jewish topics, which I feel privileged to know.

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(A weekly Friday roundup of doings in the children's literature world that centers on poetry is provided by the delightful BUFFY's BLOG.) Today I share lines from the poetry of Karen Hesse in THE STONE LAMP, which features the artwork of Brian Pinkney. Third Night, Third Light by Karen Hesse Venice, Italy 1546 .

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After posting one of the incredible poems of the Karen Hesse/ Brian Pinkney Hanukkah book, THE STONE LAMP last Friday, I was away for the weekend with my hubby on a delayed & delicious anniversary trip to the coast. It was accented with lighthouse lights, not Hanukkah lights & by long walks on near-wild beaches....

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This year I'm participating in the 2015 #Readukkah Challenge hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The goal is to spread the word about wonderful Jewish books during the eight days of Hanukkah. So here they are: eight days of good reads on Jewish themes. Enjoy!

DAY SIX #READUKKAH CHALLENGE:

About this book:
This engaging collection includes eight delightful tales from the Jewish tradition. Each story has been chosen for its appeal to families and each has a simple - yet powerful - message. Written by Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand, herself a mother of three, this is a fantastic set of stories to share and to treasure. Includes two story CDs narrated by Debra Messing.
Why I think you should read it:

I love all of the titles in the Barefoot Books line up. Our family has most of them (Princesses, Knights, Pirates, Horses, Animals, Grandmothers, and of course Jewish Tales). We love to listen to them in the car. Perfect for those trips around town. The readers are always great and the stories are fascinating.

Happy Hanukkah

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The Barefoot Book of Jewish Tales - Day Six #Readukkah Challenge

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This year I'm participating in the 2015 #Readukkah Challenge hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The goal is to spread the word about wonderful Jewish books during the eight days of Hanukkah. So here they are: eight days of good reads on Jewish themes. Enjoy!

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This year I'm participating in the 2015 #Readukkah Challenge hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The goal is to spread the word about wonderful Jewish books during the eight days of Hanukkah. So here they are: eight days of good reads on Jewish themes. Enjoy!

DAY FIVE #READUKKAH CHALLENGE:

About this book:
Amy Ehrlich retains the beauty, drama, and mystery of the Torah in this unique adaptation, gorgeously illustrated with paintings by Daniel Nevins. The Torah is the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, which Christians call the Old Testament. It tells the story of the beginning of the Jewish people and their relationship with God. From Adam and Eve to the first patriarch, Abraham, to Moses, who led his people to the promised land, the stories in the Torah have been studied and revered since it was first written down nearly 3,000 years ago. Now in this glorious volume, Amy Ehrlich crafts an authentic, lyrical adaptation that is presented as a continuous narrative, one that honors the complexities of the original text. Daniel Nevins's richly hued paintings bring the ancient wonders of the Torah to resonant life, making this truly a gift to savor, share, and treasure.
Why I think you should read it:

This is not your typical "children's bible." It does not attempt to simplify the stories of the Torah into easily-digested moral parables. Instead it captures all the thought-provoking, weirdness of the Torah in a way that leads to excellent family conversations.

Happy Hanukkah

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With a Mighty Hand - Day Five #Readukkah Challenge

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This year I'm participating in the 2015 #Readukkah Challenge hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The goal is to spread the word about wonderful Jewish books during the eight days of Hanukkah. So here they are: eight days of good reads on Jewish themes. Enjoy!

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Wonderful holiday food and great stories, what more could you ask for in any book? Trust me, Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Cookbook will bring much joy to you and your holidays.

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Did you know they celebrated Hanukkah in Valley Forge? I thought that this book was good because who thought George Washington would know about Hanukkah. It makes me feel proud of him that he wanted to learn about Hanukkah. I think there are similarities between Washington's army and the Maccabees. They are both very small armies that have won. This story is based on facts. Reviewed by Ethan D. #READUKKAH

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Does your family celebrate Lag Ba' Omer? Sadie and Ori went around asking everybody they knew what was Lag Ba' Omer. Finally, their grandfather told them the story of a brave rabbi that tought kids about the Torah in a secret cave. I liked this book because Sadie and Ori learned about a new Holiday that they started to celebrate with a bonfires, picnics, and songs. Reviewed by Alyse D. #READUKKAH

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Children's Book Review of Sammy Spider's First Taste of Hanukkah

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Book, family, friendship, Jewish culture, Jewish holiday, Kar-Ben Publishing, multiculture,

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Shanghai Sukkah Children's Book Review and Giveaway

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Jewish Holiday, children's picture book, book giveaway, multiculture, friendship, family, Kar-Ben Publishing

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I read this book by Julia Dahl in September. As you may know, I'm intrigued by fiction (especially mystery/suspense) that incorporates Jewish characters and is written with respect for Jewish culture...

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Post by sheynagalyan.

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Post by alice.n.meeks.

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Are you taking part in #Readukkah? Here's a great list from 49th Shelf to help you find some wonderful new titles to read over the holidays. Happy Hannukah!

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Post by SecondStoryPress.

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Children's Book Review of Nonna's Hanukkah Surprise

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book, family, friendship, Jewish culture, Jewish holiday, Kar-Ben Publishing, multiculture

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book giveaway, children's picture book, family, friendship, Jewish culture, Jewish holiday, Kar-Ben Publishing, multiculture,

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The New Diaspora: The Changing Landscape of American Jewish Fiction

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The New Diaspora: The Changing Landscape of American Jewish Fiction

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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22828702-the-new-diaspora

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The New Diaspora has 7 ratings and 4 reviews. Rachel said: I finally got through all 36 stories in this 592 page collection. All of the stories or novel ...

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Oskar and the Eight Blessings & A Parakeet Named Dreidel

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Oskar and the Eight Blessings & A Parakeet Named Dreidel

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TWO OF OUR FAVORITE NEW HANUKKAH BOOKS
FOR #READUKKAH 2015
& GIVEAWAY

Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Richard Simon and Tanya Simon with illustrations by Mark Siegel (Roaring Brook Press; $17.99, Ages 4-8)

"Oskar's mother and father believed in the power of blessings. So did Oskar ..." and so begins this poignant picture book with four square sepia toned panels showing the Hanukkah Menorah being lit. Yet with the turn of a page, and the colors going black, the family huddling in fear, synagogues are burnt, the storefront windows of Jewish businesses are broken and life as Oskar and his family knew it was forever changed. Oskar and the Eight Blessings focuses on Oskar as a refugee, only the year is 1938 not 2015. He's come to America, sent by his fearful parents, immediately following Night of the Broken Glass (Kristallnacht), when it became clear that all Jewish people in Nazi Germany were in grave danger. Landing in New York City, with only the name and photo of his Aunt Esther, Oskar must navigate the cold, big city by himself and make his way 100 blocks up Broadway from the pier in Lower Manhattan.

Not only is Oskar and the Eight Blessings a unique and engaging Hanukkah book, so is the way this book is presented. Unlike typical picture books with a title page followed by the story, this tale unfolds with the awful events precipitating Oskar's departure, and the title page then becomes part of a two-page spread featuring the city's dramatic skyline as Oskar's ship pulls into port. It's not just the seventh night of Hanukkah as Oskar heads uptown, "it was also Christmas Eve." The first blessing Oskar receives is from a woman feeding pigeons. Sensing his hunger, she offers Oskar a small loaf of bread. This sustenance helps him carry on so that he can reach Aunt Esther before sundown when the Hanukkah candles would be lit. Along Oskar's journey, he encounters New Yorkers and others (Eleanor Roosevelt) who bestow upon Oskar another six random acts of kindness that tie into that time period and more importantly, that feed his soul and keep him going until he's walked all the way to Aunt Esther's, the eighth blessing.

Back matter includes an informative Author's Note, a glossary, as well as a map showing Oskar's stops on his long day's trek. I'm so glad I can share this uplifting Hanukkah story filled with evocative scenes and moving text, and use it as a jumping off point to reflect with my family on our blessings this holiday season.

by Isaac Bashevis Singer with illustrations by Suzanne Raphael Berkson Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); $17.99, Ages 5-8)

Beloved storyteller and Nobel Prize winner, Isaac Bashevis Singer's tale of The Parakeet Named Dreidel is brought to life by debut picture book illustrator, Suzanne Raphael Berkson. In its latest iteration, The Parakeet Named Dreidel, perhaps the best known from Singer's Hanukkah collection of stories from The Power of Light, with page after page of joyful watercolor illustrations, seems ideal for a new generation of readers.

This heartwarming tale of lost and found and love never fails to bring a smile to my face. In this picture book, the narrator Singer is recounting a tale from ten years earlier when he was looking out the frost covered window with his son, David. It was the eighth day of Hanukkah and the Menorah burned brightly on their windowsill. During a game of dreidel, David discovered a parakeet on the ledge outside the window "perhaps attracted by the light." This casually recollected tale, though actually carefully constructed to keep us turning the pages, takes us through that eventful evening after Singer and son David encouraged the parakeet to come inside from the cold. This yellow-green bird appeared trained and could even play dreidel by pushing the wooden top with its beak, so surely someone had lost and must be missing it. Because of its game playing skills, David named the parakeet Dreidel, but set out with his dad the next day to find its owner. The most revealing trait of Dreidel's was his ability to speak Yiddish! On occasion, the family heard the parakeet say, "Zeldele, geh schlofen" (Zeldele, go to sleep). Yet despite his uniqueness, the parakeet went unclaimed.

Nine years went by and we see, through Raphael Berkson's playful art, that Dreidel has grown to be a member of the Singer family, often sitting alongside the author as he typed. By this point, David has become a college student and, as fate would have it, attended a party where, while telling the story of Dreidel, he happened to meet the actual Zelda of whom Dreidel had long ago spoken. She was Zeldele, the original owner. The two college students soon became a couple, Zelda was reunited with her long lost pet, and Dreidel was credited with bringing the pair together. My favorite illustration is the Chagall-like one included here that depicts the loving young couple as jubilant new parents floating amongst all the significant items in their relationship. This book brought home the serendipity of life and the love a pet can bring into a family's home. Raphael Berkson has selected a wonderful story to show off her talent and make me look forward to seeing more of her work in the future.

- Reviewed by Ronna Mandel
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Hanukkah Books for #Readukkah & Giveaway - Good Reads With Ronna

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TWO OF OUR FAVORITE NEW HANUKKAH BOOKS FOR #READUKKAH 2015 & GIVEAWAY Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Richard Simon and Tanya Simon with illustrations by Mark Siegel (Roaring Brook Press; $17.99, Ages 4-8) "Oskar's mother and father believed in the power of blessings. So did Oskar ..."

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https://www.amazon.com/review/R2DWG3WJGKG8EO/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

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Today is the first day of Chanukah and I would like to share a book that I have always liked. Sadie and her four younger brothers Herschel, Hillel, Hayim and baby Max have been left home alone while their mama is taking care of their Aunt Rose. Living on the outskirts of a small village, the family is very poor and always hungry.

It's very cold on the first night of Chanukah, but when Sadie asks each of the older boys to go and collect some wood for a fire, they all refuse to help out, Sadie heads out to the forest to get the wood herself.

While there, she meets a old woman who is very cold and who says she has no fire wood. Sadie gives what she has collected to the woman and in return, the old woman gives Sadie a frying pan. She tells Sadie that when her family is hungry, she must whisper the words
" Latkes, latkes, good to eat
Cook me up a Chanukah treat."

and when they have eaten enough, she must whisper
"A great miracle happened here!"

The only proviso is that only Sadie may use the frying pan.

Sure enough, each night pf Chanukah the frying pan makes as many latkes as Sadie and her brothers can eat.

On the last night of Chanukah, Sadie decides to invite the old woman to share the latke feast. But while she is gone, her brothers decide to try out making some latkes for themselves. Herschel, Hillel, and Hayim all claim they heard Sadie say the magic words, but once them have their fill of latkes, there is disagreement over the words used to stop the frying pan.

Needless to say, they are soon inundated with tasty, good-smelling latkes all over the house, overflowing into the front yard. Soon even Sadie can smell them deep in the forest, and ever the townspeople are attracted to such a warm tasty treat.

But with so many latkes, can the boys' greed be turned into generosity and sharing?

Latkes, Latkes Good to Eat has been one of my favorite holiday books. It read in part like a folktale, in part like a parable. According to Naomi Howland, the story is based on an old Grimm's fairytale called "The Magic Porridge Pot" and makes for a very interesting reinterpretation of that story, placing it in Russian shtetl. But there is a lot of similarity to the Chanukah story itself, when a small jar of oil miraculously lasted for eight days. The illustrations, which are done in earth tones using gouache and colored pencils, help to give the story a sense of time and place, particularly the lovely border design on some of the pages.

I grew up in a neighborhood in Brooklyn where a lot of my friends celebrated Chanukah and I was always lucky enought to be invited to enjoy the evenings lighting of the candles, singing some Chanukah song and eating some really wonderful homemade latkes. Howland has included a recipe for making latkes, something I've never tried myself but am tempted to now.

In her note at the end of the book, Howland explains that the words "A great miracle happened here" that stopped that latke making are also the same words that you would find on the four sides of a dreidel.

Latkes, Latkes Good to Eat is a wonderful read-aloud for children celebrating Chanukah, but it is also an excellent work for introducing young readers to cultures not their own.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

Wishing everyone a very Happy Chanukah!

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Latkes, Latkes Good to Eat, a Chanukah Story written and illustrated by Naomi Howland

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Today is the first day of Chanukah and I would like to share a book that I have always liked. Sadie and her four younger brothers Herschel, Hillel, Hayim and baby Max have been left home alone while their mama is taking care of their Aunt Rose.

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Rachel Rosenstein loves Christmas. She loves everything about it - the lights, the trees, the Santas, the sweets, the presents. The only problem is that Rachel is Jewish and her family doesn't celebrate Christmas, they celebrate Hanukkah. But for Rachel, Hanukkah lacks all the glitz and glamour that comes with Christmas.

So Rachel decides to do something about Christmas and Santa Claus. First up, a letter to Santa asking him to stop at her house even though her family is Jewish. Next, a visit to the old guy to see if he has received her letter.

When the letter and visit don't work out the way she thought the would, Rachel decides it's time to do something radical. With decorations and cookies for Santa, Rachel is ready. But the next morning, what a disappointment - no Santa visit, no presents.

To make matters more difficult, Rachel's mother has to go to work at a hospital caring for sick kids and leaving her already sad daughter. Later, however, her dad takes Rachel and her sister to the park, then to a Chinese restaurant for dinner with her grandfather.

Pretty soon, the restaurant is full of families. It was great, no one there celebrated Christmas either. They celebrated Hanukkah, just as Rachel and her family did, and Chinese New Year, only a few weeks away, and Diwali, also a festival of lights for people who were Hindu. Rachel has so much fun meeting all these other people that she not longer felt too bad about Christmas.

I found myself with very mixed feelings about this book. Rachel's disappointment that Santa didn't come is understandable and when her mother consoles her by telling her that "Sometimes, no matter how badly we want something, we just have to accept what is," I thought wise words. And they sent me back to the beginning of the book that describes Rachel's family and how they celebrate the Jewish holidays together. The text says that most of the time it is fun to be Jewish - and it is. The family comes together for these days and there is lots of love there.

And when Rachel meets the other kids who don't celebrate Christmas, there is lots of camaraderie when they discover the one thing they really have in common - not being part of Christmas. And Rachel finally gets it when she realizes that "when there [are] so many great holidays in the world, why feel so bad about one little old day like Christmas?' A great lesson learned by a little girl? New found pride in her own religion and a real appreciation for other religions beside hers?

Yes, but then you turn the page and it says maybe Rachel could still feel a tiny bit bad about not being part of Christmas and the whole thing collapse for me.

This book addresses a real dilemna that a lot of children and parents must deal with at this time of year. Rachel's story could have been such an inspiring one for kids who may feel the way she does about not being part of a holiday that has become so prevalent in our society it dwarfs all other holidays and which has, ironically, lost much of it's religious significance for many people.

But maybe that last page will generate some good conversations with our children about how we celebrate religious holidays.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was borrowed from a friend.

HAPPY 5TH NIGHT OF HANUKKAH!

for celebrating Chanukah hosted by the
This is book 2 of my #Readukkah Reading Challenge Association of Jewish Libraries

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Dear Santa, Love, Rachel Rosenstein by Amanda Peet and Andrea Troyer, illustrated by Christine Davenier

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Rachel Rosenstein loves Christmas. She loves everything about it - the lights, the trees, the Santas, the sweets, the presents. The only problem is that Rachel is Jewish and her family doesn't celebrate Christmas, they celebrate Hanukkah. But for Rachel, Hanukkah lacks all the glitz and glamour that comes with Christmas.

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My review of Safekeeping by Jessamyn Hope: Hope, Jessamyn. Safekeeping Bedford, NY: Fig Tree Books , 2014 371 p. $15.95 (9781941493069) A priceless brooch, handed down from generation to...

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If u attended @Bouchercon 2015 and want to read a #thriller including #Hanukkah, u have STRENGTH TO STAND on your USB drive! #readukkah

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If u attended @Bouchercon 2015 and want to read a #thriller including #Hanukkah, u have STRENGTH TO STAND on your USB drive! #readukkah

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If u attended @Bouchercon 2015 and want to read a #thriller including #Hanukkah, u have STRENGTH TO STAND on your USB drive! #readukkah
— Sheyna Galyan & Soul Guides (@SheynaGalyan) December 8, 2015

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If u attended @Bouchercon 2015 and want to read a #thriller including #Hanukkah, u have STRENGTH TO STAND on your USB drive! #readukkah

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If u attended @Bouchercon 2015 and want to read a #thriller including #Hanukkah, u have STRENGTH TO STAND on your USB drive! #readukkah

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If u attended @Bouchercon 2015 and want to read a #thriller including #Hanukkah, u have STRENGTH TO STAND on your USB drive! #readukkah

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Check out this amazing list of Latin@/Jewish books from @latinosInKidLit #Readukkah https://t.co/B8fAsVSlnJ

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Check out this amazing list of Latin@/Jewish books from @latinosInKidLit #Readukkah https://t.co/B8fAsVSlnJ

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Check out this amazing list of Latin@/Jewish books from @latinosInKidLit #Readukkah https://t.co/B8fAsVSlnJ
— Dr. Amber J. Keyser, (she/her) (@amberjkeyser) December 8, 2015

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Check out this amazing list of Latin@/Jewish books from @latinosInKidLit #Readukkah https://t.co/B8fAsVSlnJ

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Check out this amazing list of Latin@/Jewish books from @latinosInKidLit #Readukkah https://t.co/B8fAsVSlnJ

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Check out this amazing list of Latin@/Jewish books from @latinosInKidLit #Readukkah https://t.co/B8fAsVSlnJ

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I'll bet that many #Readukkah participants have ideas to share. https://t.co/r0oa2mhqfm

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I'll bet that many #Readukkah participants have ideas to share. https://t.co/r0oa2mhqfm

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Jewish writers, we're compiling a post of fab book recs for kidlit, mg, and YA featuring Jewish characters. Email recs cj@yabookscentral.com

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I'll bet that many #Readukkah participants have ideas to share. https://t.co/r0oa2mhqfm
— Dr. Erika Dreifus (@erikadreifus) December 9, 2015

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I'll bet that many #Readukkah participants have ideas to share. https://t.co/r0oa2mhqfm

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Jewish writers, we're compiling a post of fab book recs for kidlit, mg, and YA featuring Jewish characters. Email recs cj@yabookscentral.com

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I'll bet that many #Readukkah participants have ideas to share. https://t.co/r0oa2mhqfm

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I'll bet that many #Readukkah participants have ideas to share. https://t.co/r0oa2mhqfm

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Jewish writers, we're compiling a post of fab book recs for kidlit, mg, and YA featuring Jewish characters. Email recs cj@yabookscentral.com

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Perfect for #Readukkah!  https://t.co/Z0pLHPp66j

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Perfect for #Readukkah!  https://t.co/Z0pLHPp66j

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Via @ForewordReviews: Eight Nights of #Books: Light Up #Hanukkah w/ These Great Titles. https://t.co/c2tt8aXn94 https://t.co/9mhhTiZZZI

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Perfect for #Readukkah! https://t.co/Z0pLHPp66j
— Dr. Erika Dreifus (@erikadreifus) December 10, 2015

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Perfect for #Readukkah!  https://t.co/Z0pLHPp66j

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Via @ForewordReviews: Eight Nights of #Books: Light Up #Hanukkah w/ These Great Titles. https://t.co/c2tt8aXn94 https://t.co/9mhhTiZZZI

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Perfect for #Readukkah!  https://t.co/Z0pLHPp66j

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Perfect for #Readukkah!  https://t.co/Z0pLHPp66j

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Via @ForewordReviews: Eight Nights of #Books: Light Up #Hanukkah w/ These Great Titles. https://t.co/c2tt8aXn94 https://t.co/9mhhTiZZZI

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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1464982594?book_show_action=false

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This year I'm participating in the 2015 #Readukkah Challenge hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The goal is to spread the word about wonderful Jewish books during the eight days of Hanukkah. So here they are: eight days of good reads on Jewish themes. Enjoy!

DAY FOUR #READUKKAH CHALLENGE:

About this book:
As the German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen's family takes in Annemarie's best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family. Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war.
Why I think you should read it:

History is powerful-if we remember, if we pay attention, if we act. The time to act against the intolerance, ignorance, and demonization that lead to genocide is now. Read this book to remember how people can reach across different faiths and love each other. Read this book to remember that we must speak out against the anti-Muslim sentiments sweeping this country. Please...

Happy Hanukkah

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Number the Stars - Day Four #Readukkah Challenge

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This year I'm participating in the 2015 #Readukkah Challenge hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The goal is to spread the word about wonderful Jewish books during the eight days of Hanukkah. So here they are: eight days of good reads on Jewish themes. Enjoy!

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Last year I wrote a review of The Mitten String for School Library Journal, which you can see below. I continue to adore this book, and when I thought about what I could use for my#Readukkah selection, this title jumped to mind as an ongoing favorite.

I love the sense of community that shines forth from the very first line: "It was said that Ruthie Tober's family warmed the hands of the entire village, because everyone who lived there, big and small, wore mittens knitted from Tober wool."

I love the spare writing that makes relationships clear so simply: the ease between Mother and Ruthie shows in the wink Mother gives when she reminds Ruthie about her lost mittens.

I love the respectful description of deafness, the fact that Bayla has knowledge to offer as well as a need for help, and the sign language diagrams at the back along with the notation that "Users of sign language actually prefer gloves to mittens, as they employ their fingers to spell words and to sign." That seems obvious once you read it, but a hearing person may not think about this in a mitten-focused story.

I love, as always, the illustrations by Kristina Swarner. Although Kristina is not Jewish, I consider her a landsman. Her gorgeous work has graced incredible Jewish picture books, from the Sydney Taylor Book Award winner The Bedtime Shema by Sarah Gershman to the heartbreaking Zayde Comes to Live by Sheri Sinykin, a Sydney Taylor Silver. Gathering Sparks by Howard Schwartz won a Sydney Taylor Silver and his Before You Were Born was named a Notable Book by the Association of Jewish Libraries, because Schwartz and Swarner are such a winning combination. Her work is universal and sweeping, while feeling tender and personal at the same time.

If you haven't read The Mitten String, do yourself a favor and seek it out. Here's my original review from SLJ. Happy#Readukkah!

K-Gr 3-The Tobers raise sheep, and young Ruthie loves to knit mittens from their wool for the villagers. When her family befriends a deaf woman whose wagon has broken down and her baby, the child observes how the mother, Bayla, sleeps with a string tied between her own wrist and Aaron's, to alert her if her son wakes up in the night. Inspired, Ruthie knits the pair a set of baby- and mother-sized mittens connected by a string and goes on to make more for the local children to keep them from losing their mittens. "You are both clever and kind," her mother praises. "You make our world a bit better with every stitch." The character of Bayla is based on the author's great-great-aunt; Rosner also has two deaf daughters. It is not surprising, therefore, that her portrayal of deafness is extremely respectful and sensitive. When Bayla uses sign language with Aaron, "To Ruthie, it looked as if Bayla were standing before an invisible spinning wheel, her words flowing from her fingers like delicate strands of yarn." Swarner's rounded and gentle watercolor prints add to the safe, warm feeling of this story of resourcefulness and mutual admiration. The "old country" Jewish setting is subtle, giving the story flavor without dominating it. Knitting and sign-language glossaries round out this attractive title. This beautiful story of kindness, acceptance, and resourcefulness will have wide appeal.-Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

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Last year I wrote a review of The Mitten String for School Library Journal, which you can see below. I continue to adore this book, and when I thought about what I could use for my#Readukkah selection, this title jumped to mind as an ongoing favorite.

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Boys Rule, Boys Read: Hanukkah at Valley Forge AND Oskar and the 8 Blessings

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Boys Rule, Boys Read: Hanukkah at Valley Forge AND Oskar and the 8 Blessings

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Hey, guys, I recommended a holiday book to you in the last post and I've got a couple more for you today. Both of them are picture books but don't just roll your eyes when I say that. Some guys would think that picture books are only for little kids. Wrong! These are good for guys at any age, even for a MANLY MAN like the Iron Guy. Both of them are about Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, that is going on this very week. If you've never read the history of Hanukkah, be sure to check it out. It's a really great story--an evil emperor (Antiochus), a small band of rebels (the Maccabbees) and a miraculous intervention. (hmmm--does this sound like the story of a certain set of movies? And the new one comes out this very month? Coincidence??? You tell me!) Both of these books can be read quickly but the memory of these books will last a really long time, maybe even long after the holidays. Maybe even the rest of your lives.

The first one is Hanukkah at Valley Forge by Stephen Krensky, illustrated by Greg Harlin. What a
great story! It takes place during the Revolutionary War. During the brutal winter of 1777, General George Washington and his troops were camped in Valley Forge. Things did not look good for them. Some of the men didn't have shoes or coats. No one had enough food. And the British showed no sign of leaving. As Washington made his rounds, he saw one soldier lighting a candle in one of the cabins. The general was curious, so he asked what the soldier was doing. The young man said he did it for Hanukkah and, since Washington had never heard of it, told him the story of the ancient fight and the great miracle. Could that tale from long ago restore the general's faith in the Patriot's cause?
As I said, this is a great story. And the illustrations are truly outstanding. The very first one sets the tone for the desperate state of the Patriots. There's a lone soldier, patrolling the camp in the snow. He has no gloves. He's trying to keep warm in his thin coat. BRRR! I could feel the bitter cold! But as the soldier relates the Hanukkah story, the illustrations shift back and forth form Valley Forge to ancient Israel, thereby showing the parallels between the Maccabeean revolt and the Revolution. It works really well and heightens the terrific emotional impact of this story. As I said, you'll read through this book quickly but you won't forget it anytime soon!

And the second is a truly terrific book, Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Richard and Tanya Simon, illustrated by Mark Siegel. This is another book in which the words and pictures combine to make an unforgettable experience. It's 1938. Oskar and his family live happily in Europe until The Night of Broken Glass, the beginning of the Holocaust. His parents put him on a ship to America so he can stay with his Aunt Esther. His father tells him, "Oskar, even in bad times, people can be good. You have to look for the blessings." He arrives in New York on the seventh night of Hanukkah, which also turns out to be Christmas Eve, with only a photo and address for his aunt. And no money. Even if he looks for the blessings, could that be enough for one lone boy walking 100 blocks in a strange city?
Wow! I really felt for Oskar all alone in the big city. But I also felt good, really good, when the blessings came. And I don't mean feeling good in some cheap, cheesy way, like the feeling you get in many of the sugary and sentimental books you see this time of year, It's a good and uplifted sensation. The way you feel when something good comes out of a bad situation. And the artwork!! It really moves the story along and helps you to see things from Oskar's perspective. What a terrific book! This one should not be missed. In fact, you'll probably want to read and reread this one every year.

You'll notice that both these books take place in two of the darkest periods in history, times when things seemed hopeless. Yet these people persevered when they, like the soldier at Valley Forge, remembered the old story or, like Oskar, remembered his father's words. Their trust, their faith, if you will, got them through like a candle in the dark. I've heard a lot of grownups talk about how these festivals of lights, like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa with their candles or Christmas with its lights or even Diwali, take place around the winter solstice, the darkest time of the year. It's as if something in the human spirit cries out that light will overcome darkness eventually and we need to remind ourselves of that when things are darkest and coldest. That's not easy to do--in fact, keeping that faith during hard times is the toughest thing you'll ever do as a guy. (or a girl) That's why reading is so important! Reading books like these gives us the mental and emotional fuel to keep going. Not only is reading fun and exciting, it builds you up and strengthens you on the inside, where it really counts. That's one reason I keep telling you about terrific books. Reading strengthens and enriches your lives. Don't forget that!

Well, I hope you don't mind my going deep on you. Really great books can do that to me. Before I go, I also want to thank my online friend Heidi Estrin for giving me the idea to review these books. I had been meaning to read them for some time but when she told me about #Readukkah, an event hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries that encourages people to review Jewish books this week. And I'm glad she did because I really enjoyed them. Thanks, Heidi! And be sure to check these books out and tell all your friends and families about them.

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Hey, guys, I recommended a holiday book to you in the last post and I've got a couple more for you today. Both of them are picture books but don't just roll your eyes when I say that. Some guys would think that picture books are only for little kids.

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This week has been declared #Readukkah by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL). In honor of the event, I've reviewed a new book, and will share other new book news below.

TUKY: THE STORY OF A HIDDEN CHILD by Shterni Rosenfeld (Hachai 2015)

Here's my Goodreads review:

Tuky: The Story of a Hidden Child by Shterni Rosenfeld
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reviewing for #Readukkah.

Tuky provides a very focused, child's-eye view of the Holocaust. When WWII breaks out, a 6 year-old Jewish girl, Tuky, is at first not directly affected because she lives in Budapest. She notices the war when refugees start showing up on her doorstep. Her family is eventually arrested after the Nazis take over Hungary, and then they must scatter and hide in order to survive. This is a true story, based on the life of the author's mother.

Tuky is written at about a 3rd grade level, but my 5th grader (who reads well above grade level) enjoyed it very much. He described it as exciting, sometimes a bit scary and sad, but with a mostly happy ending. He did note that (view spoiler)

If you want a gentle entry into Holocaust literature, but know that a child will be reading further in the future, this would be a good way to go. The main character is hungry and in danger, but she and (rather miraculously) her entire family survive the war. The family is Orthodox, and she relies very strongly on her faith to endure fear and deprivation. This ameliorates the terror most children would feel in Tuky's shoes. I very much appreciated that this was a true story.

However, if this is the only book a child will ever read about the Holocaust, it could cause a problem. That not only Tuky survived, but her entire family, is wonderful...but is so exceptional. I wouldn't want a reader to mistakenly assume that her experience was normal.

I also thought some of the timing was odd - Tuky is constantly described as 6 years old, but the events of the book take place over about two years, I think.

There is discussion of some Hassidic traditions which will appeal to some readers, but which other readers might find odd even if they are Orthodox, but not Hassidic. (Namely, Tuky ascribes her survival in part on the blessing of a Hassidic rabbi, which rests on a coin worn about the neck.)

There's a great glossary, historical note, and an interview between the author and her mother, Tuky. These are nice touches. I loved that the readers get a little bit of flavor from the use of Hungarian terms for certain things, foods described, and the like. These details are charming and added depth to the setting. Overall, Tuky is a very practical book for introducing the Holocaust to children.

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of the book, but am under no commitment to review the book, and will not be paid in any other way for a review.
View all my reviews
In other Jewish kidlit news, L.A. author Nathaniel Wyckoff just released his second Peretz Family Adventure, Yaakov and the Treasures of Timna Valley. I haven't gotten to read it yet in full, but my sons loved it. It's a lighthearted sci-fi thriller for kids.

Finally, the lovely Rae Shagalov (who is known for her outstanding calligraphy, but is also a librarian extraordinaire) shared with me her latest project, Emek Kosher Comics, Issue #1. Her students at Emek Hebrew Academy in North Hollywood, California created a comic book...and she challenges other schools to do the same! My kids enjoyed the comic, which is student-created. My favorite part is the chapter called, "The Shabbos Angels' Contest."

If you're still looking for a Chanukah gift for your young reader, you may want to check out one of those leads.
Will you be reading and reviewing a book for #Readukkah?

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This week has been declared #Readukkah by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL). In honor of the event, I've reviewed a new book, and will share other new book news below. TUKY: THE STORY OF A HIDDEN CHILD by Shterni Rosenfeld (Hachai 2015) Here's my Goodreads review: Tuky: The Story of a Hidden Child by...

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By Erika Dreifus on December 8, 2015

Talk about timing!

We were all set to rave about the latest initiative from the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL): #Readukkah. Put briefly, this is a "Jewish Reading Challenge" open to everyone (including kids). All anyone needs to do is read one Jewish book, review it online (including the hashtag #Readukkah), and do so during the Hanukkah holiday (which ends December 14). Sounds terrific, right?

So there we were, ready to bend the rules-just a little bit-and point you to our ever-growing archive of freelancer-writer reviews of major works in American Jewish literature as our offering. The review collection was updated just last week, so we figured-well, it wasn't Hanukkah then, but...close enough!

And then, the AJL gave us another gift: a copy of the latest issue of their publication. Which includes glowing (yes! perfect for Hanukkah!) reviews of Safekeeping, The Sea Beach Line, and The Pawnbroker. Full text is available currently only to AJL members, but we've culled some excerpts for you to enjoy right here.

As we mentioned on Twitter yesterday, we'll be monitoring the #Readukkah hashtag to discover what others are sharing there. We're eager to see it all-but of course, if you happen to be reading and reviewing one of our Fig Tree Books titles during the challenge, please be sure to give us a special @FigTreeBks mention!

Happy #Readukkah to all!

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We were all set to rave about the latest initiative from the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL): #Readukkah. Put briefly, this is a "Jewish Reading Challenge" open to everyone (including kids). All anyone needs to do is read one Jewish book, review it online (including the hashtag #Readukkah), and do so during the Hanukkah holiday (which ends December 14).

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This year I'm participating in the 2015 #Readukkah Challenge hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The goal is to spread the word about wonderful Jewish books during the eight days of Hanukkah. So here they are: eight days of good reads on Jewish themes. Enjoy!

DAY THREE #READUKKAH CHALLENGE:

About this book:
Meet Holling Hoodhood, a seventh-grader at Camillo Junior High, who must spend Wednesday afternoons with his teacher, Mrs. Baker, while the rest of the class has religious instruction. Mrs. Baker doesn't like Hollinghe's sure of it. Why else would she make him read the plays of William Shakespeare outside class? But everyone has bigger things to worry about, like Vietnam. His father wants Holling and his sister to be on their best behavior: the success of his business depends on it. But how can Holling stay out of trouble when he has so much to contend with? A bully demanding cream puffs; angry rats; and a baseball hero signing autographs the very same night Holling has to appear in a play in yellow tights! As fate sneaks up on him again and again, Holling finds Motivationthe Big Min the most unexpected places and musters up the courage to embrace his destiny, in spite of himself.
Why I think you should read it:

This is not a specifically Jewish book, but there is a wonderful subplot that involves a bar mitzvah. The scene in which Holling Hoodhood's friend Danny is called to the Torah is a fabulous, warm depiction of what happens during this important ceremony. My kids were so excited to see this part of their lives portrayed in a book. (My son's bar mitzvah was in February. My daughter's bat mitzvah is coming up.)

Happy Hanukkah

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The Wednesday Wars - Day Three #Readukkah Challenge

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This year I'm participating in the 2015 #Readukkah Challenge hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The goal is to spread the word about wonderful Jewish books during the eight days of Hanukkah. So here they are: eight days of good reads on Jewish themes. Enjoy!

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This year I'm participating in the 2015 #Readukkah Challenge hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The goal is to spread the word about wonderful Jewish books during the eight days of Hanukkah. So here they are: eight days of good reads on Jewish themes. Enjoy!

DAY ONE #READUKKAH CHALLENGE:

BLUE THREAD
by Ruth Tenzer Feldman

About this book:
The women's suffrage movement is in full swing in 1912 Portland, Oregon-the last holdout state on the West Coast. Miriam desperately wants to work at her father's printing shop, but when he refuses she decides to dedicate herself to the suffrage movement, demanding rights for women and a different life for herself. Amidst the uncertainty of her future, Miriam's attention is diverted by the mysterious Serakh, whose sudden, unexplained appearances and insistent questions lead Miriam to her grandmother's Jewish prayer shawl-and to her destiny. With this shawl, Miriam is taken back in time to inspire the Daughters of Zelophehad, the first women in Biblical history to own land. Miriam brings the strength and courage of these women with her forward in time, emboldening her own struggles and illuminating what it means to be an independent woman.
Why I think you should read it:

It is not about the Holocaust. Books about WWII are important, and I never want to forget that period in Jewish history, but too often it feels like the ONLY Jewish stories are horror stories. BLUE THREAD connects the experiences of Jews in two other important historical periods - the early 1900s during the suffrage movement and Biblical times. Miriam is a wonderful heroine with a distinctly modern voice. Also there is time-travel!!!

*The companion novel to BLUE THREAD is called THE NINTH DAY and it is also an excellent read.

Happy Hanukkah

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Blue Thread - Day One #Readukkah Challenge

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This year I'm participating in the 2015 #Readukkah Challenge hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The goal is to spread the word about wonderful Jewish books during the eight days of Hanukkah. So here they are: eight days of good reads on Jewish themes. Enjoy!

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This year I'm participating in the 2015 #Readukkah Challenge hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The goal is to spread the word about wonderful Jewish books during the eight days of Hanukkah. So here they are: eight days of good reads on Jewish themes. Enjoy!

DAY TWO #READUKKAH CHALLENGE:

About this book:
Welcome to Hereville, home of the first-ever wisecracking, adventure-loving, sword-wielding Orthodox Jewish heroine. A delightful mix of fantasy, adventure, cultural traditions, and preteen commotion, this fun, quirky graphic novel series will captivate middle-school readers with its exciting visuals and entertaining new heroine.Spunky, strong-willed eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg isn't interested in knitting lessons from her stepmother, or how-to-find-a-husband advice from her sister, or you-better-not warnings from her brother. There's only one thing she "does" want: to fight dragons!Granted, no dragons have been breathing fire around Hereville, the Orthodox Jewish community where Mirka lives, but that doesn't stop the plucky girl from honing her skills. She fearlessly stands up to local bullies. She battles a very large, very menacing pig. And she boldly accepts a challenge from a mysterious witch, a challenge that could bring Mirka her heart's desire: a dragon-slaying sword! All she has to do is find-and outwit-the giant troll who's got it!
Why I think you should read it:

It captures a slice of Jewish life that is rarely depicted in so-called Jewish books. Mirka is a fun and funny heroine. Barry Deutsch is a master of the graphic novel format. This book wins in all ways!

*You will love this book and will want more. You are in luck since Barry has written two more books in the Hereville Series!

Happy Hanukkah

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Hereville - Day Two #Readukkah Challenge

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This year I'm participating in the 2015 #Readukkah Challenge hosted by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The goal is to spread the word about wonderful Jewish books during the eight days of Hanukkah. So here they are: eight days of good reads on Jewish themes. Enjoy!

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https://www.amazon.com/review/R3N5Z0DTSCQQ8D/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

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Rebecca Klempner is one of the wonderful people I've had the privilege and pleasure of getting to know via the Internet, where I frequently read her essays and reviews and "converse" with her via email and social media. Several months ago, she announced that she'd be publishing a book of short stories for younger readers. As soon as Sliding Doors and Other Stories was available, I purchased a copy for my Kindle. It took me a little while to focus on reading them, but I'm happy to say that I have finally done so. And as part of the wonderful #Readukkah initiative from the Association of Jewish Libraries, I'm proud to share this Q&A with the author just as we prepare the kindle this year's first Hanukkah candles. (I suspect that I am bending the #Readukkah rules somewhat by presenting a Q&A instead of a review, but I hope that I'll be forgiven for so doing.) Sliding Doors and Other Stories comprises 17 short stories (and one essay). In a note to readers, the author explains that she wrote the stories in this collection "for several of the magazines that serve the Orthodox community." Elsewhere, she has indicated that the target readership for this book is likely between 11 and 16 years of age. Rebecca Klempner is an wife, mother, and writer living in Los Angeles. Born in Baltimore, she grew up in Columbia, Maryland; Israel; and Las Vegas, Nevada. She attended St. Mary's College of Maryland and American University, where she obtained a master's degree in applied anthropology. In 1998, she headed to Los Angeles for a stint in Teach for America. She remained there and taught for five years before becoming a stay-at-home mother. In 2005, she sold her first picture book: A Dozen Daisies for Raizy was published in 2008 by Hachai. Subsequently, she's written for many magazines - print and online - including Mishpacha, Ami, Hamodia, Binah, Tablet, and The Jewish Home. Please welcome Rebecca Klempner! Erika Dreifus (ED): My guess is that there are some challenges inherent in writing YA stories, and some challenges embedded in writing for an Orthodox readership, and some challenges that apply in both cases. True? Can you tell us a bit about something you might have found difficult as you crafted any of the stories in the book-and how you worked your way through it?
Rebecca Klempner (RK): ​You're right about YA books, and the editorial policies of Hareidi magazines - particularly those for ​kids and teens - are far, far tighter even than those of your average kidlit and YA publisher. Not only do the characters have to abstain from foul language and the like, but because the magazines want to appeal to the widest range of readers, they tend to stick by stricter standards than even many Hareidi parents feel is necessary. For example, I once wrote a story the referred to a book that is on the reading list of many English-speaking Hareidi high schools. The book is a classic. However, the editor had me insert the name of a book that I'd made up, because they didn't want to give the appearance that they had endorsed this particular, secular book. Most of these issues can be remedied by substitutions, and these don't generally affect the story's integrity.

When the editor objected to something that happened in one of my stories that did actually affect the storytelling-for example, a teen looked something up on the internet with a trusted adult around but without parental supervision, or if a teenage girl spoke at length with a non-related teenage boy to convey important information-the editor would always send back the story with a description of the problem. The wackiest thing I had to deal with was about a dog. Many Orthodox Jews, particularly Hassidim, don't approve of keeping non-kosher animals as pets, and the title story in the collection ("Sliding Doors") originally had a subplot about the mother-who is afraid of another break-in after an attempted robbery-wanting to adopt a dog. The editors in that case and the others let me figure out how to solve it myself. (We made her consider buying a dog, but giving up the idea in the end.) Usually, a little time wracking my brain for an answer and some Heavenly assistance works, but occasionally I've asked a colleague for help.
ED: You've told me about feedback you've received from young readers and from teachers. Can you please share with us a sampling of the more memorable/gratifying-or maybe even surprising?-responses?
​RK: Several of the stories are about a teen with Asperger's Syndrome, Mendel, and those have gotten raves from readers on the Autism Spectrum, as well as their parents, teachers, and therapists. Similarly, many people came up to me also after "Forgetting Miri" came out to share their stories of family struggles with Alzheimer's.

When I pick up my children at school and other students rush to tell me how much they liked a recent story, that's particularly fun. One of the kids down the street is friends with my two eldest kids, and he'll tell me when he loves a story...but also when he​'s disappointed!
ED: ​ If I'm understanding correctly, the stories in this book weren't written with an overarching book project in mind. Over how long a period did you write these stories, when did you realize that you might, in fact, have a book on your hands, and why did you opt for self-publishing?
​RK: Most of the stories appeared over a year, but the first story appeared a few years previous to the others. I kept getting requests for certain stories from teachers who wanted to share them with their students, or young readers approached me to say they had just discovered my work-did I have older stories to share with them? The problem is, magazines are flimsy and people throw them away. Printing things out or sharing them electronically piecemeal became a drag. Handing people a book means it will last longer and they can use it again and again. Most publishers, even secular ones, hesitate to publish short story collections. Previously published material can be hard to sell, too. The real turning point came​ when I saw an article about how to publish for free (or close to it)​. I was between projects, so I thought, "Why not try this? There's nothing to lose.​"​
ED: Although we've never met face-to-face, we are (I think!) good friends​ (RK: Yes! I love your insights and humor and kindness!)​, and you very tactfully advised me ahead of time that this book might be outside my usual reading territory. Notably, you mentioned that the book includes "no explanation of Jewish terms," meaning that there no translations of phrases that are commonplace in Orthodox/Hareidi circles, but likely a lot less familiar to me. And you were right about that-there was a lot I didn't know! I look at this as a plus-I'm always talking about the diversity of Jewish experience and literature, and reading this reminded me of that diversity. For anyone who might want to get to know the Hareidi JewLit world better, are there certain authors, publishers, social media accounts, newsletters, etc. that you'd recommend?
RK: ​There are several very accomplished Hareidi writers, but many of them write primarily for magazines: Henye Meyer, Bracha Rosman, Yael Mermelstein, Libby Lazewnik, Libi Astaire, Rhona Lewis, Riva Pomerantz (I'm sure I'm missing people). Libi writes mysteries and self-publishes, for the most part. Henye Meyer's novels are published by Orthodox publishers-the best is called This is America! and follows a family from the shtetl to turn of the last century New York. Of Hareidi writers, I think she, Yael Mermelstein, and Rhona Lewis have the most literary style and would appeal to a wide audience. There's also a writer named Meir Uri Gottesman-some of his novels have this marvelous magic realism that really appeals to me.

The Hareidi publishers include Artscroll, Feldheim, Menucha Publishers, Israel Bookshop Publications, and Judaica Press. For kids, there's Hachai. There are some more "modern" publishers who do sometimes publish the books of Hareidi writers - Mosaic, Koren, and Gefen come to mind. Only Koren and Israel Bookshop seem to have a real noticeable social media presence. Fiction or creative non-fiction seem to be sidelines for most of these publishers. Other than Hachai, which specializes in picture books, the Orthodox publishers focus more on liturgy, religious texts, and books about character improvement or religious inspiration. They frankly make less money on genuine literature, so they invest less in that end of the business.

Outside of books published by those companies, I'd recommend the works of Ruchama King Feuerman, Rochelle Krich's "Molly Blume" novels (although many her characters are a bit more modern, you learn a lot), and Risa Miller's My Before and After Life. I also have to say that even though he is not Orthodox, all Barry Deutsch 's graphic novels are well-researched and show pretty authentic Hareidi experiences, from a Hassidishe perspective, even if they are fantasy. (Many Hareidi readers wouldn't read them because of the trolls and the magic...but my kids love the first two and are excited about reading the newly-released third book.)

​Social media and websites? Most of the Orthodox ones are for teaching Torah or devoted to working on character traits. I love Sarah Shapiro's essays and Sara Yocheved Rigler's articles on Aish.com-they're written in a more literary style even though they are about living a Jewish life. Judy Gruen (her work is largely on Aish and on her blog) and Mordechai Schmutter (who has columns in both The Jewish Press and Inyan, but also occasionally shares reprints on Aish.com) write humor and are just plain funny (Judy is more Modern Orthodox even though we attend the same synagogue).
ED: Anything else you'd like us to know or advice you'd like to share?
​RK: I think the biggest beef that any Orthodox person has-particularly if we are in the center or to the right-is that nearly every representation of us in literature or media is an outsider perspective, usually based often on stereotypes. These aren't individuals, but caricatures. Even when not basing characters on stereotypes, the author often projects their own concerns on the characters, based on mainstream American mores, rather than seeing things through a genuine Orthodox POV. They also tend to lump every variety of Hareidi together with Hassidim, who compose maybe half the community.
ED: Thank you so much, Rebecca! Readers, you can take a peek at Sliding Doors and Other Stories right here.
Hareidi people sometimes steer clear of their non-Hareidi neighbors not just because we're "insular" - whatever that means - but because the rest of the world judges us harshly. When readers pick up a novel with "pseudo-Ultra-Orthodox" characters and assume that's reality, it just reinforces that divide.

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From My Bookshelf: SLIDING DOORS AND OTHER STORIES

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Rebecca Klempner is one of the wonderful people I've had the privilege and pleasure of getting to know via the Internet, where I frequently read her essays and reviews and "converse" with her via email and social media. Several months ago, she announced that she'd be publishing a book of short stories for younger readers.

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I first discovered Rivka Levy when she was writing for Breslev Israel Magazine and I finally realized that the majority of articles that resonated with me the most were written by her. When she announced she was creating her own blog, I surfed over there to check it out, liked it, and decided to stay. Ditto for all her other blogs as she opened them.

In conjunction, I read and had an epiphany which finally propelled me to sporadically talk to God until my conversations with Him settled into a regular thing.

Then a lot of other stuff happened (one of which was my dad died with no warning whatsoever) and I lost my spiritual equilibrium. No, losing my father didn't call my faith into question, but a lot of strange things happened in connection with that, which opened my eyes to realities that I'd been ignoring or whitewashing (which is easy to do when you are thousands of miles away from those "realities").

Because Rivka Levy's writings continued to deeply resonate with me, I reached out to her for - well, I wasn't sure what. She didn't and still doesn't have much spare time outside her work and family, but she still managed to send me short messages bursting with meaning and emuna. In just one or two sentences, she would manage to say exactly what I needed to hear even though I was a complete stranger to her. It also meant a tremendous amount to me that she was speaking on my behalf during her daily conversations with God.

I could feel the difference.

And with some bumbling and fumbling of my own, I managed to get back on track, more or less.

Since getting to know her a bit more, I pay closer attention to almost anything she publishes. When she came out with The How, What, and Why of Talking to God, I knew I had to read it.

And even though I've read and , I still discovered helpful guidance in Rivka's book for certain struggles I've been having.

For example, I never have the problem of not having what to say to God - a problem that is common in other people who talk to God. I have the opposite problem: too much to say, too many thoughts at a time, and getting distracted, unfocused, or streaming into daydreaming - which I hadn't seen covered in other writings on hitbodedut (talking privately to God in one's own words).

This little book helped wallow out of other areas in which I'd gotten mired down and couldn't see my way out. There is a lot of problem-solving, which is very helpful.
As a pre-teen and teenager, I wanted to talk or write in a journal to God, but I didn't really know where to start. Sometimes I kind of tried, but immediately felt overwhelmed or lost. I could've really used something so short and so easily digestible, yet so thorough, to help me get started.

Another plus is that this book uses not only the personal experience of the author and others, but also scientific studies.

Personally, I've seen how talking to God in a meaningful way changes everything - literally. Things I just couldn't get to work out or situations that "experts" insist can't be changed or improved without intense and complex intervention, actually did improve or even got resolved once I started talking to God regularly. Many things either improved or resolved on their own or else I suddenly received a new insight for a method that actually worked. But even the things that are still hard are at the same time, not as grueling as they were before.

I highly recommend this book for beginners, for the religious and spiritual seekers, and for the doubters.

Now I bet you think I'm doing this as a favor to the author because I know her.

Well, I'm not.

I know other journalists and authors, and I don't necessarily plug their books or articles. Rivka Levy has never asked me or even hinted at me to do so, and I could just ignore her stuff if I wanted.

Except that I don't.

This book really, really helped me now as an ultra-Orthodox Jew, and it would have really, really helped me when I was a completely secular teenager.

Having said that, when it's a book about God and spirituality, it's important to know whether the person behind the book practices what she preaches.

And in this case, I've really seen that she does.

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#Readukkah Book Review: The How, What, and Why of Talking to God

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I first discovered Rivka Levy when she was writing for Breslev Israel Magazine and I finally realized that the majority of articles that resonated with me the most were written by her. When she announced she was creating her own blog, I surfed over there to check it out, liked it, and decided to stay.

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Day Trips to Jewish History by Libi Astaire

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Day Trips to Jewish History by Libi Astaire

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#Readukkah Book Review: Day Trips to Jewish History by Libi Astaire

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When I used to read Mishpacha magazine, Libi Astaire was one of the writers whom I would always read no matter what topic she addressed, and even whether it was fiction or non-fiction (though I no...

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The NHS has been facing ever-increasing pressures in recent years, with slashed budgets, staff shortages and lack of resources taking its toll on the quality of care. One of the many ways we commonly see the impact of these pressures is in waiting times for GP...

The day you've dreamed of for years has finally arrived! Your little girl is all grown up and has chosen a partner to start her life with, and you are officially a MoB -- Mother of the Bride! While congratulatory remarks are appropriate at this juncture, so are a few...

This one is as simple as crowdfunding your honeymoon. It might sound strange at first, but do you really need another blender or set of dinner plates? Instead of having your guests purchase a bunch of things you'll end up trying to return anyway, why not let them chip in for...

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The NHS has been facing ever-increasing pressures in recent years, with slashed budgets, staff shortages and lack of resources taking its toll on the quality of care. One of the many ways we commonly see the impact of these pressures is in waiting times for GP...

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Posted on

DREIDELS ON THE BRAIN
By Joel ben Izzy
(Dial BYR; $17.99, Ages 10 and up)

When I adore a book, and I did adore Joel ben Izzy's Dreidels on The Brain, I tend to read every last word from the dedication to the acknowledgements. In doing so I happened to find this gem at the bottom of the copyright page:

"This is a work of fiction... and of friction-the kind that filled the author's childhood. Although much is based upon actual people, places, and events from his life, he has taken great liberties in all these realms-as well as spelling-to recount a story set over the course of the eight days of Hanukkah, 1971."
There's more, but you'll just have to get a copy to read on.

Ben Izzy is a renowned storyteller and Dreidels on The Brain is his first foray into fiction for kids, middle grade readers to be precise, and I hope he writes more. His ability to convincingly convey time, place, character, conflict and voice was not lost on this reader who grew up in that era. Dreidels on The Brain is so much more than a Hanukkah story. It's a heartwarming coming-of-age novel filled with memorable laugh out loud moments and it seems to have fun with itself and the reader who will quickly catch on to all the zany things Izzy's included. He's spelled Hanukkah a ton of different ways and, when he gets the opportunity, does the same with ketchup. On top of this there are lots of jokes, insight into magic tricks, great cultural references, and just the right amount of Yiddish words added to an already winning mix.

As mentioned above, Dreidels on The Brain is set in 1971, Temple City, California, just east of Los Angeles with no temple to be found. The main character's Jewish family (whose last name shall not be revealed here) actually attends a temple or synagogue in nearby Rosemead. Joel, the self-proclaimed funny-looking main character, is short, has braces, wears glasses, and is the odd man out as the school's only Jewish student.

Nine chapters take readers through Joel's eight days and nights of Hanukkah. Ben Izzy has managed to seamlessly weave magic, miracles, matzoh balls, and music from Fiddler on The Roof into an unforgettable story of a boy, on the cusp of adulthood according to the Jewish religion, wanting to be anyone, but himself. This all plays out over the Hanukkah holiday while touching upon faith, family, friends, and one particular female named Amy O'Shea. Readers will find it easy to root for the lovable protagonist and, like him and the message of his dreidel game, wish that a great miracle could happen there.

Joel, a tween with soon-to-be teen angst, is questioning his belief in God as he navigates his role as school dork, token Jew, and the youngest son in his family of five including two older brothers. His parents are struggling financially, but his mom never gives up hope for better times ahead. His dad, unemployed, is always on the verge of creating the next must-have invention, all while coping with his debilitating arthritis. Although it's clear there's much love in Joel's family, as seen through the eyes of this twelve-year-old boy, there's not much to be desired about his life. For example, he never gets a Hanukkah present as it's simply not affordable. Joel does manage to make some spending money by performing magic tricks at parties, but when classmate Amy suggests they team up because an assistant will add to a magic show's appeal, Joel finds himself falling for this girl he considers to be way out of his league.

The plot lines center around Joel having to perform a magic show at his grandma's nursing home, his dad needing surgery over Hanukkah, and an invitation from the principal to present the Hanukkah story to the entire school at a special assembly. Will everything go according to plan convincing Joel that miracles can happen? "All I can do is answer the way Jews always do-with another question. Why not?"

Reviewed by Ronna Mandel for #Readukkah

Posted in Tagged Ages 10 and up, #Readukkah, Chanukah, Dial Books For Young Readers, Dreidels on the Brain, Hanukkah, Jewish Religion, Joel ben Izzy, Middle Grade Coming of Age Novel, Middle Grade Fiction about Hanukkah, Middle Grade Fiction about Miracles, Middle Grade Historical Fiction Novel, Ronna Mandel Children's Book Reviews, Children's Books > Social Situations > Family Life > New Experiences, Contemporary Issues for tweens, Emotions & Feelings, Facing Challenges, Family, Family & Relationships, Fitting In, Growing Up, Growing Up & Facts of Life, Hanukkah, Historical Fiction, Holidays & Celebrations, Holidays & Festivals - Jewish Holidays, Humor, Jewish Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Magic, MG Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction, Middle School, Middle School & Teachers, Religious Fiction, Siblings

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BEST HANUKKAH BOOKS ROUNDUP

Hanukkah arrives early again this year and so it's time for our annual Hannukah books roundup featuring our faves for you to share with your children. All these books make great gifts, too, so why not give the gift of a wonderful story?

NONNA'S HANUKKAH SURPRISE by Karen Fisman with illustrations by Martha Avilés ( Kar-Ben; $17.99 hardcover, $7.99 paperback, Ages 3-8)
This simple, seemingly straightforward Hanukkah story of girl gets Hanukkah Menorah (aka hanukkiyah), girl loses Hanukkah Menorah, girl gets new Hanukkah Menorah has several super, smile-producing twists. For one thing, Rachel's haukkiyah is made up of 9 female Maccabees instead of males, and this year, Rachel's Hanukkah celebration will be away from home, with Nonna, her Italian grandma. I love how Fisman's put a 21st century spin on this charming Hanukkah tale of today's typical blended family where one parent is Jewish and the other is not. Rachel worries she won't be celebrating Hanukkah at Nonna's who celebrates Christmas, but her mom's made sure to bring everything along including dreidels, candles, and traditional Hanukkah gelt so that the Festival of Lights will be just like at home. But when Rachel leaves her Maccabees menorah on the airplane, it's Nonna and her sweet surprise that saves the day in this heartwarming tale of acceptance, respect, and a grandma's love that knows no religion, only devotion to her granddaughter.

IS IT HANUKKAH YET? by Chris Barash with illustrations by Alessandra Psacharopulo
(Albert Whitman & Company; $16.99, Ages 4-8)
Like its predecessor,Is it Passover Yet?, Is it Hanukkah Yet? in under 200 words, successfully creates a holiday mood with its festive artwork and joyous tale. This picture book opens with a snowy scene of nature.
"When frosty winds blow and snow's all around
And there's no sign of green on the trees or the ground.
Hanukkah is on its way."
Barash and Psacharopulo take us from the bucolic outdoors as animals gear up for the long winter to the indoors as a family makes their preparations for the arrival of family, friends and the joyous eight night long celebration of Hanukkah. From stirring, frying and baking traditional Haunkkah foods, to the lighting of colored candles "When the blessings are said and the first candles glow" to the singing of songs and playing dreidel, the small pleasures of the beloved Festival of Lights can be found and enjoyed on every page of this lovely book.

HANUKKAH IS COMING! by Tracy Newman with illustrations by Viviana Garofoli
( Kar-Ben; $5.99, Ages 1-4)
From Hanukkah is coming! to Hurray! Hanukkah is here!, this 12 page board book with its gentle rhyme and repeating phrase, serves as a perfect introduction to the holiday for young children and builds anticipation. A brother, sister and silly dog mention all the special things they love and look forward to about Hanukkah. Whether it's cooking latkes that "Hiss, sizzle, pop," or spinning the dreidel with its nun, gimel, hay and shin, Hanukkah is coming and that's something to get excited about!

SAMMY SPIDER'S FIRST TASTE OF HANUKKAH: A COOKBOOK by Sylvia A. Rouss and Genene Levy Turndorf with illustrations by Katherine Janus Kahn
( Kar-Ben; $16.99 hardcover, $7.99 paperback, Ages 2-8)
Making his 15th appearance, "Sammy Spider dangled from his web as Mr. Shapiro told Josh the story of the Maccabees and the miracle of the oil." While spiders don't celebrate the holiday, Sammy could certainly watch as all the cooking began! In this latest installation of the anthropomorphic arachnid, we get a helpful intro, and recipes divided into sections of Simple Snacks, Miracle Meals (LOVE the Maccabee and Cheese), Tasty Treats (check out Melt-in-Your-Mouth Menorahs), Crafty Ideas (salt dough Hanukkah decorations are a personal fave) plus a section on Lighting the Menorah and Hanukkah Blessings. This is a terrific hands-on book for families this holiday season and definitely one to hang onto for years to come.

Reviewed by Ronna Mandel #Readukkah
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Posted in Tagged Activity Book, #Readukkah, Albert Whitman & Company, Alessandra Psacharopulo, Best Hanukkah Books for kids, Chris Barash, Genene Levy Turndorf, Hanukkah Cookbook, Hanukkah is Coming!, Is It Hanukkah Yet?, Kar-Ben Publishing, Karen Fisman, Katherine Janus Kahn, Martha Avilés, Nonna's Hanukkah Surprise, Ronna Mandel, Sammy Spider's First Taste of Hanukkah, Sylvia A. Rouss, Tracy Newman, Viviana Garofoli Ages 1-4, Ages 2 and up, Ages 3 and up, Ages 3-8, Ages 4-8, Cookbooks, Hanukkah, Holidays & Celebrations, Holidays & Festivals - Jewish Holidays, Juvenile Fiction

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#Readukkah Archives - Good Reads With Ronna

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Posted on When I adore a book, and I did adore Joel ben Izzy's Dreidels on The Brain , I tend to read every last word from the dedication to the acknowledgements. In doing so I happened to find this gem at the bottom of the copyright page: "This is a work of fiction...

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Angels at the Gate by T.K. Thorne: When you wake up in the middle of the night to finish a book you know its a good book.  I couldn't put this book down.  I love books where the author takes a theme from the bible and turns it into a story.  If you are a fan of The Red Tent this book is very similar.  I also love a strong female character who grows during the story.  Adira is smart and wise.  I felt every emotion as she felt it and was glad for it.  I read a lot of books and this will go on my favorites list.  I am excited to try the authors first book Noah's wife. 

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Angels at the Gate by T.K. Thorne: When you wake up in the middle of the night to finish a book you know its a good book.  I couldn't put this book down.  I love books where the author takes a theme from the bible and turns it into a story.  If you are a fan of The Red Tent this book is very similar.  I also love a strong female character who grows during the story.  Adira is smart and wise.  I felt every emotion as she felt it and was glad for it.  I read a lot of books and this will go on my favorites list.  I am excited to try the authors first book Noah's wife. 

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https://www.amazon.com/review/R2VL2PRFKVM0JA/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv