The Book of Life: Jewish Kidlit (Mostly): Recent Episodes

Heidi Rabinowitz

The Book of Life is an interview-format podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly, with occasional coverage of Jewish YA/adult books, music, film and web, established in December 2005. Host: Heidi Rabinowitz Sponsors: Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel of Boca Raton, Florida & the Association of Jewish Libraries

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/11/creature-double-feature-part-ii-emi.html

TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/LlqEguYzidUDn_uqBHgEK5B1QKY?utm_source=copy_url

For the month of November 2024, we've got a 2-part series, CREATURE DOUBLE FEATURE: ANTISEMITISM AND THE SUPERNATURAL. Our guest for Part II is Japanese American Jewish author Emi Watanabe Cohen. Her debut novel was The Lost Ryū (about dragons), and her sophomore novel is Golemcrafters (about golems, of course).

I loved The Lost Ryū so much that I volunteered to review it for The Sydney Taylor Shmooze blog, because I wanted to point out a moment of allyship that touched my soul. Then, along came Golemcrafters. I must admit I was wary at first, because golems are kind of overdone, but this book drew me in even more than The Lost Ryū, with how much it mirrored my own emotional response to antisemitism. Both of these books are like hands reaching out to hold yours. I highly recommend that you reach back, and read both books yourself.

Creature Double Feature Part I features an interview with Deke Moulton about her vampire and werewolf middle grade novels, Don't Want to Be Your Monster and Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf, which make great companions to Emi's books.

LEARN MORE:

Creature Double Feature Part I with Deke Moulton
Emi's website EmiCohenWrites.com
Buy / borrow The Lost Ryū
Buy / borrow Golemcrafters
Emi's reading recommendations:
- Don't Want to Be Your Monster and Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf by Deke Moulton
- Wrath Becomes Her and The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros
- Aviva vs. the Dybbuk by Mari Lowe
- When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
- The Golem Redux: From Prague to Post-Holocaust Fiction by Elizabeth R. Baer

NOVEMBER EVENTS JEWISH JOY READING PARTY Auction November 13-20, 2024 Bid at The Artists Against Antisemitism 2nd annual Auction to have me host a private virtual event for you and your friends BID HERE! CHEERING ON JEWISH BOOKS November 20, 2024 at 7pm ET Free online talk about supporting Jewish literature PRE-REGISTER HERE!

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/11/creature-double-feature-part-i-deke.html

TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/9oU8bBDsH32kp0wvR50fWFGLTF0?utm_source=copy_url

For the month of November 2024, we've got a 2-part series, CREATURE DOUBLE FEATURE: ANTISEMITISM AND THE SUPERNATURAL. Our first guest is Deke Moulton, author of Don't Want to Be Your Monster (about Jewish vampires) and Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf (about Jewish werewolves).

These middle grade fantasy novels go beyond simple adventures with supernatural heroes. I love how they both delve deeply into the very nature of prejudice. I love how they both imagine worlds in which kids defeat hate. AND they are also fun, fast paced magical adventure stories.

Creature Double Feature Part II is an interview with Emi Watanabe Cohen about her dragon and golem middle grade novels, The Lost Ryū and Golemcrafters, which make great companions to Deke's books.

LEARN MORE:

Creature Double Feature Part II with Emi Watanabe Cohen
Deke's website DekeMoulton.com and Instagram @dekewritesstuff
Buy / borrow Don't Want to Be Your Monster
Buy/ borrow Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf
Tikkun Olam: donate to Wolfhaven, and learn about keystone species
Background on Jewish werewolves in sacred texts
Star Trek reference to the yetzer hatov and yetzer hara in The Enemy Within
Deke's reading recommendations: - Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack - Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz - Impossible Escape by Steve Sheinkin - ...and a reading rec from Heidi: Tale of the Flying Forest by R.M. Romero
List of Jewish fantasy titles featured on past podcast episodes

NOVEMBER EVENTS JEWISH JOY READING PARTY Auction November 13-20, 2024 Bid at The Artists Against Antisemitism 2nd annual Auction to have me host a private virtual event for you and your friends BID HERE! CHEERING ON JEWISH BOOKS November 20, 2024 at 7pm ET Free online talk about supporting Jewish literature PRE-REGISTER HERE!

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/10/festive-friends-part-i-teshuvah-and.html

TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/x1-e3vOomTqZOrPvQPzePL4ZOKQ

In honor of this holiday-packed month, I've got a 2-part series for you. I'm calling it Festive Friends, because each episode features a pair of friends talking about books relevant to our fall holidays. Here in Part I, the Festive Friends are Gayle Forman, author of Not Nothing, and Marjorie Ingall, author of Getting to Sorry. While neither of these books are explicitly about Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, they are both about teshuvah, growth, and the art of apology, perfect for this season. I invited this duo not only because of their excellent books but because of their Big BFF Energy, which is a joy to behold.

This is Gayle's first appearance on the podcast, but Marjorie has been a frequent guest. Her past appearances include: Enough with the Holocaust Books for Children! (2015), Mamaleh Knows Best (2017), A Field Guide to Jewish Kidlit (2019), and The Mitzvah of Voting (2020 & 2024).

In Part II, available now, you'll hear from Erica Lyons and Christina Matula, friends and co-authors of the picture book Mixed-Up Mooncakes, about a Chinese Jewish family celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival and Sukkot.

LEARN MORE:

Festive Friends Part II with Erica Lyons and Christina Matula
Gayle Forman's website
Marjorie Ingalls' website, and SorryWatch
Buy Not Nothing
Buy Getting to Sorry
Reading Recommendations: Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz, The Night War by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say by Leila Sales, I'm Sorry You Got Mad by Kyle Lukoff, A Bargain for Frances by Russell Hoban, the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, Lily's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
Gayle volunteers with TheStatesProject.org and AuthorsAgainstBookBans.com
Gayle's interview at The Horn Book (has a spoiler, read after finishing the book)
Heidi's "Jewish Joy with Ruth Behar" guest post on Multicultural Kid Blogs
Learn about Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year (October 2-4, 2024)
Learn about Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (October 11-12, 2024

ENTER THE DRAWING

Post a review of The Book of Life or Nice Jewish Books, or BOTH, on social media or on any podcast player such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Take screenshots of your reviews and email the images to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com. You'll be entered into a drawing for a special tote bag with the logo of The Book of Life on one side and Nice Jewish Books on the other. Every review you send is an entry in the drawing, and multiple entries are allowed. The deadline to email us is October 24th, 2024, the beginning of the ultimate Jewish celebration of reading, Simchat Torah. Your posts will help our podcasts find more listeners, and help more readers find great Jewish books!

"JEWISH JOY" SERIES ON MULTICULTURAL KID BLOGS

I am pleased to announce that Multicultural Kid Blogs has invited me to do a "Jewish Joy" series of interviews with diverse Jewish authors. The first one features Ruth Behar, who was on the podcast in May 2024 to talk about her novel Across So Many Seas.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/10/festive-friends-part-ii-asian-jewish.html

TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/xKGzqMhNsej4ALLe6F7e2wBfNJg

October 2024 is packed with Jewish holidays, so we've got a 2-part series for you to celebrate: Holiday Friends. In each episode, we hear from a pair of friends about their books that will help us celebrate the Jewish holidays. In Festive Friends Part I we heard from Gayle Forman, author of Not Nothing, and Marjorie Ingall, author of Getting to Sorry.

Here in Festive Friends Part II, we meet Erica Lyons and Christina Matula. Lately, Kids of mixed heritage have finally been getting their mirror books, and a great example is Erica and Christina's new picture book Mixed-Up Mooncakes, about a Chinese Jewish family celebrating the Mid Autumn Festival and Sukkot. I love the cozy atmosphere of this book, with its double harvest festival fun; and I love the comfortable way in which the Chinese and Jewish cultures are mixed together both literally and figuratively in the story.

LEARN MORE:

Festive Friends Part I with Gayle Forman and Marjorie Ingall
Erica Lyons' website
Christina Matula's website
Buy Mixed-Up Mooncakes
Reading recommendations: Erica suggests Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup by Pamela Mayer and the Holly-Mei series by Christina Matula. Christina suggests The Truth About Dragons by Julie Leung.
Heidi's "Jewish Joy with Ruth Behar" guest post on Multicultural Kid Blogs
Learn about the Mid-Autumn Festival (September 17, 2024)
Learn about Sukkot (October 16-23, 2024)

ENTER THE DRAWING

Post a review of The Book of Life or Nice Jewish Books, or BOTH, on social media or on any podcast player such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Take screenshots of your reviews and email the images to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com. You'll be entered into a drawing for a special tote bag with the logo of The Book of Life on one side and Nice Jewish Books on the other. Every review you send is an entry in the drawing, and multiple entries are allowed. The deadline to email us is October 24th, 2024, the beginning of the ultimate Jewish celebration of reading, Simchat Torah. Your posts will help our podcasts find more listeners, and help more readers find great Jewish books!

"JEWISH JOY" SERIES ON MULTICULTURAL KID BLOGS

I am pleased to announce that Multicultural Kid Blogs has invited me to do a "Jewish Joy" series of interviews with diverse Jewish authors. The first one features Ruth Behar, who was on the podcast in May 2024 to talk about her novel Across So Many Seas.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/09/our-jewish-emotional-support-books.html

TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/LVQ-f8Gwpfw2LLKvE4Y7TGOzHes?utm_source=copy_url

At the Association of Jewish Libraries 2024 annual conference in San Diego, CA, I met up with Sheryl Stahl, host of our sister podcast, Nice Jewish Books. Inspired by the cartoon seen here, Sheryl and I interviewed our friends and colleagues about their Jewish "emotional support books" and the results turned into this podcast episode (cross-posted on Nice Jewish Books). We got a very wide variety responses, listed in the Show Notes in case you'd like to read any of the books that are so meaningful to your fellow Jewish book-lovers.

ENTER THE DRAWING

Need a tote bag to carry around your emotional support books? Enter our drawing!

Post a review of The Book of Life or Nice Jewish Books, or BOTH, on social media or on any podcast player such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Take screenshots of your reviews and email the images to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com. You'll be entered into a drawing for a special tote bag with the logo of The Book of Life on one side and Nice Jewish Books on the other. Every review you send is an entry in the drawing, and multiple entries are allowed. The deadline to email us is October 24th, 2024, the beginning of the ultimate Jewish celebration of reading, Simchat Torah.

Or, if you'd like to order a tote bag right now, we've got you covered:

The Book of Life tote

Nice Jewish Books tote

Ella & Henny & Sarah & Charlotte & Gertie tote

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-mitzvah-of-voting-edited-encore.html

TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/ql3_Vi81NBwkvNT97SKZiyh8_yM?utm_source=copy_url

Four years ago in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, I ran a 3-part series called The Mitzvah of Voting. Here we are in 2024 in a presidential election year again and defending our democracy is more important than ever! Here's an edited encore presentation of that 2020 podcast, with all three parts combined and streamlined. You'll hear inspiring words and calls to action from some of your favorite authors, recorded in 2020 but as relevant as ever. We cap it off with Sarah Aroeste's Ladino song "Gracia" (English lyrics below), a tribute to the medieval Sephardic heroine, Doña Gracia Nasi who lived in the 1500's and saved hundreds of Jews from the Inquisition. The theme of the song is that activists of the past inspire us to activism in our own time. I hope you will be inspired to VOTE!

RESOURCES SUGGESTED BY GUESTS:

Hold the Line: A Guide to Defending Democracy
T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
Jews for Racial and Economic Justice
The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
VoteRiders.org
Become a poll worker
Add your Representative and Senators to your cell phone and call regularly on issues you care about
Confirm your voter registration at Vote.org
The Matthew Shepard Foundation
Reclaim Our Vote
Doña Gracia Nasi

GUESTS: (See show notes for links to their websites and books)

Marjorie Ingall
Linda Epstein
Jeff Gottesfeld
Leslie Kimmelman
Susan Kusel
Tziporah Cohen
Elissa Brent Weissman
Lee Wind
Barbara Bietz
Jane Breskin Zalben
Jacqueline Jules
Anne-Marie Asner
Gail Carson Levine
Lesléa Newman
Evan Wolkenstein
Sue Macy
Sarah Aroeste

ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF GRACIA:

You give us grace You give us life You give us promise You give us bravery You give us strength You give us defiance You give us command You give us voice You give us inspiration You give us esteem You give us value You give us admiration Chorus: Because of you we have the Honor, fight, effect; Because of you we stand with Power, height, respect Some have the deeds, some have the fame– You have both and the same.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-state-of-middle-grade.html

I love middle grade books! But what defines a middle grade book? What are the challenges to publishing for this age group? What is the state of middle grade literature today? To learn more, I invited 2 experts on the genre:

~ Librarian Karen Jensen, author of "Treatise on the State of Middle Grade and Young Adult Publishing Today" and creator of the Teen Librarian Toolbox blog on School Library Journal's website

~ Chris Baron, author of Jewish middle grade fiction and founding member of the Facebook group For the Love of Middle Grade

LEARN MORE:

Transcript of the episode
Chris Baron's website
Chris's books: All of Me | The Magical Imperfect | The Gray | The Secret of the Dragon Gems | On All Other Nights
Teen Librarian Toolbox's "Mind the Middle" Project
Karen's Treatise on the State of MG and YA Publishing Today
Author support groups: For the Love of Middle Grade | Mighty Middle Grade Authors | Middle Grade Authorcade
Evaluating Jewish Representation in Children's Literature: A Guide for Libraries
Authors promoting middle grade: Rick Riordan Presents | Dav Pilkey's Little Free Libraries | James Patterson's imprint | Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jason Reynolds
Karen's middle grade reading recommendation: A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
Chris's middle grade reading recommendation: Tale of the Flying Forest by R.M. Romero
Podcast recommendation: Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/07/espionage-secrets-suspense-holocaust.html

Two incredible authors, Adam Gidwitz and Steve Sheinkin, joined me to talk about their most recent books, Max in the House of Spies and Impossible Escape. As many listeners know, I tend to avoid Holocaust books because I've kind of overdosed on them during a long career of working with Jewish children's literature... but both of these books are SO good that I couldn't ignore them. Max in the House of Spies is middle grade historical fantasy fiction and Impossible Escape is young adult nonfiction. They are very different books, but they also make a great pairing... as do Adam and Steve, who are friends in real life.

LEARN MORE:

Transcript of interview
Adam Gidwitz's website
Steve Sheinkin's website
Adam recommends An Account Rendered by Melita Maschmann, and Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport, a documentary film and book by Mark Jonathan Harris and Deborah Oppenheimer
Adam's podcast Grim, Grimmer, Grimmest
Steve's YouTube show Author-Fan Face-Off

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Book of Life is now available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@bookoflifepodcast

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/06/joyful-song-with-leslea-newman-susan-gal.html

Joyful Song: A Naming Story is Lesléa Newman's newest picture book, and once again she's paired up with the amazing Susan Gal. This dynamic duo brought us Here Is the World in 2014 and Welcoming Elijah in 2020. Their new 2024 book is about a baby naming at synagogue, and about the diverse and loving community that welcomes the little girl into the world. The two-mom family makes it a great book for Pride Month, too.

LEARN MORE:

Transcript of interview
Lesléa Newman's website
Susan Gal's website
Susan's other Jewish book, The Tower of Life by Chana Stiefel
Roller Coaster Rabbit, the Disney film Susan worked on
Heidi's Jewish kidlit wish list
Lesléa's past appearances on The Book of Life:
- Welcoming Elijah, 2020
- Social Justice and Jewish Children's Books, 2018
- Ketzel and Mom, 2016
- Here Is the World, 2015

JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, Friends & Allies Edition: May 2024 daily reading recommendations

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/05/ruth-behar-on-across-so-many-seas.html

Lucky Broken Girl, Letters from Cuba, Tia Fortuna's New Home, and now, Across So Many Seas. Award winning author Ruth Behar keeps finding new ways to share her Sephardic and Ashkenazi Cuban Jewish heritage with us, and it's fresh and fascinating every time. In her latest sweeping middle grade novel, Across So Many Seas, she introduces us to four generations of a Sephardic family, from the Spanish Inquisition to modern times. Like the Ladino song woven into the story of each of the 12 year old protagonists, this book is a poignant and powerful ode to sorrow and connection and joy. LEARN MORE: * Transcript of interview * Ruth Behar's website * Playlist of music from Across So Many Seas * Educator's Guide to Across So Many Seas * Buy Across So Many Seas * Ruth's tikkun olam suggestion: The American Ladino League * Ruth's Sephardic reading recommendations: * board book Mazal Bueno by past podcast guest Sarah Aroeste * graphic novel We Are Not Strangers by Josh Tuininga * novel Kantika by Elizabeth Graver * nonfiction One Hundred Saturdays: Stella Levi and the Search for a Lost World by Michael Frank * Ruth's documentary film Adio Kerida - rent for $3.99 on Vimeo

JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH: See daily reading recommendations!

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/04/project-shema.html

As you may remember, in December 2023 I participated in The Artists Against Antisemitism auction, which raised funds for Project Shema. Today we'll talk with April Powers, Vice President of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at Project Shema, to learn more about their mission and how it can help us kidlit folks.

LEARN MORE:

Transcript of interview
Project Shema
Jewbian Princess
"Skin in the Game: How Antisemitism Animates White Nationalism" article by Eric K. Ward
Reading suggestions: The Source by James Michener, The Assignment by Liza Wiemer

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-miracle-seed.html The Miracle Seed is Martin Lemelman's nonfiction graphic novel about how modern science brought the Judean date palm back to life after a thousand year extinction. We met in person at the local public library's recording studio to talk about his book, his art, and the truly amazing story of how seeds found at an archaeological dig at Masada in Israel were able to be germinated after centuries, and about the significance of the Judean date palm in Jewish history. LEARN MORE: Martin Lemelman's websites TwoCentComics.com and LemelmanArt.com The Arava Institute Graphic novel about Martin's mother: Mendel's Daughter Graphic memoir: Two Cents Plain: My Brooklyn Boyhood Book and film: The Tattooed Torah Another recent Israel-related interview: Noa Nimrodi on Not So Shy

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-2024-sydney-taylor-book-awards.html

The winners of the 2024 Sydney Taylor Book Awards, recognizing the best Jewish children's and young adult literature of the year, were announced on January 22, 2024 at the American Library Association's Youth Media Awards event. Aviva Rosenberg is the current chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, and she joined us to discuss the 2024 winners of the award.

LEARN MORE:

Sydney Taylor Book Awards
ALA's Youth Media Awards (where the Sydney Taylors are announced)
ALA's YouTube channel, where you can watch a recording of the announcement
Heidi's unofficial 2024 Sydney Taylor shortlist
Aviva's recommendation for an Israel-related book: The Miracle Seed by Martin Lemelman
Aviva's Tikkun Olam suggestion: buy Israeli products! A helpful Facebook group is Israeli Shops to Purchase From
Read the Transcript

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-artists-against-antisemitism-auction.html

The Artists Against Antisemitism is a new organization formed to give creatives of all kinds a way to fight anti-Jewish hate. Their very first action is to hold an auction, happening December 15-22, 2023. The auction will benefit Project Shema, which trains and supports the Jewish community and allies to understand and address contemporary antisemitism, especially on college campuses. EVEN IF YOU MISS THE AUCTION - you can still help!

Debbie Reed Fischer, one of the founding members of Artists Against Antisemitism, joined me to tell us all about it.

LEARN MORE:

Bid in the auction: bit.ly/KeepTheLightGoing23
TheArtistsAgainstAntisemitism.com
ProjectShema.org
Debbie Reed Fischer's website
Read the transcript

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/12/hanukkah-upside-down.html

In September 2023, I zoomed with Elissa Brent Weissman from across the world, to record an interview about her new picture book, Hanukkah Upside Down. It's the story of a cousin in New York and a cousin in New Zealand, and how they connect during this wintertime AND summertime holiday.

LEARN MORE:

Read the transcript
Buy or borrow Hanukkah Upside Down
Elissa Brent Weissman's website
Illustrator Omer Hoffman's website

BONUS HANUKKAH FUN:

JewishJoy posts
Interview: The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming
Hanukkah Book Bingo

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/11/two-tribes.html

Emily Bowen Cohen is a Jewish member of the Muscogee Nation. Her debut graphic novel, Two Tribes, explores the complexities that come with having a dual identity. I can't think of a better book to read in November, which is both Jewish Book Month and Native American Heritage Month.

LEARN MORE:

Read the transcript
Buy or borrow Two Tribes
Emily Bowen Cohen's website and Instagram
Emily's Tikkun Olam suggestion: Be'chol Lashon
Emily's Israel book suggestion: Lon-Lon's Big Night by Miri Leshem-Pelly
Heartdrum imprint at HarperCollins
Jewish Book Month
Native American Heritage Month

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/10/we-need-israel-books.html

Like so many of you, I am devastated by the suffering and loss of life in Israel and in Gaza, inflicted by the terrorism of Hamas, so I'm interrupting our regular schedule to bring you additional content related to the war in Israel and Gaza. This conversation with Yael Levy, Chava Pinchuck, and Marjorie Gann is about the need for children's literature related to Israel and the challenges that make it hard to get that literature published. A transcript can be found here.

Please click on the SHOW NOTES to find extensive links for these topics:

Learn More About Publishing and Israel
Books Recommended by Guests
Books NOT Recommended
Books & Projects by Guests
Organizations Accepting Donations
Learn More About the War

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/10/am-yisrael-chai-tammar-stein.html

On October 7, 2023, the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur war, the terrorist group Hamas launched a brutal attack against Israel, murdering and kidnapping civilians young and old as well as striking military targets on multiple fronts. At the time of writing, Israel is at war. With Israel on my mind and in my heart, I went back and listened to Tammar Stein's 2017 interview on The Book of Life about her middle grade novel, The Six Day Hero, which is about the 1967 Six Day War. I thought you might like to hear it too. FYI, in 2020 Tammar published a companion book, Beni's War, about the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Both books are excellent.

I left the original "tune in next time" teaser on the end of the recording because I found it moving. It was Fawzia Gilani-Williams, author of Yaffa and Fatima, Shalom Salaam, dedicating her episode to the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom because of their message of peace. There's a link to that interview in the show notes.

For a tikkun olam moment of my own, I'm making a donation to Magen David Adom, the Israeli version of the Red Cross. I invite you to join me.

Please see below for additional book recommendations and past podcasts about Israel-related youth literature.

LEARN MORE:

Tammar Stein's website, The Six-Day War, and Beni's War
AJL's Love Your Neighbor list #8: Israel
Magen David Adom and American Friends of Magen David Adom
Transcript of this podcast

SELECTED PAST BOOK OF LIFE EPISODES ABOUT ISRAEL

Yaffa and Fatima, Shalom Salaam with guest Fawzia Gilani-Williams

The Language of Angels with guest Richard Michelson

The Nazi Hunters with guest Neal Bascome

Unsettled: the Problem of Loving Israel with guest Marc Aronson

Hare and Tortoise Race Across Israel with guest Laura Gehl

Shalom Sesame with guest Veronica Wulff

Wherever You Go with guest Joan Leegant

The Last Shepherd with guest actors Uri Lifshitz and Roni Weissman, writer Gai Bosco, and post production manager Dovi Shraga

A Musical Israel @ 60 with guests Yuval Ron, Fran Manushkin, and Michael Dorf

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/10/e-train-talks.html

E Train is the powerhouse 12-year-old behind the podcast, YouTube channel, and website E Train Talks, and he's recently formed his own nonprofit. This Jewish tween is a remarkable literacy advocate who's doing so much good in the world. TRANSCRIPT

LEARN MORE:

E Train Talks: Website, YouTube channel, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Podcast
E Train's GoFundMe
Book Fairies
E Train's Tikkun Olam suggestion: Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation
Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong podcast from American Public Media
A Double Helping of Babka interview about two babka-related picture books
It's Banned Books Week (October 1-7, 2023)

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/09/two-new-years.html

Happy New Year! Rosh Hashanah (which begins this year on September 15, 2023), is celebrated by Jewish folks each fall. The Lunar New Year (which will be celebrated next on February 10, 2024) is celebrated by Asian folks each spring. In the picture book Two New Years, Richard Ho explains and Lynn Scurfield beautifully illustrates the parallels between these two celebrations. The book is about a Chinese Jewish family and is a wonderful example of the increasingly diverse Jewish representation being published today.

LEARN MORE:

Richard Ho's website
Lynn Scurfield's website
Jewish/Asian intersectional kidlit list

Look at the SHOW NOTES to find a transcript and more!

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/08/friends-for-lq-auction.html

We're squeezing in an extra episode this month to let you know about a special project inspired by our July 2023 interview with Arthur Levine of Levine Querido! After hearing the July interview, listeners Liza Wiemer and Debbi Lakrtiz were inspired to address the challenge of reduced sales that LQ is facing due to its mission of championing diverse voices.

Levine Querido is a remarkable publisher with an important yet imperiled mission. In the few short years since they were founded, they've won over 150 awards for their devastatingly beautiful books, but the timing of the pandemic and the rise in book banning is a huge challenge for them. We need Levine Querido to succeed, not just because they are doing great work but because the publishing industry needs to see that diversity does sell.

Liza and Debbi are organizing an online auction to help Levine Querido get past this difficult time. You are welcome to donate an item or service, AND of course to bid in the auction! Listen to this short episode to learn more, and please join me in buying LQ books, requesting them from the local library, and supporting Liza and Debbi's auction.

LEARN MORE:

Suggestions for items and services that you can donate to the auction
Fill out this form to offer a donation of an item or service
Auction website
Buy Levine Querido books at Bookshop.org
Full interview with Arthur Levine about Levine Querido (July 2023)
Levine Querido website

Look at the SHOW NOTES to find a transcript and more!

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-jake-show.html

in Joshua S. Levy's middle grade novel, The Jake Show, TV-obsessed Jake sees life in terms of shows. His parents divorce is like his favorite show getting cancelled, and now he's stuck playing two roles, Yaakov for his religious mother and Jacob for his secular father. Jake has to concoct a web of lies to get to a summer camp where he can just be himself. Will that end well? Tune in to my conversation with Joshua Levy and find out!

LEARN MORE:

Joshua Levy's website: JoshuaSimonLevy.com
TV Tropes: The Two Timer Date

Look at the SHOW NOTES to find a transcript and more!

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/07/levine-querido-and-100k-books-challenge.html

Levine Querido is an independent publishing house founded by legendary editor Arthur Levine. He left his own imprint, Arthur A. Levine Books at Scholastic after 23 years, and he started Levine Querido in 2019 to showcase gorgeous diverse books by creators from underrepresented backgrounds - and he's been very successful, winning award after award.

For a non-Jewish publisher, Levine Querido publishes a lot of Jewish books, so I've been wanting to chat with Arthur for a while. When he announced that Team LQ had set a goal to sell 100,000 books by September 1st of this year, I knew it was the right time to have him on the show.

LEARN MORE:

LQ's 100K Books Challenge
Levine Querido website
Arthur's Tikkun Olam suggestion: VOTE!

Look at the SHOW NOTES to find a transcript and more!

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/06/pride-month-special-with-aj-sass.html

It's June and that means LGBTQ+ Pride Month, the perfect time to talk to author A.J. Sass. Andrew Sass is known for writing middle grade books featuring respectful portrayals of trans and nonbinary characters, with neurodivergent and casual Jewish representation included as well. I was excited to talk with them about a few books: debut novel Ana on the Edge from 2020, Ellen Outside the Lines, which was a 2023 Sydney Taylor Honor Book, and the new Camp QUILTBAG, co-written with Nicole Melleby. I thoroughly enjoyed all of these thoughtful, funny, and heartfelt books.

Over half of the books currently being challenged by bigoted extremists are targeted for their LGBTQ+ content. In support of the queer Jewish community, for Pride Month I will post an LGBTQ+ Jewish kidlit title each day in June on The Book of Life's Facebook page at Facebook.com/Bookoflifepodcast. It should go without saying that gender identity and/or age appropriate sexual content does not automatically equal porn or obscenity. Children and teens are human beings who have bodies and experience age-appropriate sexual feelings, and sometimes they need books that will help them understand their bodies and feelings more fully. Queer books save lives, and I'll be proud to share with you excellent examples of queer Jewish representation all month long.

LEARN MORE:

Visit A.J. Sass's website, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram (look for skating videos here!)
Buy Ana on the Edge, Ellen Outside the Lines, and Camp QUILTBAG
Forthcoming work Just Shy of Ordinary, On All Other Nights, and Shabbat Is...
Tikkun Olam suggestion: Fight censorship! Buy banned books, request them and borrow them from your library, write letters to the editor, call your representatives, and attend library/school board meetings.
Daily LGBTQ+ Jewish reading recommendations from The Book of Life, June 2023

ANDREW'S READING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BOOKS WITH NON-CISGENDER CHARACTERS Young Adult (these all have Jewish representation) * A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Gow * When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb [Book of Life guest January 2023] * Camp by L.C. Rosen

Middle Grade (these mostly don't have Jewish representation) * The Best Liars in Riverview and The House That Whispers by Lin Thompson * Too Bright to See, Different Kinds of Fruit, and really anything by Kyle Lukoff * Moonflower by Kacen Callender * Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith * Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart (has some casual Jewish representation)

Visit the SHOW NOTES to find a transcript and more!

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/05/a-sky-full-of-song.html

When I read Susan Lynn Meyer's middle grade novel, A Sky Full of Song, I was swept away by her descriptions of the North Dakota prairie and really touched by the characters' struggles with prejudice, assimilation, and identity. This story is one of those in which the specific is also the universal. It showcases a quintessential American experience and at he same time, a very Jewish experience. I thought it would be a perfect interview to bring to you this May for Jewish American Heritage Month. Click on SHOW NOTES above to find a transcript and more.

LEARN MORE:

Visit Susan Lynn Meyer's website
Buy A Sky Full of Song
Tikkun Olam suggestion: support American Prairie
Visit Heidi's Jewish American Heritage Month resource
Keep an eye out for a Mother's Day interview on May 15 about She's a Mensch at BookOfLifePodcast.com

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/03/a-walk-on-jewish-side.html

Jewish identity can be complicated, especially for people who come from a mixed background. We are starting to see this reality acknowledged in middle grade and young adult fiction, with characters who are working to figure out what being Jewish means to them, or who are trying to better integrate the different parts of their heritage, who don't feel like they are enough. For this episode, I've called together three authors whose novels explore this topic: Primrose Madayag Knazan, author of the YA novel Lesson in Fusion, and middle grade authors Aimee Lucido, who wrote Recipe for Disaster, and Amanda Panitch, who wrote The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor. Join us for a virtual panel discussion about identity, a walk on the Jewish side. See SHOW NOTES for links to the authors' websites, books, recipes, and tikkun olam suggestions as well as a transcript.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/02/shohams-bangle.html

Sarah Sassoon's debut picture book Shoham's Bangle (Kar-Ben) was named a 2023 Sydney Taylor Notable Book by the Association of Jewish Libraries. Based on Sarah's family history, it's the story of a Jewish family's escape from Iraq to Israel, and a rare example of Mizrahi representation in kidlit. See SHOW NOTES for links to Sarah's website, a transcript, and more.

SHOW NOTES:

The winners of the 2023 Sydney Taylor Book Awards, recognizing the best Jewish children's and young adult literature of the year, were announced on January 30, 2023 at the American Library Association's Youth Media Awards event. Martha Seif Simpson is the current chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, and she joined us to discuss the 2023 winners of the award.

Please click on SHOW NOTES above to see the full list of winners and find links to more info about the award.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/01/when-angels-left-old-country.html

When the Angels Left the Old Country is Sacha Lamb's debut novel. It's a young adult historical queer fairy tale about an angel and a demon who immigrate together through Ellis Island to the Lower East Side of New York. From labor unions to dybbuks to a heist, this extremely Jewish tale has everything you need for a thoroughly satisfying adventure. Sacha is a 2018 Lambda Literary Fellow in YA fiction, a graduate in Library and Information Science and History from Simmons, and a reviewer for the Jewish Book Council. They are also a part-time stepparent to a small flock of miniature goats. See SHOW NOTES for links to Sacha's website, the book, reading recommendations, and to read Sacha's short stories online.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/12/its-always-party-with-sephardi.html

TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/aXbubONG9JrTtv8hmF4oFJMde14

Sarah Aroeste is a singer/songwriter of Ladino music, a leader of Sephardic travel tours, and an author of board books featuring Sephardic culture and Ladino vocabulary. Bridget Hodder is a Sephardic author of middle grade and picture books, who frequently collaborates with Muslim author Fawzia Gilani-Williams (past Book of Life guest, 2017) on stories about interfaith friendship. We recorded this episode live and in person at the Highlights Foundation's Symposium for Jewish Creatives. See the SHOW NOTES for links to their websites and books.

TREATS FOR YOU:

JewishBookMonth Reading Challenge at https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/11/jewishbookmonth-reading-challenge.html
Hanukkah Guest Post on The Book of Life by Maxine Rose Schur about The Peddler's Gift, posting on December 18, 2022 at https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/12/guest-post-peddlers-gift-by-maxine-rose.html

GRATITUDE:

Many thanks to Dianne Siekmann for becoming a $5 monthly patron at Patreon.com/bookoflife!

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/11/awesome-new-orthodox-ya-novels.html

Representation of Orthodox Judaism has been virtually non-existent in traditionally published contemporary young adult fiction, but that is starting to change. In this episode, I spoke with Leah Scheier, author of The Last Words We Said published by Simon & Schuster, and Isaac Blum, author of The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen, published by Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. These two young adult novels offer layered and insightful portraits of well-rounded Orthodox characters in books aimed well beyond an Orthodox readership.

TRANSCRIPT:

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-very-best-sukkah.html

The Very Best Sukkah: A Story from Uganda is Shoshana Nambi's debut picture book. She is a member of the Abayudaya, the Jewish community of Uganda, and is in the U.S. studying at Hebrew Union College to become the country's first female rabbi. This delightful story, rich with authentic detail, was named to the Association of Jewish Libraries' Holiday Highlights Fall 2022 Holiday Highlights list.

TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/MEabsphMJkcAf5rK9S3c19vxAEs

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/09/some-kind-of-hate.html

Sarah Darer Littman does not shy away from tough topics. Her middle grade and young adult novels address religious identity, internet predation, eating disorders, and online bullying. Her new YA novel, Some Kind of Hate, addresses radicalization and antisemitism. It's an important and all too timely book that helps readers understand how ordinary people can become radicalized extremists.

LEARN MORE:

Buy Some Kind of Hate
Sarah Darer Littman's website
Educational resources for Some Kind of Hate
Deeyah Kahn's film White Right: Meeting the Enemy
Washingtonian article "What Happened After My 13-Year-Old Son Joined the Alt-Right"
Sarah's earlier appearances on The Book of Life in 2006 for Confessions of a Closet Catholic and 2011 for Life, After
The Book of Life's Justice section (resources for fighting antisemitism)
See Show Notes for links to books recommended during the episode

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/08/detour-ahead.html

Detour Ahead is a contemporary middle grade novel about Gila and Guillermo and the way the H4 bus in Washington DC brings them together. Pamela Ehrenberg wrote the part of Gila, a neurodivergent white Jewish girl who loves breakdancing, and Tracy Lopez wrote Guillermo, a boy from a Salvadoran immigrant family who writes poetry. I was impressed by how well the two distinct voices wove together and how real the characters felt to me. It's a quiet story but cuts right to the heart. I especially enjoyed the nuanced depiction of b'nai mitzvah: Gila doesn't just want to get through the big day, she really wants to understand what it means to be an adult.

LEARN MORE:

Buy Detour Ahead
Pamela Ehrenberg's website
Tracy López's website
Detour Ahead playlist

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/07/catnip-for-librarians-smart-kids-talk.html

Ten year old Hudson and thirteen year old Ellery are graduates of PJ Our Way's National Design Team. These two young avid readers joined me to discuss their love of reading in general and Jewish books in particular, as well as the societal significance of Jewish literature, libraries, and censorship.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/06/zikh-aleyn-zayn-getray-or-you-be-you.html

You Be You, The Kid's Guide to Gender, Sexuality, and Family by Jonathan Branfman may not seem like an obvious choice for coverage on The Book of Life, but I was fascinated by the fact that it had been translated into Yiddish to make it accessible not only to scholars of modern Yiddish but to Hasidic families. Branfman brings both Jewish and gender expertise as a scholar in both fields. Translator Lili Rosen is not only a translator but also a cultural consultant and actor on the Netflix hit Unorthodox and other Yiddish-related media. They combined their talents to create a book for 7-12 year old readers that is affirming and inspiring.

See also The Book of Life's list of Queer Jewish Kidlit at https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/06/queer-jewish-books.html.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/06/unite-against-book-bans.html

Recently, libraries and schools have been facing an outrageous number of book challenges. Jewish tradition encourages debate and the exchange of ideas, and to me, the attempted repression we are seeing right now is diametrically opposed to Jewish values and American values. Books about marginalized communities, including the Jewish community, have been targeted. Librarians and educators are being vilified. It's time to speak out to protect the rights of all readers to have access to books that reflect their own experiences. That's why I asked Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the Director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, to come on the podcast and talk about censorship and ALA's Unite Against Book Bans campaign.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/05/wayward-creatures.html

Wayward Creatures by Dayna Lorentz is a heartfelt animal friendship story for middle grade readers, told from the points of view of both a troubled young Jewish boy and the wayward coyote he befriends after a forest fire changes both of their lives. A local restorative justice program helps Gabe learn the value of community and tikkun olam.

This book takes place in the United States of America in the state of Vermont. During Jewish American Heritage Month in May, I'll be posting a Jewish American kidlit title every day on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Bookoflifepodcast. Follow along to see my recommendations, and share your own favorites!

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/04/holiday-highlights-best-new-passover.html

Regular listeners will remember my friend Susan Kusel, a librarian/bookseller/author who partners with me frequently to promote Jewish children's literature. In this episode, we discuss Holiday Highlights, a project we set up through the Association of Jewish Libraries. Our expert committee, Amy Lilien-Harper, Robbin Friedman, and Sylvie Shaffer, compile seasonal Holiday Highlights lists representing the best Jewish children's holiday books each Spring and Fall. We tell you all about the project, and about the amazing Passover picture books on the Spring 2022 Holiday Highlights list.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-unfinished-corner.html

       The Unfinished Corner, a National Jewish Book Awards finalist, is a graphic novel that challenges a bat mitzvah girl and her group of diverse Jewish friends to finish a corner of the universe left unfinished by God, in order to rid the world of evil. It's a bold premise, brilliantly carried out with a mix of ancient folklore and modern thinking. I was excited to speak with author Dani Colman to learn more.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/02/good-grief.html

Today I've got a group interview for you, with three authors whose books each take a different and fascinating angle on dealing with grief. It's a difficult topic to talk about with young people but these books handle it with grace and sensitivity. Tyler Feder, author of the Sydney Taylor Book Award winning graphic memoir for young adults, Dancing at the Pity Party, middle grade novelist Emily Barth Isler, whose debut book is called Aftermath, and returning guest Joanne Levy, who was on the show in October 2020 to talk about Fish Out of Water, is back with her new middle grade novel Sorry for Your Loss, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-2022-sydney-taylor-book-award-blog.html

Welcome to this special edition of The Book of Life, recorded as a part of the 2022 Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour! Visit https://jewishlibraries.org/ to find the full schedule of interviews with the gold and silver medalists, published February 7th to 11th, 2022 and available thereafter to read at your convenience.

I had the pleasure of speaking with the gold medalists: Susan Kusel and Sean Rubin, author and illustrator of the picture book The Passover Guest, Veera Hiranandani, author of the middle grade novel How to Find What You're Not Looking For, and Aden Polydoros, author of the young adult novel The City Beautiful. I hope you'll enjoy the conversation as much as we did.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-2022-sydney-taylor-book-awards.html

Martha Seif Simpson is the chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee of the Association of Jewish Libraries. She joined us to discuss the 2022 winners of the award, which annually recognizes the best Jewish literature for children and teens.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2021/12/holiday-heroes.html

For this episode I've paired Red and Green and Blue and White by Lee Wind with The Christmas Mitzvah by Jeff Gottesfeld. These two 2021 holiday picture books are both based on true stories of allyship and they have a lovely synergy.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2021/11/whistle-new-gotham-city-hero.html

E. Lockhart joins us to talk about her graphic novel Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero, featuring a Jewish teen superhero with enhanced canine superpowers and a Great Dane sidekick named Lebowitz.

This episode is sponsored by Every Child a Reader in association with the Children's Book Council, in honor of Children's Book Week, November 8-14, 2021.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES:https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-way-back.html

The Way Back is a strange and wonderful, life-affirming story about death, an adventure in which Bluma and Yehuda Lieb set out from the shtetl on a quest into the Far Country peopled by demons. It won the National Jewish Book Award in the young adult category and was named a Sydney Taylor YA Notable Book. It's a crossover book that will appeal to adults as well as YA readers. I am pleased to bring you this interview with author Gavriel Savit.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2021/09/little-free-libraries.html for full show notes. Or look for episode "Little Free Libraries" posted September 1, 2021 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that inspires a love of reading, builds community, and sparks creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges.

Here's an interview with Margret Aldrich, Director of Communications at the Little Free Library organization. We'll find out how this phenomenon got started, and we'll learn about how Jewish books are being included in their Read In Color program.

And as someone who receives a LOT of Jewish book donations, many of which duplicate titles I already have, I can tell you from personal experience that Little Free Libraries are a wonderful way to get those books off my own shelf and share them with the world.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2021/08/zoe-rosenthal-is-not-lawful-good.html for full show notes. Or see episode "Zoe Rosenthal Is Not Lawful Good" posted August 9, 2021 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

Zoe Rosenthal Is Not Lawful Good by Nancy Werlin is a coming of age story with a Jewish protagonist, about the power of fandom, friendship, and finding your inner nerd.

Speaking of fandom, be sure to check out my guest spot on the August episode of the podcast Star Trek and the Jews at https://startrekandthejews.podbean.com/e/dont-call-it-a-midrash-captain-david-gold-part-i/

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2021/07/family-stories-podcast-live-show.html for full show notes. Or look for episode "Family Stories: A Podcast Live Show" posted July 5, 2021 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

Esther Safran Foer and Sadie Foer joined me in May 2021 for a podcast Live Show sponsored by The Jewish Grandparents Network in celebration of the opening of their Family Room.

Esther Safran Foer is a past CEO of Sixth & I and the author of I Want You To Know We’re Still Here, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. She is the daughter of Holocaust survivors, the wife of Bert Foer (an attorney and public interest advocate), the mother of three sons (bestselling authors Frank, Jonathan, and Joshua Foer), and the grandmother of six.

Sadie Jean Foer is one of Esther's six grandchildren. She's a high school student and self described family historian, and the host of the podcast Rooted History.

Jacqueline Jules is an author and poet who enjoys The Book of Life from Arlington, Virginia, and who is our newest Patreon patron. Shout out to Jackie! If you'd like to join her in supporting the show, please visit https://www.patreon.com/bookoflife.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-new-queer-conscience.html for full show notes.

June is Pride Month, so I'm pleased to bring you The New Queer Conscience, a 2021 Sydney Taylor Notable Book in the Young Adult category. It's a manifesto by young activist Adam Eli, that holds up k'lal yisrael, or Jewish solidarity, as a model for the queer community to emulate.

For queer kidlit with identifiably Jewish characters, see the Diverse Jewish Kidlit section of The Book of Life. Look for the tag LGBT. You'll find about 30 titles. If you know of any books I've missed, please drop me a line at bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com.

Speaking of solidarity, it's always a good time to push back against ongoing antisemitism. Please click on the tab labelled JUSTICE at The Book of Life to find resources that will help you do just that.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2021/05/not-your-all-american-girl.html for full show notes. Or look for "Not Your All-American Girl" posted May 9, 2021 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

May is Jewish American Heritage Month and Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. We celebrate both on The Book of Life by talking to Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang, co-authors of This Is Just a Test and Not Your All-American Girl, a pair of middle grade novels set in the 1980's that feature a Jewish Chinese American family.

I also want to take this opportunity to welcome new Patreon patron Erica Lyons, a listener who lives in Hong Kong and is raising a child who is both Chinese and Jewish. If you'd like to join Erica in supporting the podcast, please visit http://patreon.com/bookoflife.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2021/04/through-window-brave-with-beauty.html for full show notes. Or look for "Through the Window: Brave with Beauty" posted April 18, 2021 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

Ambika Sambasivan is the publisher at Yali Books, which opens a window to South Asia –India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives —and invites the rest of the world to learn more about the incredible diversity of this region. Maxine Rose Schur is the author of Brave with Beauty, a picture book biography of the the 15th century Queen Goharshad of Afghanistan, published by Yali Books. She's also the author of several Jewish books for children, including the 1999 Sydney Taylor Book Award winner, The Peddler's Gift.

This interview with Ambika and Maxine is part of the Through the Window Diversity Exchange sponsored by The Book of Life and the Association of Jewish Libraries, in which Jewish and non-Jewish partners meet and converse to look through the window at each other's culture.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2021/03/vaccines-then-now-polio-pioneer.html for full show notes. Or look for "Vaccines Then & Now: The Polio Pioneer" posted on March 18, 2021 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

Linda Elovitz Marshall was excited to get her COVID-19 shot, and back in the day she was glad to be vaccinated for polio too. That gratitude led her to create the picture book biography The Polio Pioneer: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine illustrated by Lisa Anchin, a 2020 Sydney Taylor Notable Book.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-passover-guest.html for full show notes. Or look for "The Passover Guest" posted March 7, 2021 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

My good friend Susan Kusel has been on the podcast before, to talk about The Sydney Taylor Shmooze, and to announce the Sydney Taylor Book Award winners in 2018 and 2019. She also appeared in Beyond the Holocaust and Holidays, a 2019 episode about the Highlights Foundation's writing symposium, and in the 2020 episode The Mitzvah of Voting: Part 1.

This time she's here along with illustrator Sean Rubin to talk about their debut picture book, The Passover Guest, an AJL Holiday Highlights book. See below for the list of fine Passover picture books recently recommended by the Association of Jewish Libraries.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2021/02/ezras-big-shabbat-question.html for full show notes. Or look for "Ezra's Big Shabbat Question" posted February 16, 2021 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

Aviva Brown is the author of Ezra's BIG Shabbat Question and Not Now, Mara! These picture books portray Jewish children of color without making a big deal about it, something we don't see often enough in kidlit. Listen to Aviva as she talks about her inspiration, about self publishing, and about winning Mother of the Year Award for the state of North Carolina.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-2021-sydney-taylor-book-awards.html for full show notes. Or look for "The 2021 Sydney Taylor Book Awards, Revealed" posted January 25, 2021 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

Rebecca Levitan is the chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee of the Association of Jewish Libraries. She joined us to discuss the 2021 winners of the award, which annually recognizes the best Jewish literature for children and teens.

The official 2021 Sydney Taylor Book Award press release and the printable list of winners, honors, and notable books can be found at https://jewishlibraries.org/

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-sydney-taylor-shmooze.html for full show notes, or look for the episode "The Sydney Taylor Shmooze" posted January 2, 2021 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

The Sydney Taylor Shmooze is a mock book award blog that reviews Jewish children's and teen literature and invites readers to vote for the titles that they think will win the Sydney Taylor Book Award. In the last episode of The Book of Life, I spoke with my fellow admins of The Shmooze, Susan Kusel and Chava Pinchuck, about the whys and hows of this project. We also heard some good advice from the folks at other mock award blogs: Calling Caldecott, Heavy Medal, and Guessing Geisel, but we couldn't include everything they said. Here now, is your chance to hear my full conversation with Julie Danielson of Calling Caldecott, Steven Engelfreed of Heavy Medal, and Amy Seto Forrestor of Guessing Geisel. Have a listen, and don't forget to go and vote for the mock Sydney Taylor Book Awards between January 4 and 15, 2021 at https://www.sydneytaylorshmooze.com/.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-sydney-taylor-shmooze.html for full show notes, or look for the episode "The Sydney Taylor Shmooze" posted January 2, 2021 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

The Sydney Taylor Shmooze is a mock award blog created in Spring 2020 by Susan Kusel, Chava Pinchuck, and me, in order to encourage discussion of Jewish children's and teen literature eligible for the Sydney Taylor Book Award. In this podcast episode, Susan and Chava join me to talk about how it's going and about how YOU can vote for the mock awards. We also get some advice from other mock award bloggers from Calling Caldecott, Guessing Geisel, and Heavy Medal.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-puppy-test.html for full show notes. Or look for "The Puppy Test" posted December 17, 2021 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

In December 2020, the world received a wondrous Hanukkah gift: Daveed Diggs’ “Puppy for Hanukkah” video. I see Puppy for Hanukkah as an excellent model for creating terrific Jewish children’s literature!

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/12/theodore-bikels-city-of-light.html for full show notes. Or look for "Theodore Bikel's City of Light" posted December 6, 2020 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

Theodor Bikel, of blessed memory, was an Austrian-American actor, folk singer, musician, composer, unionist and political activist.

Journalist Aimee Ginsburg Bikel is the wife of the late Theodore Bikel, and she brought to life Theo's story, City of Light.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/11/anya-and-dragon.html for full show notes, or look for "Anya and the Dragon" posted November 8, 2020 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

Anya and the Dragon is Sofiya Pasternak's debut, a middle grade Jewish historical fantasy novel. It was recognized by a 2020 Sydney Taylor Honor Award. It will be joined on November 10, 2020 by a sequel, Anya and the Nightingale. Join me for a fascinating conversation with Sofiya about the history behind the fantasy.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-mitzvah-of-voting-part-3.html for full show notes, or look for "The Mitzvah of Voting, Part 3" posted October 13, 2020 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

Welcome to the third and final entry in our series, The Mitzvah of Voting. It's October 2020 your favorite Jewish kidlit authors want all eligible US citizens to vote in the upcoming Presidential election, and listeners around the world to vote in their own local elections. My author guests will be sharing why they vote and they'll give you some recommendations for ways to keep democracy healthy. This time, we will leave you with some musical inspiration to carry you through Election Day.

Once again, I want to remind you that, as always, the views expressed on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of our host organization, Congregation B'nai Israel of Boca Raton, Florida. One of today's guests, Sarah Aroeste, is not only an author, she's also a singer songwriter who performs in Ladino, the Judeo-Spanish dialect that became the tongue of Spanish Jews after their expulsion from Spain in 1492. I'm excited to tell you that Sarah is sharing a full song with us today, the title song from her album Gracia. The word GRACIA means THANKS and GRACE but it's also a tribute to the medieval Sephardic heroine, Doña Gracia Nasi who lived in the 1500s and saved hundreds of Jews from the Inquisition. The main idea of the song is that activists of the past inspire us to activism in our own time. See the lyrics below.

Guest authors include:

Gail Carson Levine, author of Ella Enchanted and A Ceiling Made of Eggshells
Lesléa Newman, author of Gittel's Journey: An Ellis Island Story
Evan Wolkenstein, author of Turtle Boy
Sue Macy, author of The Book Rescuer
Sarah Aroeste, author of Buen Shabat, Shabbat Shalom and singer/songwriter of Gracia

Resources mentioned by guests include:

The Matthew Shepard Foundation
SURJ: Standing Up for Racial Justice
Reclaim Our Vote
Doña Gracia Nasi

Read the English translation of Gracia at https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-mitzvah-of-voting-part-3.html.

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-mitzvah-of-voting-part-2.html for full show notes, or look for "The Mitzvah of Voting, Part 2" at BookofLifePodcast.com.

Welcome to Part 2 of our 3 part series, The Mitzvah of Voting. It's October 2020 your favorite Jewish kidlit authors want all eligible US citizens to vote in the upcoming Presidential election, and listeners around the world to vote in their own local elections! My author guests will be sharing why they vote and they'll give you some recommendations for ways to keep democracy healthy.

Guest authors include:

Elissa Brent Weissman, author of The Length of a String
Lee Wind, author of Queer as a $5 Bill and No Way, They Were Gay?
Barbara Bietz, author of Sweet Tamales for Purim
Jane Breskin Zalben, author of A Moon for Moe and Mo
Jacqueline Jules, author of The Generous Fish, Never Say a Mean Word Again, The Hardest Word
Anne-Marie Asner, author of the Matzah Ball Books series

Suggestions from guests in this episode:

Become a poll worker
Add your Representative and Senators to your cell phone and call regularly on issues you care about
Confirm your voter registration at Vote.org

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-mitzvah-of-voting-part-1.html for full show notes, or look for "The Mitzvah of Voting, Part 1" at BookofLifePodcast.com.

This episode is a call to action for U.S. citizens eligible to vote, and a reminder to listeners everywhere that voting is your superpower. If you are a U.S. citizen eligible to vote in the upcoming presidential election, please do so! For information about how to vote, visit https://www.vote.org/. In this special 3-part series, some of your favorite Jewish kidlit authors will be sharing why they vote and they'll give some recommendations for ways to keep our democracy healthy.

In each episode of The Book of Life, I ask guests to suggest a tikkun olam action, a way to help repair the world. This special series is MY tikkun olam action. Please help me inspire more people to vote by sharing this podcast as widely as you can, today.

By the way, you should always assume that the opinions expressed on The Book of Life podcast are not necessarily those of our host organization, Congregation B'nai Israel of Boca Raton, Florida, but because this episode is more political than most, I'll just remind you of that fact right now.

Guest authors include:

Marjorie Ingall, author of Mamaleh Knows Best
Linda Epstein, author of Repairing the World
Jeff Gottesfeld, author of No Steps Behind
Leslie Kimmelman, author of The Eight Knights of Hanukkah
Susan Kusel, author of The Passover Guest
Tziporah Cohen, author of No Vacancy

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-mitzvah-of-voting-part-1.html to get links to the resources named during this episode.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/10/pond-life-fish-out-of-water-turtle-boy.html for full show notes or look for "Pond Life - FISH Out of Water & TURTLE Boy" posted October 11, 2020 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

For this "Pond Life" episode, I paired the books Turtle Boy with Fish Out of Water, to highlight the similar themes I saw in both middle grade bar mitzvah novels. Wonderfully, authors Joanne Levy and Evan Wolkenstein really hit it off and they actually helped to interview each other!

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Honey on the Page: A Treasury of Yiddish Children's Literature, edited and translated by Miriam Udel, comes out from NYU Press on October 6, 2020. We didn't have the chance to do an audio interview but I did want you to know about this worthy book, so I interviewed Miriam by email. I hope you will enjoy reading all about Honey on the Page at https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/10/honey-on-page.html.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-place-at-table.html for full show notes, or look for "A Place at the Table" posted September 6, 2020 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

Muslim author Saadia Faruqui and Jewish author Laura Shovan joined me to talk about their jointly written middle grade contemporary novel, A Place at the Table. This is a book about immigration, about friendship, and it will make you hungry.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/08/video-episode-artist-patricia-portillo.html for full show notes, or look for "Video Episode: Artist Patricia Portillo" posted August 25, 2020 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

Multi-talented mensch Patricia Portillo is an artist who works with fiber, clay, and other materials. She is also a voice artist and professional opera singer, and she dabbles in the culinary arts. She rendered The Book of Life's dancing man logo as a crocheted doll so we are interviewing her to learn more about her crafting abilities.

Today's episode is available as a video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJrTjZeQFNY&feature=youtu.be

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/08/no-vacancy.html for full show notes, or look for "No Vacancy" posted August 9, 2020 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

No Vacancy is Tziporah Cohen's debut middle grade novel. It's a story of friendship across boundaries, the importance of community as a bulwark against prejudice... and a Virgin Mary sighting.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-bubbes-and-zaides.html for full show notes, or look for "The Bubbes and the Zaides" posted July 19, 2020 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

We hear from David Raphael, co-founder of the Jewish Grandparents Network, and we enjoy the audiobook Bubbe & Zaide, written and voiced by Anne-Marie Asner along with the famous actor Ed Asner as Zaide. For links to more resources, including our guests' Boosting Black Voices reading recommendations, visit https://bookoflifepodcast.com.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Please visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/06/through-window-lee-wind.html for extensive show notes with lots of great links, or look for "Through the Window: Lee Wind" posted June 28, 2020 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

Lee Wind is the author of Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill and blogs at I'm Here, I'm Queer, What the Hell Do I Read? He is Heidi's partner in the Through the Window diversity exchange program sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/05/a-ceiling-made-of-eggshells.html for full show notes, or look for "A Ceiling Made of Eggshells" posted May 17, 2020 at BookofLifePodcast.com.

Gail Carson Levine is the author of more than 20 book for young readers and adult writers, including the Newbery Honor book Ella Enchanted, which was made into a major motion picture. Her new middle grade book A Ceiling Made of Eggshells is a historical novel about a Jewish family during the Spanish Inquisition, based on Gail's own family history.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/04/parenting-on-prayer-books-in-time-of.html for full show notes.

Author Amy Grossblatt Pessah discusses her guide Parenting on a Prayer: Ancient Jewish Secrets for Raising Modern Children on the "Books in the Time of Coronavirus" series on The Book of Life.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/04/gluskin-family-history-strategies-and.html for full show notes.

David B. Levy shares his family genealogical work Gluskin Family History, published through Lulu on "Books in the Time of Coronavirus," a special series from The Book of Life. This is volume 7 in his series of ten books on librarianship and Jewish topics.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/04/beyond-ghetto-gates-books-in-time-of.html for full show notes.

Michelle Cameron shares her adult historical novel, Beyond the Ghetto Gates, published by She Writes Press on the Books in the Time of Coronavirus special series on The Book of Life Podcast.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/04/all-horrors-of-war-books-in-time-of.html for full show notes.

Bernice Lerner shares her family history, All the Horrors of War: A Jewish Girl, A British Doctor, and the Liberation of Bergen-Belsen, published by Johns Hopkins University Press on "Books in the Time of Coronavirus" special series on The Book of Life, www.bookoflifepodcast.com. Plus a shout-out to Dianne Siekmann for becoming a Book of Life supporter on https://www.patreon.com/bookoflife.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/04/birthright-books-in-time-of-coronavirus.html for full show notes.

Erika Dreifus shares her poetry collection Birthright, published by Kelsay Books on the Books in the Time of Coronavirus special series from The Book of Life.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/04/hebrew-roots-jewish-routes-books-in.html for full show notes.

Jeremy Benstein shares his nonfiction adult book Hebrew Roots, Jewish Routes: A Tribal Language in a Global World, published by Behrman House, on the Books in the Time of Coronavirus special series from The Book of Life.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/04/you-are-not-what-we-expected-books-in.html for full show notes.

Sidura Ludwig shares her adult short story collection, You Are Not What We Expected, from House of Anansi Press on the Books in the Time of Coronavirus special series on The Book of Life.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/04/welcoming-elijah-books-in-time-of.html for full show notes.

Lesléa Newman shares her picture book Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail from Charlesbridge on the "Books in the Time of Coronavirus" special series on The Book of Life Podcast.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/03/worse-and-worse-on-noahs-ark-books-in.html for full show notes.

Leslie Kimmelman shares her picture book Worse and Worse on Noah's Ark from Apples & Honey Press on the "Books in the Time of Coronavirus" special series on The Book of Life.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/03/no-entry-books-in-time-of-coronavirus.html for full show notes.

The first episode in this special series features Gila Green, author of No Entry, a novel for youth about elephant poaching in South Africa, starring a Jewish eco-heroine, on "Books in the Time of Coronavirus" is a special series on The Book of Life.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/03/family-meeting.html for full show notes.

This Book of Life "Family Meeting" will fill you in on lots of information about the show that you may have been missing, as well as other Jewish kidlit-related projects that host Heidi wants you to know about. Be sure to follow all the links at https://bookoflifepodcast.com to get the full details.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/02/no-steps-behind.html for full show notes.

No Steps Behind: Beate Sirota Gordon's Battle for Women's Rights in Japan by Jeff Gottesfeld, illustrated by Shiella Witanto, is a picture book biography about a Russian-Austrian-Jewish woman who grew up in Japan and became an architect of the country's post-WWII constitution, enshrining it with more women's rights than are in the US constitution. The author shares with us this fascinating slice of history.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Visit https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-2020-sydney-taylor-book-awards.html for extensive show notes.

The Sydney Taylor Book Award recognizes the best in Jewish children's and teen literature each year. I spoke with committee chair Rebecca Levitan to learn about the 2020 winners.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2020/01/a-bisl-yiddish-bikher-fur-kinder.html

This virtual panel on Yiddish-related kidlit includes Sue Macy, author of The Book Rescuer, Debbie Levy, author of Yiddish Saves the Day, and Valerie Estelle Frankel, author of Chelm for the Holidays.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/12/world-premiere-hanukkah-with-noshy-boy.html

ANNOUNCING: The World Premiere of the audiobook version of Hanukkah with Noshy Boy & Friends by Anne-Marie Asner, voiced by Anne-Marie Asner and Ed Asner (yes, that Ed Asner!), on The Book of Life Podcast! Plus, we've got an interview with Anne-Marie about the story's creation.

Noshy Boy, Schmutzy Girl, Kvetchy Boy, and their other friends are characters in a series from Matzah Ball Books, which shares Yiddish terminology and culture with young children through humor.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-field-guide-to-jewish-kidlit.html

On The Book of Life, we talk a lot about Jewish kidlit. But where do you go to find Jewish children's books? In this episode, Marjorie Ingall joins me to talk about how to discover and how to access the best Jewish kidlit. Marjorie is a columnist at Tablet Magazine and is well-known for her year-end "best of Jewish kidlit" lists, and she's the author of Mamaleh Knows Best: What Jewish Mothers Do to Raise Successful, Creative, Empathetic, Independent Children, which was featured on The Book of Life in April 2017.

Visit www.bookoflifepodcast.com for the looong list of links to the resources and titles mentioned in this episode.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-100-most-jewish-foods.html

The 100 Most Jewish Foods, a Highly Debatable List, started as a fun interactive feature on the website of Tablet Magazine, and then grew up to be a book. We've got an interview for you with the book's editor, Alana Newhouse, by The Book of Life's Canadian Correspondent, Anne Dublin. B'tay avon...good appetite!

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/11/honeycake-magazine.html

Honeycake Magazine is a new Jewish magazine for kids ages 2 to 6. Creator Anna Caplan guest posted on The Book of Life about the magazine in May 2019. Now here's our podcast interview, in which I spoke to Anna about her inspiration for Honeycake and her plans for its future.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/10/nancy-churnin-biography-queen.html

We are in a golden age of picture book biographies, and one prolific biographer is Nancy Churnin. She's got half a dozen bios out and more on the way, and each one is inspiring in its own way.

Nancy attended the 2019 Association of Jewish Libraries conference to take part in the author luncheon, where she represented her Jewish interest books, Irving Berlin: The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing, and Martin & Anne: The Kindred Spirits of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Anne Frank. I was happy to snag this live interview with her during the conference.

Be sure to explore https://www.nancychurnin.com/ for the teacher guides and projects she describes in our interview, as well as her blog The Kids Are All Write, https://www.nancychurnin.com/thekidsareallwrite.

When asked for Tikkun Olam recommendations, Nancy suggested supporting Room to Read, https://www.roomtoread.org/ a nonprofit that seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in low-income communities by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/09/bonus-episode-superfight.html

In May 2019 I posted an interview with Jonathan Auxier, the author of Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster. In our interview we talked about the book, of course, but we also talked about our favorite board games. I met Jonathan at the 2019 Association of Jewish Libraries conference where he'd come to accept his Sydney Taylor Book Award, and we got to play one of those games together along with a roomful of other authors, illustrators, and librarians.

Here's your chance to listen in as we play a round of Superfight: A Game of Absurd Arguments. First we'll hear the description of the game from Jonathan's May 2019 appearance on The Book of Life podcast. Then we'll hear a clip of me versus Jonathan Auxier in actual gameplay.

Just so you know, the game was ultimately won by illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky, who was at the conference to receive the Sydney Taylor Book Award for All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah. His Superfight character was Gal Gadot (because he drew the card letting him pick a favorite actor), who was unaffected by impact, but who had no depth perception. He won a badminton challenge against a tween werewolf with jellyfish instead of hands. That's Superfight for you!

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-book-of-life-live-show.html

At the 2019 Association of Jewish Libraries conference in Los Angeles, California, we recorded a Book of Life live show. My guests were Joni Sussman of KarBen Publishing, and author/illustrator/musician Barney Saltzberg. We discussed picture book illustration while recording our conversation in front of a live audience of Judaica librarians.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/08/sister-religionsister-kidlit.html

Sadaf Siddique and Gauri Manglick are the co-creators of Kitaab World, a website that promotes South Asian children's books. Within their website, they created a campaign called Counter Islamophobia Through Stories, (similar to the Love Your Neighbor campaign that I worked on to help bring Jewish books to ALL readers), and they even turned their campaign into a book called Muslims in Story.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/08/notes-from-young-reader.html

Young Aria is a voracious reader. In this interview, she shares a few of her favorite titles:

All Kinds of Strong by Sharon Reiss Baker
Zishe the Strongman by Robert Rubinstein
Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel
Gittel's Journey: An Ellis Island Story by Lesléa Newman
The Harriet Hamsterbone series

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/07/a-cage-without-bars.html

Anne Dublin is a Toronto-based author and retired synagogue librarian. She is the Canadian Correspondent for The Book of Life Podcast, performing many of our interviews with Canadian creatives. She's also the author of A Cage Without Bars, a historical middle grade novel that tells the little-known tale of Jewish children kidnapped after the expulsion from Spain and enslaved on the island of São Tomé, off the coast of West Africa.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/06/simple-acts-busy-familys-guide-to.html

Natalie Silverstein is the New York volunteer coordinator of Doing Good Together, an organization that empowers families to raise caring, engaged children. She wrote Simple Acts: The Busy Family's Guide to Giving Back to give parents practical ideas for incorporating service and the spirit of giving into family life.

The podcast Kidlit These Days honors Jewish American Heritage Month by interviewing friend-of-The-Book-of-Life Lesléa Newman, and by including Jewish kidlit reading recommendations from yours truly, Heidi Rabinowitz. Listen at https://bookriot.com/listen/honoring-jewish-american-heritage/

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/05/craig-taubman-mostly-kosher.html

Craig Taubman is a long-time star in the world of American Jewish rock and roll, and the founder of the Pico Union Project.

Mostly Kosher is an up and coming Gypsy Rock Klezmer band whose tagline is “word to your bubbe.”

In spring 2019, Craig Taubman brought along Mostly Kosher and together they put on a foot-stomping concert at Congregation B’nai Israel, the home of The Book of Life podcast. That gave me the chance to grab this interview, and even to include the voice of our cantor’s daughter Aria. Here’s your chance to be a fly on the wall in the green room before the show.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/05/sweep-story-of-girl-and-her-monster.html

May 1 is May Day, the chimney sweeps’ holiday. It’s the perfect day to bring you a podcast about Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier. The book introduces us to Nan, a chimney climber, and her golem friend Charlie, a creature made of soot. This middle grade novel won the 2019 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Jewish children’s books, along with numerous other literary awards. In this lush, dense interview, Jonathan gives us much to think about!

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-length-of-string.html

The Length of a String won a 2019 Sydney Taylor Honor Award in the Older Readers Category. It's a middle grade novel about Imani, an adopted black Jewish girl who wants to learn about her birth parents. When she inherits a Holocaust-era diary from her Jewish great-grandmother, she begins to see family in a whole new way. I spoke to author Elissa Brent Weissman by Skype.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

www.bookoflifepodcast.com

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-kosher-baker.html

Paula Shoyer is known as The Kosher Baker. I met her at Limmud, a one day conference of Jewish learning on a wide variety of topics, held in December 2018 in Boca Raton, Florida. Paula was there to present two sessions: "Are Your Jewish Holiday Meals Dangerous?" and "Jewish Cookbooks Tell Our Stories." We sat down between sessions in the breezy courtyard for this interview.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Craig Taubman is coming to Congregation B'nai Israel in Boca Raton! If you will be in South Florida, don't miss this show! Call 561-241-8118 for tickets or BUY TICKETS HERE.

Listen to a special message from Craig now, and keep an eye on The Book of Life for an upcoming full-length interview!

bookoflifepodcast.com

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/03/fanias-heart-birthday-card-in-auschwitz.html

The Book of Life’s Canadian Correspondent Anne Dublin spoke to author Anne Renaud after she won the 2018 Canadian Jewish Literary Award for Fania’s Heart, a Holocaust picture book for older readers. It’s the true story of a heart-shaped birthday card created in Auschwitz at great personal risk by women prisoners, from scraps of fabric, stolen materials, and glue made out of bread and water, for the 20th birthday of fellow prisoner Fania Landau Fainer. The real heart is now in the Montreal Holocaust Museum, and it’s one of the few surviving objects created by prisoners of Auschwitz. Be sure to check out this documentary, that was the inspiration for Renaud to write this book: https://vimeo.com/channels/348350

For a book about Fania, aimed at teen readers, see Paper Hearts by Meg Wiviott.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

bookoflifepodcast.com

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/02/meet-me-at-well.html

Before I moved from Massachusetts back to Florida, I visited with Jane Yolen and Barbara Diamond Goldin to talk about their joint book of original feminist midrash, Meet Me at the Well: The Girls and Women of the Bible. We sat down in Jane’s sunny kitchen and they just let it all pour out; I hardly needed to ask any questions!

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-2019-sydney-taylor-book-manuscript.html

Susan Kusel is the chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee of the Association of Jewish Libraries. She joined us by Skype from her home in Falls Church, VA. to talk about the 2019 winners of the award (and so did her dog Harry).

This year's Sydney Taylor Book Awards are being announced at the ALA Youth Media Awards press conference in Seattle, WA during the ALA Midwinter Meeting on January 28, 2019 at 8am PT.

Here's the official Sydney Taylor Book Award announcement with the full list of winners, honors, and notable books: https://jewishlibraries.org/sydney_taylor_book_award/

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2019/01/beyond-holocaust-and-holidays-writing.html

"Beyond the Holocaust and Holidays: Who Are We and What Are We Writing?" is a symposium for Jewish children's literature, welcoming novelists and publishing professionals to Honesdale, PA, March 15-18, 2019. A stellar faculty will lead discussions on issues both practical and philosophical. For this episode of The Book of Life, we've gathered four of those faculty members for our own discussion: Adam Gidwitz, Susan Kusel, Katherine Locke, and Rena Rossner.

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

Hillary Saxton is a children's librarian at the Cambridge (Massachusetts) Public Library, and the creator of the event series "Stand Up! Storytime for Social Justice." She was originally scheduled to participate in the "Social Justice and Jewish Children's Books" panel at the Association of Jewish Libraries conference, featured on The Book of Life in August 2018. She was sick and couldn't make it, so I caught up with her later by Skype.

Find the titles used in the 2017-18 Stand Up storytimes at the Cambridge Public Library's collection of booklists here. And please share your own favorite social justice titles in the comments here at The Book of Life.

Speaking of social justice, check out the Association of Jewish Libraries' series of "Love Your Neighbor" booklists, created to provide all children and their families with a greater understanding of the Jewish religion and its people.

Remember All-of-a-Kind Family? It's the classic chapter book by Sydney Taylor, of five sisters living on the Lower East Side in the early 20th century. Now Emily Jenkins and Paul O. Zelinsky have created an original picture book based on those same characters, All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah. Illustrator Zelinsky attended the 2018 Association of Jewish Libraries conference where he gave us a sneak peek at his artistic process, as you can see in the photo above. I snagged his email address and arranged a conference call with him and author Emily Jenkins, and that's what you'll hear on this podcast.

HANUKKAH TREATS FOR YOU:

Buzzfeed Quiz: Which All-of-a-Kind Family Sibling Are You?
Emily Jenkins' latke recipe
Coloring pages based on Paul Zelinsky's art
Teaching Guide for All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah

Jane Breskin Zalben is an artist/illustrator and the author of over 50 books for children. Her recent picture book, A Moon for Moe and Mo, was featured in the Missing Voice picture book discussion group on Facebook in September 2018. The Missing Voice group was created by another author, Lisa Rose, to bring books about under-represented populations into the limelight. You may be familiar with Lisa's book, Shmulik Paints the Town. I spoke with Jane and Lisa by conference call, in the week following the anti-Semitic attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, because I felt it was the right time to talk about stories that model friendships between Jews and non-Jews, and to encourage people to read more books that offer windows into different cultures.

During that same week, I worked with a bunch of my favorite women, my posse of snarky Jewish kidlit nerds from across the world, to create a book list addressing anti-Semitism. We crafted a list of picture books and chapter books on the theme of "standing up for each other." It's the first in the Love Your Neighbor series of book lists published by the Association of Jewish Libraries. There's a great article at Tablet Magazine about the creation of the book list series. Please use and share the Love Your Neighbor book lists as widely as you can!

bookoflifepodcast.com

At the 2018 Association of Jewish Libraries conference, I bumped into author Jacqueline Jules. She's been on the podcast before in 2014 to talk about Never Say a Mean Word Again. Her new picture book is Light the Menorah: A Hanukkah Handbook, which offers meditations for candle lighting. We grabbed a quick interview after lunch in the busy dining hall, so you will have a "you are there" experience listening to our conversation about this wonderful new holiday book!

https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2018/11/light-menorah-hanukkah-handbook.html

The Girl with the Red Balloon is a magical time travel, historical fiction, kind-of-sort-of Holocaust book that won a Sydney Taylor Honor in the Teen Readers Category for 2018. I met the author, Katherine Locke, at the Association of Jewish Libraries conference in Boston, where we snuck into a side room to talk – please excuse the faint hubbub coming from outside. We discussed not only Katherine’s book, but also her article on Medium.com, “Thinking about Jewish Children’s Literature in a Time of anti-Semitism.”

Before I moved back to Florida from Massachusetts, my friend Barbara Bietz, author of The Sundown Kid: A Southwestern Shabbat, came to Amherst, MA for a workshop about Jewish kidlit. We got together while she was in town and recorded our conversation for you.

American Golem by Marc Lumer is a very funny picture book about a mud monster making a new life for itself in New York City. Vicki Weber of Apples & Honey Press told me all about it at the Association of Jewish Libraries conference in Boston in June 2018, and I was very flattered that she also asked for my advice about marketing the book. If YOU have any ideas for Vicki, give us a call or leave a comment at bookoflifepodcast.com.

In June 2018, Book of Life Host Heidi Rabinowitz participated on a panel with author Leslea Newman and Horn Book editors Elissa Gershowitz and Shoshana Flax, at the Association of Jewish Libraries annual conference in Boston. The topic was “Social Justice and Jewish Children’s Books.” Here’s your chance to be a fly on the wall. Share your thoughts on the subject at bookoflifepodcast.com.

www.bookoflifepodcast.com

Susan Kusel is the chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee of the Association of Jewish Libraries. She joined us by Skype from her home in Falls Church, VA. to talk about the 2018 winners of the award.

Here's the official Sydney Taylor Book Award announcement with the full list of winners, honors, and notable books: click here.

The Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour will take place February 4-8, 2018. For details, click here.

The Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award was mentioned in the interview: click here.

The National Jewish Book Award winners from the Jewish Book Council have also been announced! To see their winners, click here.

The winners of the 2018 Sydney Taylor Book Awards for the best in Jewish children's and teen literature will be announced on January 10, 2018. Chair Susan Kusel gave The Book of Life an exclusive interview that will be posted on that date. In the meantime, here is her dedication to the hardworking awards committee.

As The Book of Life goes on hiatus, we wrap up twelve years of programming with a Grand Finale. We hear from listeners and guests about their favorite interviews, and play clips from those episodes.

www.bookoflifepodcast.com

Group interview with Jessica Deutsch, creator of The Illustrated Pirkei Avot: A Graphic Novel of Jewish Ethics, and with Lois Shenker and Rabbi Eve Posen, co-authors of Pirkei Imahot: The Wisdom of Mothers, the Voices of Women.

bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Linda Kass, author of Tasa's Song, plus the music inspired by the book, composed by Charles Weatherbee and performed by the Carpe Diem String Quartet.

Interviews with Lisa Newman, Communications Director, and Christa Whitney, director of the Wexler Oral History Project, both at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA.

An interview with Abigail Pogrebin about her book chronicling her exploration of all 18 Jewish holidays in one year.

bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with author Rich Michelson about The Language of Angels: a Story about the Reinvention of Hebrew.

bookoflifepodcast.com

Vicki Weber of Behrman House tells us all about the past, present, and future of the 96 year old publisher of Jewish educational materials, just in time for back-to-school.

bookoflifepodcast.com

The Last Shepherd (Evil Sun Productions) is a Hebrew-language indie comedy adventure scifi fantasy film with elements of Jewish mysticism and kabbalah. Several of the film's creators Skyped with The Book of Life.

bookoflifepodcast.com

Yaffa and Fatima, Shalom Salaam by Fawzia Gilani-Williams is the picture book we all need right now. It depicts a loving friendship between two women, one Jewish, one Muslim.

bookoflifepodcast.com

Author Tammar Stein tells us about her middle grade novel, The Six-Day Hero, about the Six-Day War in Israel, 1967. bookoflifepodcast.com

PJ Our Way is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation that offers free chapter books to Jewish families with middle grade readers. I spoke to director Catriella Freedman to learn how it works.

bookoflifepodcast.com

A joint interview with author Lori S. Kline and publisher Debra L. Winegarten about the picture book Almost a Minyan, a traditional yet groundbreaking coming-of-age story.

bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Marjorie Ingall about her parenting guide Mamaleh Knows Best: What Jewish Mothers Do to Raise Successful, Creative, Empathetic, Independent Children. bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with author Keith Fentonmiller about his weird and wonderful Jewish novel Kasper Mutzenmacher's Cursed Hat. Remember to donate to Patreon.com/bookoflife to get an autographed copy of Serendipity's Footsteps! bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Suzanne Nelson about her shoe-related Jewish award winning YA novel. Donate to Patreon.com/bookoflife to get an autographed copy! bookoflifepodcast.com

Rabbi Moshe Rosenberg tells us about his creation of a Harry Potter themed Haggadah for Passover. bookoflifepodcast.com

An invitation to join the How Is This Night Different? call-in project and an interview with Call Me Ishmael co-founder Steph Kent, one of the project sponsors. Check bookoflifepodcast.com for details.

Info on projects in which you might want to participate! Read4Refugees fundraiser through 3/31/17, Call Me Ishmael 3/27-4/4/17, apply for the TENT Jewish kidlit retreat by 4/24/17. Listen to the show for details. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Meira Drazin, author of the 2016 Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award winner, Honey and Me. Also, call in to leave your story for "How Is This Book Different?" - details at bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with the hosts of the Unorthodox podcast from Tablet Magazine, after their live show in West Palm Beach. Plus, an invitation to share your favorite story with Call Me Ishmael. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

The Book of Life's Canadian Correspondent Anne Dublin interviews author Eva Wiseman about her historical/paranormal romance, Another Me. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

A talk given by Leslie Kimmelman, author of the picture book Everybody Says Shalom, at the 2016 AJL conference. bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Adam Gidwitz, Sydney Taylor Book Award winning author of The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Ellen Tillman, chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, which chooses the best Jewish books for children and teens each year.

Adam & Thomas by Aharon Appelfeld won the 2016 Sydney Taylor Book Award. We hear about meeting Aharon, and translator Jeffrey Green speaks about the book. bookoflifepodcast.com

Author Warren Adler talks about his short story collection, The Sunset Gang. www.bookoflifepodc ast.com

An interview with storyteller Joel Ben Izzy, author of Dreidels on the Brain. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Leslea Newman, author of award-winning picture book Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed, and the poetry book I Carry My Mother. bookoflifepodcast. com

An interview with Debbie Levy, author of the picture book biography I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

Interview with Ahmed Drame, star and co-writer of the French film Once in a Lifetime (Les Heritiers). www.bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Rich Michelson, biographer and friend of Jewish actor Leonard "Mr. Spock" Nimoy. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Eddie Estrin about his spoken word album, The Golem. bookoflifepodcast.com

A critique of the picture book Shmelf the Hanukkah Elf by Greg Wolfe, with Rachel Kamin and Kathy Bloomfield.

Laura Amy Schlitz, award winning author of The Hired Girl, speaking at the Association of Jewish Libraries conference where she accepted the Sydney Taylor Book Award. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with TK Thorne, author of Biblical novels Noah's Wife and Angels at the Gate. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

A conversation with Sara Ivry, host of the Jewish podcast Vox Tablet from Tablet Magazine. Be sure to check the show notes for links to all the podcasts discussed. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Angela Cerrito, author of The Safest Lie, a Holocaust novel inspired by the work of Irena Sendler. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Susan Krawitz, author of Viva Rose! bookoflifepodcast.com

Interview with April Halprin Wayland about her Passover picture book, More Than Enough.

Interview with Santiago Cohen about his quirky picture book, The Yiddish Fish. bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with author Laura Gehl about her picture book, Hare and Tortoise Race Across Israel. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

A group interview with the author, illustrator, and editor of the picture book, My Grandfather's Coat, with a bonus track!

A virtual panel discussion about the abundance of Holocaust titles for kids, and alternative reading suggestions. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

How to join the 2015 #Readukkah Jewish Reading Challenge, and an interview with Rabbi Goldie Milgrim about Mitzvah Cards and more. bookoflifepodcast.com

How to join the 2015 #Readukkah Jewish Reading Challenge, and an interview with Rabbi Goldie Milgrim about Mitzvah Cards and more. bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Sue and Lloyd Ecker about their documentary and books on "The Outrageous Sophie Tucker." bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Maggie Anton about the second book in her Rav Hisda's Daughter series, Enchantress. bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with filmmaker Tiffany Shlain about The Science of Character, The Adaptable Mind, and The Making of a Mensch. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with poet/author Leslea Newman about her round-the-year Jewish holiday picture book, Here is the World, and her other Jewish and LGBT works. bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Ian Rosenberg, creator of a documentary film about the Catskills resort, Kutsher's.

An interview with filmmaker Ian Rosenberg about his Catskills resort documentary, Welcome to Kutsher's. bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with author Suri Rosen about her hip and funny Orthodox Jewish novel for teens, Playing with Matches. bookoflifepodcast.com

The Book of Life's Canadian Correspondent Anne Dublin interviews author Carol Matas. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Tova Mirvis, author of Visible City. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview from Book Expo 2014 with Sue William Silverman about her memoir, the Pat Boone Fan Club, My Life as a White Anglo-Saxon Jew. Since I've got a big backlog of episodes waiting to be published, I decided to publish the remaining four Book Expo episodes in one go; this is Part 4.

Interviews with Lerner Publishing, and Kar-Ben Publishing (a division of Lerner) about their new Jewish books, at Book Expo 2014.Since I've got a big backlog of episodes waiting to be published, I decided to publish the remaining four Book Expo episodes in one go; this is Part 3.

An interview from Book Expo 2014 with Eva Wiseman, author of The World Outside. Since I've got a big backlog of episodes waiting to be published, I decided to publish the remaining four Book Expo episodes in one go; this is Part 2.

Interviews from Book Expo America 2014 with Holiday House and Second Story Press, two mainstream presses that strongly support jewish publishing. Since I've got a big backlog of episodes waiting to be published, I decided to publish the remaining four Book Expo episodes in one go; this is Part 1.

Sylvia Rouss, Mira Reisberg, Joni Sussman and Ann Stampler spoke at the 2014 Association of Jewish Libraries conference on a panel responding to the Pew study "A Portrait of Jewish Americans" - and it all boils down to diversity.

An interview with Laurel Snyder and Catia Chen, author and illustrator of The Longest Night, an award-winning picture book that retells the story of the Exodus from a child's point of view.

An interview with Donna Jo Napoli about her novel STORM, which takes place on Noah's Ark. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with author Neal Bascomb about The Nazi Hunters, which won the 2014 Sydney Taylor Book Award.

Interviews with authors Helaine Becker and Yael Zoldan, from the Seminar on Jewish Story 2014.

Interviews about new Jewish titles with Charlesbridge, Image Comics, and Dundurn at Book Expo 2014.

Interview from Book Expo 2014 with Jacqueline Jules and Durga Yael Bernhardt, author and illustrator of the picture book Never Say a Mean Word Again. A powerful story of conflict resolution.

An interview with author Sally Wiener Grotta about her novel Jo Joe.

An interview with Judy Petsonk about her historical novel, Queen of the Jews, based on the life of Queen Salome Alexandra. bookoflifepodcast.com

Author Debra Winegarten and oral historian Josh Parshall talk about the Jewish experience of living in Texas. bookoflifepodcast.com

Karen Propp discusses her work in progress, a story of Jewish female swimming champs in Europe during WWII. The unpublished work won the 2013 Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award. bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with conference organizer Barbara Krasner about the Seminar on Jewish Story taking place May 18, 2014 in NYC.

An interview with Jewish Comix Anthology editor Steven Bergson.

An interview with Louise Borden, author of His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg, winner of the 2013 Sydney Taylor Book Award. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with author Linda Glaser and illustrator Adam Gustavson, creators of picture book Hannah's Way which won the 2013 Sydney Taylor Book Award. bookoflifepodcast.com

The Book of Life's Canadian Correspondent, Anne Dublin, interviews author Sharon McKay, winner of the Canadian Jewish Book Award. bookoflifepodcast.com

A conversation with Laurel Snyder, author and outside-the-box thinker in the world of Jewish kidlit.

An interview with Maggie Anton, author of Rav Hisda's Daughter. bookoflifepodcast.com

Interview with Deborah Heiligman, author of the teen novel INTENTIONS, which won the 2013 Sydney Taylor Book Award. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

The Albert Whitman Company comes out with a Jewish picture book or two almost every year. Here's a show-floor interview with Marketing Director Michelle Bayuk from ALA 2012 about two of their recent Jewish-interest picture books: The Wooden Sword: A Jewish folktale from Afghanistan by Ann Redisch Stampler, and Happy Birthday, Tree: A Tu B'shevat Story by Madelyn Rosenberg. bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Sheri Sinykin, author of Zayde Comes to Live. bookoflifepodcast.com

Introducing the hilarious Shabbat picture book, The Schmutzy Family by Madelyn Rosenberg! bookoflifepodcast.com

Interview with Eugene Yelchin, author/illustrator of Breaking Stalin's Nose, a Newbery Honor book. bookoflifepodcast.com

Interview with Emily Bergman, member of the Sophie Brody Award committee. The award is presented for Jewish literature by RUSA, an arm of ALA. bookoflifepodcast.com

Filmmaker Roberta Grossman offered a work-in-progress screening of her documentary on Hava Nagila at the Association of Jewish Libraries 2012 conference. Here we have her introductory remarks and the Q&A that followed the screening. bookoflifepodcast.com

The Book of Life's Canadian correspondent, Anne Dublin, interviews author Kathy Kacer about the compilation of children's responses to the Holocaust entitled We Are Their Voice. bookoflifepodcast.com

A chat with Aimee Lurie, chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, about the 2013 winners, the best Jewish children's and teen books of the year.

McFarland Publishing offers a wide selection of Jewish titles. A show-floor interview from ALA. bookoflifepodcast.com

A joint interview with Susan Goldman Rubin (Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein) and Rob Sharenow (The Berlin Boxing Club), winners of the 2012 Sydney Taylor Book Award. bookoflifepodcast.com

The Book of Life's Canadian correspondant, Anne Dublin, speaks live with author Lesley Simpson before the Ashkenaz Festival in Toronto. bookoflifepodcast.com

Interview with Betsy Rosenthal, author of Looking For Me in this Great Big Family. bookoflifepodcast.com

A live interview with Dr. Reuven Firestone, recorded at the 2012 Association of Jewish Libraries conference. Please see show notes at bookoflifepodcast.com for links to more information about this guest and his work.

An interview with Marc Tyler Nobleman, author of Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman, and other untold stories about underdog heroes. bookoflifepodcast.com

Co-authors Debby Waldman and Rita Feutl interview each other about their picture book, Room Enough for Daisy. bookoflifepodcast.com

The Book of Life's Canadian Correspondent Anne Dublin interviews author and filmmaker David Bezmozgis about his development as a writer and his new novel The Free World. After this December 2011 episode, The Book of Life moves from a monthly schedule to an occasional schedule. bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Ruchel Louis, author of Pulani: A Memoir of Growing Up in Apartheid South Africa. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with blogger Barbara Krasner, who is sponsoring the "Write Your Own Megillah "project to encourage Jewish children's writers a la NaNoWriMo, during Jewish Book Month. bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Sarah Darer Littman about her teen novel Life, After, which was a 2011 Sydney Taylor Honor Book for teens. Sarah was a guest on the show in 2006 when her debut novel Confessions of a Closet Catholic won the Sydney Taylor Book Award.

An interview with Joan Leegant, author of Wherever You Go.

Author Ann Koffsky talks about her newest picture book, Noah's Swim-a-thon, about lifeguarding at camp, and about the nutty things adults say to get kids to put their faces in the water. bookoflifepodcast.com

A double dip of interviews with Rona Arato, author of Mrs. Kaputnik's Pool Hall & Matzo Ball Emporium, one by Heidi Estrin at Book Expo, and one by The Book of Life's Canadian Correspondent Anne Dublin, upon Rona's return to her home in Toronto.

Interview with Margarita Engle, winner of the 2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Teens for TROPICAL SECRETS: HOLOCAUST REFUGEES IN CUBA. bookoflifepodcast.com

Author Lesley Simpson interviews herself(!) about her picture book Yuvi's Candy Tree, a picture book on Ethiopian Jews fleeing to Israel. bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Ann Redisch Stampler, author of the Jewish folktale picture book The Rooster Prince of Breslov. Ann was a guest on the podcast in 2007 when she won the Sydney Taylor Honor Award for Shlemazel and the Remarkable Spoon of Pohost. The Rooster Prince of Breslov won the 2010 National Jewish Book Award and was named a Notable Book by the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee. bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Carol de Giere, author of Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz from Godspell to Wicked. bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Debbie Levy and her mother Jutta about The Year of Goodbyes: A True Story of Friendship, Family and Farewells, based on Jutta's poesiealbum from the 1940s. bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Barry Deutsch, author of the graphic novel Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword (Yet Another Troll-Fighting 11-Year-Old Orthodox Jewish Girl). bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Veronica Wulff, Director of Global Production at Sesame Workshop, about the newly revamped Shalom Sesame. bookoflifepodcast.com

The Book of Life's Canadian Correspondent Anne Dublin interviews winners of the 2010 Canadian Jewish Book Awards at the awards ceremony in Toronto.

Forthcoming books of from Judaic publishers discovered at Book Expo America 2010 in NYC! bookoflifepodcast.com

Recent and forthcoming children's and teen books of Jewish interest discovered at Book Expo America 2010 in NYC!

Forthcoming adult books of Jewish interest discovered at Book Expo America 2010 in NYC!

The Book of Life's Canadian Correspondant, Anne Dublin, interviews author Kathy Kacer. Kathy has written many Holocaust novels for young people, including recent award winner The Diary of Laura's Twin. bookoflifepodcast.com

When the Hurricane Came to New Orleans is a book you can't read yet, but worth waiting for. It's the winner of the 2009 Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award. In this podcast we hear from the Manuscript Award Committee Chair, Aileen Grossberg, and from the winning author, Nechama Liss Levinson.

Author Anna Levine discusses her YA novel Freefall and her picture book Jodie's Hanukkah Dig, both set in Israel.

Interview with Micol Ostow, author of So Punk Rock (And Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother)

Scribblers on the Roof is an online forum for Jewish fiction and poetry at jscribes.com. In this interview with founder Kelly Hartog, we get a virtual tour of the website. bookoflifepodcast.com

The Book of Life's Canadian Correspondent, Anne Dublin, attends the launch party for Save the Deli! by David Sax at Caplansky's Deli in Toronto. bookoflifepodcast.com

Awards Chair Kathe Pinchuck discusses the winners of the 2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Jewish children's and teen literature.

This is your chance to virtually attend the Jewish Children's Book Writers & Illustrators Conference at the 92nd St Y in NYC! Hear from organizer Barbara Krasner, editor Dianne Hess, and attending authors Bryna Fireside, Sandy Wasserman, and Eve Tal! bookoflifepodcast.com

An impromptu discussion among Heidi Estrin, Mark Blevis, Richard Michelson and Esme Raji Codell during a party at the Planet Esme Reading Room.

Alexa Clark was one of the many interesting people I met at Podcasters Across Borders 2009 who had book-related projects to share. I spoke with her about Mini Book Expo and Book Camp Toronto. bookoflifepodcast.com

Hugh McGuire is one of the interesting people I met at Podcasters Across Borders 2009. We spoke about his reading-related projects, LibriVox and Book Oven. bookoflifepodcast.com

A chat with Lisa Silverman of the Jewish Book Council about the authors going on tour this fall for Jewish Book Month. bookoflifepodcast.com

The Book of Life now has voicemail, courtesy of Google Voice. We're waiting to hear from you, at 561-206-2473.

Author Simone Elkeles and kidlit expert June Cummins discuss trends in Jewish YA chick lit. bookoflifepodcast.com

Connie Crosby was one of the very interesting people I met at Podcasters Across Borders. We talked about the session she gave on The Shanachies. bookoflifepodcast.com

Ann Gonzales, author of Running For My Life, talks about her mother's mental illness, her own PTSD, and her writing. Ann put in the winning bid for a Book of Life interview in the Bridget Zinn auction. bookoflifepodcast.com

When I first attempted to post this interview, the audio got cut off halfway through. Here, with my apologies, is the full episode. Jacqueline Dembar Greene talks about the Jewish character she created for the American Girl series, and about her High Holidays picture book, The Secret Shofar of Barcelona. Happy New Year! Heidi Estrin bookoflifepodcast.com

An interview with Jacqueline Dembar Greene, author of the American Girl series on Rebecca Rubin, and the picture book The Secret Shofar of Barcelona. bookoflifepodcast.com

ForWords, Kathy Bloomfield's beloved Jewish book fair company, relaunches in a new format on 09/09/09! We've missed Kathy! Here she is to tell us about the new ForWords. bookoflifepodcast.com

When I uploaded my interview with April Halprin Wayland, author of New Year at the Pier, I didn't realize that the end of the interview had been cut off! Here is the complete interview, with my apologies (appropriate for a High Holidays epsiode, eh?). bookoflifepodcast.com

Author April Halperin Wayland talks about her Rosh Hashanah picture book, New Year at the Pier. bookoflifepodcast.com

Why be social? To add a Jewish point of view to the social media landscape! Blogger and podcaster Mark Blevis joins Heidi to talk about what it means to participate in life online. bookoflifepodcast.com

Why Be Social? To add a Jewish point of view to the social media landscape! Alx Block of the Jewish Publication Society weighs in with a list of Jewish-content blogs and podcasts. bookoflifepodcast.com

Why be social? To add a Jewish point of view to the social media landscape! Attendees at the Association of Jewish Libraries convention come up with their own definitions of "blog" and "podcast." bookoflifepodcast.com

Why Be Social? To add a Jewish point of view to the social media landscape! Part 1 in the Why Be Social series considers the philosophical aspects of technology in our lives, during a breakfast chat at the Association of Jewish Libraries 2009 convention. bookoflifepodcast.com

Interviews with publishers and authors, from the show floor at Book Expo America 2009. This episode highlights Jewish books for kids and teens. bookoflifepodcast.com

More interviews from Book Expo America 2009, this time with authors who've written Jewish books for adults. Plus, we find the Jewish angle on the National Book Award and the Books on the Nightstand blog and podcast. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

Interviews from the show floor at Book Expo America 2009. We ask publishers to tell us about their new Jewish interest books for adults. bookoflifepodcast.com

Mark Blevis, podcasting guru and kidlit fan, took a moment from running the Podcasters Across Borders conference to talk about his upcoming gig at the Association of Jewish Libraries convention, and about his podcast, Just One More Book.

Interviews from the show floor at Book Expo America 2009. In the spotlight: Jewish presses. bookoflifepodcast.com

Interview with Lily Koppel

The Book of Life recorded Lily Koppel, author of The Red Leather Diary, as she gave this talk at Aston Gardens Senior Living Center in Parkland, Florida in spring, 2009.

The Bridget Zinn Auction is a fundraiser for a fellow kidlit librarian/author who has cancer. The Book of Life has donated an audio interview to the auction. Please bid on all items at bridgetzinnauction.wordpress.com by May 31, 2009. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

The Book of Life's Canadian Correspondent, Anne Dublin, interviews Montreal musician Orit Shimoni of Little Birdie. bookoflifepodcast.com twitter.com/bookoflifepod bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com

The Facebook Haggadah swept the Internet in spring 2009. In this episode of The Book of Life we interview its creator, Carl Elkin, about the haggadah and about his other Facebook projects. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

The Book of Life podcast interviews Judy Blundell, author of What I Saw and How I Lied, winner of the National Book Award in the Young People's Literature category. bookoflifepodcast.com

Yankee at the Seder is a picture book is about a Yankee Jewish soldier who spends Passover with a Confederate Jewish family. It is historian Elka Weber's first book for children, and it's based on a kernal of true Civil War history.

Holocaust survivor and memoirist Aranka Siegal shares some of the memories on which her award-winning books are based. The Book of Life March 2009 www.bookoflifepodcast.com

Sonia Levitin, author of over 40 books for children and teens, has turned her award-winning 1987 novel The Return into a a musical stage play. RETURN chronicles an Ethiopian Jewish girl's walk to freedom in Israel via Operation Moses. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

We celebrate Black History Month, Jewish style, with the book As Good As Anybody: Martin Luther King Jr & Abraham Joshua Heschel's Amazing March Toward Freedom, and the CD Sing for Joy, music of the Abayudaya of Uganda.

A behind-the-scenes look at the Sydney Taylor Book Awards with awards committee chair Kathe Pinchuck.

Unsettled: The Problem of Loving Israel is Marc Aronson's rather unsettling new nonfiction book for teens. We spoke to him about the challenges of writing and reading nonfiction and about this book at the SLJ Leadership Summit in Hollywood Florida. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

The Book of Life celebrates Chanukah with Sylvia Rouss, author of the Sammy Spider series; Eric Kimmel, who now has audiobooks available on his website; Josh Nelson, a performer in the Lights TV special; and Rabbi Ilene Schneider, author of the mystery Chanukah Guilt.

Are you a member of the tribe? Which tribe? What is a tribe, anyway? We take a look at the Klezmer Company Orchestra's CD "Beyond the Tribes," the documentary film "The Tribe," and a book by photographer Rafael Goldchain, "I Am My Family." Links, as always, at www.bookoflifepodcast.com. Please send comments and questions to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com.

The Book of Life's Blog Action Day episode features Blog Action co-founder Cyan Ta'eed, and authors Aubrey Davis (Bagels from Benny) and Eric Kimmel (The Mysterious Guests), discussing themes of poverty and generosity. See blogactionday.org for info about this worldwide event. www.bookoflifepodcast.com bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com

Meet The Book of Life's new Canadian Correspondent, author & librarian Anne Dublin! Anne introduces us to her Toronto writers' group as they discuss the Jewish elements of their work. Check out Anne's website at annedublin.ca. www.bookoflifepodcast.com bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com

The Book of Life's 2008 High Holidays Special! We speak to Jacqueline Jules, author of the picture book Sarah Laughs, and to Rabbi Sherre Hirsch, author of the self-help book We Plan, God Laughs: 10 Steps to Finding Your Divine Path When Life Is Not Turning Out Like You Wanted. Then we ask graphologist Arlyn Imberman to analyze the handwriting of these two authors as well as Book of Life Host, Heidi Estrin, to help us get into a self-reflective mode for the Jewish New Year. www.bookoflifepodcast.com bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com

In this episode of The Book of Life, we talk to 2 Jews and get way more than 3 opinions. These two conversations are the last of the material recorded at Book Expo 2008. Smart, articulate women Kathy Bloomfield (a Jew by choice) and Laurel Snyder (a product and practitioner of interfaith marriage) explore Jewish identity and how it affects our reading and our writing. Please visit www.bookoflifepodcast.com to vote on our format: should our podcast have short single-interview episodes, or should we continue with longer shows featuring several guests? Feedback: bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com XML: http://heidiestrin.audioblog.com/rss/the_book_of_life.xml

In Part 4 of The Book of Life's series from the Book Expo America conference, we hear about new and forthcoming titles on the Holocaust for adults and youth. Before closing, we'll cleanse our palates with a non-Holocaust-related interview, one that was mistakenly left out of Part 3 (Jewish Literature for Adults). Please take the survey at bookoflifepodcast.com: Do you prefer the current format of a half-hour show with several interviews, or would you like shorter single-interview episodes? Thanks for your feedback! www.bookoflifepodcast.com bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com

The Book of Life's coverage of Jewish books at the 2008 Book Expo America conference in Los Angeles. In this third segment of the series, we look at Judaic books for adults. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

Interviews recorded at Book Expo America 2008, covering Jewish books for older kids and teens.

What's new in Jewish picture books? Follow Book of Life host Heidi Estrin around the 2008 Book Expo America conference to listen in on publishers talking about their new and forthcoming titles!

Book of Life host Heidi Estrin will be attending Book Expo America 2008 in Los Angeles, to record material for the podcast and to promote the Sydney Taylor Book Award. If YOU will be at Book Expo, drop her a line at bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com! (If you meet up, she'll give you a shiny gold Sydney Taylor Book Award lapel pin!) The Book of Life www.bookoflifepodcast.com

The Book of Life celebrates Israel's 60th birthday with a musical extravaganza! 1) Composer Yuval Ron talks about the music he created for the Oscar-winning short film West Bank Story. 2) Fran Manushkin discusses her book Come, Let Us Be Joyful: The Story of Hava Nagila 3) We learn about the 60 @ 60 concert tour with music promoter Michael Dorf, who tells us about the best in new Israeli pop music Links to more info on the artists featured in this episode can be seen at www.bookoflifepodcast.com. Please email comments and questions to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com.

The Book of Life takes you on a virtual trip around the world for Passover! 1) Pulitzer Prize winning author Geraldine Brooks discusses People of the Book, her fictional history of the Sarajevo Haggadah. 2) Basya Schechter talks about her band Pharoah's Daughter, which mixes world music and psychedelic rock with Middle Eastern sounds. 3) Author Ilana Kurshan describes her compilation of translations, Why Is This Night Different From All Other Nights? The Four Questions Around the World. Bonus: Even more translations with 300 Ways to Ask the Four Questions! Links to the featured books and CD's are at www.bookoflifepodcast.com. Send feedback to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com. In our next episode we'll celebrate Israel@60! Don't miss it!

The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read! In this episode we hear from Amy Meltzer, author of Mezuzah on the Door, and from Sarah Gershman & Kristina Swarner, author & illustrator of The Bedtime Sh'ma: A Good Night Book. Authors Eric Kimmel and Maggie Anton chime in with their own mezuzah memories.

The Book of Life hosted a live, call-in show on February 7, 2008 with special guest Pamela Ehrenberg, author of Ethan, Suspended. Our discussion topic was "what makes a book Jewish?" This recording of the call-in show has been edited for clarity and sound quality, but is essentially the same show heard by those who listened live on the big day. Many of those who called in are well-known as authors or bloggers, and links to their accomplishments may be found at www.bookoflifepodcast.com.

In this special "Bells & Whistles" edition of The Book of Life, host Heidi Estrin gives instructions for accessing the live Book of Life call-in show being held on Thursday, February 7, 2008, 3-4pm EST. These same instructions are available in written form at www.bookoflifepodcast.com. The theme of the February 7 program is "Funny, That Book Doesn't Look Jewish" and our guest will be Pamela Ehrenberg, author of the middle-grade novel Ethan, Suspended. We'll take calls about Ethan, Suspended, and about what makes a book Jewish in general. Remember, the call-in number for February 7 is 724-444-7444, and the Call ID is 10816. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

The Book of Life, a show about Jewish books, music, film and web! This January 2008 episode offers themes of empowerment with these interviews: 1) Raz Godelnik, founder of Eco-Libris, where you can plant a book for each book you read 2) Chana Rothman, whose debut album "We Can Rise" displays her female fronted earthy groove 3) Linda Silver, creator of The Jewish Values Finder, a database and book identifying values in Jewish children's books 4) Rachel Kamin, chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, describing the 2008 winners of this award for Jewish lit for kids and teens FYI: February 7, 2008, 3-4pm EST The Book of Life will host a live call-in show on the theme "Funny, That Book Doesn't Look Jewish!" Please join us by calling in! Instructions will appear on our web site. www.bookoflifepodcast.com

Markus Zusak speaks! A live, unedited presentation recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida with the author of The Book Thief. This extra December 2007 episode of The Book of Life podcast is a Hanukkah present for all you listeners, along with our new embeddable podcast player. Visit www.bookoflifepodcast.com and click on the "Put my show on your site" button to embed The Book of Life player on your own web site, blog, or social network! Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Hanukkah, and Happy 2nd anniversary to The Book of Life! On this episode, we meet: 1) Illustrator Ann Koffsky to learn about her snowflake Jerusalem of Peace, created for Robert's Snow for Cancer's Cure; 2) Author Sarah Lamstein & illustrator Neil Waldman, creators of Letter on the Wind: A Chanukah Tale; 3) Kenny Ellis, cantor and performer who created the CD Hanukkah Swings; and 4) Barbara Bietz, author of the chapter book Like a Maccabee. Links to more info on all these people and their work can be found at www.bookoflifepodcast.com.

The Book of Life's Thanksgiving Shout-Out Special is a bonus episode for November 2007! Includes interviews with musician Todd Herzog and illustrator Maryann Kovalski, as well as shout-outs to many listeners who have written in to the show, and info about the Blogathon at the Feldman Library (home base of The Book of Life).

The Book of Life is a monthly podcast about Jewish books, music, film and web at www.bookoflifepodcast.com. In this episode we celebrate traditional radio and the new media revolution of podcasting and blogging that was born from it. We interview Harold Augenbraum, director of the National Book Foundation, about the Foundation's choice of Terry Gross, host of NPR's Fresh Air, for this 2007 Literarian Award. We talk to David & Susan Siegel about the history of Jews in radio. They are the authors of Radio and the Jews: The Untold Story of How Radio Influenced America's Image of Jews, 1920's - 1950's. We meet literary blogger and synagogue librarian Marie Cloutier at the Podcast & New Media Expo. Marie's blog can be read at www.bostonbibliophile.com. Be sure to check back later in November 2007 for our Thanksgiving Special podcast! Links to more info on all interviewees can be found at The Book of Life website at www.bookoflifepodcast.com.

The Book of Life: a show about Jewish people and the books we read! This episode celebrates classic Jewish children's books. The All-of-a-Kind Family books by Sydney Taylor represent with an interview with Sydney's daughter, Jo Taylor Marshall. Author Michelle Edwards tells us about her picture book, Chicken Man. We discuss The Rabbi and the 29 Witches by Marilyn Hirsh with editor Margery Cuyler, librarian Tasha Bergson-Michaelson, and some enthusiastic kids. And we introduce the Feldman Library Blogathon (cbiboca.blogspot.com)! Links available at The Book of Life web site, www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com.

The Book of Life sees the world through new eyes in this Jewish New Year season. We speak to Mordicai Gerstein, award-winning author of The White Ram, a picture book midrash about the sacrifice of Isaac. We hear from Rabbi Cary A. Friedman, author of Wisdom from the Batcave, about how Batman can teach each of us to live a super, heroic life. Musician Yoshie Fruchter describes his CD Beyond the Book, about the inner lives of biblical personalities. And Brynn Olenberg Sugarman tells of her award-winning picture book Rebecca's Journey Home, which is based on her own daughter's adoption. Links to more info on these books and CDs is available at The Book of Life at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com.

The Book of Life celebrates klezmer music! We visit the Judaica Sound Archives at Florida Atlantic University and hear some of their historic klezmer samples. We talk to Joan Betty Stuchner, author of The Kugel Valley Klezmer Band (also known in Canada as Shira's Hanukkah Gift). We meet Yale Strom, a "one man klezmer industry," who tells us about his books, films, travels, and performances. Don't forget to inscribe yourself in The Book of Life's High Holidays "Book of Life" at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com!

The Book of Life explores magic and mystery with: Cantor Amy Miller, an expert on the Jewish view of Harry Potter...Jason Lutes, author of the graphic novel Houdini the Handcuff King...Sarah Mlynowski, author of Bras & Broomsticks...and mystery writer Pari Noskin Taichert.

The Book of Life cools off with summer reading. We learn about the ReaderGirlz web site, and their promotion of a Jewish title: Goy Crazy by Melissa Schorr. Then we talk to Melissa herself! We hear from the music group Sababa. And we talk to Nextbook.org for summer reading recommendations.

The Book of Life celebrates Jewish American Heritage Month (May) with a focus on baseball! We hear from Carol Matas, author of the middle-grade historical novel Play Ball. We meet Aviva Kempner, the independent filmmaker behind the documentary The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg. We take a break to "say Chai" in celebration of our 18th episode. Then we hear a book review of Across the Alley from fellow podcasters Andrea & Mark of Just One More Book. Finally we speak to the author of Across the Alley, Richard Michelson. Baseball themed-music in this episode provided by hungryformusic.com; our regular background music provided by freilachmakers.com. The Book of Life is sponsored in part by the Association of Jewish Libraries, jewishlibraries.org. Visit the podcast webpage at jewishbooks.blogspot.com.

The Book of Life is a monthly podcast about Jewish people and the books we read. In this episode we explore the power of books to sustain the Jewish people. We hear from Jonathan Kirsch, author of God Against the Gods and A History of the End of the World, about his upcoming keynote address to the Association of Jewish Libraries. We meet Nancy Kalikow Maxwell, author of Sacred Stacks: The Higher Purpose of Libraries and Librarianship. We learn about WJEW, an online Jewish radio station managed by teens. And we hear about Milk & Honey Press, a new Hebrew/English publisher of children's books.

The Book of Life celebrates Passover! This episode features interviews with author Dave Horowitz (Five Little Gefiltes), author Tami Lehman-Wilzig (Passover Around the World), Sean Altman of the band Jewmongous, and Cantor Stephanie Shore with her CD Pesaschtick.

Celebrate Purim with The Book of Life! Interviews with the creators of the picture book Queen Esther Saves Her People, and the adult comedy book Jewtopia... movie reviews of "One Night with the King" and "For Your Consideration"... and listener-submitted Jewish jokes!

The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, kicks off the new year with new books and new music. We learn about the newly announced winners of the 2007 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Jewish children's literature. We hear from a young Israeli band, A Groyse Metsi'e, about their new CD. And we speak to author Ann Redisch Stampler about her folktale Shlemazel and the Remarkable Spoon of Pohost, which has just been named a 2007 Sydney Taylor Honor Book.

The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish people and the books we read, celebrates Hanukkah! We interview Stephen Krensky and Greg Harlin, author & illustrator of Hanukkah at Valley Forge. We talk to Nora Guthrie, Woody Guthrie's daughter, about the new Klezmatics CD "Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah." We hear from Deborah Heiligman, author of Celebrate Hanukkah with Light, Latkes and Dreidels. And we announce the winner of our holiday book drawing!

This brief "addendum" to The Book of Life podcast offers timely information about a new book list of Hanukkah stories for children.

The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, celebrates Jewish Book Month! We speak to Howard Schwartz, author of Before You Were Born; to Carolyn Starman Hessel, director of the Jewish Book Council; to Esme Raji Codell, author of Vive La Paris; and to David Levithan, author of the YA novel Wide Awake. We also announce a holiday book drawing for you to participate in.

The Book of Life explores Jewish continuity with Alice Hoffman's historical novel Incantation, Abigail Pogrebin's Stars of David, in which she speaks to famous contemporary Jews, the a capella music of LISTEN UP!, and a sneak peak into the future with teenager Leah Larson and her teen magazine Yaldah.

The Book of Life celebrates new beginnings. We talk to Rahel Musleah, author of Apples and Pomegranates, a Family Seder for Rosh Hashanah. We interview Ken Gordon, editor of Jbooks.com, a web site where The Book of Life will soon be broadcast. And we hear from Brenda Ferber, first time author and winner of the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award for Julia's Kitchen.

The Book of Life, a Show about Jewish People and the Books We Read. This month we celebrate the power of storytelling. We talk with author/illustrator Simms Taback (Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, Kibitzers & Fools). We hear from storyteller Karen Golden. We speak to Sharon Elswit about her resource guide The Jewish Story Finder. And we talk to Gali Cooks, Director of the PJ Library project.

The Book of Life podcast celebrates Jewish life in America! We interview Linda Glaser and Phil Myzel, author and subject of the novel Bridge to America. We hear a review of the CD American Jewish Summer. We speak to author Susan Goldman Rubin about her book L'Chaim! To Jewish Life in America! And we get book recommendations from super-librarian Nancy Pearl.

This episode of The Book of Life podcast takes you on an armchair summer trip to meet author Holly-Jane Rahlens in Germany, author Pnina Moed Kass in Israel, and to learn about Jewish music from all over the world with Putumayo's Jewish Odyssey CD. You'll also learn how to participate in a Los Angeles Summer Reading Club without leaving home, and to virtually attend a Boston library convention... by blogging!

For our May 2006 episode of The Book of Life, we celebrate Get Caught Reading Month, a campaign of the Association of American Publishers.

This episode of The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, features many books and CD's that would make great Afikomen gifts! I'm including age recommendations to help you select the right gifts for the kids at your seder. In this episode, we hear from: * Jean Marzollo, author of Miriam and Her Brother Moses and other Bible stories [Preschool - Grade 2] * Shira Kline, musician, on her new CD Shirlala Pesach! (If you live in NY, you might want to go to the CD Release Party on April 2 at the Manhattan JCC - check Shira's website) [Preschool - Grade 3] * Anna Olswanger, author of Shlemiel Crooks [Grades 3-5] * Steve Brodsky of Mah Tovu, on the hit single Pharoah Pharoah, a parody of Louie Louie [ALL ages, including teens] * CBI Student Brittany Paris reviews The Yarmulke, Kippah, Coppel Book by Rifka Freidman, with a little help from Rabbi Robert Silvers [Preschool] * Bonus Track: Pesaschtick, a collection of family Passover songs and parodies by CBI's Cantor Stephanie Shore, Music Director Susan Shane-Linder and congregant Deborah Silver [All ages]

The Book of Life celebrates Purim

The Book of Life, a Show About Jewish People and the Books We Read: episode 3 focuses on Jewish heroes of the Olympics, the civil rights movement, the art world, and even on Jewish superheroes.

Interviews with the winners of the 2006 Sydney Taylor Book Awards for Jewish children's literature, and a conversation with Andy Rubin, founder of the Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band.

This inaugural episode of The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, features:

Eric Kimmel, author of Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins
CBI Youth Director Aley Sheer, reviewing Craig Taubman's new CD The Hanukkah Lounge
Author Rebecca Tova Ben-Zvi on her new book, Four Sides, Eight Nights
CBI's Rabbi Richard Agler, sharing a page from his personal "Book of Life"
and a bonus track! Rabbi Robert Silvers sings "Thank God I'm a Jewish Boy!" (also available on the CD Now That Sounds Kosher!)

Background music is provided by The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band.
All books and CD's mentioned on the show may be borrowed from the Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel. Browse our online catalog to reserve books, post a review, or just to look around!

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins: 25th Anniversary Edition

Four Sides, Eight Nights: A New Spin on Hanukkah