The Book of Life

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     |    READ THE TRANSCRIPT     🕮    Continuing the celebration of my 20th year of podcasting, I've got another archival episode for you from 2006, about Jewish Book Month. In the early days of The Book of Life I usually had multiple guests in each episode, and this one includes 4: Folklorist Howard Schwartz, talking about his picture book Before You Were Born, which had just won the Koret Award Carolyn Starman Hessel, longtime director of the Jewish Book Council, whose nickname was "the Jewish Oprah" Esme Raji Codell, author of one of my favorites middle-grade novels Vive La Paris and David Levithan, author of the 2004 young adult novel Wide Awake, which was reissued as Wide Awake Now in 2024 because its message about politics and protest is more relevant than ever. I’m celebrating Jewish Book Month by participating in the Jewish Book Council’s “ Share Your Shelf, Share Your Story ” project. I will post a photo on so...

Jewish Book Month takes place during the 30 days leading up to Hanukkah. This year, the celebration was held November 24-December 24, 2024.  Last year I posted daily #JewishJoy reading recommendations. While joy is still extremely important, this year my focus is #ACTIVISM. These books all feature real or fictional people who are great role models for taking action to make the world a better place. Each title is linked to a past interview on The Book of Life or a book review on The Sydney Taylor Shmooze . November 24, 2024 NOT NOTHING by Gayle Forman, a middle grade novel about rising to the occasion of your own life. November 25, 2024 ABZUGLUTELY: BATTLING, BELLOWING BELLA ABZUG , a picture book biography of the Jewish feminist activist and Congresswoman. November 26, 2024 THE DO MORE CLUB by Dana Kramaroff, a middle grade novel about a Jewish kid creating an activist club at school to spread kindness.  November 27, 2024 ONE SMALL SPARK: A TIKKUN OLAM STORY by Ruth Spiro...

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     🕮    A chat with Lisa Silverman of the Jewish Book Council about the authors going on tour this fall for Jewish Book Month, and the process by which they are selected. CREDITS: Produced by: Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel Supported in part by: Association of Jewish Libraries Theme music: The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band Facebook fan page: facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast Twitter: @bookoflifepod   Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST      🕮    HOLIDAY BOOK DRAWING: Use this form to enter our drawing! and you may win an autographed copy of the nonfiction picture book, Celebrate Hanukkah with Light, Latkes, and Dreidels by Deborah Heiligman, new from National Geographic! Illustrated with beautiful multicultural photographs, the book makes a great gift or a keepsake for yourself. Tune in to The Book of Life in December to hear an interview with the author. You'll be asked to answer a few simple questions, including the name of your favorite Hanukkah book. Deadline for entry is Sunday, November 26, 2006 -- the end of Thanksgiving weekend.   This episode of The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, celebrates Jewish Book Month. We'll hear from: > Howard Schwartz , author of Before You Were Born , winner of the 2006 Koret International Book Award > Carolyn Starman Hessel, Director of the Jewish Book Council , on the ...