The Book of Life

I was so pleased to be interviewed for this article in the May 2023 issue of School Library Journal! Thank you to Marlaina Cockcroft for including me and for tackling this subject. You can read the article below or on the SLJ website here .  

One of the hats I wear is that of reviewer for the PJ Library , a project that provides Jewish books for families with young children. I'm privileged to be on the book selection committee that determines which titles meet the project's unique goal, to introduce disconnected families to a taste of Judaism. The PJ Library's growth is having an exciting effect on the publishing industry too, by expanding the market for Jewish children's literature. I recently got ahold of a press release explaining this phenomenon, and though you all might find it interesting.   The PJ Library Creates Renaissance for Children's Book Publishing Industry SPRINGFIELD, MA, June 19, 2008 - Why are Simon & Schuster, Random House, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Scholastic and other top publishers listening intently to the opinions of a tiny group of Jewish educators? Because their decisions have directly triggered more than $1.5 million in children's book purchases in just two a...

Barbara Bietz, kidlit blogger, incoming member of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, and author of Like a Maccabee , interviewed me for her blog! Click here to read the interview. Turn about is fair play, so I'll be interviewing Barbara for the December 2007 episode of The Book of Life. Her entertaining chapter book is about Hanukkah, family... and soccer. (Who knew?) Keep up with Barbara Bietz at http://www.barbarabietz.com/ or at barbarabbookblog.blogspot.com .

As you may know, in addition to hosting The Book of Life I am also a Judaica children's librarian. I was so pleased when MyJewishLearning.com asked me to write an article for their web page about Contemporary Jewish Youth Literature! The article discusses recent trends in Judaic literature for kids and teens. Click here to read the article , and please post a comment to let me know what you think, or to suggest additional titles! ~ Heidi

December, 2006 For immediate release MEDIA RELEASE “THE BOOK OF LIFE” CELEBRATES ONE YEAR OF JEWISH PODCASTING The Book of Life, a monthly podcast about Jewish books and music, celebrates a year of successful podcasting this December. The first episode of the audio program was posted in December, 2005. This “Internet radio show” features interviews with authors and illustrators of Judaic books, and musicians who have produced Judaic recordings. “As a librarian, my purpose is to promote books and CD’s that people can borrow from libraries,” says podcast producer and host Heidi Estrin, who directs the Feldman Library at Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton, Florida. “I am especially excited about the wonderful Jewish books being published these days for children and teens, and that is a major focus of the show. I hope that hearing the ‘backstory’ will get readers involved!” The Book of Life has received notice from other literary web pages, including PlanetEsme and Cynsat...

Cover Story: Wired for Words: Shul librarian creates Jewish book podcast Shalom Today , a marketing publication of the Sun-Sentinel , June 1, 2006 The Book of Life Podcast Brings Jewish literature, culture to youngsters by Michael W. Sasser, special to Shalom Today Congregation B'nai Israel librarian Heidi Estrin was exploring means to expand the library's audio-visual components, and ways to market the offerings, when she began to consider a technology that was in its fledgling days. "I knew about podcasts, and it occurred to me that might be a terrific way to reach people with audio content," Estrin said. "The initial idea was to promote new library products, but it grew. Still, it grew out of the library itself." Thus was launched "The Book of Life," a show about "Jewish people and the books we read." The podcast first appeared in late 2005, and there have been new monthly editions available since. A podcast is an Internet-...

Podcasting Connects Synagogue with Community   By Bryan Blessy, Journal Staff Writer Jewish Journal , Palm Beach South edition, April 18, 2006 Congregation B’nai Isarel has entered the cutting edge of the digital age.   Since December, Heidi Estrin, the librarian at Feldman Children’s Library at the congregation, has been using a new technology known as podcasting to inform people about the materials offered at the library and to showcase authors, musicians and others who promote Jewish books and music. The podcast Estrin hosts is a monthly Internet radio show called “The Book of Life,” which she describes as “mostly interviews with authors, musicians and performers.” The show, which generally runs 20 minutes, also features reviews of books and music with Jewish themes. Estrin says the show began as a way to help showcase and market library materials so that listeners would be able to borrow items from the library. “It was actually part of a lager project,” she says. “I wan...