The Book of Life

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     |    READ THE TRANSCRIPT     | VISIT JEWISH JOY CON     🕮      Jean Meltzer, the Queen of Jewish Romance and founder of Jewish Joy LLC, has an announcement. I will be bringing you a full episode with Jean this fall, but I didn't want to wait to let you know about her newest project. Here's 5 minutes with Jean, so we can learn all about Jewish Joy Con! LEARN MORE: Jean Meltzer’s website Jewish Joy LLC (the Jewish Joy Book Club and the Jewish Joy Box) Jewish Joy Con , March 13-15, 2026 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL  CREDITS: Produced by Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel Co-sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries Sister podcast: Nice Jewish Books Theme Music: The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band Newsletter: bookoflifepodcast.substack.com Facebook Discussion Group: Jewish Kidlit Mavens Facebook Page: Facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast Instagram: @bookoflifepodcast Support th...

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, in honor of Jewish Book Month! PRE-REGISTER HERE!

AB Kids Handout by bookoflifepodcast

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     |    READ THE TRANSCRIPT     |    SUPPORT THE AUCTION     🕮    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 D...

The Association of Jewish Libraries & StoryTime Solidarity Present:  How to be an Ally to Jewish Patrons and Students (Even in a Non-Jewish Neighborhood) ~~~~~ Sunday, March 20, 2022 1:00PM PT / 4:00PM ET The FBI reports that 60% of all religious hate crimes target Jewish people despite the fact that only 2% of America’s population identifies as Jewish. As librarians and educators, how can we push back against this injustice? Join Storytime Solidarity and the Association of Jewish Libraries for a free workshop on standing in solidarity with the Jewish community. Get answers to the questions you didn’t know you wanted to ask, learn about Jewish diversity, and find out what actions you can take and what books you can buy to help the Jewish community—even if you have no Jewish patrons or students! Presented by librarians Heidi Rabinowitz, Susan Kusel, Rebecca Levitan, and Sylvie Shaffer. Free and open to the public. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZI...

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     🕮    March 20, 2017: #READ4REFUGEES #Read4Refugees is a world-wide read-in benefitting the charity RefugePoint , running now through March 31, 2017. Donate by March 20 to help the campaign earn a bonus $10,000. Here's the scoop: GoJaneGive.org/Read4Refugees March 27-April 4, 2017: HOW IS THIS BOOK DIFFERENT? You are invited to participate in How Is This Book Different? , a joint project of the Association of Jewish Libr aries , the Jewish Book Council , and Call Me Ishmael . Between March 27-April 4, 2017, call 774-325-0503 with a story about your a Jewish book that matters to your life ! April 24, 2017: TENT: CHILDREN'S LITERATURE Apply by April 24 to participate in an August 13-20, 2017 Jewish kidlit writers' retreat in Amherst, MA co-sponsored by the Yiddish Book Center and PJ Library. Click here for details and application.

Please join the Association of Jewish Libraries for a book discussion about the adventurous Jewish historical novel THE WAYWARD MOON  by Janice Weizman on Sunday, October 18, 2015 at 9pm Eastern/8pm Central/6pm Pacific Time via call-in show. We'll discuss the book by phone, and record the discussion for those who miss it. Call (724) 444-7444 and enter the Call ID 139461 to participate! The discussion will last approximately one hour. This is Association of Jewish Libraries' first experiment with a virtual book discussion event. Please spread the word and please join us on Sunday to make it a success! Don’t worry if you haven’t read the book yet – the discussion will be a good introduction that will make you eager to read it afterwards.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST    |    VIEW FILMS     🕮    Emmy-nominated filmmaker and founder of The Webby Awards Tiffany Shlain joins us to talk about Character Day , coming up on September 18, 2015. Her films at Let It Ripple are meant to spark conversations that bring about social change. This year on the second annual Character Day, she will reintroduce The Science of Character and debut two new films, The Adaptable Mind and The Making of a Mensch .  Also, click here to hear Tiffany on The Book of Life in 2008 talking about her film The Tribe , which looks at Jewish life through the lens of the Barbie doll!   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: facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast    Twitter: @bookoflifepod ...

I will be attending BookExpo America this year and I'm very excited! As in past years, I'll be recording interviews for The Book of Life , and I'll be talking to publishers about the Sydney Taylor Book Award (I'm past chair of the award committee, so I like to promote it whenever I can). Here's a message from the current awards chair, Diane Rauchwerger, for all you publishers out there: Entries are now being considered for the 2015 Sydney Taylor Award, which recognizes the best children's literature of Jewish content. We would like to invite you to submit any children's books with a 2014 copyright that meets the criteria below. In order to be considered, a review copy must be sent to each of the nine members of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee. No application form is necessary; simply mail the books to each member in a package labeled "Sydney Taylor Book Award Submission." The awards will be announced in January, 2015. To e...

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     🕮    On May 18, 2014, The Seminar on Jewish Story will take place at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan, New York. This day-long event will be a celebration of Jewish literature in its many forms, from fiction to memoir, poetry to children's books. I spoke to organizer Barbara Krasner, who told me some of the exciting highlights of the Seminar, which is a co-production of the Whole Megillah and the Association of Jewish Libraries. Click here to learn more about the Seminar on Jewish Story , or email Barbara directly at barbarakrasner [at] att [dot] net. Act soon, because she's running a $99 special on registration! I'll be at the event, and I hope to see you there.... 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: facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast  Twit...

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     🕮    Barbara Krasner blogs at The Whole Megillah. During Jewish Book Month 2011, she is sponsoring the "Write Your Own Megillah "project to encourage Jewish children's writers a la NaNoWriMo. Write 36,000 words of a young adult novel or 18,000 words for middle grade readers between November 21-December 21, and become eligible to win 3-chapter critiques from professional children's editors Stephanie Lurie and Margery Cuyler! Complete information about the event can be found at: http://thewholemegillah.wordpress.com/write-your-own-megillah-a-new-whole-megillah-event/    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: facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast Twitter: @bookoflifepod   Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to...

Library Snapshot Day 2010 The People of the Book really do love libraries! In November 2010, during Jewish Book Month, 30 Jewish libraries participated in Library Snapshot Day. The event, sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries, was created to let all types of Judaic libraries record what happens in a day in the life of a library. Across North America, libraries in synagogues, day schools, community centers and universities picked one day during the first two weeks of November to hold the event. Collectively, participating libraries served 3,548 patrons on Library Snapshot Day. The Activities From Jewish hubs like Chicago, IL to smaller Jewish communities like Tulsa, OK, from sunny Miami, FL to chilly Montreal, Quebec, Jewish libraries held author visits, study groups, literary and computer quizzes, artist receptions, book discussions, book sales, scavenger hunts, craft projects, parenting programs, charity drives, and children’s story times. Eleven of the participatin...

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     🕮    At the Association of Jewish Libraries 2010 Convention in Seattle, WA, I organized a panel presentation on book reviewing with Ellen Cole, Kathe Pinchuck, Lisa Silverman, and Rita Soltan. This post is our online handout, and a record of our presentation. AJL Reviewing Panel FOR FUN The Top 20 Most Annoying Book Reviewer Phrases and How to Use Them All in One Meaningless Review Book Review BINGO MORE SERIOUS RESOURCES Suggested Resources for Jewish Children's Book Reviewers , a bibliography/webliography by Kathe Pinchuck Excellence in Jewish Children's Literature : A Guide for Book Selectors, Reviewers, and Award Judges (AJL Publication) From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books by K.T. Horning (HarperCollins, 2010 revised edition) Faint Praise: The Plight of Book Reviewing in America by Gail Pool (University of Missouri Press, 2007) Critical Mass, the blog of the National...

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST      🕮    This is your chance to virtually attend the Jewish Children's Book Writers & Illustrators Conference at the 92nd St Y in NYC! Hear from organize r Barbara Krasner , Scholastic editor Dianne Hess, and attending authors Bryna Fireside, Sandy Wasserman, and Eve Tal! 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 Photo credit: By Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA - 92Y, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79681131   Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     🕮    Alexa Clark was one of the many interesting people I met at Podcasters Across Borders 2009 who had book-related projects to share. She describes herself as a serial entrepreneur, chief cheapeater, photographer & social media addict. I spoke with her about two projects, Mini Book Expo and Book Camp Toronto. Mini Book Expo, currently on hiatus, is a system for distributing, reading, and reviewing (via blog) advance reader copies of new books from publishers. Book Camp Toronto was an "unconference" held in the summer of 2009, as a conversation about the future of books, writing, publishing, and the book business in the digital age. 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 a...

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST      🕮    Hugh McGuire is one of the interesting people I met at Podcasters Across Borders 2009. We spoke about two reading-related projects that he helped to found, LibriVox and Book Oven. LibriVox volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain and publish the audio files on the Internet. The goal is to record all the books in the public domain. Book Oven helps teams of people turn manuscripts into finished books, and then publish them. It is built for writers, editors, proofreaders, designers and small presses. 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     🕮    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     🕮    Connie Crosby is a law librarian in Toronto, Canada. She was one of the very interesting people I met this summer at Podcasters Across Borders , a conference by and for podcasters. This is the first of three Podcasters Across Borders episodes you'll be hearing on The Book of Life. Connie gave a presentation on The ShanachieTour , a library roadtrip around the world. It was very exciting to me, as a fellow podcaster and librarian, to hear Connie talk about the inspirational storytelling of The Shanachies, so I asked her to describe her presentation for us in this brief interview. Connie is currently working on a professional guide book for Neal-Schuman, Effective Blogging for Libraries . To help her gather information about blogging in the library world, please take her survey . CREDITS: Produced by: Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel Supported in part by: Association of Jewish Librari...

During the Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Chicago, IL, I had the chance to visit the Planet Esme Bookroom , otherwise known as "the Gingerbread Apartment" because of its whimsical architecture. The Bookroom is a real treat for kidlit fans, stuffed to the gills with books, toys, and reading-related decorations. Every detail has been lovingly thought out to make visitors smile, from the wolf and sheep puppets lying peacefully together atop the photocopier, to the cuckoo clock that sings out the time. The Bookroom is the brainchild of Esme Raji Codell , author of Sydney Taylor Honor Book Vive la Paris , AJL Notable Book Hanukkah Shmanukkah , and the inspiring book for teachers, Educating Esme , among many others. It functions as a private salon where she hosts events that celebrate literature, like the wonderful pizza party she threw for lovers of Judaica during the AJL Convention. To see an album of photos from the Planet Esme Pizza Party, visit The Book of...

Whew. I'm back from my first Podcasters Across Borders (aka PAB) conference in Kingston, Ontario, and I am just completely blown away. I'd been listening to podcasts of the conference sessions for the past several years on the Canadian Podcast Buffet , a show by and for podcasters, so I knew there would be high quality content. What I didn't expect was how moving the experience would be. The opening keynote was by Jowi Taylor, creator of the Six String Nation guitar . This guitar was constructed of 64 pieces (wood and other materials) representing all different regions and peoples of Canada. The idea is to bring Canadians together to bond with eachother and to contemplate Canadian identity. It's a beautiful piece of usable art, and it's a wonderful vehicle for sharing history and storytelling... as well as music! Jowi is a Peabody Award winning writer and broadcaster, and he really touched us when he shared stories of the guitar's source materials and th...