The Book of Life

Back in February I interviewed Debra Spark , author of Good for the Jews , an adult novel based on the story of Purim. The Megillah inspires a lot of modern writing, apparently! Today I've got an interview for you with Jenny Meyerhoff , author of a young adult novel based on the Megillah, called Queen of Secrets . When I met Jenny last summer at the Planet Esme Reading Room, she told me this book was in the works. I am pleased to say that this very interesting novel will be released this summer! Jenny, where did the idea come from to write a modern novel based on the story of Queen Esther? Growing up, always loved the story of Esther, probably because it was one of the few stories I remember learning in Sunday school that featured a female as the main character. One spring a few years ago, I was thinking about the story again, and it occurred to me that Esther most likely would have been a teenager. I began to wonder what her story would be like if it were occurring today. How wo...

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST    |    BUY THE BOOK     🕮    I'm just back from the 2010 Book Expo America trade show in NYC, where I recorded lots of interesting interviews. It will take me a while to edit them, but lucky for you guys I still have several recordings from last summer to post in the meantime. This interview turns out to be unfortunately timely, with Louisiana so much in the spotlight right now due to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Last summer, when we all thought Hurricane Katrina was the worst thing that could happen to New Orleans, I interviewed Nachama Liss-Levinson, author of the 2009 Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award winning title When the Hurricane Came to New Orlean s. Being unpublished (thus a "Manuscript Award" winner), you can't read it yet. But I'm sure after hearing from awards chair Aileen Grossberg and from Nechama herself, you will want to! (Sorry for any angst caused by this situation!) [NOTE: The book has subseq...

I've just added a new site to my list of Links (see the right-hand sidebar on The Book of Life blog) and I wanted to make sure you noticed it. The site is The Whole Megillah: The Writer's Resource for Jewish-themed Children's Books at thewholemegillah.wordpress.com . There are few blogs that focus on Jewish kidlit, and as far as I know, this is the first that emphasizes the perspective of authors rather than readers. Blogger Barbara Krasner is well-known in the Jewish kidlit world as the force behind the annual Jewish Children's Book Writers & Illustrators Conference, held until recently at New York's 92nd Street Y, so she's definitely in the know. I'm excited about The Whole Megillah (and I love the name)! Welcome to the blogosphere, Barbara!

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     |    BUY FREEFALL / JODIE'S HANUKKAH DIG      🕮    I met up with author Anna Levine last year at the 2009 Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Chicago, IL, where she was a guest presenter and an award-winner! During a late night gathering of book lovers, I pulled her aside to discuss her YA novel Freefall and her picture book Jodie's Hanukkah Dig , both set in Israel. Both books received recognition from the Association of Jewish Libraries in 2009, Freefall as a Sydney Taylor Honor Book, and Jodie's Hanukkah Dig as a Notable Book. 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...

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     |    BUY THE BOOK     🕮    An interview with Micol Ostow , author of So Punk Rock (And Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother) , a 2010 Sydney Taylor Notable Book in the Teen Readers category. This very cool novel with graphic elements was illustrated by Micol's brother David Ostow . The interview was recorded in a busy Manhattan bar, so please consider the loud background noise to be atmosphere for this story of a teen garage band! 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.

The "Friday Finds" meme is hosted by MizB at the Should Be Reading blog. She asks "What great books did you hear about / discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!" This week I received two review copies of new Jewish-interest YA novels from the publicists at Blue Slip Media , and they look like they'll be a lot of fun t o read: Lotus Lowenstein's life is merde. She dreams of moving to Paris and becoming an existentialist. Yet here she is trapped in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with a New-Agey mom, an out-of-work dad, and a chess champion brother who dreams of being a rock star. Merci à Dieu for Lotus’s best friend, Joni, who loves French culture enough to cofound their high school’s first French Club with Lotus. At the first meeting, the cutest boy in the world walks in. His name is Sean, and he too loves French culture and worships Jean-Paul Sartre. Queen of Secrets by Jenny Meyerhoff (FSG, 2010). I interviewed this author briefly at a par...

I thought it would be seasonally appropriate to share with you the starred review I wrote about The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah for School Library Journa l. This is a delightful new Passover story, that I used successfully with several Kindergarten and first grade classes in our religious school recently. For more info about author Leslie Kimmelman and her books, see www.lesliekimmelman.net . KIMMELMAN, Leslie . The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah . illus. by Paul Meisel. unpaged. glossary. CIP. Holiday House . Mar. 2010. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-1952-4 . LC 2008048488. PreS-Gr 3— This Yiddish-inflected retelling of "The Little Ren Hen" features a balabusta (good homemaker) who kvetches about her lazy no-goodnik friends who will not help her make matzah from wheat. When they show up at the Passover Seder, the hen scolds, "What chutzpah!" Ultimately, however, they repent and the hen forgives them because she is a mensch. All ends ha...

The "Friday Finds" meme is hosted by MizB at the Should Be Reading blog. She asks "What great books did you hear about / discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!" I just had to participate because this very Friday morning I found a wonderful new book awaiting me in a package on my desk in the library: First Rain by Charlotte Herman, illustrated by Kathryn Mitter (Albert Whitman). It's a simple, straightforward story about a little girl whose family makes aliyah (moves to Israel). Through the exchange of letters with the Grandma she left behind, we learn a little bit about Israel, a little Hebrew vocabulary, and a little about dealing with moving. It's not preachy, it's a good match with its intended audience of 1st through 4th graders in terms of emotion and writing style, and the illustrations are clean, detailed, and give a good sense of place. As is appropriate for the audience, politics are NOT included. There are few pict...

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     🕮    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. 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.

" Good for the Jews is a smart, funny, sexy novel set in Madison, Wisconsin, during the Bush administration. Part mystery and part stranger-comes-to town story, Good for the Jews is loosely based on the biblical book of Esther. Like Esther, Debra Spark's characters deal with anti-Semitism and the way that powerful men—and the women who love them—negotiate bu reaucracies." -- University of Michigan Press   Colby College professor and award-winning author Debra Spark's newest novel is Good for the Jews. With Purim approaching, I thought you might like to learn a little more abo ut this unique story and its relationship with the megillah. Debra was kind enough to do an email interview with me - enjoy her answers below, and be sure to check out her extremely funky website . Debra, what got you interested in exploring and retelling the story of Esther? Several years ago, in preparation for taking my son to his first Purim service, I reread the Book of Esther. It tu...

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST    |    BUY THE BOOK     🕮    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. 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 .

I am very pleased to be participating in the 2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour! Features on winning authors and illustrators are being posted on blogs all over the web this week; click here to see the entire schedule and links to all participating blogs! The assignment I was happy to accept was to bring you a profile of Natascia Ugliano , illustrator of Jacqueline Jules' Bible story series. The third book in this series, Benjam in and the Silver Goblet , was named a 2010 Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Younger Readers category, and will receive a silver medal. Check out a profile of the book's author today on ASHarmony , blogged by my friend Betsy Lipp. I cover Sydney Taylor Book Award news frequently, so you may already know that this literary prize recognizes the best Jewish books for children and teens each year. It is the only book award that focuses solely on Judaic children's literature. It's named in memory of Sydney Taylor, author of the classic All-o...

Remember back in November 2009 when I posted my interview with author Simone Elkeles and kidlit expert June Cummins , talking about the "kvetchfessional" style of YA chicklit? Simone has now produced a very fun book trailer video for her newest title in the "How to Ruin" series, How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation . Enjoy!

The Sydney Taylor Book Award will be celebrating and showcasing its 2010 gold and silver medalists and the special Notable Book for All Ages with a Blog Tour, February 1-5, 2010! Here is a celebratory video for your enjoyment, and the schedule for the Blog Tour is posted below. Note that The Book of Life will participate by interviewing Natascia Ugliano (illustrator, Benjamin and the Silver Goblet ) on Thursday, February 4. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2010   Monday, February 1, 2010 April Halprin Wayland , author of New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Younger Readers Category at Practically Paradise Monday, February 1, 2010 Stephane Jorisch , illustrator of New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Younger Readers Category at Frume Sarah's World Monday, February 1, 2010 Margarita Engle , author of Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Teen...

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST      🕮    On January 11, I attended the midwinter council meeting of the Association of Jewish Libraries, where the winners of the 2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Jewish children's literature were officially announced. They let me record the big reveal, which you'll hear first. Then I snuck Kathe Pinchuck, the awards chair, out of the meeting for a little while to talk about the books in detail. The full list of all award, honor, and notable Sydney Taylor books has been posted HERE . I'll also post the schedule of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour as soon as it becomes available. The blog tour will take place February 1-5, 2010, and home base for that event will be jewishlibraries.org/blog . Mazel tov to all the authors, illustrators, editors, and publishers! CREDITS: Produced by: Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel Supported in part by: Association of Jewish Libraries Theme music: The Freilachm...

I am pleased to share with you this announcement from the Association of Jewish Libraries about the winners of the 2010 Sydney Taylor Book Awards! Watch for my upcoming interview with the award committee chair, Kathe Pinchuck! THE 2010 SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARDS ANNOUNCED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH LIBRARIES The Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Younger Readers: New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story by April Halprin Wayland with illustrations by Stephane Jorish (Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group) The Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Older Readers: The Importance of Wings by Robin Friedman (Charlesbridge Publishing) The Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Teen Readers: Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba by Margarita Engle (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group) Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Younger Readers: Nachshon, Who Was Afraid to Swim: A Passover Story b...

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.

Here's a new song from Orit Shimoni, AKA "Little Birdie," a Book of Life guest from May 2009 who was interviewed by our Canadian Correspondent, Anne Dublin. Enjoy!

  LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     🕮    An impromptu discussion among Heidi Estrin, Mark Blevis of the Just One More Book podcast, author Richard Michelson and author/readiologist Esme Raji Codell during a party at the Planet Esme Book Room . Of seasonal interest: among other things, we discussed potential winners of the 2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award. We'll find out if we were right next month in January 2010! 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     🕮    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...