The Book of Life: Jewish Kidlit (Mostly‪)‬ Heidi Rabinowitz

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