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

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/07/espionage-secrets-suspense-holocaust.html
Two incredible authors, Adam Gidwitz and Steve Sheinkin, joined me to talk about their most recent books, Max in the House of Spies and Impossible Escape. As many listeners know, I tend to avoid Holocaust books because I've kind of overdosed on them during a long career of working with Jewish children's literature... but both of these books are SO good that I couldn't ignore them. Max in the House of Spies is middle grade historical fantasy fiction and Impossible Escape is young adult nonfiction. They are very different books, but they also make a great pairing... as do Adam and Steve, who are friends in real life. Impossible Escape was a 2024 Sydney Taylor Honor Book (young adult category). It remains to be seen whether Max in the House of Spies will become an award winner, but it seems likely to me!
LEARN MORE:
Transcript of interview Adam Gidwitz's website Steve Sheinkin's website Adam recommends An Account Rendered by Melita Maschmann, and Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport, a documentary film and book by Mark Jonathan Harris and Deborah Oppenheimer Adam's podcast Grim, Grimmer, Grimmest Steve's YouTube show Author-Fan Face-Off Adam's Sydney Taylor Book Award winner (middle grade category): The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog  |  2017 podcast interview about Inquisitor's Tale ANNOUNCEMENT: The Book of Life is now available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@bookoflifepodcast

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/06/joyful-song-with-leslea-newman-susan-gal.html
Joyful Song: A Naming Story is Lesléa Newman's newest picture book, and once again she's paired up with the amazing Susan Gal. This dynamic duo brought us Here Is the World in 2014 and Welcoming Elijah in 2020. Their new 2024 book is about a baby naming at synagogue, and about the diverse and loving community that welcomes the little girl into the world. The two-mom family makes it a great book for Pride Month, too.
LEARN MORE:
Transcript of interview Lesléa Newman's website Susan Gal's website Susan's other Jewish book, The Tower of Life by Chana Stiefel Roller Coaster Rabbit, the Disney film Susan worked on Heidi's Jewish kidlit wish list Lesléa's past appearances on The Book of Life:
Welcoming Elijah, 2020 Social Justice and Jewish Children's Books, 2018 Ketzel and Mom, 2016 Here Is the World, 2015 JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, Friends & Allies Edition: May 2024 daily reading recommendations

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