The Book of Life: Jewish Kidlit (Mostly)

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/06/pride-month-throwback-new-queer.html TRANSCRIPT: https://open.substack.com/pub/bookoflifepodcast/p/pride-month-throwback?r=16b2w9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true In celebration of Pride Month and The Book of Life’s 20th year of podcasting, I’m re-releasing an archival episode from June, 2021. It’s an interview with Adam Eli, a young activist and author of The New Queer Conscience, a manifesto about how the queer community can use k’lal yisrael as a model for solidarity. If you enjoy this blast from the past, check out other past episodes of The Book of Life. Click on Archive in the sidebar at Bookoflifepodcast.com, or just go to the episode list on your podcast player and keep on scrolling down, down, down. LEARN MORE: Buy or borrow The New Queer Conscience Adam Eli on Instagram Adam Eli on I Weigh Adam Eli in Tablet I’ve updated my list of Queer Jewish Kidlit, which has grown by 48 titles and 13 interviews since I first compiled it in 2022! CREDITS: Feldman Children's LibraryCongregation B'nai IsraelAssociation of Jewish LibrariesNice Jewish BooksThe Freilachmakers Klezmer String Bandbookoflifepodcast.substack.comJewish Kidlit MavensFacebook.com/bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodcastShop or Donate Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/06/pride-month-special-gender-binary-is.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/0xdCC0WUSVL8flI0x3kljyCApps?utm_source=copy_url I don't normally interview an author about a single chapter of a book, but for my friend Lee Wind, I'm making an exception. He's written a fascinating nonfiction book, The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities Around the World, and Chapter 2 is about "The Six Genders of Classical Judaism." I just had to learn more. We also talked about his two new picture books (both featuring 2-dad families), Like That Eleanor: The Amazing Power of Being an Ally and Banana Menorah. In addition to writing great kids' books about gender, Judaism, and allyship, Lee is literally a champion against censorship. He received the 2025 Industry Champion Award from the Book Industry Study Group for his project called We Are Stronger Than Censorship. Lee tells us more in the interview. For bonus content (Jewish kidlit news and calls to action), sign up for The Book of Life Substack Newsletter. LEARN MORE: Buy or borrow The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie Buy or borrow Like That Eleanor Buy or borrow Banana Menorah Teaching guides Lee Wind’s website We Are Stronger Than Censorship project (Lee won an award for it!) Independent Book Publishers Association (Lee’s day job) My Queer Jewish Kidlit bibliography - updated CREDITS: Feldman Children's LibraryCongregation B'nai IsraelAssociation of Jewish LibrariesNice Jewish BooksThe Freilachmakers Klezmer String Bandbookoflifepodcast.substack.comJewish Kidlit MavensFacebook.com/bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodcastShop or Donate Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/tomHSY9SlPPB1XDOQwsavTXOeUM?utm_source=copy_url I'm squeezing in this quick extra episode to share with you my personal response to the shooting at the Capitol Jewish Museum, with calls to action and a message of hope. LEARN MORE: HIGH E Train Talks interviews Heidi about 20 years of The Book of Life Podcast LOW The Forward's reporting on the shooting of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim Time op ed by Jonathan Greenblatt of ADL CALLS TO ACTION Action: Watch "Cheering On Jewish Books" Action: Use Jewish Kidlit Action ChecklistAction: Visit "Justice" page at BookOfLifePodcast.com Action: Ask your rep to support H.Res. 447Find your Representative HEREAction: Watch Heidi's talk "How (and Why) to Call Congress" What actions are you taking to push back against antisemitism? I'd love to know. Leave a comment, write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com, or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/05/jahm-throwback-book-of-life-in-america.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/bd9VMkp1cnjgHm9z4cbdq7Usaak?utm_source=copy_url In celebration of May’s Jewish American Heritage Month (aka #JAHM) and The Book of Life’s 20th year of podcasting, I’m re-releasing the eighth-ever episode of the show, from July 2006. The theme was “The Book of Life in America.” In the early years of the show, each episode featured multiple guests, and topics ranged beyond books to Jewish music, film, and web. In 23 minutes and 12 seconds, this episode packs in five fantastic guests. While the sound quality is less consistent than today, the warmth and enthusiasm of the interviews was a sign of things to come. If you enjoy this blast from the past, check out other past episodes of The Book of Life. Click on Archive in the sidebar at Bookoflifepodcast.com, or just go to the episode list on your podcast player and keep on scrolling down, down, down. JewishAmericanHeritage.org offers info, resources, and toolkits for celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month each May. Guests Linda Glaser and Phil Myzel, are the author and subject of the historical middle grade novel Bridge to America Guest Susan Shane-Linder reviews the CD American Jewish Summer: Songs of the Jewish Youth Camping Movement Guest Susan Goldman Rubin is the author of L'Chaim! To Jewish Life in America! Guest Nancy Pearl is an American Jewish "Super-Librarian" whose book recommendations are featured in her Book Lust series, on her website, her podcast, and her TV show, and who is the only librarian to have her own action figure! Bonus content for this episode on The Book of Life Substack CREDITS: Feldman Children's LibraryCongregation B'nai IsraelAssociation of Jewish LibrariesNice Jewish BooksThe Freilachmakers Klezmer String Bandbookoflifepodcast.substack.comJewish Kidlit MavensFacebook.com/bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodcastShop or Donate Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/05/mendel-mess-up.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/MYzjopAD_3R8aSnpGTydMmKNjv4?utm_source=copy_url Terry LaBan is an alternative cartoonist, a graphic recorder (we'll talk about what that means later), and now he's written his first graphic novel, called Mendel the Mess Up. I'm going to borrow the description from the starred review in Publishers Weekly. They said "Put Fiddler on the Roof and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in a blender, add a jigger or two of Seinfeld, and the result is this boisterous and affirming graphic novel." Doesn't that sound amazing? LEARN MORE: Buy or borrow Mendel the Mess-Up Terry LaBan’s author website and graphic recording website Terry’s Tikkun Olam suggestion: support HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Get bonus content for this episode on SubstackTerry’s reading recommendations: o The Story of the Jews: A 4000 Year Adventure by Stan Mack o A Minyan Yidn (A Bunch of Jews) by Trina Robbins o Anything by Leela Korman o Hereville series by Barry Deutsch CREDITS: Feldman Children's LibraryCongregation B'nai IsraelAssociation of Jewish LibrariesNice Jewish BooksThe Freilachmakers Klezmer String Bandbookoflifepodcast.substack.comJewish Kidlit MavensFacebook.com/bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodcastShop or Donate Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/04/listen-to-podcast-read-transcript-buy.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/EnXlWNdrqXuQ4V3kzlKGwyqpPWk?utm_source=copy_url A Feather, A Pebble, A Shell is a lovely meditation on the natural landscape of Israel, written and illustrated by Miri Leshem-Pelly. Miri's voice is calm and dreamy, and I could hear birds chirping and dogs barking in the background as she spoke. Our conversation was both fun and serious. We talked about art, nature, books, Instagram challenges... and also about the war in Israel and its impact on humans and animals. LEARN MORE: BuyborrowMiri Leshem-Pelly's websiteMiri's InstagramActivity Guide Ravensburger jigsaw puzzleSociety for the Protection of Nature in Israel All Eyes on Alexandra by Anna Levine A Hoopoe Says Oop by Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh Fast Asleep in a Little Village in Israel by Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod My Israel and Me by Alice McGinty CREDITS: Feldman Children's LibraryCongregation B'nai IsraelAssociation of Jewish LibrariesNice Jewish BooksThe Freilachmakers Klezmer String Bandbookoflifepodcast.substack.comJewish Kidlit MavensFacebook.com/bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodcastShop or Donate Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/04/bonus-passover-interview-next-year-in.html Next Year in the White House: Barack Obama's First Presidential Seder, written by Richard Michelson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis, is a nonfiction picture book that gives us the true backstory of how Passover first came to be celebrated in the White House. It's a stunning book; it received starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist, and was named to the Association of Jewish Libraries' Spring 2025 Holiday Highlights list. Because this is a true story, I was able to interview one of the "characters" -- Eric Lesser, seen in the photo above, walking with President Obama. Lesser worked on the Obama campaign trail in 2008, and later became a White House aide. He's also served as a Massachusetts State Senator. He agreed to answer ten questions about the events covered in Next Year in the White House. Read the interview on The Book of Life blog. LEARN MORE: Buy or borrow Next Year in the White House Websites of author Richard Michelson and illustrator E.B. Lewis Article in The Forward about the book Eric Lesser's Instagram A history of Passover celebrations in the White House Spring 2025 Holiday Highlights booklist (includes Next Year at the White House) Subscribe to The Book of Life's Substack newsletter

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/03/dara-horns-one-little-goat-passover.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/zU6o8qxtZlvMmyrGuICLUOmimzQ?utm_source=copy_url Dara Horn is the author of 5 Jewish novels for adults, the provocatively titled nonfiction essay collection People Love Dead Jews, and now a graphic novel for kids: One Little Goat: A Passover Catastrophe. She writes brilliant, insightful articles for The Atlantic and other publications which set my brain on fire when I read them. I recommend you run out and read everything she's ever written. But before you do, listen to this interview! LEARN MORE: Dara Horn’s website Buy or borrow One Little Goat: A Passover Catastrophe Buy or borrow People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present Listen to the 7-part podcast Adventures with Dead Jews Buy or borrow Dara’s most recent novel, Eternal Life Dara’s short story “Shtetl World” Selected Articles by Dara Horn: o “Is Holocaust Education Making Antisemitism Worse?” o “October 7th Created a Permission Structure for Anti-Semitism” Other books mentioned: Zakhor: Jewish History and Jewish Memory by Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi, Mr. Mani by Alef Bet Yehoshua, The Source by James Michener CREDITS: Feldman Children's LibraryCongregation B'nai IsraelAssociation of Jewish LibrariesNice Jewish BooksThe Freilachmakers Klezmer String Bandbookoflifepodcast.substack.comJewish Kidlit MavensFacebook.com/bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodShop or Donate Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/03/night-owls.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/NeK1Grf7bTzi-TYHpbLocZlEbH4?utm_source=copy_url Night Owls is an paranormal YA romance adventure about Clara and Molly, two estries who run an art house cinema in the Village in New York City. In case you're wondering, estries are Jewish owl-shifting bread-eating female vampires! This book is my new favorite, and I'm not the only one. This debut novel won gold from the Sydney Taylor Book Award AND the National Jewish Book Award! The story is fun and fast paced, it's eery and emotional, and it's got characters I want to hang out with even if they would probably be dangerous to know. LEARN MORE: A.R. Vishny's website Buy or borrow Night Owls Conversation about American Girl dolls: A.R. Vishny's Hey Alma article, Dolls of Our Lives podcast, and The Book of Life's 2009 interview More about the plays "Indecent" and "God of Vengeance" Fantasy cast: Julie Benko as Clara, Micaela Diamond as Molly, Itay Tiran as Ashmedai, Swell Ariel Or as Anat, and Ninet Tayeb as Gila (Boaz is uncast). See images of the fantasy cast! CREDITS: Feldman Children's LibraryCongregation B'nai IsraelAssociation of Jewish LibrariesNice Jewish BooksThe Freilachmakers Klezmer String Bandbookoflifepodcast.substack.comJewish Kidlit MavensFacebook.com/bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodShop or Donate Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/02/finn-and-ezras-bar-mitzvah-time-loop.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/FR6MxDDT0mG1gxfhcfN-6KoLAHA?utm_source=copy_url Finn & Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop by Joshua S. Levy is a 2025 Sydney Taylor Honor Book, and I'm thrilled to interview my friend Josh as part of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour. February 10-14, 2025, winning authors and illustrators will be interviewed on various blogs, podcasts, and Bookstagram accounts, and of course the interviews will remain available for you to enjoy at any time. Check BookOfLifePodcast.com for links. Be sure to listen past the credits to hear our extended conversation about Doctor Who! LEARN MORE: BuyborrowFinn & Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time LoopJoshua S. Levy's websiteThe Jake ShowList of Jewish time travel booksBuyborrowAs a Driven LeafBuyborrowEternal LifeBuyborrowAbout Time2025 Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog TourThe Book of Life Substack newsletter CREDITS: Feldman Children's LibraryCongregation B'nai IsraelAssociation of Jewish LibrariesNice Jewish BooksThe Freilachmakers Klezmer String Bandbookoflifepodcast.substack.comJewish Kidlit MavensFacebook.com/bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodShop or Donate Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-2025-sydney-taylor-book-awards.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/g5yluS6SsAbhu4hkoKy62TZUgac?utm_source=copy_url The winners of the 2025 Sydney Taylor Book Awards, recognizing the best Jewish children's and young adult literature of the year, were announced on January 27, 2025 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 2025 winners of the award. LEARN MORE: Sydney Taylor Book AwardsALA's YouTube channelHeidi's unofficial 2025 Sydney Taylor shortlist The Book of Life Substack newsletter 2025 SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARDS Scroll down to see all the winning titles listed, with links to any past podcast appearances by the authors on The Book of Life. FYI, the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour will take place in early February, and I will be interviewing Joshua S. Levy about Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop. Details will appear soon at JewishLibraries.org. Picture Book Winner: An Etrog from Across the Sea by Deborah Bodin Cohen and Kerry Olitzky, illustrated by Stacey Dressen McQueen, published by Kar-Ben Middle Grade Winner: The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival by Estelle Nadel, Bethany Strout, and Sammy Savos, illustrated by Sammy Savos, published by Roaring Brook Press Young Adult Winner: Night Owls by A.R. Vishny, published by HarperCollins Podcast interview with A.R. Vishny forthcoming - watch this space ~~~ Picture Book Honors Joyful Song by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Susan Gal, published by Levine Querido Podcast interview with Lesléa and Susan about Joyful Song: June 2024 Rising by Sidura Ludwig, illustrated by Sophia Vincent Guy, published by Candlewick Amazing Abe: How Abraham Cahan's Newspaper Gave a Voice to Jewish Immigrants by Norman H. Finklestein, illustrated by Vesper Stamper, published by Holiday House The Tree of Life: How a Holocaust Sapling Inspired the World by Elisa Boxer, illustrated by Alianna Rozentsveig, published by Rocky Pond Books Middle Grade Honors Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar, published by Nancy Paulsen Books Podcast interview with Ruth about Across So Many Seas: May 2024 Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop by Joshua S. Levy, published by Katherine Tegen Books Podcast interview with Josh about The Jake Show: August 2023 Just Shy of Ordinary by A.J. Sass, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Podcast interview with A.J. about Ellen Outside the Lines: June 2023 Young Adult Honors Trajectory by Cambria Gordon, published by Scholastic Press The Forbidden Book by Sacha Lamb, published by Levine Querido Podcast interview with Sacha about When the Angels Left the Old Country: January 2023 ~~~~ Picture Book Notables Mr. Katz and Me by Marc Kornblatt, illustrated by Nanette Regan, published by Apples & Honey Press Everybody's Book: The Story of the Sarajevo Haggadah by Linda Leopold Strauss, illustrated by Tim Smart, published by Kar-Ben Podcast interview about the Sarajevo Haggadah, with Geraldine Brooks about People of the Book: April 2008 Sharing Shalom by Danielle Sharkan, illustrated by Selina Alko, published by Holiday House Middle Grade Notables Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II by Adam Gidwitz, published by Dutton Books for Young Readers Podcast interview with Adam about Max in the House of Spies: July 2024 Things That Shimmer by Deborah Lakritz, published by Kar-Ben Podcast interview with Deborah about the Friends for LQ Auction: August 2023 Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf by Deke Moulton, published by Tundra Books Podcast interview with Deke about Benji Zeb: November 2024 Young Adult Notables The Ballerina of Auschwitz: Young Adult Edition of The Choice by Dr. Edith Eva Eger with Esme Schwall, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers Inkflower by Suzy Zail, published by Walker Books...

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/01/one-of-kind-life-of-sydney-taylor.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/pOzW-X6i92Kh4g_Ou-vEKIAGWcM?utm_source=copy_url Sydney Taylor was the first author to write kids books that served as windows into Jewish life, not just mirrors. Her All-of-a-Kind Family series was game changing. These were the first books about Jewish characters to become popular with readers of all backgrounds, and they are still popular today. Jo Taylor Marshall, Sydney's daughter, sponsors the Sydney Taylor Book Awards that recognize the best Jewish kidlit each year. And now, Richard Michelson has written a picture book biography of Sydney Taylor. It's called One of a Kind. This book has inspired the Association of Jewish Libraries to create a Sydney Taylor portal on their website, to curate information and resources relating to Taylor, her writing, and the Sydney Taylor Book Awards. The project is in the works, and I'll be sure to let you know when it goes live. I spoke with Jo and Rich at the 2024 Association of Jewish Libraries conference in San Diego, where we were celebrating the 120th birthday of Sydney Taylor. If you'd like to hear more from Jo after listening to this podcast, you're in luck! I recorded an oral history with her for the Association of Jewish Libraries. And don't forget to subscribe to my new newsletter on Substack to join my community of Jewish kidlit fans. Get show notes, transcripts, Jewish kidlit news, and occasional calls to action right in your inbox! LEARN MORE: BuyborrowOne of a Kind: The Life of Sydney TaylorRichard Michelson's websiteOral history with Jo Taylor Marshall"All-of-a-Kind Family Companion"The Sydney Taylor Book AwardsThe Sydney Taylor Shmooze mock award blogThe Book of Life Podcast Substack Newsletter CREDITS: Feldman Children's LibraryCongregation B'nai IsraelAssociation of Jewish LibrariesNice Jewish BooksThe Freilachmakers Klezmer String Bandbookoflifepodcast.substack.comJewish Kidlit MavensFacebook.com/bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodShop or Donate Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-bubbe-of-them-all-kar-ben-publishing.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/K9B8p4G3Nr-quRj9KYrkhRaGZio?utm_source=copy_url Appropriately, as we kick off this podcast's 20th anniversary year, in this episode we are going to think about change and continuity. We say goodbye to an old friend, Joni Sussman, who is retiring after twenty years of leading the Jewish children's publishing company Kar-Ben. And we'll say hello to a new friend, Fran Greenman-Schmitz, who will be taking up the reins at Kar-Ben. I've been in this business a long time, so I remember when Joni started at Kar-Ben! This is her fourth live conference interview on the show, and of course it's Fran's first. Joni is the winner of the Sydney Taylor Body of Work Award, for her many contributions to the field of Jewish kidlit. To give you some context, the oldest publisher of Jewish books in English is the Jewish Publication Society, founded in 1888, but Kar-Ben is the oldest publisher to exclusively focus on Jewish children's books. It was founded fifty years ago, in 1974 - so happy anniversary to Kar-Ben! Now there are half a dozen presses that exclusively publish Jewish children's books, but Kar-Ben is the Bubbe of them all. I spoke with Joni and Fran at the 2024 Association of Jewish Libraries conference to hear all about this exciting time of transition. LEARN MORE: Kar-Ben Publishing website"Kar-Ben's New Publisher Is on a Mission"Publishers Weekly 2010 - Book Expo: Jewish Presses2015 - Diversity in Jewish Kidlit2019 - The Book of Life Live Show NEWS! The Book of Life is now on Substack! Sign up to receive show notes, transcripts, Jewish kidlit news, and occasional calls to action in your Inbox! SIGN UP HERE CREDITS: Feldman Children's LibraryCongregation B'nai IsraelAssociation of Jewish LibrariesNice Jewish BooksThe Freilachmakers Klezmer String BandJewish Kidlit MavensFacebook.com/bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodShop or Donate Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/12/cheering-on-jewish-books-hanukkah-gift.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/o0Yx3uuZxPHcUStwWsJbUa7xkmY?utm_source=copy_url HANDOUT: https://tinyURL.com/CheeringJewishBooks VIDEO WITH SLIDES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSBTYGDhCl4&t=2s For Hanukkah 2024, I got you a Jewish Book Advocacy Kit! Let me explain. My local public library invited me to give an online talk in honor of Jewish Book Month. As I thought about what to say, I remembered great advice from my friend, author Liza Wiemer, about all the small simple things that anyone can do to support Jewish literature - and bingo, I had my topic. Here's an edited recording of that talk I gave, with practical, actionable tips, and suggestions for Jewish books you'll love. If you'd like to see my slideshow, you can watch the same talk on YouTube. And be sure to check out this very useful presentation handout. For even more books you'll love, check out my annual unofficial Sydney Taylor Book Award shortlist to see what I think is the best Jewish kidlit of 2024! Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year, and Happy Reading! CREDITS: Feldman Children's LibraryCongregation B'nai IsraelAssociation of Jewish LibrariesNice Jewish BooksThe Freilachmakers Klezmer String BandJewish Kidlit MavensFacebook.com/bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodShop or Donate Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/12/a-very-december-25th-hanukkah.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/UWPCM0P5Hpt6NgXH36TIfIelswY?utm_source=copy_url Happy Hanukkah! Christmas and Hanukkah overlap this year, with Hanukkah beginning on December 25, so it's a good time to think about the juxtaposition of these two holidays. Hanukkah is a minor holiday but its proximity to Christmas brings it extra attention. Let's talk about that! GUESTS: The Festival of Lights: 16 Hanukkah StoriesLet It GlowThe Ninth Night of Hanukkah LEARN MORE: websitebuyborrowThe Festival of LightswebsitebuyborrowLet It GlowwebsiteInstagrambuyborrowThe Ninth Night of Hanukkah The Latke Who Couldn't Stop ScreamingRed and Green and Blue and WhiteMeet the LatkesLatke's First HanukkahP is for PastramiThe GreatestWhat Jewish Looks Like CREDITS: Feldman Children's LibraryCongregation B'nai IsraelAssociation of Jewish LibrariesNice Jewish BooksThe Freilachmakers Klezmer String BandJewish Kidlit MavensFacebook.com/bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodShop or Donate Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/11/jewish-book-month.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/EHJzDppX2El7s3XjfPnLd-PqW4I?utm_source=copy_url Here's a bonus episode for you, in honor of Jewish Book Month, which is marking its 99th year. Arielle Landau, the program coordinator at the Jewish Book Council, joins me to talk about the Council's special campaign to Celebrate Jewish Books, and how YOU can participate! Watch my Instagram @BookOfLifePodcast and Facebook for daily Jewish Book Month recommendations, November 24-December 24, 2024. In light of the state of the world, this year's theme is books that model ACTIVISM. LEARN MORE: Jewish Book MonthCelebrate Jewish Books Campaign "Cheering On Jewish Books"Article by Heidi in The Forward about Jewish Book Month The Yiddish Book CenterOne TableThe Book of LifeLehrhouse CREDITS: Feldman Children's LibraryCongregation B'nai IsraelAssociation of Jewish LibrariesNice Jewish BooksThe Freilachmakers Klezmer String BandJewish Kidlit MavensFacebook.com/bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodcast@bookoflifepodShop or Donate Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/11/creature-double-feature-part-ii-emi.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/LlqEguYzidUDn_uqBHgEK5B1QKY?utm_source=copy_url For the month of November 2024, we've got a 2-part series, CREATURE DOUBLE FEATURE: ANTISEMITISM AND THE SUPERNATURAL. Our guest for Part II is Japanese American Jewish author Emi Watanabe Cohen. Her debut novel was The Lost Ryū (about dragons), and her sophomore novel is Golemcrafters (about golems, of course). I loved The Lost Ryū so much that I volunteered to review it for The Sydney Taylor Shmooze blog, because I wanted to point out a moment of allyship that touched my soul. Then, along came Golemcrafters. I must admit I was wary at first, because golems are kind of overdone, but this book drew me in even more than The Lost Ryū, with how much it mirrored my own emotional response to antisemitism. Both of these books are like hands reaching out to hold yours. I highly recommend that you reach back, and read both books yourself. Creature Double Feature Part I features an interview with Deke Moulton about her vampire and werewolf middle grade novels, Don't Want to Be Your Monster and Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf, which make great companions to Emi's books. LEARN MORE: Creature Double Feature Part IEmiCohenWrites.comBuyborrowūBuy / borrow Golemcrafters Don't Want to Be Your MonsterBenji Zeb Is a Ravenous WerewolfWrath Becomes HerThe City BeautifulAviva vs. the DybbukWhen the Angels Left the Old CountryThe Golem Redux: From Prague to Post-Holocaust Fiction 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 PRE-REGISTER HERE!

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/11/creature-double-feature-part-i-deke.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/9oU8bBDsH32kp0wvR50fWFGLTF0?utm_source=copy_url For the month of November 2024, we've got a 2-part series, CREATURE DOUBLE FEATURE: ANTISEMITISM AND THE SUPERNATURAL. Our first guest is Deke Moulton, author of Don't Want to Be Your Monster (about Jewish vampires) and Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf (about Jewish werewolves). These middle grade fantasy novels go beyond simple adventures with supernatural heroes. I love how they both delve deeply into the very nature of prejudice. I love how they both imagine worlds in which kids defeat hate. AND they are also fun, fast paced magical adventure stories. Creature Double Feature Part II is an interview with Emi Watanabe Cohen about her dragon and golem middle grade novels, The Lost Ryū and Golemcrafters, which make great companions to Deke's books. LEARN MORE: Creature Double Feature Part II DekeMoulton.com @dekewritesstuff Buy borrow Buy borrow Wolfhaven keystone species Jewish werewolves The Enemy Within Anya and the Dragon Max in the House of Spies Impossible Escape Tale of the Flying Forest List of Jewish fantasy titles featured on past podcast episodes 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 PRE-REGISTER HERE!

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/10/festive-friends-part-i-teshuvah-and.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/x1-e3vOomTqZOrPvQPzePL4ZOKQ In honor of this holiday-packed month, I've got a 2-part series for you. I'm calling it Festive Friends, because each episode features a pair of friends talking about books relevant to our fall holidays. Here in Part I, the Festive Friends are Gayle Forman, author of Not Nothing, and Marjorie Ingall, author of Getting to Sorry. While neither of these books are explicitly about Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, they are both about teshuvah, growth, and the art of apology, perfect for this season. I invited this duo not only because of their excellent books but because of their Big BFF Energy, which is a joy to behold. This is Gayle's first appearance on the podcast, but Marjorie has been a frequent guest. Her past appearances include: Enough with the Holocaust Books for Children! (2015), Mamaleh Knows Best (2017), A Field Guide to Jewish Kidlit (2019), and The Mitzvah of Voting (2020 & 2024). In Part II, available now, you'll hear from Erica Lyons and Christina Matula, friends and co-authors of the picture book Mixed-Up Mooncakes, about a Chinese Jewish family celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival and Sukkot. LEARN MORE: Festive Friends Part IIGayle Forman's websiteMarjorie Ingalls' websiteSorryWatchBuy Not NothingBuy Getting to SorryMax in the House of SpiesThe Night WarIf You Don't Have Anything Nice to SayI'm Sorry You Got MadA Bargain for FrancesRamonaLily's Purple Plastic PurseTheStatesProject.orgAuthorsAgainstBookBans.comThe Horn Book"Jewish Joy with Ruth Behar"Rosh HashanahYom Kippur ENTER THE DRAWING Post a review of The Book of Life or Nice Jewish Books, or BOTH, on social media or on any podcast player such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Take screenshots of your reviews and email the images to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com. You'll be entered into a drawing for a special tote bag with the logo of The Book of Life on one side and Nice Jewish Books on the other. Every review you send is an entry in the drawing, and multiple entries are allowed. The deadline to email us is October 24th, 2024, the beginning of the ultimate Jewish celebration of reading, Simchat Torah. Your posts will help our podcasts find more listeners, and help more readers find great Jewish books! "JEWISH JOY" SERIES ON MULTICULTURAL KID BLOGS I am pleased to announce that Multicultural Kid Blogs has invited me to do a "Jewish Joy" series of interviews with diverse Jewish authors. The first one features Ruth Behar, who was on the podcast in May 2024 to talk about her novel Across So Many Seas.

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2024/10/festive-friends-part-ii-asian-jewish.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/xKGzqMhNsej4ALLe6F7e2wBfNJg October 2024 is packed with Jewish holidays, so we've got a 2-part series for you to celebrate: Holiday Friends. In each episode, we hear from a pair of friends about their books that will help us celebrate the Jewish holidays. In Festive Friends Part I we heard from Gayle Forman, author of Not Nothing, and Marjorie Ingall, author of Getting to Sorry. Here in Festive Friends Part II, we meet Erica Lyons and Christina Matula. Lately, Kids of mixed heritage have finally been getting their mirror books, and a great example is Erica and Christina's new picture book Mixed-Up Mooncakes, about a Chinese Jewish family celebrating the Mid Autumn Festival and Sukkot. I love the cozy atmosphere of this book, with its double harvest festival fun; and I love the comfortable way in which the Chinese and Jewish cultures are mixed together both literally and figuratively in the story. LEARN MORE: Festive Friends Part IErica Lyons' websiteChristina Matula's websiteBuy Mixed-Up MooncakesChicken Soup, Chicken SoupHolly-MeiThe Truth About Dragons"Jewish Joy with Ruth Behar"Mid-Autumn FestivalSukkot ENTER THE DRAWING Post a review of The Book of Life or Nice Jewish Books, or BOTH, on social media or on any podcast player such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Take screenshots of your reviews and email the images to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com. You'll be entered into a drawing for a special tote bag with the logo of The Book of Life on one side and Nice Jewish Books on the other. Every review you send is an entry in the drawing, and multiple entries are allowed. The deadline to email us is October 24th, 2024, the beginning of the ultimate Jewish celebration of reading, Simchat Torah. Your posts will help our podcasts find more listeners, and help more readers find great Jewish books! "JEWISH JOY" SERIES ON MULTICULTURAL KID BLOGS I am pleased to announce that Multicultural Kid Blogs has invited me to do a "Jewish Joy" series of interviews with diverse Jewish authors. The first one features Ruth Behar, who was on the podcast in May 2024 to talk about her novel Across So Many Seas.