Margarita Engle in a multi-award winning author and poet. Her novel-in-verse, Tropical Secrets (Henry Holt) was honored with the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Teen readers. The unusual topic of the plight of Holocaust refugees is told from the perspective of several characters, each with a distinct voice. Engle’s evocative language in this beautifully crafted story. The main character, Daniel, is a young refugee who hopes to find his parents, but his sense of despair and loneliness as he arrives in Cuba is overwhelming. This breathtaking book pays homage to refugees of Cuba and those who supported them. Not only will readers learn about a little discussed historical event, they will fully engage in a beautifully told story whose characters resonate long after the last page is read.

Margarita spoke passionately about her work when accepting her award at the Association of Jewish Libraries Convention. I'm delighted to share her thoughts about writing Tropical Secrets.

What inspired you to write Tropical Secrets?

I was moved by the image of refugee children traveling alone, without knowing what to expect. During the late 1930s, when German ships filled with Jewish refugees were turned away from New York and Toronto, they anchored in Havana Harbor. Despite turmoil and tragedy, most of the refugees were granted asylum. Cuban teenagers and American Quakers volunteered to teach them Spanish. I visualized music as common ground for young people who cannot yet speak the same language.

My personal connection to the story is found in my own family history. My father is an American artist of Ukrainian-Jewish ancestry. He traveled to Cuba after seeing National Geographic photos of my Cuban-Catholic mother's hometown, Trinidad de Cuba. They met on Valentine's Day, 1947, at a colonial palace in Trinidad that was being used as an art school (It is now El Museo Romántico, the Museum of Romantic Art., and the entire town of Trinidad, Cuba, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.) Even though my parents could not speak the same language, they passed drawings back and forth to communicate. Sixty-two years later, they are still married, despite all the differences in their cultural and religious backgrounds. Love conquers all!

How did you learn about the history of Jewish refugees in Cuba?

A long time ago, I read about the St. Louis, a ship that, tragically, did not receive asylum. It was turned away from Cuba, and returned to Europe. Many of those refugees perished in concentration camps. Years later, Tropical Diaspora, a nonfiction study by Robert M. Levine, gave me a better understanding of that era in Cuba. I felt haunted by the image of a safe harbor, and the kindness of strangers. I chose to use fictional characters to depict a real historical period. I chose free verse because it allows me to distill complex situations down to their emotional essence. I also used free verse because it offers an uncrowded page, and I hoped that would be inviting to reluctant readers. I also hoped it would be inviting to family literacy programs, where the combination of fast, easy reading and a mature theme might be suitable for various ages.

Tell me a bit about the research required for writing the book.

Unlike my books set in earlier centuries, there was little need to dig through archives. Tropical Diaspora, along with the references listed in that volume's bibliography, provided abundant details, so for me, the real work was simply imagining. That's not as easy as it sounds. The early drafts had emotional gaps that were noticed by my perceptive editor, Reka Simonsen. She edited the manuscript very gently, by asking questions. How did this character feel when such-and-such happened? What were his memories? How did he suffer, even though he was a survivor? I realized that I had tried to protect my young characters from suffering. In some ways Tropical Secrets is a joyful story with a hopeful ending, but the element of pain and loss cannot be omitted. So for me, the real research was suffering along with my characters, by imagining their experiences.

In the process of your research did you learn anything that surprised you?

I was shocked to learn that Nazi spies had been sent to Cuba to stir up anti-Semitism, in a deliberate attempt to insure that refugee ships would be turned away. I was also amazed to learn that after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan, Cuba rounded up and imprisoned non-Jewish Germans on the island. This meant that the red J on a German Jew's passport suddenly served as protection against arrest. It seems like one of the clearest 'there-but-for-fortune' lessons anywhere in history, demonstrating how easily anyone can become a target, and how easily targets can change overnight, once the doors of hatred and fear are opened.

How did you feel when you learned that Tropical Secrets won the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Teen Readers?

I was thrilled, and I still am! I am profoundly grateful, not only for the honor itself, but for the chance to meet so many wonderful librarians at the AJL conference in Seattle, where the award was presented. It was really one of the warmest, friendliest professional conferences I have ever attended. What an incredible experience

Margarita, congratulations on your STBA award! Thank you for sharing your fascinating writer's journey with us.

Robin Friedman - The Importance of Wings - Sydney Taylor Winner

I have just returned from the Association of Jewish Libraries Convention in Seattle. One of the highlights of the convention is honoring the winners of the Sydney Taylor Book Award. Robin Friedman is the winner of the Gold Medal for Older Readers. Her book, The Importance of Wings (Charlesbridge Publishing) is an engaging story of two sisters, Roxanne and Gayle. Their family has immigrated to Staten Island from Israel. Set in the 1980’s, the story offers a nostalgic slice of life for middle grade readers, and sheds light on the unique Israeli-American experience.

Robin is currently the special projects editor at the New Jersey Jewish News, and is the author of five books for young readers, including The Importance of Wings. Her young adult novel, Nothing was a 2009 Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Teens.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Importance of Wings and was excited to learn more about the story from Robin.

How autobiographical is The Importance of Wings?
Very autobiographical! I really did grow up on Staten Island in the 1980s. I have a younger sister; I hated gym, watched too much TV, and couldn’t get my hair to form wings. What was the fiction part? The Cursed House next door, Liat, and my mother spending time in Israel caring for a sister. Some of the scenes, however, such as playing with Legos in the basement, going to town to buy spice cakes, and trick-or-treating at Halloween dressed as cats are directly lifted from my childhood.

I have to say, it’s both enjoyable and terrifying to write that intimately. I have new respect for authors who write memoirs!

Have you heard from other Israelis that the experiences of Roxanne, Gayle, and Liat mirror their own?
Yes, especially the feeling-like-an-outsider part, which I’m sure resonates with many immigrants. Being poor, having parents who speak with thick accents, and not being familiar with American traditions are other common experiences.

Being from another country has made me very, very grateful for America, another common immigrant experience. Every Fourth of July, for example, I read the Declaration of Independence aloud, in its entirety, to my friends at our annual gathering. I majored in American history in college, and especially love anything having to do with the Revolutionary era.

Tell me a little bit about the haunted house in the story. Do you have any experiences with haunted houses?
The idea for the Cursed House actually came from listening to friends at a dinner party describe a house next door to them where strange events always seemed to be happening, including a night visit by armed FBI agents (which I used in my first chapter).

I carry a little notebook in my purse where I jot down ideas that I come across, and I remember writing “Cursed House” in my notebook that evening.

What's the best part about being an author of children's books?

The best part about being an author of children's books is the opportunity to share stories with kids who love books. This audience has impeccable taste, and I firmly believe that creating a good book for a child is much more demanding than creating one for an adult. Adults tend to settle for what is okay; kids hold out for something that captures them. Pleasing them is not only a worthy goal, but a humbling challenge.

Robin, thanks for inspiring readers (through your books and for reading the Declaration of Independence!) and congratulations on the success of The Importance of Wings.

Welcome Laurel Snyder and Baxter the Pig Who Wanted to be Kosher

I am pleased to introduce my friend, Laurel Snyder. Laurel is the author of three novels for children, Penny Dreadful, Any Which Wall and Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains OR The Search for a Suitable Princess (Random House) and two picture books, Inside the Slidy Diner and most recently, Baxter the Kosher Pig. (Tricycle). When she isn't scribbling madly, Laurel chases after her two small boys (Mose and Lewis) in Atlanta, GA. I couldn’t wait to talk to Laurel and learn more about her creation of Baxter the Pig who Wanted to be Kosher.

Tell me about Baxter the Pig who Wanted to be Kosher. What was your inspiration for Baxter?
Well, I hate to make it sound totally random and ridiculous, but I was standing at the preschool, waiting to pick up my kids, and the title "Baxter the Kosher Pig" just popped into my head for no good reason I can remember. I laughed out loud, and a friend asked why I was laughing. When I told her what had made me giggle, she said, "Oohhh, you should write that book!" My immediate response was, "No way! I can't write that!" But it stuck with me. Of course it took me a long time to wrangle out a story to match the title, and the title evolved too, but that was how it started...

Did you have a specific audience in mind for this story?
I didn't when I began. At first Baxter was just a goofy pig book. But as the story took shape, I realized that I was writing a book for families that might sometimes feel disconnected from the more traditional Jewish world. In my own life, those sorts of feelings have had to do with intermarriage, and living in non-Jewish neighborhoods. But I hope Baxter might speak to anyone that feels left out. Doesn't everyone sometimes feel left out? Baxter is all about Big Tent Judaism! He's an inclusivity pig.

The wonderful artwork for Baxter is featured at the Skirball Museum. What was your response when you first saw the illustrations for the book?
I nearly fell over. The art is nothing like what I'd imagined for the book, but it resonated immediately and totally wowed me. There's so much humor, and the art is so unusual. It's like-- R Crumb and Dr Seuss went to a deli with Henry Darger. Or something like that. I love the collage elements.

What do you love about being a writer of children's book?
What don't I love about it? I love that I get to use the creative parts of my brain so freely, every day! I love that I get to fail and redo and fail and redo, and yet it all feels productive. I love that I can travel around the country and meets families and kids. I love that I can work from home, as much or as little as makes sense for my family. I love being part of a community of writers. Lately (and this part is new) I love that it allows me a really expressive individual way to be part of Jewish life and Jewish education. Truly, I don't know how I got so lucky!

What is your favorite holiday?
Well, as a kid I always loved Passover, because the whole family got together, and there was so much formality and ritual. It really felt set apart from the rest of the year.

Laurel,thanks for stopping by. It's always great to chat with you.

The illustrations from Baxter the Pig who Wanted to be Kosher are currently on display at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles as part of the exhibit, Monsters and Miracles: A Journey through Jewish Picture Books. To learn more about Laurel, please visit her at http://laurelsnyder.com.

Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee Call for Submissions

If you have a book published this year, please share the following with your publicity team so we can consider your book.

Sydney Taylor Book Award - Call for Submissions

If you are an author, editor, or publisher of Jewish books for children please submit your 2010 titles for consideration. For more information visit www.Jewishlibraries.org or e-mail Chair@SydneyTaylorBookAward.org

Association of Jewish Libraries Conference

The Association of Jewish Libraries is gearing up for their annual convention. This year the big event will be held in Seattle - July 4 - 7. Among many other exciting sessions will be the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee discussing current Jewish books for children and presenting awards for the year.

If you would like to learn more, please visit the AJL Blog at www.jewishlibraries.org/blog

The Year of Goodbyes

Debbie Levy is the author of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry books for young people. Her most recent title is The Year of Goodbyes: A True Story of Friendship, Family, and Farewells (Disney-Hyperion 2010). The book is based on her mother's personal poetry album and it a deeply moving account of teens growing up under the dark shadow of the Nazi era. Debbie spoke with me at length about the process of writing The Year of Goodbyes.

THE YEAR OF GOODBYES is based on your mother's "poesiealbum," which is described as an autograph album with personal messages from friends. When did you discover that your mother had kept her poesiealbum for so many years? Since writing the book have you discovered others who saved their poesiealbums ?

I can’t say with certainty when my mother first shared her poesiealbum with me. When I was growing up (in Silver Spring, Maryland), there wasn’t much talk in our family about my mother’s childhood in Nazi Germany. My sister and I knew about the Holocaust, of course; we knew parents and grandparents of other kids who had survived concentration camps. But my mother, her sister, and my grandmother really didn’t talk much about their own experiences. I think my mother felt it didn’t warrant discussion—not when others had suffered in the camps.

It wasn’t until after the death of my grandmother—my mother’s mother—in the mid 1980s that my mother shared her diary, which along with the poesiealbum is also excerpted in THE YEAR OF GOODBYES. And it was around that same time that she began talking a little bit more about her childhood. I think this came about in connection with the grassroots efforts that led to the establishment of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Like many others, she and my late father participated in the fundraising for the museum; that caused her to open up more about her experience living in Germany in the 1930s during the rise of Nazism. Sometime after that, I became aware of the existence of the poesiealbum—but I didn’t examine it closely until years later.

Here’s what happened: I wrote an article, which covered a small corner of the larger story covered in the book. The article was published in The Washington Post in November 1998. Among its readers were a couple of women who had been classmates with my mother in Hamburg, Germany in the 1930s. Remember, they’re all in their seventies by this time. Many phone calls later, in 2000 my mother and six of her girlfriends from the Jewish School for Girls in Hamburg, Germany reunited for the first time in more than 60 years in Silver Spring, Maryland.

My mother brought out her poesiealbum to share with the “girls”—two of them had written in it. This was when I got my first good look at the poesiealbum. Without even knowing what the entries in it said—they’re in German and Polish and French—I was moved by this beat-up little book full of handwriting and drawings. I studied it, got it translated, and it became clear to me that it needed to be a central element in a book about my other’s story. So, as you know, nearly every chapter in The Year of Goodbyes begins with one of the handwritten entries from the poesiealbum.

As for other survivors’ poesiealbums, one of my mother’s former Hamburg classmates, who now lives in New York, has shared her own poesiealbum with me. In it, she has an entry written by my mother as a girl!

I'm sure it is striking for today's tweens to discover that twelve year olds in Nazi Germany had the same feeling and as emotions that kids experience today. What has the response been from young readers?

The book is so new that I haven’t heard from many young readers yet, so I only have a couple of anecdotes. I’m told by a friend that her daughter said to her mother after reading it: “Mom, we’re very lucky.” Also, this same girl said that Jutta and her friends reminded her of her own friends. Someone else sent me a book report a girl wrote right after reading THE YEAR OF GOODBYES, in which she said that one reason she found the book so interesting was because she hadn’t previously read anything with such details about the lives of people during this time.

The book is peppered with some unique artwork which appears to be vintage valentines or paper dolls. Can you tell me a bit about the inclusion of these pieces?

Those are reproductions of oblaten—colorful, die-cut, and often embossed stickers that European girls collected and traded in the 1930s (and before). I’m calling them “stickers,” but that’s something of a misnomer because they didn’t actually have adhesive on their reverse sides—you would apply glue and affix them to the pages. Girls used the oblaten to decorate poesiealbum pages. The images that are scattered throughout THE YEAR OF GOODBYES come from my mother’s cache of oblaten—which she brought with her to the U.S. from Hamburg when she and her family fled in November 1938. A few years ago, she and I found them tucked in an old envelope. Collectors today call these tiny works of art “scraps.”

The bakers among your readers may also know oblaten as also a type of thin, wafer-like cookie. No, the girls were not putting cookies in their poesiealbums!

The follow-up of Jutta's friends brings her story full circle. How difficult was the research required to complete your manuscript?

The research was difficult in two ways—it was, as you can understand, often extremely sad, and it was also challenging. Of the 30 people who make an appearance in my book, half were killed by the Nazis or their collaborators in the Holocaust.

As for the challenging aspect of the research: There is no one-stop resource that a researcher can go to for definitive information on people who were killed in, or survived, the Holocaust. Databases maintained by Yad Vashem (the Holocaust research center and museum in Jerusalem) and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (in Washington, D.C.) are extremely useful, and I used them both. They have their limitations, however, and sometime include incorrect information—after all, they are based on reports and testimony filed by individuals, and human error can creep in. I also consulted various books and documents that the Holocaust Museum makes available to the public, such as memorial books published by various German entities. I used an array of directories and sources to track down survivors, or the survivors of survivors. Internet research was invaluable in this respect.

Even today, 65 years after the liberation of Europe from Nazi conquest, information is still dribbling out about Holocaust victims. For example, for years our family believed that my mother’s cousin Manja died in Auschwitz concentration camp, based on reports by other family members who survived that camp. But my research led me to a Page of Testimony in Yad Vashem’s database—a statement filed by another witness—who said Manja died in the Lodz Ghetto.

Then, as my book was about to go to press, I received word from a researcher at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in D.C. She had been searching for me in a huge recently opened archive which had been held in Germany since the end of the war. It’s called the International Tracing Service. She found German government records of Manja’s transfer from Auschwitz to Stutthof concentration camp in September 1944. This was late in the war. She had survived a long time! For an instant, I was hopeful there might be some good news. But the next document was a death certificate from Stutthof; stating that Manja died on January 7, 1945 from “complete body weakness.” I was already reconciled to thinking that that this young woman perished in a concentration camp. But to think of her surviving Auschwitz (where her mother died) and then being shipped hundreds of miles north to Stutthof was very difficult. And to think of Manja surviving until January 1945, with the end of the war only four months away—heartbreaking. Manja was 25 when she died in 1945—6 years older than my mother.

What was the most interesting part of writing THE YEAR OF GOODBYES?

I’m sorry, I can’t choose just one thing. I have to mention:

· Countless hours of interviewing and talking with my mother, and examining her keepsakes.

· Listening to my mother’s six classmates from Hamburg’s Jewish School for Girls at their reunions starting in 2000.

· Tracking down information about my mother’s Parisian cousin Guy Gotthelf, who wrote in her poesiealbum in November 1938. I started with a simple Google search on his name, which yielded a map showing Rue Guy Gotthelf (Guy Gotthelf Street) in Yerres, France. Of course, I had to find out whether this was “our” Guy.

· Finding the connections between what my mother’s friends wrote in her poesiealbum and what was going on around them in Hamburg and Germany as they wrote.

Debbie, thank you for sharing so much about your research and writing process for The Year of Goodbyes. It is a special book that is sure to be meaningful to young readers. To learn more about Debbie and her books, please visit: http://www.debbielevybooks.com/

Secrets of a Jewish Mother

The Jewish mother is traditionally the heart of the family. How has modern life changed the role of mothers in Jewish families? Despite technological advances, shifting social norms, and changing fashions, the soul of a Jewish mother remains strong from generation to generation.

In the newly released book, Secrets of a Jewish Mother (Dutton, 2010) a family of women share their inner thoughts about love, live, and being a Jewish mother. Jill Zarin, Lisa Wexler, and their mother Gloria Kamin candidly discuss the issues that matter to Jewish families. The authors are known from the Bravo TV show The Real Housewives of New York City, but each is a successful businesswoman in her own field and more importantly, a Jewish Mother.

Wearing their hearts on their sleeves, each of the women weigh in on some difficult topics, including inter-faith dating, difficult in-laws, and divorce. The book is full of Jewish wisdom and a bit of schmaltz. Reading Secrets of a Jewish Mother is like a sitting around the kitchen table with a pot of coffee and a chocolate bobka, listening to advice from old friends. I was thrilled the authors could take time from their busy schedules to answer a few questions about their book.

Lisa, in Secrets of a Jewish Mother your personal anecdotes are both revealing and inspiring. I admire you all for sharing your stories so candidly. What was the writing process like with three unique perspectives?

We came up with a structure for the book that allowed us to integrate stories from each of us. We called it "context, framework, action". The context were the chapter summaries and conclusions, the framework was the stories and the action was the "ask yourself" piece.

I came up with the idea for the book and led the writing process. I circulated drafts of each chapter in the context form, then asked Mom and Jill for their stories to flesh out what we were trying to say. Thanks to the beauty of email, the process went quite smoothly. I am very pleased that you can hear three voices in the book.

Gloria, my own grandmother used to say “Little children, little problems, big children big problems.” Now that your children are grown, does the worry lessen or multiply? Does a Jewish mother ever exhale?

Your grandmother and I have a lot in common. In fact, my husband Sol is fond of saying that as well. I consider my daughters to be my daughters until the day I die. Period. And their children are an extension of me as well. So the worry does not lessen at all. Sometimes it multiplies as their lives become more complex and the demands upon them increase. I worry about their economic well-being, their health and the parenting challenges they face. As we said in the book, worry is the default setting in the brain of the Jewish mother.

Lisa, you have had two high-powered careers, as an attorney and a radio host. How does your role as a Jewish mother affect your professional interactions?

I have always considered myself an ambassador for the Jewish people in anything and everything I have done. Maybe this was because I grew up in the Five Towns, from where I had to always fight against the "JAP" stereotype. I always felt I was being judged both on the face of my own personality, and as a Jewish woman.

As a Jewish mother, common to most mothers, my main priority is my children and family. I look at my life as a wheel, trying to balance career, family, friends and community. When one piece of the wheel takes up too much space, it is time to scale back.

In terms of my professional interactions, I hope that I bring to them to values I learned from my own parents, namely, to speak up, whether it be for myself or anyone else. I advocate for clients, I speak up against injustice where I see it, and I am certainly there to inquire, investigate and advocate for my children.

Jill, As a recognizable personality do you feel an added responsibility of representing Jewish mothers?

Yes and No. I don't claim to know it all and in fact I say that in the book. I just try to be a good person and be the best I can be.

Finally, I asked the authors if they have any favorite Jewish children’s books and both Lisa and Jill mentioned the All-of-a-Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor!

Jill, Lisa, and Gloria, it's been a pleasure. Thank you for celebrating Jewish Mothers everywhere!

To learn more about The Secrets of a Jewish Mother, please visit:http://secretsofajewishmother.com/

Welcome Debby Waldman

I am thrilled to introduce author Debby Waldman. Debby's first picture book, A Sack Full of Feathers, a charming retelling of a Jewish folktale, was published by Orca in 2006. She is also the author of WOW: World’s Outstanding Women Athletes (Sports Illustrated for Kids Books, 1998). Her picture book, Clever Rachel (Orca), was published in the fall of 2009. Her third picture book, Room Enough for Daisy, written with Rita Feutl, will be published in 2011. Debby’s articles and reviews have appeared in a variety of publications including People, Parents, Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Publishers Weekly, American Baby, Chatelaine, Glamour, and The Washington Post.

Debby is married and has two children. Her daughter, who is hard-of-hearing, inspired her to co-write Your Child’s Hearing Loss: What Parents Need to Know (Perigee, 2005) with audiology professor Dr. Jackson Roush. An updated version, Your Child’s Hearing Loss: A Guide for Parents, was published in the fall of 2009 by Plural Publishing. Debby was born and raised in Utica, NY, and now lives in Edmonton, Alberta. When not working on one of her many writing projects, she enjoys reading, cycling, baking, attempting to make nutritionally balanced meals for her family, and ferrying her children to music lessons and sports activities.

Your picture books are based on Jewish folktales. What appeals to you about these traditional stories?

They’re solid stories. The fact that they’ve been around for so long means that they’re timeless. Maybe some of the superficial details change: setting, character names and occupations, clothing -- but the gist of the story and the message stay the same. I also enjoy the challenge of finding a new way to tell the story while retaining the message.

What were the challenges you faced in retelling the stories?

In some ways it’s the same with any story -- figuring out the right way to tell it. A Sack Full of Feathers was easier than Clever Rachel, in part because I didn’t change the story that much: like the other versions, mine was about someone with a big mouth who has to learn that just because you know something (or think you do) doesn’t mean you should be blabbering about it to the entire world. Unlike the other versions I had seen, my blabbermouth was a boy, Yankel. As it turns out, that made it a perfect fit for Orca, which publishes children’s books where the main characters are children.

At some level, I modeled Yankel after myself. I love telling stories: I like entertaining people and I know how tempting it is to make the story bigger and more exciting because that’s what people seem to want to hear. But my background is journalism and I’m very careful to get my facts straight. My biggest fear as a writer is that I might misinform people. Yankel wasn’t thinking about the consequences, of the harm that could be caused by his highly inaccurate tales. He had to learn that lesson.

Rewriting Clever Rachel was a bigger challenge. A woman who knows a lot about books for Jewish children told me about the folk tale and said she’d like to see it rewritten for kids. I read some versions and did not like the message that leapt out at me: a woman agrees to marry an arrogant jerk who tells her that if she disagrees with him, he’s going to kick her out of his mansion and send her back to her father’s inn. I thought, “What kind of woman would agree to THAT?” But I figured if this person who knew a lot about books for Jewish children liked the story there had to be some merit to it.

I wrote so many drafts. In the worst one, Rachel was a clever young teen who used riddles to help her family escape from the Nazis. I looked at it and thought, “This is ridiculous. This is not a picture book.” Then I asked myself, “Why does this girl like riddles so much?” And when I answered that question -- because it’s how her dad put her to bed when she was little -- I had my story. It kind of wrote itself. It was amazing. I felt as if I’d turned the story on its ear. I kept the important message -- that the best way to solve problems is to cooperate -- and some of the original riddles, but I made it more palatable or, at least, more palatable to me.
My next picture book is also based on a Jewish folk tale -- the one about the man who thinks his house is too small until the rabbi tells him to bring first one animal and then another and another inside. It’s called Room Enough for Daisy, and I wrote it with Rita Feutl, a fellow writer and friend here in Edmonton. We were talking about folk tales one day and it turned out we both knew that one, but she knew the Ukrainian version (no rabbi) and I knew the Jewish version (rabbi). She had a great idea for rewriting it with a current twist and I said, “You should write it!” and she said “You should write it!” and I said “You should write it!” and she said, “You should write it!” and I said, “We should write it together!” and we did, and it’s been magical. Orca is going to publish it in 2011. Cindy Revell, who illustrated Sack and Rachel, is going to illustrate. It’s got some wonderful messages -- Mitzvah Day, recycling, decluttering. And it’s fun.

How did you become a children's writer?

A friend of mine from my synagogue here in Edmonton wanted to write a Passover story based on her daughter’s ambivalent relationship with the concept of Elijah. This was about fifteen or sixteen years ago. I was writing articles, essays, and reviews for magazines, and she asked if maybe we could write a picture book together. I’d never written a picture book but I thought, “Well, this could be interesting. And fun.” It was both, although the story never did get published. We sure got lots of nice rejection letters, though. I’d still like to have it published, but that’s another story. After that I decided I wanted to write another picture book. I knew a wonderful writer in town who wrote picture books based on folk tales from his native Africa. I thought to myself, “There are some great Jewish folk tales. I think I’ll try a Jewish folk tale.” The story about the feathers appealed to me because of the gossip-accuracy issues. I’m working on a couple more Jewish-themed picture books. Neither of them are based on folk tales, but one is set in Olkinik, the ancestral village of my dad’s family, and the place where I set both Sack and Rachel. In fact, Yankel is going to make another appearance.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

That I have the freedom to write what I want, and that there are people who want to publish it, and other people who want to read it. How wonderful is that? How blessed am I? (Very and very, to answer my questions.) I also enjoy visiting schools and libraries and community centres, reading my stories, and talking to people about writing.

I wish I’d met more writers when I was growing up. I wish I’d met even one! But they were mythical creatures as far as I was concerned because I never laid eyes on one until I was a young adult. I remember the first writer I interviewed when I was working as a newspaper reporter. Her name was Hannah Pakula and I was prepared to be thoroughly intimidated by her because her husband had directed the movie, “All the President’s Men,” AND she had written a massively researched biography, The Last Romantic, about Queen Marie of Roumania. But Hannah was wonderful -- warm, friendly and encouraging. Talking to her was like talking to a friend. She made me believe I could be a writer, but a few decades had to pass before I felt comfortable calling myself that.

For a long time I felt that if I called myself a writer I was being pretentious. I called myself a freelance writer. That didn’t sound quite as pretentious. My first book was a work-for-hire about women athletes, for Sports Illustrated for Kids Books. It was fun to research and write, but I had a hard time thinking of it as a “real” book because it was about the size of a comic book and none of the stories inside were more than 400 words. I think it had more photos than words. In 2003 I co-wrote a book for parents of children who are hard of hearing (my 14-year-old daughter has worn hearing aids since she was three and I wrote the book to help myself and my husband and other parents in our situation). I consider that my first real book, but because it wasn’t a novel and would never have been considered a candidate for, say Oprah’s Book Club, I still had trouble thinking of myself as a writer.

I remember the first time I saw myself identified, in print, as an author -- it was at the end of a book review I’d written for my local newspaper. I thought, “That’s misleading! I’m not an author!” and then it occurred to me, “I guess I am.” By that time I’d had three books published, so I decided it was probably okay to think of myself not only as a writer, but also an author.

What is your favorite children's book?

Well, I don’t have just one. Growing up my favorite book was The Outsiders, by SE Hinton. I read that book so often during junior high and high school that I practically rubbed the print off the pages. In junior high I also discovered Night, by Elie Wiesel. Those two books made me want to become a writer. But I also loved the All of a Kind Family books by Sydney Taylor, Harriet the Spy, Lisa Bright and Dark and Edgar Allen by John Neufeld, the Karen series by Marie Killilea, and any biography. I read every biography in my elementary school library. I still love biographies. (Right now I am reading Open, Andre Agassi’s autobiography. It’s very hard to put down.)

As for picture books, when I was little I remember liking The Carrot Seed, Curious George, and Make Way for Ducklings. My favorite picture book for the past couple of years has been Bagels from Benny by Aubrey Davis. I absolutely adore that book. I think it is the most wonderful rendition of a folk tale. It makes me laugh and think every time I read it. I also quite like Raisel’s Riddle by Erica Silverman, Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman, Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, and all of the Frances books by Russell and Lillian Hoban.

Debby, thank so much for taking the time to share so much about your creative process! To learn more about Debby, please visit her web site at debbywaldman.com.

The Kayak by Debbie Spring

Debbie Spring, author of The Righteous Smuggler has just released a new book, The Kayak. If you are looking for a meaningful middle grade novel, here a bit of info:

Being involved in sports took Teresa’s mind off the demands that teens typically face, but after she was hit by a car while jogging, she realized that fate can strike at any time and that what happens next defines a person. Living her life in a wheelchair limits Teresa’s choices profoundly. Smothered by her parents, she finds personal power, peace, and independence only by kayaking. On the water she is in control of her life, capable, connected. In her kayak her anger, disappointment, and embarrassment give way to confidence, and the return to land always weighs heavily on her.

Welcome Menno Metselaar - The Anne Frank House

Anne Frank: Her Life in Words and Pictures from the Archives of the Anne Frank House by Menno Metselaar and Ruud van der Rol, translated by Arnold J. Pomerans was chosen as a Sydney Taylor Honor book for Older Readers.

Anne Frank is an iconic figure in Jewish history. Millions of young people have read her diary and her words have provided insights about WWII and the Holocaust that no other text can provide. Anne Frank – Her Life in Pictures and Words is an outstanding accompaniment to The Diary of Ann Frank. With never before seen photos, the bits and pieces of Ann’s life are reconstructed like a jigsaw puzzle, offering readers an up close view of Anne’s life before and during the war. Follow-up about Anne, her family and friends bring Anne’s tragic story full circle. The book also described the process of bringing the diary to life through the eyes of Anne’s father, the only surviving family member. I am pleased to introduce the co-author of Anne Frank – Her Life in Words and Pictures, Menno Metselaar who spoke with me about the Anne Frank book as well as other works produced by the Anne Frank House.

Menno is the Senior Project Developer in the Department of Education and Public Presentations of the Anne Frank House. The Anne Frank House was founded on May 3, 1957. Three years later, the museum opened its doors. Besides managing the museum, the Anne Frank House develops educational products and activities to promote tolerance and mutual respect in society.

Anne Frank Her Life in Words and Pictures is a unique collection of personal photos and items. Can you tell me how you were able to collect all the materials to make this book come to life?

We are very fortunate that Otto Frank was a passionate photographer and that the photo albums of the Frank family survived. Another thing is that the Frank family not only wrote a lot of letters, but also kept them. We really have to count ourselves extremely lucky that we have such an important and vast and unique collection to work with for our educational publications, websites and exhibitions. Especially if you keep in mind that we only have a handful of photographs and documents related to the Van Pels family, which by the way is really unfortunate.

What were some of the challenges you faced when researching Anne Frank?

Our main challenge is and will always be to find new ways to present Anne's story and the historical context to new generations. As we move forward in time this challenge will become bigger and bigger, as young people will have less and less 'automatic links' to that period in history through their own family members or family history.

A Family Secret/The Search – Sydney Taylor Notable books for 2010 - present stories about the Holocaust in a graphic novel format. Did Eric Heuvel submit the completed project to you or was it a collaboration?

No, the scripts, both of A Family Secret and of The Search were the result of a close cooperation between the Anne Frank House and Eric Heuvel, and in both cases there were a lot of other natonal and international experts involved to see to it that the historical details were correct.

Did you think this genre would fill a unique niche?

No, as a matter of fact we were hesitant at the beginning. Is a 'comic book' about such a difficult and sensitive subject such a good idea? We had that feeling when we started with A Family Secret (about The Netherlands and World War II) and we had the same feeling when we started with The Search (about the Holocaust). We feared that readers would feel that it trivialized World War II and the Holocaust. But our fears were unfounded. Both books were very well received and are now widely used in schools. Teachers do appreciate the educational possibilities that these books and the accompanying educational materials offer.

Menno – thank you for taking the time to talk about your work and all you do for the Anne Frank House.

To learn about other projects by the Ann Frank House, please visit: http://www.annefrank.org/

The Rabbi is Back in Town!

I am happy to announce the newest Rabbi Harvey book by my friend, Steve Sheinkin

Rabbi Harvey vs. the Wisdom Kid

Harvey’s first book-length adventure—and toughest challenge

In his colorful career on the Rocky Mountain frontier, Rabbi Harvey has matched wits with a variety of villains—most notably the sweet-faced “Bad Bubbe” Bloom, and the self-proclaimed genius “Big Milt” Wasserman. In this exciting new volume, these two formidable foes team up to try to rid the West of Rabbi Harvey once and for all. The key to their evil scheme: Bad Bubbe’s darling son, Rabbi “Wisdom Kid” Rubin, newly arrived from back East. He’s young. He’s clever. He’s eager to take Harvey’s place. But is he fast enough on the draw—the wisdom draw, that is—to take the town from Rabbi Harvey?

The hilarious, action-packed plot draws on classic Jewish folktales, Talmudic teachings and the timeless wisdom of the wise men of Chelm. As always, Rabbi Harvey protects his town and delivers justice, wielding only the weapons of wisdom, wit and a bit of trickery. He also gets a bit of help from Abigail, the town’s quick-thinking school teacher—a woman, it appears, who just may have captured his heart.

For more info about Steve and his books, please visit www.RabbiHarvey.com

Honoring Sid Fleischman

I was saddened today to hear of the passing of Sid Fleishman. Sid was a gifted writer and his contributions to children's literature will continue to enlighten generations of children. More importantly, Sid was a kind and generous man. I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Sid. To honor him, I am re-posting the interview with a heavy heart. Sid, may your memory be a blessing.

Last week at the Jewish Literature for Children conference in Los Angeles, I had the honor of sitting with Newbury author Sid Fleischman. I have read and admired Sid's work for many years, but never had the opportunity to meet him in person. Sid was charming, kind, and gracious enough to blog chat with me about his newest book, THE ENTERTAINER AND THE DYBBUK(Greenwillow), which won a Sydney Taylor Book Award for older readers. Both children and adults should read THE ENTERTAINER AND THE DYBBUK, a tribute to the children of the Holocaust. The story brings to life an important part history through the character of Avrom the dybbuk, who takes over the life of Great Freddie, a ventriloquist. The relationship that develops between the two characters is warm, touching, and surprisingly humorous. I'm thrilled to interview Sid about his latest work.

The Entertainer and the Dybbuk is your first book about the Holocaust. What was the inspiration for the book?

I think every Jewish novelist wants to deal with this most dramatic and disturbing event in our lives. But what can you say? Through the years my thoughts have returned again and again to the nightmare and in particular to the murder, beyond belief, of the 1 1/2 million Jewish children. It was only after I began thinking of a dybbuk as the illuminating character in a novel that I found a fresh way of dealing with the Holocaust.

Do you have experience as a ventriloquist?

None as a performer, though many of my magician friends do vent acts. It is, after all, a bit of magic to throw the voice. Still, when I was nine or ten, I saw an adv in a Johnson Smith catalogue of novelties (magic tricks, joke books, stage beards and makeup, etc.) offering Ventrillo, a device that allowed you to throw your voice into a trunk, and so forth. I believe the price was ten cents. Anyway, I sent for one and was disappointed to receive a rubber warbling device you put on your tongue -- the same device sold to make bird calls. My career as a ventriloquist or bird caller ended on the spot. But in writing the book, I talked over technical problems with friends who were pros.

The concept of a dybbuk might be unfamiliar to kids. How have readers
responded to this aspect of the story?

Yes, even among Jews, I have found only spotty familiarity. But they respond immediately and with fascination when the dybbuk is explained. Kids, especially, to discover there is a well-defined Jewish ghost lurking about. From mail I have received so far, kids especially are enchanted with Avrom, the dybbuk in the novel, and particularly the ending when he tricks the villain into confessing.

Of all the books you have written, do you have a favorite?

Almost always the last book I have written, out of sheer relief to have gotten the story on paper. I'd have to say, the novel I find myself thinking about the most these days is The Entertainer and the Dybbuk. At other times the book that has pleased me the most is By the Great Horn Spoon! and more recently, ESCAPE! The Story of the Great Houdini. Impossible to pick an absolute favorite.

Can we expect another book soon?

Yes. THE TROUBLE BEGINS AT 8, a biography of Mark Twain, due out in May.Due in 2009,THE DREAM STEALER. I've been busy.

Sid, we look forward to seeing you new books on the shelves. Thank you for all your contributions to children's literature. I know you will continue to inspire readers, writers, and librarians for years to come!

To learn more about Sid please visit his web site at www.SidFleischman.com

Welcome Dean Schnider - Hachi: A Dog's Tale

If you have a dog or love a dog, you won’t want to miss Hachi: A Dog's Tale, now available on DVD. The remarkable true story about a dog named Hachiko took place in Japan in the 1920's but was updated to modern day America in this movie. Starring Richard Gere, this is a wonderful film for the family. Be sure to check out the preview at the end of the interview.

I am excited to introduce Dean Schnider, the co-producer of Hachi: A Dog's Tale. Dean is the young visionary who sought to bring the story to the screen. His ambitions as a producer started at the age of 12 when he saw JAWS and read the quote by William James, "The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts life.” I’m pleased that Dean was able to chat with me about his experience as a producer of this special film.

What drew you to the script of Hachi: A Dog's Tale?

I was actually drawn to the story of Hachiko before the script. I heard about the famous dog who waited for 9 years for his master at the train station and thought it was the most powerful, simple and universal story of friendship, loyalty and love, that I thought it would make a great film. I, and the other producers, found a writer to adapt the story into a script and after several dozen versions of the script; we ultimately made the film we all wanted to make.

What is a producer's creative process like?

A producer is a visionary who gets excited by a story and dedicates his life to get that story told to millions of people. That story can be traced back to a book, an original idea, a remake of an old movie, a board game, a short story, a true story or anything at all for that matter. One person told me that being a producer is like getting punched in the face every day. The reason is, producers are always in an uphill battle to identify a great story, control and protect that story, find the ideal writer to scribe the tale and director to bring it to life. On top of that, there are daily actor issues, scheduling problems, budget restraints, legal concerns, hidden agendas and investors looking for a return. With so many moving parts, there are inevitably a series of daily problems which present themselves and it is typically up to the producer to solve them. Hence, it is the "Rocky" trait of determination, the ability to take a punch, and guts that is necessary to produce.

What was the greatest challenge you faced in the creation of the movie?

Every day was a challenge for the most part but the biggest challenge was ensuring that the story you wanted to tell from the beginning gets told. Because new writers come on the scene, a director has his vision, big actors have their comments and egos, other producers may see things differently, the financier has certain needs, the budget plays a role, the locations change things, all of which have an impact on the script and ultimately the story. So, from the beginning when I pitched the story to the production companies and studios to giving notes on the various cuts of the film, it was always a challenging game of give and take to ensure that the story is told to the audience and you don't cause a mutiny in doing so. Ultimately, it is a collaborative effort and when the team has the same vision, that is always the best foundation to build upon.

Hachi has received terrific reviews worldwide. What do you think is the universal appeal of the story?

The fact that the dog Hachi, is more than a dog. Hachi is symbolic of your dog, your pet, your best friend, your sibling, your mom, your ex-wife, and your boyfriend. I actually initially pitched the movie as E.T meets EIGHT BELOW. It is a timeless story of friendship and love and loyalty that is innate in all humans. The story of waiting for one's master for so many years and ultimately having an impact on the community is so powerful yet also so simple that it resonates with the young, the old, and every race, color and creed. The themes are universal and the fact that the story itself has been so popular for over 80 years in Japan and that it is taught to students around the world shows that there is lasting power and appeal to a story that speaks to us on a human level and makes us yearn for something greater in life.

Dean, thanks so much for giving us insight into your creative process as a producer. Wishing you continued success!

Check out a preview of Hachi: A Dog's Tale

Fern Schumer Chapman - Is it Day or Night?

Please welcome author Fern Schumer Chapman. Junior Library Guild has selected her new book, Is It Night or Day? (March 2010), as a spring title. In a starred review, Booklist called the work ''powerful and eloquent,'' adding, ''as with the best writing, the specifics about life as a young immigrant are universal.'' A prequel to Chapman's first book Motherland, the new book explores a little-known program which rescued some 1,200 youngsters from the Holocaust. Chapman's first book received honors including Barnes & Noble Discover Title, BookSense 76 pick. The Illinois Association of Teachers of English named Chapman the "Illinois Author of the Year 2004."

I’m so pleased that Fern was able to talk with me about her work and the fascinating story about her own family.

Your new book, Is it Day or Night? is a prequel to Motherland. Can you share a bit about your creative process and how that affected the writing - and sequencing - of your books?

My mother came from a small German town of 2,000 people and only two Jewish families. Her family had lived in that town since 1721. When she was only 12 years old, my grandparents sensed the growing anti-Semitism in Germany and sent my mother to this country all by herself. Eventually, her parents were killed in concentration camps. My mother coped with her losses by never talking about her past.

Finally, for a variety of reasons, my mother decided she wanted to return to her town in 1991, and I went with her on the trip. Everyone in the town remembered her and, when we returned, each resident was confronted with his or her sense of responsibility for the past. In addition, my mother began to open up about her childhood and I began to understand her. Motherland captures these experiences.

When I wrote the book, I didn’t know anything about the program that brought my mother to America. Neither did she. But after the publication of the book, I learned about a small American rescue operation organized by Lutherans, Quakers and Jewish organizations that brought ten children at a time from Europe to America on cruise ships. Between 1934 and 1944, this organization brought over about 100 children a year, saving about a thousand children. My mother was one of what is now known as the “One Thousand Children.”

Readers of Motherland had many questions about my mother’s child immigration experience and, as I gained answers, I realized that I could write a prequel and capture this untold chapter of history.

Consequently, I wrote Is It Night or Day? Through the prism of one girl's story, readers of this book experience my mother’s bewildered efforts to assimilate in America, her struggle against constant feelings of abandonment and isolation, and the daunting work necessary to rebuild a life in the face of unspeakable loss -- challenges for every child immigrant.

Now that both are published, which one should be read first?

Both books stand alone so a reader can pick up either one or both. Motherland is a memoir that examines the legacy of the Holocaust, but Is It Night or Day? is a work of historical fiction. I have imagined my mother’s voice and recounted some of her experiences along with some of the other “One Thousand Children.” Since I told the story from my mother’s 12-year-old perspective, it can be read by adults and young adults.

Both books are based on your mother's experiences. How much did you rely on her accounts and how much research did you do on your own?

Motherland captures the experiences on two trips to Germany and it is based upon my perceptions and my mother’s accounts of her early life. Both books required research to understand the historical and psychological aspects of these experiences. However, there is very little material available about the “One Thousand Children” so that presented its own challenge. A book of diaries and letters by the “One Thousand Children” called Don’t Wave Goodbye was invaluable.

What are some fun facts about you?

Hmmm…I am a research hound. I deeply believe knowledge is power. As a journalist, I taught myself to gather as much information as possible before writing about any subject. And I don’t let any of that research go to waste. I use leftover material in my blog at www.fernschumerchapman.com/blog.

Fern, thank you for sharing your thoughts and your writing process. I wish you continued success with your books!

Welcome Barbara Reid - Fox Walked Alone

Barbara Reid is the author/illustrator of FOX WALKED AONE (Albert Whitman and Company) a visually stunning story of Noah’s ark. FOX WALKED ALONE is a Sydney Taylor Notable book for 2010. Barbara’s unique Plasticine art provides wonderful visual images for her stories. I’m delighted that Barbara could chat with me about her work. Barbara lives with her family in Toronto

What was your inspiration for Fox Walked Alone?

I find the possibilities for interpretation of the story or the ark almost limitless. One day I was daydreaming about what motivates animal behaviour in general, and the question flashed through my mind: whatever possessed the animals to get on the ark? I pictured individual animals all over the world, pricking up their ears and sniffing the breeze to receive the urgent message-get going! I settled on the Fox as the main character because he is a skeptic, and an outsider and had the most potential for growth during the story. Also his orange coat, white whiskers and elegant black stockings gave him star power!

As an author/illustrator do you have a story idea first or do ideas come as visual images?

As an author/illustrator my first ideas are generally images or pivotal scenes that are the inspiration for the book. After that, I write the manuscript to go with the little movie in my head. For Fox Walked Alone, as the story followed the animals on their journey I made sketches and storyboards of various characters and scenery. Once the manuscript is finished, I draw the final roughs. From the roughs I construct the plasticine art.

The use of Plasticine in unusual for children's book illustrations. Can you explain the process and why you chose this medium for Fox Walked Alone?

I have been creating picture book illustrations with plasticine for more that 25 years, and playing with it since I was a child. It is an extremely expressive medium, perfect for detail, and every book creates new ways of working with it and new problems to solve. And it is FUN! For Fox, it was a joy to create the desert colours, the changing sky and the textures and expressions of the animals, and especially creating the bird's eye view of the ruined city. I meet hundreds of fellow plasticine artists when I visit schools, and many students send me pictures of their artwork in this medium. I share some of their inspiring work on my website.

What is the best thing about being an author/illustrator?

The best thing about being a children's author/illustrator is visiting a library and finding one of my books sharing a shelf with books that I loved as a child, as well as new books by authors I admire. It's an honour and a thrill to be in such good company.

What is one fun fact about you?

I do most of my thinking while walking our dog, Ruby. She is a terrier, and some of her large ego shows up in the personality of Fox.

Barbara, thank you so much for sharing your creative process! For more information, as well as some how-to videos, please visit Barbara’s amazing website: www.barbarareid.ca

Annual Western Regional Conference: Jewish Literature for Children

CELEBRATE JEWISH BOOKS FOR CHILDREN!

ANNUAL WESTERN REGIONAL CONFERENCE : JEWISH LITERATURE FOR CHILDREN

Sunday, April 18, 2010, 9:00 am to 3:00

"MONSTERS AND MIRACLES: A JOURNEY THROUGH JEWISH PICTURE BOOKS"
Skirball exhibit - panel discussion - silent auction - book sale - autographing by local authors. Continental Breakfast; Lunch. Manuscript consultation available.
Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 North Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049 - (310) 440-4500 AND American Jewish University, 15600 Mulholland Dr., Bel Air, CA 90077 - (888) 853-6763

AJLSC members - $45 (includes lunch)
Co-sponsored by Sinai Temple Blumenthal Library, Association of Jewish Libraries, AJLSC, and the Ostrow Community Library at the American Jewish University.
For more information please visit www.ajlsc.org

Writing Classes in Oak Park

Begining February 22nd, I will be teaching Writing Books for Children on on Monday nights at the Oak Park Community Center.

Feel free to e-mail me at BarbaraBietz@aol.com for more information or visit www.rsrpd.org.

Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour - Welcome Jago!

Welcome to the Sydney Taylor Book Awards Blog Tour! I have the pleasure of introducing Jago, the illustrator of silver medal winner Nachshon Who Was Afraid to Swim, written by Deborah Bodin Cohen (Kar-Ben)

Nachshon was the first person to event the Red Sea before it parted. In the book, he is a brave boy who longs for freedom from slavery. His only fear is water. Jago’s beautifully textured illustrations create the perfect backdrop for the story. I was delighted to learn more about the techniques Jago used.

What were your thoughts when you first read the manuscript for Nachshon, Who Was Afraid to Swim ?

I was excited at the thought of illustrating a book set in Egypt and the possibilities for creating landscapes filled with pyramids and trying to get a sense of the intense heat.

Did you need to do research before creating your illustrations?

Yes! I did quite a lot of research into Egyptian architecture, clothing and ceremonial costumes.

What techniques did you use for your illustrations?

I work entirely digitally using a Wacom Cintiq graphics tablet to draw my illustrations directly on my iMac. I use Photoshop to build up my illustrations in layers; I start with a "painting" at the bottom in fairly flat colours and then overlay various photographic layers (things like close up photos of concrete and hand made paper) to build up textures, it's a secret recipe known only to me so I can't divulge the exact ingredients..... Then I add lighting effects, shadows and highlights and generally try to make things seem less flat and more solid. Then at the end I'll usually adjust all the colours a bit until they're right

What was the greatest challenge in working on this book?

The challenge with all pictures I find, is to try to tell the story in the pictures as much as it is told in the words, and to try to add details and elements to the illustrations that will enhance the story.

What was the most interesting thing you learned in the process of working on Nachshon, Who Was Afraid to Swim ?

That I quite like illustrating horses! I've always avoided them before as they're complicated to get right, but with the Pharaoh's army riding chariots there was no getting away from them. Once I'd figured them out I quite enjoyed drawing them and now I don't avoid them any more!

Jago, thanks for joining the blog tour!

To learn more about Jago, please visit his web site at http://www.jagoillustration.com/

Author Event for Librarians in Camarillo

February 26, 2010, 1-5:00 pm. Afternoon with Eve & Others
Authors Eve Bunting, Alexis O'Neill & Abigail Yasgur will speak to library staff. Other local authors will be present to sign their books and talk about their school programs. Book & publisher representatives will display their materials.
REGISTER EARLY!

http://www.vcoe.org/cici/LibraryLRDC/tabid/491/Default.aspx

The Sydney Taylor Book Awards Blog Tour is Coming!

Meet the authors and illustrators who were honored with Sydney Taylor Book Awards! For the complete schedule visit jewishlibraries.org/blog.

Video of Sydney Taylor Book Awards Gold Medal Winners

SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARDS - 2010

2010 SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARDS - ANNOUNCED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH LIBRARIES

Congratulations to all!


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

The Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Older Readers:
The Importance of Wings by Robin Friedman

The Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Teen Readers:
Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba by Margarita Engle

Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Younger Readers:
Nachshon, Who Was Afraid to Swim: A Passover Story
by Deborah Bodin Cohen with illustrations by Jago
Benjamin and the Silver Goblet by Jacqueline Jules with illustrations by Natascia Ugliano
Yankee at the Seder by Elka Weber with illustrations by Adam Gustavson
You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax? by Jonah Winter with illustrations by Andre Carrilho

Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Older Readers:
Anne Frank: Her Life in Words and Pictures from the Archives of the Anne Frank Houseby Menno Metselaar and Ruud van der Rol, translated by Arnold J. Pomerans
A Faraway Island by Annika Thor, translated by Linda Schenck

Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Teen Readers:
Lost by Jacqueline Davies
Naomi’s Song by Selma Kritzer Silverberg

Notable Books for Younger Readers:
Where Is Grandpa Dennis? by Michelle Shapiro Abraham with illustrations by Janice Fried
Around the Shabbos Table by Seryl Berman with illustrations by Ari Binus
The Secret Shofar of Barcelona by Jacqueline Dembar Greene with illustrations by Douglas Chyka
Menorah Under the Sea by Esther Susan Heller
Today Is the Birthday of the World by Linda Heller with illustrations by Allison Jay
The Waiting Wall by Leah Braunstein Levy with illustrations by Avi Katz
Sukkot Treasure Hunt by Allison Ofanansky with photographs by Eliyahu Alpern
Fox Walked Alone by Barbara Reid

Notable Books for Older Readers:
The Champion of Children: The Story of Janusz Korczak written and illustrated by Tomek Bogacki
Guardian Angel House (A Holocaust Remembrance Book for Young Readers) by Kathy Clark
Rebecca Series (American Girl Collection)
by Jacqueline Dembar Greene with illustrations by Robert Hunt
Strawberry Hill by Mary Ann Hoberman with illustrations by Wendy Anderson Halperin
The Mysteries of Beethoven’s Hair by Russell Martin and Lydia Nibley
The Man Who Flies with Birds by Carol Garbuny Vogel and Yossi Leshem
Clay Man: The Golem of Prague by Irene N. Watts with illustrations by Kathryn E. Shoemaker
Elvina’s Mirror by Sylvie Weil

Notable Books for Teens:
The Disappearing Dowry: an Ezra Melamed Mystery by Libi Astaire
A Family Secret/The Search by Eric Heuvel
So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother) by Micol Ostow with art by David Ostow
Cursing Columbus by Eve Goldberg Tal
Puppet by Eva Wiseman
The Other Half of Life: Based on the True Story of the MS St. LouisBy Kim Ablon Whitney (Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House)

NOTABLE BOOK FOR READERS OF ALL AGES:
JPS Illustrated Children’s Bible by Ellen Frankel with illustrations by Avi Katz

Welcome Rabbi Jacobs!

One of the lovely benefits of sharing interviews on my blog is the opportunity I have to meet wonderful people from around the world. Rabbi Fishel Jacobs is the author of the Two Kings books for children. He lives with his family in Kfar Chabad, Israel, a suburb of Tel Aviv. Rabbi Jacobs has many talents. He has written seven adult non-fiction books, served in the Israeli army, and is an eight degree Black Belt!

I'm delighted that Rabbi Jacobs was able to join me for a blog interview.

Tell me about your Two Kings books.
The Two Kings book series actually evolved from a play we performed for many years in front of tens of thousands of youth in Israel. The play, as well as the books, feature a main character, David, 8. He is charged with performing some sort of daily activity, such as helping watch the baby sister, do homework, whatever. Through simple text and really marvelous brilliant colored pictures we "see" and "hear" an internal Bad King trying to influence David not to do what he's supposed to. Then we watch as the internal Good King responds with counter-arguments. Finally, we watch as David is torn and struggles to decide with which inner voice, inclination so to speak, he will go.

What inspired you to write books for children?
First, I've always loved children. I love to tell my own children stories at the Shabbat table, and before they go to bed at night. I personally have been influenced greatly by inspirational stories which I've been fortunate enough to have read or heard. Stories are an important of the human experience.

Second, I think this message of two little voices inside us is important to begin imbuing at an early age. When shall we begin, when someone is an adult?

So, I feel this series is an educational and social mission for me. When we publish a Two Kings book, I think about the little (and not so little) minds who will absorb this important lesson. By the way, the original concept was presented by King Solomon, "the wisest man who ever lived."

I think about the improvement it will make in their lives to realize they should always weigh their thoughts. That they should not always "just do what you feel." Think, even if for the moment, reconsider your actions. Am I acting out of raw impulse, or are my actions influenced at all by my thoughts.

I believe in this message for our youth, for our teens, and yes, I believe in it for ourselves as well.

How important were books to you when you were a child?
In terms of personal growth and maturity, books were extremely important to me as a child.The only problem was that I wasn't aware of it at the time. I never opened a book, never read. My dad always said, "Read a book. It will develop your mind." I was into competitive sports. Now, years later, I'm sorry I didn't take that advice more seriously. A mind is, indeed, a precious thing. The positive side is I'm repeating that advice to my own kids, and with some of them, thankfully, its sticking.

What are some fun facts about you?
Fun facts. Fun facts. Unfortunately, I'll really have to share a LOL with you on that one. I guess, you'd really need to rephrase that to get it down. Something more like, What are some non-fun facts about you? In kind of a nutshell, my whole life is fun.

The only thing I like more than to laugh, is when I get someone else to laugh. Our home is full, 24/7,with students and guests who come to meet up with the guy who wrote all those books, worked in a prison and has a black belt in karate. that;s fun.

My dear wife, of 28 very quickly passing years, Miriam, is a serious scholar who runs an entire department at the seminary here in Kfar Chabad. I even get her to laugh a lot. That's fun. Finally, our seven kids get us both to laugh a real lot -- that's the most fun of all.

Before signing off, I'd like to thank the publisher, Israel Book Shop, a great company for all their help and assistance.

Thank you, Rabbi Jacobs! To learn more about the Two Kings or other books by Rabbi Jacobs, please visit www.RabbiJacobs.com

MONSTERS DO EAT BROCCOLI - LATKES!

My friend Barbara Jean Hicks is the author of Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli, recently released by Knopf. Monsters might not eat broccoli, but they do eat latkes! In honor of Hanukkah, Barbara Jean shares this terrific latke recipe borrowed from the recipe files of April Halprin Wayland. Happy Hanukkah!

Broccoli Latkes

1 pound broccoli, chopped into small pieces
2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and cubed into small pieces
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 cups water
½ teaspoon celery seed
salt and pepper to taste

Cook all the ingredients in a large covered pot over medium heat for 20 minutes. Drain mixture. Mash ingredients together.

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Form 10 pancakes. Fry 8 minutes on one side. Flip and fry for another 5 minutes on the other side. Serve warm.

ENJOY!

HOPPY HANUKKAH!

Linda Glaser is the author of many children’s books. Her latest is Hoppy Hanukkah, a delightful holiday celebration for young readers. Her other acclaimed books include The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes, Mrs. Greenberg’s Messy Hanukkah, and Bridge to America. I’m so happy to welcome Linda to the blog!

Tell me about your new book, Hoppy Hanukkah?

For years, I’ve had the complete joy of introducing preschoolers to Jewish holidays and values in religious school at our temple on Saturday mornings. I love that age group! After many years of holiday fun with young children, I wrote Hoppy Hanukkah to playfully introduce even more young ones to Hanukkah traditions. As I wrote it, I fantasized about reading it to my own grandchildren someday. Almost as gratifying, my older daughter gave Hoppy Hanukkah its “world premier” by reading it to her group of temple preschoolers in Minneapolis. She reported back that the children loved it and laughed in all the right places. That warmed my heart.

Several of your books have a Jewish theme. How much has Judaism shaped your writing?

More than anything else, belonging to a small yet vibrant temple community has shaped my Jewish themed writing. My first Jewish book, The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes, was inspired by the third graders at our temple. Seeing how much they still enjoyed picture books, I wrote the story with them in mind. My next book Mrs. Greenberg’s Messy Hanukkah was inspired by latke making with the preschoolers. I love getting messy with kids! My middle grade historical novel Bridge to America is based on the early life of a temple elder, Phil, who grew up in a shtetl. I tried to imbue the book with his lively, life-affirming spirit. When the book finally came out, our temple held a “book mitzvah.” Phil and I both signed copies--a most memorable book signing! I have another book coming out this spring called Emma’s Poem, The Voice of the Statue of Liberty. It’s based on the life of Emma Lazarus, an outspoken and accomplished Jewish writer and humanitarian. Even as a young girl, I found it awe-inspiring that a Jewish woman writer with her visionary poem had shaped the hearts and minds of the American people by giving the Statue of Liberty a powerful voice for immigrants.

What is the best part about being a writer?

I love writing. Having my writing published gives me a way to share what I love and feel passionate about with others.

What is your favorite holiday?

Do I have to pick just one? On Sukkot, I love decorating the sukkah. On Simchat Torah, I love dancing around temple with the Torah. On Hanukkah I love lighting candles and eating latkes. On Purim… well, you get the idea. I love all the Jewish holidays.

What are some fun facts about you?

Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming a children’s book writer. For my 10th birthday, I asked for a fountain pen. Back then, I wrote lots of stories and poems—mostly with a regular ballpoint pen or a pencil. But once I got my fountain pen, whenever I wanted to really feel like a writer, I wrote with that pen. Now, I bring it on school visits to encourage children to hold onto their dreams.

Thanks, Linda! To learn more about Linda's books, please visit www.LindaGlaserAuthor.com

Hoppy Hanukkah to all my readers!

Maggie Anton - Rashi's Daughters

Maggie Anton is the author of the very popular Rashi's Daughters Series. She has just released the Book III - Rachel. I am so thrilled that Maggie could take time out of her busy touring schedule to visit the blog.

Tell me about your Rachel, the subject of your third book in the Rashi's Daughter series:

Rachel is Rashi's youngest daughter, and the most beautiful. Being the only child to grow up when Rashi lived at home, she is spoiled and his favorite. She is the only one of his daughters to marry for love.

Your first book was adapted as a Young Adult novel. Will you do the same for the other books?

No. Their subject matter does not lend itself to YA readers.

How challenging was your research for your books?

It was more enjoyable than challenging; I love learning new things. Writing the novels was hard work; the research was fun.

What has been the most interesting part of your writer's journey?

That someone who was a chemist for over 30 years, who never took a writing class or wrote anything except letters to my husband in the army, could successfully write historical novels about some obscure 11th-century Jewish women.

What are some fun facts about you?

I am a Bubbi, with two grandsons - Nathan and Benjamin. I grew up in a secular socialist household & never attended High Holy Day services until after I was married. I am a total Los Angeles girl: born here, went to UCLA, married another LA native, both my children were born here, and I still live in the city. I have spoken about RASHI'S DAUGHTERS in 26 different states, plus DC.

Thanks, Maggie! For more information about Maggie Anton and her books, please visit http://www.rashisdaughters.com/