NEW BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY!

Resurrection and the Restoration of Israel Jon D. Levenson

Hitler, the Germans, and the Final Solution Ian Kershaw

Resurrection Kevin J. Madigan and Jon D. Levenson

The Bagel Maria Balinska Cloth

Treacherous Alliance Trita Parsi; With a New Preface by the Author

King's Dream Eric J. Sundquist Cloth

The Golem and the Wondrous Deeds of the Maharal of Prague Yudl Rosenberg, edited and translated by Curt Leviant

God’s Last Words David S. Katz Cloth

The Book of God Gabriel Josipovici

The Empty Men Gregory Mobley

1948 Benny Morris

Writing a Modern Jewish History Edited by Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett with essays by Arthur Hertzberg, Susannah Heschel, Barbara Kirshenblat...

Landmark of the Spirit Annie Polland; Foreword by Bill Moyers

In Queen Esther's Garden Translated and with an introduction and notes by Vera Basch Moreen Cloth

One State, Two States Benny Morris

Dateline Israel Edited by Susan Tumarkin Goodman, with essays by Susan Tumarkin Goodman, Andy Grundberg, and Nissan N. Perez

The Pentateuch Joseph Blenkinsopp

The YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe Editor in Chief Gershon David Hundert

Chagall and the Artists of the Russian Jewish Theater Susan Goodman, with essays by Zvi Gitelman, Vladislav Ivanov, Jeffrey Veidlinger, and Benjamin Harshav

The Bible and the People Lori Anne Ferrell

Hitler's Professors Max Weinreich; With a new Foreword by Martin Gilbert

The Midrash on Proverbs Translated from the Hebrew, with an Introduction and annotations by Burton L. Visotzky

My Happiness Bears No Relation to Happiness Adina Hoffman

The Jewish Identity Project Susan Chevlowe; With contributions by Joanna Lindenbaum and Ilan Stavans

The Jewish King Lear Jacob Gordin; Translated by Ruth Gay, with notes and essays by Ruth Gay and Sophie Glazer

Fallen Angels Harold Bloom; Illuminations by Mark Podwal

Islamic Imperialism Efraim Karsh

The Ancient Synagogue Lee I. Levine

Divided Souls Elisheva Carlebach

Eva Hesse Elisabeth Sussman and Fred Wasserman, with essays by Yve-Alain Bois and Mark Godfrey

The Yale Book of Quotations Edited by Fred R. Shapiro; Foreword by Joseph Epstein

FROM THE JEWISH WOMEN"S RESOURCE CENTER:

The third day : poems /Jare, Karen.

The road to November : new & selected poems/ Spektor, Mira J

Love poems of a philanderer's wife / Wenkart, Henny

REVIEWS BY JON

Jonathan Cohen is a Simmons College Graduate School of Library Science student and Temple Israel Library Intern, this summer. Here are his latest book reviews:

The Faith Club: A Muslim, a Christian and a Jew - Three Women Search for Understanding, by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner

The Faith Club is the story of three women, a Muslim, Christian and Jew, who meet together to discuss life and faith and try to better connect the different faiths with each other. The group, which functions like a mixture of a discussion group and a book club, was originally formed to write a children’s book but evolved into a long, open-ended discussion about various religious issues, life experiences and attempts to learn more about each other’s faith. In order to stay true to the experience of the discussion group, the book is organized as a discussion: instead of one long narrative, each member records their views and opinions and the others record their reactions in turn. Sometimes, actual dialogue from the group meetings is inserted as well. The book’s format is distinctive and does a good job of making sure the concerns and reactions of each member get equal space. The Faith Club makes a valiant effort, and mostly succeeds, in recreating the atmosphere of the discussion group for the reader.
The three members of the group talk and debate with each other about issues from their own lives as well as the differences among their faiths. Difficult issues such as stereotypes and politics, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, come into play. The best feature of the The Faith Club is that the three women are not academics; they are simply average people getting to know each other. This prevents the book from getting bogged down in minutiae and makes the women very relatable to the average reader, regardless of the reader’s faith. Each one struggles with feelings of doubt and alienation; Suzanne, a Christian, feels like an outsider in New York; Ranya, a progressive, non-conformist Muslim has difficulty finding a Muslim community that suits her; Priscilla, a Jew, suffers from anxiety and paranoia after 9/11, doubts her faith in God and struggles to cope with family problems. Their lives and humanity are extremely well documented. The book also does not try to smooth over their differences of opinion; rather, it tackles them head on. This leads to an honest atmosphere that deals with real issues rather than one of overblown niceties meant to gloss over conflict. In creating honest debate and exposing the humanity of the three women involved, The Faith Club succeeds admirably.
The greatest flaw of The Faith Club is the limited space given to each issue, done in the name of keeping a broader focus. Important issues are brought onto the table, and the dialogue is often interesting, but things are often not resolved as the members speed on to their next concern. This stood out in the discussion about Israel between the Ranya and Priscilla. The two put their different opinions on the table, and Priscilla eventually defers, but what could have been a long, deep and interactive discussion is not as comprehensive as it should have been. Since discussions are not moderated, they often become arguments between two members in which the third is excluded. When Priscilla and Suzanne debate the New Testament account of Jesus’ death, they both refuse to let Ranya even contribute to the discussion. When Ranya and Priscilla debate Israel, neither one listens to Suzanne.
One of the strengths of The Faith Club, showing the humanity and normality of its members, can also become frustrating. Priscilla, who notes that she suffers from anxiety problems, acts overly defensive sometimes. In one chapter, “The Crucifixion Crisis,” Suzanne reads a version of the New Testament account of Jesus’ death, and mentions “the wicked men who killed Christ” without specifying who they were. Priscilla interprets this as use of the “Christ killer” stereotype of Jews, although Jews were never mentioned. Suzanne leaves feeling resentful that Priscilla seemed to put words in her mouth. Later, the two study the historical reality of the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, and patch up their differences. In addition, the three women enter the group quite ignorant about the faiths of the others; Suzanne, and Priscilla are especially ignorant about Islam. Much of the book consists of Ranya dispelling their stereotypes. Priscilla, in the aptly titled chapter “Stop Stereotyping Me!” even denies the existence of stereotypes of Muslims before 9/11, which causes an angry outburst from Ranya.
Overall, The Faith Club is a good read for those interested in how average people of different faiths can build bridges and better interact with one another. It encourages readers to create their own “faith clubs” and even provides directions in English, Hebrew and Arabic on how to do so. Those looking for scholarly discussions about the religions involved should look elsewhere. However, The Faith Club succeeds at its goal of creating an interesting, interactive atmosphere and exploring the humanity of each of its members and their views.

One State, Two States, by Benny Morris

One State, Two States, written by eminent historian Benny Morris, discusses a topic that has been widely written - finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The book is organized into three sections, the first as a commentary on the reemergence of the idea of a one state solution, the second a history of one state and two state solutions and the third predictions and Morris’ own opinion on the problem. Morris’ history of the one state solution records the ideas of binationalists as well as Arabs who wish for a one state solution. The second section is a long history of the two-state solution. Morris records this idea’s tentative acceptance by both sides, with each seeing it as less than ideal.
It is in the third section of this book, Where to?, where Morris expresses his opinion and he eschews his normally balanced, nuanced approach. Morris blames Arafat for the failure of the peace process, expresses skepticism and mistrust towards Arab intentions and descends into generalities and stereotypes. Statements like “the Palestinian Arabs, like the world’s other Muslim Arab communities, are deeply religious and have no respect for democratic values and no tradition of democratic governance” (Page 170) are rooted in Orientalist stereotypes. For a book about solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Morris offers no real solution himself. He dismisses binationalism as a pipe dream that nobody wants and thinks that the two-state solution is nearing death. Due to his suspicion of the Arabs and skepticism about whether the two can peacefully coexist, Morris comes across as a pessimist. He raises the idea of a Palestinian state with parts of Jordan, but it is doubtful if the Palestinians would accept Jordanian sovereignty rather than a state of their own, which they were offered at Camp David in 2000. One State, Two States offers a vivid picture of the life of both one state and two state ideas, but when Morris’ objectivity falters and his skepticism about coexistence with the Arabs rises in the last chapter, the book suffers. Although the history is illuminating, those seeking objectivity and real solutions will be disappointed.

1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War, by Benny Morris

1948, which documents the first Arab-Israeli war, is a timely and complete work. Known to Israelis as the War of Independence and to Palestinians as al nakba, or “catastrophe,” the 1948 war is absolutely central to the narrative of each side and carries much emotional baggage. In writing about such an emotionally charged event, it is extremely difficult for any historian to be neutral. However, Benny Morris does a very good job of staying objective and keeping composure throughout the book. He keeps historical perspective and is careful to always note that in 1948, neither Israel nor the Arab nations were modern states with modern armies. This is important to remember when the most heavily debated questions arise, such as who started the war, and the question of Palestinian refugees.
1948 has two great strengths; it shines as a blow by blow documentary of the details of the 1948 war and debunks some of the sacred myths held by both sides. The book is an extraordinarily thorough account of every military engagement and political development of the war. Morris spares neither side in his critique of popular narrative about the 1948 war. He debunks the Arab belief that pre-1948 Palestine was a panacea of coexistence destroyed by Zionist aggression; in reality, both sides rarely interacted, massacred each other intermittently, and prepared for war by themselves. On the issue of refugees, Morris denies the Arab claim that there was a master plan by the Israelis to deliberately ethnically cleanse Palestinians but also refutes Israeli attempts to avoid responsibility for the Palestinian refugees. Morris notes that although most of the refugees fled on their own, they did so out of fear created by massacres perpetrated by right-wing Jewish militias, such as Irgun and the LHI (“Stern Gang”). Morris also notes that in many instances Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their villages, that such expulsions were often done under orders from Israeli command, and that all Palestinians refugees were denied the right to return home. Finally, Morris debunks the myth that heroic, vastly outnumbered and under-equipped Israelis beat off overwhelming Arab armies. Although both sides’ militaries were relatively primitive even by 1948 standards, the Arab armies, except for the Jordanian Arab Legion, were small and underequipped militias or the descendants of colonial police forces. Morris notes that the Israelis were better equipped, better trained, better led and, by the second half of the war, actually outnumbered the armies of the six vastly larger Arab states that they fought.
Nonetheless, 1948 has a few critical weaknesses. Despite unparalleled attention to detail, it lacks overarching analysis of the many events it describes so thoroughly. 1948 often focuses on blow-by-blow accounts of battles without describing their larger significance. Also, though it debunks many myths about the Palestinian refugees, especially those held by Israelis, 1948 does not have a comprehensive history of the creation of the refugee problem, preferring to stay within the realm of military history. Finally, the book’s sources are very disproportionately Israeli. This is somewhat understandable as the undemocratic Arab states grant little access to records, especially to an Israeli. For Morris, an Israeli, it is also next to impossible to actually go out and interview Arabs themselves. 1948 suffers from this lack of Arab primary sources. As a military and political history of the creation of Israel, 1948 shines and it will surely take its place among the more important histories of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

Reviews by Amanda!

Faraway Home, by Marilyn Taylor

Faraway Home is about a boy named Karl, who is 13, and his sister Rosa, age 7, in World War II. They escaped from Austria on a “kindertransport”, a program that took Jewish children to non-Nazi occupied countries. Karl escaped to work on a farm in Northern Ireland, with other refugees, while Rose was adopted by an Irish family. On the farm, Karl makes new friends like Danny and Eva. However, he is worried about Rosa, who is unhappy with her new family, and the rest of his family in Austria, or Ostmark, its new name.

Even though Karl and Rosa escape from the Nazis, they don’t escape from the war. Because of this, Karl has lots of scary and fun adventures, such as almost getting arrested by the Irish police, for spying, when all he did was walk on the beach. I recommend this book to boys and girls who like historical fiction and adventure stories.

Confessions of a Closet Catholic, by Sarah Darer Littman

Confessions of a Closet Catholic, is about Justine “Jussy” Silver, an eleven year old Jewish girl, who decides to give up being Jewish for Lent. She learned about Lent from her friend, Mary “Mac” Mcallister, a Catholic.

Justine goes to confession in her closet, to her teddy bear, Father Ted. She does communion with grape juice and matzah. On her dad’s side, she has a Bubbe (grandmother), a survivor of Auschwitz, who keeps kosher and is a very strict orthodox Jew. On her mom’s side, her grandparents go to a Jewish country club that serves shellfish and lobster. Along with this, Jussy worries about her appearance, and her belief that her parents love her siblings and dog more than her.

This book is sad and funny at the same time. It teaches you to figure out how to be yourself. It would appeal to anyone who ever wondered how to be Jewish.

Amanda is a fourth grader in our Education Program

PASSOVER FAIR!

PASSOVER FAIR!

The Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) and the Dr. Arnold L. Segel Library Center are sponsoring a Passover Fair, Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays in March. We're featuring Passover haggadot, books, and games every Sunday, 9:30 – 12:30, Tuesday, 3:30 – 6:00, Fridays 9 - 4, or by appointment.* You may order multiple copies of haggadot through March 29, and receive them in time for the first night of Passover, April 8.

LIBRARY WISH LIST. If you're looking for an opportunity to support our library, any of the items on the list, below, would make wonderful additions to our collection, and may be donated in honor or in memory of a loved one.

BOOKS AND GAMES FOR SALE AT THE FAIR

RESOURCE BOOKS FOR ADULTS

Book of Passover $9.95
Leading the Passover Journey $18.99
Pesach for the Rest of Us $22.95
Seder Stories: Passover Thoughts on Food, Family, and Freedom $14.95
Songs of the Seder $15.95

COOKBOOKS

Vegetarian Pesach Cookbook $13.00
Passover by Design $29.99

Haggadot for all ages

Dayenu!: A Passover Haggadah f $8.95
Different Night Haggadah $12.95
Different Night Haggadah-Compa $6.95
Family Haggadah $4.95
Family Haggadah II $4.95
Family Haggadah-Seder For All $8.95
Haggadah For Jews & Buddhists $15.00
Haggadah With Answers $17.99
My People's PassoverHaggadah 1 $24.99
My People's PassoverHaggadah 2 $24.99
Passover Haggadah (Goldberg) $2.25
Please Don't Pass Over The Seder $8.95
Mystical Haggadah: Passover Me $16.95
Night To Remember: Haggadah $13.95
Open Door: Passover Haggadah $19.95
Why On This Night? $14.99

Children’s Haggadot

Children's Haggadah $12.95
My Very Own Haggadah $3.95
Sammy Spider's First Haggadah $5.95

Picture Books for ages 4 and up

Abuelita's Secret Matzahs $9.99
All About Passover $5.95
Dinosaur on Passover $6.95
Let My People Go $7.95
Matzah Ball-A Passover Story $6.95
Matzah Man $16.00
Mouse In The Matzah Factory $6.95
On Passover $6.99
Passover Around The World $7.95
Pickles Passover (Rugrats) $3.50
Too Many Cooks: Passover Parable 5.95
Carp in the Bathtub $5.95
Fantastic FotoHunt: Pesach$14.95
Matzah Meals $7.95
Matzo Ball Moon $5.95
My Book of The Passover Seder
My First Passover $5.99
Nachshon, Who Was Afraid To $8.95
No Matzoh For Me! $3.49
Passover Parrot $6.95
Passover Ultimate Sticker Book
Pharaoh And The Fabulous Frog $13.95
Rebecca's Passover $7.95
Sammy Spider's First Passover $7.95
Sammy Spider's Passover Fun Book $4.95
Ten Plagues of Egypt $9.95
Touch Of Passover $8.00
What Do You See on Pesach?

For ages 8 and up

Private Joel and the Sewell Mountain seder $16.95
Kids' Catalog of Passover $15.95
Passover $5.95
The Yankee at the seder $16.99

For ages 10 and up

Dear Elijah $9.95
Pharaoh's Daughter $5.99


GAMES FOR ALL AGES!

Card games by Emily Sper:

Passover Go Fish - $5.00
Jewish Holidays Go Fish - $5.00

Oy Vey Sudoku (with Passover words) $5.00


*For more information about the book fair, other library programs, or giving opportunities to the library, please contact Ann Abrams, Librarian, aabrams@tisrael.org . 617-566-3960.

Purim's coming! March 10th

We have lots of great books in the library, for all ages, about the festival of Purim, its star, Queen Esther, its villain, Haman, and how Jews celebrate Purim all over the world.

In addition, here are some parodies I've written over the years.

http://parodiesfound.googlepages.com/parodiesfound

Jews have written Purim parodies since medieval times. Here's some info about why this happened, and what types of parodies have been written throughout history:

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Purim/TO_Purim_History/PurimHumor.htm

Purim's a lot of fun at the temple! Come to our festive service, Erev Purim (Purim Eve), Monday March 9th at 6:30!

NEW BOOKS, FILMS AND MUSIC FOR ALL!

BOOKS FOR KIDS!

For ages 5 and up

Title: Aunt Claire's yellow beehive hair /
Author: Blumenthal, Deborah.
A girl, seeking her connection to family past and present, creates a special book in tribute and remembrance, leaving blank pages for future memories.


Title: Messes of dresses /
Author: Pertzig, Faigy
The New Yorker (Review)It is unquestionably the cute rhyming verses which give this book so much charm for 3 to 7 year olds. But there is a serious lesson to be learned by little girls who read this book. Gittel has her own house which she takes care of, and she enjoys having only two dresses to wear. Then a friend introduces her to the luxuries of many dresses until they are so plentiful they occupy all her time and energy. Finally, Gittel learns her lesson. In the meantime, the colorful airbrush illustrations by Tova Leff will cause any young lady to giggle and laugh. The lesson Gittel learns will make little girls better appreciate what they have and can't have in a simple to understand way and how possessions relate or don't relate to one's happiness in life. The idea is imaginative and the style is charming


Title: The brothers Schlemiel /
Author: Binder, Mark.

A contemporary version of the Helm stories.


For ages 7 and up

The magic pomegranate : a Jewish folktale /
Author: Schram, Peninnah.

Three handsome and clever brothers compete to find the world's most unusual gift. Includes a note on doing good deeds, or mitzvot, and discusses the symbolism of the pomegranate in Judaism.


Title: Portraits of Jewish American heroes /
Author: Drucker, Malka.

Profiles of: Haym Salomon -- Levi Strauss -- Emma Lazarus -- Louis Dembitz Brandeis -- Henrietta Szold -- Rachel (Ray) Frank -- Lillian Wald -- Harry Houdini (Ehrich Weiss) -- Albert Einstein -- Golda Meir -- Abraham Joshua Heschel -- Henry Benjamin (Hank) Greenberg -- Leonard Bernstein -- Bella Savitsky Abzug -- Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- Gloria Steinem -- Michael Schwerner And Andrew Goodman -- Steven Spielberg -- Judith Arlene Resnik -- Daniel Pearl.



BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS! (Ages 12 and up)

Title: Two parties, one tux, and a very short film about the Grapes of wrath /
Author: Goldman, Steven (Member of the temple!)

Children's Literature (Review)
What does any self-respecting high school student do when he hasn't read The Grapes of Wrath for his honors English class and he has to write a five-page paper on the book? If you are Mitchell Wells, you turn in a claymation film project he and another student did for their Digital Animation class, titling it "An Animated Exploration of Biblical Themes in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath." Mitch and his best friend, David, have things all figured out. It's their junior year and they are ready for it all—the classes, parties, girls, prom, sports, trying to just blend in. But all this takes a sharp turn when David comes out to Mitch and when Mitch is called to the principal's office because a parent complained that the video he turned in for his English assignment was offensive. Goldman has written a book that is totally in line with teens and what happens in their personal and school lives. He seems to understand their thinking, their language and their friendships. He has created believable characters in believable situations. Reviewer: Naomi Williamson

Title: The freak
Author: Matas, Carol

Fifteen-year-old Jade is having some strange after-affects following a high fever with meningitis. She sees auras around people’s heads, can read minds, and accurately predicts the future. Where do these abilities come from, and what do they suggest about free will, G-d, and the meaning of life? Can Jade change the future? Jade thinks she’s crazy and a freak, but her mother, father, grandmother, boyfriend, aunt, and a Jewish psychic named Frieda have other ideas. The suspenseful, entertaining, sometimes humorous plot plays out against a backdrop of Judaism, High Holidays, and local anti-Semitic skinheads bent on destroying Jews and immigrants. The Freak is Book One in The Freak series.


Title: The remarkable invention that saves Zion : a tale of TRIZ /
Author: Stupniker, Yehudit.

From the publisher:
The Theory of Invention Problem Solving (TRIZ) forms the scientific basis of this fast-paced adventure story that takes place in Israel's future.
Four Israeli students, along with their visiting American cousin, gain a sneak preview of the Professor's latest invention, only to open a Pandora's box of troubles. The young foursome allow the Professor's top security invention to be stolen by a spy. With this invention he is able to challenge the very foundations of Israeli society. Discovering his identity and uncovering his purpose will hopefully save the country and reawaken the bond that exists between the Land and its People. In order to uncover the spy and get back the invention, the group uses a TRIZ technique that will both amaze the reader and reveal how to unlock the ability to solve any problem with the innate logic of your mind.


BOOKS FOR ADULTS!

POETRY

Title: Flowers of perhaps
Author: Ra'hel


MEMOIRS

Title: The journal of Helene Berr
Author: Berr, Helene

Title: Remember for life Holocaust survivors' stories of faith and hope
Author: Hirschfield, Brad


SPORTS

Title: Time-out sports stories as a game plan for spiritual success
Author: Lipman, Dov Moshe


HUMOR

Title: Don't mind me and other Jewish lies
Author: Cohen, Esther

Title: I feel bad about my neck : and other thoughts on being a woman /
Author: Ephron, Nora.


BIBLE AND OTHER TEXTS

Title: The year of living biblically : one man's humble quest to follow the Bible as literally as possible /
Author: Jacobs, A. J.


Title: Sefer Sipure maasiyot.
Author: Nahman of Bratzlav. In Hebrew.


FICTION

Title: The clothes on their backs /
Author: Grant, Linda,


ISRAEL

Title: Zion in the desert : American Jews in Israel's reform kibbutzim /
Author: Miles, William F. S.


Title: Testaments of Israel words of yesterday, images of today
Author: Wagner, John


Title: Making it happen your congregational trip to Israel
Publisher: New York Association of Reform Zionists of America


MUSIC

Title: Atem zokhrim et ha-shirim : You remember the songs.
Author: Yonatan Gefen

ART

Title: Marc Chagall : works from the collections of the Muse'e National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.
Author: Chagall, Marc,


CONTEMPORARY EVENTS

Title: Financial crisis sparks anti-Semitism
Author: Anti-Defamation League

Title: What do we do with a difference? France and the debate over headscarves in schools
Author: Facing History and Ourselves Foundation

Title: Stories of identity religion, migration and belonging in a changing world
Author: Facing History Foundation

HOLOCAUST

Title: Totally unofficial Raphael Lemkin and the genocide convention
Author: Facing History and Ourselves Foundation


BOOKS ON CD

Title: Moscow rules
Author: Silva, Daniel,

Title: Indignation
Author: Roth, Philip.

Title: Defending identity : its indispensable role in protecting democracy /
Author: Shcharansky, Anatoly.

Title: The Mercedes coffin(mystery)
Author: Kellerman, Faye.

Title: The burnt house (mystery)
Author: Kellerman, Faye


MUSIC ON CD

Title: Oy vey! Klezmer for kids /
Author: Sruli and Lisa

FILMS ON DVD

Title: Evan almighty
Author: Barber, Gary

Title: Keeping up with the Steins /

BOOK REVIEWS BY AMANDA!

Amanda, a fourth grader in our Education Program, has written reviews of two children's books! Thanks, Amanda!


Vive La Paris, by Esme Raji Codell

Vive La Paris is about a girl named Paris living in Chicago. Paris is in the 5th grade, and has 4 brothers. She takes piano lessons from a neighbor named Mrs. Rosen. Mrs. Rosen helps her face challenges involving her friends and brothers. What I like best about this book is how brave Paris is, and how much Mrs. Rosen helps her, even though Mrs. Rosen is much older than Paris, is Jewish and has a completely different way of thinking.


Brooklyn Bridge by Karen Hesse

Joseph Michtom is a 14 year old Jewish boy living in Brooklyn, New York in the early 1900s. He works at his parents’ store selling Teddy bears that his mother invented. Joseph does not like working in the store. What he really wants to do is go to Coney Island. This book tells about his adventures trying to get there.

This book has another story, one about orphans and badly treated children. These children live under the Brooklyn Bridge with their pet parrot. These two stories make you want to discover how they connect and eventually they do. I would recommend this book to 3rd grade and up. It is good for girls and boys who like realistic and/or historical fiction.

SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

The 2009 Sydney Taylor Book Award, a prize for Jewish Children's and Teen Literature from the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL), has recently been announced. To see the winners, click here:

http://www.jewishlibraries.org/ajlweb/awards/stba/STBAAwardList2009.pdf

To celebrate and showcase the 2009 gold and silver medalists, there will be a Blog Tour! Here is the schedule:

http://www.sydneytaylorbookaward.blogspot.com


Sydney Taylor was the author of the All of a Kind Family series - chapter books about a family with 5 girls (and eventually, one boy) living with their Mama and Papa in the Lower East Side in the early 1900's. The author's family established this award after she died, under the auspices of the AJL, to encourage and support the writing of wonderful and engaging Jewish books for children and teens. Written in the 1950's, this series is still enjoyed by children today.