Archive for the ‘Bible’ Category
Let’s Continue Reading for the Joy of It – Simcha/Joy
03/06/11
As Purim approaches (beginning the evening of March 19), and the costumes, hamantaschen and Purim Shpiel (play) rehearsals all come together, our anticipation and happiness seem to reach overwhelming proportions. That is why I chose Simcha/Joy as this month’s value.
I often feel that way when I am reading a really good book. With each chapter, I just can’t wait to read the next, to learn more about the characters, to see what they are going to do in the following pages. Sometimes I am up until the “wee” hours of the morning, because I just can’t put the book down. When I am finished, I feel so happy… until of course the next morning when I have to wake up and go to work. Nevertheless, I have a great story to talk about and share with my readers or students. Nothing could be better…until the next wonderful book falls into my hands.
My choices for this month’s books for older readers are the ones I could not put down. They made me laugh, made me cry or knocked me off my feet, but in the end, they kept me awake until the final page turn filled me with joy. I hope they do the same for you:
All-of-a-Kind Family. By Sydney Taylor. Illustrated by Helen John. © 1951, Yearling. The classic story of a family with five girls living in the Lower East side of New York in the early 1900’s. Their celebration of life in the face of sometimes bleak living conditions is a wonderful look at “seeing the glass half full.” Based on the author’s life. Ages 9-12 years.
The Importance of Wings. By Robin Friedman. © 2009, Charlesbridge.Publishing. 
Winner of the Sydney Taylor Award for Older Readers. With appealing and affecting writing, this novel grabs the reader immediately and takes you on a journey of self-discovery, confidence building and empowerment as Roxanne, with a small amount of help from her next-door neighbor Liat, discovers she has what it takes to be her own person. Ages 10-14 years.
A Pickpocket’s Tale. By Karen Schwabach. © 2006, Random House Books fro Young Readers.. In 1730, Molly Abraham is living in the streets of London following here mother’s death from smallpox. She supports herself by pickpocketing. Having been caught and tried in a court of law, she finds herself on a ship headed to America as an indentured servant. The ship arrives in New York, where she is ransomed by a Jewish family. In their household she learns how to be a good servant and a practicing Jew. Ages 11-15 years.
Confessions of a Closet Catholic. By Sarah Darer Littman. © 2005, Dutton. 
Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Older Readers. Justine Silver has decided that for Lent she will give up being Jewish. This is just the beginning of her struggles with being the middle child, boys, chocolate and of course, religion. Ages 11-15 years.
Strange Relations. By Sonia Levitin. © 2007, Knopf Books for Young Readers. Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Teen Readers. Marne simply wants a nice summer on the beaches in Hawaii visiting her aunt and cousins while her parents are travelling on business. What she gets instead is the discovery that her aunt and uncle run the Chabad House on the mainland of Hawaii, and she is expected to pitch in. Her experiences provide her with some new insights into her religious identity. Ages 14-18 years.
A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life. By Dana Reinhardt. © 2006, Wendy Lamb Books. 
Simone knows she is adopted and wants nothing to do with her birth mother. At her adoptive parents’ insistance, however, she agrees to meet her birth mother one time. What she discovers is both enlightening and tragic. Ages 14 – 18 years.
I certainly hope you do not stay up until the “wee” hours reading these titles, after all, a good night’s rest is most Important. If you do, however, email me at kathyb@forwordsbooks.com. I will be happy to send a note to your teacher/boss explaining why the book kept you up so late that you overslept and were late for school/work. Beware: You will first have to answer a question or two to prove to me that you read the book.
Have a delicious Purim!
Happy Reading,
Kathy B.
©2011 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were from my own collection and my local public library.
I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click on a book title referred to on my web site and purchase it from Amazon,
I may receive a very small commission on your purchase.
You will incur no additional cost, however.
I appreciate your support.
Book Review | Tower of Babel
by A.S. Gadot
Score: 3
Illustrated by Cecilia Rebora
© 2010, Kar-Ben Publishing.
A cute and clever retelling of the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel. The people of Shinar all speak the same language and get along fine, until they get bored doing the same thing day in and day out. When a child suggests they build a tower, [...]
Chashuv/Important: “Take a Census” (Numbers 1:2 & 4:22)
05/13/10
This week and next Jewish people around the world will be reading and discussing Torah portions, Bamidbar and Naso, about the census of the Israelites in the desert. Interesting, as we here in America are going through our own decennial census and have just sent out enumerators to follow up with households whose mail-in census forms were not received by the US Census Bureau Office.
“Count Me In!” “You Can Count on Me!” “Stand Up and Be Counted!” are just a few of the many idioms in the English language using the word “count.” In these cases, “count” implies a certain responsibility or accountability, if you will, on the part of the counted individual. By stepping forward and being counted, as in a census for example, you are attesting to the fact that you exist, are present and available for the task at hand. When you take on responsibilities or make yourself responsible, you become important or Chashuv in Hebrew.
I see the census as a way for the government to know I exist. Not in a “Big Brother is Watching” way, but in an “I need to know you are there, if I am going to be able to take care of you” way. If I fulfill my responsibilities – pay my taxes, vote, follow the law, etc. – then I expect my government to do the same in return. How will that happen, if the government has no idea that I exist? How will it know that I need a road to my home, a school for my children, or a hospital for my community?
The United States census is mandated by the U. S. Constitution, the information is absolutely, positively and utterly confidential (I believe the government is close to paranoid about this), and the information gleaned from the census impacts such significant decisions as my state’s representatives in congress, electoral votes and government funding. I am an important/Chashuv participant in making sure the information collected is accurate.
When I was in school, I learned that participating in the census was a “civic responsibility.” I wonder if they teach that any longer. In case they do not, and to be of some assistance to the enumerators out there who are working hard to make sure that everyone gets counted, I have put together a list of books that can help your child – and perhaps yourself – understand the importance of counting and the value of being counted in America.
Happy Reading,
Kathy B.
The History of Counting. By Denise Schmandt-Besserat. Illustrated by Michael Hays. © 1999, Morrow Junior Books, a division of William Morrow and Company. Ages 9-12. How did the world arrive at the method of using numbers the way we do today? It was not always this way. This intriguing history follows humankind from pre-historic through agricultural into commercial times as the need for an abstract counting system became greater and more important. Wondrous illustrations of counting systems from the simple to the complex aid the understanding of this complicated topic. The text, while easy to understand, delves deeply into the back roads of history to unearth how we arrived at a universal system of numbers that most of us assume has been in use forever.
How Many Snails? A Counting Book. By Paul Giganti. Illustrated by: Donald Crews. ©1988, Greenwillow Books. Ages 3-6. More than a simple counting book, the reader must see the details in this charming and colorful concept book. Count the number of flowers. How many of them are yellow? How many dogs are spotted? “How many cupcakes had white icing and candy sprinkles?” A wonderful introduction into taking a closer look at the world around us.
A Million Dots. By Andrew Clements. Illustrated by Mike Reed. © 2006, Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. Ages 4-10. What does a million look like? Using tiny dots and captivating information, Clements and Reed help children and adults see and understand the concept of 1 million. As you read this well illustrated and engagingly written book, they challenge you to find a specific dot and learn a fascinating fact about the number it represents. Eyes may cross, but giggles will abound as everyone learns about great big numbers.
If America Were a Village: A Book About the People of the United States. By David Smith. Illustrated by: Shelagh Armstrong. © 2009, Kids Can Press. Ages 6-9. Do you wonder how the information from the census is used? Some of it assists in the writing of wonderful books like this, that help our children understand more about the country in which they live and the people who live there. This extraordinary picture book uses the statistics from the US Census Bureau and many other resources to describe the United States of America, with a population of over 306 Million, as a village of 100 people. The results – both the artwork and the numbers – are captivating presenting you with a picture of America unlike any you have ever seen before.
I Am America. By: Charles R. Smith, Jr. © 2003, Scholastic, Inc. Ages 3-6. Simple lyrical text and warm blocks of bright, bold colors, accompany gorgeous full-color photographs of charming children from across the country in this delightful introduction to America today. The diversity of cultures, religions, styles, sounds and so much more are all represented here. I see hope for our country in the eyes of the children on these pages.
Unite or Die! The Story of the Thirteen Colonies. By Jacqueline Jules. Illustrated by Jef Czekaj. © 2009, Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc. Ages 6-10. Perhaps you have forgotten why we need a Federal Government in the first place. Possibly a refresher course in American History 101: Post- Revolutionary War is in order. Here is a perfect solution. Did you know that “in the beginning” all the states had their own currency? There was no trade agreement with foreign governments because the states could not speak with one voice? Vermont used to be land that was claimed by both New York and New Hampshire? A school play is the setting for these fun facts and many more as the students reenact the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Captivatingly humorous, cartoon-style illustrations will engage children of all ages in learning about a seminal moment in American history. The first census in US history followed in 1790.
©2010 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review came from my public library.
I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click on a book title referred to on my web site and purchase it from Amazon,
I may receive a very small commission on your purchase.
You will incur no additional cost, however.
I appreciate your support.
Zachor/Remembrance: Remembering the Past Gives Power to the Present
04/15/10
April is a month filled with remembering. We entered it having just finished two Passover Seders recalling, perhaps in vivid detail, the Jewish people’s Exodus from Egypt and their transition from slavery to freedom. On April 12, Yom HaShoah–Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remembered the loss of 6 million Jewish lives in World War II during memorial services around the world.
This weekend, we will be remembering the soldiers and civilians who have died in the struggle for Israel’s independence on April 18, Yom HaZikaron–Israeli Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day. Israel’s Memorial Day is followed closely by Yom Ha’atzmaut-Israel’s Independence Day on April 20, when we remember – and celebrate – the date, now 62 years ago, when Israel became an independent nation.
Why so much remembering, you might ask? The first time we see and read the word Zachor in Torah is in the story of Noah:
“God then remembered Noah and all the beasts that were with him in the ark, so God caused a wind to sweep over the earth, and the waters subsided. “ (Genesis 8:1) In Torah, when God remembers, God also acts. God goes on to create a reminder – a memorial if you will – the rainbow: “And when I cause clouds to form over the earth, and the bow appears in the cloud, I will remember My covenant between Me and you and all living things, all flesh, and never again shall waters become a flood, to destroy all flesh.” (Genesis 9:14-15)
When we remember – The Exodus story, the Holocaust, fallen soldiers, victims of terror or Israel’s independence – what should our action be? Is it enough simply to attend a Seder, a memorial service, a celebration or is more expected of us? In God’s case, there was more. God created the rainbow as a sign, a reminder to God not to flood the earth again, a memorial to those who perished in the floodwaters. If God requires actions, reminders and memorials, don’t we as well?
When a loved one dies, how should we remember that individual who once had a significant impact on our lives? When something wonderful and significant happens in our life, how do we remember what took place?
There are some wonderful books that teach us how to move through life’s ups and downs and find creative ways to help our children remember the significant moments of life whether it is the death of someone important to them or a major milestone. These are a few of my favorite titles:
The Keeping
Quilt by Patricia Polacco. © 1988, Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. Ages 5-9. Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Young Readers. A babushka and a dress are the only items that come from Russia with Anna. When she outgrows both, her mother uses the cloth to make a quilt. The quilt is used as a Shabbat tablecloth, a picnic blanket where Anna got engaged, the chuppa for Anna’s wedding and a baby blanket for her children. The quilt followed the family and was present at all the births, weddings and even at Anna’s death. The quilt is now waiting for the arrival of the author’s grandchildren, Anna’s great-great grandchildren. A beautiful story about memories and memorials as carried forward in a family quilt.
The Memory String by Eve Bunting. Illustrated by Ted Rand. © 2000, Clarion Books. Ages 4-8. Laura’s mother has passed down her memory string filled with buttons from the coats and dresses of generations of relatives in the family. Laura’s most special button is the little white one that was on her mother’s nightgown when she died three years ago. Her father has remarried and although Jane is nice enough, she isn’t Laura’s mother. To make sure she knows that, Laura pulls out her memory string a lot in front of Jane. When Laura’s cat breaks the memory string causing buttons to fly everywhere, everyone helps in the search, but one button remains lost. When Laura overhears Jane explaining to her father why that button is so important, she begins to think accepting Jane into her life may be a good idea after all.
The Milestones Project: Celebrating Childhood Around the World. Photography by Dr. Richard Steckel and Michele Steckel. © 2004 Tricycle Press. All ages. Do you remember losing your first tooth? Getting your first haircut? What about your first pet? These are just a few of the milestones described in this wonderful book. In the words of kids themselves and from some of today’s most well known authors – Eric Carle, Cynthia Rylant and J.K. Rowling to name a very few – we read about the memories of major milestones and remember our own.
Monumental Verses by J. Patrick Lewis. © 2005 National Geographic Society. Ages 5-10. While I literally see God’s work in nature and all its grandeur, I find the creations of humankind to be amazing works of profound genius. More often than not, these buildings, statues and monuments created for some purpose, live on well past their intended function. They become icons, landmarks, historical treasures. Monuments to another time, we visit, stand in awe and take our pictures. Or maybe we write poems like these. Gorgeous photographs and beautiful poetry take you on an around the world trip to view some of the world’s most incredible sites with an entirely new perspective.
Talking Walls by Margy Burn Knight. Illustrated by Anne Sibley O’Brien. © 1992, Tilbury House, Publishers. Ages 5-10. One of my favorite books describing a few places on earth where humankind has lived, worked, prayed or suffered and left messages for generations to come. The effect is that no matter the time or our gender, faith, language or culture, people the world over create monuments to remember the important events in their lives. What is happening right now, in your life that you want to remember?
When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death By Laurene Krasny Brown. Illustrated by Marc Brown. © 1996, Little, Brown and Company. Ages 4-8. In simple, yet direct language this book helps explain to young children what it means to be alive and what it means to be dead, how we may feel after someone we know dies, what various faiths and backgrounds do when saying goodbye and how different traditions talk about the afterlife. The most important section of the book, however, is “Ways to Remember Someone,” as it provides a number of excellent ideas for young people to memorialize the person they have lost and find ways to move on.
These books will give you some ideas for creating those actions, reminders and memorials to remember important people or significant events in your family’s life and enable you to find ways to share stories and feelings about what those people and times meant to you as you look back over time.
Happy Reading,
Kathy B.
©2010 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were from my personal collection or my local library.
I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click on a book title referred to on my web site and purchase it from Amazon,
I may receive a very small commission on your purchase.
You will incur no additional cost, however.
I appreciate your support.
