The marriage of two people committed to sharing a lifetime together is cause for a celebration. Children invited to this magical event bring energy, laughter and a sense of wonder as they ask their elders questions about the meaning of every rite and ritual, the relationship of this or that person to them and for information about weddings past, present and future.  Offering children the opportunity to share blessings for the couple in the form of small drawings or written words is one way to make their presence even more meaningful.

The following books are wonderful examples of the joy children can bring to the mitzvah (good deed) of Hachnasat Kallah/Celebrating the Wedding Couple:

Grandma’s Wedding Album by Harriet Ziefert. Paintings by Karla Gudeon. © 2011. Blue Apple Books. Ages 4-7. Designed to look like a picture album, Grandma shows her grandchildren, Emily and Michael, “photos” from her wedding to Poppy describing how they met, got engaged and were married. The photo/paintings are joyful, beautiful and colorful. The back of the book lists wedding traditions from all over the world.

Nadia’s Hands by Karen English. Illustrated by Jonathan Weiner. © 1999. Boyds Mill Press. Ages 5-8. Nadia, a Pakistani-American girl, has been chosen to be the flower girl for her Aunt Laila’s wedding. This means her hands will be painted with lovely designs and flowers using dye called henna. Nadia worries that the dye will be on her hands when she returns to school following the wedding. How will she explain the red shapes and lines on her hands to her classmates?

Donovan’s Big Day by Lesléa Newman. Illustrated by Mike Dutton. © 2011. Tricycle Press. Ages 4-7.  Donovan has a BIG job to do, but he has a lot of things to remember before he can get his BIG job done. After all, he is the ring bearer at the wedding of his two moms, so he better get up on time, eat his breakfast, stay clean, greet everyone…

Uncle Peter’s Amazing Chinese Wedding by Lenore Look. Illustrated by Yumi Heo. © 2006 Atheneum Books for  Young Readers. Ages 4-8 years. How will Jenny be her Uncle Peter’s favorite girl if he is getting married? Jenny decides to do everything she can to stop the wedding so her Uncle will continue to love her most of all. The hilarious results may inspire playful kids, but they will learn a lot about Chinese wedding traditions in the process.

Wedding Flowers by Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Wendy Andeson Halperin. © 2002. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Ages 6-9 years. This is Book 6 of the Cobble Street Cousins Series, although one does not have to have read the previous books to read this one.  The cousins return to Cobble Street to help Aunt Lucy with her wedding to Michael.

Brenda Berman, Wedding Expert by Jane Breskin Zalben.   Illustrated by Victoria Chess. ©2009. Clarion Books. Ages 6-9 years. Brenda Berman knows that a flower girl in a gold lamé dress with sparkly shoes makes any wedding special. Of course, when her Uncle Harry announces his engagement, Brenda is thrilled that her flower girl dreams have arrived. Unfortunately, the bride and her niece have other plans. Can Brenda save the day and plan the perfect wedding?

The Wedding Planner’s Daughter by Coleen Murtagh Paratore. © 2005. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.   Ages 9-12 years. Twelve-year-old Willafred “Willa” Havisham  has travelled everywhere with her mother , Stella, a first-class wedding planner. All she wants is to settle down somewhere and find a father. When it appears her wish may at last come true, disaster strikes and her mother packs their bags again.

Sister of the Bride by Beverly Cleary. © 1996. HarperCollins. Ages 11-14 years. Barbara’s sister, Rosemary has announced she is getting married. At first Barbara is very excited, but once the wedding plans begin, the world seems to center around Rosemary. Barbara and her younger brother, Gordy, are shoved to the side-lines. At least that is how they feel. Barbara begins to wonder, “What is so great about getting married anyway?”

Providing children with opportunities to observe how brides and grooms are nurtured by the community allows them to understand the delights and responsibilities of marriage from many points of view. This is a lesson we are never too young to acquire. Share this message a little more with the discussion questions and activities provided in the Speak Volumes Guide for this month.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

©2012 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review came from publishers as review copies, my personal 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.

Such was the case a few years ago when I was diagnosed with a meningioma (a tumor located on the brain) and required immediate surgery.  Needless to say, neither I nor my family was expecting such a sudden medical crisis. Fortunately, I had a large community of family, friends and colleagues- even people I did not know-willing to help us out with everything from cooking meals to sitting with me in the hospital to sending cards, books and letters of encouragement. My Temple’s Caring Community brought a hand-knit “Healing Shawl” which I still put on occasionally when I feel the need.  As my family and I focused on getting me well, our everyday worries, like getting dinner ready, were taken care of by people we knew and trusted. While I did my best to say thanks to everyone who helped us during those stressful days, there will never be enough words. My family and I try our best to “pay it forward” by helping out whenever we hear of someone in need. The soup pot starts boiling, the cookies begin baking, and we sign up for a dinner.

The following books can be helpful as you and your family explores the mitzvah of Visiting the Sick/Bikkur Cholim:

A Sick Day for Amos McGee. Written by Philip C. Stead. Illustrated by Erin E. Stead, ©2010. Roaring Brook Press.  Ages 3-6.  In this exquisite, Caldecott Award winning book, Amos McGee, a fabulous zookeeper, arrives on time every day to take care of all the wonderful animals. He makes sure to drop by his particular friends to make sure they receive some special attention. However, one morning he wakes up sick and does not come to work. That day, Amos receives some special attention of his own.

The Sniffles for Bear. Written By Bonny Becker. Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton, © 2011. Candlewick Press. Ages 3-6. Certain that “no one had ever been as sick as he,” Bear awaits his end. Even a visit from his overly cheerful friend mouse cannot sem to turn the tide, until while writing his will…

Say Hello, Lily. Written by Deborah Lakritz.  Illustrated By Martha Avilés, ©2010. Kar-Ben Publishing. Ages 5-8.  Lily wants to go with her mom to visit her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Rosenbaum, who has just moved into Shalom House, the local nursing home. However, when Lily walks into the lobby, she is overwhelmed by the number of new faces who all want to get to know her at the same time. She suddenly turns very shy. It does not take too many visits before she learns everyone’s names and stories. Soon she has a surprise for all her new friends.

The Princess of Borscht. Written by Leda Schubert. Illustrated by Bonnie Christensen, ©2011. Roraring Brook Press. Ages5-8. Ruthie’s grandma is in the hospital. When Ruthie goes to visit, Grandma tells her that the hospital food is terrible. Ruthie hears that if her grandmother does not get a bowl of borscht by 5:00 PM she is going to die of starvation.  Ruthie has never made borscht, so she seeks out the neighbors’ help. The result is hilarious, think Top Chef meets Nickelodeon.

Mr. Putter & Tabby Catch the Cold. Written By Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Arthur Howard, © 2002. Harcourt, Inc. Ages 7-10. Mr. Putter catches a cold when he goes outside on a wintery day without his hat.  With the help of his friendly neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry and her wonderful dog Zeke, it turns out to be the best cold Mr. Potter ever caught.

The Lemonade Club. Written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco, © 2007. Philomel Books. Ages 8-11.  “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” is the motto of Miss Wichelman’s fifth-grade class. Make sure you have your tissue boxes on hand as you read this true-life story about friends helping friends through some difficult times.

Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie. Written by Jordan Sonnenblick, © 2004. Scholastic Press, Inc. Ages 10-15. Steven is a fairly normal 13-year-old boy in middle school. He is a gifted jazz drummer, dreams about the prettiest girl in school and gets decent grades. Until his 5-year-old brother is diagnosed with leukemia and his entire life is turned upside down.

Fever, 1793. Written by Laurie Halse Anderson, © 2000. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Ages 12-16. When a yellow fever epidemic hits Philadelphia, Matilda Cook finds herself alone in having to face a city in terror. Based on real events.

God is in the Pancakes. Written by Robin Epstein, © 2010. Dial Books. Ages 14 -18. Fifteen-year-old Grace Manning loves being a candy striper at her local nursing home. She especially loves assisting her patient Mr. Sands, who has Lou Gehrig’s disease. They joke around as he teaches her to play and cheat at poker. Then one day he asks her to “help him die.”

As you read these books, discuss them with your children using the “Speak Volumes” guide. The questions and activities will provide you with many opportunities to become comfortable with Visiting the Sick/Bikkur Cholim in a variety of settings. Whether you find you are most at ease in the home of an ailing friend, in a nursing home visiting an elderly relative or in the trauma ward of your local hospital, Visiting the Sick/Bikkur Cholim is an important mitzvah/good deed that plays a significant role in repairing the world. Find where you are most comfortable and make a visit. It will do you and those you visit a world of good.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

©2012 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review came from publishers as review copies, my personal 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.

“All the days in which Sarah lived, the doors of the entrance [to her tent] were open to the wind (ruah)….  And all the days in which Sarah lived, there was a blessing sent through the dough [with which she baked]…. All the days in which Sarah lived, there was a light burning from one Shabbat evening to the next Shabbat evening….” (Genesis Rabbah 80:16 on Genesis 24:67).

So it seems that Adonai and the angels may not have been the first visitors to the tent of Abraham and Sarah, certainly they were not the last.  The midrash continues that when Isaac took Rebekkah as his wife, these same mystical rituals continued.

Welcoming Guests/Hachnasat Orchim is a wonderful mitzvah that allows us to meet new people and share our traditions with others. This time of year, with Hanukkah beginning on the evening of December 20, provides a perfect opportunity to practice this mitzvah with family, friends and neighbors.

The following books are wonderful examples of this delightful mitzvah:

Bubba and Beau Meet the Relatives. Written by Kathi Appelt. Illustrated by Arthur Howard, ©2004. Harcourt, Inc.  Ages 3-6.  In five short, simple chapters, Bubbaville becomes abuzz with the imminent arrival of the relatives. The house must be rearranged. All the best dishes must be cooked. There is no escape, even when Bubba and Beau try to hide in their favorite mud hole. What are a baby and her buddy dog supposed to do?

The Snow Blew Inn. Written by Dian Curtis Regan. Illustrated by Doug Cushman, ©2011. Holiday House. Ages 3-6. Emma has made plans to have a sleep over with her cousin, Abby. But a snow storm arrives before Abby, bringing with it stranded travelers who need a place to stay for the night. Every space in the tiny inn is taken – even Emma’s bedroom! Will there be room for Abby and her mother if they arrive?

The Paper Crane. Written and Illustrated By Molly Bang, ©1985. William Morrow & Company. Ages 5-8.  A hectic, award winning restaurant sat on a busy road, until one day a new highway was built that bypassed the restaurant. No one came anymore, and the restaurant was empty most of the time.  One day an old man stopped in for food. The restaurant owner, delighted to see a customer at last, fed him generously, even though the stranger had no money. In payment, the old man folded a paper napkin into the shape of a crane. With this simple gift, the restaurant’s future changed.

A Song for Lena. Written by Hilary Horder Hippely.  Illustrated by Leslie Baker, ©1996. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Ages 5-8.  Lena’s Grandma makes delicious apple strudel. While she makes it, she hums a beautiful song to remind her of her childhood. As Lena helps her make the strudel, Grandma tells her the story of a traveler, of hospitality and of a special unexpected gift.

The Stranger. Written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. Houghton Mifflin Company, © 1986 Ages 7-10.  In late summer, early fall, Farmer Bailey accidently hits a man with his truck. The man is unable to speak and does not know who he is. He stays with the family for a few weeks until he suddenly remembers who he is.

Skellig. By David Almond. Laurel Leaf Books, © 1998. Ages 9-12. When Michael moves into a new house in a new neighborhood he hopes that life for him and his family will change for the better, his ailing baby sister will get well and he will do better in school. Nothing like that happens, until he finds a strange person/creature/thing in his dilapidated garage.

The Arrival. Written and illustrated by Shaun Tan. Arthur A. Levine Books, © 2006. Ages 11-15. In this graphic novel, a man must leave his wife and young daughter to emigrate to a new country, find a job and start a new life before sending for them..

I try to keep the “walls of my tent” open as much as possible.  Whether serving my family of four or a house full of guests, I take joy in each moment. Each individual has a story to tell, an experience to share and all together my life has been made richer by each encounter. As you read these books, discuss them with your children using the “Speak Volumes” guide, the questions and activities will provide you with many opportunities to welcome guests during this special holiday-filled month.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

©2010 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were provided by publishers as review copies 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.

I am honored and thrilled to have been invited by Sarah Aronson, author of Beyond Lucky, to moderate a

If you are anywhere near Wellesley, please plan to join us on Thursday evening, November 17 at 7:00 PM at the Wellesley Free Library, 530 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA 02482. See you there!

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

©2011 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.

The importance of education and learning, the third value outlined in the Eilu D’varim prayer – Arriving Early for Study/Hashkamat beit hamidrash - is one of the hallmarks of the Jewish people. Perhaps because our history has included so many exoduses, expulsions, exiles and the like, we decided long ago that keeping our most valuable possessions – our ideals, ideas and values – in our heads would be the best way to transport them from one place to the next with minimal loss.

However, It is not enough to simply memorize the ideas and facts we are given, we must embrace and understand the reasons behind the information we are given.  Engaging in our education is held in equally high regard as the learning experience itself. We do this through questioning, an essential, if not fundamental, part of the Jewish learning experience. To ask is the bedrock of Jewish life.

The following books embrace education and encourage us to ask some wonderful questions:

Wow! School! Written and illustrated by Robert Neubecker, ©2007. Hyperion Books for Children.  Ages 3-6. Explore school with Izzy as she experiences the wonder and delight of a day in the classroom. From learning the alphabet to singing to making new friends to story time, school is a fun filled and exciting time. The bold, bright, colorful pictures practically shout for you to have a good time.

Sammy Spider’s First Day of School. Written by Sylvia A. Rouss. Illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn, ©2009. Kar-Ben Publishing. Ages 3-6.  Sammy Spider goes to school with Josh, listens to the story of Noah’s ark and escapes being hurt when the children learn about being kind to animals.

Wolf! By Becky Bloom. Illustrated by Pascal Biet, ©1999. Orchard Books. Ages 4-8.  Wolf is tired and hungry, but is totally ignored by the farm animals engaged in reading their books.  In order to be taken seriously, he must get an education, which he does, with surprising results.

The Art Lesson. Written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola, ©1989. G. P. Putnam’s Sons. Ages 4-8. Tommy plans to be an artist when he grows up, but how will that happen if he only gets one piece of paper during art class, cannot use his own box of 64 Crayola crayons and has to copy the pictures the art teacher draws?

The Royal Bee by Frances Park and Ginger Park. Illustrated by Christopher Zhong-Yuan Zhang, ©2000. Boyds Mill Press.  Ages 6-9.  Song-ho is a poor boy who desperately wants to learn to read and write, a privilege only given to the wealthy. However, he finds a way to listen to the lessons taught outside the schoolroom doors and eventually learns enough to change his circumstances.

Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco, ©1996. Philomel Books. Ages 7-10.  ”There will be consequences,” says Aunt Chip as she takes to her bed when the TV Tower goes up and the entire town sits glued to their televisions morning, noon and night.  And consequences there were…

Freedom School, Yes! by Amy Littlesugar. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper, ©2001. Philomel Books. Ages 7-11. In a place where school is not available and where making it available is met with anger and violence, a group of young people find the courage to teach and students find the courage to learn. This was Mississippi in 1964.

The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill, © 2000.  Aladdin Paperbacks. Ages 9-12.  After losing another of many teachers because the village is too cold, the children smell of fish  or the parents put hunting over learning, Miss Agness comes to the one-room schoolhouse in Alaska. How long will she stay?

The Report Card by Andrew Clements, © 2005.  Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Ages 10-13. A middle school genius is discovered when she carefully fails several classes in an effort to demonstrate that test scores and grades do not necessarily reflect intelligence.

The Secret School by Avi, © 2001.  Sandpiper. Ages 10-14. When their teacher leaves before the end of the year, the School Board decides to close down the one-room school to save money. But where does that leave the students who must take end-of-year tests in order to move on to the next grade.

As you read these books, discuss them with your children using the “Speak Volumes” guide for this month. You may be surprised to learn that you are practicing the value of Arriving Early for Study/Hashkamat beit hamidrash. Think of the many times you practice this value every day as you answer questions, teach new skills and ask or learn about new things yourself.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

©2011 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review came from my own collection or 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.

Illustrated by John J. Muth

© 2000, Scholastic, Inc.

For the most part, we try to be on our best behavior throughout the year. We remember to say please and thank you. We speak kindly of and to others. We tell the truth. Of course, everyone makes an occasional mistake, and when we do we normally ask forgiveness of those we hurt. We make amends.

And then there is Gershon. Gershon also makes mistakes, but rather than repair them, he sweeps them into his basement. Then, once a year, at Rosh Hashanah time, he sweeps them into a big bag and dumps them into the ocean near his home. He does not seek forgiveness from God or those he has hurt. He just piles up his “selfish and thoughtless deeds” like so much rubbish and tosses them away, assuming them taken care of. Oh, if it were only so easy.

When Gershon seeks the help of a wise rabbi in order to have a family, the rabbi reminds him of his bad deeds. While the rabbi grants him his wish to have children, he also tells Gershon that in five years he will pay a terrible price for this request. As predicted, a terrible monster arises from the sea, a monster comprised entirely of Gershon’s wrongdoings, and attempts to swallow his children. Terrifying? Yes. Life changing? Certainly, and in Eric Kimmel’s inimitable style, Gershon, his children and all the generations to come learn a very important lesson.

John Muth’s extraordinary watercolor illustrations absolutely consume the reader with emotion, from Gershon’s apathy to the rabbi’s despair and finally Gershon’s terror. This is a powerful book for the High Holidays, one that will move the entire family.

Grade Range: 1^st – 4th Grades

Ages 6-10 years

©2011 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were from my personal 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.

© 2011, Kar-Ben Publishing.

How much fun would it be to take the children on a hike and look for and pick the willow, myrtle and palm branch for your very own lulav? What would it be like to pick bay leaves for your soup pot, grapes or dates for your lunch or pomegranates for dessert while you are walking around on your hike?  Can you imagine having an etrog tree in your front yard? Of course, all of this is possible in Israel (and probably parts of California!) This charming book follows a family as they search for “the four species” in the hills around Tzefat in Israel

The story is well-written, engaging and age appropriate. The photographs are beautiful and draw the reader into the hunt.  Overall, this is a nice addition to the Sukkot collection for young readers.

Grade Level: Pre-K – 3^rd Grade

Ages: 3-8

©2011 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were provided by the publisher.
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.

Adapted and Illustrated by Chedvah Rubin

© 2009, Feldheim Publishers

This beautiful story reveals, the true meaning, and consequences, of performing a mitvah with real intention or kavanah.  Reb Itzik is a poor peddler who loves Sukkot and above all observing the mitvah of having a perfect etrog during the holiday. When one year he buys an etrog “on lay-away” and ends up being the sole owner of an etrog in the region, his love of this mitvah is put to the test. He passes with great rewards.

The writing is fixating, emotional and inspiring. The artwork, which looks to be pen and ink with watercolor paint, is exquisitely detailed, warm and welcoming. The book invites you into itself to listen to its words of wisdom.

While this book is published by an Orthodox publishing house, and therefore some of the language may sound a bit different to those unfamiliar with Ashkenazic pronunciation (i.e. mitzvos versus mitvah, esrog versus etrog), the idea and emotion of the story crosses all denominational boundaries. What is the price of performing a mitzvah with our whole heart?

Grade Range: 3rd-8th Grades

Ages 8-14 years

©2011 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were provided by the publisher.
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.

So important are these deeds that they are part of what, according to The Rabbis, is holding up the world: “The world stands on three things: Torah, Avodah (worship), and Gemiilut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness)” (Ethics of the Fathers/Pirke Avot, 1:2).

Acts of Loving Kindness/G’milut Hasidim are the actions we perform for others that require us to give a little bit of ourselves. They are activities we put some thought or effort into before, during and after we do them. We think about the people we are helping, the organization we are serving, or how exactly the money we are donating is going to help whoever we are giving it to.

Are we supposed to give until it hurts? Well not exactly, but we certainly should be aware that we are doing something important, not mindlessly going through the motions. We should be working, writing or acting with intention or kavannah.

The books I want to suggest to you this month, clearly demonstrate Acts of Loving Kindness filled with intention.

The Lion & the Mouse Written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, © 2009 (ages 3-9) In this Caldecott Award winning, wordless picture book adaptation of the classic Aesop’s fable, a meek little mouse disturbs a resting lion. Unexpectedly, the lion lets the mouse go. When later, the lion is captured in a rope trap, the mouse repays the kindness by freeing the lion.

The Bear Who Shared Written and illustrated by Catherine Rayner. Dial Books for Young Readers, © 2010 (Ages 3-7) The plorringe is about to ripen. Norris, the bear, patiently waits as Tulip, the raccoon, and Violet, the mouse, touch and test the delicious fruit. Who will get the ripened fruit when it finally falls?

Rabbit’s Gift By George Shannon. Illustrated by Laura Dronznek. Harcourt, Inc., © 2007 (Ages 3-8) Winter is coming. When Rabbit finds two turnips, he is happy thinking he will be set when the snow comes. However, when he thinks about his friend Donkey, who is all alone, Rabbit decides to give his second turnip to her. But Donkey has plenty of food, so she shares with Goat, who shares with Deer, who shares with…As each animal thinks of another friend, they come to realize there is enough food for all of them to share what they have together.

Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed By Emily Pearson. Illustrated by Fumi Kosaka. Gibbs Smith, Publisher,   © 2002 (Ages 4-8) Ordinary Mary changed the world by picking some ordinary blueberries from an ordinary bush, putting them in an ordinary bowl and setting them on Mrs. Bishop’s porch. Mary’s simple act sets off a chain reaction that sends a message of love to every person in the whole world.

God Said Amen By Sandy Eisenberg Sasso. Illustrated by Avi Katz. Jewish Lights Publishing, © 2000 (ages 5-9) The Kingdom of Midnight has plenty of water but needs oil to light their lamps at night. The Kingdom of the Desert has lots of oil but needs water for their garden plants.  Unfortunately, the Prince of Midnight and the Princess of the Desert are both too proud to ask for what they need and too stubborn to give what they have without being asked. In the end, a simple act of kindness by two young people brings the two kingdoms together.

Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot: A True Story of the Berlin Airlift and the Candy that Dropped from the Sky By Margot Theis Raven. Illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen. Sleeping Bear Press, © 2002 (Ages 8-11) Mercedes and her mother are living in West Berlin during the Soviet blockade of the city in 1948. Food and fuel are scarce, but when Mercedes’ mother reads her a newspaper story about a Berlin Airlift pilot who is dropping candy for children out of his ariplane, Mercedes decides she must get some.

Love, Ruby Lavender By Deborah Wiles. Harcourt, Inc., © 2001 (ages 9-12). Ruby Lavender loves her grandmother, Eula.  She has the exact opposite feelings about her schoolmate, Melba Jane. When Ruby is “abandoned” by her grandmother, who must leave their small town of Halleluia, Mississippi to visit a new grandchild in Hawaii, Ruby puts her loneliness and energy into raising her three chickens.

Maniac Magee By Jerry Spinelli. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, © 1990 (Ages 10-14). In this Newbery Award Winning book by a master storyteller, we read the legend of Jeffrey Lionel Magee.  As with most legends, the lines between fact and fiction are a bit blurry. What is true, however, is that Jeffrey Lionel Magee left a definite impression on the town in which he lived.

Makeovers by Marcia By Claudia Mills. Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, © 2005 (Ages 11-15). Marcia is “overweight” by 5 whole pounds, is praying her 8th grade dream date will ask her to the fall dance and has just learned her art teacher thinks her drawing of a girl looks like “Barbie.” Things could not get any worse…until her Social Studies teacher assigns her to a community service project at the nursing home! What is she supposed to do with a bunch of old people?

Every Soul A Star By Wendy Mass. Little, Brown and Company, © 2008 (Ages 11-15). Three teens come together to witness a total eclipse of the sun and find that their lives are about to be changed forever.

Notes from the Dog By Gary Paulsen. Wendy Lamb Books, © 2009 (ages 13-16). Finn planned to spend the summer sitting at home, reading and not talking to any more than 12 people. That was until Joanna moved in to house sit next door. Joanna decided that Finn should plant a garden for her – in his back yard! But wait, there’s more…much more.

The Power of Half: One Family’s Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back. By Kevin Salwen & Hannah Salwen. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, © 2010 (ages 14-Adult). Seeing a homeless man and a person driving an expensive car at the same time on the same street corner triggers a life changing decision for one family. They will sell their house and give half of the profits to charity.

In order that each child reading these books will get the most from them, I created Speak Volumes: A Jewish Values Based Family Reading Program. Go to the Family Reading Program Section of my website, locate the October/Tishrei list of discussion questions and activities. Use these when reading together with your children to see and understand the value of G’milut Hasidim/Acts of Loving Kindness in each of these books.

Wishing you a wonderful Sukkot.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

©2011 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review came from my own collection or 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.

As I think about preparing for this tradition, however, I am reminded that bees are in trouble all over the world.  What if there was no honey for us to dip our apples in? Several new books have been published recently to warn of the bees’ plight and seek everyone’s help in looking out for them.

What’s the Buzz? Honey for a Sweet New Year by Allison Ofanansky. Photographs by Eliyahu Alpern. ©2011. Kar-Ben Publishing. Ages 4-9.  In this companion book to Harvest of Light and Sukkot Treasure Hunt, the author and photographer take us on a visit to the Dvorat Havator Bee Farm and Education Center in Israel to learn how bees collect pollen to make honey and to see how it is processed into the food we eat.

The Buzz on Bees: Why Are They Disappearing? by Shelley Rotner & Anne Woodhull. Photographs by Shelley Rotner.  ©2010. Ages 6-10. Holiday House, Inc. In 2006, Dave Hackenburg, a professional beekeeper noticed that all of his hundreds of hives were empty. The bees were not dead, they had disappeared.  This fascinating book explains why the vanishing of bees would be a terrible thing for the world. Bees do more than simply produce honey, they pollinate “one out of every three mouthfuls of food we eat.” That makes bees a pretty important insect.

The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe by Loree Griffin Burns. Photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz. ©2010. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.  Ages 8-12. This captivating book, part of the Scientists in the Field Series, delves deeply into the disappearance of bees around the world and the scientific search into the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). You will be reintroduced to Dave Hackenburg, the professional beekeeper who first discovered this frightening problem and to the beekeepers, farmers, scientists and the many others who are pursuing the various leads to the potential causes of the problem.

Honey: A Gift from Nature by Yumiko Fujiwara. Illustrated by Hideko Ise. ©2006. Kane/Miller Book Publishers, Inc.  Ages 3-6. This book, for the very young, looks at bees and how they make the honey we love so much. The language is simple and direct. The illustrations are beautiful and take on the colors of each season being discussed – the greens of spring, the warm yellows of summer, the autumn golds and reds, the greys of winter.  Because it was published before its discovery, this book does not go into the bee problem.  Nevertheless, for the very young, this is a perfect introduction to the wonders of how honey is made.

And with all of this honey, we should have some apples to dip it in, right?

One Red Apple by Harriet Ziefert. Illustrated by Karla Gudeon.  ©2009. Blue Apple Books.  Ages 3-8.  Using simple language, this charming book takes us on a journey from picking apples to eating, to leaving some apples for the birds. Seeds fall, a tree grows – with a pull out page – and the cycle begins again. Karla Gudeon’s paintings are bright, bold, colorful and attractive.  Pair this book with What’s the Buzz? Honey for a Sweet New Year or Honey: a Gift from Nature and you will have a lovely read-aloud time with your family for the New Year.

Wishing you and yours a sweet, healthy and book-filled New Year.  L’Shanah Tovah Tikatevu – May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a good year.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

©2011 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
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