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Author Lesley Simpson offered to interview herself, and I couldn't pass that up! She talks about Yuvi's Candy Tree (Kar-Ben, 2011), a picture book on Ethiopian Jews fleeing to Israel based on the true story of Yuvi Tashome. With its strong Exodus themes, it makes a great tie-in to Passover; it's also a universal immigration story and a good illustration of the diversity of the Jewish family.
Have you ever heard of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library? This literacy program brings free books each month to preschool kids all across the country so that regardless of income, thousands of kids have good books to read. Dolly’s wonderful idea—plus a family Seder where the kids received Jewish-themed books—inspired Harold Grinspoon, a Massachusetts philanthropist. He founded the PJ Library to help families strengthen their Jewish identity.
Every month, the library (“PJ” as in pajamas—for cozy bedtime reading) sends a book with Jewish content to Jewish families with kids aged six months to seven years. The neat thing is that these books, too, are all free—interested families just need to sign up when PJ comes to a participating community.
The Harold Grinspoon Foundation works with local funding partners to provide the books (and one CD of songs each year). The PJ Library is now in over one hundred twenty-five communities coast to coast and in Canada and serves more than sixty thousand families. In four years, the library has given away more than two million books!
We’re delighted that the PJ Library has included several Albert Whitman picture books in its offerings. These include Linda Glaser’s simple and charming Hoppy Hanukkah! and Hoppy Passover! in which two young bunnies observe the holidays with their family; Barbara Reid’s Fox Walked Alone, an unusual take on the Noah’s Ark story, with stunning plasticene art; and Frances Harber’s The Brothers’ Promise, a retelling of a Talmudic tale of brotherly love.
Take a look at some of these great stories. And you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy them!
SHOW NOTES:The final installment of interviews with publishers and authors from the show floor at Book Expo America 2009. This episode highlights Jewish books for kids and teens.
...and just because they got mentioned so often by so many people, The PJ Library
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EXCITING NEWS:
I am pleased to announce that content from The Book of Life has been included in the new Jewish Book Search tool created by the Jewish Publication Society!
Here's their description of the tool: "JPS has put together a list of the highest quality websites with Jewish Book content. This search engine queries those sites and those alone. This will allow you to be sure that your search will only be related to Jewish Books. No more sifting through tons of content for what you are looking for. Search for any and all Jewish Books, articles about Jewish Books, blogs about Jewish Books, and anything about the Jewish Book world. Search by title, author, keyword, or area of interest!"
Go ahead and try it out! If you'd like to embed the tool on your own site, visit JPS.
One of the hats I wear is that of reviewer for the PJ Library, a project that provides Jewish books for families with young children. I'm privileged to be on the book selection committee that determines which titles meet the project's unique goal, to introduce disconnected families to a taste of Judaism.
The PJ Library's growth is having an exciting effect on the publishing industry too, by expanding the market for Jewish children's literature. I recently got ahold of a press release explaining this phenomenon, and though you all might find it interesting.
The PJ Library Creates Renaissance for Children's Book Publishing Industry
SPRINGFIELD, MA, June 19, 2008 - Why are Simon & Schuster, Random House, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Scholastic and other top publishers listening intently to the opinions of a tiny group of Jewish educators?
Because their decisions have directly triggered more than $1.5 million in children's book purchases in just two and a half years.
These specialists comprise The PJ Library - a unique national program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation that is filling a growing demand among young Jewish families across America, to bring Jewish culture and a sense of heritage into their homes.
The PJ Library selects, mass-purchases and mails Jewish children's books directly to children ages 6 months to 7 years on a monthly basis. Currently the books are mailed to 22,000 children per month, and projected to reach 44,000 by next year.
The books are free of charge to the participating families, thanks to The Harold Grinspoon Foundation and its partner-donors in over 70 communities where The PJ Library operates. The program also funds facilitators and supports reading activities in each community.
More Than a High-Quality Program - A Valuable Brand
With its purchasing power and critical acclaim, The PJ Library is a valuable brand to its 25 publishing suppliers and the authors of its 67 book titles, resulting in:
- Publishers asking The PJ Library to consult on content direction of their upcoming Jewish books, and on bringing back out-of-print Jewish classics.
- Authors integrating more Jewish educational elements into their second editions to tie in with The PJ Library's goals.
- Publishers putting The PJ Library logo on book covers, and printing its Reading Guides on the 'French flap' book cover extensions, to further explain Jewish concepts to readers.
The PJ Library Genesis and Future
In 2005, entrepreneur Harold Grinspoon conceptualized The PJ Library out of his concern that numerous young Jewish families are only marginally engaged in Jewish life, or not engaged at all. "In two and a half short years, the demand for The PJ Library has become overwhelming," remarked Grinspoon. "But we've only just begun - we aim for the program to be thriving in all 555 North American Jewish communities."
"In March the running water of the valley is bitter, acid cold, as snow on the fells begins to melt and is brought down over chilled rocks and icy beds. It has in it all the breaking soul of winter, thousands of dying flakes in one long, moving water-coffin."
That's a powerful nature scene written by novelist Sarah Hall, describing earth-shaking changes in a rural area in Europe. Her novel Haweswater captured the difficult lives of a 1930's farming community in England, a setting she'd memorized during her childhood.
Last year she stopped by for a practical interview about her craft, showing us how to turn the most familiar settings into evocative novel scenes. That interview was one of my most popular posts, and I'm reframing the whole entry for your reading pleasure.
As winter looms, trapping us inside our houses, we should all follow Hall's advice and turn the environment outside our window into vivid setting? Click here to learn how to describe nature in your stories.
Another great podcast! Thanks Heidi! (Btw the Miriam book is coming in Fall 2010)