Schedules and registration forms for the upcoming Association of Jewish Libraries Conference in Pasedena June 17-20, 2012 is now up on the AJL website. This is a great opportunity for Jewish book lovers to share their knowledge and experience.
http://www.jewishlibraries.org/main/Events.aspx
Showing posts with label Jewish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jewish. Show all posts
12/22/11
Exciting 2012 AJL Conference Announcement
Wahoo!
In 2012, the national AJL conference will be held in the Los Angeles area! It will be Sunday, June 17th in Pasadena, at the beautiful Langham Hotel. All the info will soon be on the www.jewishlibraries.org website. Writers, librarians, teachers, illustrators or parents can attend the entire conference or opt only to visit select daytime events. One highlight is hearing the winners of annual Sydney Taylor awards speak.
The wonderful librarian Lisa Silverman of Sinai Temple Library says that attendees will have opportunities to meet a lot of people in the field. (She also assured me that the food will be kosher.)
Because of this exciting local event, Lisa informs me that they will not be holding a West Coast Children’s Jewish Literature Conference this April. That's too bad, but I'm very excited about the opportunity to attend the conference without having to book plane tickets or a hotel! Pass on the info to any L.A. area book-lovers who might be interested. Additionally, if you want to present a session at the conference, you can still submit a topic until December 31st. Follow the link below:
12/17/11
Electronic Publishing
On a couple of my LinkedIn groups, there have been some fascinating conversations lately about self-publishing. At this point in my life, I can't imagine starting such a project--unless we're discussing ebooks.
As I have mentioned before, the novel I'm currently working on is so quirky, I'm a little afraid of its publishing possibilities. I'm also considering an anthology of my stories (including ones that have previously appeared in magazines). I can't imagine spending the money on self-publishing up front--but ebooks can be printed with services like Lulu for virtually nothing. Moreover, if you price your book in the magic window of $.99 to $2.99, you can get a lot of downloads. The author's share of the profit is higher, and they can accumulate into a little pile of spending money.
I tested out a Kindle last week.
Definitely a weird experience for me. The sound, smell and tactile experiences of reading an ebook are so different than with a print one, and your eyes and hands operate so differently, that it was a little off-putting.
I visited the Lulu site, too. There are a LOT of details, details traditionally published authors don't handle.
Additionally, I have concerns about how well ebooks are penetrating the Jewish market. My most recent Artscroll and Feldheim catalogs do boast ebook offerings, and here are some links to Jewish e-book sites online:
Definitely more research is in order.
11/20/11
Ever wanted to write a novel?
As some readers might know, November is National Novel Writing Month. Known as NaNoWriMo to insiders, participants sign up on the website, http://www.nanowrimo.org/, then commit to write a novel of at least 50,000 words by the end of the month. While some people find this task daunting, other people find it motivating and even exhilarating. The deadline gets people who've always wanted to write a novel but failed to follow the number one rule of writing (get your tush into a chair and start writing daily).
Intriguing? Well, even though it's almost the end of the month, it's not too late to participate! Barbara Krasner, who blogs at The Whole Megillah, is starting a Jewish version of NaNoWriMo to coincide with Jewish Book Month, which starts tomorrow (Nov. 21st).
Follow this link to get more details.
11/5/11
Just when you think the world is going to heck in a handbasket...
Here are links to two articles with wonderful examples of how people can support one another despite sectarian differences.
A modest-clothing blogger who is a member of the LDS church bonds with the evangelist Christian, Orthodox Jewish, and Muslim women who visit her website.
Two Muslim cabbies from Pakistan buy out a struggling Jewish owned business and vow to keep it kosher.
And yes, I found the articles when wasting time I was supposed to be working on my novel.
10/6/11
Ladies: Have you seen "The Heart that Sings" yet?
Last spring, I enjoyed the fabulous, soul-stirring, ladies-only film by Robin Garbose "The Heart that Sings." The film is 100% kosher. Not only are performances by ladies only for ladies only, but contain authentically Jewish content. If you didn't catch the movie the first time around, you can catch it during chol hamoed Sukkot in the following locations: Boro Park, Monsey, Crown Heights, Toronto, L.A., and Lakewood. Follow this link for times and ticket prices:
There's also a preview available to watch on the website.
9/18/11
Soundtrack to the novel I'm working on
(picture by Thunder Circus on Flickr)
I've been wasting a lot of my precious post-bedtime lately. I'm supposed to be finishing my book, but I find myself listening to groovy music instead. In theory, it's helping identify with various characters and create atmosphere, but honestly, I'm still pretty much avoiding real work. Here are some highlights.
"Infinity" by Shtar
"Running Away" by Matisyahu (cover of a Bob Marley song)
"I Can't Be with You" by the Cranberries (female vocalist)
the Diwon remix of "Acharon Acharon, Chaviv" by Lipa Shmeltzer
"You are Never Alone" by Socalled
"Chalomot shel Acherim" by the Idan Raichel Project
"Rachmana" by Ta-Shma
"The Only One" by Moshav
"Down in the Now" by the Crystal Method (with Matisyahu)
9/1/11
Interesting perspective on modesty
Tzniut, or modesty, is an important topic for those who adopt a Torah-true lifestyle. I was attracted to Randa Abdel-Fattah's book, Does My Head Look Big In This?, because it addresses this very issue from the Muslim perspective. I thought it would be interesting to see how a Muslim writer handled it as opposed to the Jewish writers I'm already familiar with.
Amal, a teenager in Australia, decides to begin to wear the hijab (traditional Muslim headcovering) full-time even though she attends a very White prep school. The saga of how her choice impacts more and more of her life flows logically. Amal is a very likable narrator and explains the ideology behind the hijab and other Muslim practices beautifully, and they are very much in harmony with the views of traditional Judaism. I appreciated that we see both the ups and downs along Amal's journey, and that she stays firm on her decision at the conclusion of the book.
Amal, like most teenagers, is OBSESSED with movies, television, Cosmo, celebrity gossip, etc. We see Amal's parents telling her that these pop-culture icons are nonsense, but we don't see her very moved by this. Amal never seems to really get that celebrity culture and fashion magazines are completely the opposite of what the hajib stands for. Some of the trouble she must deal with is actually created by her involvement in mainstream culture. She keeps watching "Friends" even though the characters make life decisions incompatible with Islam, and she compulsively does Cosmo quizzes and uses the magazine's advice to flirt with boys even though she will not date them. I wish the book would have been more insightful about how our society feeds into immodesty, and how it's healthy to step out of that largely-immoral media mix.
Most Orthodox Jews would tell you that the solution is to retreat from secular media, to varying degrees. It's common to monitor our children's television viewing (or ban it from the house altogether), restrict what movies they see, limit internet access, and the like. Many frum children aren't permitted to use cell phones, or the phones do not have text access. And many Orthodox Jews send their children to schools with separate girls' and boys' departments, if not entirely separate schools. I know that many Muslims adopt such strategies (none of which is perfect, but which help)...what puzzles me is that Ms. Abdel-Fattah doesn't bring them up (except that Amal's parents disapprove of Cosmo, so she has to sneak it into the house).
Most Orthodox Jews would tell you that the solution is to retreat from secular media, to varying degrees. It's common to monitor our children's television viewing (or ban it from the house altogether), restrict what movies they see, limit internet access, and the like. Many frum children aren't permitted to use cell phones, or the phones do not have text access. And many Orthodox Jews send their children to schools with separate girls' and boys' departments, if not entirely separate schools. I know that many Muslims adopt such strategies (none of which is perfect, but which help)...what puzzles me is that Ms. Abdel-Fattah doesn't bring them up (except that Amal's parents disapprove of Cosmo, so she has to sneak it into the house).
There are fleeting mentions of political beliefs that most Jewish readers will disagree with (there are a couple references to the Palestinian-Israeli dilemma); however, none of these are obnoxious, argumentative, or deeply offensive. There is mutual respect between all sorts of characters (it's very nice that Jewish characters are portrayed favorably, with a marked distinction between politics and religion, although as an Orthodox Jew, I flinched when the Jewish kid falls for a non-Jew).
Two things cause me to hesitate from recommending Does This Make My Head Look Big? to every Bais Yaakov girl, though:
I was surprised that there is some swearing in the book (no F-bombs, though, I think), and there is some frank talk about how Amal's beliefs address sexuality and women's body image, although nothing graphic. However, I think that this book would be a very good read for many young women or even teachers/parents of young women. I think that the book has a lot of insights that are unlikely to be found in a YA novel published by a frum publishing house, and I think the fictional format is particularly useful in approaching this audience. I hope this book's pro-modesty message will reach teens that wouldn't normally pick up an Orthodox Jewish book.
Two things cause me to hesitate from recommending Does This Make My Head Look Big? to every Bais Yaakov girl, though:
I was surprised that there is some swearing in the book (no F-bombs, though, I think), and there is some frank talk about how Amal's beliefs address sexuality and women's body image, although nothing graphic. However, I think that this book would be a very good read for many young women or even teachers/parents of young women. I think that the book has a lot of insights that are unlikely to be found in a YA novel published by a frum publishing house, and I think the fictional format is particularly useful in approaching this audience. I hope this book's pro-modesty message will reach teens that wouldn't normally pick up an Orthodox Jewish book.
8/28/11
Jewish magazines still jockeying for market share
In the last few years, English-language Orthodox (charedi) periodicals have proliferated. (A little disclosure is appropriate here--I've written for both Aim! and Mishpacha Junior, am a long-time subscriber to HaModia.) Interestingly, as new publications show up, the older ones change formats (sometimes repeatedly) in order to improve their market share.
For example: HaModia came out with an online edition and now so has the Yated (honestly, I don't know which happened first, but I heard about HaModia's first). HaModia came out with a unique format for the kids' mag that competes more with Weekly Reader than with any other charedi publication and sets it apart. Supplements targeted towards kosher "foodies" are in vogue almost across the board. Most recently, I noticed that Binah Bunch is now divided in two--one half "Clubhouse" (which seems designed to compete with Mishpacha Junior) and one half a tween magazine (more similar to Aim!).
Watching these "renovations" is sometimes entertaining (trying to guess the reasons behind different editorial decisions, for example), but it's also a little depressing because these magazines HAVE to compete in order to make money. I enjoy all of them, but I can't afford to purchase all of them on a regular basis. Neither can the average Jewish consumer, so these magazines and newspapers have to compete for our subscriptions.
It also has implications for us writers. If there's more variety out there, there are more niches writers can develop for their writing...which is fabulous. But if everyone just tries to do the same thing, just better, (how many food magazines do we really need?) writers get locked in. I've seen a little of both in these format changes.
On a happier note, I think the competition has forced all the magazines to strive for a level of excellence that I don't think has been reached before. Not only are there more magazines, but they are better than ever, I think.
8/14/11
Jewish Sci-Fi Update
Yaakov the Pirate Hunter is the new-ish novel for tweens by L.A. local Nathaniel Wyckoff. Yaakov Peretz has just started summer vacation, and an accident with one of his family's robots results in his discovery of a treasure map. Wacky adventures result from the Peretz's choice to seek out the treasure so it can be returned. It's all reminiscent of a Geronimo Stilton book, but with no mice and only black and white print.
I remember reading a while ago that the way George Lucas and Steven Spielberg invented Indiana Jones was by fantasizing about all the coolest scenes they wished had been in matinee serials and adventure novels pre-1960, and then binding these scenes together with a plot. You know: Trapped in a pit with snakes--check! Fight with strongman who gets too close to a propeller--check! Pretty but tough girl gets trapped in a basket, but which one?--check!
That's what Yaakov the Pirate Hunter is like. What would tween boys most like to read about? Robots--check! Pirates--check! Bumbling cops--check! Kids save the day--check! It makes perfect sense for this to be the novel's general impression, too. Wyckoff originally invented the story to entertain the kids in carpool (How's that for a successful carpool strategy?). With all those elements, how could it go wrong?
The recipe works like magic. Yaakov the Pirate Hunter is pure fun. My 9 year old son LOVED it. Like begged to find out if there's a sequel in the works kind of loved it. (Answer: not in the immediate future. Alas.) He also loved that the book is set in Los Angeles, not the NY metro area or Israel, like most Jewish books.
I'd recommend this book for 7-11 year old kids, especially boys. It could work as independent reading or a bedtime read-aloud. Here's a link to Amazon if you want to purchase it: http://www.amazon.com/Yaakov-Pirate-Hunter-Nathaniel-Wyckoff/dp/1456452495/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313374964&sr=1-1
7/22/11
Jewish Picture Book Aims to Protect our Children from Harm
http://matzav.com/how-do-we-protect-our-children
Safety is--for obvious reasons--a high priority in our community right now. A friend recommended the book described in the link above. The article suggests that it introduces strategies to children so they can avoid being harmed by adults around them, yet approaches the subject in a way that is appropriate in our community.
In the comments section of the article, it makes clear that this book focuses on interactions with malicious strangers. Statistically, most children who are harmed (lo aleinu) are harmed by people they know. The next printing of the book will have this topic added.
Yoni Ploni… Never Talks to Strangers can be acquired directly from the author by dialing 347 393 3670.
The book has endorsements that have led me to place the link here, but I have not read the book myself yet. If you have and have any feedback to share, please feel free to add a comment below.
7/10/11
Free Hebrew books for Jewish kids!
There's a new project patterned on the PJ Library, that focuses on bringing Hebrew language materials into homes. Targeting the children and grandchildren of ex-patriot Israelis, in particular, philanthropists here in L.A. want to send kids books in Hebrew to cultivate skills in our special language. See this week's Aish.com article here for a full explanation.
If you have children 3-5 years of age and would like to receive books in Hebrew throughout the school year, register at the link that follows. https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dG5DTEhoa29GQWFsNzhOaUxQZTFJaWc6MQ#gid=0
6/30/11
Another great contest...this time for readers, not just writers!
The website Savvima is giving away a copy of the new Artscroll book, Let's Go to the Sun and the Moon. To enter, you need to visit this link and put in a topic you'd like to see a Jewish book address before July 4th, 2011. One entry will be selected to receive the book.
6/27/11
Jewish Book Carnival coming in July
Ann Koffsky, author and illustrator, will be hosting AJL's Jewish Book Carnival on her website. Check in to the site after July 15th for links to blogs and websites with Jewish book themes. There's also a Goodreads group with discussions, etc. See here for more details. http://www.jewishlibraries.org/main/Resources/Blog/JewishBookCarnivalHQ.aspx
6/13/11
Jewish Women's Writing Conference in Jerusalem
There is a wonderful Orthodox women's writing conference in Jerusalem, which I fantasize about attending yearly. Many fabulous writers and editors appear, and I wish I could hear them speak about
This year was particularly appealing to me, as there was a workshop about making writing a (somewhat) profitable career. B"H someone recorded the presentations and Naomi Elbinger posted them on her blog.
Here's the link:
6/2/11
Nifty bit in this week's HaModia
There's an article this week about Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld in HaModia, and it mentions almost as an aside that he and his 12 year old daughter have started a website with books for Jewish kids.
I visited the site, and the coolest thing is that it is SEARCHABLE! You can look up selections by subject and by age of reader, as well as title and author. However, it does not contain all the books out there. I'm assuming it is a work in progress and I'm very impressed with what they've done so far. It would be a great resource, for example, for those looking to buy a gift for a particular child or looking to stock up for a school or classroom library.
The link is in the list to the right of this blog, as well, and will remain there indefinitely.
In other "HaModia" news...my all-time favorite serial (aside from the one co-written by yours truly...) wrapped up in that magazine last week. Hopefully, This is America! will soon appear in novel format in Jewish bookstores. I really hope so, as it will deservingly find more readers this way.
5/29/11
Counting down (or is it up?) 'til Shavuos
This time of year is always a little interesting for me, since my one-and-so-far-only (yes, I'm still whining about that) book is seasonal, as it is set on erev Shavuos. I read my book at synagogue, have friends and acquaintances purchase it, do a school visit...that type of thing.
There aren't many Shavuos books out there, which is one of the reasons I wrote the book. When A Dozen Daisies for Raizy finally came out (I think it holds the publisher's record for longest stretch from manuscript sale to publication), it came out the same year as the Shavuot book in the Sammy Spider series. My first thought was "Oy!" but others told me that people about to purchase Sammy Spider (a very well-known commodity) might see my Shavuos book and then either buy mine instead or as well. I felt a little better.
Then, reviews started trickling in. Most of mine were good or at least okay--the kids, parents, teachers and librarians who've spoken to me have been much more enthusiastic--but there was ONE review that was SO BAD I wanted to cry. And when A Dozen Daisies for Raizy became available through Amazon, that was the review posted on the page for the book, because it was from the most prestigious source.
One of the things that was most hurtful was that the person who wrote the review compared my book unfavorably to another book, A Mountain of Blintzes.
This was like turning to your kid and saying, "You're terrible, but your big sister...she's terrific." Right to her face.
The thing is...I really like A Mountain of Blintzes! But I almost couldn't, because of the hurtfulness of the reviewer's words. It's the tragedy of saying Onaas HaDevarim (hurtful speech prohibited by the Torah). My anger at the reviewer almost carried over to anger against Barbara Diamond Goldin (author of ...Blintzes) who I'm sure had NOTHING to do with the aforementioned hurtful statement.
Thankfully, I'm pretty much over this whole episode now. I'm actually sad for Barbara Diamond Goldin, because her funny, lovely book is tragically out of print. You can still find it in libraries and through online booksellers who deal in out-of-print merchandise. I urge you to borrow or purchase it during the upcoming holiday season.
And if you can borrow or buy A Dozen Daisies for Raizy, too...that's even better.
5/25/11
Great Bedtime Stories beyond _Goodnight Moon_
I'm feeling inspired by the wonderful new book by David Ezra Stein, called The Interrupting Chicken. My children and I are going to list a few other of our favorite bedtime stories.
Bedtime for Mommy, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Turnabout is fair play in this uproariously funny, topsy-turvy tale.
Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep is a wonderful way to address children's fears at bedtime, plus teaches a healthy way to cope with these troubles. Also, there is a touching relationship between the big brother and his little sister.
We found the adorable Sleepyhead inside our Cheerios box at breakfast one day. Very charming, very snuggly.
As anyone whose read my blog already knows, I'm slightly obsessed with books by Sandra Boynton. Here's her silly, but soothing, bedtime classic, The Going to Bed Book.
With very few words, Peggy Rathman leads children on a fabulous bedtime adventure in Goodnight Gorilla.
Artscroll publishes a whole series of wonderful, wholesome anthologies full of very short stories, just right for bedtime reading. They are widely available in Jewish bookstores and online.
This story is perfect for a Friday night: Hanna's Sabbath Dress. The original Hebrew version of this book has long been a favorite of my children. Hanna is a little girl who has just received a new, white Shabbos dress from her mother. When she does an act of kindness, there are unforeseen consequences. How will she ever bring herself to face her mother?
Last, but not least: the brand new, absolutely fabulous Hashem is Truly Everywhere by Chani Altein, with pictures by the fabulous, local-to-L.A. artist, Marc Lumer!
Put in your bedtime story suggestions in the comments below.
5/24/11
A Light to the Nations
There have been several outstanding books in the last few years that, while by Orthodox Jews, were written for the public at large. I've mentioned some of them in previous posts: My Before and After Life and Seven Blessings, for example.
Matisyahu (Miller), while he's received a lot of flak by some members of the Jewish community, has likewise brought the beauty of the Jewish worldview to a broader audience through his music.
First of all, every time someone picks up a book by Risa Miller, Yehoshua November, Rochelle Krich, or Ruchama King Feuerman, they AREN'T reading...I'll let you fill in the blank. And every time someone listens to Matisyahu, Y-Love, DeScribe, Ta-Shma, or Moshav, they AREN'T listening to...I'm sure you can fill that blank in, too.
There's merit just from that. So much poison fills our minds when we internalize messages from music, art, and literature filled wrong-headed thinking. Even a morally-neutral alternative is preferable
But the artists I mention above go further than this. There's just so much beauty in these artists' words. They fill the readers'/listeners' hearts and touch them much better than a good mussar schmuess rarely will for the average American...and the audience will remember the message. People will remember the words to a song or poem for years and years, if not a lifetime.
This is the kind of art I'd like to be able to share with the world at some point. An ambitious goal, for sure, but I'm hoping I've got years ahead of me to pursue it.
Since Lag B'omer just is past, I'm listing some links for contemporary Jewish music that penetrates the soul.
And here's a lovely rendition of Matisyahu's "One Day" by public schoolchildren in NYC:
4/3/11
Fantastic AJL conference!
The topic of the 2011 Association of Jewish Libraries conference (think I got the name wrong on a previous post) this past weekend was Graphic Literature. I'm still buzzing with excitement about the conference, so I'll share some highlights.
The wonderful presenters included Sid Jacobson (author of the recent and much-lauded official graphic biography of Anne Frank), William Rubin (co-creator of Homeland: the Illustrated History of the State of Israel), and Barry Deutsch, who just won the Sydney Taylor Award for Hereville.
Each one described their recent work, its development, public reaction, and future projects. Mssrs. Jacobson, Rubin, and Deutsch were all charming and engaging and totally worth seeing (and buying their books!). BUT the most amazing speaker of the conference was Anastasia Betts.
Mrs. Betts is currently a consultant and curriculum developer. She presented research on literacy and graphic literature (including comics, graphic novels, manga, etc.).
Some mindblowing facts:
The highest literacy rates in the world are in Finland and Japan (99%). They are also the biggest consumers of graphic literature.
Graphic literature is more than just comics, but can come in every genre, for any audience. The text, particularly unfamiliar vocabulary and main ideas, are supported by pictures for weaker readers. Visual learners have more cues than in traditional text. Eyes move differently over the pages.
If you introduce graphic literature into a school library, use of the library by students will increase by more than 80 percent, with 32 percent of the increase in borrowing being the non-graphic literature!
We've already seen graphic formats being adopted by Jewish publishers (see authors above). You can even argue that he fabulous Katz Hagaddah with illustrations by Gadi Pollock that many of us use on Pesach is an example of this phenomenon. Think of how readers react to it, or to the graphic 39 Melachos of Shabbos book, or to Trekking Through Time, or The Search for Stones (illustrated by the wonderful L.A.-local Marc Lumer). I've seen kids and even adults ooh and ahh over them. I'm hoping that this will be a trend that continues.
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