The Book of Life: Jewish Kidlit, Mostly
The Book of Life is an interview-format podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly, with occasional coverage of Jewish YA/adult books, music, film and web, established in December 2005. Host: Heidi Rabinowitz Sponsors: Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel of Boca Raton, Florida & the Association of Jewish Libraries
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Announcement: Share Your Shelf
01/06/2026
Announcement: Share Your Shelf
TRANSCRIPT: Hello! This is Heidi Rabinowitz, your host at The Book of Life Podcast, and I have some news to share. A year ago I started a for The Book of Life Podcast to celebrate the show's 20th anniversary. The free Substack posts include podcast episodes, show notes, transcripts, Jewish kidlit news, and calls to action. A number of listeners have very kindly pledged to upgrade to paid subscriptions to support the show. I am now turning on paid subscriptions, and I'm starting a new bonus segment on The Book of Life, especially for paid subscribers. It's called Share Your Shelf. I'll be asking guests to look at their own bookshelves to share the books that are important to them, or that have an interesting origin story; books they've hung onto or just acquired, their oldest or newest books, or even the books that are actually missing from their shelves. The first Share Your Shelf bonus segment will go out to paid subscribers on January 26th, when I'll also be posting a free podcast episode for everyone, about the winners of the 2026 Sydney Taylor Book Award. If you'd like to hear these personal stories from Book of Life guests, and if you'd like to support my work advocating for Jewish kidlit, please subscribe to the Substack at and click on the Upgrade to Paid button. And no matter how you listen to the show, and whether or not you're a free OR paid subscriber on Substack, I want to thank you for giving the podcast and Jewish kidlit your attention!
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20th Anniversary Retrospective Spectacular!
12/14/2025
20th Anniversary Retrospective Spectacular!
SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT: It’s The Book of Life’s 20th Anniversary! In celebration, here’s a super deluxe retrospective episode, with short clips from every year of the podcast. We’ll start with this anniversary year, 2025, and then move back through time to 2005. HANUKKAH TREATS: -- print and fold! -- sales benefit the Association of Jewish Libraries LEARN MORE: Read my essay on the evolution of the show Like the clips in this special? CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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A Hanukkah Classic Crossover with Fuse 8 n' Kate
12/01/2025
A Hanukkah Classic Crossover with Fuse 8 n' Kate
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: Fuse 8 n’ Kate is a weekly podcast hosted by School Library Journal, in which super-librarian Betsy Bird and her sister Kate evaluate 20+ year old picture books to decide whether they should be considered classics. Since The Book of Life is 20 years old (and hopefully a classic), I asked Betsy and Kate to collaborate on a Hanukkah episode! We did a joint episode that will appear on both our feeds, interviewed each other, and talked about The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes by Linda Glaser, illustrated by Nancy Cote, published in 1997. Did we decide it was a classic? Listen and find out! LEARN MORE: or The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes Linda Glaser on The Book of Life in (Bridge to America) and (Hannah’s Way) Betsy’s 2025 recommended reading throughout December: Heidi's "Share Your Shelf, Share Your Story" Jewish Book Month posts on or . HANUKKAH TREATS: -- print and fold! -- sales benefit the Association of Jewish Libraries! CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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November Throwback: Jewish Book Month
11/13/2025
November Throwback: Jewish Book Month
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: Continuing the celebration of my 20th year of podcasting, I've got another archival episode for you from 2006, about Jewish Book Month. In the early days of The Book of Life I usually had multiple guests in each episode, and this one includes four: Folklorist Howard Schwartz, talking about his picture book Before You Were Born, which had just won the Koret Award | | Buy Carolyn Starman Hessel, longtime director of the Jewish Book Council, whose nickname was "the Jewish Oprah" | Esme Raji Codell, author of one of my favorites middle-grade novels Vive La Paris | | Buy David Levithan, author of the 2004 young adult novel Wide Awake, which was reissued as Wide Awake Now in 2024 because its themes of politics and protest are more relevant than ever | | Buy I’m celebrating Jewish Book Month by participating in the Jewish Book Council’s “Share Your Shelf, Share Your Story” project. I will post a photo on social media each day of Jewish Book Month, November 13 through December 13, 2025, showing a Jewish book from my personal collection with a comment about why the book is special to me. See or . CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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Jean Meltzer, Queen of Jewish Joy
11/01/2025
Jean Meltzer, Queen of Jewish Joy
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: Back in July 2025 I did a brief interview with Jean Meltzer, so she could tell you about Jewish Joy Con, an exciting event coming to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in March 2026. But I promised you a longer interview later - and here it is! Jean talks about her writing, her Jewish Joy Book Club and subscription box, more about the con, and about her newest book, The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah. LEARN MORE: Jean Meltzer’s , , and group on Facebook (March 13-15, 2026 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL) Jean’s own books: o o o o o Jean’s recommended reading suggestions: o by Helen Hardt o by Lindsey Hammerhof o by Ali Brady o by Esther Chechebar o by Dahlia Adler o by Sarah Goodman Confino Heidi’s on Multicultural Kid Blogs CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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October Throwback: Laurel Snyder Redux
10/16/2025
October Throwback: Laurel Snyder Redux
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: Continuing the celebration of my 20th year of podcasting, I've got a 2013 archival episode for you with author Laurel Snyder, who at that time was best known for her iconoclastic picture book, Baxter The Pig Who Wanted to Be Kosher. Amazingly, Laurel says that The Book of Life podcast actually impacted her writing! In a she credited our first podcast conversation as a turning point in her career. She said “Heidi asked me, reasonably, what made my book Jewish, and I found I didn’t have an answer for her…. She could not possibly have known, when she asked me that question a decade ago, what journey she was sending me on. The power of the right question is a mighty thing.” Laurel has gone on to win the 2014 Sydney Taylor Book Award gold medal for her Exodus picture book The Longest Night, and a 2024 bronze for a middle grade fantasy, The Witch of Woodland. This year she's published The Book of Candles: Eight Poems for Hanukkah. LEARN MORE: or Laurel’s newest title, The Book of Candles Other past episodes with Laurel: CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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One Small Spark & More Than Enough
10/03/2025
One Small Spark & More Than Enough
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: If you're a regular Book of Life listener, you know I always ask guests for tikkun olam suggestions about ways to repair the world. Well, that's what this entire episode is about. I've got a pair of Jewish activist picture books for you: One Small Spark: A Tikkun Olam Story by Ruth Spiro, and More Than Enough: Inspired by Maimonides Golden Ladder of Giving by Richard Michelson, a story about tzedakah. These are both gorgeous picture books that convey their important messages without being preachy - absolutely worth sharing with the kids in your life to help turn them into mensches. LEARN MORE: Richard Michelson’s and or More Than Enough or One Small Spark Read-alike suggestions: Ruth Suggests by Liza Wiemer; Rich suggests by Ruth Horowitz CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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September Throwback: Sweep, The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
09/16/2025
September Throwback: Sweep, The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: To continue with the themes of golems and fighting for justice that we explored in our most recent episode about Kyle Lukoff's A World Worth Saving, AND in honor of my 20th year of podcasting on The Book of Life, I'm bringing you an episode from the archives. It's an interview about the middle grade historical fantasy Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier which originally aired in May, 2019, and it's also about golems, and fighting for justice. Since 2019, Author Jonathan Auxier has become a podcaster too. He and Matt Bird cohost A Good Story Well Told, a show about the craft of storytelling. LEARN MORE: or Sweep - Jonathan’s podcast with links to books and games mentioned in the interview CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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A World Worth Saving
09/01/2025
A World Worth Saving
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: A World Worth Saving by Kyle Lukoff is a queer Jewish fantasy adventure in which a trans boy and an unusual golem must save the world by Yom Kippur! I interviewed Kyle about this new middle grade novel, as well as his seasonally appropriate picture book, I'm Sorry You Got Mad, a wonderful reflection on the art of apology. Shana Tova! LEARN MORE: or A World Worth Saving or I’m Sorry You Got Mad Kyle’s recommended queer Jewish reading: by Sacha Lamb () , a podcast about Jewish demonology that Kyle used for research CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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August Throwback: Summer Coolness
08/17/2025
August Throwback: Summer Coolness
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: In honor of my 20th year of podcasting on The Book of Life, I'm bringing you another episode from the archives: Summer Coolness, released in June 2007. The episode featured a now-defunct website called ReaderGirlz, and the website Nextbook that morphed into Tablet Magazine in 2009. There were also many mentions of MySpace. I interviewed Melissa Schorr, author of Goy Crazy, who, according to her website, seems to have mostly moved on from kidlit to journalism. I must say, her most recent book from 2017, Shame Nation: Choosing Kindness and Compassion in an Age of Cruelty and Trolling, looks extremely on point. And the episode featured the band Sababa, which happily is still in existence, and in fact, they've recently released their fourth album called When We Rise. LEARN MORE: , and Guest Author and her book, , and Guest , and Guest Julie’s reading recommendations: o by Jonathan Rosen o by Jeffrey Goldberg o by Charlotte Mendelson o by Naomi Alderman CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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The Five Books Podcast
08/01/2025
The Five Books Podcast
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: The Five Books is a new literary Jewish podcast hosted by Tali Rosenblatt Cohen in partnership with the Jewish Book Council. I'm very happy to welcome another show to our little corner of the book world, so I invited Tali to do a mutual interview. We interviewed each other, and the episode will appear on both our podcast feeds. LEARN MORE: Highlights of past episodes: o o Recommended podcasts: o Heidi: , , o Tali: , , , For the full list of all the books we discussed, plus links to other past podcast swaps I've recorded, see the . CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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Announcing: Jewish Joy Con
07/25/2025
Announcing: Jewish Joy Con
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: LEARN MORE: (the Jewish Joy Book Club and the Jewish Joy Box) , March 13-15, 2026 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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July Throwback: The Inquisitor's Tale
07/20/2025
July Throwback: The Inquisitor's Tale
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: As a follow up to my recent interview with Adam Gidwitz about Max in the Land of Lies, and in honor of my 20th year of podcasting on The Book of Life, I'm bringing you an episode from the archives, from January 2017. I met Adam Gidwitz at an author "speed dating" event at the American Library Association conference, where he was promoting his middle grade fantasy The Inquisitor's Tale, which later went on to win a Sydney Taylor Book Award, a Newbery Honor, and a lot of other awards. If you enjoy this blast from the past, please check out other past episodes of The Book of Life from any time in the last 2 decades. Go to Bookoflifepodcast.com and Click on Archive in the sidebar, or just go to the episode list on your podcast player and keep on scrolling down, down, down. LEARN MORE: or The Inquisitor's Tale CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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Max in the Land of Lies
07/01/2025
Max in the Land of Lies
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: Last July, Adam Gidwitz was on the podcast talking about his middle grade Holocaust historical fantasy novel, Max in the House of Spies, and he told us it was part of a duology. Well, now the second book is out, and I think it's even more powerful than the first one. Max in the Land of Lies continues Max's page-turning, hair raising adventures... AND continues the profound exploration of prejudice that we found in Book 1. Adam offers the best explanation I've ever encountered for how the Holocaust could happen. The parallels with today's world are frightening, AND illuminating. To put it simply, this is a book that I think *everyone* needs to read right now. LEARN MORE: or Max in the House of Spies (Book 1) or Max in the Land of Lies (Book 2) Tikkun Olam suggestions: and "Espionage! Secrets! Suspense!" Holocaust Books with Adam Gidwitz & Steve Sheinkin” on CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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Pride Month Throwback: The New Queer Conscience
06/16/2025
Pride Month Throwback: The New Queer Conscience
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: In celebration of Pride Month and The Book of Life’s 20th year of podcasting, I’m re-releasing an archival episode from June, 2021. It’s an interview with Adam Eli, a young activist and author of The New Queer Conscience, a manifesto about how the queer community can use k’lal yisrael as a model for solidarity. If you enjoy this blast from the past, check out other past episodes of The Book of Life. Click on Archive in the sidebar at , or just go to the episode list on your podcast player and keep on scrolling down, down, down. LEARN MORE: or The New Queer Conscience I’ve updated my list of , which has grown by 48 titles and 13 interviews since I first compiled it in 2022! CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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Pride Month Special: The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie
06/01/2025
Pride Month Special: The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: I don't normally interview an author about a single chapter of a book, but for my friend Lee Wind, I'm making an exception. He's written a fascinating nonfiction book, The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities Around the World, and Chapter 2 is about "The Six Genders of Classical Judaism." I just had to learn more. We also talked about his two new picture books (both featuring 2-dad families), Like That Eleanor: The Amazing Power of Being an Ally and Banana Menorah. In addition to writing great kids' books about gender, Judaism, and allyship, Lee is literally a champion against censorship. He received the 2025 Industry Champion Award from the Book Industry Study Group for his project called We Are Stronger Than Censorship. Lee tells us more in the interview. For bonus content (Jewish kidlit news and calls to action), sign up for . LEARN MORE: or The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie or Like That Eleanor or Banana Menorah project (Lee for it!) (Lee’s day job) CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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A Special Message from Heidi (A High, a Low, a Call to Action)
05/28/2025
A Special Message from Heidi (A High, a Low, a Call to Action)
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: I'm squeezing in this quick extra episode to share with you my personal response to the shooting at the Capitol Jewish Museum, with calls to action and a message of hope. LEARN MORE: HIGH LOW CALLS TO ACTION | What actions are you taking to push back against antisemitism? I'd love to know. Leave a comment, write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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#JAHM Throwback: The Book of Life in America, 2006
05/18/2025
#JAHM Throwback: The Book of Life in America, 2006
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: In celebration of May’s Jewish American Heritage Month (aka #JAHM) and The Book of Life’s 20th year of podcasting, I’m re-releasing the eighth-ever episode of the show, from July 2006. The theme was “The Book of Life in America.” In the early years of the show, each episode featured multiple guests, and topics ranged beyond books to Jewish music, film, and web. In 23 minutes and 12 seconds, this episode packs in five fantastic guests. While the sound quality is less consistent than today, the warmth and enthusiasm of the interviews was a sign of things to come. If you enjoy this blast from the past, check out other past episodes of The Book of Life. Click on Archive in the sidebar at , or just go to the episode list on your podcast player and keep on scrolling down, down, down. offers info, resources, and toolkits for celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month each May. Guests and , are the author and subject of the historical middle grade novel Guest reviews the CD : Songs of the Jewish Youth Camping Movement Guest is the author of Guest Nancy Pearl is an American Jewish "Super-Librarian" whose book recommendations are featured in her series, on her , her , and her , and who is the only librarian to have her own ! CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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Mendel the Mess-Up
05/04/2025
Mendel the Mess-Up
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: Terry LaBan is an alternative cartoonist, a graphic recorder (we'll talk about what that means later), and now he's written his first graphic novel, called Mendel the Mess Up. I'm going to borrow the description from the starred review in Publishers Weekly. They said "Put Fiddler on the Roof and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in a blender, add a jigger or two of Seinfeld, and the result is this boisterous and affirming graphic novel." Doesn't that sound amazing? LEARN MORE: or Mendel the Mess-Up Terry LaBan’s and Terry’s Tikkun Olam suggestion: support Terry’s reading recommendations: o : A 4000 Year Adventure by Stan Mack o (A Bunch of Jews) by Trina Robbins o Anything by o series by Barry Deutsch CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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A Feather, A Pebble, A Shell
04/16/2025
A Feather, A Pebble, A Shell
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: A Feather, A Pebble, A Shell is a lovely meditation on the natural landscape of Israel, written and illustrated by Miri Leshem-Pelly. Miri's voice is calm and dreamy, and I could hear birds chirping and dogs barking in the background as she spoke. Our conversation was both fun and serious. We talked about art, nature, books, Instagram challenges... and also about the war in Israel and its impact on humans and animals. LEARN MORE: or A Feather, A Pebble, A Shell for A Feather, A Pebble, A Shell with Miri's art Tikkun olam suggestion: support the Reading recommendations: o o o o CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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Bonus: Next Year at the White House
04/10/2025
Bonus: Next Year at the White House
SHOW NOTES: Next Year in the White House: Barack Obama's First Presidential Seder, written by Richard Michelson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis, is a nonfiction picture book that gives us the true backstory of how Passover first came to be celebrated in the White House. It's a stunning book; it received starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist, and was named to the Association of Jewish Libraries' Spring 2025 Holiday Highlights list. Because this is a true story, I was able to interview one of the "characters" -- Eric Lesser, seen in the photo above, walking with President Obama. Lesser worked on the Obama campaign trail in 2008, and later became a White House aide. He's also served as a Massachusetts State Senator. He agreed to answer ten questions about the events covered in Next Year in the White House. . LEARN MORE: or Next Year in the White House Websites of author and illustrator A of Passover celebrations in the White House (includes Next Year at the White House)
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Dara Horn's One Little Goat: A Passover Catastrophe
03/08/2025
Dara Horn's One Little Goat: A Passover Catastrophe
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: Dara Horn is the author of 5 Jewish novels for adults, the provocatively titled nonfiction essay collection People Love Dead Jews, and now a graphic novel for kids: One Little Goat: A Passover Catastrophe. She writes brilliant, insightful articles for The Atlantic and other publications which set my brain on fire when I read them. I recommend you run out and read everything she's ever written. But before you do, listen to this interview! LEARN MORE: or One Little Goat: A Passover Catastrophe or People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present Listen to the 7-part podcast or Dara’s most recent novel, Eternal Life Dara’s short story Selected Articles by Dara Horn: o o Other books mentioned: by Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi, by Alef Bet Yehoshua, by James Michener CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Twitter: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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Night Owls: Jewish Paranormal Romance Adventure!
03/01/2025
Night Owls: Jewish Paranormal Romance Adventure!
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: Night Owls is an paranormal YA romance adventure about Clara and Molly, two estries who run an art house cinema in the Village in New York City. In case you're wondering, estries are Jewish owl-shifting bread-eating female vampires! This book is my new favorite, and I'm not the only one. This debut novel won gold from the Sydney Taylor Book Award AND the National Jewish Book Award! The story is fun and fast paced, it's eery and emotional, and it's got characters I want to hang out with even if they would probably be dangerous to know. LEARN MORE: or Night Owls Conversation about American Girl dolls: , , and More about the plays and Fantasy cast: as Clara, d as Molly, as Ashmedai, as Anat, and as Gila (Boaz is uncast). CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Twitter: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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Finn & Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop
02/11/2025
Finn & Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: Finn & Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop by Joshua S. Levy is a 2025 Sydney Taylor Honor Book, and I'm thrilled to interview my friend Josh as part of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour. February 10-14, 2025, winning authors and illustrators will be interviewed on various blogs, podcasts, and Bookstagram accounts, and of course the interviews will remain available for you to enjoy at any time. Check for links. Be sure to listen past the credits to hear our extended conversation about Doctor Who! LEARN MORE: / Finn & Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop Josh's 2023 appearance on the podcast to talk about / Josh's favorite Jewish book: As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg / Josh's other favorite Jewish book: Eternal Life by Dara Horn / Heidi's movie recommendation, About Time Get more Jewish kidlit news & calls to action in CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Twitter: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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2025 Sydney Taylor Book Awards, Revealed!
01/27/2025
2025 Sydney Taylor Book Awards, Revealed!
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: The winners of the 2025 Sydney Taylor Book Awards, recognizing the best Jewish children's and young adult literature of the year, were announced on January 27, 2025 at the American Library Association's Youth Media Awards event. Aviva Rosenberg is the current chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, and she joined us to discuss the 2025 winners of the award. LEARN MORE: , where you can watch a recording of the announcement Get more Jewish kidlit news & calls to action in 2025 SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARDS Scroll down to see all the winning titles listed, with links to any past podcast appearances by the authors on The Book of Life. FYI, the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour will take place in early February, and I will be interviewing Joshua S. Levy about Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop. Details will appear soon at . Picture Book Winner: An Etrog from Across the Sea by Deborah Bodin Cohen and Kerry Olitzky, illustrated by Stacey Dressen McQueen, published by Kar-Ben Middle Grade Winner: The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival by Estelle Nadel, Bethany Strout, and Sammy Savos, illustrated by Sammy Savos, published by Roaring Brook Press Young Adult Winner: Night Owls by A.R. Vishny, published by HarperCollins Podcast interview with A.R. Vishny forthcoming - watch this space ~~~ Picture Book Honors Joyful Song by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Susan Gal, published by Levine Querido Podcast interview with Lesléa and Susan about Joyful Song: Rising by Sidura Ludwig, illustrated by Sophia Vincent Guy, published by Candlewick Amazing Abe: How Abraham Cahan's Newspaper Gave a Voice to Jewish Immigrants by Norman H. Finklestein, illustrated by Vesper Stamper, published by Holiday House The Tree of Life: How a Holocaust Sapling Inspired the World by Elisa Boxer, illustrated by Alianna Rozentsveig, published by Rocky Pond Books Middle Grade Honors Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar, published by Nancy Paulsen Books Podcast interview with Ruth about Across So Many Seas: Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop by Joshua S. Levy, published by Katherine Tegen Books Podcast interview with Josh about The Jake Show: Just Shy of Ordinary by A.J. Sass, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Podcast interview with A.J. about Ellen Outside the Lines: Young Adult Honors Trajectory by Cambria Gordon, published by Scholastic Press The Forbidden Book by Sacha Lamb, published by Levine Querido Podcast interview with Sacha about When the Angels Left the Old Country: ~~~~ Picture Book Notables Mr. Katz and Me by Marc Kornblatt, illustrated by Nanette Regan, published by Apples & Honey Press Everybody's Book: The Story of the Sarajevo Haggadah by Linda Leopold Strauss, illustrated by Tim Smart, published by Kar-Ben Podcast interview about the Sarajevo Haggadah, with Geraldine Brooks about People of the Book: Sharing Shalom by Danielle Sharkan, illustrated by Selina Alko, published by Holiday House Middle Grade Notables Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II by Adam Gidwitz, published by Dutton Books for Young Readers Podcast interview with Adam about Max in the House of Spies: Things That Shimmer by Deborah Lakritz, published by Kar-Ben Podcast interview with Deborah about the Friends for LQ Auction: Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf by Deke Moulton, published by Tundra Books Podcast interview with Deke about Benji Zeb: Young Adult Notables The Ballerina of Auschwitz: Young Adult Edition of The Choice by Dr. Edith Eva Eger with Esme Schwall, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers Inkflower by Suzy Zail, published by Walker Books Australia ~~~~ 2025 Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award Winner:"When You Write Back" by Hanna R. Neier The Sydney Taylor Book Awards are sponsored by Jo Taylor Marshall, daughter of All-of-a-Kind Family author Sydney Taylor. I interviewed Jo Taylor Marshall on The Book of Life in CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Twitter: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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One of a Kind: The Life of Sydney Taylor
01/18/2025
One of a Kind: The Life of Sydney Taylor
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: Sydney Taylor was the first author to write kids books that served as windows into Jewish life, not just mirrors. Her All-of-a-Kind Family series was game changing. These were the first books about Jewish characters to become popular with readers of all backgrounds, and they are still popular today. Jo Taylor Marshall, Sydney's daughter, sponsors the Sydney Taylor Book Awards that recognize the best Jewish kidlit each year. And now, Richard Michelson has written a picture book biography of Sydney Taylor. It's called One of a Kind. This book has inspired the Association of Jewish Libraries to create a Sydney Taylor portal on their website, to curate information and resources relating to Taylor, her writing, and the Sydney Taylor Book Awards. The project is in the works, and I'll be sure to let you know when it goes live. I spoke with Jo and Rich at the 2024 Association of Jewish Libraries conference in San Diego, where we were celebrating the 120th birthday of Sydney Taylor. If you'd like to hear more from Jo after listening to this podcast, you're in luck! I recorded an oral history with her for the Association of Jewish Libraries. And don't forget to subscribe to my new newsletter on Substack to join my community of Jewish kidlit fans. Get show notes, transcripts, Jewish kidlit news, and occasional calls to action right in your inbox! LEARN MORE: / One of a Kind: The Life of Sydney Taylor by Richard Michelson The from the Association of Jewish Libraries CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Newsletter: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Twitter: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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The Bubbe of Them All: Kar-Ben Publishing
01/02/2025
The Bubbe of Them All: Kar-Ben Publishing
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: Appropriately, as we kick off this podcast's 20th anniversary year, in this episode we are going to think about change and continuity. We say goodbye to an old friend, Joni Sussman, who is retiring after twenty years of leading the Jewish children's publishing company Kar-Ben. And we'll say hello to a new friend, Fran Greenman-Schmitz, who will be taking up the reins at Kar-Ben. I've been in this business a long time, so I remember when Joni started at Kar-Ben! This is her fourth live conference interview on the show, and of course it's Fran's first. Joni is the winner of the , for her many contributions to the field of Jewish kidlit. To give you some context, the oldest publisher of Jewish books in English is the , founded in 1888, but Kar-Ben is the oldest publisher to exclusively focus on Jewish children's books. It was founded fifty years ago, in 1974 - so happy anniversary to Kar-Ben! Now there are half a dozen presses that exclusively publish Jewish children's books, but Kar-Ben is the Bubbe of them all. I spoke with Joni and Fran at the to hear all about this exciting time of transition. LEARN MORE: Publishers Weekly 9/17/24 Joni Sussman's past appearances on The Book of Life NEWS! The Book of Life is now on Substack! Sign up to receive show notes, transcripts, Jewish kidlit news, and occasional calls to action in your Inbox! CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Twitter: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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Cheering On Jewish Books
12/25/2024
Cheering On Jewish Books
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: HANDOUT: VIDEO WITH SLIDES: For Hanukkah 2024, I got you a Jewish Book Advocacy Kit! Let me explain. My local public library invited me to give an online talk in honor of Jewish Book Month. As I thought about what to say, I remembered great advice from my friend, author , about all the small simple things that anyone can do to support Jewish literature - and bingo, I had my topic. Here's an edited recording of that talk I gave, with practical, actionable tips, and suggestions for Jewish books you'll love. If you'd like to see my slideshow, you can watch the same talk on . And be sure to check out this very useful . For even more books you'll love, check out my to see what I think is the best Jewish kidlit of 2024! Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year, and Happy Reading! CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Twitter: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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A Very December 25th Hanukkah
12/01/2024
A Very December 25th Hanukkah
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: Happy Hanukkah! Christmas and Hanukkah overlap this year, with Hanukkah beginning on December 25, so it's a good time to think about the juxtaposition of these two holidays. Hanukkah is a minor holiday but its proximity to Christmas brings it extra attention. Let's talk about that! GUESTS: Henry Herz, editor of The Festival of Lights: 16 Hanukkah Stories Joanne Levy, Festival contributor and co-author of Let It Glow Erica Perl, Festival contributor and author of The Ninth Night of Hanukkah LEARN MORE: Henry Herz's | or The Festival of Lights Joanne Levy's | or Let It Glow Erica Perl's , | or The Ninth Night of Hanukkah Reading (and gifting) recommendations: Joanne suggests by Lemony Snicket, and by Lee Wind. Erica suggests , , and by Alan Silberberg, by Veera Hiranandani, and by Liz Kleinrock and Caroline Kusin Pritchard CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Twitter: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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Celebrate Jewish Book Month 2024
11/24/2024
Celebrate Jewish Book Month 2024
SHOW NOTES: TRANSCRIPT: Here's a bonus episode for you, in honor of Jewish Book Month, which is marking its 99th year. Arielle Landau, the program coordinator at the Jewish Book Council, joins me to talk about the Council's special campaign to Celebrate Jewish Books, and how YOU can participate! Watch my Instagram and for daily Jewish Book Month recommendations, November 24-December 24, 2024. In light of the state of the world, this year's theme is books that model ACTIVISM. LEARN MORE: video by Heidi with practical tips for supporting Jewish lit Arielle's favorite campaign partners: CREDITS: Produced by at Co-sponsored by the Sister podcast: Theme Music: Facebook Discussion Group: Facebook Page: Instagram: Twitter: Support the Podcast: Your feedback is welcome! Please write to or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.
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