Author: beccakinla

A few recommended Jewish books by Southern California authors and illustrators

beccakinla Ann Stampler, Beth Firestone, California, Marc Lumer, Robert Avrech 1 Comment

While L.A. is best known for the movie business, SoCal is teeming with writers and artists. Here’s a sample of some wonderful books for the Jewish audience by locals.

Ann Stampler is the author of several folktales and parables, including the fabulous, award-winning Rooster Prince of Breslov.
The Rooster Prince of Breslov
See all her titles if you follow this link:
Around here, Marc Lumer is most famous for designing the dancing rabbis that appear on lamp post banners before the Chabad telethon. He’s also an illustrator of children’s books, with new ones forthcoming. Here’s are links to his work.
Beth Firestone was my writing partner in the serial we just wrapped up with Aim! (Ami) Magazine. However, she’s more famous for writing Candles in my Window.


Just down the street from me lives the screenwriter Robert Avrech. He’s also the author of the wonderful RAMBAM graphic history and the novel The Hebrew Kid and the Apache Maiden.
There are many other wonderful local Jewish authors…don’t feel bad if you’ve been left off the list.

Boo-hiss

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Blogger was down yesterday and I lost a post highlighting local SoCal authors of Jewish books for kids. I’ll try to piece it back together and put it back up tomorrow.

Do you want your book in a Cheerios box?

beccakinla cheerios, contest, free books, how to write, new author Leave a comment

I know I’m obsessed with the books that appear free in Cheerios boxes. As far as obsessions goes, I guess it’s not a dangerous one. Anyway, here are the details for the contest to get your manuscript published and distributed in the boxes. Follow this link: http://write-jobs.blogspot.com/2011/04/free-contest-cheerios-new-childrens.html

Back from Pesach break

beccakinla free books, graphic literature, how to hug a porcupine, manga 1 Comment

I took a few weeks off due to Pesach (never got around to new songs, drat!) and now I’m back, with a HUGE stack of Manga/graphic lit to read. I’ll publish reviews soon, but I have hardly started reading because I had another writing assignment, B”H. (I’m hoping the editor likes it…)

Also, just wanted to say that there are free books again in the Cheerios boxes we bought post-Pesach. We received _How to Hug a Porcupine_, and it’s absolutely darling.
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Pesach is on its final approach!

beccakinla haggadah, kids, passover, pesach, seder, songs Leave a comment
Last year, I posted some goofy songs to add to your seder. The songs belong in the all-important “Maggid” section of the Haggadah, which is often unclear to children.
I’m in the process writing a new song, for when the Jews reach the Yam Suf (Sea of Reeds). Will post by the end of the week, IY”H.

Fantastic AJL conference!

beccakinla AJL, Betts, comics, conferences, graphic literature, Jewish, literacy, manga Leave a comment

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.