books

Good clean reads

beccakinla books, clean, family, kosher, recommended reading, summer Leave a comment

A friend asked me about good clean books (obviously, other than those from reliable Jewish publishers) to share with her preteen and teenage kids during the summer. Here are just a few great books for the (Jewish) kid, all pre-approved by moi. However, you should ALWAYS skim books before letting your kid read them. Even if they are “kosher,” they might not be at the right reading level, for example.

(And you do have to take the following into account:
I allow my kids to read books by non-Jews and about non-Jewish subjects–which some frum moms might disapprove of–and I do allow my kids to read about somewhat controversial topics, as long as they are developmentally appropriate. I’m also a big fan of all those treife animals some people shun–I just don’t eat them.
However, I ditch books with strong language, completely “un-tznua” romantic situations, excessive violence, flagrant racism or xenophobia, or that promote avodah zara, movies or television.
…And, yes, that includes Disney!)

These books are for kids 8 and up:
The Hobbit (Tolkein)
The Courage of Sarah Noble (Dalgliesh)
The Stories Julian Tells (Cameron)
Binky series of graphic books (Ashley Spires)
Hereville: How Mirka Gets her Sword (Deutsch)
The Rabbi’s Girls (Hurwitz)
Baseball Fever (Hurwitz)
The Travels of Benjamin of Tudela (Shulevitz)
Fat Men from Space (Pinkwater)
Fat Men from Space
Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) (Lisa Yee)
all Henry Huggins books (Cleary)
Ramona, Ramona the Pest, Beezus and Ramona, Ramona the Brave, Ramona and her Mother, Ramona and her Father (Cleary)
Sarah, Plain and Tall (MacLachlan)
Little House in the Big Woods and Farmer Boy (Wilder)
There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom (Sachar)
Sadako and the Paper Cranes (Coerr)
The Princess Tales, Volume I (Levine)
A Single Shard (Park)
The Thief Lord (Funke)


And these are for age 12 and up:
Dealing with Dragons (Wrede)
Searching for Dragons (Wrede)
Tripods trilogy (John Christopher)
The Pool of Fire
Homecoming (Voight)
The Eye, the Ear and the Arm (Farmer)
The Giver (Lowry)
The Cay (Taylor)
Treasure Island (Stevenson)
all the Little House books not listed above
Island of the Blue Dolphins (O’Dell)
Tuck Everlasting (Babbitt)
Un-Lun-Dun (Mieville)
Bud, Not Buddy (Curtis)


For age 15 and up:
Sorcery and Cecilia (Wrede and Stevemer)
Rabbi Harvey vs. the Wisdom Kid (Scheinkin)
Rabbi Harvey vs. the Wisdom Kid: A Graphic Novel of Dueling Jewish Folktales in the Wild West
The Blue Sword (McKinley)
The Graveyard Book (Gaiman)
Dealing with Dragons (Wrede)
Catherine, Called Birdy (Cushman)
The Folk Keeper (Billingsley)
The Martian Chronicles (Bradbury)
I Robot (Asimov)
1001 Arabian Nights
When I Was a Slave: Memoirs from the Slave Narrative Collection (Norman R. Yetman, ed.)
A Wizard of Earthsea (Le Guin)
Things Not Seen (Clements)

P.S. There are many other wonderful books out there…please share your “kosher” reading recommendations for the 8+ crowd in a comment below! Also, don’t assume other books by the same authors as the above are okay. In many cases, they are most definitely NOT.

How to find a kosher book: Nifty bit in this week’s HaModia

beccakinla books, Jewish, kids, kosher, seinfeld Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
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.

Books and the autistic child

beccakinla aspergers, aspy, autism, books, family, kids, special interests Leave a comment

Many kids with high-functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome have special interests, and their obsessions carry over into their library habits. The best way to describe this situation is someone with a one-track mind trying to build more track in just one direction.

You see, those of us with family members on the autism spectrum get dragged into their atypical relationship with books. We “must” go regularly to the library, where they borrow every book on their preferred topic that they can find. Sometimes, they borrow the same books over and over again (or “convince” their siblings to get the book out for them, since they each only get three books). We buy our Aspy relatives books about their favorite topic as gifts because they’re guaranteed to please.
Sometimes, access to these favorite books has to be monitored, controlled, or even doled out as a prize because our kid wants to spend all day reading about space, cowboys, trains, or the like. They’ll forget to eat, put off bedtime indefinitely, get distracted away from their homework if you don’t pry their prized books out of their hands.
At one point, I had to complete a survey. It read, “Does your family choose books, outings, and vacations based on the autistic family member’s special interests?” Well, yeah. The neurotypical family members read the books favored by our family members with autism just so we can make conversation. Eventually, it may even become a genuine interest of the other family members. Or at least we know a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff. Like space, cowboys, trains, or the like. (And don’t even ask about how many car-related outings we’ve gone on.)
My sister recently shared a website explaining that so many autistic kids have had Thomas the Tank Engine books, videos, and toys as their “special interest” that it’s actually been documented in scientific literature. See this link: http://www.myfavoritetoys.com/autism_thomas.php
The neat thing about the article is that it describes how this fascination can be used in a therapeutic way.
And don’t get me started on all the Aspy kids fixated on Harry Potter…

Contemporary Jewish Books for Kids

beccakinla books, boring, exciting, Jewish, kids 2 Comments

BS”D


I just read this article by about a Jewish writer (Laurel Snyder) who doesn’t write for Jewish kids.


http://www.tabletmag.com/life-and-religion/1041/where-the-wild-things-arent/


She subsequently published the book Baxter the Kosher Pig. (The publishing of this book was received with drama in our house a few months ago not because of the subject, but because my husband and I had written a similar book and failed to sell it to a publisher. I think it was a Test in taking pleasure in other people’s accomplishments, “fargenign” in Yiddish…and I’m ashamed to say I flunked.)

Snyder feels that Jewish books today are too tame and tend towards the “instructional”, as she calls it. She’s not alone. On the other hand, my kids seem to like the Jewish books they read even if they have instructional motives. Personally, I like a lot of them. However, I’d definitely like to see more variety and innovation in Jewish children’s fiction choices.

Historically, the Jewish people have always enjoyed midrashim (instructional stories from the Oral Torah traditions) and mashalim (fables). In fact, these books seem to sell most. Jewish publishers have told me that when the marketing department runs their numbers, it’s the “teaching” books, books with conservative watercolor illustrations, books that are familiar in tone and style that sell. Publishers have to deal with the realities of the pocketbook, too, you know.

Additionally, each Jewish publisher serves a niche market. Your “atypical” manuscript can easily be bounced around with compliments followed by comments like: “Too Jewish”, “not enough Jewish content”, “could offend some readers”, “not edgy enough” without ever finding the “just right” fit. (See this link for more on the subject.


A few publishers put out books that are edgy–but only in that they address issues very modern or even outside frumkeit. They are often AT LEAST as pedantic as the traditional books and stylistically quite similar. They just try to nudge readers towards a “Reform” mindset vs. an “Orthodox” one, for lack of better terminology.

It doesn’t help that picture books are extremely expensive to print, yet sell less than adult books. Publishers are afraid to gamble in such a situation.

Additionally, there are few incentives for a writer to focus on the Jewish children’s market. You have a smaller audience, smaller paycheck, etc. Many talented writers throw their hands in the air and walk away, or they submit instead to periodicals, which buy in greater volume (they have to fill their pages weekly) and are a little more flexible in what they are willing to publish.

Any opinions out there?

What is the responsibility of the Orthodox Jewish writer?

beccakinla abuse, anonymous, book, books, eishes chayil, hush, Jewish, judy brown, molestation, Orthodox, publishing, scandal, writing Leave a comment

Published under pseudonym by a secular company, a frum woman recently authored a book about molestation in a Chassidic home. Judging by reviews, the author wrote a realistic description of the community she portrays outside the abuse issue. Many reviewers even found her portrayal of Jewish customs compelling and beautiful. However, the main thrust of the novel is that this insular community covers up child abuse, thus aiding and abetting the abuser. Another troubling aspect of the book is that it is marketed towards teens.

Clearly, the author wants to publicize what is a grave issue for any community. However, no frum publisher would touch such a book. The anonymous author decided to submit to a secular publisher. And there the trouble starts. Now, most of the readers of this book are not even Jewish. A minute problem in terms of numbers (not severity) turns into a horrifying generalization about the Chassidic community in the eyes of many readers. She has essentially thrown her own community under the bus in the hope someone will read the book and report abuse. Yet the very community whose eyes the author wants to open doesn’t generally even read books published by secular publishing houses!
The author makes it look like the entire Orthodox community pretends molestation doesn’t exist and would avoid reporting it at all costs. Perhaps that was the case in the past, but you can’t make such a statement today. There are some people who turn a blind eye on abuse in the Orthodox world, just as there are such people in the world at large. However, there are currently Orthodox organizations equipped to deal with child abuse, and many (if not most) Orthodox people would report the crime and support the victim.

Even if the small slice of the Orthodox community portrayed in the book continues to do cover it up, secular readers don’t understand enough to differentiate between Modern Orthodox, Litvishe, Chassidishe, Eidot HaMizrach, etc. They don’t know the difference between Lubavitch, Ger, Belz, and Satmar. Many will assume all religious Jews are aiding and abetting child molesters.
This debacle provokes the broader question: what is the responsibility of the Orthodox writer to her community when she represents it to the world at-large? Clearly, a PR campaign between the covers of a book is inappropriate. Over-idealizing the religious Jewish community is preferable to demonizing it, but it’s still disingenous. It also compromises the complexity of characters in a novel. I think there’s a balance that is difficult to achieve, and I’m always impressed when it is done skillfully. An example of this is the mystery Now You See Me by Rochelle Krich; another is the novel Seven Blessings by Ruchama King Feuerman.
It would be interesting if the anonymous author’s cover ever is “blown”. Will she tell us then how she feels when she sees that her book caused one woman to write the following:

“The author note following this story was even more disturbing, as an Ultra Orthodox she was raised in society such as this. She explains how components of this story were actually experiences that she had experienced in her own life. I try to believe that I maintain a fairly open mind to all ways of life, but I can not say that I felt anything positive about this lifestyle.”
Another writes:

“Imagine growing up in a world where most of your life is planned out for you and where women are little more than things to marry off and produce children. Imagine not having a voice and imagine that no one would believe a word you said, simply because you were a woman?”
Is this (extremely simplistic and inaccuarate) impression what the author intended to leave her readers with?

[Added at a later date: The book’s author has since revealed her identity. Her name was not entirely a surprise, because the writing skill evident in the book and alleged background limited the field greatly. The author won a major book prize and continues to advocate on the topic of abuse. While there has been increased attention since the publication of the book to crimes against children, unfortunately this may have less to do with the book in question, but rather to the death of Leiby Kletzky and several molestation incidents in the news, both in the Jewish community and not.


Upon further reflection, I still agree with my initial statement that the book should not have been published in a non-Jewish setting. However, I think that Jewish publication houses need to step up to the plate and produce books on controversial or distasteful topics. There are Jewish answers on how to react to these situations–answers for Jewish audiences–and they need to be shared within the community. The author of this book desperately wanted people to hear her message so they would act on this tragic shortcoming, but a Jewish publisher wouldn’t handle her book. While several articles in publications like Mishpacha and HaModia (couched in very subtle wording so as to be sensitive but clear) had appeared about molestation long before this book came out, books on this topic and other similarly “immodest” ones have been considered a big no-no, along with many other sensitive topics. Another recent book–on teaching the birds and bees to the Jewish child–was refused by a number of Orthodox presses, so the author self-published. G-d forbid a Jewish parent adopt an inappropriate approach to the “Conversation” simply because they don’t have access to the right book and turned to a secular one.]

fantasy, sci-fi and the Jewish reader

beccakinla Ami, books, children, fantasy, frum, Hereville, kids, literature, Orthodox, sci-fi, Torah 1 Comment
Thanks to my brother-in-law Joshua, I just heard about a wonderful new graphic novel called Hereville. The subject: an 11 y o Orthodox girl fights trolls. With a little research, I discovered that this is currently the #1 Jewish book for kids being sold on Amazon. This doesn’t surprise me in this least. There is a dearth of fantasy and sci-fi books for Jewish kids out there, but there is certainly demand.

Look at the popularity of Harry Potter novels, Percy Jackson adventures, The Dragonriders of Pern, the Circle of Magic series (by Tamora Pierce), The Blue Sword and other books by Robin McKinley, and all those early Heinleins (in his pre-Stranger in a Strange Land days when he still wrote “appropriate” material). Frankly, kids crave these types of books. Why? 1) Kids and teens want to be experience more than their everyday lives. This is escapism from the discomforts of childhood–bullying, homework, parental rule, etc. 2) Kids and teens are still learning to be comfortable with themselves. They have yet to learn many of their personal strengths and often feel inadequate. Many of them hope their hidden talents will “magically” come out and prove them to be special (maybe they’ll even save the world!), a common theme in many of these books.

Jewish kids are no different in these psychological needs. Some frum parents let their kids read secular sci-fi books, but there are a lot of problems with unrestricted access to them. Many fantasy books incorporate pantheism, animism, and avodah zara. Some (His Dark Materials series by Phillip Pullman, for example) are outright anti-religion. Others describe magic as an appealing alternative religion (many Tamora Pierce books).

Sci-fi books also frequently espouse atheism or portray Science as religion. Moreover, many frum people are uncomfortable with idea of life on other planets, though it is not clear that this opinion has a sound basis in our tradition. Another big barrier in portraying the future is that Moshiach must come, and most rabbeim hold He’ll arrive by the year 6000 on our calendar. Finally, the rigors of space travel introduce unwieldy elements into narratives about Jewish characters: halachic times, Shabbos, kashrus, etc. all must be dealt with.

I think we’re slowing coming to grips with these issues. I’ve seen some fantasy and sci-fi in the fiction department on Chabad.org. A few years ago, there was a fun adult novel of speculative fiction by David Shapiro called The Promise of G-d, and an anthology called Wandering Stars which is Jewish, though certainly not Orthodox. On the juvenile literature front, time travel has become an acceptable subgenre somehow–there’s The Devil’s Apprentice and Trekking Through Time. In 2009, a blogger described the 2009 Jewish Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Conference at the 92nd Street Y. There, participants were told that among the “in demand” topics was time travel, and that one lecture was about writing Jewish books for the “Twilight Generation”.

There was a piece in HaModia for You set in space last year, and currently the Aim tween supplement to Ami Magazine has a serial with a sci-fi mystery called “To the Edge of the Galaxy.” (disclaimer: I co-author it with Beth Firestone). Ami specifically wanted a sci-fi spin on the serial.

And now there’s Hereville. The reviews I’ve seen are great, and the readers aren’t just religious or even just Jews. Maybe the time for authentically Jewish sci-fi and fantasy books has come. It would be my fantasy come true!