chanukah

Need a little reading material for those long Yom Tov and Shabbos afternoons?

beccakinla recommended reading Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

cropped-sliding-doors-cover.jpg

Spring is here, and with it come holidays and long Shabbos afternoons. If you have a tween or a teen who likes to spend them reading, check out my two most recent books!

SLIDING DOORS and other stories

(11-16 year olds)

While home sick, a teen interrupts a burglary in progress…

A mysterious stranger offers a young man an extra hour, for one-time use…

Slipping into an alternate universe, a girl discovers a few surprises…

A teenager lacking social skills adjusts to his new yeshiva…

Sliding Doors and other Stories features 17 of my finest stories for tweens and teens and one essay in a single volume sure to please old fans and new ones.

mazal coverMAZAL’S LUCK RUNS OUT

(8-11 year olds)

Do you think of yourself as lucky? Mazal always did – that is, until her luck ran out.

Mazal Tehrani is an 11 year-old girl living in Los Angeles’s bustling Jewish community. Her first name means “luck,” and she’s always been just that: lucky. Mazal has great parents, adorable siblings, and her best friend, Bluma, really is the best! But when one thing goes wrong after another, she starts to wonder, is she lucky after all?

Both titles now available on AMAZON!

Ready for a little Hanukkah Hoopla?

beccakinla blogger, blogs, chanukah, food, Jewish, recipe Tags: , , , , , , , , , 7 Comments
Latkes.jpg

Latkes frying. Image by Jonathunder from Wikipedia Commons .

Blogger Renée A. Schuls-Jacobson has invited me to participate in this year’s Hanukka Hoopla. To help wrap up your holiday, I’ll be sharing a Chanukah memory and a recipe in case you’re still looking for a latke fix.

*

My parents divorced when I was a preschooler. Mom settled down with my twin sister and me in suburban Columbia, Maryland, near her parents.

Grandma and Grandpa were about the most doting grandparents humanly imaginable. (And Grandma, at 94, ka”h still is!) While my grandmother ran a small business when I was very young, Grandpa had already retired by the time I was born. He found lots of ways to fill his time, and many of them involved keeping two little girls happy — namely, my sister and me.  Continue reading →

When it rains, it pours!

beccakinla advice, Jewish, Jewish writing, Judaism, publishing, writer, writing Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I’m having a crazy week, and not just because of the upcoming Thanksgivukkah extravaganza we’re experiencing here in the U.S. My latest essay on Tablet popped up on their front page at 12 am EST. No trolls yet, but no comments either…

I have a Chanukah story for kids in this week in Binah BeTween, also, and Naomi Elbinger’s My Parnassa blog is featuring a guest post by yours truly about writing for Jewish magazines and making sure you get paid.

Here’s hoping you all have a crazy week, to0–in all the best possible ways! And a lichtige Chanukah, and/or a fabulous Thanksgiving, as well.

Need a little poetry this holiday season?

beccakinla chanukah, humor, Jewish writing, poem, poetry Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Can’t get enough Thanksgivukkah craziness? Tablet just put out poetry inspired by the crazy Chanukah/Thanksgiving mashup. To check it out, click here.

Here’s my own contribution:

What shall we do with
Our brand-new menurkey
The other seven days?
 
 

How to rescue a jelly donut! Check out Aish’s latest Chanukah video.

beccakinla chanukah, exciting, fantasy, funny, goofy, Jewish, new, wacky Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

My family loves Aish.com videos, and this new one is both totally hilarious and example of what I previously have described as a modern-day moshel.

Click below to watch “Samurai Jew.”

Samurai Jew: the Eighth Night

Teachers and Parents–Looking for kids’ books about Chanukah?

beccakinla advice, AJL, chanukah, children, children's books, kids, reading, recommended reading Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Thanks to Barbara Krasner from The Whole Megillah for sharing the following lead in her latest post:

For teachers and parents, finding just the right book selection at holiday times can be challenging. The Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) just published a list of great Chanukah reading selections, all of which have been singled out by the Sidney Taylor Award committee for their excellence.

In addition, here are some more of my kids’ old favorites that do not appear on the AJL list:

Latkes and Applesauce

Nine Spoons

Asher and the Capmakers

The Story of Hanukkah

The Power of Light

The Chanukah Guest