“Rebbi told us about hakaras hatov today!” my son tells me enthusiastically. “He went around the room, and everyone had to say something that they thank Hashem for.”

“Really?” I say. “What did you thank Hashem for?”

Without missing a beat, he answers, “That we had franks for lunch today!”

Okaaay, if that’s what gives him pleasure, kol hakavod…

The concept, though, is a great one. We know we’re supposed to thank Hashem for everything He gives us, and we know we want to teach our children to be thankful Jews, too—but how to do it?

A terrific way to start is by playing The Gratitude Game with them! Similar to the activity my son’s rebbi did with them, this game involves going around the table and having each participant list 5 things for which they are thankful to Hashem. Of course you can’t “double up” on someone else’s choices, and extra points go toward being creative with your listings! The point of all this is to make us aware of how many thousands of chassadim, both big and small, Hashem is doing for us on a constant basis. This, in turn, helps inculcate the feelings of gratitude and happiness within us.

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Are your kids fascinated by the prehistoric relics found in your basement? We’re talking items like corded phones, cassettes, records (if you’re old enough to know what those are!)…things like that.

If so—surprise, surprise!—you are raising a very 2016 family!

Now, while that’s all fine and good when it comes to your kids being able to teach you how to use your new laptop or digital camera, there is a downside to this kid tech-savvy: can your kids ever fully relate to the stories that took place in the “olden days”?

Take the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim, for example. We are commanded to see ourselves as if we—not only our ancestors—left Mitzrayim. Yet in a day and age when the most kids know about rulers and kings is the President, with his bulletproof limo and Secret Service bodyguards, how are they to relate to Pharaoh and his chariot and officers?

This is the beauty—and the fun—of Just Imagine! We’re Leaving Egypt, a comic book for kids that depicts the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim as if it had happened in 2016. Pharaoh calls his personal bodyguard on his cell phone, to order him to find some kind of relief from the painful boils covering his body during Makkas Shechin (of course to no avail). An army of tanks and airplanes is hired to try to destroy the wild animals during Makkas Arov (ditto to no avail). And there’s lots more…

Just Imagine! reads like an action book—because it is one! And although the story itself is not historically the way Yetzias Mitzrayim really occurred, you better believe it’ll help your children truly feel the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim this year!

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Moving to a new city is always a big adjustment, but moving when you’re a teenager? Forget it!

Yet no one is giving Tehilla Sherman a choice in the matter, and so, when circumstances force her family to relocate from their small town in New Jersey to a new home in New York City, Tehilla finds herself living in an unfamiliar, new house and attending an unfamiliar, new high school—whether she likes it or not.

And if all this isn’t bad enough, Tehilla also has to contend with unexpected feelings of jealousy toward Russian-born Galia, who lives locally. As Galia begins to feel strongly attracted towards her unknown Jewish heritage, she grows close to Tehilla’s mother and her older sister Chana Ora.

Both Tehilla and Galia find themselves facing difficult challenges: Tehilla feels lost and lonely at her large new school. Galia, whose mother is leaving her behind with her aunt, in order to attend medical school in Chicago, also faces losing her BFF Katie, due to her negative attitude toward Yiddishkeit.

Tehilla’s one consolation at this tumultuous time is her music—and then she discovers that Galia, too, is a “music person.” A precious new friendship slowly begins to blossom, to the accompaniment of sweet notes of piano music being played at midnight…

Midnight Music is a story every teenager will relate to. It explores complex relationships and intricate choices, and will strike a chord in your teen’s heart.

With Pesach vacation right around the corner and lots of reading time ahead, why not pick up a copy of Midnight Music for your teen—or yourself—today?

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“The Halachos of Chocolate”

Well, if that chapter title didn’t just get your mouth to water…!

What kind of halachah sefer has such a chapter title in it—you want to know? It’s Halachically Speaking, of course!

For Halachically Speaking fans, chapters like “The Halachos of Chocolate,” “All About Medications in Halachah,” and “The Halachos of Bal Tashchis” come as no surprise. That is author Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits’s style—and it’s what endears his series of halachah books to so many readers.

Rabbi Lebovits has a knack for zeroing in on those hard-to-find halachos on daily living, then researching the different opinions of the poskim on those halachos, and finally presenting his readers with these findings—all wrapped up in an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand format.

Halachically Speaking 5 follows in the footsteps of its beloved forerunners, volumes 1, 2, 3, and 4. In addition to the above-mentioned chapters, it includes chapters on the halachos of maris ayin, waiting between eating hard (aged) cheese and meat, the halachos pertaining to a person’s seat, and much, much more!

And for all those wondering exactly what is included in the chapter titled, “The Halachos of Chocolate,” well, you’ll just have to see Chapter 6 in this book to find out!

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Without him, we would be unable to eat fish.

Without him, many people would mistakenly be refraining from washing netilas yadayim on so-called “mezonos rolls.”

Without him, kashrus in America—and really, all over the world—would be a far cry from the advanced stage where it’s at today.

“Him,” of course, is Rav Yisroel Belsky zt”l—the venerated and brilliant American gadol, whose razor-sharp mind and huge heart were matched only by his tremendous love for Torah.

It’s been over two months since Rav Belsky’s petirah, and Klal Yisrael is still reeling from the blow. Our only comfort is by learning the Torah and psakim that Rav Belsky left behind for us—through this we are able to continue solidifying our connection with him, even after his passing.

Piskei Halachah of Rav Yisroel Belsky, compiled by Rav Belsky’s close talmid, Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits, is a sefer in which you can imagine Rav Belsky speaking out each line on each page. This beautiful English book covers many topics in halachah, such as muktzah, toys and games on Shabbos, bedikas chametz, making a siyum, customs during Sefiras Ha’omer, and much more—all with Rav Belsky’s clear psakim for each halachah.

There are 54 concise chapters in the book, which makes it the perfect “learn-with-your-family” sefer for your Shabbos and Yom Tov table.

This sefer is a must-have, for all those with a true appreciation of halachah in general and of Rav Belsky’s noted psakim in particular!

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If you’ve caught sight of your ten-year-old hunched over a page of colorful boxes and dialogue bubbles—you know he’s caught it: the Comics Craze.

It’s the latest rage, it seems. Kids just love ‘em, and they’re consuming them by the bookshelf-ful! And now we’ve got something to replenish your rapidly decreasing stockpile…

Timeless Tales is an exciting new series for kids and tweens, containing beautiful meshalim told over in that popular comics form. Each book is based on a different Yom Tov—and the nimshal of each mashal connects to that Yom Tov—but the meshalim themselves are so fascinating and suspenseful, your child will want to read them at any and all times!

Indulge your kids this Pesach. They’ve done their share in helping out at home. When you present them with a Timeless Tales book, you can be sure your little helpers will feel very well-compensated!

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