One of my fondest memories of visiting my grandparents’ home as a kid was burrowing in their “book room.” This was a room at the back of their house whose walls were lined with shelves upon shelves, all of them groaning under the weight of literally hundreds of sefarim and books. Immediately upon entering my grandparents’ house, I’d greet Bubby and Zaidy (gotta be mindful of derech eretz, of course) and then go check out their nosh pantry (nothing doing before that!). Next step was usually the book room. And once there, well, there was no telling when I’d emerge from its depths…

There was just so much to read in that room! Magazines, novels, comics books, mysteries… For a bookworm like me, the place was akin to something like Gan Eden.

Without question, the stack of Olomeinu’s in the corner of the room beckoned to me most enticingly, and that’s usually where my devouring began. I’d pore over the pen-pal pages, tickled pink when I’d find the names of adults that I knew. Were those adults once kids, too, who enjoyed writing to other kids about their hobbies, siblings, and favorite teachers? And the “Mommy’s Favorite Stories” column–that was a big hit, too, with its adorable stories to tease the imagination.

And always, always, there were Rabbi Zevulun Weisberger’s stories.

Even as a young kid, I loved those stories. There was something so charming and so real about the way Rabbi Weisberger wrote. The story could be about a secret Pesach Seder during the Spanish Inquisition, or it could be about a color-war contest in a boys’ overnight camp; no matter what the subject matter, you knew that a Rabbi Zevulun Weisberger story would be a great one. And now that I’ve become a grown-up (though always a kid at heart!), I find myself marveling at those stories, at the way Rabbi Weisberger understood the minds and hearts of the children he wrote for, even more.

You can understand, then, why I was so excited to learn that Israel Bookshop would be publishing an entire book of Rabbi Weisberger’s short stories. What better gift to give my own children than the stories I myself–and my parents, too, for that matter–grew up on! And when I heard that the book would also include a mini biography of this beloved author, well, that sweetened the deal even more!

Called Operation KT and Other Stories, this is a book every parent and grandparent would want to grace their bookshelf–whether or not they have a “book room” of their own in their homes. I can just see it becoming the next classic for kids…flying out of the bookstores as fast as they are restocked…becoming “required reading” for school…

Yes, dear readers, this is a book you’ll want to go out and purchase a copy of today.

Click here to purchase online.

When you hear someone mention “Olomeinu,” does a nostalgic smile appear on your face? Does your mind begin to conjure up colorful, glossy pages, exciting covers, and some of the most terrific stories and articles that you’ve ever read?

If you’ve answered yes to these questions, face it: you are an Olomeinu fan.

Don’t think you’re alone, either: to date, there are thousands upon thousands of Olomeinu fans out there. Three generations of Jewish children across North America and beyond were nurtured on the beautifully-presented information that filled the pages of Olomeinu. No matter what other reading material might have been around, Olomeinu was always so full of wholesome goodness, kids just seemed to gravitate to it. With writers like Rabbi Zevulun Weisberger, Rabbi Eliezer Gevirtz, Leah Dolinger, Leah Herskowitz, and Rena Kaplan, among many others, Olomeinu was a lot more than a magazine; over the years, it evolved into a real educational tool and became a mainstay of chinuch in the frum world.  

In Have an Olomeinu Pesach, readers of all ages will delight to find classic Olomeinu material on the topic of Pesach–stories, divrei Torah, and lots more–compiled together, along with the full text of the Haggadah, too! The result is a stunning volume that can be used at the Seder table itself and for casual reading throughout the Yom Tov.

Guaranteed to provide you and your children, and all Olomeinu fans out there in the world, with hundreds of hours of pleasure and informative Pesach reading!

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The first thing that hits you when you look at Haggadah Shel Pesach – Living Lessons is its unique size. How many long and narrow Haggadahs are there on the market? The truth is, as any veteran Seder-goer will attest, really all Haggadahs should be this size. When everyone is finally seated, shoulder-to-shoulder, at the Seder table, elbows and knees arranged just so, being mindful not to breathe lest they knock over Great-Uncle Shaya’s cup of wine on their right or Cousin Levi’s Haggadah on their left…well, then they can really appreciate a Haggadah that’s long and narrow versus w-i-d-e!

But size is only one amazing feature of this Youth Haggadah. What really makes this Haggadah different from all other Haggadahs is its unique, blended translation-explanation of the text. Each line of the Haggadah has a corresponding line of definition that contains a loose translation in bold type, and the basic meaning of the text in regular type. In simple English, this means that your child can read what the Haggdah is saying, in simple English! How’s that for an innovative approach toward getting your child involved in the Seder?

Of course we can’t overlook the stunning, life-like illustrations that grace the pages of this Haggadah. Flip through the pages and you’ll see what we mean–this Haggadah is truly a work of art.

So for all those looking to enhance their children’s Seder experience, look no further. Haggadah Shel Pesach – Living Lessons is the only youth Haggadah you will need.

Click here to purchase online.

Unless you happen to have cloned yourself several thousand times, chances are that the people you share your city, street and even your own home with – are slightly different or perhaps even dramatically different from you.

Where does “me” stop and “other” begin? Where do we draw our invisible lines? That kind of person vs. my type? Religious vs. secular? Mainstream vs. special needs? And most importantly, can we enjoy a peaceful coexistence despite it all?

Moving Targets is a suspense novel that swings wide as it tackles these issues from several directions. At the center of the action is Motke Shechory, the kibbutz old-timer who was purportedly abandoned by his religious parents and abandoned yiddishkeit in return. After WWII ends, Motke’s parents and siblings seeks refuge in the United States, only to encounter bias and struggles as they trip over America’s ‘invisible lines.’

Motke is ready to fight to the bitter end to stop the Chareidim from invading and building a new housing development in his neck of the woods. Yet, he’s also ready to battle on behalf of his precious granddaughter Keren who has Down’s Syndrome and is rejected by the kibbutz leaders as unworthy of kibbutz membership. Why does he fight for Keren but against the anonymous black-hatters? Because Keren, whose name means sunbeam, melts his heart. She’s a part of him and his future, whereas the Chareidim are the past, “other” and the enemy.

With Alon, an evil-hearted rabble-rouser at their helm and Zohar, a mentally-unstable young man as their lackey, the kibbutznikim and the environmental activists seem to have the upper hand – until Rav Erlicher wisely sends a group of frum families led by avreich-Project Manager Zev Litwein to settle in the old, secular neighborhood of Talmei-Charish while the new frum one is being built. What could more powerful than Torah, friendship and chesed to soothe regional wounds? Unless an arsonist or a criminal with a cache of weapons gets to them first…

Guest Blogger: Sara Miriam Gross

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Sinister plotting and international espionage…deliberate risks and close calls…enigmatic characters and innocent bystanders… Let the reader beware: Risky Game is not for the faint of heart!

Spine-tingling and filled with edge-of-the-seat suspense, this novel, which–believe it or not–is actually based on a true story, is a good replacement for a wild roller coaster ride, for all those seeking that kind of experience from the comfort of their own homes.

You’ll meet Neil Levitt and his family; you’ll sympathize with their pain; you’ll feel their horror and rage by how they were used and betrayed; and then–

Wait! You don’t want me giving away the story to you, do you? Don’t worry–I’ll stop right there. So, there you have it–Risky Game, an excellently written book, waiting for you on the shelf in your local Jewish bookstore or in your shopping cart on-line. You’re the daring, adventure-loving type, aren’t you? So what are you waiting for? Go ahead, buy a copy of the book for yourself!

Guaranteed to enthrall you until the very last page!

Click here to purchase online.

Did you ever wonder what your life would have been like had you lived in Shushan (Susa) during the days of Achashverosh’s infamous “beauty contest”? Although we’re all familiar with how that contest affected Esther, turning her into Queen Esther, most of us don’t give much thought to the numerous other Jewish girls whose lives no doubt turned upside-down when the king’s decree, that all suitable maidens in the land be brought before him, went into effect.

Enter The Decree, and your view of the times and the challenges of people living during this turbulent era will be deepened immeasurably.

But don’t think The Decree is a boring history book or something of that sort. Oh, no; that couldn’t be further from the truth! This historical novel is brimming with danger and suspense; characters both sinister and saintly; twists and turns that will leave you sitting at the edge of your seat…

For those with a passion to understand Jewish history on a richer level…for those who love to be taken on a roller coaster of a ride through an enthralling novel–The Decree is the book for you!

Click here to purchase online.

Having grown up in the Land of Liberty, I always took it for granted that my life was more or less my own. After all, the U.S.A. wasn’t the U.S.S.R., and yet, even good ole’ Uncle Sam sees fit to listen in on calls for the good of the state.

President Bush authorized warrantless wiretapping on civilian phone calls in the wake of the September 11^th attacks, and the surveillance situation has only gotten more invasive since. National security issues aside, the erosion of privacy is palpable. Even though my conversations generally center on family and work updates, it still gives typical folk like me the creeps to imagine anyone listening in on over a decade of my calls. (Did they ever get bored and hang up?)  It isn’t difficult to imagine how an entire population could be reduced to mass paranoia, especially if that population is living under Communist rule…

The Krasnikov family has major reasons to look back over their shoulders. Anya is a young Moscow mother living the good life, on the payroll of the KGB. Her husband Lev teaches at the local university and her daughter Karina is enrolled in a full-day government-run preschool. Anya enjoys imported products that only foreign currency can buy, ignores the plight of the disloyal enemies of the state being interrogated in her office’s basement, and seems to have an idyllic warped Soviet existence – until everything unravels. Anya is a Jew by birth, but Lev has taken his birthright much further. So far, that everyone he loves may soon be taken hostage because of it.

Even the people who extend their hands to help the Krasnikovs are suspect. And it’s easy to understand why: Most Soviet citizens were trained to save their own skin at all costs. Who can the Krasnikovs trust when their very survival is at stake? Read Hostage (from the front to the back – no cheating!) and you’ll know.

Guest Blogger: Sara Miriam Gross

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If you’re ever in the neighborhood, you’re invited over to view some priceless artwork. Inspired by the Great Masters and executed by a minor, our stairwell, walls and even the side of one large cabinet, proudly bear the signature (and other scribbles) of someone we love.

Interested in free home improvements? No one does them better than a kid. Unless you happen to have more than two minyanim of kids. In that case, the results are guaranteed to be even more, uhm, spectacular…

The 21 Schneider children and their parents are back home in Israel, after a whirlwind tour of England, and their cousin’s chasunah.

Home. We all know that there’s no place like it, but sometimes that’s exactly the problem. Their home is so small that it’s wall-to-wall beds — dooming homework, pet ants and dusty yarmulkes to a watery grave when the negel vasser spills. The solution is to renovate their apartment and add a new floor, but that’s easier said than done when one of your workers is a bonafide cookie and cola thief!  When the children decide to take over the job and save Abba money they seem to have everything figured out. After all, why spend good money so the workers can make a mess, when the kids are willing to make an even bigger mess for free!

Each book in this popular series is a separate adventure so your kids can join the Schneider gang now even if they weren’t with them in England.

Warning: This book is as funny as the first two. Do not give it to any literate child while anyone else in the house is sleeping. The laughter will wake them up. (My signed testimonial will be on file at the Israel Bookshop Publications office, minus the name of the son who woke everyone up.)

*Paint not included.

Guest Blogger: Sara Miriam Gross

Click here to purchase online.

“Mommy, could you buy grapes for Shabbos?” my daughter asked me one Thursday, as I left the house to do some Shabbos shopping.

“Sure,” I said, pleased that she was asking me to buy that and not some kind of junk food.

As I began filling a bag with grapes at the store, the thought occurred to me that grapes kind of look like sucking candies…you know, they’re round and brightly colored, plus they’re honey-sweet… And then I had a brilliant idea: What if I used these grapes in place of candy for my kids’ Shabbos treat?

It was a wild idea, especially considering the fact that, when it comes to the various types of nosh out there on the market, my children are quite savvy and picky. No doubt, they’ve picked up this quality from their mother, who’s known to have quite the sweet tooth herself… But lately I’d been trying to encourage healthful eating in the family, and so I decided to give my experiment a shot.

To my utter surprise…it actually worked! My kids were hooked on those delicious red grapes and clamored for more, as if it was the most exotic nosh around! And my daughter who’d asked me to buy the grapes was proud as a peacock that her siblings were enjoying the fruits (pun intended!) of her labor. After all, let’s get it straight: buying the grapes had been her idea.

I realized, of course, that I could not possibly get away with substituting fruit for “real” nosh every Shabbos–like I said, my kids are real nosh connoisseurs, and that just wouldn’t happen with them–but for that Shabbos, as they munched on those grapes, I allowed myself to sit back and shep nachas. Kids eating healthfully–and enjoying it, too…isn’t that every Yiddishe Mama’s dream?

And you know what? When you think about it, that really should not be a dream that’s out of our reach. “Hashem’s candy” is oftentimes even more delicious than the manmade, empty-calorie-laden variety…there’s really no reason why kids should turn down that piece of juicy watermelon or that nectarine oozing with sweet goodness. It really all depends on how we, as parents, present nature’s bounty–“Hashem’s candy”–to our children.

With Bracha Goetz’s new book, Hashem’s Candy Store, parents are given the perfect opportunity to teach their children about the wonders of “Hashem’s candy”–a.k.a. fruits and vegetables. Written in adorable rhyme and illustrated by the talented Dena Ackerman, this book will wow your kids into eating their fruits and veggies without any fuss at all!

Have your kids hear about the secrets hidden within each of “Hashem’s candy”–how the tomato, which has four chambers like a heart, is actually good for the heart, and how kidney beans are actually good for the kidneys. Amazing, isn’t it? Your kids will think so, too…and you can hope that maybe, just maybe, that broccoli you’re serving for dinner tonight will actually get eaten by them…

Hey, maybe I can get away with serving up honeydew for next week’s Shabbos party, after all?

Click here to purchase online.

It was one of those nights when, no matter what I did or said, the kids kept coming out of their beds.

“Just one more drink, Mommy! Really, it’s the last one!” (When have I heard that line before?)

“I need to go to the bathroom! Sooo badly!” (Please, go!)

“There’s a bug in my room. I’m too scared to stay in my bed.” (Note to reader: any piece of lint or thread on the wall or carpet can take on the dimensions of a bug when necessary.)

And my favorite: “It’s so boring in my bed! I have nothing to do there!” (Why, what would you like to do in your bed, darling? Would you like to make an arts ‘n crafts project there, maybe? Or perhaps dance the hora?)

Suffice it to say, Mommy was not in her most patient and loving mood. That’s when inspiration struck.

“Kids,” said I, “I want you all to try very hard NOT to fall asleep until Totty comes home! You hear me? Lie in bed, but keep your eyes wide open and whatever you do, DO NOT fall asleep! Let’s see if you can stay up until then!”

Less than ten minutes later, the house was quiet.

Nothing like a bit of reverse psychology sometimes…

Of course I knew this trick could only be used once–or maybe twice, depending on each child’s memory. But what can a mother do with children who refuse to fall asleep at night?

For starters, they may want to buy the book I Can’t Fall Asleep! and read it to their kids.

I Can’t Fall Asleep! was written by popular children and teen’s author M. Jakubowicz, in an adorable and original  limerick style. The book tells the story of Moish, a very familiar-sounding child who just can’t seem to stay in his bed long enough to fall asleep at night. Of course, the next morning he can’t wake up on time, and he suffers the consequences of his too-late bedtime…

Through the course of this book, Moish learns how important it is to go to bed–and stay there!–on time each night, and he teaches himself some tips and techniques so that he can fall asleep.

This book promises to be a great boon to all parents struggling with The Great Bedtime Issue. Who knows? Perhaps Moish will influence your child to go to sleep on time, too, and all that’ll be left for you to do will be to simply smile sweetly and say, “Good night, darling…”

Click here to purchase online.