“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…”

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Remember the davening contests and charts our kindergarten teachers used to make for us, to get us all to daven nicely? Remember how we used to screech the words of Adon Olam and Krias Shema at the top of our lungs, so that we could get that coveted gold star next to our name? Never mind that we did not know what we were saying or how our tefillos had relevance to our daily lives. We were talking to Hashem, and our teacher told us that we were making Hashem proud—and that was enough of a reason to get us to continue with our scree—I mean, davening. Oh, and we were also going to get a prize once we had enough gold stars.

That might have been fine for us as kindergarteners. But we would hardly be impressed with an adult who davened like this. No matter how loudly one davens, if one does not understand what he’s saying and how the words of his prayers can affect his life, well, such a person will not be called a “good davener.” And certainly such a person will not be getting any gold stars for his prayers, or winning any prizes.

How can a person work on having the tefillos he says “speak” to him?  A great book that can help you achieve this goal is Portraits of Prayer. Here is a treasury of stories, all on the words of the daily tefillos, each explaining, clarifying, and bringing down to our level lessons that we can learn from those tefillos.

On the words “she’tatzileini…mei’adam ra u’mei’chaver ra” (Yehi Ratzon after Birchos Hashachar), you’ll read how Rav Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman escaped meeting up with a person about whom, fifty years beforehand, the Alter of Slabodka had warned Rav Ruderman to stay away from; and on the words “v’rachamav al kol ma’asav” (Ashrei), you’ll read about the Arizal’s admonition to a person who removed a ladder from his home, thus preventing the chickens he raised from having access to their water bowl. Truly there is something for everyone in this book.

Prayer is something that is always in need of chizuk. After all, it is our lifeline to our Creator. Once you read Portraits of Prayer, you can be sure that the tefillos that leave your lips each day will take on an entirely different meaning—and you will be the one to benefit from that.

Click here to purchase online.

There she was, alone at her desk with a package of Melba Toast. And she was hungry. Very hungry. And craving Melba Toast, too.

But she had absolutely no idea which brachah to make on Melba Toast! Were the crackers Hamotzi, and she should wash on them? Or were they Mezonos?

And so she wrestled with the question, her stomach grumbling, until she sighed, gave up, and took out an apple instead…

With the recent release of Halachically Speaking Volume 3, the poor, hungry lady in the above scenario would have very nicely been able to eat her Melba Toast crackers, as she would have quickly found the answer to her brachos question in Chapter 10 of this book. Plus she would find the answers to a host of other interesting halachah questions there, as well.

Halachically Speaking Volume 3 follows on the heels of Halachically Speaking Volumes 1 and 2, both of which became instant hits among frum readers, selling out within a very short time. What makes these books unique, in addition to the easy-to-read and easy-to-understand format, is the fact that these halachah books focus on halachos that are little-known or generally misunderstood. Readers will find in Halachically Speaking Volume 3 the halachos regarding wearing a yarmulke, the do’s and don’ts of tevilas keilim, the issues regarding showering on Yom Tov, playing games on Shabbos, and many, many other halachos.

This book is a real must for every Torah-observant household! (And by the way, according to the halachah brought down in this book, the correct brachah to make on Melba Toast is actually Hamotzi!)

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Shlomo grew up frum in a nice frum family. He loved his parents and they loved him. In fact, they loved him so much they didn’t want to hurt him, ever. So, no one ever told him he was adopted from a non-Jewish family. He only found out after he was married! That sent him into a tailspin of shailos and internal confusion, as he attempted to clarify exactly who he was—and wasn’t.

Imagine if everything you knew about yourself wasn’t true. That’s the unenviable position that Mendy Brand finds himself in. For nearly 20 years he lived the life of a top-notch yeshivah bochur with a sterling reputation. Then a shady fellow posing as a newly-arrived chavrusah, lures him into the terrorist underworld of Hamas. Soon Hamas sends him to be a double agent at Israel’s Secret Service Department, but who is really using who?

Is he Mendy or Gil or Jamil?

Who are his real parents?

Above all, whose mission will he ultimately fulfill, and at what price?

 WARNING: This is Rachel Schorr at her best. Do not read before bedtime!

Guest Blogger: Sara Miriam Gross

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Ever since the Garden of Eden, women and food have had a complicated and frequently dysfunctional relationship.  We all know that we eat in order to live, but it is all too easy to slip into a warped existence where we are living to eat, or on the other end of the spectrum – living in order to exert control over our eating by starving ourselves. Somewhere in between is the ideal middle ground – a place where the role food plays in our lives is healthy – we don’t exaggerate its importance and we don’t downplay it. We eat normally, reach a reasonable weight for our frame and are at peace with the numbers on the scale. For many of us, however, that highly-desired middle ground continues to elude us…

Freidy Dvir is the pen name of a young woman who has been through too much in her life.  Although she began as everyone’s darling little girl with adorably chubby cheeks, by the time she was a 220 pound teenager, everyone was giving her unsolicited advice and uncomfortable looks.

How long can a girl daven for a thyroid disorder or a food allergy to explain away her ballooning weight?

How many weight loss programs and diets can a teenager flunk out of and still feel good about herself as a person?

Is it even possible for a young woman to achieve personal and professional goals when life is one continuous food fight?

Freidy is a remarkable woman – with enough spunk to battle on despite the continual pain, criticism and public embarrassment. This is her journal. Join her as she bares her heart, her obsession with all things edible, and ultimately, her journey to a normal weight and peace of mind. Although she undergoes bariatric surgery in the end, the biggest and bravest changes occur within  her own mind.

A Lighter Burden is not only a book about weight loss – it’s a guiding light for anyone who is struggling to achieve balance in their life.

Guest Blogger: Sara Miriam Gross

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My son was scared to go get the chocolate, but the fear wasn’t enough to keep him away from one of his favorite treats.

After being punched by a tougher, older boy as he walked from cheder to the bus stop one afternoon,  “Noach” wasn’t seeking a sympathetic hug or a kind word from his parents – he wanted justice.

Harnessing spunk that defied his tender age and slender frame, he did his homework well.  He found out where the bully attends school – and then called the boy’s principal at home to speak about the issue. (He made the call from a friend’s house, otherwise I probably would have been the one on the phone.) Two days later he was invited by the principal to come over to the school to identify the juvenile offender.

Accompanied by a friend who was eyewitness to the attack, Noach nervously made his way to the school and was given the opportunity to view one of the older grade’s classes in session.  “Did anyone here hit this boy?” the principal asked the students. Sure enough, the boy cowering in the corner was the culprit. He was suspended for a few days and ordered to bring in some nice chocolates for Noach – along with a note of apology.

Noach forgave the boy and has since moved on to other more consuming topics such as the latest illustrated novel and when Shimmy can come to us for Shabbos.

If only every  fight and falling-out could be resolved so easily…

Eliyahu Matlon is hiding –  from himself.  An orphan from birth, he betrayed the only family he ever had, and crossing the ocean to begin a new life in America, did nothing to ease his guilt and heartache. Those closest to him do not even know what he did – not his wife, not his daughters, and certainly not his neighbors who view him as a generous, upright supporter of their local Torah community. The only remaining victim is his brother Yosef, back in Yerushalayim.  And Yosef will neither  forgive nor forget.

Welcome to the complex world of the Matlon brothers. Travel back and forth in time between the present  day  and Yerushalayim of Old, as Eliyahu struggles to overcome 40 years of estrangement and gain his brother’s forgiveness.  Yosef knows that Eliyahu’s unspeakable misdeed can never be righted. It is unforgiveable and yet Eliyahu pleads: Forgive Me.

Guest Blogger: Sara Miriam Gross

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I know mothers are supposed to be the paradigm of patience for their children—you know, role modeling and all that—but I shamefully confess to have been very impatient these past few weeks. Yes, I have been guilty of muttering, “What’s taking so long?!” under my breath a number of times, and I’ve been the one nudging others to find out if there’s anything that could be done to speed up a certain process.

Wait—don’t “t-t-t” me like that! My impatience was for very good reason. You see, what I’ve been so impatiently awaiting these past few weeks was the release of the second volume of MiddosMan, and after I explain to you the wonders of this children’s book, you’ll understand exactly why I was so anxious for it to come out already. And I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you start tapping your feet impatiently, too, waiting to run out and buy your own copy of the book!

The MiddosMan series has all the maalos a parent could ever wish for in a children’s book. These books are adorable, with rich and vivid illustrations (laminated pages, too!); easy-to-understand stories featuring a cast of warm and relatable characters that will instantly capture your child’s interest; and an accompanying read-along/sing-along musical CD. Through all this, the series teaches real-life, practical middos lessons to young children—and, as our experience has shown, kids just love it!

We’ve been told by parents that the book and CD keep their kids glued to the couch for hours, as they carefully follow along with the story by themselves. The funny voices and catchy songs on the CD enhance the entertainment, and there’s nothing like that “brrring” sound that indicates it’s time to turn the page.

The first MiddosMan book, Learning to Share, was so popular among kids, the book was almost completely sold out within a very short time. Now the second book, Being a Nice Friend, has just made its debut—and I’m running to pick one up for my kids before it sells out, too! So come join me—you can always read more of my blogging later! But the enjoyment this book guarantees to provide is one thing you don’t want your kids to be left out of.

Click here to purchase online.

Looking for a great gift for that action-loving tween of yours? Look no further than our newest tween book: Not For Sale.

On Chanukah we celebrate the victory of good over evil, of the pintele Yid triumphing over the darkness of wicked people who surround it… These are messages all parents want their children to absorb. Not For Sale, by popular author Bracha Rosman, is a thriller for tweens that emphasizes these very messages.

In this exciting book, readers will meet the Rosens, a warm and close-knit family whose move to town is apparently making someone very displeased. But who is that someone? And why would anyone be opposed to Rabbi Rosen’s plan for creating a community center to be used by all the Jewish people in the city?

Questions and suspicions swirl around, as danger abounds at every twist and turn of this story… There are break-ins and broken dreams…a suspicious utility worker and a dedicated detective hoping to crack the case… And throughout it all, the Rosens sticks together, determined to overcome all obstacles placed in their path and to triumph over their unknown perpetrators, who are only too eager to see them fail…

Sounds like a goose-bump-raising roller coaster of a book, doesn’t it? Well, we told you it was for that action-loving kid of yours, didn’t we? :)

Click here to purchase online.