Getting Ready to Get Back to School

Back to school can be a stressful time of year for kids and adults alike, but luckily the stress is matched by the excitement of seeing old friends, meeting new ones, and anticipating the many adventures of the coming year.

There are lots of skills kids need to succeed in school, and stories are an engaging way to teach students these skills starting on day one. That's why we're offering 20% off all books in our Back-to-School category through the end of August! Books in this category address one or more of

What to Expect
For the youngest students heading off to their very first day of school, books are a great way to introduce them to what to expect, from where they'll go to who they'll meet to what sorts of activities they might take part in. Back-to-school reads help make the unknown a little more familiar.

Sammy Spider's First Day of School

Rules
Rules. Every classroom has them, and showing students why we need these rules helps them feel more engaged and invested in keeping their classroom a safe and fun place.

No Rules for Michael

Kindness & Cooperation
It's never too soon to start teaching students the value of being kind to one another and to the world around them. These great reads may even inspire students to start good deed projects of their own!

Joey and the Giant Box
One Good Deed
My Name is Aviva
Speak Up, Tommy!

Making New Friends
Making new friends is an important - but sometimes scary! - part of any new school year.

Sammy Spider's New Friend

Songs, Lessons, and More!
Introductions to the alphabet, first Hebrew words, prayers for new beginnings, songs for Shabbat, and more are all gentle and fun lessons for that busy first week back to school.

I Say Shehechiyanu
Shabbat Shalom, Hey!
Alef is for Abba
My First Hebrew Word Book
My First Yiddish Word Book

Books Bring Shavuot into Your Home

This year, the holiday of Shavuot is May 19 and 20. Also known as the Festival of Weeks, Shavuot falls seven weeks after Passover and marks the day when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites.

Erev Shavuot (the night of May 18) is traditionally a night of study, when observant groups gather to read and discuss Torah. Since this isn't a realistic practice for families with young children (and early bedtimes!), why not add a Shavuot book to your regular bedtime story rotation? It's a wonderful way to share this special holiday with young readers.

For many children, preschool is a time for learning rules and understanding why they exist. In No Rules for Michael, a little boy wishes there were no rules, and the results aren't exactly what he wanted.

With 50 carefully chosen words and photographs of preschoolers acting out the Ten Commandments, Ten Good Rules introduces young children to the fundamental rules while teaching them to count from one to ten. The commandments have been recast in positive child-friendly language to make them easier for children to understand.

It is said that the words of the Torah are as sweet as milk and honey, so it is traditional to eat dairy foods, such as blintzes or cheesecake, to celebrate Shavuot. In Sammy Spider's First Shavuot, preschoolers learn along with Sammy about following steps in recipes. Here's a recipe for blintzes using ingredients that are probably already in your kitchen!

Mrs. Shapiro's Blintz Recipe
Adapted from Sammy Spider's First Shavuot

Pancakes
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
2 tsp neutral flavored oil such as canola

Mix flour, eggs, and milk together. Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. When heated, drop spoonful of batter and tilt the pan to coat. When lightly browned, flip over to cook briefly. Remove from pan and stack pancakes between paper towels.

Filling
1lb small curd cottage cheese, drained
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar

Mix filling ingredients. Place a spoonful in the center of each blintz. Tuck in sides and roll. Place blintzes in buttered baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 30 mins.