Need Activities to Entertain the Kids?

In the picture book Picnic at Camp Shalom by Jacqueline Jules, the two main characters learn that they have something in common. They share slightly unusual last names: Hamburger and Frankfurter.

If you are planning activities for camp (or are making your own camp at home), try these:

·         Read Picnic at Camp Shalom and then turn it into a play.

·         Learn the history of your last name by doing a little research.

o   Does it have a meaning?

o   What language is it from?

o   Does it connect to a particular ethnicity?

·        Write an acrostic poem using your last name. Each letter of your last name will begin a new line of your poem.

·        Explain a little about heraldry and family coats of arms. Have everyone imagine what their family’s should be, then draw them with crayons on newsprint or with chalk on the sidewalk.

Links I Like

We hope everyone had a fun Purim! I just wanted to pass on some interesting links and stories that came across my path this week.

PB Junkies is featuring our new book Picnic at Camp Shalom all week! Check out an interview with author Jacqueline Jules, learn how illustrator Deborah Melmon was inspired by camp memories, and enter the giveaway for a free copy of the book!

Who knew that Top Chef Stephanie Izard’s favorite snack is matzah? She shares recipes with CNN’s Eatocracy. (Not kosher but might inspire you to cook creatively if you’re one who gets sick of eating matzah during Passover)

If I can get to New York sometime this summer, I’d love to see the Maira Kalman exhibit at the Jewish Museum. While I’m there, I also want to check out the Houdini exhibit, since I just finished Carter Beats the Devil, a novel about magicians in the 1920s.

Singer-songwriter Jewel posted a new song she’s working on for her upcoming children’s album. It’s called "Sammy the Spider" (unrelated to our little guy) but we’re excited to hear the finished song!

Over at the Lerner Books blog, we remember the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, which happened 100 years ago today. This industrial accident resulted in 146 deaths, many of them young Jewish immigrants, and transformed workers rights and industrial safety regulations.

About.com’s Grandparents Guide has posted wonderful reviews of our books that feature grandparents and intergenerational stories.

Any links you'd like to share? Feel free to leave a comment. Happy reading!