Celebrate Simchat Torah!

October 1st is Simchat Torah! This is the day when we celebrate the end and beginning in the cycle of our Torah readings. Why not make a new tradition in your home or classroom by reading your favorite book from start to finish? Try the new Sammy Spider's First Simchat Torah!


In Sammy's latest adventure, he crawls down his web to inspect the candy apple Josh has attached to his Simchat Torah flag. When Josh leaves for synagogue, he doesn’t notice the spider stuck to his apple! Atop Josh’s flag, Sammy joins the Simchat Torah parade, dances with the Torah, and learns about this very special holiday in the Jewish year.

Here's how to make candy apples for Simchat Torah!
10 small red apples
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup water
8 drops red food coloring
10 small wooden dowls or popsicle sticks
1 sheet wax paper

Make sure an adult helps with the recipe! Boiling sugar is very hot.

Wash and dry apples. Insert sticks or dowels at stem or base. Mix sugar, corn syrup, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and add food coloring. Boil for 20 mins. Do not stir. Remove pan from stove and dip apples into mixture one at a time. Place on wax paper to cool. Enjoy at your Simchat Torah parade!

A Family's Tashlich Ritual as Told in a Picture Book

Shanah Tovah from Kar-Ben! We sat down with Susan Schnur, the co-author of Tashlich at Turtle Rock, a new book for Rosh Hashanah. She wrote the book with her daughter, Anna Schnur-Fishman, based on their own family's Tashlich ritual. We hope you enjoy the book and are inspired to add a nature walk to your Rosh Hashanah celebration!

Where did you get the inspiration for Tashlich at Turtle Rock?
It comes straight from the spiritual Jewish stuff that my husband and I and our two kids do at home. In fact, the names of the two kids in the book are just the real names of my kids -- Lincoln and Anna.

What are you most excited about promoting in your new book?
The idea that you can do cool Jewish stuff outdoors with your own family!

What is the most interesting thing you learned in the process of writing your book?
That it's really fun to write with another human being. I liked writing with my daughter when she was in a good mood, but, for some reason, I also really enjoyed writing with her when she was cranky. I think because I understood that her crankiness had something to do with those moments in the creative process when you're sure that everything you're putting on paper is wrong. It was also cool to write with someone whose literary voice you often trust more than your own.

How do you hope your book will impact the Jewish life of a child?
If a family starts having the confidence to create Jewish rituals of their own at home, out-of-doors, that's very hopeful for Judaism.

What was your favorite book when you were a child?
The Harold and the Purple Crayon series.

What’s your favorite line from a book?
The last lines from Charlotte's Web: "Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. She was in a class by herself. It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both."

Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
For children's book authors, I love Daniel Pinkwater. For grownup book authors, I love Rilke. My fave children's book illustrator is N.C. Wyeth.

Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
I've written since I was 6 years old. Though I went to seminary and then got a doctorate in psychology, in the heartiest part of my hearty-heart-heart, I have always been, and remain, a writer.

Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
To write children's literature, you should start by being a child.

Beautiful Blogger Award

Thank you, People of the Books, for nominating us for the Beautiful Blogger Award! We're honored to be recognized!

With the award come these responsibilities: we must share seven interesting facts about our company and nominate seven other blogs for the award. Here goes...

1. Kar-Ben Publishing is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2010! We were founded in 1975.

2. Kar-Ben's first book, My Very Own Haggadah, is still in print, with over 2,000,000 copies sold!

3. Kar-Ben has received more Sydney Taylor Book Awards than any other publishing company. Our 2009 Honor Award winners are Benjamin and the Silver Goblet and Nachshon, Who Was Afraid to Swim.

3. Many Kar-Ben authors have hands-on experience in working with young readers. If you enjoy a book and want to enrich your children's or students' experience, you can invite the author to your next book event.

4. Kar-Ben Publishing, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, is – surprise! -- not headquartered on the East Coast. We’re located in the Warehouse District in downtown Minneapolis. Yes, we have 40,000+ Jews in Minnesota!

5. In addition to children's books, we also publish Jewish calendars. They come in six formats and are used in offices, schools, and organizations all over North America. Schools and organizations can also customize the calendars for use as fundraisers and promotions.

6. The first Sammy Spider title, Sammy Spider’s First Hanukkah, by Sylvia A. Rouss, illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn, was published in 1993. That makes Sammy 17 years old! Post Bar Mitzvah, but still learning about Jewish life!

7. There is only well known Jewish holiday for which Kar-Ben has not (yet?) published a children’s book – Tisha B’Av. (If you've got a story idea or manuscript, here are our submission guidelines.)

Seven blogs we're nominating:
The Whole Megillah : A new blog about Jewish books for young readers
Ima on the Bima : An effervescent mom blogging about raising a family and being a rabbi
Homeshuling : A unique perspective about Jewish parenting, always entertaining and thought-provoking
Interfaith Family : Great resource for families, couples, and educators exploring Jewish life
Tami Lehman-Wilzig : About diverse customs and traditions in Jewish culture
The Book of Life : A podcast all about Jewish books!
Lerner Publishing Group : An inside look at the children's publishing world

Thanks again, People of the Books! It's wonderful to be recognized and tip our hat to fellow bloggers!

Israel's National Dog

Can you figure out what kind of dog this is? Why is it important in Israel?

Check out Zvuvi's blog to find out more!

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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.

A Seder for the Troops, Part II

To follow up with a previous post, Rabbi Josh Sherwin sent us photos of his seders in Afghanistan. Twenty-five soldiers, Marines, and sailors participated in the first seder, and twelve participated in his second seder at a different base. Thank you, Rabbi Sherwin, for sharing the photos with us!

Rabbi Sherwin writes, "Kar-Ben Haggadot helped to greatly enhance our experience and celebration, providing us with many good English readings, songs, and transliterations to make our Seder meaningful."

All photos appear courtesy of Rabbi Josh Sherwin.

Enrich Your Reading Experience with an Author Event

Kar-Ben authors visits schools and book fairs across the country. Students get the opportunity to meet the author and ask them about their books and writing careers. Authors meet their audience and are able to add value to the students' experience of reading their books. It's a rewarding experience for all!

Here's a clip of a school visit by Stacia Deutsch, author of Hot Pursuit. If you're interested in having Stacia or any Kar-Ben author visit your school or book fair, email publicity@karben.com for more information.