The Book of Life: Jewish Kidlit (Mostly)

The Book of Life's Thanksgiving Shout-Out Special is a bonus episode for November 2007! Includes interviews with musician Todd Herzog and illustrator Maryann Kovalski, as well as shout-outs to many listeners who have written in to the show, and info about the Blogathon at the Feldman Library (home base of The Book of Life).

The Book of Life is a monthly podcast about Jewish books, music, film and web at www.bookoflifepodcast.com. In this episode we celebrate traditional radio and the new media revolution of podcasting and blogging that was born from it. We interview Harold Augenbraum, director of the National Book Foundation, about the Foundation's choice of Terry Gross, host of NPR's Fresh Air, for this 2007 Literarian Award. We talk to David & Susan Siegel about the history of Jews in radio. They are the authors of Radio and the Jews: The Untold Story of How Radio Influenced America's Image of Jews, 1920's - 1950's. We meet literary blogger and synagogue librarian Marie Cloutier at the Podcast & New Media Expo. Marie's blog can be read at www.bostonbibliophile.com. Be sure to check back later in November 2007 for our Thanksgiving Special podcast! Links to more info on all interviewees can be found at The Book of Life website at www.bookoflifepodcast.com.

The Book of Life: a show about Jewish people and the books we read! This episode celebrates classic Jewish children's books. The All-of-a-Kind Family books by Sydney Taylor represent with an interview with Sydney's daughter, Jo Taylor Marshall. Author Michelle Edwards tells us about her picture book, Chicken Man. We discuss The Rabbi and the 29 Witches by Marilyn Hirsh with editor Margery Cuyler, librarian Tasha Bergson-Michaelson, and some enthusiastic kids. And we introduce the Feldman Library Blogathon (cbiboca.blogspot.com)! Links available at The Book of Life web site, www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com.

The Book of Life sees the world through new eyes in this Jewish New Year season. We speak to Mordicai Gerstein, award-winning author of The White Ram, a picture book midrash about the sacrifice of Isaac. We hear from Rabbi Cary A. Friedman, author of Wisdom from the Batcave, about how Batman can teach each of us to live a super, heroic life. Musician Yoshie Fruchter describes his CD Beyond the Book, about the inner lives of biblical personalities. And Brynn Olenberg Sugarman tells of her award-winning picture book Rebecca's Journey Home, which is based on her own daughter's adoption. Links to more info on these books and CDs is available at The Book of Life at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com.

The Book of Life celebrates klezmer music! We visit the Judaica Sound Archives at Florida Atlantic University and hear some of their historic klezmer samples. We talk to Joan Betty Stuchner, author of The Kugel Valley Klezmer Band (also known in Canada as Shira's Hanukkah Gift). We meet Yale Strom, a "one man klezmer industry," who tells us about his books, films, travels, and performances. Don't forget to inscribe yourself in The Book of Life's High Holidays "Book of Life" at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com!

The Book of Life explores magic and mystery with: Cantor Amy Miller, an expert on the Jewish view of Harry Potter...Jason Lutes, author of the graphic novel Houdini the Handcuff King...Sarah Mlynowski, author of Bras & Broomsticks...and mystery writer Pari Noskin Taichert.

The Book of Life cools off with summer reading. We learn about the ReaderGirlz web site, and their promotion of a Jewish title: Goy Crazy by Melissa Schorr. Then we talk to Melissa herself! We hear from the music group Sababa. And we talk to Nextbook.org for summer reading recommendations.

The Book of Life celebrates Jewish American Heritage Month (May) with a focus on baseball! We hear from Carol Matas, author of the middle-grade historical novel Play Ball. We meet Aviva Kempner, the independent filmmaker behind the documentary The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg. We take a break to "say Chai" in celebration of our 18th episode. Then we hear a book review of Across the Alley from fellow podcasters Andrea & Mark of Just One More Book. Finally we speak to the author of Across the Alley, Richard Michelson. Baseball themed-music in this episode provided by hungryformusic.com; our regular background music provided by freilachmakers.com. The Book of Life is sponsored in part by the Association of Jewish Libraries, jewishlibraries.org. Visit the podcast webpage at jewishbooks.blogspot.com.

The Book of Life is a monthly podcast about Jewish people and the books we read. In this episode we explore the power of books to sustain the Jewish people. We hear from Jonathan Kirsch, author of God Against the Gods and A History of the End of the World, about his upcoming keynote address to the Association of Jewish Libraries. We meet Nancy Kalikow Maxwell, author of Sacred Stacks: The Higher Purpose of Libraries and Librarianship. We learn about WJEW, an online Jewish radio station managed by teens. And we hear about Milk & Honey Press, a new Hebrew/English publisher of children's books.

The Book of Life celebrates Passover! This episode features interviews with author Dave Horowitz (Five Little Gefiltes), author Tami Lehman-Wilzig (Passover Around the World), Sean Altman of the band Jewmongous, and Cantor Stephanie Shore with her CD Pesaschtick.