Author name: Heidi Rabinowitz

Heidi Rabinowitz hosts The Book of Life Podcast, a show about Jewish kidlit (mostly) at www.bookoflifepodcast.com. She moderates the Facebook group Jewish Kidlit Mavens for people who have a professional interest in Jewish children's literature, and is a co-admin of The Sydney Taylor Shmooze, a mock award blog. She's the Library Director at Congregation B'nai Israel in Boca Raton, Florida, and does 25+ preschool storytimes every week.

The Sydney Taylor Shmooze: A Mock Award Blog for Jewish Children’s Books

Do book awards matter? Having chaired a book award committee, I admit I’m biased, but I contend that they do matter. Book awards single out titles that excel at their craft, that carry important messages, that touch the soul. Awards offer not only prestige but credibility, showing the world that experts recognize the achievement of …

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Hanukkah Books with Modern Settings

This list of Hanukkah books with modern settings is perfect for teaching kids about the ancient holiday. This post contains affiliate links. If you click and purchase, Multicultural Kid Blogs will receive a small commission that will be used towards maintaining the site. What Is Hanukkah? Hanukkah is a very, very old holiday. It commemorates …

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Passover Books for Kids

Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is a major Jewish holiday celebrated in the spring. Its history goes back thousands of years; modern Jews tend to combine tradition and innovative symbolism in their celebrations today. It is a holiday celebrated at home rather than in the synagogue, and it emphasizes family and learning. Before I share my …

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Jewish Kidlit Awards

The #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement has brought much-needed attention to children’s literature with diverse characters and themes, but recognition for these books is not a new idea. Youth literature awards exist for minorities from American Indians to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community to the differently abled. As a synagogue librarian, my particular minority focus is on awards for literature …

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Hanukkah Books: A Diverse Dozen

In recent years, publishers have begun to offer more Hanukkah books depicting the diversity of Jewish families. We have a wonderful list of diverse Hanukkah books for you, but first a few facts about the holiday. Hanukkah Facts The dates of Hanukkah change each year on the Western calendar, falling in November or December. That’s …

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