Now a major motion picture starring Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates! A Time Best YA Book of All Time Margaret shares her secrets and her spirituality in this iconic Judy Blume novel, beloved by millions. Margaret Simon, almost twelve, likes long hair, tuna fish, the smell of rain, and things that are pink. She’s just moved from New York City to Farbook, New Jersey, and is anxious to fit in with her new friends—Nancy, Gretchen, and Janie. When they form a secret club to talk about private subjects like boys, bras, and getting their first periods, Margaret is happy to belong. But none of them can believe Margaret doesn’t have religion, and that she isn’t going to the Y or the Jewish Community Center. What they don’t know is Margaret has her own very special relationship with God. She can talk to God about everything—family, friends, even Moose Freed, her secret crush. Margaret is funny and real. As you read her story, you’ll know why this book has been the favorite of millions of readers. It’s as if Margaret is talking right to you, sharing her secrets with a friend.

In the fifth and final book in the All-of-A-Kind Family series, Ella, the eldest child of the family, has been offered a stage career by a Broadway talent scout. While Ella wants to sing more than anything else in the world, she finds herself torn between Jules, her beloved fiancé who has just returned from World War I, and what's sure to be a tough uphill climb to stardom. Once again, the loving all-of-a-kind-family provides the support needed for Ella to make the right decision. Born in 1904 on New York's Lower East Side, Sydney Taylor was one of the first authors of children's books centered on Jewish characters, and is especially known for the immensely popular All-of-a-Kind Family series. The Sydney Taylor Book Award is given each year by the Jewish Association of Libraries to a book for young people that authentically portrays the Jewish experience.

"The unforgettable story of a Jewish teenager who survives World War II and embarks on a long and dangerous journey to a new land ... and new life. A poignant, inspirational novel about the inner strength of children, and how other children find their place in the world" Cf. Our choice, 1997-1998

Friends from different backgrounds come together in a heartwarming picture book that is perfect for Passover, from beloved children's book author Patricia Polacco. Larnel doesn't know his neighbor, Mrs. Katz, very well, until he asks her to adopt an abandoned kitten. Mrs. Katz agrees on one condition: that Larnel helps her take care of the kitten she names Tush. When Larnel starts spending more and more time with Mrs. Katz to help with Tush, Mrs. Katz tells him stories about coming to America from Poland and about the good times she spent with her late husband. As Larnel grows to love Mrs. Katz, he also learns about the common themes of hardship and triumph in each of their cultures.

An indefatigable, irresistible, and wildly inappropriate Jewish mother takes her 17-year-old son to school in this uproarious coming-of-age comedy Tall and scattered-looking, Joseph has just graduated from high school and is ready for college. But is college ready for him ? Apparently not, judging by the rejection letter he receives from Bates and the deafening silence that greets his application to Columbia. While his friends pack their bags for schools across the country, Joseph mopes around the apartment in his bathrobe and checks the mailbox obsessively. It's enough to make his mother fear for the boy's sanity--so she resolves to take matters into her own hands. What follows is a sidesplitting series of misadventures as Meg, whom the New York Times Book Review called "the most unforgettable mother since Medea," pulls out all the stops to get her boy what he wants.

That adorable Emma Kate has an imaginary friend. They walk to school together every morning and sit together in class. They sleep over at each other's houses and do their homework side by side. They even have their tonsils out and eat gallons of pink ice cream together. But a hilarious twist will have readers realizing there's more to this imaginary friend than meets the eye!

On the first night of Hanukkah, Rabbi Judah has too much to do and too little time to do it. Before the rabbi leaves to visit the emperor, he tells his housemaid Basha that she can ask the golem to help. While the golem makes latkes, Basha decides to visit a friend. Basha is having so much fun with her friend, she doesn't realize that latkes are pouring out of the rabbi's house, sending people running! Will Rabbi Judah come up with a solution to control the golem before it's too late? Illustrated with lively acrylic on wood, the book includes an Author's Note about the tale's origins.

A Holocaust survivor shares Hanukkah with a loving family that gives him the courage to remember. Full color.

Petesch is well-known for her story writing. In this, her fifth collection, she spans time and geography, moving from the America's Great Depression to contemporary Spain and Mexico. Fans of Petesch will find that her voice remains as gritty as ever, and her vision as compassionate.

Holly Springs, Mississippi, 1862 Hannah Green can't believe what happens to her family after the war breaks out. First, her sister Joanna falls in love with a Union soldier -- an enemy. Next, the same soldier tells Hannah and her family about General Grant's General Order #11, which commands all Jews to evacuate the territory for violating trade regulations. The Greens escape from Holly Springs just before their home is destroyed. They lose everything -- even their slaves, when Lincoln declares them free. Now, because she is Jewish, Hannah cannot go home to Mississippi -- a Confederate state that's dear to her heart. Confusion sets in. Who is on her side, and whose side does she want to be on?

"Singer's retelling from the Old Testament gives a new dimension to the story of the Flood. Children will enjoy hearing the different animals praise their own special qualities so that each will be assured a place on Noah's Ark. Of course, all are taken on board, but because the dove is the only one that did not boast, Noah makes the bird his messenger. Commenting that there are more doves in the world today than there are ferocious beasts, Singers says, "The dove lives happily without fighting. It is the bird of peace." Eric Carle's brightly colored collages make this an inviting addition to collections." -School Libaray Journal "Eric Carle, who has a special way with animals, contributes sumptuous pictures to a book which is not to be missed." -Publishers Weekly "This great storyteller has put a new and mildly moral twist on the story of Noah's Ark...and Eric Carle does not disappoint. His cut-out portraits of the animals are colorful and vigorous, and, combined with his paintings, varied and provocative. This is good stuff for hungry little eyes." -The Boston Globe

“I love The First Christmas . What a charming way Stephen Mitchell has found to tell my favorite story of all, the Nativity, character by character (I love the donkey and the ox), with wise and thrilling interludes about God, reality, truth.” –Anne Lamott In The First Christmas , Stephen Mitchell brings the Nativity story to vivid life as never before. A narrative that is only sketched out in two Gospels becomes fully realized here with nuanced characters and a setting that reflects the culture of the time. Mitchell has suffused the birth of Jesus with a sense of beauty that will delight and astonish readers. In this version, we see the world through the eyes of a Whitmanesque ox and a visionary donkey, starry-eyed shepherds and Zen-like wise men, each of them providing a unique perspective on a scene that is, in Western culture, the central symbol for good tidings of great joy. Rather than superimposing later Christian concepts onto the Annunciation and Nativity scenes, he imagines Mary and Joseph experiencing the angelic message as a young Jewish woman and man living in the year 4 bce might have experienced it, with terror, dismay, and ultimate acceptance. In this context, their yes becomes an act of great moral courage. Readers of every background will be enchanted by this startlingly beautiful reimagining of the Christmas tale.

"A saying: It pays to have a little chutzpah (nerve)." With old world charm, universal humor, and just a bit of chutzpah, Simms Taback offers this lively spin on thirteen playful tales?as only he could. Paired with his trademark vibrant and hilarious artwork, these stories illustrate ultimate widespread truths and important life lessons, from the difference between a "shlemiel" and a "shlimazel" to the idea that just because you can talk doesn?t mean you make sense. Taback delivers the perfect combination of wisdom and humor?just the way your "zayda" (grandpa) would.

In the year 1492, the Inquisition has all of Spain in its grip. After centuries of pogrom-like riots encouraged by the Church, the Jews - who have been an important part of Spanish life since the days of the Romans - are expelled from the country by royal edict. Many who wish to remain are intimidated by Church and Crown and become Catholics, but several hundred thousand choose to retain their religion and depart; given little time to flee, some perish even before they can escape from Spain. Yonah Toledano, the 15-year-old son of a celebrated Spanish silversmith, has seen his father and brother die during these terrible days - victims whose murders go almost unnoticed in a time of mass upheaval. Trapped in Spain by circumstances, he is determined to honor the memory of his family by remaining a Jew. On a donkey named Moise, Yonah begins a meandering journey, a young fugitive zigzagging across the vastness of Spain. Toiling at manual labor, he desperately tries to cling to his memories of a vanished culture. As a lonely shepherd on a mountaintop he hurls snatches of almost forgotten Hebrew at the stars, as an apprentice armorer he learns to fight like a Christian knight. Finally, as a man living in a time and land where danger from the Inquisition is everywhere, he deals with the questions that mark his past. How he discovers the answers, how he finds his way to a singular and strong Marrano woman, how he achieves a life with the outer persona of a respected Old Christian physician and the inner life of a secret Jew, is the fabric of this novel. The Last Jew is a glimpse of the past, an authentic tale of high adventure, and a tender and unforgettable love story. In it, Noah Gordon utilizes his greatest strengths, and the result is remarkable and moving.

During the struggle to create the state of Israel in 1947, Ruth Mendolsohn, who helped young refugees flee Poland in "After the War", is a member of the Haganah, a group of Israeli fighters that believes only in self-defense. Her brother thinks that terrorism is necessary to get results. War seems inevitable and both will have to fight. Will they find the security of a place they can call home?

From the award-winning PBS television special. Titles include: Chanukah * Chanukah Prayer * The Chanukah Song * The Chanukah Story * Eight Nights of Chanukah * Hava Nagila * Heiveinu Shalom Aleichem * My Dreidel * Oif'n Priptchik * Potato Latkes * Something to Celebrate * Tumbalalaika * Tzena, Tzena * Zum Gali, Gali.

Judi Liebowitz thinks she's fat. And she's convinced, as she confides in her diary, that she'd be happier if she were skinnier. So when Judi becomes friendly with pencil-thin, glamorous Nancy Pratt, she learns Nancy's secret and joins her in the secret binge-and-purge cycles of bulimia. Before long, Judi's life spins out of control and her obsession with food, calories, and pounds is no longer another typical eighth-grade problem--it's a matter of life and death.

The age-old tradition of Passover comes to life in this book that presents a rhythmic tale conveying the warmth and richness of the holiday and the family traditions that surround it. Full-color illustrations.

In the Face of Evil In the autumn of 1940, Anna Hirsch, her friends, and her family are rounded up by the Nazis and deported from Germany into France. They are placed in Gurs, a refugee camp where conditions are inhuman. But even worse is the terror that the Jews will be relocated to one of the Nazi death camps. Relief workers arrange for Anna and the other young people to be sent to Le Chambon, a tiny village in France. There, the villagers agree to care for the Jewish children. But as the war rages on, Jews in France -- and those who shelter them -- are in increasing danger. Will Anna and her friends survive? Award-winning author Carol Matas presents a powerful and unforgettable story of courage in the face of evil.

Three household adventures in the life of Mitzi include an intended trip to grandmother's, sharing a family cold, and reversing the President's motorcade.