Monday, December 26, 2016

Hanukkah is Here!


Looking for a Hanukkah present for a child?  What could be more fun than a children's cookbook in Hebrew?  Although it can really slow you down, it's a lot of fun to cook and bake with kids.  It's also a good way to get your children reading Hebrew and feeling connected to Israel by using the local food products.  There are recipes whose ingredients include a bag of chocolate milk, malawach    ( fried Yemenite dough), a container of Dani chocolate pudding and so many other Israeli food items.  Even children's cookbooks that are translated from another language are adjusted to the local foods.




 There is a large selection of children's cookbooks available. Many, but not all, Israeli and translated cookbooks are kosher.  If the cookbook is kosher, it will usually say "kosher" on the title page.







אפייה זה משחק ילדים /Baking is Child's Play written by קרין גורן/ Carine Goren is my younger daughter's favorite children's cookbook.  Goren is a well-known cookbook author in Israel. The book has very clear and easy to follow illustrations and instructions.  Ages 8+









שמח במטבח / Happy in the Kitchen is a series of seven children's cookbooks translated from English. This series has books on different topics such as Bread, Chocolate and Food  from   Around the World.  Although this book does have vowelization (ניקוד),   it's not meant for young children.  There are step-by-step instructions and clear illustrations but the instructions are more complicated than in   Carin Goren's book. Ages 10+





מאסטר שף ילדים/ Junior MasterChef is a cookbook with recipes from the Israeli version of the cooking competition television show  "Junior MasterChef". I borrowed this book from my neighbor who told me it was her high school daughter's favorite cookbook.  The recipes look good and I plan to make several of them myself.  This cookbook is not kosher but there are no recipes that have seafood or pork in them.  Ages 11+






Tip no. 8  Here are two tips for making really easy bookmarks. 

1. I like to cut a piece of cardboard or a piece of a cereal box to the size of a bookmark.  I then cover it several times lengthwise ( not widthwise!) with washi tape.  In minutes, I have a pretty and sturdy bookmark.





2. Another really easy way to make  a bookmark is to snip off   the corners of a used envelope. The triangle fits easily on the corner of the book.  You can decorate the triangles with  stickers or  flowers.  You can have your littlest ones scribble a picture on the bookmark! Nothing could be faster or easier.







HAPPY HANUKKAH

חנוכה שמח


Olive tree branch

Photo by Nava Feldman



Sunday, December 11, 2016

Would You Spend 179 Shekels on a Book for Your Child?

If that book was the Guinness Book of Records,  it might be worthwhile to pay so much for a book.  Why?  This book will keep your child busy for hours on end.  Do you have a child who doesn't enjoy books?  This book will change his mind.


I know that I sound like an advertisement for ספר השיאים של גינס / The Guinness Book of Records, but there is a reason for it.  Since not all children enjoy reading "traditional fiction", it's good to have non-fiction options. Most children love reading about dinosaurs, animals, planes, sports, or space.  The Guinness book of records has all that and more!








Non-fiction books can be a good choice for boys.  Many boys are "information
junkies".  Several years ago, I taught a library class to a class of first graders.  Usually, I hide the Guinness books during class but for some reason, they were out.  The boys spent all of the free reading time looking only at the Guinness books.   Later in the day, I had a class of 8th graders.  The girls were busy reading quite high-level novels and the boys were all crowded around the Guinness books! Of course, girls also enjoy reading  The Guinness Book of Records.

Non-fiction books can be an especially good choice for reluctant readers no matter what their reading language preference.  They often have colorful pictures, short texts, and subject that pique a child is interested in.  There are cookbooks, craft books, drawing books, books of riddles,  and informational books to name a few.





Here are just a very few examples of what's available.


100  עובדות/ One Hundred  Facts series has over ten large, colorful books with information about  topics such as space, weather, the human body,  and animals.  Ages 7-10.









 סודות של פלסטלינה/Secrets of  Modeling Clay by רוני אורן/ Roni Oren
Modeling clay ( know by the brand name פלסטלינה/ Plasticine)  is very popular in Israel.  Roni Oren is well known as a creator of amazing plasticine figures for books, films,  and tv programs.  In these books, he gives step by step instructions how to create sophisticated plasticine figures. It's a great book for the whole family but a child would probably need to be at least nine years old to read it by himself. Younger children will need help or might find it easier to just follow the illustrations. Ages 7+


                                                                   






סדרת פרופסר פצפונטבע/ Little Nature Professor  Series by author and illustrator מירי לשם-פלאי / Miri Leshem- Pelly are a series of small books with soft, quiet illustrations.  The little professor shows children the wonders of nature.  He introduces them to birds, wildflowers, dogs, cats and more.  My favorite book in the series is לטייל בישראל/  Travel in Israel.  We travel from the north ( Tel Dan Nature Reserve) all the way down south( to Eilat to swim with the dolphins) with many stops in between. If you are new to Israel, this book is a wonderful way for you and your young children to get to know the country. Read the book now and plan a trip for Channukah vacation! Ages 5-8.






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Tip no. 7    









Monday, December 05, 2016

Hebrew vs. English



From my experience, most olim parents either raise children who prefer to read in English or in Hebrew.  It’s the rare child who likes to read in both languages.  For example, my children preferred to read in Hebrew.  I hope this post will help both the parents of children who prefer to read in Hebrew and those who prefer   to read in English.   


English children’s books translated into Hebrew 
can  useful for  both types of readers. I wanted  
my children to experience the books that I enjoyed as a child so   I read to them in English.  Of course, there were only so many books that I could read to them.  Eventually, I had to “bite the bullet” and  watch them read some   of my favorite English classics in Hebrew.  I was happy that they were reading my favorite books even if they  were not in  English .

For those of you whose children prefer reading in English , there is also an advantage to having them read books translated from the English.  Some olim children feel overwhelmed by the idea of reading a whole   book in Hebrew.  A lot of the stress is relieved when they already know the plot and the characters in a translated book.  The book becomes much easier to read.
  
Although most people know that the Harry Potter series and the Percy Jackson series have been translated into Hebrew, there are many classics that have been translated that you might not know about.   Here is a list of ten American, British and Canadian classic children's books that have been translated into Hebrew.









Anne of Green Gables/ 
האסופית




















Ballet Shoes/
נעלי בלט















                                                                           Charlotte's Web/
          חוות הקסמים                                                                                                               
















The Giver/
המעניק




















Holes/
בורות


















A Bear Called Paddington/
דב ושמו פדינגטון

















The Railway Children/
ילדי המסילה
















 

   
Ramona/
רמונה
















          




Tuck Everlasting/
מעיין הנצח





















A Wrinkle in Time/
קמט בזמן








Would you like to know if your favorite children's book is translated into  Hebrew? Feel free to ask in the comment section at the end of this blog post and I will get back to you.






Tip no. 6    The very best website for 
reading tips is READING ROCKETS  - launching young readers.