Sundays@10: The Serial in a Book

A few years ago, Dov Haller wrote a serial for Mishpacha magazine called Sundays@10. Now you can read it in its full version and follow R' Shmuel Wohlberg as he goes through the school year with some interesting challenges. 


Judging the Book by its Cover -  a first glance review: 

The title of this book is a little ambiguous. The "@" instead of "at" indicates there is internet related content. After reading the book, I think it is a clever title because ultimately the Sunday meetings are where the plot unfolds.

The images of books next to the image of a tablet also shows how this book brings up the subject of "old school vs new school", quite literally and figuratively. It explores the concept of the generation gap in chinuch and parenting in general, but not in an intense way.

Some Details I Liked:

I liked how Dov Haller made this novel as real as possible. All the geographical locations are existing places.  Subtle phrases like "What am I, Fiveish?", making reference to Oorah's mascot, help the reader connect to the characters easily.

Without spoiling the ending, I liked how the message of the book was not to stoop down. It is a theme throughout the book, but even more so with the twist at the end.

Who This Book is For:

This was sent to me as a novel for adults, but I think it is good for teens as well. There is a lot of small lessons that are dropped in conversations between the characters of various stages of life. Between the elementary school boy, the daughter in seminary, the kollel newlyweds and the older generation couples, there is a nice variety of well portrayed characters.

Who This Book Isn’t For:  

Because Sundays@10 does discuss internet, I would only give this book to children who know what a blog, usernames and email is. While everything in the book is written with good context, an immature child might get ideas and miss the main point which explains the dangers.

What I Didn’t Like/Would Have Made it Better: 

I would have enjoyed an epilogue to find out if the children of the mechanchim end up making changes in their life. Also if the dinner brought in enough money for the school, etc.

In Conclusion:  

This is a non-typical, but very much needed novel. There aren't any spies, war stories, shidduchim, criminals, people becoming frum or finding new identities. It is about dealing with issues of today that could be happening in your community, school or home. 

Disclaimer:
I received this book for the purpose of reviewing it, but that it no way changed the way I read it and reviewed it.

R' Moshe Sherizen Returns with "The Easy-Shmeezy Guide to Hebrew"

Are you thinking about visiting Israel or even dreaming of aliyah, but too nervous to commit because of the language barrier? Well, The Easy-Shmeezy Guide to Hebrew is here to solve your problem. In just under 150 pages (not counting the introduction and resources), R' Moshe provides common phrases, grammar and entertainment.

Judging the Book by its Cover -  a first glance review:

The size and layout of this book is the same as its predecessor, The Easy Shmeezy Guide to Yiddish. Both books feature clear categories of common vocabulary and phrases in English, then transliterated and in the third column, translated. This allows the reader to quickly learn not only how to pronounce the word(s), but also how to spell it and recognize it with Hebrew letters.

Again, the size of the book is super convenient. It is easy to flip through and the glossary in the back has both English to Hebrew and Hebrew to English.

Some Details I Liked:

I love that this book includes some basic Hebrew songs for around the year. For some of the songs, I knew the chorus, but never caught on to the rest. These are songs that my daughter comes home from gan expecting me to know, so finally I can sing the whole thing with her!

I also enjoyed the corny jokes. I think that by knowing some jokes in Hebrew, beginners will definitely have an easier time breaking into the language versus just having the basic words and stringing them together.

Who This Book is For:

This madrich l'sfat ha'ivrit is great for beginners as well as any non-native Israeli that could use a brushing up on his/her Hebrew skills. So whether you are visiting Israel or you have an Israeli visiting you, this book can be the key to clear communication.

Who This Book Isn’t For:  

Again, these guides are not meant to get you through college in a foreign language. Both the Hebrew and Yiddish guide cover basic conversations and common words. They don't go into depth with medical terminology, for example, nor do they cover how to read any legal contract.

 What I Didn’t Like/Would Have Made it Better: 

I think it would be great if this book had some information about the klita process. Like using how to speak to Bituach Le'umi (National Insurance) or a Kupat Cholim (Medical Insurance) as examples. Featuring names of these familiar parts of Israeli life, could be a huge help to anyone who is trying to acclimate into Israeli society.

Another idea would be to put a map of Israel and go through the touring aspect. That way, if someone is coming to visit, they can easily metayel b'golan or b'negev.

In Conclusion:  

R' Sherizen did a great job on this second language guide! If you, a relative or friend are coming to Israel for a short visit, the year or for life, this is a small book that can make a huge difference.

Disclaimer:
I received this book for the purpose of reviewing it, but that it no way changed the way I read it and reviewed it.

Get a Peek into Bina Lobell's Super-Secret Diary

Have you been looking for a simple, but intelligent chapter book for your daughter? Look no further, Bina Lobell's Super Secret Diary is the book for you. Its pages will take you through a couple of months of Bina's complex life in dealing with being homeschooled, sibling rivalry, class politics and trouble with other friends/neighbors. Bina explains things from her perspective, which tends to be somewhat comical.

Judging the Book by its Cover -  a first glance review:

I love this cover! It is designed to look and feel like a diary should. The book actually has a material flap to keep it closed. The enticing fonts, imagery and style of the cover follows inside the book as well. The font is meant to resemble handwriting and is printed in purple. There are entertaining illustrations that appear every few pages.

Some Details I Liked:

The clear font made this book such a pleasure to read and the content was thought provoking. Ruchama Feuerman really got into a child's brain to explain concepts like "Monty Sorry" (Montessori) schooling, as well as various Judaic ideals, like how to react to a bad guest. There is a clear glossary in the back for all potentially foreign terms. 

Who This Book is For:

This book is great for elementary school students and all educators. I think most parents would also gain from reading it. Ruchama Feuerman created a character who is able to express her frustrations, which may seem immature at times, but are classic children's issues. Some of the questions that Bina poses at the end of each chapter are great discussion topics for parents to bring up with their kids in order to gain insight into their life, hardships and celebrations.

Who This Book Isn’t For:  

Bina's Diary is probably not going to be something that your older teen will be hooked on. As much as it is "Super Secret", there isn't anything super juicy in it, aside from what Bina's teacher is wearing that day, of course. Although, there is a clear plot with ups and downs to keep the book exciting.

What I Didn’t Like/Would Have Made it Better: 

The only thing that I think that could have made this book better, would have been direct input from another character. For instance, if the diary was found by someone and marked up or had it been a school assignment and the teacher would comment. But then again, there is always room for a classmate's diary to be a sequel.

In Conclusion:  

It was great reading Bina Lobell's Super Secret Diary. Its a gorgeous book, inside and out, with serious content that put a smile on my face. I loved following Bina's antics and reactions to the events in her life. 

Disclaimer:
I received this book for the purpose of reviewing it, but that it no way changed the way I read it and reviewed it.

Forgive Me - A Family Drama Novel

Forgive Me is a story that of a family feud that spans a few generations. It has great detail in the character development. 

Judging the Book by its Cover -  a first glance review:

As the cover suggests, there is a geographical barrier preventing the forgiveness between the brothers.

This book is set in the US and Israel. The brothers therefore have different lifestyles which the reader gets to learn about.

Some Details I Liked:

I liked that the author speaks about the concept that personality is somewhat genetic, but each person has the ability to mature and act beyond their genetic predisposition.

Who This Book is For:

Forgive Me is a great choice for someone looking for a thick, sweet book.

Who This Book Isn’t For:  

This is not a major suspense novel, nor does it have any espionage. Just a family conflict.

What I Didn’t Like/Would Have Made it Better: 

It would have been nice to get more follow-up on some of the sub-plots, but overall the story has a nice ending.

In Conclusion:  

This is one of those books that you feel like you very much understand those characters that the author intends you to understand and are kept in wonder about the others, which gives the story a realistic and relatable edge, even if you can't relate to the events of the book.

Disclaimer:
I received this book for the purpose of reviewing it, but that it no way changed the way I read it and reviewed it.