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Welcome to Host-a-Jewish-Book-Author.com, now owned and operated by the Center for Jewish Culture and Creativity, where you can contact Jewish book authors by name, location, or genre. Host-a-Jewish-Book-Author.com lists only authors who have agreed to participate, with authors themselves providing their contact information, book titles, lecture topics, and areas of travel.

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Sharon Reiss Baker (A Nickel, A Trolley, A Treasure House) lives in West Hartford, Connecticut, where she is an educational consultant. She presents book-based, participatory programs about Jewish historical fiction to children in Grades 1-8. Her "Historical Fiction: A Backstage Tour" focuses on research materials and methods in writing historical fiction, "Begin and Begin Again" examines the writing process with an emphasis on revisions, and "Between Two Covers" explores the publishing process from first draft to first printing. Baker is willing to travel anywhere in the U.S. or Israel. To arrange a program, email her at info@sharonreissbaker.com or visit her website www.sharonreissbaker.com.

Tilda Balsley (Let My People Go!) lives in Reidsville, North Carolina. A former teacher, she gives interactive Reader's Theater programs for children featuring the story of the ten plagues. She also offers research based workshops for teachers on the effectiveness of Reader's Theater in encouraging rereading; in the workshops, teachers practice converting familiar children's books to scripts. Balsley is willing to travel anywhere in the southeastern U.S. To arrange a program, email her at tilda@tildatalks.com or visit her website www.tildatalks.com.

Andrée Aelion Brooks (Russian Dance: A True Story of Intrigue and Passion in Stalinist Moscow, The Woman Who Defied Kings: The Life and Times of Dona Gracia Nasi, and Out of Spain: An Educational Program for Children Covering the History and Culture of Sephardic Jewry is a journalist and lecturer in Westport, Connecticut. A National Jewish Book Award finalist, Brooks gives talks on unexplored aspects of Jewish history based on the research behind her books and on recent news articles. Her talks include "The Ancient Origin of Merchant Jews and Their Impact on Jewish History," "The Cradle of Jewish Life in Europe and the Birth of Ashkenaz," " The Incredible Story of Dona Gracia Nasi: a Woman Leader during the Renaissance," and "Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: Serious History Builds on a Legend." Brooks is willing to travel anywhere, provided her travel costs are covered. To arrange a program, email her at andreebrooks@hotmail.com or visit her website www.andreeaelionbrooks.com.

Deborah Bodin Cohen (Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride, Lilith's Ark: Teenage Tales of Biblical Women, Papa Jethro and The Seventh Day: A Shabbat Story) lives in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where she is the Rabbi for Lifelong Education at Temple Emanuel. Winner of a National Jewish Book Award, Rabbi Cohen gives interactive and discussion-based talks for a variety of age groups, from young children to teengers and parents, and often includes craft projects, creative writing exercises, or text study. She is willing to tailor her talks to meet the needs of the group. Some of her topics are: "Torah for Today's Teen—Creating Modern Midrash," "The Seventh Day—Celebration and Craft," "Riding the Jaffa-Jersalem Railway with Engineer Ari," and "Jewish Children's Books for Interfaith Families." Rabbi Cohen travels within the U.S. for a limited number of speaking engagements each year. To arrange a program, contact her at DebBoCo@comcast.net or visit her website www.deborahbodincohen.com.

Deborah da Costa (Hanukkah Moon and Snow in Jerusalem) lives in Columbia, Maryland, where she works as a reading specialist, psychologist and educational consultant. Winner of a University of Wisconsin's Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice Award, da Costa gives talks to children and adults on "The Creation of a Picture Book from Idea to Finished Product," "Writing Jewish Children's Books," "Reading, Thinking and Writing about Other Cultures," and "Research and Revision." She prefers traveling the East Coast from Maine to Florida, but is open to traveling anywhere. To arrange a program, email da Costa at debidac@aol.com or visit her website www.deborahdacosta.com.

Michelle Edwards (Chicken Man, Papa's Latkes, Alef-Bet: A Hebrew Alphabet Book, and Blessed Are You) is a writer and illustrator based in Iowa City, Iowa. She travels throughout the country and gives talks about her process of writing and illustrating children's books, from idea to finished book. Her programs draw on her wide experience as an artist and author/illustrator. She also offers workshops on writing and illustrating. To arrange a program with Edwards, contact her through her website www.michelledwards.com.

Cathy Goldberg Fishman (Hanukkah, On Passover, On Sukkot and Simchat Torah, and Passover), lives in Augusta, Georgia, where she teaches writing at Georgia Military College and works as a Hebrew School administrator at Adas Yeshurun Synagogue. Winner of a Parent Choice Award and Georgia Author of the Year Award, Fishman gives talks to elementary school students about the holidays and how facts in the illustrations of her books may not be mentioned in the text; she also explains her writing process and how she does research and searches for ideas. Fishman lectures to adults about the history of children's books, specifically books with Jewish content. If her expenses are covered, she is willing to drive anywhere up to seven hours. To arrange a program with Fishman, contact Jessica Horowitz of Kar Ben Publishing at publicity@karben.com.

Bracha Goetz (The Happiness Box, The Invisible Book, What Do You See At Home?, and What Do You See On Chanukah?) lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where she is Mentoring Coordinator at the Jewish Big Brother and Big Sister League. Goetz gives talks on "The Happiness Box: Happiness Skills for Children of All Ages," "The Invisible Book: We Believe in Much More than We See," "Writing Children's Books: Is There a Children's Book Inside You Too?," and "Meeting God at Harvard: A Harvard Grad's Spiritual Education." She is willing to travel anywhere. To arrange a program, email Goetz at bgoetzster@gmail.com.

Amalia Hoffman, author and illustrator of Purim Goodies and The Klezmer Bunch, lives in Larchmont, New York where she designs unique store window displays. She is the recipient of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Portfolio Award in Fantasy and a finalist in the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators storytelling competition. She gives programs for grades K-5 in themed costumes, with music, sing-a-long, and props. "Purim Goodies" includes a hamantaschen baking demonstration; "The Klezmer Bunch" includes storytelling with a puppet and klezmer dancing; and "The Mystery of the Cairo Genizah" includes a treasure hunt in which children learn the meaning of genizah and "discover" medieval manuscripts found in a synagogue in Cairo. Hoffman gives workshops for grades 3-6: "Create Magic with Paper," in which children make three dimensional cards for the Jewish holidays; and "Tap your Imagination," in which she explores the power of imagination in creating picture books. Hoffman will travel anywhere in the U.S. and in Israel. To arrange a program and view demonstration videos, email her at amaliah@optonline.com or visit her website amaliahoffman.com.

Ann D. Koffsky (Eight Nights for Eight Lights, More Than Matzah: A Passover Feast of Fun, Facts, and Activities, My Cousin Tamar Lives in Israel, and Shabbat Shalom!) lives in West Hempstead, New York, where she creates art for children's books, greeting cards, and toys. Koffsky gives school and library talks for children in grades K-6. Using her books as a starting point, she discusses composition, color choices, working with research, and the process of illustration from the first sketch to the final book. Her program is interactive with a sketching demonstration, grab bag of props, and sometimes a craft from one of her books. Koffsky is willing to travel anywhere. To arrange a program, email her at ann@annkoffsky.com or visit her website www.annkoffsky.com.

Sarah Marwil Lamstein (Annie's Shabbat and Letter on the Wind: A Chanukah Tale) lives in Newton, Massachusetts, where she is a puppeteer and writer. Winner of a Sydney Taylor Honor Book Award, Lamstein gives school and library visits for children in grades K-5 in which she discusses the process of writing books, including the collaborative aspects of working with an editor and illustrator. Her program specific to Letter on the Wind consists of a shadow puppet show of the story of Chanukah, a discussion of heroes throughout Jewish history, a demonstration of making olive oil, and a menorah fashion show. Her program specific to Annie's Shabbat includes a discussion of Shabbat customs throughout history and the world. Slides and music accompany the programs. Lamstein is willing to travel anywhere throughout the U.S. To arrange a program, email her at sarahm45@aol.com or visit her website www.sarahlamstein.com.

Sandy Lanton (Daddy's Chair and Lots of Latkes) lives in Plainview, Long Island, New York. Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award, Lanton gives presentations to students in pre-K to second grade about how a book is made. She gives three writing workshops for grades 3-12: "Show, Don't Tell," "Using Sensory Details," and "Major Dramatic Question—The Secret to Plot." Lanton has a certificate in Bereavement Counseling from the SIDS Center at SUNY Stony Brook, and for teachers, parents, and librarians, gives talks about bibliotherapy and the ways children react to death at different developmental ages. Lanton is willing to travel anywhere. Email her at sandylanton@yahoo.com or visit her website www.sandylanton.com.

Tami Lehman-Wilzig (Keeping the Promise: A Torah's Journey, Mayer Aaron Levi and His Lemon Tree, Passover Around the World, and Tasty Bible Stories: A Menu of Tales & Matching Recipes) lives in Petach Tikva, Israel, where she is an English advertising copywriter. Winner of the International Reading Association Teacher's Choice Award and the New York State Reading Association's Charlotte Award, Lehman-Wilzig gives interactive presentations of her books for ages 6-10. Depending on the book, her presentations can include storytelling, a Biblical tale cooking session, a Post-Passover Moroccan Mimouna, and other hands-on activities. She is willing to travel anywhere and offers live video visits through Skype. To arrange a program, email her at tami@tlwkidsbooks.com or visit her website www.tlwkidsbooks.com.

Anna Levine (Freefall, Jodie's Hanukkah Dig, and Running on Eggs) teaches English literature and writing to advanced students at a junior high School in Mevessert Zion and at The Reuben Academy for Music and Dance in Jerusalem, Israel. Based in Israel, Levine gives talks around the world about how a writer uses his or her life experiences as source material, and in particular, how her experiences in Israel have shaped her work. All her writing is connected to the land, the culture and the people of Israel, and she uses her novels, short stories, and poetry as a way to share different aspects of Israel with her audience. To arrange a program, email Levine at anna_scbwi@yahoo.com or annalevine.il@gmail.com, or contact her through her websites www.annalevine.org and www.freefallthenovel.com.

Sonia Levitin (The Cure, The Return, Junk Man's Daughter, and Strange Relations) lives in Los Angeles, California, where she teachers an independent seminar for librarians and teachers called "Finding Our Heroes and Ourselves Through Literature." In addition to her teaching and writing, Levitin supports and volunteers for the North American Conference of Ethiopian Jewry and the Simon Wiesenthal Center, where her family endows the Once Upon A World Children's Book Award. Winner of a National Jewish Book Award and the Sydney Taylor Book Award, Levitin gives talks to adults and children, ages 10 and up, on "The Plight of Ethiopian Jews," "Experiencing the Chasidic Life," "Slavery and Genocide: Sudan, a Case in Point," and "Life and Faith After the Holocaust." She is willing to speak anywhere. To arrange a program, email Levitin at slevitin@ucla.edu or visit her website www.sonialevitin.com.

Richard Michelson (Across the Alley, As Good As Anybody: Martin Luther King and Abraham Joshua Heschel's Amazing March Toward Freedom, A is for Abraham: A Jewish Family Alphabet, and Too Young for Yiddish) lives in Amherst, Massachusetts. Owner of R. Michelson Galleries, he represents Jewish artists such as Leonard Baskin, Leonard Nimoy, Mordicai Gerstein, and Neil Waldman. A National Jewish Book Award finalist and winner of a Sydney Taylor Book Award and Sydney Taylor Honor Book Award, Michelson gives these talks: "Too Young for Yiddish: How Language Affects Culture/Jewish Identity in the American Melting Pot," "No, and I Can't Dance Either: Writing Across Racial Lines (Being Jewish and Writing in Other Voices)," and "How Young Is Too Young?: Picture Books about the Holocaust." He is willing to travel throughout the United States. To arrange a program, email Michelson at RM@RMichelson.com or visit his website www.RichardMichelson.com.

Sholom Morgan (Have You Been Jewish Today?) lives in Northridge, California, where he is a Special Education substitute teacher in the Los Angeles public school system and a retired Judaic Studies teacher. He gives talks about his children's textbook in which he touches on Jewish morals, ethics and religious observance, and about his forty-two years of teaching in Jewish schools. He is willing to travel anywhere if his expenses are covered. To arrange a program, contact Morgan by email info@haveyoubeenjewishtoday.com, or by phone at 818-709-5682 or 818-450-7613.

Lesléa Newman (Runaway Dreidl!, Matzo Ball Moon, and The Eight Nights of Chanukkah lives in Northampton, Massachusetts. Winner of a Gemini Award, she gives a talk for grades 1-5 entitled "Dreidels, Maidels and Ladles!" in which she shows students how a book is created from start to finish. Her talk includes early handwritten drafts, artist's sketches, book dummies, and press sheets. With photographs from her childhood, she shows students where her ideas come from, and how the people in her family appear in her books. Newman is willing to travel anywhere. To arrange a program, email her at leslea@lesleakids.com or visit her website www.lesleakids.com.

Christos Nicola (The Secret of Priest's Grotto: A Holocaust Survival Story) lives in Astoria, New York, where he is a New York State Professional Conduct Investigator. Winner of a Sydney Taylor Honor Book Award, Nicola gives these talks: "Cave Exploration around the World," "Survival in Extreme Conditions," "Climbing and Rappel Techniques," and motivational talks, such as how the Jews featured in The Secret of Priest's Grotto: A Holocaust Survival Story survived the Holocaust by taking refuge in a cave for a year. Nicola is wiling to travel anywhere, as long as his travel, lodging, and meal expenses are covered. To arrange a program, email Kar-Ben Publishing at publicity@karben.com or visit Nicola's website www.priestsgrotto.com.

Anna Olswanger (Shlemiel Crooks) is a literary agent with Liza Dawson Associates in New York and the coordinator of the Jewish Children's Book Writers' Conference each fall at the 92nd Street Y. She lives in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. A Sydney Taylor Honor Book Award winner and a Koret International Jewish Book Award finalist, Olswanger gives talks to adults on "How to Get Your Children's Book (or Any Book) Published from a Literary Agent's Point of View" and "Helping Children Write Fiction from Family History." She visits schools and libraries to give talks to children about the research behind Shlemiel Crooks and how writers of any age can research their family history and use it to write short fiction. Olswanger is willing to travel anywhere. To arrange a program, email her at anna@olswanger.com or visit her websites www.shlemielcrooks.com and www.olswanger.com.

Barry Louis Polisar (Telling the Story: A Passover Haggadah Explained; Don't Do That!: A Child's Guide to Bad Manners, Ridiculous Rules, and Inadequate Etiquette (humor); A Little Less Noise (poetry); Matzo Balls for Breakfast and Other Memories of Growing Up Jewish [contributor]), lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, outside Washington, DC, where he is a full-time author and a songwriter for children. He is the winner of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Children's Music Web and four Parents' Choice Awards, and his television show won two Emmy awards. Barry is also the composer and singer of "All I Want is You," the first song heard in the recent film JUNO; the soundtrack won a Grammy Award. He appears as an author, poet, and in family concerts at Jewish Community Centers and synagogues across the United States. To arrange an appearance, contact Barry directly at Barrylou@barrylou.com.

Marilyn Price (Marilyn Price & Friends Present the Alphabet from Alef to Tav: A Hebrew Reading Readiness Adventure), lives in Evanston, Illinois. A professional storyteller and puppeteer, she gives professional development workshops for educators, librarians, and clergy throughout the U.S. Some of her workshop topics are: "Sh'ma Means to Listen" (developing listening skills), "Puppets with Class" (using puppetry for teaching and telling), "Taking Your Judaism for a Walk" (interweaving Jewish story with everyday experience), and "Storytelling and Puppetry as Education and Enrichment." Price is willing to travel anywhere. To arrange a program, email her at marilynlprice@aol.com or visit her website www.marilynprice.com.

Alan Radding (Miracles: Stories for Jewish Children and Their Families), lives in Newton, Massachusetts. A freelance writer, ghostwriter, and lay leader of his synagogue's children's service, he gives readings of his original stories for children in synagogues, schools, summer camps, and Jewish Community Centers throughout the New England area. Radding is willing to travel anywhere within a day's drive of Boston. To arrange a program, contact him by phone at 617-332-4369, email alan@radding.net, or visit his website www.jewishfamilystories.com.

Diane Levin Rauchwerger (Dinosaur on Hanukkah, Dinosaur on Passover, and Dinosaur on Shabbat) lives in Sunnyvale, California, where she is the synagogue librarian at Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills. Rauchwerger gives a Mother Goose program for infants through four-year-olds and their parents, grandparents or caregivers in which she presents interactive songs, rhymes and stories through her "magic apron" filled with puppets and props. Rauchwerger also presents programs on Shabbat, Hanukkah, Passover, and Purim (the latter with a puppet show) for pre-kindergarten through second grade, and family groups with young children. She is willing to travel anywhere. To arrange a program, contact her by email at MLS4bug@sbcglobal.net or her publisher at publicity@karben.com.

Sylvia A. Rouss (The Littlest Maccabee, The Littlest Tree, God's World (Tikkun Olam), and Tali's Jerusalem Scrapbook) is an early childhood educator in Los Angeles, California. Winner of a National Jewish Book Award, she gives talks throughout the United States and Israel on "Creating Jewish Memories," "How Current Events Have Influenced My Writing," and "How My Books Can Enhance the Early Childhood Curriculum." Rouss accepts a limited number of speaking engagements each year. To arrange a program with her, email her publicist Stuart Schnee at stu@stuartschnee.com or visit her website www.sylviarouss.com.

Lois Ruby (Shanghai Shadows and contributor to Ghosts and Golems) lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A retired librarian, she gives teacher in-service workshops, and creative writing workshops for children and adults. In her talks to young people, she focuses on Jewish values, literacy, multicultural and Jewish literature, skinheads and racism, publishing, and how she came to write her books. Ruby is wiling to drive anywhere in New Mexico, Arizona, and in parts of Texas. She makes frequent visits to Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma and would gladly put people in those areas on her itinerary. She is willing to fly anywhere else, on any continent (though she guesses there is not much Jewish book activity on Antarctica!), as long as her expenses are covered. To arrange a program, email Ruby at loisruby@comcast.net or visit her website www.loisruby.com.

Rebeca Edid Ruzansky (Celebrating with Jewish Crafts) lives in San Diego, California, where she is a certified interior designer and teacher of Jewish holiday craft workshops for young children. Fluent in Spanish and English, Ruzansky has appeared on Telemundo 33, a cable program for the Tijuana and San Diego Latino audiences, to demonstrate cooking and baking techniques. She is willing to travel anywhere within the San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles areas to give workshops for children or adults. To arrange a program, phone Ruzansky at 858-412-7780, email her at rebecaedid@yahoo.com or visit her website www.celebratingwithJewishcrafts.com.

Ellen Schwartz (Mr. Belinsky's Bagels, Jesse's Star, Stealing Home, and Yossi's Goal) lives in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, where she works as a corporate writer and editor. Winner of a Choice Award from the Canadian Children's Books Centre and a British Columbia Book Award, Schwartz gives writing workshops for elementary school children, secondary students, and adults in which she takes the participants through various exercises to develop a character, come up with a story problem, and write a short scene. She then guides the writers through basic editing of their own work. Schwartz also gives author readings to all age groups in which she reads an excerpt from one of her books and discusses the writing process from the germ of the idea through the research, outlining, drafting and rewriting, to publication. She includes an answer-and-question period. Schwartz is willing to travel anywhere in Canada and the U.S. Email her at polestar@shaw.ca or visit her website www.ellenschwartz.net.

Steve Sheinkin (The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey, and Rabbi Harvey Rides Again) is a writer/illustrator in Brooklyn, New York. Sheinkin gives talks around the country about the stories behind his comics, specifically about the traditional Jewish sources behind Harvey's adventures and the process of adapting them into comics set in the Wild West. He also gives an interactive workshop for kids ages 10-12 called "Making Your Own Graphic Novels," in which he shows sample stories, visual sources, and steps in the process of making comics. Sheinkin is willing to travel anywhere in the U.S. Email him at steve@rabbiharvey.com or visit his website www.rabbiharvey.com .

Sara Stave (Siddur Sababa) lives in New York City, New York. A teacher in the Jewish Studies department at the Solomon Schechter Day School in Bergen County, New Jersey, Stave gives talks on "Connecting Tefillah to Tikkun Olam" and "Creating a Tefillah Curriculum for Middle School." She is willing to travel anywhere in the U.S. To arrange a program, email her at sstave@sabababooks.com or visit her website http://sabababooks.com.

Edith Roseman Tarbescu (Annushka's Voyage and The Boy Who Stuck Out His Tongue: A Yiddish Folk Tale) is an author and playwright living in Albuqeurque, New Mexico. She uses interactive materials, such as enlarged photographs of immigrants traveling in steerage and photographs of the Lower East Side, when she talks about Annushka's Voyage and the immigrant experience in the early 1900s. She also discusses how she adapted Annushka's Voyage into a play for young people, which had its debut at The Little Theatre in Albuquerque. When Tarbescu gives talks about her Hungarian-born father who told her The Boy Who Stuck Out His Tongue, she explains how she embellished the story and asks the audience to help her act out the scenes. Tarbescu will travel anywhere. Her motto is: Have books, will travel! Email her at tarbescu@comcast.net or visit her website www.home.earthlink.net/~tarbescu.

Sydell Blossom Waxman (My Mannequins and The Rooster Prince) lives in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada. Winner of a Choice Award from the Canadian Children's Books Centre, Waxman gives writing workshops for adults and children, and interactive presentations for grades 1-4 in schools, synagogues, and libraries throughout Ontario and Quebec in Canada and the Buffalo and New York City areas of New York. She travels to the Sarasota/Bradenton area of Florida every January and February. In her presentations, Waxman focuses on the history of Jews in the needle industry (My Mannequins) or Jewish stories and retellings (The Rooster Prince). To arrange a program, email Waxman at mannequin@sympatico.ca, visit her website www.sydellwaxman.com, or phone her at 905-731-7369.

April Halprin Wayland (New Year at the Pier—A Rosh Hashanah Story) lives in Los Angeles, California, where she is an instructor in the UCLA Extension Writers' Program. Winner of a Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Poetry Book and Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor for Children's Poetry Book, Wayland performs story times for younger children, poetry workshops and picture book writing workshops for teens and adults, assemblies for grades K-12 about the rollercoaster world of writing, and teacher in-service workshops on writing poetry. Her presentation titles include: "The Long And Winding Road From Tossing Bread Crumbs To Turning Pages," "I'm Sorry, I Forgive You—A Workshop," "Secrets into Poems—a Workshop," and "W.O.W: Writers' Observation Workshop." Wayland is willing to travel anywhere and has Skype software for virtual visits. To arrange a program, contact her at aprilwayland@aol.com, or visit her website www.aprilwayland.com.

Elka Weber (The Yankee at the Seder) lives in Teaneck, New Jersey. A former history teacher with a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern Studies, Weber gives talks in bookstores, synagogues, and libraries on "History is a Story: How to Use Real Events as the Basis for Books." She also gives talks in schools to junior high and high school students on "Read, Write, Revise: How to Get Started." She is willing to travel anywhere in the U.S. and Canada if her expenses are covered. To arrange a program, contact Weber at elka@elkaweber.com, through her website www.elkaweber.com, or through Tricycle Press publicist Hayley Gonnason at hayley.gonnason@tenspeed.com, phone 510-559-1600, ext. 3087.

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