It is not unheard of for a webcomic to be published in a print edition (e.g. the Eisner award-winning Cancer Mom). It is not unprecedented for a graphic novel to be published which features a young Jewish girl (e.g. Token). However, it is rare to find a graphic novel that stars an 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl who aspires to fight dragons. Author-illustrator Barry Deutsch discusses his literary influences, the experience of self-publishing a serialized webcomic, the process of creating Hereville, and future plans for Hereville - a book described by School Library Journal blogger Elizabeth Bird as "the best graphic novel of 2010 for kids. Bar none."

Presented by Barry Deutsch at the 2011 AJL Convention in Montreal, Quebec.

30 min

While the names of two Major League Baseball Hall of Famers, Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax, easily spring to mind even for those impervious tot he US national pastime, according to baseball "halakhah," over 150 Jews have swung bats, tossed balls, and wielded leather in the North American major leagues. Many others were minor leaguers, executives, sportscasters, sportswriters, and authors. There is even a new baseball league in Israel. We examine a number of Web resources dealing with the abundant Jewish participation in the grand old game.

Presented by Elliot H. Gertel at the 2011 AJL Convention in Montreal, Quebec.

37 min 02 sec

Mordecai Richler famously said that he did not consider himself a "Jewish writer." What is the value/importance of writing about a certain cultural tradition? can we identify a Montreal-Jewish or Canadian-Jewish literary tradition? Are there writers actively continuing these traditions? Responding to it? Taking it in new directions? Meet four Montreal Jewish writers, hear them read from their recent works, and hear discussion on the value of writing within a Jewish tradition.

Presented as a panel by Ami Sands Brodoff, Bevery Akerman, Joel Yanofsky, and Glen Rotchin.

1 hr 18 min 38 sec

This presentation shows how to use Judaic resources to teach students about the different types of books in the reference section. Library standards are addressed and specific lesson plans shared.

Presented by Susan Dubin at the 2011 AJL Convention in Montreal, Quebec.

1 hr 4 min 19 sec

Joni Sussman of Kar-Ben Books led this panel of authors for ounger readers who represent a wide range of contemporary Jewish experience. The authors shared their own understanding of how "Jewish" informs their writing and introduced us to their latest titles.

Presented by Joni Sussman, Anna Levine, Alan Silberberg and Sara Mlynowski at the 2011 AJL Convention in Montreal, Quebec.

1 hr 19 min 19 sec

At each year’s AJL convention, members of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee participate in a panel presentation to discuss the best and worst of recent Jewish literature for children and teens. In this podcast, you can hear members Susan Berson, Barbara Bietz, Kathy Bloomfield, Debbie Colodny, and Kathe Pinchuck sharing their delight and dismay over juvenile Judaica published during 2009, reviewed while seeking the winners of the 2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award.

This panel was presented at the 2010 Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Seattle, WA

1 hr 38 min 53 sec

A panel of experienced book reviewers share their views on the craft of constructing a useful review, on differences between reviewing for children and or adults, on unique issues in reviewing Judaica, and more.

Presented by Ellen Cole, Heidi Estrin, Kathe Pinchuck, and Lisa Silverman at the 2010 AJL Convention in Seattle, WA.

1 hr 29 min 53 sec

In this highly interactive workshop, we think dynamically about the role of the library in your synagogue and learn how to demonstrate to your lay leadership that the synagogue library is an asset in their efforts to draw in members, bring in revenue, and create a focal point for community involvement.

Presented by Kathy Bloomfield at the 2010 AJL Convention in Seattle, WA.

1 hr 1 min 57 sec

The best memoirs provide the same pleasures as novel reading: fascinating characters, riveting stories, interesting settings, and of course, great writing. Jewish memoirs are no exception! In this presentation you’ll hear about great Jewish memoirs for your library, for book discussion groups, and for your own reading.

Presented by Roz Reisner at the 2010 AJL Convention in Seattle, WA.

41 min 05 sec

Author Margarita Engle won the 2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Teen Readers category for Tropical Secrets. She had the opportunity to present her book to an appreciative audience at the 2010 Association of Jewish Libraries annual convention in Seattle, WA.

29 min 47 sec

Author April Halprin Wayland won the 2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Younger Readers category for New Year at the Pier. She had the opportunity to present her book to an appreciative audience at the 2010 Association of Jewish Libraries annual convention in Seattle, WA.

35 min 01 sec

Author Robin Friedman won the 2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Older Readers category for The Importance of Wings. She had the opportunity to present her book to an appreciative audience at the 2010 Association of Jewish Libraries annual convention in Seattle, WA.

11 min 05 sec

What are teens reading these days? Are there any good YA books with Jewish content? How do I build my teen collection? How do I attract teens to my library? What do I do with them once they come? Explore the answers to these questions and more as we discuss current trends in secular and Jewish young adult literature, outreach strategies and opportunities, and ideas for cool teen programs.

Related material at http://www.jeninelillian.com/ and http://www.jewishlibraries.org/ajlweb/resources/bib_bank/contemporary_fiction_for_teens.pdf

Presented by Jenine Lillian and Rachel Kamin at the 2010 AJL Convention in Seattle, WA.

1 hr 00 min 02 sec

The presentation analyzes contemporary evangelic apocalyptic fiction with respect to the portrayal of Jews and Judaism. It examines 38 novels published in the United States between 1991 and 2009. These novels, which includes themes of Christian triumphalism, conversion to Christianity, and horrific Jewish suffering in the final days of mankind on earth, are consistent with theological principles of evangelical premillenial dispensationalism in that Jews are seen as apocalyptic agents both in suffering as well as in conversion.

Presentation by Mark Stover at he 2010 Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Seattle, WA.

1 hr 15 min 47 sec

A discussion of the history of Jewish businessmen in the western United States beginning in the 19th century. The presenter describes how she was able to gather all of this information.

Presented by Julia Eulenberg at the 2010 Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Seattle, WA.

34 min 41 sec

This session on the Sephardic community of Seattle focuses on what made these people come to Seattle, what they found when they arrived, the community’s first religious leaders, interaction between the two distinct Sephardic groups, and relations between Sephardim and Ashkenazim.

Presented by Cantor Isaac Azose at the 2010 Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Seattle, WA.

39 min 45 sec

During the two World Wars, Yiddish theater in Argentina, especially Buenos Aires, constituted a major cultural practice, thanks to the high rate of Yiddish readers in the community. Buenos Aires was considered the capital of Yiddish poetry and literature, compared only to Warsaw, Moscow and New York. This session shows “the golden age” of Yiddish theater in Argentina.

Presented by Rita Saccal at the 2010 AJL Convention in Seattle, WA.

25 min 49 sec

Yiddish and Hebrew books were published in Winnipeg beginning in at least 1910 and reaching a peak in the 1940′s. We discuss the history of these books and their authors, as well as their connection to Jewish life in Winnipeg.

Presented by Faith Jones at the 2010 AJL Convention in Seattle, WA.

28 min 08 sec

AJL’s 2011 Western Regional Conference on Jewish Literature for Children revolved around the theme of graphic litrature. The event was held April 3, 2011 at American Jewish University in Los Angeles, CA.

Featured Speakers:

Sid Jacobson was editor in chief at Harvey Comics, where he created Richie Rich, and was the executive editor at Marvel Comics. His collaborations with illustrator Ernie Colon include the fascinating 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation, and the new illustrated biography of Anne Frank entitled, Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography.

William J. Rubin is the executive editor of Nachshon Press and the chief architect of the National Jewish Book Award winner, Homeland: The Illustrated History of the State of Israel.

Barry Deutsch is the 2011 Sydney Taylor Award winner for Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword.

Anastasia Betts is a well-known education professional with an expertise in graphic literature.

1 hr 27 min 52 sec

In this two-part presentation, we offer a virtual tour of AJL’s online presence (including the AJL website, blog, podcast, and Facebook page as well as AJL’s Jewish ValuesFinder database). Then we move beyond AJL to explore other Jewish literary websites, blogs, and podcasts. Our emphasis is on “social media” and how we can interact with these online resources rather than being passive consumers of content.

Presented by Heidi Estrin and Diane Romm at the 2010 Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Seattle.

1 hr 10 min 40 sec