Series in Judaism
Books in Judaism
My Life as a Jew
What are the core teachings and beliefs of Judaism? Readers will learn about one of the world's most widely practiced religions through the lens of two different perspectives and dive deep into important figures, sacred texts, holidays, and commandments. This narrative nonfiction book uses considerate text that is written at a higher maturity level with a lower reading level to engage and accommodate struggling readers. Includes sidebars that are aligned with the Common Core Standards, a comprehensive timeline, and activity. A table of contents, glossary with simplified definitions and pronunciations, and index are also included.
Passover: Festival of Freedom
During Passover, Jews are reminded of how, more than three thousand years ago, their ancestors emerged from slavery to become free men and women. Bestselling author Monique Polak explores her own Jewish roots as she tells the Passover story, which reminds us that the freedom to be who we are and practice our religion, whatever it may be, is a great gift. It also teaches us that if we summon our courage and look out for each other, we can endure and overcome the most challenging circumstances. Enlivened by personal stories, Passover reminds us that we can all endure and overcome the most challenging circumstances. Passover is the first in the Orca Origins series that examines ancient traditions kept alive in the modern world.
Steven Spielberg: A Life in Films
A film-centric portrait of the extraordinarily gifted movie director whose decades-long influence on American popular culture is unprecedented “Everything about me is in my films,” Steven Spielberg has said. Taking this as a key to understanding the hugely successful moviemaker, Molly Haskell explores the full range of Spielberg’s works for the light they shine upon the man himself. Through such powerhouse hits as Close Encounters of the Third Kind , E.T ., Jurassic Park , and Indiana Jones, to lesser-known masterworks like A.I. and Empire of the Sun, to the haunting Schindler’s List , Haskell shows how Spielberg’s uniquely evocative filmmaking and story-telling reveal the many ways in which his life, work, and times are entwined. Organizing chapters around specific films, the distinguished critic discusses how Spielberg’s childhood in non-Jewish suburbs, his parents’ traumatic divorce, his return to Judaism upon his son’s birth, and other events echo in his work. She offers a brilliant portrait of the extraordinary director—a fearful boy living through his imagination who grew into a man whose openness, generosity of spirit, and creativity have enchanted audiences for more than 40 years.