Bats Books

This book doesn't sugarcoat what Jackie Robinson experienced as an African-American player in Baseball. It is an interesting story about a white bat boy who may have his own racist tendencies too. He can't help that he admires and likes Jackie Robinson, but doesn't shine Jackie's shoes like he does the white players and watches the white players mistreat Jackie often. It isn't unsuitable for children but the story does hit home what Jackie may have experienced. I read a book on Hank Aaron yesterday and this book is a good companion to yesterday's story. Great for Black History Month or Baseball season.

This is a first rate book that has a message without being preachy and remains a children's book; one with substance. I have three kids and I am constantly amazed at how much mediocre, hollow work is out there. This is a well written book, with an interesting message that still resonates today - I wish more children's books hit this book's level of quality. The artwork is first rate as well.

This lyrical book is a treasure! It will be added to libraries of import for years to come. It's a life lesson, important for teaching our children how we were, and more importantly, how we can become. Mrs. Jackie Robinson's letter included on the cover was a poignant touch; perhaps she assessed it best. I'll use this book many times, as an example of honed prose, morality, and plain old American history. Thank you Ms. Lorbiecki for sharing your gift with our children.

My six-year-old son loves sports, and he loved this story about one of his baseball heroes. Along the way, he learned some important lessons about tolerance, kindness, and respect, taught by Lorbiecki's well-drawn fictional bat boy. It's great to find a picture book that works as both a great sports story and an inspiring tale about fighting prejudice that even a six-year-old can understand.

This book is perfect for the little ones into baseball!! My sons both wanted to keep reading chapter after chapter! It is such a warm, loving story with great values!

I bought this for my seven year old grandson. His parents read it to him over a few nights. He truly got into the story and the suspense and the feelings of the characters. My daughter-in-law said she wished modern books were so engaging for children. No wonder it is still selling.

Good book to use as first chapter book with boys reading (instructionally) at early third grade level. The names are kind of outdated, but it's hard to find a real book at lower reading levels. This one fills the bill.

After reading the first couple of chapters of THE LUCKY BASEBALL BAT, I had to go back to the copyright page to see just when this book was written. After all, the hero of the story, a young boy named Martin and his younger sister Jeannie are invited into the house of Barry Welton, a teenager they had just met after Martin had an unfortunate incident on the ball field that left him sad and disillusioned.

Can you imagine something like this being written in 2004, without sinister consequences? But a brief look indicated that this engaging story was written in 1954; it has been re-released by Little, Brown to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the first offering of the prolific children's author Matt Christopher.

Indeed, reading THE LUCKY BASEBALL BAT is like stepping into a time warp, similar to viewing an episode of "Leave it to Beaver" or "Father Knows Best." If only we could enjoy those simpler days again, when parents didn't have to worry (as much) about the intentions of strangers; when kids were grateful for small pleasures, such as succeeding in sports, without the distractions of television, computers, or other impediments to childhood. Martin's depiction, as well as the exposition of his family's relationship, is so foreign to modern sensibilities (unfortunately so) that Christopher could well have written his debut book in 1854.

Even the simple illustrations by Robert Henneberger denote an era long gone, before manga became the dominant expression artwork directed at young people.

Martin is the new kid in town, anxious to prove himself on the diamond. First impressions get him off to a poor start until Barry, a star athlete, gives him one of his old bats, which transforms the youngster into a hitting machine and helps change the minds of his formerly ambivalent teammates.

When the bat is broken during a game, Martin, with the help of some other newfound friends, learns that the power lies within him, not in a piece of wood. The lesson seems obvious in today's know-it-all world, but it still has a certain charm, at least to people of a certain age. Indeed, parents (and grandparents) might find this tale more enjoyable than their offspring.

Progress has offered kids and their families vast opportunities. Still, there's something to be said for the simple pleasures of a less hectic period.

--- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan (ronk23@aol.com)

This book is a true source of inspiration and information! For years I have struggled, wondering if hebrew school was the answer towards my childrens spiritual and educational jewish journey, always knowing something was missing. This book tells you everything that is missing, and is a great supplement, or replacement to any standard type of jewish learning. Besides Rabbi Goldie being a fabulous guide in this process, she also offers amazing resources of music, websites, software, and prayer books. I bought this book for myself and was so amazed and impressed that I bought more copies for everyone who is a part of my daughter's Bat-Mitzvah ceremony.

My rabbi just lent me Rabbi Goldie's book, "Make your Own Bar/Bat Mitzvah," and I loved it. It is so in sync with what we are doing in our community and a perfect compliment to our program. I will be tutoring our B'nai Mitzvah kids this year and this book will be so helpful. I am going to make it required reading for the families. This book is a fabulous tool not only for the child in preparation for this coming of age rite of passage, but also a wonderful way to involve the entire family. Now I need to order Rabbi Goldie Milgram's other books.

Thank you Reb Goldie for your Bar/Bat Mitzvah book. I am delighted with it! At last a book that really supports the work I have been doing with B Mitzvah students toward making the whole process a true rite of passage and personal spiritual reflection.

Thanks so much!

I take my Judaism seriously and wanted to be sure my son is getting the most out of his experience. This book freed our family from the bar mitzvah machine that our Temple has turned into and helped us come up with a bar mitzvah that is relevant to our Judaism. It is full of wonderful ideas - the only pitfall we keep coming to is keeping our "study sessions" of the schedule of things to do. Without having to make appointments, it's very easy to let things get pushed aside. I have already recommended this book to several of friends who are struggling with putting meaning into the process of bar/bat mitzvah prep.

Pippa's First Summer by Catherine Badgley is an informative, educational and interesting story about the little-known and less-understood animal: bats. I found myself a bit squeamish when I first picked up the book since I had all the usual beliefs about bats. But as I began reading and learning, I came to really feel for and actually like these little animals.

Pippa was born in the early summer along with her brother Click. Their home was in the rafters of a big old red barn where they lived with a colony of thirteen other bats. The reader follows Pippa as she first opens her eyes, learns to eat, fly, communicate, care for herself and through the occasional adventure she and her brother Click experience.

Pippa's adventure with the cat is scary for Pippa. But it is the contact with humans that proves disastrous for Click. That made me sad but I understood that bad things can and do happen to little animals.

Pippa's First Summer is a wonderful and enjoyable way for children to learn about bats. It's written in such a warm and inviting way that they just might want other books that are exciting and interesting but also inform.

Armchair Interviews says: Pippa's First Summer is a great gift for that special child who is exploring the world and its inhabitants.

My eight year old daughter was rivoted by the story of Pippa as we read it aloud. She asks questions about how bats live that shows she is thinking like a bat. It's clear that she will relate to bats differently after reading this book. The author does a great job of writing from a bat's point of view and making the story both compelling and exciting.

Being an elementary children's librarian, I read lots of intermediate fiction and Pippa's First Summer is a wonderfully realistic acount of what might happen in the life of a big brown bat. It is written in an engaging manner and is accessible to those middle level readers who love nature and animal stories. The close-calls Pippa encounters with humans and other animals are emblamatic of that fragile balance between species. The notes about bats at the end of the book and the references for further reading whet the appetite for more. Catherine Badgley's writing reflects her appreciation for the animal world and Bonnie Miljour's accompanying illustrations will surely make Pippa a beloved and captivating read for many.

This story details the first summer in the life of the bat Pippa, and clearly the author did extensive research to make it reflect the actual life history of a Big Brown Bat. I love the fact that the author wrote the story with a lovable main character whose adventures make the reader sigh with relief when no harm comes. I also like that she didn't sugar-coat the real life of bats; there's tragedy in there too. This would be a fantastic story for kids who are interested in natural history; it is both educational and engaging. To top it off, the illustrations are absolutely fantastic!

Great book to keep the focus on the "mitzvah" (good deed) and less on the party not only from a theoretical standpoint but a practical and logistical planning view as well.

The attitude in the book is decide what is important to you as a child reaching the age of bar/bat mitzvah and your family then work together to weave that into your thinking and planning.

I think the book takes the approach that the young person is stepping through to young adulthood and it is a process to grow up and become a "good" person or Jew - perhaps it is a lifelong event. The book seeks to make the occasion mindful of what the young person and her or his family values.

Suggestions abound in the book as to how to incorporate these values into the whole event - before, during and after.

The book covers all angles - relationship of bar or bat mitvah child to self, family, friends, community, humanity, spirit...cynical or devout children.

My suggestion: read it cover to cover, discuss it then make judgments.

By the way, "God" has many different meanings depending on who one speaks to...

I just gave the book four stars due to "God" in the title which was a turnoff if one doesn't open the book and read it if the potential reader is not from a traditional background. In our intermarried family, I am a somewhat secular Jew and my husband evolved into an atheist who was raised as a Catholic. He had trouble with the title having "God" in it.

However, we both agree on "Jewish/human" values which are common to many cultures not just Jews: caring for the environment, kindness, compassion, helping fellow humans by visiting the sick/elderly, helping animals, eating with consciousness and so forth.

I did like the way Salkin addresses the "God" issue and skeptical children (you'll just have to read it yourself with an open mind...).

I particularly liked the section on mitzvahs (usually translated as "good deeds" and literally "commandments") in the ceremony itself...
This was especially relevant to me as I volunteered on my shul's environmental committee. My child volunteered at an animal shelter and his Torah portion had to do with the ten plagues which he related to modern day ills such as pollution, clearing of forests, global warming, animals on the brink of extinction such as polar bears and so on.

This book inspired me to make a tallit (prayer shawl) for him from fabric made of reclaimed wood, with designs incorporating trees, water, stars and sailboats. Growing up, our family did not attend a synagogue but stayed close to nature by sailing.

Also, much thought was given to the party afterwards as a result of this book - location was accessible to walkers as well as those who use public transportation or are physically challenged, carpools were set up, Kosher fair trade coffee was served, vegetarian food was served (even the carnivores liked it), tried to obtain local produce (try that in winter in New Jersey!), recycled/recyclable paper/plastic ware ware was used - then recycled again, decorations on the table consisted of framed certificates re donations to Jewish National Fund planting trees in Israel, leftover food was donated to local food pantry serving homeless and so on...

I would recommend this book to anyone or any family, regardless of Jewish denomination: secular, reform, reconstructionist, Conservative, Orthodox, Conservadox, Modern Orthodox, unaffiliated, Secular Humanist, interfaith, intermarried, other...

Again, read it in its entirety while keeping an open mind then make judgments and plans.

Post Script: the funny thing is now that our son is post bar mitzvah, he describes himself as an atheist Jew, but he maintains a strong connection to Judaism and Jewish/human values by volunteering to help elderly folks by clearing snow from driveways without pay, teaching computer skills, visiing the sick, caring for animals, putting together Purim baskets, joining Jewish teen group based on Israeli style youth groups, singing Jewish songs in Yiddish or Hebrew, helping others improve their Hebrew (like his mom, now studying with her B'nai Mitzvah class), studying at the Jewish Theological Seminary and at shul, discussing what it means to be a (G-d optional) Jew...

When I told a friend that my son was preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, she handed me the greatest gift, Rabbi Salkin's book, Putting God on the Guest List. While financial security is a wonderful thing it has also given rise to unforeseen consequences in my opinion. Case in point is what has happened to Bar and Bat Mitzvahs in the last 10 years or so. Since growing up in the 50's when I attended many Bar Mitzvahs, I have watched in utter amazement how this seminal event has turned from an obvious cause for family and friend celebration into 3 day gatherings that you'd expect to see only on "The Rich and Famous." When did Bar and Bat Mitzvahs turn into storybook weddings and is this all really necessary or desirable? I knew in my heart it was not. Fortunately, reading this book gave me the conviction and inspiration to take back the reins and create a celebration that had all of the magic ingredients that worked for our family where I focused on keeping the meaning of the event central while still providing a space for true joyful celebration. Thank you Rabbi Salkin!

This book should be read by every parent whose child is approaching bar/bat mitzvah. Too often, the significance of the occasion is lost in the "big party". This book focuses on what is important about the bar/bat mitzvah-about accepting responsibilities such as study and performing mitzvot, about the service and about keeping the celebration in perspective. It focuses on the spiritual as it should and helps pull away from the social aspects that often overwhelm the true meaning of bar/bat mitzvah.

There are any number of books which are designed to help you plan the logistics of a bar/bat mitzvah. This book's main purpose, however, is not to be a party planning guide. Instead, this book reaffirms the important commitment a bar/bat mitzvah makes to Judism. A party is fine but truly connecting with God, our people and our ancestors is what the experience is all about. The bar/bat mitzvah experience is explored in a very spiritual, meanful way but not necessarily from the orthodox standpoint. Indeed, the authors are non orthodox. I recommend this book to all who wish to make the bar/bat mitzvah a meaningful means to grow as a Jew rather than as an end in itself.

This is a charming collection of fables retold by Ms. Hamilton. According to her research, they have been from slave tales. Important morals are taught via the adventures of birds--style similar to the Brer Rabbit tales. The paintings are beautiful, and I loved the coloquial speech and songs.

This is truely a wonderful work for young folk. The illustrations are absolutely great. The depiction of each species of bird and animal is actually quite accurate, even dressed in the human clothing provided by the illustrator. This is a collection of 19th century African American folk tales, quite similar to the famous Brer Rabbit tales. These stories have been reworded so that 19th century dialect can be understood and be ralated to by children of today. Each story has a wonderful teaching and the text throughout the book matches the illustrations perfectly. In addition, there is a nice section at the back of the book which tells the source of these stories which is quite interesting standing alone. Recommend this one highly.

You couldn't ask for more in a children's book. I tripped across this book at our local library, picked it up and started reading it to my two sons, ages 8 and 10. It's a book that is meant for out-loud reading. Hamilton's prose is written in a very conversational tone, which mimics the way in which these southern tales were originally passed along: orally. Each story is about 3-4 pages long, with a lesson learned at the end of each one. Birds and bats engage in ridiculous actions and we -- the humans -- can learn from them. The book is as much fun to look at as it is to read, due to the beautiful artwork of the illustrator, Barry Moser.

These stories were meant for telling. Virginia Hamilton adds a voice that is full. It is deep and loving. Most of the stories have a bit of verse or song. Each tale ends with the teller speaking the moral plainly to the children listening. For example, "How Bruh Sparrow and Sis Wren Lost Out" ends, "So, children, here's a leaf from the book of birds: Pick on your own size. For it's no use squabbling over what's too big for you to handle." I think these tales would be perfect for the mid to upper elementary audience as well as for adults.

There is a table of contents, but the stories are in no apparent order and are not grouped. Barry Moser's vibrant watercolor illustrations are not necessary for the storytelling. However, having seen them, it is hard to imagine the story without them.

Source Notes: The Afterword helps readers and tellers know the history and origins of these Southern, African-American tales. The stories in When Birds Could Talk & Bats Could Sing were originally written down by Martha Young who wrote them in the so-called black dialect of the plantation era. It is impossible to tell now which stories she heard from African American's and which she wrote herself. These stories are written in the prose style called cante fable. They include verse or song and end with a moral for children.

There is an entire page detailing and crediting the book designers and artists who helped put this book together.
Karen Woodworth-Roman

"Whosoever is in possession of thy book, read thy words carefully, take a second look.... Thou shall falter if thy heart is untrue...."

Are you reeling from the loss of Harry Potter? Do you miss Hogwarts, Dumbledore, and Hagrid? Fear not! Amber Shadows and the Missing Wands has arrived!
Amber Shadows is your typical "Magia" teenager. She likes to read, she doesn't completely hate school, and she is training to be a white witch. When researching a paper on her family history for her "Magia" Session (White Magic class), she is slightly disappointed by the lack of information. She cannot find any "Shadows," past or present, who are remotely interesting. Disheartened, she ventures up into the attic - a place where she knows she is forbidden to go. While there, she finds the journal of one of her ancestors, Jocelyn Shadows. As Amber Shadows reads this journal, the secrets of her family's past are unlocked. Amber is driven by voices from antiquity to begin a dangerous quest. Amber and a couple of trusted friends must face the evil Lady Gondara. Gondara is an ancient enemy of the Shadows and of every white witch. For the sake of her family and of all the people of Magia, Gondara must be stopped. Can Amber save her family from an ancient curse? Can she return the missing wands to their rightful owners? You will have to read the book to find out!
Amber Shadows and the Missing Wands is not your typical children's book. For one thing, it does not patronise its readers. Instead, it opens up a magical world, filled with dwarfs, two- headed beasts, and talking cats. Every page enchants the reader with thrilling detail and wonderfully drawn out characters. Amber herself is heroic, courageous, and perhaps a little bit precocious. Lady Gondara is wickedly wise, but hopefully, no match for Amber. The book brings to life these fascinating characters and knits them together beautifully with a bewitching and thoroughly intriguing plot.
The problem that writers in this genre must inevitably face is a comparison to Harry Potter. Potter caused such a global sensation that most authors who write stories about teenage witches and wizards will have to put up with this. And, most books will regrettably suffer from such a comparison. Fortunately, Wendy Willett will not have to worry about this problem, as she has written a book that will stand up to any such comparison. And, as the Harry Potter story draws to a close, there is a gap in the market for another magical teenager. Amber Shadows may be just the book to fill this void.
Amber Shadows and the Missing Wands is a must-read for any fan of magical adventure. Wendy Willett's first novel will charm and enthral its readers, and will leave you wanting to hear more from these enticing, fresh characters. The only question left to ask is, "When will Book Two be published?"

I received this book as a birthday gift and could not put it down! Once a year my friends and I have a weekend get together where we camp outside and read excerpts from our favorite books around a campfire. This year we read Amber Shadows and the Missing Wands. This book is phenominal to say the least! Owlsnakes and two-headed black lions! There was even bits of humor and emotional situations I and my friends could identify with!

When we took turns reading each chapter, every little noise made us jump! The author writes in such vivid detail that we all agreed we felt like we were journying right along with Amber and her friends.

I also have pen pals in several parts of the world, so I recently ordered this book as Christmas gifts. I hope the author releases the next book soon and plans a booksigning at my school, I'd love to meet her. If they make a movie out of this book I'll be the first in line to see it! It's awesome!! I read on the web that the author announced she's definitely writing four books in the series, possibly more. My friends and I can't wait to read them all!

Happy Reading!

Christine R.

This book is great. I read it to my kids before they go to bed, and they can't get enough. I have to acutally give it to them slowly, or they would stay up all night!

I suggest this book for any parent who suffers from remorse from the Harry Potter series being over. This book picks up the genre and themes that my kids love, especially my daughter, who, of course, wants to be just like Amber in the book.

A good buy.

I am an Event Planner and specialize in bar/bat mitzvah's. I give each of my kids one of these as a gift. I think it's a wonderful memory of their very special day.

We had been looking for a good bar mitzvah memory book for our son's upcoming celebration, and someone gave us an advance copy of this book. It is really excellent! Rather than on focussing on the celebration and party piece of it, it gets families to think about the important spiritual and religious aspects of the rite of passage. I like the fact that you can put photos in the book, and that there is a space for the bar mitzvah speech as well. The art direction is particularly beautiful. I cannot wait to give it to my son!

Having seen an advance copy of this latest work by Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin and the first work co-authored with his wife Nina, I must commend this work to all families observing this rite of passage in our Jewish tradition. This beautiful volume helps families focus on all the right things about Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Its emphasis on the spiritual aspects provides both child and all family members with a keepsake that can be cherished through the years. From layout to graphics to paper to content, this volume for memories is itself indeed memorable.

I am encouraged to see that university presses are still willing to publish books of poetry. So much good stuff is lost because poetry doesn't fit the model of "big seller." This book is a delightful offering of poems about life--not the lovely life we all fantasize, but the real life we all live. I bought this book for my daughter, who is a published poet, and she loved it. Of course, I read it first before I handed it over. Thus ensued our prolonged conversations about poems such "Family Reunion"--because it almost exactly matches us. Like the work of Billy Collins, these poems address the tiny integers that make up the whole of our lives. A really nice collective work by Jeredith Merrin.

i'm familiar with the poet's work from pre-_Shift_ and enjoyed _Shift_ muchly. so, with abandon i glommed _Bat Ode_ from amazon, even splurging on the hardcover edition. another keeper. in vain have i tried to post a short review of this work while i thought of something more, uh, more. it doesn't seem to take, "Merrin renders the quotidian exquisite". then while google-poking on her name about i found this phrase re Elizabeth Bishop, "transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary". looks like i'm in synch w/someone out there. for a glimpse at the possibilities see http://www.poets.org/poems/poems.cfm?prmID=2170 - recommended.

In a strange blessing of timing, I received Merrin's latest while struggling to let my 18yr-old daughter leave home. I was sceptical; what could this poet possibly say that I wasn't living through?
Then, from "Long Distance", "Lately, my daughter and I speak/by way of cats ... stiff-legged, she steps away." How artfully, I thought, she's rendered the messy, emotional business of letting your daughter go. In a fit of jealousy, I put the book away.
After Sept. 11, all my novels, music, videos seemed meaningless. I sought solace in poetry. From the generous inclusiveness of "Family Reunion", to the lament of her closing verses ("...the always available/possibility of changing your mind.") Merrin has reminded me that we are family - as long as we love - it ain't easy - but nothing matters more.
Poetry matters. words truly can heal, soothe, sometimes enlighten. And remember hope? That's what I feel after re-reading Bat Ode today.

"Every day another person's life ends.
But He passes me by.
I hope that He won't also take me.
It's unknown. It's unforeseen."

This is the first stanza of one of the more moving poems left to us by Bat-Chen Shahak in a new English language compilation entitled The Bat-Chen Diaries. This book is a diverse compilation of diary entries and letters written by Bat-Chen Shahak who was killed by a suicide bomber on her 15th birthday on Purim 1996. Taken in this context this poem in particular is quite moving and can be quite powerful to those of any age who read it. The entries and poetry span from her third grade school assignments through the day she was killed. Together they help piece together her life, that of an average teenager in Israel. Select entries may be useful to teachers of middle school and high school students to help them relate to an individual who tragically died so young. It is not a cohesive volume in that one would sit down and read it straight through. The level of the writing is appropriate to the age level at which it was written making it effective as a psychological thought provoker, but less so for its literary value. The translation was done with regard to the words and not the style as noted by the translator, hence much of the rhymes and rhythm are lost. This may have affected the literary quality of the work. With the proper background, support and insight, this book would be appropriate for youth ages 12-16. Reviewed by Drora Arussy

When I first saw the title of this book, I had no idea what I was getting into and how MUCH I would be moved by this author, who was all of 15 years old in 1996. The writer in me was absolutely astounded and in awe of the gift this young girl has with the written word. Her diaries cover every thought young people everywhere think, and she endeared herself to my heart forever by the time I finished the book and put it down amidst my tears. As a grandmother, I was deeply moved by the wisdom shown through these words that this young girl had for all of us reading her diaries.

I urge every parent out there to read this book with your kids, and be available for tons of questions. Bat-Chen was named after a beautiful flower that dots the hillsides of Israel. Like her namesake, Bat-Chen was also beautiful, inside and out. No thought on anything was left out of her diaries. She had a wisdom well beyond her 15 years at the time of these writings.

When Prime Minister Yizhak Rabin was assassinated in 1995, Bat-Chen was so moved by it that she wrote a poem (she was 14) and a condolence letter, then sent these to his widow, Leah. Leah wrote a moving afterward at the end of Bat-Chen's book. The reason? Bat-Chen and two of her best friends were killed in March, 1996, four months after Rabin's death, in a suicide bombing at a bus stop in which 13 people were killed. It was the holiday of Purim, and it also happened to be Bat-Chen's 15th birthday. Ironically, Bat-Chen firmly believed that peace could be possible one day in her part of the world. Oh, how I wish that were true, and that we didn't lost this promising young lady and all that she would have offered to us on this earth.

Her writings are full of the hope of a young girl for a peaceful future, and includes several cards to her Arab pen pal, a thank you note to her ear doctor, she wrote about a typical teen's anger towards her parents for something she wasn't allowed to do, and then love towards her siblings and parents, in this diary that ran the gamut of every emotion that is part of life. This young girl was so full of life, and so full of wisdom, it is uncanny. As a writer, I envy the simplicity and clarity of her words, and their strength, and their purpose. She also wrote about the terror she felt living in Israel, where there is never really peace for either side. Her one desire was for everyone to get along - that is one of the reasons she had an Arab pen pal - so that they could learn from each other not to hate.

We hear about the suicide bombings on the news all the time. In our part of the world, I think we get immune to them because they aren't happening here, and there are so many of them "over there". This young girl, through her diaries, letters, poems, and drawings, put a name and a face to this terrible tragedy our world endures, and she will never be forgotten, at least by me, for the rest of my life. As a writer, I cannot even begin to describe the incredible talent of Bat-Chen Shahak, and how much her eloquent words have moved me forever - I'll never be the same.

I thank Bat-Chen's family for opening their personal wounds, and letting the rest of us in to celebrate the short life of their incredible daughter.

This book is a lesson to all of us - to be thankful for what we have, and to work harder as individuals, to make world peace a reality. This is a must-read for all of us to wake up and become more proactive in our own personal lives to make our own lives count for whatever amount of time we are gifted with here on earth.

an amazing book about an israeli girl who was killed in a terrorist attack. the book is great for any teacher who wants to teach and encourage writing and expression. it is great for youth groups and encounter groups dealing with cross-cultural differences and conflict. sensitive insights into life. wonderful gift for anyone over 9 years old.