Leagues Books

Sadie Rose Weilerstein, born in 1894, was a leading author of Jewish children's stories for more than 50 years. She introduced the tiny character named K'tonton in the September 1930 issue of Outlook magazine.

K'tonton in Israel appeared in 1964 as a sequel to The Adventures of K'tonton (1935). There were 23 stories in the first edition (which I own); I hope they're all in the 3-volume 1984 reprint.

An educational director and Chazan recommended K'tonton to me and I am glad I followed up. My son adores the magical little main character. Each evening's story hour brings eager requests not for one or two stories, but three. Each tale has a complex all its own and is filled with details of important Jewish ideas or traditions, and a dash of Jewish humor.

K'tonton, Hebrew for very very little, was the nickname of Isaac Samuel ben Baruch Reuben-whose first name meant laughter. He was a late-born miracle for whom his mother had prayed so hard one Sukkot that she promised to love even a child "no bigger than a thumb." Sure enough, before a year had passed, she gave birth to a son. And sure enough, he was no bigger than her thumb. She blanketed him in the flax she had used to wrap an etrog--the Israeli citrus fruit used to celebrate Sukkot--and cradled him in a hand-carved etrog box.

In this book's first story, K'tonton went to Israel on an El Al jet-inside the suitcase of a friend's aunt. Next, he went up to Jerusalem, passing an Israel National Fund forest, where a tree was planted when he was born. The third tale took K'tonton to Jerusalem for a special celebration of Pesach, the redemption of the Hebrew slaves.

The fourth found K'tonton at Mount Zion, which in 1964 had Israel's only view of Jerusalem's Old City, the Temple Mount and HaKotel, the Temple's remaining Western Wall. Two more stories brought K'tonton adventures with the President of Israel and children who mistook him for a puppet. How he escaped I won't tell.

K'tonton next obtained wisdom from a donkey, as in ancient times. K'tonton met Jewish and Arab children in a Hadassah clinic. He traveled to Ramat Rahel for more shenanigans. In the tenth tale, he made his way via an Arab milk wagon to Rachel's tomb near Bethlehem.

K'tonton's size allowed him to easily hide. Thus in the 11th story he washed his face in dew, jumped into a vegetable basket a woman carried on her head, said his morning prayers: "Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem" and made it to the gates of the Old City. In the 12th, K'tonton caused a stir in the market (I can't say how) and met an understanding tourist.

In seven more stories K'tonton prayed for peace at HaKotel, found a treasure, visited a desert kibbutz, Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, an observatory at Haifa's Mount Carmel, outer space, Beersheba, the Dead Sea-and took a wild ride on a goat. He discovered some ancient prayer scrolls and saved a crop of wheat from an army of mice. (What you read here are mere hints. I'm not allowed to tell the details.)

Each of the 23 stories in this book has its own adventure-filled plot. Each also contains treasures to match those K'tonton found in Eretz Yisrael. Alyssa A. Lappen

Kansasaka is a really funny book! It has it all... baseball, aliens, country life, suspense and even a bit of romance! I don't know how anyone can pass up reading this fun American novel. Buy it now! =)

Lori A. Colomeda has come up with a book which challenges *our euro-centred* mind. She's the kind of person you wish to do the studies she does: compassionate and scientific at the same time. Environmental and women's health have never been brought together as in this book. Rachel Carson looked at mainland America, Lori Colomeda's focus goes a bit further up North, but nonetheless, she tells us as horrific stories as Rachel Carson did way back in 1962.

Hugh Walpole is usually included in a group of English authors referred to somewhat condescendingly as "middle-brow." Like others of his era - notably J.B. Priestley and Norman Collins - he spins a good yarn, focusing in normal people doing normal things.
In The Killer and the Slain, however, Walpole explores a very different world. We follow the exploits of John Talbot as he grows up with, and eventually deals with, his tormentor in the local village.
Talbot's life changes, and gradually but quite definitely he begins to take on the personality of his (now ex) nemesis.
Walpole's account is superb. We hear these days of "identity theft" - this is a story of identity infusion.
The book is at its best when explaining Talbot's journey (descent?) into a world he has not chosen, and from which he can't escape.
Towards the end, Walpole becomes perhaps a tad heavy-handed with his brush of melodrama. That notwithstanding, this is a good tale. I came back to it after many years, and it well and truly stood the test of a second reading.

The Killing League is an exclusive and very secret club composed of the rich and successful. Wealth is needed as the cost of entry is not cheap. What entry into this League offers is the chance to play the ultimate 'extreme sport', to capture the ultimate thrill, that is, to hunt and fight and/or kill another human being. And to do so without fear of reprisal from society. As a member you submit your 'dream game', your dream kill and appropriate arrangements will be made to allow you to play your 'game'. For it is only when confronting death that one can truly appreciate life. There are standards as to whom can kill and whom can be killed, standards of sorts at least. A platitude of the League is 'Only the deserving'. That is, only the deserving can kill, and only the deserving will be killed. Most of the members, successful in society, consider themselves deserving of whatever they want. The leader of the League is Neville Aspinall, also rich and successful, and a bit paranoid. He holds up (usually) in his large estate, driven into hiding by his phobic fear of death and decay. Into this estate Aspinall recruits right out of prison (such is his 'juice') Roy Poole, convicted killer. Roy Poole jumps at the chance to be Aspinall's bodyguard (and enforcer). Anything to be out of prison. Soon Roy is sleeping with Aspinall's daughter, a risk he is willing to take, as long as he can get away with it. But what the members of the League don't know is that their secret game playing is no longer totally secret, and there are others who seek to do the killing. A new 'game' is being played and now it is the members of the League who are expected to do the dying. Here is a wonderful suspense page turner. A book that talks of 'games' being played on many levels, most often between the relationships of people. No one is immune from pretense. In this book, almost everyone is someone different under the surface, almost everyone has his/her secrets and agendas. Little is what it seems to be. 'The world is full of games, replete with lies and play acting.'That's what the author says and, in this book, that is certainly true. Perhaps it is true in most of life too. Maybe that is the unspoken reason members join this club. There is absolute truth in death. Death is as real as it gets. Those readers who want a good fast suspense read (albeit a bit of a bloody one) could do no better than to pick up this little unique and well-written thriller.

La Leche League International is a nonprofit organization founded in 1956 by seven women who wanted to help other mothers learn about breastfeeding. Since then, more than 40,000 La Leche League Leaders have provided this unique mother-to-mother network of support in countries all over the world.

The Leader's Handbook has always been a compilation of Leaders' experiences. The fourth edition was compiled by Leaders from all over the world who offered active input throughout the revision process. Members of the work group rewrote and edited sections to more closely reflect the differing character of LLL Groups in different areas of the world.

This trusted resource is still based on Leader's experiences and will offer insight and guidance to both Leader Applicants and Leaders. It is the first edition with global contributions from start to finish.

This book is super good! Over 7,000 fresh recipes and 14,000 testers condensed to a select 900 recipes. No junk foods, vegetarians and meat-eaters will be pleased. Great for active families and seniors on a budget because all foods can be found in your cupboards; nothing too pricey. Yet everything is flavorful and has just the right amount of zest to make it special. If you are nutrion conscious and value your time this book will help you feed your family well! Push aside the rest of your cookbooks for a week, and you will see and feel the difference.

Although I had to read this for french class, I enjoyed it very much. It follows the adventures of a little boy named, appropriately, Nicolas. The french is relately easy to understand, seeing as how it is told from a little boy's perspective. You also get to meet Nicolas' many interesting friends: Agnan (Cuthbert in the new english version), Alceste (Alec), Rufus, Maixent, Louisette, Geoffrey and many more. The book is separated into many chapters, each telling a different adventure. I was surprised at how funny it was and enjoyed every minute of it. Also, it is a good way to brush up on your french. Achetez-le parce qu'il est tres interessant!

This book covers a multitude of stats involving leadoff batters. This groundbreaking work (until now, the subject has never been covered in book form)is very hard to put down for us stat and historical information fans. Baseball fans' library collection of the sport's books are not complete unless it contains this publication. Considering all the info that is packed in this book, the price is very reasonable. I most highly recommend this book to any baseball fan.

Reviewed by Marty Friedrich
Author of the soon to be released "Iron Men of Baseball"

A useful book for peope thinking of getting back into bicycling or who haven't ridden on the road for a while. Gave me the confidence to get back out there.