Böcker av Elisa Boxer

The first piece of Judaica in the White House's permanent holiday collection was introduced for Hanukkah in 2022. This lovely picture book tells the history and importance of its creation.The official White House menorah is a symbol of strength and perseverance against seemingly insurmountable odds. It was created from a piece of reclaimed wood salvaged during a Truman-era renovation of the building. That beam of White House wood sat in storage for seventy years, through thirteen different presidents. It might have been destroyed, but instead it waited for its new purpose. And so, in 2022, it was transformed into a menorah that will shine its beams of light every year, celebrating the resilience and permanence of Jewish people in America and abroad.

From Emmy award-winning journalist Elisa Boxer comes an inspiring YA anthology of 35 trailblazing women from all walks of life, detailing their struggles and achievements and featuring a personal message from each woman written just for this book, telling their younger selves what they wish they had known growing up.

During World War Two, in the concentration camp Terezin, a group of Jewish children and their devoted teacher planted and nurtured a smuggled-in sapling. Over time fewer and fewer children were left to care for the little tree, but those who remained kept lovingly sharing their water with it. When the war finally ended and the prisoners were freed, the sapling had grown into a strong five-foot-tall maple. Nearly eighty years later the tree's 600 descendants around the world are thriving, including one that was planted at New York City's Museum of Jewish Heritage in 2021. Students will continue to care for it for generations to come, and the world will remember the brave teacher and children who never gave up nurturing a brighter future.

KID-FRIENDLY FIGURE: Christös story as an immigrant to the United States and as a passionate, eccentric artist determined to follow his dreams will resonate widely.ONGOING LEGACY: Paris¿s L¿Arc de Triomphe was wrapped for 16 days between September and October 2021 for a posthumously completed project that was 60 years in the making.POPULAR CATEGORY: There¿s a perennial interest in picture book biographies and kids¿ books about art.RELEVANT THEMES: Highlights creativity, perseverance, and Christös belief in making art accessible for all.TALENTED AUTHOR: Boxer is a well-connected award winner in the journalism world and has lots of story ideas up her sleeve.DAZZLING ILLUSTRATIONS: Chapman¿s colorful and bold style captures the spirit of Christös artwork.