My Other Life

For more than a decade, before and while writing Hill of Secrets, I headed two major pre- and early literacy programs in Israel — one in Hebrew and one in Arabic — which distributed more than 20 million children's books.

 

The programs were inspired by Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and closely affiliated with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation's PJ Library program. I am passionate and knowledgeable about issues related to encouraging reading — and it is something I love to talk about. How does one create a reader? Where do we lose children in their reading lives? What is important to focus on in encouraging your child's reading? What are age-appropriate questions to ask children when reading books together? These are the sorts of issues which have been extensively explored by experts, with conclusions that can help educators and children more successfully encourage children to become readers.

 

I am particularly well versed in the challenges of child literacy in Arabic (a diglossic language which means there is a big difference between the written and spoken language, presenting special challenges in teaching children to read) and in the history of children's literature in modern Hebrew (a revised language which was only studied in holy texts but not spoken for centuries).

 

These are topics I can wax on about enthusiastically — and would love to talk about with your group or community — so contact me if you are interested!