Reflecting the key themes of the Festival of Lights, a selection of eight original and retold stories reflects on such timeless ideas as commitment, courage, miracles, religious freedom, faith, and peace.
Barbara Diamond Goldin has written picture books, story collections, non-fiction, retellings, and historical fiction. In 1997, she received the prestigious Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award from the Association of Jewish Libraries. This award is presented to the author whose collected works are a distinguished contribution to Jewish literature for children. "Goldin's consistently commendable and recommendable books combine talented writing, solid research, personal commitment and deep caring".
Barbara is currently a children's librarian. She also leads writing workshops and speaks about being a writer to school and library groups all over the country.
For ten years she taught language arts and creative writing to 5th through 8th graders and for eleven years before that she was a preschool teacher. Her B.A. is in psychology from the University of Chicago and she did post-graduate work in teaching and school library media at Western Washington University and Boston University.
Barbara Diamond Goldin says, "As a child, I was an avid reader, letter-writer, and frequenter of the public library. When I reached babysitting age, I discovered I loved making up and telling stories to my charges who would ask to have me back so they could hear the sequels to my stories. Later as an adult I turned the stories I told into written stories.
"When writing, I dig into my past, my childhood, my family, and my personal experiences for material. I also research my subjects thoroughly and feel this adds depth to what I write. I love folklore and religion and the psychology of why people act the way they do. I find that often during the process of writing, I touch on questions and feelings that are closest to me.
"My ideas often come from my own past and my family's past, from experiences I have had and from conversations I overhear or participate in. The ideas can also come from dreams and visual images that pop into my mind, sometimes while I'm driving. Then I have to pull over, get out my pencil and paper and write feverishly, hoping I'll be able to read my handwriting later.
"My favorite place to work is in the college library near my house. I always heave a sigh of relief when I step into the peace and quiet of the library, knowing I have a few uninterrupted hours of writing ahead of me.
"I still love to write and research and discover new worlds on paper. I even discover things about myself and my family. Writing is an exciting process for me. I'm never certain when I sit down to write what the next few hours will bring."
