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Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together
A celebration of the power and wonder of lifelong reading—both secular and sacred
Zibby Owens, My Most Anticipated Books 2025
In Children of the Book, Ilana Kurshan explores the closeness forged when family life unfolds against a backdrop of reading together. Kurshan, a mother of five living in Jerusalem, at first struggles to balance her passion for literature with her responsibilities as a parent. Gradually she learns how to relate to reading not as a solitary pursuit and an escape from the messiness of life, but rather as a way of teaching independence and forging connection. Introducing her children to sacred and secular literature—including the beloved classics of her childhood—helps her become both a better mother and a better reader.
Chief among the books Kurshan reads with her children is the Five Books of Moses, known as the Torah, which Jews the world over read in synchrony as part of the liturgical cycle. In the five parts of this memoir, Kurshan explores the surprising resonances between the biblical text and her experiences as a mother and a reader – from the first picture books that create the world through language for little babies, to the moment our children begin reading on their own leaving us behind, atop the mountain, as they enter new lands without us. A testament to the enduring power of shared texts, Children of the Book celebrates the deep pleasures of books.
Zibby Owens, My Most Anticipated Books 2025
In Children of the Book, Ilana Kurshan explores the closeness forged when family life unfolds against a backdrop of reading together. Kurshan, a mother of five living in Jerusalem, at first struggles to balance her passion for literature with her responsibilities as a parent. Gradually she learns how to relate to reading not as a solitary pursuit and an escape from the messiness of life, but rather as a way of teaching independence and forging connection. Introducing her children to sacred and secular literature—including the beloved classics of her childhood—helps her become both a better mother and a better reader.
Chief among the books Kurshan reads with her children is the Five Books of Moses, known as the Torah, which Jews the world over read in synchrony as part of the liturgical cycle. In the five parts of this memoir, Kurshan explores the surprising resonances between the biblical text and her experiences as a mother and a reader – from the first picture books that create the world through language for little babies, to the moment our children begin reading on their own leaving us behind, atop the mountain, as they enter new lands without us. A testament to the enduring power of shared texts, Children of the Book celebrates the deep pleasures of books.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published August 26, 2025
40 people are currently reading
4466 people want to read
About the author
Ilana Kurshan
17 books60 followersIlana Kurshan is a graduate of Harvard University and Cambridge. She has worked in literary publishing both in New York and in Jerusalem, as a translator and foreign rights agent, and as the book editor of Lilith magazine. Kurshan is the author of If All the Seas Were Ink, winner of the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
August 24, 2025
Imagine your friend tells you that she knows a cool dance routine, she breaks it out, you think, “Oh that’s great.” A few minutes later, she breaks out the routine again. “Mmmmmkay…..”, you think. Before you can say anything, your friend starts up her routine again.
That is pretty much this book.
I was interested in Children of the Book, because I wanted to hear about the books a mother reads to her children. However, this book is really a devotional. Every single chapter is about The Torah. Honestly, if the author saw a butterfly, she would probably say, “Oh that reminds me of Noah’s ark, when the animals came two-by-two.” It got to the point where I would burst out laughing when the author tied yet another event into a religious experience.
Just like the overuse of the dance routine, the Biblical passages lose their poignance when they become repetitive.
Secondly, the storytelling is weak.
In about one sentence, the author let it drop that she went to Harvard.
Well you know what? I read another memoir earlier this year by another Harvard graduate (Saving Five by Amanda Nguyen), and it blows this book out of the water! Nguyen tells her memoir as if she is telling herself the story of her life at certain ages; therefore, she is able to cherry-pick out the most interesting portions of her life.
But Ilana Kurshan, she tells her story in chronological order (although she uses the guise of the books of the Torah…..big shocker I know!). I don’t know many people who are SUPER into picture books. However, that’s where this author starts. She doesn’t focus on the books that had the most impact on her life, she doesn’t build her characters up, and we aren’t building to a climax.
This book is way too heavy-handed for me. I dreaded reading it because I knew where this book would lead every single time. Kurshan seems capable of more, but this book was like a song with one note.
*Thanks, St. Martin’s Press, for a copy of this free book in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Green Light at the End of the Dock (How much I spent):
Softcover Text – Free/Zilch/Nada from Publisher
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That is pretty much this book.
I was interested in Children of the Book, because I wanted to hear about the books a mother reads to her children. However, this book is really a devotional. Every single chapter is about The Torah. Honestly, if the author saw a butterfly, she would probably say, “Oh that reminds me of Noah’s ark, when the animals came two-by-two.” It got to the point where I would burst out laughing when the author tied yet another event into a religious experience.
Just like the overuse of the dance routine, the Biblical passages lose their poignance when they become repetitive.
Secondly, the storytelling is weak.
In about one sentence, the author let it drop that she went to Harvard.
Well you know what? I read another memoir earlier this year by another Harvard graduate (Saving Five by Amanda Nguyen), and it blows this book out of the water! Nguyen tells her memoir as if she is telling herself the story of her life at certain ages; therefore, she is able to cherry-pick out the most interesting portions of her life.
But Ilana Kurshan, she tells her story in chronological order (although she uses the guise of the books of the Torah…..big shocker I know!). I don’t know many people who are SUPER into picture books. However, that’s where this author starts. She doesn’t focus on the books that had the most impact on her life, she doesn’t build her characters up, and we aren’t building to a climax.
This book is way too heavy-handed for me. I dreaded reading it because I knew where this book would lead every single time. Kurshan seems capable of more, but this book was like a song with one note.
*Thanks, St. Martin’s Press, for a copy of this free book in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Green Light at the End of the Dock (How much I spent):
Softcover Text – Free/Zilch/Nada from Publisher
Connect With Me!
Blog Threads BookTube Facebook Insta My Bookstore at Pango
August 25, 2025
I love books. I love books about books. I loved reading to my son when he was little. I loved listening as he read to me when he began learning to read. So, reading a book written by someone who also loved books and reading to her children. Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together is a memoir written by Ilana Kurshan, anAmerican-Israeli author, was quite enjoyable. Ilana Kurshan is a mother of five who read to her children from the time they were born. She tells how she balanced her lifetime love of literature with parenting. In this book she talks of the books she read to them and how she discussed the lessons in the books with her children. I also enjoyed how she talked about culture and how reading books such as Little Women to her children in Jerusalem was a lovely and enjoyable experience. How she knew her children would not understand what it is like to live in the New England states, the seasons, etc. But that they could relate to a book such as Little Women and how it explores sibling relationships, following your dreams, the importance of family, love, generosity, the importance of the arts and creativity.
In this book she discusses the Torah -the Five Books of Moses. She talks of storytelling, of family stories, of religious stories and practices. She talks of love of literature, love of secular and sacred reading. You do not need to be Jewish to enjoy this book. Bible readers may also be able to relate as well. One important thing I enjoyed was how she wanted her children to be open to all kinds of books - fiction, nonfiction, secular, etc.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
In this book she discusses the Torah -the Five Books of Moses. She talks of storytelling, of family stories, of religious stories and practices. She talks of love of literature, love of secular and sacred reading. You do not need to be Jewish to enjoy this book. Bible readers may also be able to relate as well. One important thing I enjoyed was how she wanted her children to be open to all kinds of books - fiction, nonfiction, secular, etc.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
August 25, 2025
⭐⭐⭐.5
Pre-Read Notes:
I don't know much about this one going in. I chose it for the cover and title this time. Books about books grab me often.
"The primary reason I read with my kids at the table is to prevent them from fighting. I know from the book of Genesis how dangerous sibling rivalry can be: Ishmael torments Isaac. Jacob tricks Esau. Joseph’s brothers sell him into slavery. And I don’t even want to think about Cain and Abel." p81
Final Review
(thoughts & recs) I just don't think I'm the right audience for this one, as I'm not a parent and don't tend to read about parenting. The writing however is gorgeous and the life she describes with her family is a beautiful one. If you're into short literary essays about being a mom and devout follower of the Torah, I recommend this one for you!
My Favorite Things:
✔️ I don't know if I'm exactly the audience for this, but I think the ideas presented are interesting.
✔️ I didn't know this was nonfiction, but I'm open to it. The loose structure is that each long chapter explores a board book she read to her children and how it relates to her family's lives and their devotion to reading the Torah. I would say Children of the Book is more about parenting than it is about books, and I find it a bit rambling.
✔️ There are many religious references, which definitely creates a unique tone to the book and an opportunity for learning. Sometimes the references are too casual and I needed just a little more.
✔️ "As I tell my daughter, I know the book is not really mine, because nothing I own is truly mine. But I write in the margins because the book is part of a conversation that has been unfolding for generations. I want to add my voice to that conversation, and someday, when she is older, I hope she will, too." p136 What a brilliant lesson to teach your daughter-- about the ephemeral nature of life and all we have, but how lasting and encompassing are the stories we share.
Notes:
1. content warnings - forced eating, religion, the Old Testament, sibling rivalry,
Thank you to the author Ilana Kurshan, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of CHILDREN OF THE BOOK. All views are mine.
Pre-Read Notes:
I don't know much about this one going in. I chose it for the cover and title this time. Books about books grab me often.
"The primary reason I read with my kids at the table is to prevent them from fighting. I know from the book of Genesis how dangerous sibling rivalry can be: Ishmael torments Isaac. Jacob tricks Esau. Joseph’s brothers sell him into slavery. And I don’t even want to think about Cain and Abel." p81
Final Review
(thoughts & recs) I just don't think I'm the right audience for this one, as I'm not a parent and don't tend to read about parenting. The writing however is gorgeous and the life she describes with her family is a beautiful one. If you're into short literary essays about being a mom and devout follower of the Torah, I recommend this one for you!
My Favorite Things:
✔️ I don't know if I'm exactly the audience for this, but I think the ideas presented are interesting.
✔️ I didn't know this was nonfiction, but I'm open to it. The loose structure is that each long chapter explores a board book she read to her children and how it relates to her family's lives and their devotion to reading the Torah. I would say Children of the Book is more about parenting than it is about books, and I find it a bit rambling.
✔️ There are many religious references, which definitely creates a unique tone to the book and an opportunity for learning. Sometimes the references are too casual and I needed just a little more.
✔️ "As I tell my daughter, I know the book is not really mine, because nothing I own is truly mine. But I write in the margins because the book is part of a conversation that has been unfolding for generations. I want to add my voice to that conversation, and someday, when she is older, I hope she will, too." p136 What a brilliant lesson to teach your daughter-- about the ephemeral nature of life and all we have, but how lasting and encompassing are the stories we share.
Notes:
1. content warnings - forced eating, religion, the Old Testament, sibling rivalry,
Thank you to the author Ilana Kurshan, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of CHILDREN OF THE BOOK. All views are mine.
February 20, 2025
A memoir focused on Kurshan’s family’s reading life through the lens of the Torah.
As a Christian, this was a wonderful way to learn more about Jewish culture and home rituals. As a parent who also loves to read and read to my kids, this evoked so much nostalgia despite still being in the younger age group of children.
Kushan creates beauty and meaning from the silly stories of Sandra Boynton and Dr. Seuss. She leads the reader through mutual family interest in chapter books, relating to the exodus across the wilderness.
This is a very niche story/memoir but I really enjoyed it. I feel convicted to be even more present in my kids’ reading lives. This was lovely.
Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
As a Christian, this was a wonderful way to learn more about Jewish culture and home rituals. As a parent who also loves to read and read to my kids, this evoked so much nostalgia despite still being in the younger age group of children.
Kushan creates beauty and meaning from the silly stories of Sandra Boynton and Dr. Seuss. She leads the reader through mutual family interest in chapter books, relating to the exodus across the wilderness.
This is a very niche story/memoir but I really enjoyed it. I feel convicted to be even more present in my kids’ reading lives. This was lovely.
Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 30, 2025
The best way to review this one is to list all the books mentioned in case you missed any... go pick it up, but first read this memoir. The book includes a partial list at the end with some as well (a note to myself as well). A life of a Jewish family reader told in a book journey. I love that readers take time to understand that they can't read all, and if they don't enjoy it, they must move on. It's hard, but the author, having a baby that took her moments, had to compromise and be selective. And it's ok.
In order of appearance (which makes for a delightful sequence of themes and interests), this memoir is about what happens in between these titles and what leads to the next, and how reading all the time seeds readers around us. Each book is appropriate to overcome a step in life, to educate or simply hug us, because books to calm, distract, and amuse are equally relevant. I love that the author mentions that there is comfort in re-reading the same ending over and over, and children appreciate it. I have a set of books which I reread annually, for the same reason, even as an adult, and the experience changes each year. I also love her parallelism with the first books, with Genesis and religion creating one word each time, like a board book.
Absolutely wonderful read, intertwining books with life (mostly focused on childhood), and religion as philosophy (Torah and Bible), not fear and punishment, but communication and understanding.
The cat in the hat, The Riverside Shakespeare, Paradise Lost, Bible, Anne of Green Gables, Emily of New Noon, A. S. Byatt's Possession, Huckleberry Finn, Torah, The Passover Parrot, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Lolita, (now that's a switch, eheh), Life among the Savages, Talmud, The Watermelon Seed, Spoon (both picture books), Dr. Seuss's: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish... Otto: Story of a Mirror, Frog and Toad, The Secret Garden, Narnia, James Marshall's Miss Nelson, Hello Lighthouse, Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her Hair... Oh,The Places You'll go, The Hundred Dresses, Five Books of Moses, Goodnight Moon, The Railway Children, Brave Irene, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, A Wrinkle in Time, Ramona series, Peter Pan, Phantom Tollboth, A Bridge to Terabithia, Trailing Clouds of Glory, Coleridge's To an Infant, Wordsworth's Ode: Intimation of Immortality, (Tana Hoban's ? I've found another on an accordion style by Tabitha Paige although this one is animals ) Black and White, Baby's First Words, By the Loght of the Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Far from the Tree, Doctor De Soto, George and Martha, The Giving Tree, Shel Silversteins's Classics, A Tale of Five Balloons, A Valediction: Forbidden Mourning (poem and another) Do Not Go Gentleman's Into That Good Night, Freight Train by Donald Crews written in the year the author was born, Serious Selliness, Sandra Boynton's Birthday Monsters, But Not the Hippopotamus, The Going to Bed Book (author makes awesome remarks about these in relation to religious texts), The Children's Encyclopedia of Trucks, Goodnight Goodnighy Construction Site, I Want My Hat Back(I love this one), Where The Wild Things Are, Tell me a Mitzi, Llama Llama by Anna Dewdney, After Runs Away, The Runaway Bunny, Five Minutes' Peace, The Push by Ashley Audrain, Romeo and Juliet, The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, Schulchan Aruch (reflects the practices of Mediterranean and North African Jews and more, explains Set Table concept), The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman (where you a picky eater eheh), Gregory The Terrible Eater, Harriet the Spy, The Pain and The Great One, Alexander and Terrible No Good Very Bad Day (I'm not using commas on the tittles just to separate each book),Ezra Jack Keats's Peter's Chair, Wild About
Books by Judy Sierra, Before You Were Born by Howard Schwartz, Haggadah (collection of prayers), The Little Women, Five Little Peppers and How they Grew, Charlotte's Web (one of my top 3 fav book in the banned list), A New Coat for Anna, The Miracle Worker, Matilda, Mrs Frisby and the rats of NIMH (love these), Clifford the NBig Red Dog, Danny and the Dinossaur, Little Bear, Morris Goes to School, Chirri & Chirra (two Japanese girls who bike through nature, I need this one), Amelia Bedelia (yes eheh), Fancy Nancy, Old Fashioned Girls, Guinness Book of World Records, Five Books of Moses (Chumash), William Steig's Yellow & Pink, Cherries & Cherry Pits, My Happy Life by Rose Lagercrantz, The Time Tunnel by Galoia Fon-Feder-Amit, Ivy & Bean series, Bound To Be Bad, Yellow Car and Green Tractor, All of a Kind Family, The Library by Sarah Stewart, (interesting first contact with strict rules and, what was yoir first experience with going to the library? Mine was like going to church: no noise, no touching, no movement, no breathing), The Catcher in the Rye, Harry the Dirty Dog, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (and historical account of Eleanor Roosevelt's childhood by Robert Frost), The Philharmonic Gets Dressed (a book about people bringing beauty to the world), Serena Cruz or the Meaning of True Justice, Fairy Tales (Snow White, Sleeping Beaut, CInderella), The Paper Bag Princess, Princess Smartypants, The Queen Who Couldn't Bake Gingerbread... Elmo also has a Tushie, Magic Tree house, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Transit of Venus, (I loved reading Beverly Cleary's memoirs), A Rom of One's Own, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Little Virtues (essay), Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House books, Anna Pratchett's This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, Prairie's Fires, Pioneer Girl, short story: The Bus Driver Who Wanted To Be God, The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr, Call me Ruth. The Rabbi's Girls, Boy Crazy Stacey, Behind The Attic Wall, Mandy, Mary Poppins, A Little Princess, independent readers reach for graphic novels, Tzipor Lavan (white bird, holocaust story).... The Twenty-one Balloons, Lisa and Lottie, Angelina Ballerina books, The Penderwicks...
The author has a curated list of books at the end that you can add to your notes; I probably missed some as I was taken by the author's narrative.
In order of appearance (which makes for a delightful sequence of themes and interests), this memoir is about what happens in between these titles and what leads to the next, and how reading all the time seeds readers around us. Each book is appropriate to overcome a step in life, to educate or simply hug us, because books to calm, distract, and amuse are equally relevant. I love that the author mentions that there is comfort in re-reading the same ending over and over, and children appreciate it. I have a set of books which I reread annually, for the same reason, even as an adult, and the experience changes each year. I also love her parallelism with the first books, with Genesis and religion creating one word each time, like a board book.
Absolutely wonderful read, intertwining books with life (mostly focused on childhood), and religion as philosophy (Torah and Bible), not fear and punishment, but communication and understanding.
The cat in the hat, The Riverside Shakespeare, Paradise Lost, Bible, Anne of Green Gables, Emily of New Noon, A. S. Byatt's Possession, Huckleberry Finn, Torah, The Passover Parrot, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Lolita, (now that's a switch, eheh), Life among the Savages, Talmud, The Watermelon Seed, Spoon (both picture books), Dr. Seuss's: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish... Otto: Story of a Mirror, Frog and Toad, The Secret Garden, Narnia, James Marshall's Miss Nelson, Hello Lighthouse, Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her Hair... Oh,The Places You'll go, The Hundred Dresses, Five Books of Moses, Goodnight Moon, The Railway Children, Brave Irene, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, A Wrinkle in Time, Ramona series, Peter Pan, Phantom Tollboth, A Bridge to Terabithia, Trailing Clouds of Glory, Coleridge's To an Infant, Wordsworth's Ode: Intimation of Immortality, (Tana Hoban's ? I've found another on an accordion style by Tabitha Paige although this one is animals ) Black and White, Baby's First Words, By the Loght of the Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Far from the Tree, Doctor De Soto, George and Martha, The Giving Tree, Shel Silversteins's Classics, A Tale of Five Balloons, A Valediction: Forbidden Mourning (poem and another) Do Not Go Gentleman's Into That Good Night, Freight Train by Donald Crews written in the year the author was born, Serious Selliness, Sandra Boynton's Birthday Monsters, But Not the Hippopotamus, The Going to Bed Book (author makes awesome remarks about these in relation to religious texts), The Children's Encyclopedia of Trucks, Goodnight Goodnighy Construction Site, I Want My Hat Back(I love this one), Where The Wild Things Are, Tell me a Mitzi, Llama Llama by Anna Dewdney, After Runs Away, The Runaway Bunny, Five Minutes' Peace, The Push by Ashley Audrain, Romeo and Juliet, The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, Schulchan Aruch (reflects the practices of Mediterranean and North African Jews and more, explains Set Table concept), The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman (where you a picky eater eheh), Gregory The Terrible Eater, Harriet the Spy, The Pain and The Great One, Alexander and Terrible No Good Very Bad Day (I'm not using commas on the tittles just to separate each book),Ezra Jack Keats's Peter's Chair, Wild About
Books by Judy Sierra, Before You Were Born by Howard Schwartz, Haggadah (collection of prayers), The Little Women, Five Little Peppers and How they Grew, Charlotte's Web (one of my top 3 fav book in the banned list), A New Coat for Anna, The Miracle Worker, Matilda, Mrs Frisby and the rats of NIMH (love these), Clifford the NBig Red Dog, Danny and the Dinossaur, Little Bear, Morris Goes to School, Chirri & Chirra (two Japanese girls who bike through nature, I need this one), Amelia Bedelia (yes eheh), Fancy Nancy, Old Fashioned Girls, Guinness Book of World Records, Five Books of Moses (Chumash), William Steig's Yellow & Pink, Cherries & Cherry Pits, My Happy Life by Rose Lagercrantz, The Time Tunnel by Galoia Fon-Feder-Amit, Ivy & Bean series, Bound To Be Bad, Yellow Car and Green Tractor, All of a Kind Family, The Library by Sarah Stewart, (interesting first contact with strict rules and, what was yoir first experience with going to the library? Mine was like going to church: no noise, no touching, no movement, no breathing), The Catcher in the Rye, Harry the Dirty Dog, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (and historical account of Eleanor Roosevelt's childhood by Robert Frost), The Philharmonic Gets Dressed (a book about people bringing beauty to the world), Serena Cruz or the Meaning of True Justice, Fairy Tales (Snow White, Sleeping Beaut, CInderella), The Paper Bag Princess, Princess Smartypants, The Queen Who Couldn't Bake Gingerbread... Elmo also has a Tushie, Magic Tree house, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Transit of Venus, (I loved reading Beverly Cleary's memoirs), A Rom of One's Own, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Little Virtues (essay), Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House books, Anna Pratchett's This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, Prairie's Fires, Pioneer Girl, short story: The Bus Driver Who Wanted To Be God, The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr, Call me Ruth. The Rabbi's Girls, Boy Crazy Stacey, Behind The Attic Wall, Mandy, Mary Poppins, A Little Princess, independent readers reach for graphic novels, Tzipor Lavan (white bird, holocaust story).... The Twenty-one Balloons, Lisa and Lottie, Angelina Ballerina books, The Penderwicks...
The author has a curated list of books at the end that you can add to your notes; I probably missed some as I was taken by the author's narrative.
August 29, 2025
I really enjoyed this book and I am so fascinated by Ilana Kurshan, generally, and the way she writes and reads and parents. I also can’t quite figure out how this book will be received by a wider audience and if it will hold any appeal at all to someone who isn’t also a mom who loves to read and has many years of Torah learning under her belt. If St Martins decided to publish this book for a wide audience I have to assume there is some demand out there.
This is a book of reading and parenting (reading while parenting?) and studying Torah. Kurshan weaves the books she has read to her children through the years, through the lens of the Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. I enjoyed learning more about her family and smiled at so many of the books mentioned here (every parent on has wondered why the animals in Sandra Boynton’s Going to Bed Book exercise after they bathe. 🤣)
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for an advanced copy of this book.
This is a book of reading and parenting (reading while parenting?) and studying Torah. Kurshan weaves the books she has read to her children through the years, through the lens of the Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. I enjoyed learning more about her family and smiled at so many of the books mentioned here (every parent on has wondered why the animals in Sandra Boynton’s Going to Bed Book exercise after they bathe. 🤣)
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for an advanced copy of this book.
Read
January 13, 2026quisiera reseñar este libro aunque no lo termine, ya luego lo pasaré a mis libros que dejo a la mitad, pero es que me parece mu hermoso y sé que lo pueden disfrutar madres con hijos pequeños
lo que la autora hace es entretejer su vida familiar con con vida literaria y su judaísmo, separando las secciones en los cinco libros de la torah, habla sobre aquellos libros que cuenta a sus hijos mientras a la vez habla sobre lo que sucede en cada porción de la torah, muuuuy hermoso
no le tuve la paciencia porque es largo, está en inglés y mis hijos son mayores ya pero me recordó épocas muy lindas de mi vida
lo recomiendo se les late
gracias
lo que la autora hace es entretejer su vida familiar con con vida literaria y su judaísmo, separando las secciones en los cinco libros de la torah, habla sobre aquellos libros que cuenta a sus hijos mientras a la vez habla sobre lo que sucede en cada porción de la torah, muuuuy hermoso
no le tuve la paciencia porque es largo, está en inglés y mis hijos son mayores ya pero me recordó épocas muy lindas de mi vida
lo recomiendo se les late
gracias
April 5, 2025
The Jewish people are truly the people of the book. This book is at once a very specific memoir of a family's reading life with their 5 young children, and also of the power of Old Testament stories woven through lives over generations and millennia of Jews (with powerful echoes for us as Christians). The author has a very unique position as a native English speaker, born and raised in the US, now living in Israel and fluent in Hebrew (working as a translator, in fact). I love how she structured the story of their lives along the pattern of the Five Books of Moses - as it should be.
There was so much nostalgia for me in the Genesis chapter as she mentioned board books and picture books long forgotten now that my children are much older.
I don't think I've ever seen a family so dedicated to reading! When she mentioned reading in between contractions in the hospital and then reading a special piece immediately to the newborn, I was pretty shocked. 😂 That is truly the next level of dedication to the reading life.
There was so much nostalgia for me in the Genesis chapter as she mentioned board books and picture books long forgotten now that my children are much older.
I don't think I've ever seen a family so dedicated to reading! When she mentioned reading in between contractions in the hospital and then reading a special piece immediately to the newborn, I was pretty shocked. 😂 That is truly the next level of dedication to the reading life.
January 20, 2026
A Jewish mother reads books, secular and sacred, to her children as they grow up.
It’s basically a book-length review of dozens or hundreds of children’s and young adult books, their characters and arcs continually compared to those of Torah.
It’s basically a book-length review of dozens or hundreds of children’s and young adult books, their characters and arcs continually compared to those of Torah.
March 29, 2025
I will start with acknowledging that not everyone will love it. It has a lot of discussion of faith and religion so if people are not into that, they won't like it. I am a person of faith and value scripture as well as reading all kinds of books for myself and my kids, so I loved it! Ilana is so insightful in so many ways that it was this mix of "oh I love those kid books" to "oh man I never made any of these connections but I see it!" It both took me down memory lane with classics like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Sandra Boynton favorites, and onto the fantasy books that stole our hearts like Harry Potter. I was amazed at how I could relate to those books, wanting alone time to read as a mom, wanting to pass down the love/respect for books to my kids, and seeing the beauty of each book's messages to apply to our own lives.
There were also messages of the sacrifices of motherhood and that women with careers just like their husbands make, and while it was a bit long, I enjoyed the ride! For others like me that want to be deeper in scripture while balancing it with a love for reading other "mainstream" books with our kids, this hits just right.
Thank you for my ARC NetGalley!
There were also messages of the sacrifices of motherhood and that women with careers just like their husbands make, and while it was a bit long, I enjoyed the ride! For others like me that want to be deeper in scripture while balancing it with a love for reading other "mainstream" books with our kids, this hits just right.
Thank you for my ARC NetGalley!
October 15, 2025
READ THIS BOOK! Absolutely in my top reads for 2025. Reflective and resonate, this both informed me about Jewish culture and the Torah and spoke so deeply to me about mine and my daughter’s shared reading journey. I appreciated all the parallels between sacred text and secular, as well as the insights drawn from reading stages I’ve seen and have yet to see as a mother. I even found myself reading this aloud to my 7-year-old who had her own interest and insight into the book, which felt completely full circle to me. What a joyous reading experience.
December 7, 2025
Children of the Book contains so much for a bibliophic Jewish parent to identify with that I found myself reflecting on my own little-kid parenting days as Ilana Kurshan described her own. Luckily, this memoir has chapters distinct enough to sit and read one or two at a time, and then the reader can sit, ponder, and reminisce.
December 25, 2025
A memoir about parenting, books, and values
Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together by Ilana Kurshan
St. Martin's Press, 304 pages
The notion anchoring Ilana Kurshan’s Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together goes something like this: parents can use classic children’s books as a tool for family bonding, inculcating Jewish and common values, teaching responsibility, and fostering virtue and ethics.
Without trespassing on her children’s privacy or that of her husband, Daniel, Kurshan shows us how her brood connects with what she has read to them or with what they have read on their own. And how, over time, the classic reread children’s books and eternal reread weekly Torah portions (which she knows by heart and chants in her congregation) fuse to influence the development of her children’s intellectual lives and emotional intelligence.
The memoir is neither a history of how the Kurshan children are raised nor a literal account of how the Kurshan household is conducted. Like Ann Patchett, sometimes one must make things up to tell a true story — “None of it happened, and all of it’s true.” Kurshan deftly finesses the complicated ethical relationship between truth, journal, and memoir.
The cast comprises Ilana — who comes across the page as an obsessive, earnest, overachieving supermom — and her “children of the book:” Matan, the twins Liav and Tagel, Shalvi, and Yitzvi. Husband Daniel, her literary foil, makes cameo appearances, returning from praying at the Western Wall or from teaching at university. He also prepares the children’s school lunches.
Kurshan anchored her award-winning earlier memoir, If All the Seas Were Ink, around Daf Yomi, speed-learning a page of Talmud daily — an idea that originated in 1923 interwar Poland and has now become a mass exercise.
In this book, there is a sense of perpetual tension between the precious time Kurshan wants to devote to her own reading — she’s had her nose in a book from the time she was a little girl — and to reading with her children. Maybe it is a simile for how a Jew not just “struggles with God” but with the “fleetingness of time.”
The memoirist observes that reading is a slow pleasure. Yet we know that smartphones discourage the leisure of unhurried reading. In the Kurshan household – even if digital and graphic books are endured — there is no debate that books trump screens. Although left to their devices, or when Kurshan is not at home, even her children are sometimes seduced by the Golden Calf of the Screen to forsake the book. We’ve all been there.
Devoted readers are also rereaders. Jews are rereaders par excellence. We reread the same Torah portions across the seasons and recite the same core prayers daily. As a ba’alat k’riah, Kurshan knows by heart the Torah portions chanted again and again in shul. At home, she rereads the same children’s books to the younger children that she herself read as a child and only recently transmitted to their older siblings. It is Zen-like. Reading as a journey, not as a destination.
Kurshan illuminates something I hadn’t seen — that Bible animals, like the animals in children’s books, are often anthropomorphized. One of my favorite Bible scenes is when Balaam’s donkey asks, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” Rather than bafflement at being spoken to by his donkey, the petulant Balaam replies that he doesn’t like being made a fool of. And of course, many television-intoxicated Baby Boomers like me recall with fondness Mr. Ed, the talking horse.
Speaking of miracles, she finds parallels between some of the wonders described in Exodus and the 1952 E.B. White classic in which Charlotte the spider saves Wilbur the pig’s life by simulating a miracle. Should we encourage children to believe in miracles — literally?
This is foremost a memoir about child-rearing that raises perennial questions about how far to take unconditional love and sacrifice. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is about a tree that gives its leaves, branches, apples, then its trunk, and eventually its stump. How does a parent know where to stop?
There is much in this book that young parents might identify with. Why is it that after a calming nocturnal bath, children actually get hyper and don’t want to sleep, as if “intoxicated by their own exhaustion”? Is it because from our earliest years, we are “struggling with time,” wanting to get something done before the day gets away from us?
In exploring the Torah’s retributive approach to justice, Kurshan allows that she rarely punishes her children for inappropriate behavior because penalty seldom cultivates genuine remorse. Likewise, the Kurshan in this book displays infinite patience, suppressing annoyance toward her kids because “annoyance is not going to get me anywhere.”
This book will appeal to a particular class of literate Jewish parents because it will give meaning to what many of them are doing intuitively. That said, Kurshan reflects the values of only a segment of south Jerusalem and other English-speaking communities in Israel — broadminded, thinkingly-observant, egalitarian-leaning, and intellectually cosmopolitan. Undoubtedly, there are comparable bubbles in the Tri-State area, North London, and elsewhere.
However, her way is unlikely to appeal to the frum moms who would limit their children’s reading material to the strictly Orthodox milieu, where the boys wear kipot and the girls’ modest dresses, where the genders are mainly separated, and where the storylines might have characters who journey back in time to the Second Bais Hamikdash. And older children read hagiographies about the Gedolim.
Even while her children learn their age-appropriate mitzvot and brachot, Kurshan’s role models are not mainly Jewish. She relates the sacred to the ordinary and vice versa. So, Children of the Book should appeal to Jewishly-grounded parents who want their children’s horizons informed by the cultural realm beyond our Jewish world.
______
Elliot Jager, a former editorial page editor at The Jerusalem Post, is the author of The Pater: My Father, My Judaism, My Childlessness. His Substack is 'Essays on Jewish Civilization and Politics.'
Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together by Ilana Kurshan
St. Martin's Press, 304 pages
The notion anchoring Ilana Kurshan’s Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together goes something like this: parents can use classic children’s books as a tool for family bonding, inculcating Jewish and common values, teaching responsibility, and fostering virtue and ethics.
Without trespassing on her children’s privacy or that of her husband, Daniel, Kurshan shows us how her brood connects with what she has read to them or with what they have read on their own. And how, over time, the classic reread children’s books and eternal reread weekly Torah portions (which she knows by heart and chants in her congregation) fuse to influence the development of her children’s intellectual lives and emotional intelligence.
The memoir is neither a history of how the Kurshan children are raised nor a literal account of how the Kurshan household is conducted. Like Ann Patchett, sometimes one must make things up to tell a true story — “None of it happened, and all of it’s true.” Kurshan deftly finesses the complicated ethical relationship between truth, journal, and memoir.
The cast comprises Ilana — who comes across the page as an obsessive, earnest, overachieving supermom — and her “children of the book:” Matan, the twins Liav and Tagel, Shalvi, and Yitzvi. Husband Daniel, her literary foil, makes cameo appearances, returning from praying at the Western Wall or from teaching at university. He also prepares the children’s school lunches.
Kurshan anchored her award-winning earlier memoir, If All the Seas Were Ink, around Daf Yomi, speed-learning a page of Talmud daily — an idea that originated in 1923 interwar Poland and has now become a mass exercise.
In this book, there is a sense of perpetual tension between the precious time Kurshan wants to devote to her own reading — she’s had her nose in a book from the time she was a little girl — and to reading with her children. Maybe it is a simile for how a Jew not just “struggles with God” but with the “fleetingness of time.”
The memoirist observes that reading is a slow pleasure. Yet we know that smartphones discourage the leisure of unhurried reading. In the Kurshan household – even if digital and graphic books are endured — there is no debate that books trump screens. Although left to their devices, or when Kurshan is not at home, even her children are sometimes seduced by the Golden Calf of the Screen to forsake the book. We’ve all been there.
Devoted readers are also rereaders. Jews are rereaders par excellence. We reread the same Torah portions across the seasons and recite the same core prayers daily. As a ba’alat k’riah, Kurshan knows by heart the Torah portions chanted again and again in shul. At home, she rereads the same children’s books to the younger children that she herself read as a child and only recently transmitted to their older siblings. It is Zen-like. Reading as a journey, not as a destination.
Kurshan illuminates something I hadn’t seen — that Bible animals, like the animals in children’s books, are often anthropomorphized. One of my favorite Bible scenes is when Balaam’s donkey asks, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” Rather than bafflement at being spoken to by his donkey, the petulant Balaam replies that he doesn’t like being made a fool of. And of course, many television-intoxicated Baby Boomers like me recall with fondness Mr. Ed, the talking horse.
Speaking of miracles, she finds parallels between some of the wonders described in Exodus and the 1952 E.B. White classic in which Charlotte the spider saves Wilbur the pig’s life by simulating a miracle. Should we encourage children to believe in miracles — literally?
This is foremost a memoir about child-rearing that raises perennial questions about how far to take unconditional love and sacrifice. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is about a tree that gives its leaves, branches, apples, then its trunk, and eventually its stump. How does a parent know where to stop?
There is much in this book that young parents might identify with. Why is it that after a calming nocturnal bath, children actually get hyper and don’t want to sleep, as if “intoxicated by their own exhaustion”? Is it because from our earliest years, we are “struggling with time,” wanting to get something done before the day gets away from us?
In exploring the Torah’s retributive approach to justice, Kurshan allows that she rarely punishes her children for inappropriate behavior because penalty seldom cultivates genuine remorse. Likewise, the Kurshan in this book displays infinite patience, suppressing annoyance toward her kids because “annoyance is not going to get me anywhere.”
This book will appeal to a particular class of literate Jewish parents because it will give meaning to what many of them are doing intuitively. That said, Kurshan reflects the values of only a segment of south Jerusalem and other English-speaking communities in Israel — broadminded, thinkingly-observant, egalitarian-leaning, and intellectually cosmopolitan. Undoubtedly, there are comparable bubbles in the Tri-State area, North London, and elsewhere.
However, her way is unlikely to appeal to the frum moms who would limit their children’s reading material to the strictly Orthodox milieu, where the boys wear kipot and the girls’ modest dresses, where the genders are mainly separated, and where the storylines might have characters who journey back in time to the Second Bais Hamikdash. And older children read hagiographies about the Gedolim.
Even while her children learn their age-appropriate mitzvot and brachot, Kurshan’s role models are not mainly Jewish. She relates the sacred to the ordinary and vice versa. So, Children of the Book should appeal to Jewishly-grounded parents who want their children’s horizons informed by the cultural realm beyond our Jewish world.
______
Elliot Jager, a former editorial page editor at The Jerusalem Post, is the author of The Pater: My Father, My Judaism, My Childlessness. His Substack is 'Essays on Jewish Civilization and Politics.'
March 15, 2025
A deeply personal and insightful exploration of faith and family, woven through the act of reading. Kurshan illuminates how the Torah and Jewish tradition provide a framework for understanding life's complexities, emphasizing that literacy is not merely a skill, but a pathway to the sacred. She beautifully illustrates how repetitive acts, like reading familiar stories or reciting prayers, can foster a connection to the divine and to family members.
Kurshan's reflections on parenting are particularly poignant. The book is a testament to the power of shared stories, from board books to biblical narratives, in shaping a family's identity. Reading to a child and teaching them to read is an appropriate lens to the broader process of raising a child. Her anecdotes, like rereading board books like one repeats prayers, stealing in some quiet reading while nursing, and reading aloud with her children at night, are a powerful meditation on the ongoing narrative of faith, family, and the enduring power of stories.
Kurshan's reflections on parenting are particularly poignant. The book is a testament to the power of shared stories, from board books to biblical narratives, in shaping a family's identity. Reading to a child and teaching them to read is an appropriate lens to the broader process of raising a child. Her anecdotes, like rereading board books like one repeats prayers, stealing in some quiet reading while nursing, and reading aloud with her children at night, are a powerful meditation on the ongoing narrative of faith, family, and the enduring power of stories.
December 30, 2025
Children of the Book is definitely in my top favorite books of 2025. I may need to own a copy so that I can return to it again. The writing is just beautiful. It's one of those books where the reader can appreciate each chosen word and each chapter's construction even as you also enjoy the overall message. Additionally, the message within this book is one of pure joy. Not over-the-top bouncing-on-the-soles-of-your-feet joy, but the ordinary little joys of everyday life with people and stories that you love. Ilana Kurshan has a talent for writing that impressed me greatly and I look forward to reading her other book in 2026.
Children of the Book is a memoir of sorts, told through the lenses of two sets of books: the five books of the Torah and countless children's books. Each of the five sections of the books related to the overarching themes of a book of the Torah and takes the reader through a journey of books that the author enjoyed with her children. For example: the second section of the book, related to the book of Exodus. In this book in the Bible/Torah the reader accompanies Moses and the Israelites on a pilgrimage through the wilderness. In this section of Children of the Book the reader accompanies Kurshan on a pilgrimage to the library. Please forgive this extended quote. I couldn't stand to pare it down and lose any of the wonderful prose:
And I could happily read you several more passages from the book. Ilana Kurshan writes, for further example, about Donald Crews's Freight Train at length. I had never considered that short classic in the way she does and I now see it in a whole new light.
While the book does lean heavily on Jewish references it is still very, very accessible to nonbelievers or Christians. It does not proselytize or preach. It simply spreads a kind, warm-hearted message of love for books and family.
Children of the Book is a memoir of sorts, told through the lenses of two sets of books: the five books of the Torah and countless children's books. Each of the five sections of the books related to the overarching themes of a book of the Torah and takes the reader through a journey of books that the author enjoyed with her children. For example: the second section of the book, related to the book of Exodus. In this book in the Bible/Torah the reader accompanies Moses and the Israelites on a pilgrimage through the wilderness. In this section of Children of the Book the reader accompanies Kurshan on a pilgrimage to the library. Please forgive this extended quote. I couldn't stand to pare it down and lose any of the wonderful prose:
"The Talmud teaches that any child who is old enough to hold his father's hand and ascend to Jerusalem is obligated to make a pilgrimage to the Temple on certain festivals. Now that my son is old enough to hold my hand, grasp the banister, and climb the stairs himsel, he is ready for the library...
Visits to the library with Yitzvi are highly ritualized; I can generally predict exactly what books he will choose for me to read to him, and in which order. But the ritual is important to both of us. I think of the sacrifices the Israelites are commanded to offer in the book of Leviticus - each sacrifice must be prepared and offered exactly as God specifies, with little room for variation or improvisation. Unlike in the park, where I have a hard time paying full attention to my child, there is a devotional aspect to my library visits with Yitzvi that requires my heightened presence. If only I can understand what is taking place between us in the library, perhaps I'll understand the meaning behind the sacrificial rites that govern the book of Leviticus - the confession of sin, the ascent to the sacrificial altar, the intimate encounter in the sacred shrine."
"At the library we try to follow the rules, but it's not always easy for a toddler. One of Yitzvi's favorite activities is pulling the books off a high shelf, which he can reach only when standing on tiptoe, and watching as each book falls to the floor with a thud. I furrow my brow and look at him sternly. Immediately his shoulders stiffen; he knows I disapprove. We do not dare reshelve the books he has dropped - only the librarians are allowed to shelve, and they will reprimand us if they catch us presuming to know which book goes where. Instead, we carry the books to the cart by the circulation desk, where they will await reshelving by the next librarian on duty.
When we are ready to check out our books, I approach the circulation desk near the entryway with trepidation, conscious that Yitzvi and I are likely to be admonished. Often I hold him on my hip when it's our turn, because I don't want him to run off and pull more books off the shelves. On the wall adjacent to the door is another temptation - a row of seven light switches, like the Menorah, the seven-branched candelabra in the Tabernacle. Yitzvi reaches out his arm and flicks the lights on and off, on and off, turning his head back and forth from the switches on the wall to the fluorescent strips on the ceiling to take the measure of the power he wields. "The switches - don't touch them," the librarian says, holding the due date stamp hovering over the circulation card until I either put down my child or reprimand him, or both. Only the librarians may kindle the lamps.
Like the Levitical priests in the Temple, librarians are public servants, working to maintain order. They help their patrons find the right books to engage, inspire, and inform, similar to the priests, whose duties include assisting visitors to the Temple to purify, confess, and achieve atonement. If librarians sometimes seem stern and fastidious, perhaps it is because they, like the Levites in times past, are aware of the gravity and sanctity of their work."
And I could happily read you several more passages from the book. Ilana Kurshan writes, for further example, about Donald Crews's Freight Train at length. I had never considered that short classic in the way she does and I now see it in a whole new light.
While the book does lean heavily on Jewish references it is still very, very accessible to nonbelievers or Christians. It does not proselytize or preach. It simply spreads a kind, warm-hearted message of love for books and family.
November 23, 2025
Ilana Kurshan is a voracious reader. What continually amazes me is how much she remembers of what she has read. And her ability for literary connections, to find the parallel or similar in what she is reading to her daily life. She does this constantly with the Torah and other Jewish sources. Those sources she admits to reading and rereading and rereading, as is the cycle of Jewish religious life which reads the 5 books of Moses from start to end every year starting at Simchat Torah. She was able to link the desperation of the lock down during the first few months of Covid with the story of the Jews wandering the dessert after escaping their bondage in Egypt.
This book is Kurshan's memoir of her reading journey with her children. She divides her book into five sections paralleling the 5 books of Moses. I am also a voracious reader. I read to my children before they could read to themselves but it tapered off when they learned to read for themselves and had to read for school. I guess I had hoped they would love to read as I did, but I did little more to encourage it besides showing them by example. I was not able to instill in them a love for reading in English, my own personal failing. Kurshan notes "And yet it is so rarely the case that our offspring are like us. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree" goes the adage….often quite the opposite is true."
In her chapter Pilgrimage to the Library, it is awe inspiring how Kurshan compares the library and visits to the library with the beginnings of the book of Leviticus and the tabernacle that was built and the rituals that are described there. I remember the library of my childhood and my love affair with it. In the younger grades my parents had to take me but by fourth grade I was able to go on my own on my bicycle and by 16 I was driving there on my own. This library would display 'collections' of their different readers and I contributed to this my big and little collection, same items in differing sizes. To this day I have a special place in my heart for libraries, although today for me much of it is digital libraries.
Although I was familiar with most of the children's story Kurshan refers to in her book, I usually did not grasp the literary euphemisms the stories were imparting to the young readers (or parents reading to their children). She interprets many children's novels by the teachings of the Torah. Is that what it means to be a literary astute commentator? Did I never see any of those parallels because the Torah was never forefront in my thoughts or because I wasn't looking?
Kurshan describes a scene where she asks her mother to 'babysit' for her children by reading them a story over the phone. I do that also!!! Read my grandchildren stories on video talks. And now that my granddaughter has started to learn to read, she is reading me stories on video talks!!!
One of her chapters she talks about the sanctity of books, and is it okay or not to write in books. I myself do not write in books, which is another reason I like e-books. I can highlight or make annotations and I don't feel like I am defacing the book.
Since I bought a hard copy of this book, and am not reading it digitally, I kept running to my computer to write down my thoughts as she inspired them in me with her verse or copy sentences from her that particularly struck me, such as
"Often I will read a poem several times without any real idea of what it is about;" the main reason I have never become a fan of poetry.
Or "Birthdays serve as punctuation forcing us to pause so that the years do not unfold like a run-on sentence."
Or "The first time I ever gave up on a novel….I felt brazen enough-or perhaps just busy enough-to pronounce a book unworthy of my time." I used to push myself to finish anything I started but once I retired my attitude changed. I will give a book a 100 pages and if it doesn't hold me, or keeps putting me to sleep then bye. There is too much out there yet to be read to waste my time on something that doesn't hold me.
Kurshan describes how she read aloud to her children, both in a group and individually even as they got older and could read for themselves. And how finally, they only read for themselves, choosing their own books and how it was painful the letting go of this 'shared' activity of which she was in control.
I am already anticipating rereading this book as I suggest it to my book clubs to put on our reading list.
This book is Kurshan's memoir of her reading journey with her children. She divides her book into five sections paralleling the 5 books of Moses. I am also a voracious reader. I read to my children before they could read to themselves but it tapered off when they learned to read for themselves and had to read for school. I guess I had hoped they would love to read as I did, but I did little more to encourage it besides showing them by example. I was not able to instill in them a love for reading in English, my own personal failing. Kurshan notes "And yet it is so rarely the case that our offspring are like us. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree" goes the adage….often quite the opposite is true."
In her chapter Pilgrimage to the Library, it is awe inspiring how Kurshan compares the library and visits to the library with the beginnings of the book of Leviticus and the tabernacle that was built and the rituals that are described there. I remember the library of my childhood and my love affair with it. In the younger grades my parents had to take me but by fourth grade I was able to go on my own on my bicycle and by 16 I was driving there on my own. This library would display 'collections' of their different readers and I contributed to this my big and little collection, same items in differing sizes. To this day I have a special place in my heart for libraries, although today for me much of it is digital libraries.
Although I was familiar with most of the children's story Kurshan refers to in her book, I usually did not grasp the literary euphemisms the stories were imparting to the young readers (or parents reading to their children). She interprets many children's novels by the teachings of the Torah. Is that what it means to be a literary astute commentator? Did I never see any of those parallels because the Torah was never forefront in my thoughts or because I wasn't looking?
Kurshan describes a scene where she asks her mother to 'babysit' for her children by reading them a story over the phone. I do that also!!! Read my grandchildren stories on video talks. And now that my granddaughter has started to learn to read, she is reading me stories on video talks!!!
One of her chapters she talks about the sanctity of books, and is it okay or not to write in books. I myself do not write in books, which is another reason I like e-books. I can highlight or make annotations and I don't feel like I am defacing the book.
Since I bought a hard copy of this book, and am not reading it digitally, I kept running to my computer to write down my thoughts as she inspired them in me with her verse or copy sentences from her that particularly struck me, such as
"Often I will read a poem several times without any real idea of what it is about;" the main reason I have never become a fan of poetry.
Or "Birthdays serve as punctuation forcing us to pause so that the years do not unfold like a run-on sentence."
Or "The first time I ever gave up on a novel….I felt brazen enough-or perhaps just busy enough-to pronounce a book unworthy of my time." I used to push myself to finish anything I started but once I retired my attitude changed. I will give a book a 100 pages and if it doesn't hold me, or keeps putting me to sleep then bye. There is too much out there yet to be read to waste my time on something that doesn't hold me.
Kurshan describes how she read aloud to her children, both in a group and individually even as they got older and could read for themselves. And how finally, they only read for themselves, choosing their own books and how it was painful the letting go of this 'shared' activity of which she was in control.
I am already anticipating rereading this book as I suggest it to my book clubs to put on our reading list.
August 24, 2025
Rating: 3* of five
The Publisher Says: In Children of the Book, Ilana Kurshan explores the closeness forged when family life unfolds against a backdrop of reading together. Kurshan, a mother of five living in Jerusalem, at first struggles to balance her passion for literature with her responsibilities as a parent. Gradually she learns how to relate to reading not as a solitary pursuit and an escape from the messiness of life, but rather as a way of teaching independence and forging connection. Introducing her children to sacred and secular literature—including the beloved classics of her childhood—helps her become both a better mother and a better reader.
Chief among the books Kurshan reads with her children is the Five Books of Moses, known as the Torah, which Jews the world over read in synchrony as part of the liturgical cycle. In the five parts of this memoir, Kurshan explores the surprising resonances between the biblical text and her experiences as a mother and a reader—from the first picture books that create the world through language for little babies, to the moment our children begin reading on their own leaving us behind, atop the mountain, as they enter new lands without us. A testament to the enduring power of shared texts, Children of the Book celebrates the deep pleasures of books.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: I am anti-religion. It is a vicious, coercive system meant to instill authoritarian values. It's used here for those aims...forcing children to eat is wrong.
"What the hell, old man, why are you rating this more than a single star?"
This is why: "As I tell my daughter, I know the book is not really mine, because nothing I own is truly mine. But I write in the margins because the book is part of a conversation that has been unfolding for generations. I want to add my voice to that conversation, and someday, when she is older, I hope she will, too." I think the author didn't realize it, but in that simple statement, she handed her child the key to the prison.
The reason to teach children to love reading, to love the words that show us the shape of our culture, is to give them exactly that sense of joining a conversation. It is the reason the authoritarians are working so very hard to squash our trust in cultural institutions like libraries, laboratories, and other relativistic systems of judging knowledge. It never works in their favor; they can't compete on the "strength" of their ideas; and people do not like to be ordered around. The demographics are against the religious nuts as overall "belief" is shrinking everywhere, which leads to lunacies like Bible-Belt churches being sold off (suitable for a ministorage conversion is my favorite reuse!) as congregations vanish...a thing I'd've told you was utterly impossible fifty years ago is now happening.
No wonder "They" are so determined to take control of all the structures of Authority and destroy them. "They" are losing, and they know there is only a slim chance that can be slowed down.
So look at that bolded passage above, realize the key is in your hands, and for the sake of a future worth living in, PASS IT ON.
The Publisher Says: In Children of the Book, Ilana Kurshan explores the closeness forged when family life unfolds against a backdrop of reading together. Kurshan, a mother of five living in Jerusalem, at first struggles to balance her passion for literature with her responsibilities as a parent. Gradually she learns how to relate to reading not as a solitary pursuit and an escape from the messiness of life, but rather as a way of teaching independence and forging connection. Introducing her children to sacred and secular literature—including the beloved classics of her childhood—helps her become both a better mother and a better reader.
Chief among the books Kurshan reads with her children is the Five Books of Moses, known as the Torah, which Jews the world over read in synchrony as part of the liturgical cycle. In the five parts of this memoir, Kurshan explores the surprising resonances between the biblical text and her experiences as a mother and a reader—from the first picture books that create the world through language for little babies, to the moment our children begin reading on their own leaving us behind, atop the mountain, as they enter new lands without us. A testament to the enduring power of shared texts, Children of the Book celebrates the deep pleasures of books.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: I am anti-religion. It is a vicious, coercive system meant to instill authoritarian values. It's used here for those aims...forcing children to eat is wrong.
"What the hell, old man, why are you rating this more than a single star?"
This is why: "As I tell my daughter, I know the book is not really mine, because nothing I own is truly mine. But I write in the margins because the book is part of a conversation that has been unfolding for generations. I want to add my voice to that conversation, and someday, when she is older, I hope she will, too." I think the author didn't realize it, but in that simple statement, she handed her child the key to the prison.
The reason to teach children to love reading, to love the words that show us the shape of our culture, is to give them exactly that sense of joining a conversation. It is the reason the authoritarians are working so very hard to squash our trust in cultural institutions like libraries, laboratories, and other relativistic systems of judging knowledge. It never works in their favor; they can't compete on the "strength" of their ideas; and people do not like to be ordered around. The demographics are against the religious nuts as overall "belief" is shrinking everywhere, which leads to lunacies like Bible-Belt churches being sold off (suitable for a ministorage conversion is my favorite reuse!) as congregations vanish...a thing I'd've told you was utterly impossible fifty years ago is now happening.
No wonder "They" are so determined to take control of all the structures of Authority and destroy them. "They" are losing, and they know there is only a slim chance that can be slowed down.
So look at that bolded passage above, realize the key is in your hands, and for the sake of a future worth living in, PASS IT ON.
August 6, 2025
I love reading and have always carried an “emotional support book” with me wherever I go. As someone who read to her children as soon as they were born, propping them up on my knees so I could hold the book, the title of this book piqued my interest. Ilana Kurshan’s latest is a beautifully written memoir that took me much longer to read than it should have, partially because I just did not find the content that engaging. I appreciate that the author loves to read. I also struggled to balance my passion for reading with the responsibilities of parenting. However, there were times when the parenting had to come first, such as when my children were at the playground. I don’t think I was overprotective, but I certainly watched my children as they played to make sure they were safe. My eyes were not in my book, as the author has alluded to when she took her children to the playground. It felt like she was always anxious to get away from her children so she could read, sometimes expressing annoyance that she had other parental duties.
The description states that Children of the Book is “A luminous meditation on how shared stories become the foundation for family bonds. Children of the Book celebrates a life richly lived through literature.” That description is misleading to me. The book is structured in five parts corresponding to the five books of the Torah and much of the book links experiences to sections of the Torah, which sometimes felt forced.
There were certain revelations that spoke to me. I could relate to the author’s statement that her life’s story can be seen not just through the books she is reading, but also through ones she reads with her children and reencounters through their eyes. It is enjoyable to watch your childrens’ reactions as you read them some of your favorites. And when we read, our minds, and those of our children, have to supply the visual imagery after we have read enough to provide an image of a character or scene. Sometimes that might take a while to conjure that image, but it is worth the wait. The discussion on the stories that authors wrote about their lives that were not entirely true was also an important lesson. I particularly liked the section where Kurshan speaks about that fact that we all inherit parts of our story and how each of us can choose to tell the story in which we star. I personally have experienced that in discussions with my siblings, in which we each have different memories or perspectives on an event.
Overall, it was an interesting memoir told in a unique way. I think it might appeal more to people with younger children and/or people with more of an interest in connecting everyday experiences with religious teachings.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the free digital copy in exchange for the opportunity to express my own opinions.
The description states that Children of the Book is “A luminous meditation on how shared stories become the foundation for family bonds. Children of the Book celebrates a life richly lived through literature.” That description is misleading to me. The book is structured in five parts corresponding to the five books of the Torah and much of the book links experiences to sections of the Torah, which sometimes felt forced.
There were certain revelations that spoke to me. I could relate to the author’s statement that her life’s story can be seen not just through the books she is reading, but also through ones she reads with her children and reencounters through their eyes. It is enjoyable to watch your childrens’ reactions as you read them some of your favorites. And when we read, our minds, and those of our children, have to supply the visual imagery after we have read enough to provide an image of a character or scene. Sometimes that might take a while to conjure that image, but it is worth the wait. The discussion on the stories that authors wrote about their lives that were not entirely true was also an important lesson. I particularly liked the section where Kurshan speaks about that fact that we all inherit parts of our story and how each of us can choose to tell the story in which we star. I personally have experienced that in discussions with my siblings, in which we each have different memories or perspectives on an event.
Overall, it was an interesting memoir told in a unique way. I think it might appeal more to people with younger children and/or people with more of an interest in connecting everyday experiences with religious teachings.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the free digital copy in exchange for the opportunity to express my own opinions.
July 27, 2025
A treasure for anyone interested in children's reading, this beautifully written memoir of a mother reading to her children captured my heart. It is a testament to the power of books to ground one's life and enhance understanding and awareness. The author, a mother of five living in Jerusalem, grounds her approach to reading in the Jewish tradition of reading and rereading the Torah. She arranges the book in sections under the headings "Genesis," "Exodus," "Leviticus," "Numbers," and "Deuteronomy," and roughly follows her children from their earliest to their later years. She shares my delight in many classic children's books, including The Very Hungry Caterpillar, James Marshall's George and Martha series, and the Viola Swamp books, as well as several by William Steig, and many other classic titles. She compares Wilbur in Charlotte's Web to Moses, both fated to die, but rescued to go on to greatness. She wrestles with the racism in Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House Books, and the way that both Wilder and Sydney Taylor crafted their stories to present happier family lives than, as their biographers have pointed out, they actually lived. She then questions the way she is shaping her own telling of her family life in the book she is writing at this moment.
I learned enough about Judaism and life in contemporary Israel to make me want to learn more. When the book ended, I shared the author's tears over letting go of her children as they became increasingly independent, and also the sadness of finishing a good book. I've always felt that a really good book is one that, upon completion, I want to turn back to the beginning and start reading over again. The Jews reread the Torah every year because every reading gives new insights. I wanted to go back to the beginning of this book. The title Children of the Book echoes the identification of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as religions of the book. Although not primarily intended as a guide for parents, a lovely list of all the books mentioned is included, and many parents will find companionship, inspiration, and guidance in these pages. I wish I'd had this book when I was a young parent deeply involved in reading with my children.
I learned enough about Judaism and life in contemporary Israel to make me want to learn more. When the book ended, I shared the author's tears over letting go of her children as they became increasingly independent, and also the sadness of finishing a good book. I've always felt that a really good book is one that, upon completion, I want to turn back to the beginning and start reading over again. The Jews reread the Torah every year because every reading gives new insights. I wanted to go back to the beginning of this book. The title Children of the Book echoes the identification of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as religions of the book. Although not primarily intended as a guide for parents, a lovely list of all the books mentioned is included, and many parents will find companionship, inspiration, and guidance in these pages. I wish I'd had this book when I was a young parent deeply involved in reading with my children.
Read
September 6, 2025Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Earlier in the year, I won this book as an early copy from a GoodReads giveaway. Unfortunately, I was unable to get to the book prior to when it was released (August 26th). Even so, here is my honest review of this memoir by Ilana Kurshan:
This memoir was beautifully written and highlighted reading in Kurshan's life. She discussed motherhood, books, and the Jewish lifestyle and ideas she followed. I do think this memoir was honestly really good, but before reading it, I did not know it discussed religion. I am not religious myself, and religion does not bother me, but the title is very misleading. It allows the audience to believe that the memoir is only about reading and family, rather than being Jewish.
I do think it is extremely interesting how Kurshan is able to intertwine her religion and the Jewish sacred texts into simple moments throughout her life. This is honestly very interesting, and I applaud her for finding a way to morph it into her memoir. I do think it became excessive and repetitive as some points, but it was also very educational. I was able to read her memoir about reading, but also learn about Judaism and the sacred texts.
Kurshan included several direct quotes from sacred texts which she did cite, while also mentioning several non-religious books, like Amelia Bedalia. I love how, at the end of the memoir, she includes a reading list with all of the books she brought up throughout her memoir! This makes finding books to read easier, and also lets readers see all of the books she discusses or mentions throughout her memoir.
My favorite part about her memoir was all of the actual experiences she talked about. The writing of this memoir was very good, and it kept me engaged. She intertwined actual events with the Bible and other sacred texts, helping me to understand the importance of religion to her and her families life, while also showing I, the reader, how religion has impacted her way of thinking.
This was a pretty decent memoir, and I do recommend individual's interested in learning more about Judaism, motherhood, or the act of reading to check it out! Kurshan is a very talented author, and I am thankful I was able to receive this book for free through GoodReads!
Earlier in the year, I won this book as an early copy from a GoodReads giveaway. Unfortunately, I was unable to get to the book prior to when it was released (August 26th). Even so, here is my honest review of this memoir by Ilana Kurshan:
This memoir was beautifully written and highlighted reading in Kurshan's life. She discussed motherhood, books, and the Jewish lifestyle and ideas she followed. I do think this memoir was honestly really good, but before reading it, I did not know it discussed religion. I am not religious myself, and religion does not bother me, but the title is very misleading. It allows the audience to believe that the memoir is only about reading and family, rather than being Jewish.
I do think it is extremely interesting how Kurshan is able to intertwine her religion and the Jewish sacred texts into simple moments throughout her life. This is honestly very interesting, and I applaud her for finding a way to morph it into her memoir. I do think it became excessive and repetitive as some points, but it was also very educational. I was able to read her memoir about reading, but also learn about Judaism and the sacred texts.
Kurshan included several direct quotes from sacred texts which she did cite, while also mentioning several non-religious books, like Amelia Bedalia. I love how, at the end of the memoir, she includes a reading list with all of the books she brought up throughout her memoir! This makes finding books to read easier, and also lets readers see all of the books she discusses or mentions throughout her memoir.
My favorite part about her memoir was all of the actual experiences she talked about. The writing of this memoir was very good, and it kept me engaged. She intertwined actual events with the Bible and other sacred texts, helping me to understand the importance of religion to her and her families life, while also showing I, the reader, how religion has impacted her way of thinking.
This was a pretty decent memoir, and I do recommend individual's interested in learning more about Judaism, motherhood, or the act of reading to check it out! Kurshan is a very talented author, and I am thankful I was able to receive this book for free through GoodReads!
August 22, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a DRC in exchange for a review.
4.5 out of 5
A deeply personal walk through the Torah, the lives of a mother and her children, and the books between them.
I loved reading this book. I can't say that I've ever read a book where I always felt like it was a relief to sink into at the end of the day. That is what it felt like, though, when at the end of the day I laid down in bed and opened my Kindle and started reading another part of this book. I loved moving through the days and years with Ilana as she raises her children, finds meaning in the space between the Torah and her life, the books and her life, COVID and her life. I loved the return to the Old Testament, which, I have to admit, I rarely read.
I felt a strong connection to the author in the times where she struggles with what the best course of action with her children are, with the times when she does or says something that she immediately regrets, or when the kids get old enough to start branching out on their own literary adventures.
She is also the mother I wish I had been. She held down a job and still found the time to go through all these books with her kids, even when she saught out those moments of "selfish" reading. I have, throughout my life, felt unbelievable and unbearable guilt for having to work and then being tired because of the time spent at work work and then the work that also has to be done outside of work. I have picked up ideas from her that maybe I can implement going forward, even though my kids are not small anymore, like maybe reading to my kids while I am making dinner or while they are eating dinner.
Then there were the books. I highlighted books in the Kindle version that I want to circle back to and add to my reading list, but I have to be honest. This is probably getting one of those coveted "will reread" spots that I am so stingy with. I will definitely reread it at least once to see if I missed any books.
4.5 out of 5
A deeply personal walk through the Torah, the lives of a mother and her children, and the books between them.
I loved reading this book. I can't say that I've ever read a book where I always felt like it was a relief to sink into at the end of the day. That is what it felt like, though, when at the end of the day I laid down in bed and opened my Kindle and started reading another part of this book. I loved moving through the days and years with Ilana as she raises her children, finds meaning in the space between the Torah and her life, the books and her life, COVID and her life. I loved the return to the Old Testament, which, I have to admit, I rarely read.
I felt a strong connection to the author in the times where she struggles with what the best course of action with her children are, with the times when she does or says something that she immediately regrets, or when the kids get old enough to start branching out on their own literary adventures.
She is also the mother I wish I had been. She held down a job and still found the time to go through all these books with her kids, even when she saught out those moments of "selfish" reading. I have, throughout my life, felt unbelievable and unbearable guilt for having to work and then being tired because of the time spent at work work and then the work that also has to be done outside of work. I have picked up ideas from her that maybe I can implement going forward, even though my kids are not small anymore, like maybe reading to my kids while I am making dinner or while they are eating dinner.
Then there were the books. I highlighted books in the Kindle version that I want to circle back to and add to my reading list, but I have to be honest. This is probably getting one of those coveted "will reread" spots that I am so stingy with. I will definitely reread it at least once to see if I missed any books.
August 18, 2025
“In this memoir I tell the story of my family’s reading life…Over time, and over a decade of Torah reading cycles, the way I connect with my children through literature has changed. In this memoir, I chart those shifts as they echo the progression of the biblical narrative. When I read Torah with my children, it is different than reading any other book, because we are the characters in the drama.”
Ilana Kurshan, an American Jewish mother, has written a unique memoir in honor of books and reading to her children. This not only tells of her great love for books and how she passes on her wonderful obsessive hobby of reading to her children, with so many wonderful favorite titles she skaters throughout, and all the fun ways she sneaks it in everywhere (even in her delivery room! And “mealtime is when I eat and they read”). But she also formats this book in a unique way: “In this memoir I tell the story of my family’s reading life through the lens of the Torah. Each part of this book corresponds to one of the Five Books of Moses.”
She tells her story through one of the oldest stories, and each section reflects an aspect of this ancient text, weaving in more book titles and memories.
This book is a fascinating peek into another culture and the way a mother and book lover can blend contemporary with ancient, familiar with foreign, and imbues in her children a love of reading which she has carried all her life.
Ilana Kurshan, an American Jewish mother, has written a unique memoir in honor of books and reading to her children. This not only tells of her great love for books and how she passes on her wonderful obsessive hobby of reading to her children, with so many wonderful favorite titles she skaters throughout, and all the fun ways she sneaks it in everywhere (even in her delivery room! And “mealtime is when I eat and they read”). But she also formats this book in a unique way: “In this memoir I tell the story of my family’s reading life through the lens of the Torah. Each part of this book corresponds to one of the Five Books of Moses.”
She tells her story through one of the oldest stories, and each section reflects an aspect of this ancient text, weaving in more book titles and memories.
This book is a fascinating peek into another culture and the way a mother and book lover can blend contemporary with ancient, familiar with foreign, and imbues in her children a love of reading which she has carried all her life.
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September 2, 2025Out now - https://amzn.to/4lW8166
*Thank you to the publisher for sharing this title with me.
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*Thank you to the publisher for sharing this title with me.
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August 26, 2025
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
In her ‘memoirs of reading together,’ Ilana Kurshan lays out her views as a mother, a writer, and, of course, a reader. In her life, the three have seemed to flow into each other, each at once enhancing and impeding. ‘Before I was a mother,’ she recalls, ‘I was a reader.’ The phase of intense child rearing—she has five children, including twins—returned her to reading out loud, often revisiting her own childhood favourites. Because she and her husband adhere to the Jewish tradition of reading from the Torah from earliest childhood, she incorporates sacred reading into their daily ritual.
Beautifully written, the author’s discussion of an impressive list of books meant to be read by and to children, including some never intended that way that she loved as a child (who doesn’t have a list of those?) So much of childhood culture is oral culture, and much of children’s waking hours are filled with the sound of their mother’s voices. You really feel that in her memories. Her conclusion, that reading and mothering are ‘sacred acts of devotion,’ will resonate with all avid readers, even those who are not mothers.
In her ‘memoirs of reading together,’ Ilana Kurshan lays out her views as a mother, a writer, and, of course, a reader. In her life, the three have seemed to flow into each other, each at once enhancing and impeding. ‘Before I was a mother,’ she recalls, ‘I was a reader.’ The phase of intense child rearing—she has five children, including twins—returned her to reading out loud, often revisiting her own childhood favourites. Because she and her husband adhere to the Jewish tradition of reading from the Torah from earliest childhood, she incorporates sacred reading into their daily ritual.
Beautifully written, the author’s discussion of an impressive list of books meant to be read by and to children, including some never intended that way that she loved as a child (who doesn’t have a list of those?) So much of childhood culture is oral culture, and much of children’s waking hours are filled with the sound of their mother’s voices. You really feel that in her memories. Her conclusion, that reading and mothering are ‘sacred acts of devotion,’ will resonate with all avid readers, even those who are not mothers.
August 31, 2025
This charming memoir celebrates reading as both a ritual and a refuge. The author reflects on how literature creates the fabric of her family's daily life. As a mother of five living in Jerusalem, she grapples with the escape of reading in the noisy reality of parenting. Over time, she realizes that books are not just a sanctuary; they serve as a bridge connecting her family. Whether she is reading picture books with her kids, incorporating Torah stories into routines, or revisiting childhood classics, the author discovers that books form the foundation of her family life.
I appreciate how the author combines personal experiences with honest reflections. I found myself nodding in agreement as I related to the messy realities of family life. This book is also a reminder that stories are more than mere entertainment; they create connections and help us navigate the chaos and wonder of life. This memoir is not just for parents or readers of Jewish texts; it’s for anyone who recognizes how books can unite generations, impart wisdom, and create lasting family memories.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://shows.acast.com/moms-dont-hav...
I appreciate how the author combines personal experiences with honest reflections. I found myself nodding in agreement as I related to the messy realities of family life. This book is also a reminder that stories are more than mere entertainment; they create connections and help us navigate the chaos and wonder of life. This memoir is not just for parents or readers of Jewish texts; it’s for anyone who recognizes how books can unite generations, impart wisdom, and create lasting family memories.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://shows.acast.com/moms-dont-hav...
April 3, 2025
This is not a bad book, but I'm abandoning it. The title only tells you half of what's going on here, and it's what attracted me. I love to read, and I was relentless in reading to my daughter in hopes it would make her also love to read; it didn't, but the sadness about that was only a tiny part of why I stopped reading this book.
The book is organized around the five books of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deutoronomy), with short chapters about different children's books and how they played into the lives of Kurshan's children as they grow up in a very observant Jewish household in Israel, and how their themes tie to the Torah in her mind.
I am just not religious and not that interested in the details of the bible, so the parallels between Genesis and The Very Hungry Caterpillar do not interest me. If you are religious and especially if you are Jewish, this book will resonate deeply for you. It's gracefully written but sadly not for me. I was going to persevere but when I realize I was only halfway through I just didn't want to spend time on it anymore.
The book is organized around the five books of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deutoronomy), with short chapters about different children's books and how they played into the lives of Kurshan's children as they grow up in a very observant Jewish household in Israel, and how their themes tie to the Torah in her mind.
I am just not religious and not that interested in the details of the bible, so the parallels between Genesis and The Very Hungry Caterpillar do not interest me. If you are religious and especially if you are Jewish, this book will resonate deeply for you. It's gracefully written but sadly not for me. I was going to persevere but when I realize I was only halfway through I just didn't want to spend time on it anymore.
April 13, 2025
I hate to rate memoirs because it truly is judging someone's life. My rating here is not for the actual tale - I think reading is important and as a mother and reader myself, I am stunned at how much reading Ilana gets done during the day with her children. I loved little points she made about being a parent reading books for herself, validating a lot of things I feel with four young kids who do need me all the time.
I do, however, feel a little misled with the title of the book. I was thinking we were going to get another book similar to the Read Aloud Companion, or Raising Readers, or something along those lines. This one, beautifully told, is aligned with the stories in the Torah and the seasons we go through as we read the Torah in temple. Love that, but it’s very very niche and I feel like I either skimmed that part or that wasn’t fully mentioned. In any event, this is a deeply personal memoir about reading in the throes of motherhood, in Jerusalem, with young young kids. Worth a library checkout.
I do, however, feel a little misled with the title of the book. I was thinking we were going to get another book similar to the Read Aloud Companion, or Raising Readers, or something along those lines. This one, beautifully told, is aligned with the stories in the Torah and the seasons we go through as we read the Torah in temple. Love that, but it’s very very niche and I feel like I either skimmed that part or that wasn’t fully mentioned. In any event, this is a deeply personal memoir about reading in the throes of motherhood, in Jerusalem, with young young kids. Worth a library checkout.
August 19, 2025
I really, really enjoyed this book and I learned a lot, too! Most know I am obsessed with children’s books and we have literally over a thousand in our home. I am always bringing more and more into our home from library book sales and Little Free Libraries. So I loved reading about Ilana’s recollections and musings on many of the books she has read to her children. So many of my favorites were mentioned - many that aren’t particularly well-known which really excited me (“Five Minutes Peace”)!
What I didn’t expect from this was how much information about Judaism and the Torah I would learn. As a “baby-Catholic” I learned a lot about different Jewish traditions and spiritual life. It was so fascinating and enjoyable to read how the author related different children’s books and their lessons to those traditions and religious texts of Judaism (the author is an expat living in Jerusalem). It was so well done - Adam and Eve:George and Martha! This is a beautiful and special memoir for anyone raising (and reading to!) littles! Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy! “Children of the Book” will be available 8/26!
What I didn’t expect from this was how much information about Judaism and the Torah I would learn. As a “baby-Catholic” I learned a lot about different Jewish traditions and spiritual life. It was so fascinating and enjoyable to read how the author related different children’s books and their lessons to those traditions and religious texts of Judaism (the author is an expat living in Jerusalem). It was so well done - Adam and Eve:George and Martha! This is a beautiful and special memoir for anyone raising (and reading to!) littles! Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy! “Children of the Book” will be available 8/26!
September 7, 2025
Reading to the young builds character. It establishes a unique relationship between parent and child. Books are adventures. They are places of escape. For American Israeli writer Kurshan, books are sites of personal growt. She selects books that are designed to “expand her children’s range of associations and broaden their imaginations” but also ones that “make it easier to parent.” She creates a personal list of such books, a at this memoir’s end, she catalogs her recommendations, from Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, from William Steig to Laura Ingalls Wilder. Books are a lifeline for Kurshan, and this memoir can be seen as a love letter to reading and her children. I love to read. I love all the different books. To read this book has been a delight for me.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
October 25, 2025
I was excited to have the opportunity to read Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together. Ilana Kurshan’s love of reading shines through every page—she even reads while nursing her children. Drawing from the lessons of the Torah, she shows how the stories she shared with her children often mirrored those same teachings. As someone who also loves books and has spent years reading to my own children, I found her reflections deeply relatable and heartwarming.
This memoir traces her family’s reading journey from birth through the moment her children begin reading on their own. There are many layers here—from family life and biblical studies to literary analysis—and at times it can feel like a lot to take in. Still, Kurshan’s insights and the connections she draws between sacred and secular texts make this a rewarding and thoughtful read.
Readers who enjoy memoirs, stories about books, or spiritual literature will likely find Children of the Book both interesting and inspiring.
Thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin Press for allowing me to review.
This memoir traces her family’s reading journey from birth through the moment her children begin reading on their own. There are many layers here—from family life and biblical studies to literary analysis—and at times it can feel like a lot to take in. Still, Kurshan’s insights and the connections she draws between sacred and secular texts make this a rewarding and thoughtful read.
Readers who enjoy memoirs, stories about books, or spiritual literature will likely find Children of the Book both interesting and inspiring.
Thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin Press for allowing me to review.
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