Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Advanced Search   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> Hobbies, Crafts, and Collections -> Reading Room
Anybody get PJ Library books?
Previous  1  2  3  4  Next



Post new topic   Reply to topic View latest: 24h 48h 72h

FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 27 2016, 11:19 pm
I had to cancel because I was disgusted with some of the themes. Intermarriage, breaking Shabbos, and other things that are against halachah are not things I want my DD to be thinking about.

One in particular was so bad, that DD and I had a long talk about what to do with the book. I am against censorship, and I abhor the idea of book burning, but at the same time I couldn't bear the idea of the book ending up in anyone else's hands on my cheshbon. If they find it on their own, that's on them, but I wasn't going to put another copy back into circulation. DD and I ended up using the pages for a paper mache project.
Back to top

chanchy123




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 27 2016, 11:38 pm
Interesting. We live in Israel, in Israel many (most? all?) preschools get PJ Library books once a month. My kids have been getting them for several years now. The quality varies, some books are very good, others are meh. It's worth in my opinion for some of thee really excellent books we have gotten throughout the years.

Yesterday DD, who is in second grade walked in with a PJ Library book, saying that now they will also be receiving books. The book seemed very benign to me but I didn't read through it.

I assume we are not getting the same books in Israel and the US. I really cannot remember any objectionable books we have received - some were boring, or just plain pointless - just bad books but nothing that I would object to religiously.

What ages are PJ Library books geared towards in the US? Do you pay for them? Here, we get them through the public schools. Although I have heard of some more chareidi schools that do not distribute them.
Back to top

seeker




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 27 2016, 11:43 pm
That sounds really weird, FranticFrummie. Maybe the books for older kids are more edgy? Mine seemed preschooly on average - my older kid must have been around 3 and some of the books were more like baby books while others were more to grow into.

Chanchy, I'd be uncomfortable with getting these kinds of books through school. When they came in my mail I could screen them and decide whether/how to present to my kids.

They really looked forward to getting a book in the mail. I wish we still had them. No idea what happened.
Back to top

FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Nov 27 2016, 11:44 pm
Always, ALWAYS read through them before you give them to your kids! The preschool ones may be OK, but once you get to the elementary school and up range, the topics get more and more problematic.

I'm not charedi, and I let DD read things like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and C.S. Lewis books. I'd rather her read secular fantasy books, where she can tell fact from fiction, than have her read "Jewish" books that get things wrong and could possibly confuse her about yiddishkeit. As the old saying goes, "Half a truth is worse than a lie."
Back to top

chanchy123




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 28 2016, 12:55 am
seeker wrote:
That sounds really weird, FranticFrummie. Maybe the books for older kids are more edgy? Mine seemed preschooly on average - my older kid must have been around 3 and some of the books were more like baby books while others were more to grow into.

Chanchy, I'd be uncomfortable with getting these kinds of books through school. When they came in my mail I could screen them and decide whether/how to present to my kids.

They really looked forward to getting a book in the mail. I wish we still had them. No idea what happened.


We have been getting these books for about six years. None of them were anything I wouldn't bring in to the house. If there is anything objectively problematic I think the school would not hand them out (but I don't think that had ever happened). But my kids schools also have libraries - I can't control what they read in the library or what they read by friends.
Back to top

Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 28 2016, 2:29 am
Sounds interesting! I have never heard of that.
That said never trust, always read... BTDT you can't trust even "Jewish" books to be good.
Back to top

geulah papyrus




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 28 2016, 4:14 am
I love them. Our family is extremely mixed so I don't have any concerns about exposing my kids to different types of Judaism or different types of families. I'm glad that there are Jewish books out there that address and reflect families like mine and DH's since this is reality for so many people.
Back to top

HonesttoGod




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 28 2016, 7:09 am
amother wrote:
You are not the target audience for PJ Library. They are looking for a way to reach Jewish families that are not involved in formal organized Jewish life. Obviously, that means they are not sheltered and things that are outside your acceptable limits are usually fine for them - and possibly even meaningful.

The quality of books is uneven, but as a whole, I would say they have a lot more literary merit than books for the frum market.

If a book isn't appropriate for your family, donate it.


This.
Really the target audience is completely NOT frum Jews.
I get them and I love them because it is an opportunity for my kids to learn ivrit which is what we are trying to teach them at the moment.
My kids also love getting free books in the mail. They wait for it all month.
If you don't like them DON'T get them.
Your criticism would be great for a frum organization but most of what you say sounds petty and silly to an organization that is actually not targeting you at all. They won't understand you. If the books aren't geared to the way you want to bring up your kids DON'T GET THEM!! Simple.

Yes they are not the best quality or the best images or the best stories but they are free cute books in hebrew that is great for kids of Jewish families that are Jewish by name only.
Back to top

sweetpotato




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 28 2016, 7:21 am
We get PJ library books. We're still in the preschool age, and I've never seen anything of the types people describe (breaking Shabbos or eating non-kosher food or intermarriage). Sometimes the mommy is wearing short sleeves or pants but that isn't an issue for us, even if it's different from what we do at home. If you really scrutinize it, yes, you'll find something like "oh, it looks in the picture like they might be having the seder before tzeis" or something like that. But nothing obvious/egregious at all.

My only complaint is that a lot of the books are kind of silly and poorly written or have annoying rhymes, seem like they took a non-Jewish storyline and just slightly adapted it to seem Jewish, or depict Jewish kids is somewhat unlikely settings (we keep getting books about a boy and a girl who live with their family on a farm for example) so it's just kind of random. But some are really sweet, like "Tea with Zayde."

I feel you can never have too many books!
Back to top

tryinghard




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 28 2016, 7:53 am
Personally, I have less of an issue with the "Jews who look/act differently than us", than with things that I find to be presenting an alternative understanding of the Torah values with which I am raising my kids. So if a book shows the mother taking over for the father as the baal tokea, I will not keep it. If it gives an inaccurate accounting/understanding of a story from Tanach, it's gone. If I don't like the message, I don't keep it. OTOH, there was the book (I forget what it was called) about the old lady who didn't keep Shabbos and then found her candlesticks and had a Shabbos meal - that one I really liked. My kids know, when the PJ envelope comes, Mommy or daddy have to check it and see "if it's for our family".
Back to top

self-actualization




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 28 2016, 7:58 am
My extended family receives them so I get some second hand. Some are cute (Sammy Spider, Shabbat Box) and some seem pointless or wacky to me. I just read one about how chicken soup for Jewish and Asian families are similar because kreplach are like wontons, and the main character had a Jewish grandmother and an Asian one. That would not be a book that I would want to take home ... Also, even if a book is not offensive, so many of them have such a watered down view of Judaism. I wonder if these books really do a service to unaffiliated Jews by giving them such a watered down, cultural only (with no practice) view of Judaism.

That being said. I once met a girl in Israel who came from South Africa and decided to study in Israel because she read a secular book that described a Jewish kitchen around the holidays and the depiction of all of the yummy food and the cooking grandmothers made her want to become observant. So go know.
Back to top

Marion




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 28 2016, 10:59 am
tryinghard wrote:
Personally, I have less of an issue with the "Jews who look/act differently than us", than with things that I find to be presenting an alternative understanding of the Torah values with which I am raising my kids. So if a book shows the mother taking over for the father as the baal tokea, I will not keep it. If it gives an inaccurate accounting/understanding of a story from Tanach, it's gone. If I don't like the message, I don't keep it. OTOH, there was the book (I forget what it was called) about the old lady who didn't keep Shabbos and then found her candlesticks and had a Shabbos meal - that one I really liked. My kids know, when the PJ envelope comes, Mommy or daddy have to check it and see "if it's for our family".


So did you toss "The Littlest Pair"?

I have no familiarity whatsoever with the American PJ Library but, as another poster said, all the gan aged kids in Israel get a book every month. (I have so many books!!!!) I wish they'd re-use the bags from year to year also (so many PJ Library bags!). I insist on reading in English with my kids so a lot of them come home and are then not read (unless an older child is reading to the younger ones), but I still think it's an important program.
Back to top

tryinghard




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 28 2016, 12:09 pm
Marion wrote:
So did you toss "The Littlest Pair"?


Remind me what that one was about?
Back to top

Raisin




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 28 2016, 1:36 pm
Someone gave me a bunch of pj library books for my sons upsherin. (like 15 or 20) Not too impressed. One or two were ok...nothing special. Hachai (chabad childrens book publisher) make much much better books.

Its not available in any case where I live.
Back to top

amother
Ginger


 

Post Mon, Nov 28 2016, 1:38 pm
Raisin wrote:
Someone gave me a bunch of pj library books for my sons upsherin. (like 15 or 20) Not too impressed. One or two were ok...nothing special. Hachai (chabad childrens book publisher) make much much better books.

Its not available in any case where I live.


They actually had an adorable hashavas aveidah book from Hachai once. I think that was their best book, actually.
Back to top

causemommysaid




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 28 2016, 2:17 pm
Everything you wrote made me laugh because I have thought all the same things at one point or another.

At the end of the day, we chuck the books we don't like and keep the ones that are cute. Its free. You get what you pay for.
Back to top

artz




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 28 2016, 4:46 pm
just signed up for it waiting for our first book
Back to top

mille




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 28 2016, 5:10 pm
I feel like we aren't the target audience for PJ Library. I hear a lot of Orthodox Jews complaining about the content - so cancel, let another kid get the books. The target audience IMO seems to be Jewish kids who may not otherwise have a Jewish library (aka secular or non-orthodox Jews). Let's be honest, we are all going to buy Jewish books anyway, we don't need a service to give us books.

Signed, someone who doesn't get to partake in PJ Library because the PJ Library for my county is not accepting sign ups... Perhaps because so many orthodox jews are signing up just to throw the books out. Confused
Back to top

dancingqueen




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Nov 28 2016, 5:55 pm
amother wrote:
My husband tried I cancel ours, but for some reason we keep getting. My biggest frustration is that some books have actual shaimos in them. So beware if you throw some if them out. You should probably look through carefully.

One of them actually had a picture of Santa Claus in it. (Small picture, in the jacket of the book I think. But seriously?!)

I think they could find books that are respectful to most Jews if they tried, but I'm guessing that's not somethig they are looking to achieve.


Just as you (might) find it disrespectful to have stories about women rabbis or women being called up to the Torah, for most Jews it would be disrespectful to exclude women from these circumstances.

How do you get signed up for these free books?
Back to top

Marion




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 29 2016, 7:01 am
tryinghard wrote:
Remind me what that one was about?


The termites on Noah's ark. It was by Sylvia Rouss, the same author as the Sammy Spider series.
Back to top
Page 2 of 4 Previous  1  2  3  4  Next Recent Topics




Post new topic   Reply to topic    Forum -> Hobbies, Crafts, and Collections -> Reading Room

Related Topics Replies Last Post
Clean library books for age 13 14 Today at 11:50 am View last post
Jewish library Brooklyn 1 Today at 11:24 am View last post
Questions for published children books authors
by amother
2 Today at 6:23 am View last post
Books, shiurim, etc 3 Tue, Mar 26 2024, 5:19 am View last post
Does anyone know Sonia at Suffern free library 0 Fri, Mar 22 2024, 12:09 pm View last post