Susan Sussman

Robin, a Jewish girl, sees all her friends celebrating and wishes she could have a tree because they are so beautiful. Her Jewish friend Sandy Goldstein has a Chanukah Bush, but her more devout family won't allow it. She learns that she can share her Jewish holidays with her Christian friends and that they can share theirs with her. Although there are a few black and white drawings, the illustrations are not the focal point of the book. I hope someone else decides to take the story and add some updated color illustrations throughout it to capture the attention of today's readers. It's still a great story!… (plus d'informations)

This perennial classic tells the tender story of a young Jewish girl at Christmastime. Robin loves Christmas trees but knows Jews do not celebrate Christmas. When a classmate tells her about a 'Chanukah Bush' -- "It's like a Christmas tree, but it's for Jews" -- Robin rushes home to tell her family the great news. It takes a wise grandfather to explain to Robin the difference between celebrating something you believe in, and helping friends celebrate something they believe in. Recommended by the National Conference of Christians and Jews as a "...story promoting brotherhood and understanding," "There's No Such Thing as a Chanukah Bush, Sandy Goldstein," is for every child who has ever felt different in our society. It teaches children to take pride in their own cultures and religions and to share these special things with others. Educators use both the "Chanukah Bush" book and film to sensitize students to other religions and to open discussions about what it feels like to be in a minority.

-Amazon description… (plus d'informations)

Chicago actress Morgan Taylor is thrilled to get an audition for a major production of a play, not quite as happy to find that she is paired for the audition with aging, not-very-talented Lily London, very unhappy when Lily doesn't show and she has to read with a monotone stagehand--and hysterical when she discovers Lily London, dead, in the ladies' room afterwards.

Her unhappiness knows no bounds when her best friend Beth, suffering from multiple sclerosis and the unexpected heir of Lily's unsuspected millions, becomes the prime suspect. When Morgan lands the part she auditioned for and her understudy is killed with the same poison that killed Lily, Morgan knows she has to find the answer before she is the next victim--and before Beth is arrested.

Adding to her stress is her family's desire to see her married and settled down, and her estrangement from her sister, now engaged to marry Morgan's ex-boyfriend.

Even more distracting is her attraction to the police detective, Roblings, who thinks Beth is his best suspect. He's lumbering, smart, endearing, and not at all put off by her artistic temperament and cynical humor.

There are some problems with the story, which I can't really discuss without massive spoilers, but the characters are likable and interesting, the plot moves, and the mystery is satisfyingly complex. And Morgan is a nicer person than she wants to be, as we see in her interactions with Lily's orphaned little dog, Hamlet.

Recommended.

I borrowed this book from the library.… (plus d'informations)

Time off from good behavior by Susan Sussman
Liked this book a lot because the alternating chapters were about the wife and then the husband.
She's still working at a new job with costume design for a movie-she's only ever done smaller projects.
He has sold the family business and as a millionaire he just wants to travel and spend time with his wife-but she's too busy.
Complications from her mother and his father stir this book around a bit. Loved learning about design parts.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).… (plus d'informations)