Jerusalem Sky: Stars, Crosses, and Crescents by Mark Podwal (Doubleday, 2005). Celebrating faith and the city itself, poetic prose and vivid paintings evoke peace and hope. Respectful and inclusive, the author/illustrator acknowledges that “no place has been fought over more” and suggests, “[p]erhaps possessing Jerusalem is like trying to own the sky.” Yet the upraised prayers to one God suggest a belief in a brighter future. A miraculous book that more than meets its great challenge of expressing both the sacred and humanity’s potential. Ages 4-up.

More on Jerusalem Sky

It’s not every book that’s blurbed by Elie Wiesel and Maurice Sendak.

An excellent choice for Christian, Jewish, and Muslim families as well as religous studies classes and multicultural collections, not mention anyone (and isn’t that everyone?) who’s in some way affected by the history of Jerusalem.

Cynsational News & Links

Against Borders by noted Booklist reviewer Hazel Rochman (The Horn Book, March/April 1995).

Age is an Asset by Pamela Mingle from the Rocky Mountain chapter of SCBWI.

Banned Books Week is September 24 to October 1. 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990 to 2000 from the ALA. See also Top Ten List of Most Frequently Challenged Books, also from the ALA.