What has roots, leaves, and stories all over? Your family tree!
PJ Library loves telling stories. But some stories we can’t tell — only you can. These are the stories of your family, passed down from generation to generation or ones you’re creating year after year as you raise your children. PJ Library is delighted to offer a family tree kit to subscribers ages four to eight this January to help tell your family stories. Our younger subscribers will receive a special memory book.
Here are videos, websites, books, and songs to help you dig deeper and learn more.
Watch
The videos below review terminology about lineage and geneaology and also talk about all the ways people make families.
Brush Up On The Basics:
What Makes a Family a Family? via Tab Time
Blended Families via Sesame Street in Communities
Research
There are tonnes of online resources that can help you dig deep as you plant your family tree. We suggest the following:
- General Genealogy Research:
- Specialised Jewish Genealogical Sites and Organisations:
Tell Your Stories
As you create a family tree and share stories, check out StoryCorps, the public service project aimed at gathering and sharing stories to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world. In addition to featuring beautifully told stories, the website offers a list of Great Questions to elicit family stories.
To ask a grandparent:
Where did you grow up?
What was your childhood like?
Do you remember songs you used to sing mum/dad growing up?
For a child to ask you:
Do you know what my name (or nickname) means?
What was I like when I was younger?
What is your favourite memory with me?
Read
PJ Library Books:
Grandfather made himself a coat when he came to America -- and now it’s wearing out. What do you think he’ll do? (Hint: He doesn’t throw it out!)
Young Flory’s ancestors left Spain generations ago when it became unsafe for Jews, taking with them two important possessions: the key to their house in Spain, in hopes that one day they could return, and the music of their Sephardic heritage. When Flory grows up, she finds she must leave her home, too -- but the music of her ancestry follows her wherever she goes.
Poor Leon! He thinks his name is old-fashioned, and he wants to go by a new one. But then Saba shares with him a book about the long line of Leons in his Sephardic family. Maybe there’s more to Leon’s name than he knew…
Mira’s wish for a baby in the family comes true, but who knew how much noise she would make? No matter what Mira and her parents do, the baby’s reaction is WAAAA. On the day of her simchat bat (Jewish welcoming ceremony for a baby girl) Mira finallyfinds the answer to all the wailing!
Listen
Sing and dance to songs about family! Hit "play" on our playlist below:
More
Books That Celebrate All Types of Families
Talk it Over: What Makes a Family?
What is L'dor V'dor?
December 31, 2024