STBA Blog Tour: Meira Drazin on The Whole Megillah

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In the early fall of 2016 I happened upon a goldmine of a blog for Jewish writing, including a list of awards and contests. I was astonished to find one for unpublished Jewish children’s novels and with the deadline only a few days away, I applied… and several months later found out that I’d won, which continues to reap rewards and set me on a path to becoming part of an amazing community of Jewish kid lit. Fast forward to 2023 and a bashert moment: as part of getting the silver medal for the Sydney Taylor Book Award, I was interviewed by Barbara Krasner for The Whole Megillah, *the very same blog*!!!! Check out the interview here!

It’s another STAR for HONEY AND ME!

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🌟 Honey and Me 🌟 has received another starred review, this one from School Library Journal. It’s an amazing review, one that really gets the novel and appreciates it for exactly the right reasons. And it ends with this verdict: “An effortless story that is both widely relatable and culturally specific. This excellent title featuring main characters not often represented in contemporary realistic fiction is highly recommended.” 🌠

In the wild at Books of Wonder!

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When I first wanted to write books for children I went down to Books of Wonder in NYC and spoke to a bookseller there about what new books kids were reading and loving (and came home with a huge haul to read and study.) Last Thursday I went down to see my own book on the shelf and sign copies!!! (And came home with another haul 😀📚#readersgonnaread 🤣)

Book Club Event with Kushner’s PTA

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This was a most special event that I am still on a high from. On the third night of Chanukah, the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy/Rae Kushner Yehiva High School (a Modern Orthodox day school in NJ)’s PTA (KPAC) sponsored an author visit where I spoke to parents and students about my journey to becoming an author and how I wrote Honey and Me because it is something I would have wanted to read as a child. The questions were so intelligent and interesting and there was something so heartwarming about seeing the children there with their parents and being able to participate in this together. The event was open to the whole school, but I was extremely touched and thankful by the email the middle school principal Arielle Levenson sent out to the middle school not just supporting the event, but supporting Honey and Me and why she feels the novel will strike a chord in her students. The other REALLY special part about this event is that two of my best friends organized it! My friend Stephanie Keiser, best friends since 4th grade and have known each other even longer, introduced me. And Sandy Steiner, my closest friend for 20+ years, closed the event. And another childhood friend, Joelle Yavin, whose been such a wonderful supporter of Honey and Me, made the trek out from another part of NJ just to be there. My heart is full. ❤️️

 

 

Author Visit at Beit Rabban Middle School

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The most unflattering photos of me at the BEST event 😭. Also, I’m not sure why I’m looking down as I actually spoke off the cuff — I think the second photo must be from when I was reading a short excerpt from Honey and Me. In any case, I had the most wonderful time speaking to the middle school students at Beit Rabban, a non-denominational Jewish school on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. They asked fabulous, thought-provoking questions and are even going to help me come up with ideas for a narrative arc should I write a sequel to Honey and Me. Thank you Beit Rabban!