Books published by publisher Light Publications

Finalist for the National Jewish Book Award for Family Literature! "A Hanukkah Present" is a collection of eleven multigenerational tales and a novella. Whether you spell it with an H or a Ch, these stories will be enjoyed by families of every background. Learn the origin of "The Chanukah Present." Find out how Joseph won his bride with the spin of a dreidel. And what is the Chanukah Duck?Written by Audie Award finalist author and storyteller Mark Binder, these stories include "The Lethal Latkes" (mentioned in the New York Times), "The Challah that Ate Chelm, and many more.Note from the author following the publication of THE MISADVENTURES OF RABBI KIBBITZ AND Mrs. Chaipul"The first draft of The Misadventures was written before A Chanukah Present was published. We debated about finding stories to substitute for The Lethal Latkes and A Chanukah Surprise, but decided that having the stories in both books made sense. We hope you enjoy the overlap!"

"While most books have one story, this has eighteen… Most of them are fairy tales, but some are adventure stories. All are wonderful." —San Francisco Book Review (5/5 Stars) From Giant Killer Jack and The Last Voyage of of Sinbad to the World's First Story, this chapter book of adventures will keep you turning pages.Written by an award-winning author and storyteller, this collection of framed stories will be enjoyed by young people and parents of all ages. A flash flood rips a Prince and Princess from their carriage. Lost and alone in the deluge, they find refuge in a barn filled with strangers. Gathering around the fire to keep warm, one by one these unknown women and men began to tell their stories.Some of the stories are familiar, while others are unexpected, whimsical and fantastic. Every Hero Has a Story is designed to be read to young children or read by older children. Parents and youngsters alike will delight in the stories as the tales spin. By the end of the evening the stories have done more than just pass the time, they have changed the lives of the Prince and Princess forever."You've heard of books that are meant to be read across an entire state? This is a book that can be read across an entire family."Based in New England, Mark Binder tours the world sharing his spoken and written stories with listeners of all ages. In this collection you'll "hear" his version of Jack and the Beanstalk ("Giant Killer Jack"), and learn the origin of "The First Story." You'll smile at the wisdom of a young girl in "The Contest," and catch your breath at "The Short Tale of Erika P. Spunk." There's even a new addition to the Arabian Nights with "The Last Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor."Binder blends and dances between genres. He makes traditional stories sound modern and invents new stories that sound as if they have been retold for a hundred years. At the heart of the book, weaving in and out, is the "frame tale" of the Prince and the Princess, who grow beyond their remoteness and isolation and are touched, moved and transformed by the stories they hear, and the stories that they themselves tell.Mark Binder is an author and storyteller who knows how to connect generations. It is a true testament to his passion and talent that he is able to reach the hearts and minds of such diverse audiences.His most recent book is Cinderella Spinderella.

Radiate: More Stories of Daring Teen Saints will continue to set your heart on fire. Whether you are young or merely a youth at heart, you will be inspired by the heroism of these teenage saints. Young male and female teen saints from various places in the world are in this text; a total of ten stories in all. As you read these dynamic stories, remember that you too are called to life of joy and holiness. This sequel will continue to set your heart ablaze with vivid storytelling, saintly challenges, prayers, images, and more. Saints in Radiate include: Saint Marie-Bernarde Soubirous (Bernadette) Saint Rose of Viterbo Saint Lucy Blessed Laura Vicuna Saint Agned of Rome Saint Aloysius Gonzaga Saint Peter Yu Tae-chol Blessed Ceferino Namuncura Saint Louis Ibaraki and the Japanese Martyrs Saint Gabriel Possenti Paperback View sample pages.

Padre Pio was born in Italy in 1887 and was a priest and confessor. ("Padre" is "Father" in Italian.) He heard millions of confessions during his lifetime. Padre Pio had the gift of healing people and knowing what was in their hearts when they came to confession. He filled people's hearts with peace and helped them to love God. By encouraging prayer and frequent confession, Padre Pio brought people back to God and the Catholic Church. He is the patron (September 23) of confessors.Saints are real-life heroes of faith who inspire us by their virtues to become more like Christ. In the Saints and Me! series, these beautifully illustrated early-reader books tell the real stories of saints that come to life and connect with today's children aged 4 to 9.

What’s that dog with the stocky build, bushy eyebrows, and alert personality? It’s the miniature schnauzer! Miniature schnauzers are outgoing dogs with lively attitudes and loads of energy. Their owners think they are the best dogs ever - and it’s easy to see why. If you’re a miniature schnauzer fan, you’ll want to learn all about this breed, from its thick whiskers and sweet expression to its history as a pet and rodent hunter in Germany. You’ll also want to find out how to care for the miniature schnauzer. So check out this go-to guide for miniature schnauzer lovers - and learn all about why miniature schnauzers are the best breed there is!

"Wired Words/Electric Prose" —Providence Phoenix"The Brothers Schlemiel is a delicious and exciting novel of mixed identities told in delicious bite-sized chapters. You won't want to put it down, but if you do, you will come back to it again and again… At last, one of the very first ebooks is restored to its full glory."Meet Abraham and Adam. From the day they are born, “those Schlemiel twins” are trouble. No one, not even their parents, can tell them apart, which is sometimes an advantage. They use their wits to create mischievous pranks, foil thieves, meet governors and kings, and eventually begin to grow up.But when Abraham falls in love a Gypsy princess and Adam falls in love with a girl who thinks he’s Abraham, it’s a problem.If they switch places one more time, will they finally find happiness?Set in Chelm, the famed village of fools, The Brothers Schlemiel is both a tightly interwoven story of two lives, and a rambling picaresque novel filled with rich characters. Originally written as a weekly serial, it’s a page-turner that can be enjoyed a bit at a time, but will call you to keep going and just read a little more.The Brothers Schlemiel is a book to savor. It's a timeless book that resonates in today's fast-paced digital society. During its initial 100 installment newspaper run from 1999-2001, The Brothers Schlemiel also became the first novel to be published serially via email. An abridged edition was published in hardcover in 2008. At last, the complete adventures of Abraham and Adam Schlemiel have been gathered together in one unabridged "authors cut."Glowing Headlines and Reviews about previous editions of the (abridged and e-serialized) Brothers Schlemiel: Wired Words/Electric Prose"To say that Jacob Schlemiel went temporarily insane after the birth of his twin boys might be to overstate it. The poor man certainly had a breakdown. It was as if the mule pulling his wagon down the road of life had suddenly kicked him in the head." So begins one episode of The Brothers Schlemiel. Binder could have also been describing what's happening to traditional publishing. With the arrival of electronic serials and e-books, old-fashioned print is getting something of a kick in the head. As tech-savvy authors like Binder are exploring the Internet's possibilities, traditional publishers are racing to get into the game."—Providence Phoenix, June, 1, 2000Dickens For The 21st Century"I find it exciting that Mr. Binder has put his extensive talents to use on the internet. The return of serialized literature is long overdue and "The Brothers Schlemiel" seems the perfect work to introduce a new generation of readers to a method as traditional as Dickens using technology that Jules Verne could only have dreamed of."- oso.comSchlemiels in cyberspace… old-fashioned storytelling in a newfangled wayThe Providence JournalLaughing out loud humor… very poignant and sweet—Jewish Herald Voice, Houston, TX"In The Brothers Schlemiel, Mark Binder tries to capture the community of Chelm in all its innocence, foolishness and humor. 'In this work of fiction, history lives in the footnotes,' he declares in his author's note. When history gets in the way of the story, it is easily modified. So it's clear from the start that there is nothing factual about this book, which traces the lives of the Schlemiel family and the community that surrounds them. [Readers] will really get the humor written between the lines. 'Only in Chelm could a father get so lost going to fetch the midwife that he misses the birth of his first child,' Binder writes, poking consistent fun at the antics and idiocy of those who call Chelm home. It seems that everyone in the town is in slow mode, so the mix-ups are many and the potential for laughter abundant—Jewish Book World

Warriors and Fools is about the Vietnam War. It seeks to answer one specific question - why did the US fail to achieve its principal objective to defend South Vietnam from communist aggression? The story’s findings and conclusions are neither orthodox nor revisionist. Those trying to gain insights on how American civilian leaders lost the war that its military could have won, or how the US Congress, Press, or Antiwar activists caused the US withdrawal and loss of the war will be disappointed. Rather, as this story explains, the answer of why America lost is more linked to human interactions and relationships than what should have been done or not done. For this story reveals that the interrelationship between American civilian and military leaders and advisors was extraordinarily divisive and dysfunctional. So much so that US leaders’ decisions resulted in flawed, timid policies and foolish strategies that led to defeat. Moreover, that troublesome interrelationship was primarily a result of mistrusts, misunderstandings, and misperceptions on US leaders’ and advisors’ roles, responsibilities, and what they thought would lead to a positive end to the war. In addition, primarily because they were ignorant of their opponents’ culture and history and overconfident from their past experiences, US civilian and military policymakers ignored or misunderstood their enemy. Indeed, the main North Vietnamese war leaders, whom most Americans did not even know were calling the shots on their pursuit of victory, were determined to end the war militarily, and most persistent in that goal. They also mislead and mystified US civilian and military leaders alike through a brilliant strategy relying on propaganda and ruse that fooled their opponents into believing that a diplomatic solution was possible. The story of how and why the US lost South Vietnam to the communists uses the most recently released documents from the US archives and Presidential taped conversations of the top-secret meetings and behind door conversations of the major American participants from Truman through the Nixon Administrations. It also utilizes the latest, ground breaking research and released documentation of the war from the Communist Vietnamese side of the conflict,Warriors and Fools delves deeply into the decision making, strategies, goals, and motives of the North Vietnam leaders as they waged their war for unification, first against the French and then against the Americans. The book further consults the memoirs, interviews, and oral histories of former South Vietnamese leaders and combatants to discover their views on their struggle to form a new nation free from communist aggression. It then compares the attitudes, desires, and objectives of these Vietnamese leaders to those of the Americans to makes some startling discoveries about what US leaders wanted to accomplish and what their Vietnamese counterparts, both in the North and South, prevented them from achieving. This book is both broad and deep in scope in its narration of the Vietnam War story. It takes the reader from the White House’s oval office and Hanoi’s Politburo room, to the Pentagon’s and North Vietnam Army’s command centers, to Vietnam’s mountain and rice patty battlefields to show the courage, determination, foolhardiness, mistakes, and horrors of war from both sides. Warriors and Fools should be of interest to those who served in the war, and serious students and teachers of this event and period. It is not intended as light reading, or for someone trying to get just a brief understanding of what happened there and in America at the time.

The 100% true autobiography of an award-winning writer and professional liar. From the back jacket: My family is so weird. I wouldn't go so far to say that we're psycho. It's just that strange things happen to us: . explosions . . genetic mutations . . poisonous snakes . . ghost attacks . and other mishaps. Sometimes I wish that we could all just relax.Although It Ate My Sister is the second book in the Groston series, it was written first, and can be read either before or after THE ZOMBIE CAT.

Whether you call it Thanksganukah, Thanks g' Hanukkah, or Thanksg Chanukah, the truth is that the Schlemiels thought of it first!Experts have claimed that 2013 was the first and possibly only time in history that Hanukkah and Thanksgiving coincided. But, experts are usually wrong when the Brothers Schlemiel are involved…Abraham and Adam Schlemiel, the identical twins first encountered in the novel, "The Brothers Schlemiel" return for a new adventure in this delightful story. Set in the New World several years after the close of "The Brothers Schlemiel", Abraham now works as the chef at the famous Fraunces Tavern in New York City. Adam, a greenhorn fresh off the boat from Ellis Island, lives with his brother and searches for meaningful work. The New World is not so much of a pleasure for him…At last, the twins travel to Chelmsford, MA, where they immediately get into trouble, burn down a barn, and create both the world's first Thanksg Hanukkah, and the world's first fried turkey.A warm, delightful and entertaining story for all ages to read and share.Mark Binder is the author of "The Brothers Schlemiel" and "A Hanukkah Present" - Finalist for the national Jewish Book Award for Family Literature. His latest project is "Cinderella Spinderella" the first multicultural illustrated ebook for families.

* Digital Book Award Finalist! * Mom's Choice Silver Award Winner! * Digital Book World QED Award Winner * Moonbeam Award Winner!"It doesn't matter what you look like… It's who you are that counts."—The Fairy Godmother from "Cinderella Spinderella"The classic story of Cinderella has been modernized and urbanized in this beautifully illustrated edition, written with delightful humor and a surprising twist.Cinderella Spinderella uses ebook technology to allow readers to choose how Cinderella looks. Is she Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, or from the Indian subcontinent?You can pick. Mark Binder’s Cinderella Spinderella began its life as a spoken-word story told to very different audiences— groups of inner city youngsters and their parents and campers with severe physical disabilities.The ebook Cinderella Spinderella, connects with any reader, offering 25 different combinations, so that every youngster can see herself or himself reflected in the story.This is Cinderella who powerfully chooses her identity! The classic story is modernized in this beautifully illustrated edition, written with delightful humor and a surprising twist. Please note: This is an ebook, not an app or a game, so the story remains the same while the Cinderellas and Princes vary. You will enjoy rereading the story, but don't expect to find lots of changes—except the seasons!"Eleanor lived alone with two stepsisters in a skinny house that her father had left to her in his will. By all rights the house belonged to Eleanor, yet her stepsisters treated her very poorly."

These fun stories for children aged 5 to 7 years are about the adventures of different buses in the Little Bus Company and are set in rural England during the last 20 years. Stories in this series include: "Eric Turns Super Yellow" "Michael Discovers a Postbus" "Geoffrey Loses His Top" "A Day at the Seaside" "Rachel to the Rescue" "Buses on Parade"

Venture out to your local greenspace or just into your back yard, and try the amazing array of outdoor activities – from building a hidden sheet den to creating watering stations for bees. While you are there, scavenge and forage for raw materials and then extend the fun with creative makes and recipes to do back at home such as leaf printing, stick boats and stinging nettle crisps. Get to know the wild parts of your city or town with handy bug, plant and tree ID sections, plus a scavenger hunt and cloud-spotting game that can be done when out and about. Games to play with organized groups or with your family and friends adds another dimension to this book that is bursting with ideas for urban outdoor adventures.