11:00 am: PJ Library/Shalom Baby Storytime

Join us for the amazing PJ Library Chanukah story. Milk & Cookies included.

11:00 am: So... You Wanna be a Writer Workshop

In this workshop, you will meet with published authors and learn everything you need to know about writing a book – from character development, editing, publishing and more. Facilitated by Lynn S. Rosenberg.

12:00 pm: Lunch & Learn: Women in Books

Women Authors – Bring your own lunch and hear from women authors about there experiences of becoming an author.

1:00 pm: Meet Author Joanne Gilbert

Award-winning author, ghost-writer, and popular public-speaker, Joanne D. Gilbert, grew up in a predominantly Jewish suburb of Detroit. Her most profound influence was her Grandmother Millie Wineman Ron, and her stories of the beloved relatives who had been slaughtered by the Nazis in Vilna, Lithuania. Throughout her life, Joanne has been haunted by three questions: 1. Did the Jews fight against the Nazis? 2. Did Gentiles help their Jewish friends and neighbors? 3. What role did women play in defying the Nazis? Following her 40-year career in education, Joanne was finally able to search for, and find, the answers to these questions. The true stories in her books, WOMEN OF VALOR: Polish Jewish Resisters to the Third Reich (2nd Edition 2018), and A VICTORY FOR MIRIM! The Little Jewish Girl Who Defied the Nazis (2019), prove that: 1. The Jewish People did fight against the Nazis and their collaborators; 2. Many Gentiles did help Jews; and 3. Women played a profoundly important role in anti-Nazi resistance.

2:30 pm: Meet Author Susan Dubin

Susan Dubin is the library consultant to the Sperling Kronberg Mack Holocaust Resource Center located in Temple Beth Sholom in Las Vegas, Nevada. This position led her to work with the World Federation of Jewish Child Holocaust Survivors and Descendants, Generations of the Shoah International, and Association of Holocaust Organizations in organizing their international conferences. As a library consultant, she provides classes for Clark County School District teachers and students. In addition, she organizes community events that feature authors, artists, and musicians. She was named “Jewish Educator of the Year” by Jewish Nevada for 2020.

3:00 pm: Meet Author Karin Sporn

Karin Sporn’s life is an amazing voyage from the old-world town of Gronau in Germany to the lights of Las Vegas in the American Southwest. Her story is a winding road full of love, faith, and freedom driven by an independent spirit that has taken her around the world. She dated an American expatriate rockstar that toured Europe, saw Queen perform “Bohemian Rhapsody” in a small intimate studio before they hit it big, and became the first female sales representative for what would become GlaxoSmithKline. These are some of her many life experiences while also occasionally working as a part time model.

Throughout the adventures of her early life, there was always something that piqued Karin’s curiosity. Growing up in post-WWII Germany, she had always wondered about what happened during the war. Her father had been a soldier in the German Army and a follower of Hitler, but her family and educational up-bringing never delved into the tragedy of the war years, especially the plight of the Jewish people and the Holocaust.

3:30 pm: Writing Jewish Lives with Bruce Isaacson and Charlene Stegman Moskal

Charlene Stegman Moskal has two new books, Woman Who Dyes Her Hair and Running the Gamut. She was raised in New York and has lived in Texas and Las Vegas. Charlene began writing poetry seriously in her 70s and has become one of Las Vegas’ best. She is widely published and a favorite with poets and audiences. She writes persuasively, powerfully and with grace of the Jewish American experience.

Bruce Isaacson also has two new books, Leningrad to Las Vegas and Anthems of the Doomed. He was the first Poet Laureate of Clark County and founded Poetry Promise, a leading service organization for Nevada poets. He is known for dynamic readings and discussions of the art of writing. Leningrad to Las Vegas tells the story of a Russian-Jewish immigrant family.

4:00 pm: Meet featured author Liza Wiemer

Out and About: A Tale of Giving – with Author Liza Wiemer

In this inspiring story, we follow Daniel as he tries to find out where his parents are going and what's inside the mysterious boxes they're carrying. Daniel's imagination runs wild―could there be a new baseball and glove inside? A giant birthday cake? A new toy car? As it turns out Daniel learns much more than what's in those boxes-―he learns the true meaning of giving. This universal message is a beautiful way to share Jewish traditions with all readers.

4:30 pm: Meet author and local weatherman Kevin Janison

Deputy Dorkface; How Trutherton Got Its Honesty Back with Author Kevin Janison
Student Council candidates make outlandish campaign promises they can't possibly keep. They'll say anything to get elected! Trutherton s extremely loud T.O.L.D.-U. lie detector goes berserk and is blaring all over town. Deputy Dorkface s plan to teach the kids a lesson backfires as he bans honesty. Suddenly, the teachers start lying to the students! When two disillusioned kids aren't being truthful with their parents, a wild chase ensues and something must be done! So, Deputy Dorkface calls in "the cavalry" to find the fibbers and chaos and hilarity follow. Will he find the naughty naysayers and set the children of Honest Abe Elementary, and Trutherton back on a truthful track? Find out in Deputy Dorkface: How Trutherton Got Its Honesty Back.

5:00 pm: Record My Story

Join us for an incredible opportunity for teens to meet seniors and Holocaust Survivors for a one on one meeting to document their life stories. The stories will be on display at the JCC through the end of the year. Facilitated by author Jennifer Nails.

5:30 pm: Meet author Lynn Rosenberg

Lynn Rosenberg and her husband, Ron, have lived in Las Vegas, NV for over 20 years. Originally from New York, Lynn taught elementary school then followed her career path to become an assistant principal, honing her organizational and managerial skills through education. She wrote and published a collection of true stories entitled 50 States 50 Stories...I Never Thought I' d Live Here, which was published in 2020. Writing became a new avocation, one that encouraged her to facilitate a class that can be found on YouTube entitled, So You Wanna be a Writer? helping both aspiring and experienced writers to develop their craft.Thelma & Lou: A Circular Love Story is Lynn's first novel, loosely based on her parents' marriage and divorce, and is an attempt to rewrite history. The Rosenbergs have enjoyed traveling throughout Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as hiking through most of America's national parks. Visiting the couple's three children and six grandkids in both Nashville and Los Angeles rounds out their busy lives.lynnsrosenberg.com

6:00 pm: Meet featured author Liza Wiemer

The Assignment with author Liza Wiemer

SENIOR YEAR. When an assignment given by a favorite teacher instructs a group of students to argue for the Final Solution, a euphemism used to describe the Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jewish people, Logan March and Cade Crawford are horrified. Their teacher cannot seriously expect anyone to complete an assignment that fuels intolerance and discrimination. Logan and Cade decide they must take a stand.
As the school administration addressed the teens' refusal to participate in the appalling debate, the student body, their parents, and the larger community are forced to face the issue as well. The situation explodes, and acrimony and anger result. What does it take for tolerance, justice, and love to prevail?

The Assignment (Paperback) by Liza Weimer

SENIOR YEAR. When an assignment given by a favorite teacher instructs a group of students to argue for the Final Solution, a euphemism used to describe the Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jewish people, Logan March and Cade Crawford are horrified. Their teacher cannot seriously expect anyone to complete an assignment that fuels intolerance and discrimination. Logan and Cade decide they must take a stand.
As the school administration addressed the teens' refusal to participate in the appalling debate, the student body, their parents, and the larger community are forced to face the issue as well. The situation explodes, and acrimony and anger result. What does it take for tolerance, justice, and love to prevail?

Out and About: A Tale of Giving (Hardcover) by Liza Wiemer

In this inspiring story, we follow Daniel as he tries to find out where his parents are going and what's inside the mysterious boxes they're carrying. Daniel's imagination runs wild―could there be a new baseball and glove inside? A giant birthday cake? A new toy car? As it turns out Daniel learns much more than what's in those boxes-―he learns the true meaning of giving. This universal message is a beautiful way to share Jewish traditions with all readers.

Deputy Dorkface; How Mannerland Got its Manners Back by Kevin Janison

Lightning strikes the Welcome to Mannerland sign and slices Manner clean off. The Manners Magnetron goes berserk! All manners spiral our of control, and even the teachers are seen running from the school! The kids are invited to star in a reality show, without adults, in their own town. After disgusting themselves, the kids want to come home. But, the only way to return home is to win the Manners Matchup, kids vs. parents for manners supremacy. Mannerland was the Gold Award winner by he Children's Literary Classics, in the General/Early Reader category for 2013. The Deputy Dorkface series is a Gold recipient in the Mom's Choice Awards honoring excellence.

Deputy Dorkface; How Stinkville Got Cleaned Up by Kevin Janison

Deputy Dorkface first burst on the scene in Deputy Dorkface: How Stinkville Got Cleaned Up. The goofy, but lovable, public official jumps to conclusions about whats causing his rash and bans water in his little town even for bathing! That's right, this is a town where nobody takes a bath! The towns Stink-O-Meter goes out of control and the stinky results convince the children to take the law into their own lassos. They dont rest until every man, woman, child, horse, and hamster are cleaned up! The Deputy Dorkface series is a Gold Award recipient in the Mom's Choice Awards honoring excellence.

Deputy Dorkface; How Trutherton Got Its Honesty Back by Kevin Janison

Student Council candidates make outlandish campaign promises they can't possibly keep. They'll say anything to get elected! Trutherton s extremely loud T.O.L.D.-U. lie detector goes berserk and is blaring all over town. Deputy Dorkface s plan to teach the kids a lesson backfires as he bans honesty. Suddenly, the teachers start lying to the students! When two disillusioned kids aren't being truthful with their parents, a wild chase ensues and something must be done! So, Deputy Dorkface calls in "the cavalry" to find the fibbers and chaos and hilarity follow. Will he find the naughty naysayers and set the children of Honest Abe Elementary, and Trutherton back on a truthful track? Find out in Deputy Dorkface: How Trutherton Got Its Honesty Back.ors only)

Deputy Dorkface; How Sugaropolis Got Dessert Back by Kevin Janison

What happens in a town when the kids are too full for dinner but have plenty of room for dessert? Strange happenings all over town! Then, our misguided officer of the law goes too far and bans dessert. No more dessert! The kids protest, then retaliate in a giant, wild food fight. The kids find themselves in a showdown with the Deputy, across a conference room table, forced to negotiate healthier eating. Sugaropolis was named "Book of the Year" by Creative Child Magazine in 2014, and won 1st place in the picture book category from the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards.

Just Peek Over the Fence by Karin Sporn

ust Peek Over the Fence” is the memoir of mother, philanthropist, and community advocate, Karin Sporn. The book chronicles her life from her native Germany (with a father that had been a German soldier and follower of Adolf Hitler) to her eventual move to San Diego and Las Vegas with her family to better run their successful tourism business.



It features stories about Karin’s life as a model, the girlfriend of a rockstar, an ambitious businesswoman, a wife, a mother, and a divorcee’ with numerous interviews from friends and well-wishers attesting to how she impacted their lives and vice versa.

Thelma & Lou: A Circular Love Story by Lynn S. Rosenberg

30 years of marriage. 10 years divorced. Have Thelma and Lou changed enough to reconcile with each other and reunite their family? Accompany this mismatched couple on their journey of rediscovery which takes them through Italy, the Hamptons, Los Angeles, New York City and several family make-or break events on Long Island. That is until an out-of-the-blue, out-of-the-past surprise threatens to derail their best-laid plans. Expect something for everyone in this family dramedy.

50 States 50 Stories...I Never Thought I'd Live Here by Lynn S. Rosenberg

In 50 States 50 Stories, Rosenberg has compiled true stories collected over a five year period from people from all 50 U.S. states (and beyond) and from all walks of life who chose to make Las Vegas their home. Rosenberg aims to broaden the way people so often view "Sin City." "For many people, Las Vegas is a place to visit as an adult playground but not a place to call home," she says. "The stories from my book will hopefully change that perception."

A Victory for Miriam!: The Little Jewish Girl Who Defied the Nazis by Joanne Gilbert

"A Victory for Miriam! The Little Jewish Girl Who Defied the Nazis" is the true story of indomitable Miriam Brysk, who as a young child, lived outdoors with anti-Nazi combat partisans in the brutal forest of Belarus. Share Miriam's challenges and victories as she confronts and overcomes impossible odds--from hunger, merciless weather, disease, lice, constant danger, and murderous enemies--ultimately becoming a renowned scientist and medical professor, thereby showing that heroes come in all sizes and both genders! "'Victory' will inform your mind, lift your spirit, and warm your heart!"

Women of Valor: Polish Jewish Resisters to the Third Reich by Joanne Gilbert

Based on Gilbert's 1st-hand interviews, these remarkable true stories of the young Polish Jewish women who actively and successfully defied the Nazis provide a new perspective on women and the Holocaust.

The Story of Esther: Retold in Poetry by Susan Dubin

The story of Queen Esther is part of the Purim service and celebration when we are commanded to listen to the Scroll of Esther. My book retells the Bible story using poetry to express the words, thoughts, and feelings of the famous characters of King Ahasheuarus, Queen Vashti, Haman, Mordecai, and Queen Esther herself.

Kol Isha: The Voice of the Woman by Susan Dubin

Kol Isha means “voice of the woman.” Although the Bible as a work of literature is replete with colorful characters who help define certain moral and ethical characteristics, most of the memorable main characters are male. In truth, many women people the pages of this story as well. In this work of poetry, I give a voice to major and minor female characters, some of whom are only mentioned in passing or not named at all. These poems express feelings of loneliness, alienation and disenfranchisement as well as wonder, hope, love, and joy. Although Biblical women lived thousands of years ago, I imagine that their feelings when confronted with the circumstances of their lives are universal. Women need to have these Biblical models just as men do. It is time for the voices of women in the Bible, as well as the men, to be heard.

The Book of Ruth: Retold on Poetry by Susan Dubin

The Book of Ruth appears in the Bible in the Ketuvim (Writings) section. It tells the story of Ruth and Naomi, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, who are bound together by tragedy and love. Ruth agrees to follow Naomi to the land of Israel and accept Naomi's faith as her own. In Bethlehem, Ruth meets and falls in love with Boaz, a kinsman of Naomi. The fruit of their love is their great, great grandson, King David, the sweet singer of Israel.

Peaceful Thoughts by Robin Gordon

An Interactive Journey in Positive Thinking for Children and Their Parents

Lift: A Gosling's First Flight by Robin Gordon

An inspirational journey of a gosling's first flight and the teamwork involved in helping it to land safely.

Mackenzie and Blankie by Robin Gordon

Mackenzie wants to take her puppy and blankie to kindergarten, but her mom doesn't think it's a good idea.

Squeak by Robin Gordon

Each creature has a voice, one each unique, the important thing is that we use it to speak!

The Invisible Thread: How we stay connected by Love b y Robin Gordon

A story about the love that lasts between grandchildren and their grandparents.

Woman Who Dyes Her Hair by Charlene Stegman Moskal

Woman Who Dyes Her Hair is required reading. The poetry of Charlene Stegman Moskal is the poetry of lived experience-not because she writes often of love and loss, but because she writes of life-puzzling and peculiar, daily and cosmic. The speakers in these poems are engaging because they are engaged. The throughline for me is the rigorous honesty and the nimble way in which Stegman Moskal offers the reader insights with diction that is precise, images surprising and accurate, and tones that stay with me long after I've closed the book.

Running the Gamut by Charlene Stegman Moskal

Leningrad to Las Vegas by Bruce Isaacson

This book was twenty-plus years in the making. A compelling first-hand account of Russia after the opening of 1992.

Anthems of the Doomed by Bruce Isaacson

The Extraordinary Power of Fireflies

Fireflies are a metaphor for every individual who "sees beyond what is to what can be and takes action to create a better reality... each transforms the world for the better in a unique way”. In addition to sharing lessons learned from her own unconventional past, Julie Wignall shares stories of inspiring Fireflies around the world who are illuminating pathways to inspire and motivate others. Appropriate for anyone who has ever dreamed of bringing positive change to the world.

Patron $1800

• Written recognition in Book Festival Program Guide
• Six (6) complimentary books (select Festival authors only)

Publisher $500

• Written recognition in Book Festival Program Guide
• Four (4) complimentary books (select Festival authors only)

Editor $180

• Written recognition in Book Festival Program Guide
• Two (2) complimentary books (select Festival authors only)

Reader $36

• Written recognition in Book Festival Program Guide