Avram's Gift

"A Notable Book for Younger Readers" —The Association of Jewish Libraries

“Avram’s Gift is a Rosh Hashanah story, an immigrant story, and a story about contemporary Jewish life all in one beautifully illustrated chapter book bursting with Yiddishkeit.” —Rachel Erlich Kamin, Temple Israel, West Bloomfield, Michigan

Eight-year-old Mark has two wishes: To become a shofar-blower—just like his High Holiday hero—and to make that photograph of his great-great-grandfather Avram disappear from the hallway in his new home. When the family gathers for Rosh Hashanah, though, Mark discovers that his own desire to blow the shofar is actually linked to a hope that the unsmiling man in the photograph once had. Avram’s Gift is a charming portrait of a family and how their lives—past and present—mingle to make wishes come true.

The author's story behind the story: It all started with a smile. Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) had arrived and my great-uncle Morris had come over for lunch to celebrate. In addition to talking and eating, I hoped that this would also be a day for reminiscing, for I’d always wanted to know about the man in the portrait that had been hanging in the hallway for years. “Who was that man and what was he like?” I asked as my great-uncle brought the large portrait closer. With his glasses now up on his forehead, he was face-to-face with a man he hadn’t seen in 88 years—his own beloved grandfather Avram, whom he’d left at the train station in Russia so many years ago. That photograph, which I had always found a bit mysterious, was making my uncle Morris beam. For an instant, I could swear that Avram smiled back. And in that moment, a story was born.

Margie Blumberg is the author/publisher of "Avram’s Gift" (illustrated by Laurie McGaw), "Sunny Bunnies" and "Breezy Bunnies"—and the upcoming "Busy Bunnies" and "Snowy Bunnies"—(illustrated by June Goulding), "The Scoop on Good Grammar," "Paris Hop," "Rome Romp," "No Naptime for Janie: A Hanukkah Tale," and "Bunny Romero's White House Adventure: The Whole Megillah!"

She is also the publisher of "Celtic Run: A Jake McGreevy Novel" (the first in a series of middle grade novels by Sean Vogel) and "Chicago Bound: A Jake McGreevy Novel" (Book Two in the series), "The Secret at Haney Field: A Baseball Mystery" (by R. M. Clark), "Escape in Time" (by Ronit Lowenstein-Malz), "Tutti's Promise" (by K. Heidi Fishman), and "A Gefilte Fishy Tale" (by Allison and Wayne Marks).

Margie is the co-author of "Shakespeare for Kids, His Life and Times."

Forthcoming books from MB Publishing include the third middle grade novel in the Jake McGreevy series and an audiobook called "By Light of Hidden Candles" (by Daniella Levy).

A native Washingtonian, Ms. Blumberg resides in Bethesda, Maryland, where she enjoys reading, collecting first-edition novels and plays, baking, biking, and Backgammon.