Tammar Stein – författare

He went to school to learn how to kill me. The Israeli girl who ruined his life. Seven people were killed instead. A single mother of two. A computer programmer. Two college students. A grandmother and her four-year-old grandson sharing an ice cream. And Dov, my boyfriend, my heart, the man I wanted to marry, who was there waiting for me. Maya leaves Israel to study astronomy at the University of Virginia, running from the violence, guilt, and memories of her past. As the narrative switches between Virginia and Israel, we learn about Maya’s life as a soldier, her ambiguous devotion to Israel, and her love for her boyfriend, Dov, who is tragically killed in a suicide bombing. Now, in Virginia, amid the day-to-day pressures of classes, roommates, and fraternity parties, Maya attempts to reconcile her Israeli past with her American future.From the Hardcover edition.

When Leni''s family hit the lottery, life got . . . well, strange. Leni''s parents built a mansion fit for royalty; they enrolled their daughter in the fanciest, most expensive private school in Florida; and they even bought Leni a dolphin for her 12th birthday (she made them take it back). But all of that extravagant living has caught up with them and the lottery money is about to run out—except for the large trust fund Leni will inherit on her 18th birthday, now only a week away. Leni is prepared to give her parents the money until her sister, Natasha, confesses a shocking secret—one that threatens to destroy their entire family. Leni has been ordered to fix it, but how?

Arden has a plane ticket to Sardinia to say goodbye to her family’s beloved vacation home after her father’s sudden death and her mother’s deployment to Iraq as an army nurse. Lonely for her father and petrified for her mother’s safety, Arden dreads her trip to the house in Sardinia—the only place that has truly felt like home to her. So when she meets a group of fun, carefree, and careless friends on their summer break, she decides to put off her trip and join them to sample the sights and culinary delights of Europe. Soon they are climbing the Eiffel Tower, taking in the French countryside on a train chugging toward the Alps, and gazing at Michelangelo’s David in Florence, all the while eating gelato and sipping cappuccino. Arden tries to forget about the danger her mom faces every day, to pretend she’s just like the rest of the girls, flirting with cute European guys and worried only about where to party next. But the house in Sardinia beckons and she has to make a choice. Is Arden ready to jump off the high dive?From the Hardcover edition.

The first time I meet an angel, it is Raphael and I am eighteen.Miriam is an unassuming college freshman stuck on campus after her spring break plans fall through. She''s not a religious girl--when pressed she admits reluctantly to believing in a higher power. Truth be told, she''s about as comfortable speaking about her faith as she is about her love life, which is to say, not at all. And then the archangel Raphael pays Miriam a visit, and she finds herself on a desperate mission to save two of her contemporaries. To top it all off, her twin brother, Mo, has also had a visitation, but from the opposite end of the good-evil spectrum, which leaves Miriam to wonder--has she been blessed and her brother cursed or vice versa? And what is the real purpose behind her mission?From the Hardcover edition.

In this 50-page novella by Tammar Stein, the author of KINDRED and SPOILS, Miriam and Natasha think they''ve escaped their respective brushes with otherworldly beings. Miriam has settled into a normal-seeming life, where her biggest worry is her boyfriend''s, Emmett''s, faithfulness—a far cry from the troubles of her past. Natasha is far more concerned with Emmett''s heart, so much so that she deludes herself into thinking she can escape the deal she made with the devil that won her family 22  million cursed dollars in the lottery. As their lives briefly intersect where Kindred''s story ends and Spoils'' begins, they learn that debts with the supernatural are not so easily escaped.

Motti knows that war is coming. Israel is only nineteen years old—the same age as Motti''s brave older brother, Gideon—and the tiny country is surrounded by enemies. It''s only a matter of time before Egypt, Jordan and Syria attack. Motti wishes he could join the Israeli army like Gideon and be a hero. But when his best friend''s family flees the country and his brother goes off to fight, Motti realizes this war isn''t a game. His family is in danger, and Israel''s very survival is at stake. But hope comes to Motti in unexpected forms. In the kind Ethiopian priest who lives nearby. In his grouchy neighbor, old Mrs. Friedburg. In the young Germans who come to offer help. In his father''s childhood friend, a Jordanian man who harbors none of the hate Motti expects. Even in a scrappy stray cat that roams the bombed city without fear. Motti knows his older brother is a hero—but through the six days of the war that will decide Israel''s fate, he discovers other heroes in surprising places. He may even be a hero himself.

Motti knows that war is coming. Israel is only nineteen years old—the same age as Motti''s brave older brother, Gideon—and the tiny country is surrounded by enemies. It''s only a matter of time before Egypt, Jordan and Syria attack. Motti wishes he could join the Israeli army like Gideon and be a hero. But when his best friend''s family flees the country and his brother goes off to fight, Motti realizes this war isn''t a game. His family is in danger, and Israel''s very survival is at stake.But hope comes to Motti in unexpected forms. In the kind Ethiopian priest who lives nearby. In his grouchy neighbor, old Mrs. Friedburg. In the young Germans who come to offer help. In his father''s childhood friend, a Jordanian man who harbors none of the hate Motti expects. Even in a scrappy stray cat that roams the bombed city without fear.Motti knows his older brother is a hero—but through the six days of the war that will decide Israel''s fate, he discovers other heroes in surprising places. He may even be a hero himself.

A counting book for the youngest reader that connects birds of the bible with relevant scripture quotes.Ten Nesting Swallows is a beautifully illustrated counting book that counts down from ten birds to one, beginning with ten nesting swallows and ending with one dove. Counting backwards is a challenge for toddlers, but doing so this way, with colorful images and help from an adult, offers a natural connection. The Bible quotes offer the youngest readers a spiritual connection and give the book an evergreen feel. The simple text and vibrant artwork keep it appropriate for preschool age children.Praise for Tammar Stein's Beni's War "Stein masterfully weaves together the country’s rich cultural heritage and tenacity with the anxieties and sorrows of war. Using strong characters, striking landscapes, and accurate historic details, she provides a gripping glimpse of Israel in the 1970s. Readers will be motivated by Beni’s perceptiveness and inspired by the strength he demonstrates through acceptance―even towards the enemy." ― Rebecca Redinger, Lincoln Park Branch, Chicago P.L, Library Journal (Starred Review)

A unique counting book for the youngest reader that connects birds of the Bible with relevant scripture quotes. Beginning with ten nesting swallows and ending with one dove, 10 Nesting Swallows is the perfecting counting primer for little hands and curious minds. The simple text and vibrant illustrations encourage early learning, observational skills, and a love for God’s creation. Parents, caregivers, and educators will appreciate the biblical verses as the birds come alive in rich and colorful settings. Praise for Tammar Stein's Beni's War

"Stein masterfully weaves together the country’s rich cultural heritage and tenacity with the anxieties and sorrows of war. Using strong characters, striking landscapes, and accurate historic details, she provides a gripping glimpse of Israel in the 1970s. Readers will be motivated by Beni’s perceptiveness and inspired by the strength he demonstrates through acceptance―even towards the enemy." ― Rebecca Redinger, Lincoln Park Branch, Chicago P.L, Library Journal (Starred Review)

Young David felt stuck tending his family’s sheep every day—yes, the sheep were important, but they were also boring, stubborn, and had no sense of humor. David wanted excitement. When excitement appeared in the form of a mountain lion that carried away one of the lambs, David vowed to never let that happen again, and set about learning to fight, using a slingshot. But a slingshot is no easy weapon, and it took David a long time to learn to use it well enough to make a difference—but learn he did, setting himself on the road to saving the Israelites in the war against the Philistines, and eventually becoming king.This easy-ready chapter book expands on the story of David and Goliath known to so many children and follows David on his path of learning and practice as he develops the skills that will make him a courageous warrior, a talented musician, a faithful friend, and eventually, king. A note at the end explains archeological evidence about the actual reign of David, and an author’s note discusses the persistence and patience David needed to achieve his goals.

Middle East Book Council Honorable Mention for Young Readers!"This title is a recommended purchase for homes, libraries, and schools." —Association of Jewish LibrariesReaders aged 8-10 will be swept up by the parallel stories of two girls with surprisingly similar problems even though they are separated by 2,000 years.When Becca Goldstein's parents drag her to an archeological site in Israel as part of a family vacation, she did not expect to to become famous in the archeology community. Nor did she expect to discover a connection to another girl her age who had lived on the same site 2,000 years earlier. Told in alternating chapters, this is the story of two similar girls in two very different ages and their remarkably similar struggles to reckon with the changes in their lives.Becca didn't want to go on this stupid family vacation to Israel. The flight was too long, the weather was too hot, and Becca missed her friends back home. Being dragged to an archeological site in Tel Maresha was not the way Becca wanted to spend her time. Well, until they journeyed to the underground caves, carved by the ancient residents of Tel Maresha to avoid the heat. Rebeka's father was returning from selling their wool in the markets of Jerusalem, and he brought with him a mysterious Greek guest. The man, Jason, told the tale of how Rebeka's father saved him from a mob. With tensions rising and violence brewing around Tel Maresha, Jason urges the family to move. Rebeka doesn't want to go; Athens is far, and she'll miss her friend and the home she's always lived in. But in the family's hurry to depart, what Rebeka leaves behind might be more than just her home, and might stay there for a long time.

It''s Yom Kippur Eve in 1973, and twelve-year-old Beni thinks his biggest problem is settling in at his new school in the Golan, where his family moved at the end of the Six-Day War.But on Yom Kippur, shocking news comes over the radio: a stunning strike on Israel has begun, led by a coalition of Arab states. In the blink of an eye, Beni''s older brother Motti is off to war, leaving Beni behind with his mother and father.As bombs drop around Beni and his family, they flee to safety, every day hoping for news of Motti and the developments of the war. Beni must find a way to aid the war effort in his own way, proving that he too can be a hero, even as he learns along the way that there is dignity in every person, including the people he considers the enemy.