Kate DeMonica: "Sound the Shofar!"

"Sound the Shofar!" by Leslie Kimmelman is a story from a child's perspective during the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The story discusses all of the cultural traditions associated with the holidays, but seems to focus on the importance of the shofar. The shofar is a horn that is played at synagogue for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipur, to ring in the new year and wrap up The Days of Awe. This book is useful in a music classroom because it can introduce students to different instruments that are found in different cultures and traditions. Through this book children will learn about non-standard instruments, as well as how musical instruments can play a role different settings that they might not be familiar with. It can also teach children about musical meaning.