January 2010 Notable Toys — Religious

Power's Garden
From: FIVE STAR PUBLICATIONS INC.

Other products from FIVE STAR PUBLICATIONS INC.

Launch Date: June 2009
Gender: Boys And Girls

Category:

Books
Religious
Educational

The battle lines are drawn both at home and abroad, as bestselling author Dianne Ebertt Beeaff's gripping first novel unfolds. Framed in a rich historical backdrop, "Power's Garden" is the masterfully woven tale of two southeastern Arizona families — one Texan, one Mormon — whose cultures collide during trying economic times. As World War I rages in Europe, a crippling drought engulfs the Gila Valley desert, the hope of the area's ranchers wasting away with their livestock. With candor and courage, the Brennick and Beecham families develop an embattled but gripping relationship, navigating uncertainties, challenging traditions and learning to love. "It's a novel of two different cultures and the Morman religion," pointed out Five Star's Lisa Goldman. Launch date: June 15, 2009.

In 164 BCE, Judah Maccabee led his Maccabean army to liberate the land of Israel and reclaim the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. But the Maccabees did not have enough oil to light the menorahs to rededicate the Temple. Now players must lead a band of Maccabees and acquire enough oil to light the new eight-stemmed menorah called a Chanukiah. But beware, there are still remnants of the Seleucid Empire’s army roaming the lands trying to thwart these efforts. This board game is made in the USA and turns the basic game of dreidel into an adventure. The entire game is in English and Hebrew, so it serves as a tool for learning Hebrew. Launch date: September 2009.