Hanukkah 2012: Gifts That aMuse

aMuse Toys at the Shops at Quarry Lake offer crafts, games, puzzles and art projects that will interest kids of any age through the eight-night holiday.

Are eight nights of gift-giving in your near future? Hanukkah begins Dec. 8, and ends Dec. 16, and part of tradition is gift-giving. Amuse Toys in Pikesville can come up with the perfect children's gift for each night, from the Uncle Goose blocks with the Hebrew alphabet, to "Zingo," a bilingual English/Hebrew Bingo-type game. Owners of the store, located at The Shops of Quarry Lake, choose educational, ecologically friendly toys from manufacturers throughout the world. In this spacious, bright shop you can find small gifts for each of the first seven nights, as well as large gifts for the eighth night of the Festival of Lights. Store Manager Allison Humphries pointed out some of her recommendations for Hanukkah gifts Wednesday at the …

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Shabsi's: A Judaica Center Borne of a Midlife Crisis

Menorahs and candles, Hebrew books on Jewish ethics and Talmud commentaries, popular books, toys and music CDs are all available at the Judaica store.

  Shabsi's Judaica Center is more than just a popular site for Jewish supplies and gifts. It's also the product of Shabsi Schneider's life-changing decision. "This was a lifetime dream of mine," said Schneider, who opened the store 19 years ago on Clarks Lane in Baltimore. "As the (Jewish) community grew, I decided to take the plunge. I call this 'my midlife crisis.' " The store has been at 6830 Reisterstown Road for the past 18 years and has become quite successful for the self-proclaimed book lover. Schneider, a Park Heights resident who was 42 when he opened the store, now bills it as "one of the largest Jewish books stores in the country, in terms of size (of the store) and the size of the books collection." It's second only to those …

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Janet Metzner

11:52 am on Thursday, December 15, 2011

I was surprised at how large the store is, and at how many books and music CDs there are at Shabsi's!   more ›

Toy Store aMuses with Beautiful, Purposeful Play

Pikesville's only independently owned toy store is stocked up and ready for Hanukkah and Christmas. Why shop at a small toy store? "We are very particular about what we put on our shelves. ... There are a lot of great-grandparents and parents in the area and a lot of them will seek out an independent store like us," said owner Tom Towles. "The inventory we select is what we call 'beautiful, purposeful play,'" he said. That means the toys are beautiful, often educational or useful and of high quality. And they're selected from throughout the world. There are Haba wood toys from Germany, Melissa & Doug, Geobaby of Switzerland which manufactures a magnetic toy for babies, and Mannu & Simon pull toys, made in San Diego. Towles and Claudia …

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'The Help' Tops Fiction List of Most-Borrowed Books

"In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin" is the top non-fiction book borrowed from the Baltimore County Public Library System.

When it comes to the most-borrowed fiction and non-fiction books, Pikesville Branch Library doesn't fall far from the Baltimore County Public Library tree. The Help, a novel by Kathryn Stockett, came out in 2009 and "is still being read like crazy" at the Pikesville branch, said Librarian Amanda Myers. "It is, without a doubt, an outstanding read. It's very worthwhile." There will soon be a movie based on the book, Myers added. According to the movie's website, it will be in theaters Wednesday. The Help also tops the Baltimore County Public Library system's list of the most-borrowed fiction books for July 15 to Aug. 1. For nonfiction, Erik Larson's book In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin tops …

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