Support Kritika | Support H-Net | Buy Books Here | Join the NBN and NBN en Español on Patreon | Visit New Books Network en Español!
In our animated discussion, Martin Lemelman and I discuss his latest graphic novel, The Miracle Seed (Eerdmans Young Readers, 2023), which was published only two months ago. It is the thrilling true story of an ancient plant, wonderfully reborn in the modern era through the hard work of two female scientists. It is a Junior Library Guild, as well as, a PJ Library Selection.
Martin Lemelman, the child of Holocaust survivors, is the author of two award winning graphic memoirs. His first, Mendel’s Daughter (Free Press/ Simon & Schuster) was ranked by Entertainment Weekly as number eight in their 10 Greatest Graphic Novels. His graphic memoir, Two Cents Plain: My Brooklyn Boyhood (Bloomsbury USA) was selected as one of the best memoirs of 2010 by Kirkus Reviews and was a winner of the 2010-2011 New York City Book Award. Martin is retired from the Communication Design Department at Kutztown University where he was Full Professor. He lives in Florida with his wife Monica. They are the proud parents of four sons and nine grandchildren.
Dr. Mel Rosenberg is a children's book author and cofounder of www.Ourboox.com, a website and platform for creating interactive picture books. Mel's debut picture book in North America, EMILY SAW A DOOR, will be published by Penguin Random House in February, 2026 and is available for pre-order. He is represented by the Liza Royce Literary Agency.