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Artie Bennett

Home Featured Authors & Panelists Featured Participant Lineup 2026 Artie Bennett

Artie Bennett is delighted to share The Tenth Man, his moving new nonfiction picture book, with young readers. It’s a story brimming with heart and humor. He’s also the author of the classic kids’ book The Butt Book, The True Story of Zippy Chippy: The Little Horse That Couldn’t, which won the Magnolia Book Award, Poopendous!, Peter Panda Melts Down!, Belches, Burps, and Farts—Oh My!, and What’s Afoot! He makes his home in Brooklyn, New York.

 

 

Schedule

Will be posted when available.

The Tenth Man: A Miracle of Jewish Faith and Friendship in New Orleans

The true story of how a nearly 100-year-old synagogue and its elderly congregation found new life, hope, and community in New Orleans.

In Orthodox tradition, one needs ten Jewish men to perform certain prayers, but the nine elderly congregants of Anshe Sfard, all Holocaust survivors, had gone without a tenth person for a long time. Until a young man named Alex Brown happened to knock on the door and changed everything. Through small acts of service, like carrying the Torah to the bimah, Alex helped bring community life back to the shul.

In this heartfelt tribute to Holocaust survivors and the greatest generation, Artie Bennett captures everyday life at the synagogue and all the individual personalities of the men with humor and heart: who liked to play pranks, who liked to bicker, and who could slice a tomato so that not a single piece went to waste.

They were tailors, shoemakers, grocers, schmatte sellers, deli owners, and ironworkers—and their stories continue to live on. Movingly illustrated by debut illustrator Shira Neiss, The Tenth Man shows how even the smallest acts of service can keep a community and its memories alive.

Back matter includes more information, a glossary, a bibliography, and photos.