B’nai Sholom Reform Congregation in Albany will host a series of events to commemorate the brilliance and distinguished career of Amos Oz, one of Israel’s most prolific writers.

Elizabeth Zunon, who grew up on the Ivory Coast in Africa and spent her teenage years in Guilderland, just published a book she wrote and illustrated, “Grandpa Cacao: A Tale of Chocolate From Farm to Family.” She is the little girl pictured on the cover of the book with the grandfather she knew through family stories but never met.

The stories of how Abdi Nor Iftin and Julissa Arce became Americans put a human face on the immigration controversy.

John Gordon traveled the region to research Colonial-era America for his book, in the hopes to educate others.

After a lifetime as a painter, Irena Frinta, at 95 years old, has added author to her résumé.

Alvin Breisch in his book released this month, “The Snake and the Salamander: Reptiles and Amphibians from Maine to Virginia,” uses a lifetime of knowledge to make creatures many consider “second-class citizens” vivid and vital — an essential part of the natural world that often go unrecognized.

 For the first time, members of the Guilderland School Board raised complaints themselves and voted against a proposed textbook.

A nearly 20-year-old policy allows college students in New York State to purchase textbooks tax-free. There is little advertising of the policy, but government and business officials assert that it is well-known.

GUILDERLAND — Author and town resident Bruce W. Dearstyne has received a national award for his 2015 book on New York history, “The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire State’s History.”

Susan Leath, Bethlehem's town historian, has a new book, “Historic Tales of Bethlehem, New York,” that includes church histories, tales of local farms, and segments on the defunct ice industry and blacksmithing.