Behind the Stories
Every book begins with a simple idea, a childhood memory, or an ordinary moment that suddenly becomes an adventure. We'd love to share a little about the tales and the memories behind our stories.
Conversation with Sandra and Ofer
"Every adventure ends with a note, and every note begins another conversation."
Where do your story ideas come from?
Most of our stories begin with real moments from family life – raising our own children, spending time with our grandchildren, and remembering the adventures, mistakes, and discoveries that filled our own childhoods. Everyday moments often become the starting point for a story.
Why are the books called Notes on the Fridge?
In our family, a handwritten note could say things that were sometimes hard to say out loud. An apology, a thank you, or simply, “I love you.” Those little notes inspired the series and became a gentle way for Eddy to learn, grow, and communicate.
Why don’t your books include phones, tablets or social media?
Our stories are intentionally timeless. We wanted to capture the kind of childhood we remember – riding bikes, exploring outdoors, solving problems together, using imagination, and talking face to face. Technology has its place, but we believe children also need stories that remind them how much adventure can be found without a screen.
How do you hope young readers will be inspired by your books?
We hope children see a little of themselves in Eddy. He isn’t a superhero. He makes mistakes, worries, gets into trouble, apologizes, and keeps trying. Every story encourages children to think, laugh, and discover that growing up is about learning from everyday experiences.
What makes your books different?
We don’t write stories to teach lessons. We write stories that children enjoy reading. The learning happens naturally through the characters, the humor, and the choices they make. If a child closes the book smiling… and thinking… we’ve done our job.
Meet the Authors
Sandra Bendor
Sandra Bendor is an author, singer, translator, and textile artist whose career has taken her across the United States and throughout Europe, India and the Far East. Throughout her work, she has been inspired by the stories, traditions, and people she has encountered along the way.
As a performer, she appeared in theaters, festivals, and concerts for many years, while her lifelong passion for textile art has led her to create and exhibit hand-stitched silk artwork in galleries and private collections.
Today, Sandra brings that same creativity and warmth to the Notes on the Fridge series, writing stories that encourage children to explore curiosity, kindness, resilience, and the importance of family.
Ofer Bendor
Ofer Bendor is an author, actor, producer and graphic designer who was born and raised in Israel. After studying acting, he moved to the United States, where he and his wife, Sandra, founded the Children’s Theater Center. Together they wrote and performed original educational shows for children and families.
In addition to Notes on the Fridge, Ofer created an interactive math game show, Arithmetickles, that has toured thousands of schools across the United States for the past 28 years. The show uses comedy, audience participation, and problem-solving to make math engaging and fun.
Ofer is currently developing a new children’s book series inspired by Arithmetickles, where young readers become detectives searching for everyday math mistakes.