Leda Siskind experienced anti-Semitism as a schoolgirl...

Leda Siskind experienced anti-Semitism as a schoolgirl on the playground. Thirty years later, she tapped her experiences to write “The Hopscotch Tree,” a book intended to teach children about such hatred.

Siskind will be on hand today to discuss her book at the Jewish Book Month Celebration & Hanukkah Bazaar in Torrance. The event is co-sponsored by Family Place and the South Bay Jewish Community Center.

In the wake of last spring’s riots and recent signs of racial tension in Los Angeles-area public schools, Siskind said there should be more dialogue, especially among young children, about race and culture. Race, Siskind says, is “the first thing we notice and the last thing we say.”

Growing up in the turbulent ‘60s, Siskind witnessed the struggles that various ethnic and religious groups endured. She says she felt alienated as the only Jewish child in her neighborhood and was taunted when she was 8 by playground bullies who made fun of her heritage.

Yet, Siskind says, she was rejected by a number of publishers who thought her story was too powerful for younger children. Eventually, however, Bantam bought the manuscript.

“I don’t think grown-ups realize how many things kids are aware of,” Siskind said. “(Children) may not label it, but they know what it’s like to be left alone on the playground.”

Siskind says her book, aimed at 8- to 12-year-olds, concentrates on coping with one’s identity and the problems of forming relationships. “It’s all a part of growing up,” she said. “The taboo makes it scarier than it really is.”

A native of Los Angeles, she says she was determined to have the city serve as the backdrop for this tale. Her book, she says, is “one of the few Jewish books that has nothing to do with the Holocaust or World War II.”

At today’s event, Siskind will read from her book, sign copies of it and discuss related topics. Other Jewish books and Hanukkah decorations will also be offered for sale.

The event will be at 2 p.m. today at Family Place, 2537 B Pacific Coast Highway, Torrance. The fee is $2.50 for members of the South Bay Jewish Community Center and $5 for non-members. Children under 12 will be admitted free. Information: (310) 539-8787.