Welcome to Aline's Hye Nest, where learning and education go hand in hand. Here you can find books in Armenian, mostly in 2 dialects, and bilingual board games on Armenia's geography, culture, history, and touristic places.

Books

Lori and Nareg's Hamov Hodov Cuisine tap
Lori and Nareg's Hamov Hodov Cuisine
Lori and Nareg introduce young readers to traditional Armenian cuisine, sharing beloved dishes and the flavors, ingredients, and customs that make Armenian cooking so special.

Lori and Nareg's Hamov Hodov Cuisine

Lori, Nareg, and the Four Seasons tap
Lori, Nareg, and the Four Seasons
Lori and Nareg experience the four seasons of the year, discovering the gifts and joys that each one brings. They learn that every season is beautiful and arrives at the right time. The book concludes with coloring pages.

Lori, Nareg, and the Four Seasons

Lori & Nareg’s Journey to Armenia tap
Lori & Nareg’s Journey to Armenia
Lori and Nareg introduce readers to Armenia's most beautiful landmarks. The book includes both full-color illustrations and coloring pages.

Lori & Nareg’s Journey to Armenia

Lori & Nareg’s Performance tap
Lori & Nareg’s Performance
Lori and Nareg learn about traditional Armenian costumes. After having their own costumes specially made, they proudly take the stage to participate in a cultural performance in their school.

Lori & Nareg’s Performance

Lori & Nareg’s Hero tap
Lori & Nareg’s Hero
Lori and Nareg draw their hero—the Armenian soldier—and learn about courage, sacrifice, and patriotism.

Lori & Nareg’s Hero

Lori & Nareg’s Happy Day tap
Lori & Nareg’s Happy Day
Lori and Nareg discover that they can enjoy happy and meaningful days by keeping themselves busy with fun and worthwhile activities.

Lori & Nareg’s Happy Day

Lori and Nareg’s Armenian Holidays tap
Lori and Nareg’s Armenian Holidays
Lori and Nareg create a photo album for their parents using pictures taken during holiday celebrations. Along the way, they learn about Armenian holidays and traditions.

Lori and Nareg’s Armenian Holidays

Lori & Nareg with Mount Ararat tap
Lori & Nareg with Mount Ararat
Lori and Nareg have an imaginary interview with Mount Ararat and win a special prize during a costume party.

Lori & Nareg with Mount Ararat

Lori & Nareg’s Forget-Me-Not Flower tap
Lori & Nareg’s Forget-Me-Not Flower
Lori and Nareg share the story of their Armenian identity, heritage, and the importance of remembering their roots.

Lori & Nareg’s Forget-Me-Not Flower

Lori and Nareg’s Summer Camp tap
Lori and Nareg’s Summer Camp
Lori and Nareg attend a summer camp, where they learn about famous Armenians and their achievements.The plot also teaches to follow rules.

Lori and Nareg’s Summer Camp

Lori & Nareg’s Letters to Tigranes the Great tap
Lori & Nareg’s Letters to Tigranes the Great
With Lori's help, Nareg writes eight letters to Tigranes the Great, telling him about the events that took place in the history of the Armenian nation after his death.

Lori & Nareg’s Letters to Tigranes the Great

The Rose and the Fir Tree tap
The Rose and the Fir Tree
This fable teaches the value of humility. The roses believe they are the most beautiful flowers, but when they lose their petals in winter, they realize that nature has many other kinds of beauty, including the evergreen trees that remain green throughout the year.

The Rose and the Fir Tree

Lori and Nareg in Armenia tap
Lori and Nareg in Armenia
Lori and Nareg take a summer trip to Armenia, where they discover its famous landmarks. They also learn the Armenian alphabet by finding a place in Armenia for each letter.

Lori and Nareg in Armenia

Lori and the Animals tap
Lori and the Animals
Lori wants to discover the smartest animal in the world. She visits a zoo and learns that every animal has its own special ability, just as every person has a unique talent.

Lori and the Animals

Nareg's Dream tap
Nareg's Dream
In his dream, Nareg visits different planets. At first, he wants to stay on the Moon because he thinks that Planet Earth looks even more beautiful from far away. In the end, however, he returns to Earth because he wants to help make it a better place.

Nareg's Dream

Nareg's Palace tap
Nareg's Palace
Nareg wants to find the most beautiful palace in the world. He travels across the seven continents, but in the end he realizes that the most beautiful home is his own humble house, because it is where he and his family live. The book teaches about the continents and the importance of family.

Nareg's Palace

Lori and the Little Sprout tap
Lori and the Little Sprout
Lori wants to help a tiny sprout she finds in her garden grow into a beautiful flower. After hearing many different suggestions, she discovers that a sprout becomes a flower when it has soil, water, and sunshine. The story also teaches children about numbers and shapes, such as circles, squares, triangles, and more. It introduces the stages of a flower's growth and the importance of love and care.

Lori and the Little Sprout

Board Games

Armenia’s Mountains and Rivers tap
Armenia’s Mountains and Rivers
This game may be played with 2 to 4 players. The goal is to reach the top of Ararat Mountain — the first player to reach square 100 wins. Any time a pawn ends its move on a picture square at the top of a river, it slides down to the picture square at the bottom of the river. Any time a pawn ends its move on a picture square at the bottom of a mountain, it climbs up to the picture square at the top of the mountain.

Armenia’s Mountains and Rivers

Gata! tap
Gata!
This game may be played with 2 to 4 players. The 64 cards are divided into 8 categories: language, folk costume, cuisine, holidays, religion, history, art, and symbols. The cards are read by a designated person. If a player has the picture matching the card read, they cover it on their board with a game chip. The first person to cover all 16 slices of the Gata declares victory and says "Gata!"

Gata!

Tickets to Armenia tap
Tickets to Armenia
This game box includes 2 games. It may be played with 2 players or with a large group. The game is designed to make learning about Armenia both entertaining and interactive, introducing players to many of the country's most significant landmarks, monuments, and historical touristic sites.

Tickets to Armenia

Workbooks

Discovering Armenian National Symbols workbook tap
Armenian National Symbols Workbook
The workbook introduces children to Armenia's most important national symbols and emblems through clear, concise explanations. Each topic is accompanied by a coloring page, allowing students to reinforce the learning through creative activities. "This publication can be used as a supplementary classroom resource for elementary school students, many of whom are not yet familiar with these important Armenian symbols," the author explains. The workbook is designed for use both at home and in Armenian schools, helping young learners develop a stronger understanding and appreciation of Armenian heritage through interactive learning.

Armenian National Symbols Workbook

Aline Bezdikian

Aline Bezdikian-Shirajian is an Armenian-American educator, children's author, and cultural advocate who has dedicated her life to preserving and promoting the Armenian language, history, and culture.

Born in Lebanon and currently residing in Glendale, California, Aline has inspired new generations throughout her professional career to strengthen their connection to their Armenian identity through language, literature, and creative education. For many years, she has been teaching Armenian language, Armenian history, theater, and journalism at the high school level, helping countless students develop both their knowledge and their sense of national and cultural identity.

Aline is the author and creator of the "Lori and Nareg" children's book series. She has published 17 books in this collection, featuring a sister and a brother, Lori and Nareg. Through her stories, she introduces children to Armenian traditions, culture, geography, and history while also conveying important moral values.

In addition to her literary work, Aline has created Armenian educational games, including "Armenia's Mountains and Rivers", "Gata!" and "Tickets For Armenia", which are designed to teach Armenia's geography and culture to children and families in an enjoyable and engaging way.

Aline has also worked as a freelance journalist and columnist for various Armenian newspapers and magazines in both the United States and Lebanon. As a broadcaster and host, she has helped bring Armenian stories, personalities, and experiences to a wider audience. She has hosted a televised evening storytelling program for children and has been actively involved in the performing arts and theater.

Aline Bezdikian-Shirajian is married and lives in Glendale, California. She is the proud mother of a daughter and a son, Lori and Nareg, who inspired her to create the names of the main characters in her children's book series.

Aline hosting a storytelling program Aline with schoolchildren by a Mount Ararat mural Aline presenting to children at a reading Aline presenting her books Aline in traditional Armenian dress

Contact

For events, readings, and enquiries: alineshyenest@gmail.com