The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

A World Worth Saving by Kyle Lukoff Dial Books for Young Readers (imprint of Penguin Random House), 2025 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Lisa Trank   Buy at Bookshop.org Told in first person, A World Worth Saving tells the story of A, a 14-year old transgender boy who is struggling to live his truest life against the wishes of his parents. They force him to attend meetings of SOSAD, “Save our Sons and Daughters," a conversion group that is part of a nationally led movement.  A and his friends discover that the transphobia displayed by the SOSAD leaders and parents is the result of possession by sheydim (demons). A meets an otherworldly being - a new kind of golem, one made out of trash instead of clay - who tells A that he will have to repair the world. The golem also teaches A its own valuable lesson from prior failed attempts to repair the world: asking for help. With the help of the golem, other trans and genderfluid teens, and a friendly rabbi who provides essential info...

Pedal Pusher: How One Woman's Bicycle Adventure Helped Change the World by Mary Boone, illustrated by Lisa Anchin Henry Holt & Co. (imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group), 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Jeff Gottesfeld   Buy at Bookshop.org In the late 1800's, the idea of a woman riding a bicycle around the world was preposterous. Yet that is just what petite Annie Cohen Kopchovsky did. A Latvian-Jewish immigrant to America with three little children, Annie took a bet offered by two Boston business people. Off she went, and change her unwieldy name for the ride to the name of one of her sponsoring companies, becoming known as Annie Londonderry. This book tracks her journey, illustrated with fun period art that takes Annie from New York to Egypt to Japan to Africa -- at least that's what she claimed! -- and home again, breaking all kinds of norms and setting the stage for women in sports and business that we are living today. It's an inspiring...

Gittel by Laurie Schneider Fitzroy Books (imprint of Regal House Publishing), 2025 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Ellen Scolnic   Buy at Bookshop.org   Gittel is the story of a Jewish family in 1912 who escaped shtetl life and pogroms in Eastern Europe to settle in Wisconsin. We see their adjustment to farming life and to being a very small minority in a new world/town. Daughter Gittel must deal with a town bully, but she has two good girlfriends and a loving family who support her love of books and poetry.   This quiet story could give readers a glimpse of farming/pioneer activities like churning butter and harvesting hay. Some names and terms (Chautauqua, Jane Addams, Dubliner) are not explained well and may be difficult for young readers to understand. The pace is slow, and may not hold the attention of readers seeking adventure. The Jewish content feels authentic. The chapter where Gittel is embarrassed about celebrating Hanukkah did ring true. Jewish holidays, food...

Noah and His Wagon by Jerry Ruff, illustrated by Katrijn Jacobs Kalaniot Books (imprint of Endless Mountain), 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Jeanette Lazar   Buy at Bookshop.org   Several plot lines intermingle to create what becomes a meditation on kindness for the young reader. Noah and His Wagon begins with the story of Paloma, whose best friend has moved away, whose mother rushes off to work, and whose older sister pays more attention to her phone than to her charge. Enter Noah, who's new to the neighborhood but whose wagon seems to be a magnet for those in need. After introductions that include the backstories of Bucket the dog and Mitzvah the cat, we meet Mrs. Willow. Noah helps her with her groceries once a week. The expanding band of do-gooders arrive at the park. There we meet Seymour on the swing. And we find a sad Mikhail in the sandbox. Time for a cookie break for all, that dissolves as the rain begins to fall. That night, As Paloma curls up in bed with Bu...

Shabbat in a Nest by Chris Barash, illustrated by Sydney Hanson PJ Publishing, 2025 Category: Board Books Reviewer: Sarah Clarke Shabbat in a Nest is a sweet board book featuring Yanni, a young owlet, as he shares his favorite time of the week: Shabbat. His family gathers, coming from near and far, to light candles, feast, rest, and spend time together. His uncle comes on Friday night for Shabbat dinner. On Saturday, his aunt and cousins come to play. Yanni’s father tells the owlets a story about King Soloman, as Yanni notes that it’s the only time his father has to tell stories. As night falls, the owls look for the first three stars in the night to signal the end of Shabbat. At the end of the night, after the HavdalahcCandle is put out, Yanni’s family fly off into the night. As Yanni falls asleep, he thinks about the upcoming week, and next Shabbat.  This story is fantastic for young children celebrating Shabbat. The text is clear and concise, and it has a clear perspective tha...

Twist, Tumble, Triumph: The Story of Champion Gymnast Ágnes Keleti by Deborah Bodin Cohen and Kerry Olitzky, illustrated by Martina Peluso Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rachel J. Fremmer   Buy at Bookshop.org   This picture book jumps (get it?) right into Ágnes Keleti’s career as a gymnast, showing her training on uneven bars, the balance beam, and the vault. But World War II is raging and Ágnes lives in Budapest, Hungary. Her career as a gymnast is cut short (it seems), when Jews are banned from the gym. But Ágnes survives the war and resumes training, finally winning gold medals at the 1952 and 1956 Games, at the ages of 31 and 35, respectively. The title, while obviously referring to gymnastics moves and Ágnes’s gold medals, also has a second meaning, referring to the twists her athletic career took and the obstacles she had to overcome. This is not quite a picture book biography. The book instead ...