The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

GLITCH GIRL! by Rainie Oet Kokila (imprint of Penguin Young Readers), 2025 Category: Middle Grade  Reviewer: Esty Schachter   Buy at Bookshop.org GLITCH GIRL! is a heartbreaking verse novel by Rainie Oet that begins with a content warning: "This book contains depictions of difficult subjects that some may find triggering. These include trauma, physical abuse, emotional abuse, violence, self-harm, misgendering, transphobia, homophobia and bullying." This is important, as Oet’s book, taken from personal experiences, is a painful exploration of a child experiencing emotional and physical abuse at home, and the significant impacts that result. The main character, J—, uses a crossed-out name in reflecting on the past because she identifies as a nonbinary girl and uses she/her and they/them pronouns interchangeably. Oet acutely shows J— from 4th to 7th grade as they struggle with rejection, very low self-esteem and isolation, finding some respite through a video game they play. J...

On the Wings of Eagles by Tami Lehman-Wilzig, illustrated by Alisha Monnin Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Leah Cypess   Buy at Bookshop.org On the Wings of Eagles is a beautifully written and gorgeously illustrated picture book. It tells the story of the evacuation of the Jews of Yemen in 1949, when they were flown to Israel in Alaksa Airline’s planes. By combining the narratives of two individuals—a Yemeni girl and an Alaskan Airline pilot—the author creates a story that is both tense and heartwarming. The exquisite illustrations not only complement the story but form an essential part of it. While reading, I wondered whether a certain incident in the picture book was actually true. The short but clear afterword answered all my questions about the historical facts. (And the incident I had wondered about was, in fact, true. It's a spoiler, so you'll have to read it for yourself.) This important and expertly-crafted ...

A Place Called Galveston by Andrea Shapiro, illustrated by Valerya Milovanova Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shanna Silva   Buy at Bookshop.org   A Place Called Galveston showcases both Jewish hardship and triumph. Life for Russian Jewry was bleak; antisemitism and oppression occurred throughout generations. Nothing ever improved. Prospects of a better life in America (not without its own difficulties) tempted those who could scrape together the ship-passage fare. Galveston, Texas was believed to be a welcome refuge for Jewish immigrants, where there was an established Jewish community and trade work could be found. In this story, two young men make the arduous journey, leaving their families behind in Russia with promises for future reunions. After weeks at sea, the men are greeted by bicycle-riding Rabbi Henry Cohen in Galveston. The Jewish community there welcomed them with lodging, food, and job prospects. The t...

All the Things We Found by Joanne Levy Orca, 2025 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Lisa Trank   Buy at Bookshop.org In Joanne Levy's All the Things We Found , 11-year-old Ruthie is navigating big, difficult changes from the aftermath of her baby brother’s stillbirth and her mother's subsequent postpartum depression, to her parents' divorce, new stepfather, and standoffish older stepbrothers. When Ruthie’s mother announces that she is pregnant, Ruthie’s grief and anxieties about her baby brother’s passing are reignited. Ruthie finds solace with her dog Izzy, and her best friend, Jenna, and their shared passion for the fantasy book series Unicorns of Faravelle . The two girls eagerly anticipate book number eight, but when they learn it's been canceled, Ruthie is determined to uncover why, even attempting to write the book herself. On a walk with Izzy to the cemetery where her brother is buried, Ruthie encounters an older woman sitting on a bench, writing in a red noteboo...

The Sky Was My Blanket: A Young Man's Journey Across Wartime Europe written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz Farrar Straus Giroux, 2025 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Judy Ehrenstein   Buy at Bookshop.org Employing a conversational, first-person narrative, the late author and illustrator Uri Shulevitz writes in the voice of his uncle, Henri, whom he met after both survived World War II. Born Yehiel Szulewicz in early 20th century Poland, Szulewicz showed early on that he was curious about the world beyond his Polish village and wouldn’t let obstacles get in his way of seeking adventure. Striking out from home at 15 ½ years old, thinking he would walk to the Holy Land, he traveled through Poland, much of central and southern Europe, eventually landing in Spain and joining the fight against Franco, all the while either staying with fellow Jews and earning small amounts of money to help him get by, or sleeping outside, “with the sky as my blanket”. When money or official papers were...