The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

We want to thank our dedicated team of volunteer book reviewers! They've been doing an incredible job evaluating Jewish children's and YA books for The Sydney Taylor Shmooze throughout 2025. Some of our reviewers have shared their favorite books of the year on yesterday's post HERE  - enjoy!   If you're interested in joining our reviewing team, CLICK HERE . Todah Rabah to: Rachel Aronowitz Dena Bach Freidele  Biniashvilli Amy Blaine Sarah Blattner Belinda Brock Jeanette Brod Merle Carrus Sarah Clarke Amy Brooke Cohen Ellie Grossman Cohen       Leah Cypess Katie Dawson Julie Ditton Judy Ehrenstein Ronda Einbinder Michelle Falkoff Jany Finkielsztein Karin Fisher-Golton Claire Freeland Rachel Fremmer Jeff Gottesfeld Judy Greenblatt Rebecca Greer Suzanne Grossman Kathryn Hall Jacqueline Jules Lauren Kasiarz Mirele Kessous Rebecca Klempner Ann Koffsky Cindy Marshall  Linda Marshall Heather Matthews   Stacy Mozer Rochelle Newman-Carrasco S...

Sydney Taylor Shmooze reviewers share some favorite titles from 2025 and answer the question "What makes this one of the most special books of the year?" Click on any book to see its Shmooze review!                      

War Games: A Novel of 1936 Berlin by Alan Gratz Scholastic Press, 2025 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Merle Eisman Carrus   Buy at Bookshop.org   A fast paced action novel for middle school readers, War Games is a history lesson about the 1936 Olympic Games and the terror of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. Author Alan Gratz interweaves real people and events from the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin with fictional characters who help round out the suspenseful story. Evie Harris has won a seat on the US Olympic team. It is the start to her dream come true, to win gold and become a movie actress. She is hoping to make enough money to give her family a new start after being forced to leave Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl and move to California. On the surface everything looks magical. Berlin is clean and new, the stadium is brightly lit and alive with the excitement of the teams competing. Black American, Jesse Owens, wins gold and German Jewish fencer, Helen Mayer, competes... but...

Don't Forget to Breathe by Brianna R. Shrum & Sara Waxelbaum Harper, 2025 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Kathryn Hall   Buy at Bookshop.org   Brianna R. Shrum and Sara Waxelbaum, authors of Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl , have written another young adult romance. Hanna has lived on army bases all her life until her parents move to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she convinces them to live off base for her senior year of high school. Despite her ADHD, Hanna, a pianist, is able to make friends who are comfortable with her identity as a lesbian. Zoe, also a senior at her school, is a ballet dancer on the autism spectrum with a boyfriend struggling with her plans for the future. When the two girls meet there is instant sexual tension. There is more intensity and less comic relief than in Shrum’s previous YA rom-coms. Sexual feelings are described in more detail than sexual acts. The book is well-written and realistic, with suspense as to the ending. The reader will be roo...

Don't Feed the Lion by Bianna Golodryga and Yonit Levi Arcadia Publishing, 2025 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Judy Ehrenstein   Buy at Bookshop.org When bad boy soccer star Wes Mitchell gets traded, he blames the team’s Jewish manager, and the hashtag Never Trust a Jew goes viral. A few boys on Theo’s middle school soccer team bring it hyperlocal by painting the phrase as well as a swastika on his gym locker, something Theo tries to wipe off and forget. He doesn’t want to deal with the situation, he doesn’t want to take a stand, he just wants to play soccer, get his bar mitzvah over with, and not make a fuss. Fortunately, other viewpoints are heard in this multivoiced novel which deals with hero worship, speaking up, and how microaggressions and prejudice are often swept aside in an effort to not have to address them and their true meaning: ignorance and latent hate and blame. His younger sister, Annie, takes the approach of creating a fake online identity in order to engage in...

All-Nighter by Cecilia Vinesse Quill Tree (imprint of HarperCollins Children's Books), 2025 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Emily Roth   Buy at Bookshop.org   Valedictorian Autumn and rule-breaking Tara have been sworn enemies since Tara’s first day at Autumn’s all-girls school. On prom night, Autumn needs a fake ID to flirt with her crush at a college poetry reading, and Tara needs to finish writing a paper on Mrs. Dalloway – one of Autumn’s favorite books – and turn it in by 7:00am in order to graduate. The girls agree to help each other, and over the course of a single night, their chaotic, whirlwind adventure leads to unexpected feelings.  Despite the silliness of the situations the girls find themselves in, each protagonist is a fully realized character with realistic fears about the impending conclusion of high school, and the way they bond over this feels authentic. Autumn is still traumatized from a near-fatal accident years earlier and worries about feeling dist...

The Devash Jr. Book of Shemot by Chana Kupetz and Efrayim Unterman, illustrated by Rivka Tsinman Dvash Jr (imprint of Hadar), 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Eva Weiss   Buy at Hadar.org   This pleasingly illustrated book presents the text of the biblical book of Exodus in chapters which follow the weekly portions. Narratives, laws, and traditional interpretations of heritage are made relevant to the daily lives and routines of children. The aim is to engage the imagination and convey the substance and ethics of scripture in a relatable way. For instance, the biblical law of safeguarding the property of another person is illustrated by interactions among children in a bowling alley. Corners of the pages are dedicated to original Hebrew verses with English translations. Each biblical portion concludes with a summary, lessons to consider, and suggestions for ways to bring biblical lessons to life ("Try it out!"), which encourages children to initiate practical good deeds...

Memory Stones by Kathy Kacer, illustrated by Hayley Lowe Second Story Press, 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Claire Freeland   Buy at Bookshop.org Sophie adores her modern and fun granny, so when she dies, Sophie is bereft. Her mother takes her to the cemetery to visit Granny’s grave where she leaves Granny’s favorite flowers. Upon a return visit, though, Sophie is upset to see the wilted remains of her remembrance. Her mother suggests she participate in the tradition of bringing a stone instead, but Sophie doesn’t think a stone could be as lovely as flowers, even if it lasts forever. Her mama tells her the story of angels watching over graves at night. When they see a stone, they know that someone on earth is caring for that grave, so the angels don’t need to watch that one. At home, Sophie ponders angels, stones, and flowers until she has an idea. She asks her parents to take her to all the favorite places that she and Granny had frequented. Gathering a stone from each sp...

A Storm Unleashed by Carol Matas Scholastic Canada, 2025 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Merle Eisman Carrus   Buy at Scholastic   Carol Matas has given a wonderful gift to middle grade readers and anyone else who is interested in the history of Germany leading up to the Holocaust. Her book, The Storm Unleashed , shows how one man with a small group of followers can gather momentum and create a community of hate toward another group of the society. Mia and her father live in an apartment building in Berlin with their Jewish neighbors. Her friend Frieda also lives with her family in the building. They have grown up here with the freedom to walk to the park and to school. Her father is a veterinarian and Mia has a beautiful German shepherd named Max. Freida attends a Jewish school, Mia goes to the local public school. Now as Hitler comes to power, Mia is aware of her life changing as the country moves from a democracy to fascist regime, antisemitism is rising as the Jews become...

Time for Tefillah by Devorah Schwebel, illustrated by Tova Katz Hachai Publishing, 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Judy Ehrenstein   Buy at Amazon.com A young Orthodox boy cheerfully details all the ways he and his family find time for tefillah (prayer), told in four-line rhyming stanzas. Every opportunity for prayer, whether saying modeh ani upon waking, going to shul, and fitting in words of Tehilim (psalms) into busy days, and more are done with joy and appreciation, as ways to thank Hashem for everything. The stanzas mostly work and have a natural flow without forcing the rhyme scheme. The illustrations feature Ashkenazi people, with fair skin and brown and red hair, drawn in a retro style reminiscent of the Little Golden Books. The text and life depicted work well together, joining a tale of all the ways to praise Hashem, with images of people living very traditional, pious lives in a modern world.  The Jewish world depicted is deeply traditional, marked by modest...

Try Your Worst by Chatham Greenfield Bloomsbury YA, 2025 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Kathryn Hall   Buy at Bookshop.org   This well-written light sapphic rom-com mystery with an enemies-to-mor-than-friends plot has some serious themes. The story is told in alternating chapters from the point of view of Sadie, who is Jewish, and Chloe, who is not. These high school seniors are dealing with depression, anxiety, chronic pain, uncertainty about the future, an unrequited crush, and mothers. Being lesbian and being overweight are not presented as significant problems. When bad things happen to them and they are unfairly blamed, it becomes obvious that someone is trying to frame Sadie and Chloe, and the school administration will not help them. Gradually misunderstandings are cleared up, and betrayal is revealed. The mental health concerns are handled realistically and with sensitivity. The sexual content does not go beyond kissing. In the dedication the author warns the reader a...

    Leaving the Station by Jake Maia Arlow Storytide, (imprint of HarperCollins), 2025 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Dena Bach   Buy at Bookshop.org "A Jew and a Mormon walk onto a train.” This sounds like a set up for a joke, as Zoe Tauber says to her fellow traveler Oakley, but it is instead an apt synopsis of Leaving the Station , this sapphic YA romance. When Oakley and Zoe meet, they have just boarded an Amtrak train in New York City. After running away from her actions and inaction during her first semester in college, Zoe has chosen to take the train for a slow trip back to her home in Seattle. Oakley’s destination is Ritzville WA, returning home after escaping from her highly prescriptive Mormon life there. Until she got to Cornell, Zoe had followed the straight and narrow track that her parents expected, towards becoming a doctor, but now she wants to take another route. Both Zoe and Oakley are using the long train trip as a liminal space to figure out how the...

Acts of Lovingkindness by Nina Kentsis Porter Place Publishing, 2025 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Julie Ditton   Buy at Bookshop.org   Acts of Lovingkindness is a touching coming of age story that relates a teenager's experiences during her senior year in high school. It covers everything from first love, awakening sexuality, and the problems with the possibility of a long distance relationship once she goes to college. Although the character becomes involved in an adult relationship, the scenes are not explicit. The book would be appropriate for younger teens as well. But this is not really a love story, it also explores outgrowing friendships as people change, relatives with addiction, and broken trust. Nina Kentsis captures teenage angst and issues and the characters ring true. Francie is Jewish, but is not particularly religious and has rarely attended services since her Bat Mitzvah. However, she needs community service hours for a high school credit and her mother ha...

Hamantaschen or Latkes? by Kerry M. Olitzky, illustrated by Ruby Silberman Bink Books (imprint of Bedazzled Ink), 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Amy Brook Cohen   Buy at Bookshop.org   This delightful new picture book was inspired by the real-life Great Latke-Hamantash Debate, started in 1946 and still held annually at the University of Chicago; now held at many other universities around the U.S as well. Our two protagonists are Sandy and Zoe, two girls living in the charming Squirrel Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh. While Sandy’s mom owns a bakery and their sell-out product is hamantaschen, Zoe’s mom owns a deli where the most popular item is latkes. The girls are friends, and they enjoy playful banter, debating the merits of both foods, each of them steadfast in their commitment to one food over the other. When they come up with an idea to set up a table in the park so that community members can sample both hamantaschen and latkes and vote on which one they prefer, t...

Challah from Heaven written and illustrated by Richard Ungar PJ Publishing, 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Ellie Grossman Cohen   Buy at PJLibraryshop.org   This new twist on a Shabbat tale leaves crumbs, or clues, for the reader to follow as we chase the flyaway challah and discover a mystery gues. The anticipation of Shabbat is palatable as Mama and her daughter Hannin make a scrumptious golden brown challah for a special visitor, the Gaon (pronounced “guy-own”) of Minsk. He is described as a wise old man with wiggly eyebrows who travels the villages and shares his timeless stories. Meanwhile, the challah disappears from the windowsill to cool and begins to fly through the sky, almost touching the clouds. The reader tags along with the young girl as she hurries through the bustling shtetl, which is illustrated with splashes of color, slanted rooflines, and whimsical details. She asks Yaakov the painter, Tzipporah the bird whisperer, and finally the bearded old man si...

Golem Loves Latkes: A Tasty Hanukkah Tale by Doreen Klein Robinson, illustrated by Anna Krajewska Intergalactic Afikoman, 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rebecca Klempner   Buy at Bookshop.org Golem Loves Latkes is a slapstick picture book kids will enjoy. Our narrator, referred to affectionately as "Bubbeleh," usually loves to visit her bubbe in Schmoozeville. But when she arrives just before Hanukkah, the neighbors who prefer sour cream with their latkes are at war with those who prefer applesauce. Instead of schmoozing amicably, everyone is screaming at each other. Bubbeleh and Bubbe make latke batter, and while Bubbe fries those latkes up, Bubbeleh starts crafting. First, she makes a dreidel. Then she makes a golem. It comes to life when it smells the delectable scent of the latkes. It eats them with sour cream, applesauce, and even with ketchup. When it runs out of latkes in Bubbe's house, it runs to the neighbors. It eats up their latkes, too! Finally, Bubbe...

A Dragon Called Spark: A Hanukkah Story by Lily Murray, illustrated by Kirsti Beautyman Kalaniot Books (imprint of Endless Mountains Publishing), 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Jodie Sadowsky   Buy at Bookshop.org Eva expects Hanukkah to feel very different this year. She’s moved to “a new street, a new town” far away from her friends. Eva takes comfort in the company of her pet dragon, Spark, who she imagines might be lonely. Eva’s sister laughs and says it would take a miracle for Spark to find a dragon friend. Eva wishes for it anyway: a friend for each of them. When Hanukkah begins, the family’s hanukkiyah in the window interests Charlie, a neighborhood boy, who asks about the candles. Soon, the two are sharing Hanukkah treats, and Eva finally feels brave enough to tell Charlie about Spark. Charlie tries his hardest to see Spark. Later, at the playground, Eva suspects Charlie has told the other children about her pet dragon and that they are all laughing at her. Endear...

Can You Hear Them? One, Two! by Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh, illustrated by Florence Weiser PJ Publishing, 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rochelle Newman-Carrasco   Buy at PJLibraryshop.org   This sweet picture book opens as the rains end and the animals exit the ark to explore and play. The simple rhyming storytelling is not only meant to be read aloud, but has the added bonus of playing with the fun sounds animals make. This creates the opportunity for an interactive experience as readers encourage little listeners to imitate the sounds – the “grunt, grunt,” of piglets, the “Ooh-wah, Ooh-wah!” of elephants, and more. Speaking of little ones, the storytelling and illustration does a lovely job of focusing on the baby and young animals who are ready to play and explore. Not only does each picture feature adorable animals in action, but the use of rich, vibrant colors includes emphasizing the animal name and sound so that they stand-out. Little children, from diverse background...

Sparrow by Mary Tebo, illustrated by E.B. Lewis Astra Young Readers, 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Heidi Rabinowitz   Buy at Bookshop.org   A sparrow builds her nest in a crevice in the Western Wall in Jerusalem, using plant material and prayer notes. She doesn't know exactly what's going to happen, but she has a sense of expectation and hope. Hope, indeed, is the theme of the story. Lyrically told in the present tense, and accompanied by beautiful realistic paintings that move between cityscapes and closeups, the story captures some of the magic of this city that is sacred to so many people. By showcasing the neutral character of a sparrow, the book becomes equally accessible to readers of all backgrounds.    No religions are mentioned in the text, although there is a reference to church bells. The illustrations include the Western Wall, the golden Dome of the Rock, and many church towers, as well as people of various skin tones, some wearing kippot. The ba...

The World Entire: A True Story of an Extraordinary World War II Rescue by Elizabeth Brown, illustrated by Melissa Castrillon Chronicle Books, 2025 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rachel J. Fremmer   Buy at Bookshop.org   “The greatest individual act of rescue in all of World War II” may have been accomplished by someone you never heard of. This person may have saved more people than Schindler or Wallenberg. If I told you he had saved people by issuing visas, perhaps Sugihara would come to mind. (Wallenberg and Sugihara are, in fact, the first two diplomats listed in the dedication to “diplomats who defied official policy to save countless lives.”) But Aristides de Sousa Mendes? Probably not. And yet… Finally giving him the attention he deserves is Elizabeth Brown’s picture book, The World Entire: A True Story of an Extraordinary World War II Rescue with stunning illustrations by Melissa Castrillon. The book starts with Aristedes’s career as a Portuguese diplomat who issued v...

Hidden Lives: Stories from Child Survivors of the Holocaust Edited by Rachelle L. Goldstein and the Hidden Child Foundation/ADL Second Story Press, 2025 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Kathryn Hall   Buy at Bookshop.org Hidden Lives is a nonfiction collection of almost sixty biographical excerpts and essays by and about Jewish children who survived separation from their parents during the Holocaust. Many of these were first published in The Hidden Child , a newsletter published by the Hidden Child Foundation/ADL. Each voice is different, but there are several common themes in the lives of these children. Those who were able to be reunited with family had difficulty reestablishing those relationships. Many were high achievers. Many eventually moved to the United States, Canada, or Israel. The stories were all written many decades after the war, each author looking back at a traumatic childhood from the perspective of old age. The brevity of the excerpts left me wanting to know more ...

My Little Book of Big Jewish Holidays written and illustrated by Hannah Shafiroff Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2025 Category: Picture Book Reviewer: Julie Ditton   Buy at Bookshop.org This fantastic 64-page treasury is a guide to ten Jewish holidays throughout the year, written at sophisticated picture book level. Beginning with Shabbat, then Rosh Hashanah, the book takes the reader through the Jewish calendar, explaining each holiday. The author-illustrator's bright, colorful drawings will engage even the youngest reader and the descriptions and explanations are written in simple language that school-aged children can read for themselves. Each holiday begins with a spread that includes sections labeled When, What We Say, Why We Celebrate, and How We Celebrate. For some holidays, this basic information is followed by additional detail. This book explains the history and the traditions for each holiday. It also provides pronunciation for holiday greetings. This is an excellent ...