The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Golda's Showtime Scare (Golda & Ezra series) by Hollie Michaels, illustrated by Claudio Cerri Picture Window Books (imprint of Capstone Publishing), 2025 Category: Early Chapter Book Reviewer: Katie Dawson   Buy at Bookshop.org Golda and Ezra are back, this time during the Chanukah season in Golda’s Showtime Scare . The siblings are hard at work preparing for the Chanukah play with their Tia Ilana at the community center, when the two leads playing the shamash candle and the dreidel get sick and are no longer able to participate in the play. Golda and Ezra volunteer to step in and take on the roles! But, it is not quite as easy as they anticipated. Golda and Ezra tackle their fears and practice hard for the play. Thankfully, Bubbe is also helping out, imparting lots of advice and helping to get them ready for the big day. When it is finally time to perform, Golda and Ezra take Bubbe’s advice and tell themselves what their Zeyde used to say when he was nervous for a show: ‘The...

Golda and Ezra's Dinner Dilemma (Golda & Ezra series) by Hollie Michaels, illustrated by Claudio Cerri Picture Window Books (imprint of Capstone Publishing), 2025 Category: Early Chapter Book Reviewer: Katie Dawson   Buy at Bookshop.org In this installment in the early chapter book series, Golda and Ezra take on the mitzvah of helping their neighbor distribute an enormous basket of vegetables to the local senior center. At first they aren’t sure what to make with the vegetables, but while kneading his challah dough, Ezra is inspired to make pizza. On Sunday afternoon they bring dough, sauce, and toppings to the senior center for the big pizza making event, where they work together to figure out how to keep the pizzas organized for all of the participants and enjoy their delicious mitzvah together. The book opens with a one page description of Ezra and Golda’s diverse blended family, so that we learn who they are, their backgrounds, and what they love to do. This introductory p...

A Forgiveness Stone for Ezra (Golda & Ezra series) by Hollie Michaels, illustrated by Claudio Cerri Picture Window Books (imprint of Capstone Publishing), 2025 Category: Early Chapter Books  Reviewer: Jacqueline Jules   Buy at Bookshop.org This early chapter book opens with a one-page introduction of the characters: Golda Gene Fisher, her stepbrother Ezra David Gomez, their parents, Ima and Aba, and their cats, Bagel and Lox. Ezra and Ima have brown skin. Golda and Aba have white. The illustrations show a multicultural school setting. Chapter 1 starts with Golda eating a large lunch and commenting how “she can’t stop noshing” because yesterday she fasted for Yom Kippur for the first time. Since her class is eating outside, she has a view of the playground. Golda’s stepbrother Ezra is hanging on the monkey bars, clearly frightened. His classmates are beneath him, waiting to see what happens. When Ezra falls to the ground and hurts his wrist, Golda runs over to help. In the...

The Fisher Family Beach Project (Golda & Ezra series) by Hollie Michaels, illustrated by Claudio Cerri Picture Window Books (imprint of Capstone Publishing), 2025 Category: Early Chapter Book Reviewer: Katie Dawson   Buy at Bookshop.org This early chapter book, an installment in the Golda & Ezra series, is about a blended family of four: Ezra, Golda, Ima and Aba. Ezra and Golda are step-siblings, and they have a pair of kitties named Bagel and Lox. This entry in the series takes us to the beach with the family around the Jewish holiday of Tu BiShvat. The reader can empathize with Ezra, who is a bit hesitant at first to participate in beach day due to all the stuff they have to schlep for their sandcastle contest, his dislike of getting sand in his hair, and his resistance to having to endure putting on sunscreen. As the family goes through the routine of getting themselves settled at the beach, they realize with a start that the beach is really messy– there is trash everyw...

The Peddler and the President by Ann Diament Koffsky, illustrated by Pedro Rodriguez Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2025 Category: Early Chapter Books Reviewer: Doreen Klein Robinson   Buy at Bookshop.org May is Jewish American History Month (JAHM). I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing a nonfiction chapter book that shines a light on a friendship between two very different American people: Eddie Jacobson and Harry Truman. The Peddler and the President is an extremely important and well crafted book. It’s a solid piece of Jewish American history, with themes of friendship, using your voice, and making a choice. It’s 1903. Eddie Jacobson is a young Jewish man who left school to work in a store to support his struggling family. Harry, a Christian, grew up on a farm and also left school to support his family. He worked at bank - the very same bank that Eddie would go to each day to deposit the store’s money. The two become unlikely friends - but life get...

The Truth About the Tooth Fairy (Miriam's Magical Creature Files series) by Leah Cypess, illustrated by Sarah Lynne Reul Amulet Books (imprint of Harry N. Abrams), 2025 Category: Early Chapter Book Reviewer: Dena Bach   Buy at Bookshop.org Six-year-old Miriam, the youngest in her family, thinks that her older siblings and her parents are telling her the most ridiculous things. The most ridiculous of all is about the tooth fairy. Funny, clever, irreverent Miriam does not believe that the tooth fairy is real, and she’s determined to prove it. Once her first loose tooth begins to wiggle, Miriam makes a plan. She will stay up all night and catch the tooth fairy in action. But when her tooth finally falls out on Shabbat, Miriam must put her plan on hold. She wonders what the tooth fairy will do, especially, if as she suspects, it’s really her father. He can’t put money under her pillow on Shabbat. After Shabbat is over, Miriam continues her quest. Yet at the end of the narrative, both t...

The Secret of the Scent Map (A Saralee Siegel Book) by Elana Rubinstein, illustrated by Jennifer Naalchigar Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2025 Category: Early Chapter Books Reviewer: Rochelle Newman-Carrasco   Buy at Bookshop.org   The Secret of the Scent Map is narrated by protagonist Saralee Siegel, a girl with an “amazing, incredible, totally awesome ability”—a super-nose! Her extraordinary sense of smell helps her create innovative recipes for her family’s restaurant, especially during Passover. Saralee loves working alongside her beloved Zaide, but tensions rise when her Aunt Lotte refuses to help, complains about having to polish silverware, and even sneaks bites of food meant for customers. Saralee, a natural helper, is frustrated by her aunt’s laziness—especially when Lotte knocks over a bowl of painstakingly prepared horseradish, an essential ingredient for maror. Furious, Saralee has an outburst, yelling, “YOU’RE RUINING EVERYTHING!” The next ...

The Secret Seder by Dvorah Zuckerberg, illustrated by Tamara Goldreich Menucha Publishers, 2025 Category: Early Chapter Books Reviewer: Leah Cypess   Buy at Menucha This well-written and evocative early chapter book tells the story of a secret seder in Siberia during World War II. The story seems to be based on the author’s own experiences. Despite the setting and topic, it is a gentle narrative, conveying the harsh realities of the life the main character lives but stressing the fact that she nevertheless feels safe, protected by her parents and by God. There is enough tension to keep the pages turning. Will their neighbor discover what they are doing? Will American Jews send matzah? The clear, crisp illustrations, with their expressive facial expressions and beautiful scenery, enhance and complete the story. The Jewish representation in this book is heartfelt and authentic and illuminates an important part of the Jewish historical experience. The book is about deeply religious J...

Rachel Friedman Is Not the Queen by Sarah Kapit, illustrated by Genevieve Kote Henry Holt & Co., 2025 Category: Early Chapter Books Reviewer: Elizabeth Shaw   Buy at Bookshop.org Rachel Friedman is Not the Queen , the most recent entry in Sarah Kapit’s early chapter book series, is a warm, relatable friendship story that teaches about Purim and the importance of seeing others’ perspectives.   In this installment, goodhearted but impulsive Rachel falls out with her best friend Maya when Maya nabs the coveted role of Esther in their synagogue’s 3rd grade Purimspiel. Rachel, appropriately cast as the stubborn Vashti, takes her jealousy and disappointment out on Maya in harsh words, avoidance, and competitiveness. The caring adults in Rachel’s life notice the friction and help Rachel understand how her behavior is hurting her treasured friendship. Rachel apologizes and the two girls support each other through the challenges of the final performance of the play.  Rachel is...

Becca and Benj (Becca the Brave, Book 1) by Judith Henderson, illustrated by Amy Jindra Reycraft Books, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Judy Ehrenstein Buy at Bookshop.org The first book of a new series for newly independent readers, Benj tells of life’s little events alongside his pal Becca. Among the highlights is celebrating Shabbat nearly every week with Becca and her family, and battling classmate “Warren the Worst.” Benj is short, chubby, and appears to be African American; taller Becca is white, Jewish, and brave “like a Maccabee”. These friends support and celebrate each other in a very genuine 1st-3rd grader way. Yiddish is sprinkled throughout as are some excellent vocabulary building words, each with definition and pronunciation worked smoothly into the text. An incident with a mildly antisemitic tone (Warren calls Shabbat “Shabbat-butt-butt”) is rectified with gentle guidance by a neighbor: “‘It’s good to invite your enemies for matzah ball soup,” Mrs. Lieberman said...

Yitzy Aims High by Ann D. Koffsky, illustrated by Margeaux Lucas Category: Early Chapter Book Reviewer: Chava Pinchuck Buy at Menucha Yitzy is waiting in the lobby of the synagogue while his father prays in the sanctuary. But it is taking a very long time. Yitzy has been entertaining himself by playing with his toy dragon and barrel of monkeys, but is bored and decides to kiss the mezuzah on the doorpost of the shul. It is up pretty high, and his attempts at jumping to reach it are not working. His toys start talking to him, with the monkeys forming a chain to help him, and the dragon trying to fly Yitzy to the mezuzah, but still, no success. Then Mr. Gertz arrives in a wheelchair and asks Yitzy to hold the door open so he can go in. To return the favor, Mr. Gertz tells Yitzy to climb onto his lap. Yitzy puts his feet on the arms of the wheelchair, and he can reach the mezuzah and kiss it. Yitzy realizes Mr. Gertz can't reach the mezuzah, so he gets him a siddur to tap it. Yitzy...