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Showing posts with the label Middle Grade

Review: Walking West

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Walking West by Tovah S. Yavin Menucha Publishers, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Judy Ehrenstein Buy at MenuchaPublishers.com Life in 1880s Oklahoma Territory isn't easy, particularly if you are a Jewish peddler intent on keeping kosher and observing Shabbat. David Kamen and his Uncle Simon travel with their donkey Star throughout the territory, bringing needed items to farmers, ranchers, soldiers, and Indians, while encountering storms, stampedes, and even rattlesnakes along the way. An adventure story to enjoy, the details about the roughness of life and the challenges of battling ever changing weather, really draw the reader in. David is resourceful, levelheaded, and accepting of everyone he encounters, including the original Cherokee and Cheyenne residents of the land now being “settled.” And in return, these “egg eaters” as the Jewish peddlers are known, are equally accepted. David dreams of becoming a writer, and as he progresses in age from 12 to 17, he moves from ke...

Review: Banned Books, Crop Tops, and Other Bad Influences

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Banned Books, Crop Tops, and Other Bad Influences by Brigit Young Roaring Brook Press, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Merle Eisman Carrus Buy at Bookshop.org Rose has grown up in this small town all her life like her father before her, among a handful of Jewish families. Rose and Charlotte (who is not Jewish) have stuck together as best friends since grammar school. Now in middle school they continue to stand apart from the crowd, eating lunch together, volunteering at the animal shelter, and spending afternoons together. Then Tali arrives at school, from New York City. She stands out in the way she dresses, the way she speaks out and is loud. She is willing to challenge authority. Rose is intrigued. Rose is surprised to find out Tali is also Jewish, when she spots her in synagogue during Yom Kippur services. Slowly Rose and Tali forge a common bond both because they are Jewish but also because Tali opens her eyes to some new ideas. Tali offers Rose a book to read about the Holo...

Review: Chutzpah Girls

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Chutzpah Girls: 100 Tales of Daring Jewish Women by Julie Esther Silverstein and Tami Schlossberg Pruwer The Toby Press (imprint of Koren Publishers), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Doreen Robinson Buy at Koren Mazel Tov to the authors of Chutzpah Girls , Julie Esther Silverstein and Tami Schlossberg Pruwer, for writing a must-have collective biography featuring 100 Jewish females with guts! Each spread shares an inspiring story of a Jewish female from around the world and highlights Jewish heroines throughout history, from Ancient Israel through the 21st Century. Some of these fascinating Jewish women fought for feminism and Zionism, and fought against racism and antisemitism; some broke codes or broke glass ceilings. These stories feature Jewish women with incredible intelligence, some of whom have roles in intelligence, cybersecurity and defense. They are sports champions and champions of causes they believe in. Some fought as battlefield warriors and others fought everyday b...

Review: Rachel Friedman and Eight Not-Perfect Nights of Hanukkah

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  Rachel Friedman and Eight Not-Perfect Nights of Hanukkah by Sarah Kapit, illustrated by Genevieve Kote Henry Holt & Co. (imprint of Macmillan), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Julie Ditton Buy at Bookshop.org The irrepressible Rachel Friedman is back. When a classmate says that Christmas is better than Hanukkah, Rachel feels the drive to make this year the best Hanukkah ever. But then her best friend gets sick, her brother thinks that he is too old for Hanukkah and worst of all, Dad forgets to buy potatoes for the latkes. Sarah Kapit has written a plot that will keep young readers engaged and has developed characters that they can relate to. Rachel is smart and energetic and knows how to take action. Her brother just had his Bar Mitzvah and has the typical attitude of not wanting to do things that seem babyish. The sibling interaction is realistic. Just when Rachel is most fed up with him, he does something nice. The fantastic grey-tone illustrations by Genevieve Kote h...

Review: Hiding from the Nazis in Plain Sight

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Hiding from the Nazis in Plain Sight: A Graphic Novel Biography of Zhanna and Frina Arshanskaya by Lydia Lukidis, illustrated by Aleksandar Sotirovski Capstone Press, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Jeanette Brod   Buy at Bookshop.org There are as many Holocaust stories of survival as there are survivors. We tell stories of the camps, the Holocaust, by bullets, hidden children, and now Hiding from the Nazis in Plain Sight . This true story is told in a very concise graphic novel. There are two sisters who are musical prodigies and somehow escape the 1941 roundup of Jews in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Taken in by the families of schoolmates, the sisters assume false identities as orphans. In the orphanage, they find refuge in their music. Their piano playing wafts through open windows and despite their efforts to keep a low profile, their artistry propels them into the spotlight. They are offered musical scholarships and invited to perform for the occupying German soldiers. In 1945, wh...

Review: The Things We Miss

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The Things We Miss by Leah Stecher Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Judy Ehrenstein Buy at Bookshop.org Seventh grade is NOT a good time for J.P. (Joan Phyllis). Her father has recently died, her beloved grandfather, Pop Pop, has a recurrence of cancer, and mean girl Miranda is determined to body shame her at school whenever the chance arises, be it in PE, the cafeteria, and even at the mall. Only her best friend Kevin, with whom she shares a passion for the sci-fi comic book and tv show “Admiral K” can bring her some semblance of happiness, especially when planning for the opening of an “Admiral K” movie. In an attempt at an escape from her unhappiness, J.P. climbs up to a neighbor’s old treehouse and discovers a secret: it is a portal through time, roughly allowing her to “skip” 3 days. Her body is present but her memories of those days are gone! What a perfect way to get through the school year! Or is it? Sure, the tedium and torture are avoided...

Review: Safiyyah's War

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Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan Alida (imprint of HarperCollins), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer:  Stacey Rattner Buy at Bookshop.org War has come to Paris and 11 year old Safiyyah is navigating her life now that her best friend has fled to the country, her older cousin has joined the army, and Nazi soldiers are roaming the streets. When Safiyyah and her little cousin wonder if they will leave too, her father tells her that they will remain in Paris, living at their mosque. “It is our responsibility to our community. The congregation, as well as our neighbors of all faiths, need us, and in difficult times it’s more important than ever that we stick together.” And that is exactly what they do–stick together for each other, all faiths, including Jewish. Safiyyah’s family become critical players in the Resistance. Her father explains why. “How could we hope to sleep at night if we sat back and allowed the oppression of our neighbors, our brothers and sisters in humanity…?” This...

Review: Golemcrafters

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Golemcrafters by Emi Watanabe Cohen Levine Querido, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Heather Matthews Buy at Bookshop.org Faye and her older brother, Shiloh, are straddling two cultures at once. Patrilineal European Jews with a Japanese American mother, the siblings struggle to feel that they belong anywhere. Faye doesn’t feel that she belongs in the Asian Student Association or the Jewish Student Association, and both she and her brother face regular antisemitic bullying. However, through the gift of clay sent by their Zeyde, Faye and Shiloh end up spending their spring break in New York City, learning the skill of crafting golems. Over the week with Zeyde, Faye discovers her own powers and abilities, as well as the indominable spirit of her ancestors. Ultimately, Golemcrafters is a story about generational trauma, but more importantly, a story about generational strength.    Faye and Shiloh interact with multiple instances of historic and contemporary antisemitism. Thes...

Review: Let It Glow

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Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy Feiwel & Friends, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Jacqueline Jules Buy at Bookshop.org The device of long-lost identical twins reunited is delightfully employed by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy in this fun middle grade holiday novel. Holly and Aviva are two well-adjusted twelve-year-olds, comfortable with their status as adoptive daughters in their respective loving families. They both have a close relationship with a grandparent. This brings them both to Rowena Village, a senior center holding a December holiday pageant. Aviva, a born performer, enthusiastically volunteers, (at her Bubbe’s suggestion), to do a Hanukkah song. Holly reluctantly agrees to help backstage. They meet by accident at rehearsals and immediately bond as sisters. Aviva suggests that they switch places and surprise their families with a big reveal during the holiday pageant. Holly goes along, thinking that they will be discovered right away. However, both gir...

Review: What Jewish Looks Like

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What Jewish Looks Like by Liz Kleinrock and Caroline Kusin Pritchard, illustrated by Iris Gottlieb HarperCollins, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Rochelle Newman-Carrasco   Buy at Bookshop.org Both The Table of Contents and Introduction of the collective biography What Jewish Looks Like provide a road map for the way this much-needed book brings together a wide spectrum of individuals and organizations, identities and philosophies, beliefs, values, and causes. There are “Big Question” pages that add to the rich learning experience one can have with this book, no matter your own depth of involvement in all things Jewish. The authors do a good job of taking on the complexity of their topic. We are introduced to individuals and organizations in a thematic way. Tikkun Olam, for example, brings us those who are known for Repairing a Broken World. In this section alone we meet Jews from Ethopia, to Austria to Los Angeles, California. A chapter named Adam Yachid, Unique Value of Ev...

Review: Tale of the Flying Forest

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Tale of the Flying Forest by R.M. Romero, illustrated by E.K. Belsher Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Rebecca Klempner Buy at Bookshop.org Anne Applebaum lives in Silverthorne with her parents. One night, Mrs. Applebaum tells Anne that while pregnant, she dreamed that she would have not one child—Anne—but two—Anne and a son, Rainer. Anne believes that this missing twin is the reason she's always felt slightly empty. When 11-year-old Anne’s mother dies, her inattentive father leaves Anne to mourn on her own. Her greatest consolation is the book her mother gave her, The World to Come . The book follows the adventures of the seven Jewish prophetesses as well as seven witches who live in the magical realm of Bei Ilai, where they fight the evil Lilith the Nightshade Queen. After baking challah one lonely day, Anne shares some with a crow. In thanks, the crow tells her that her brother lives, but that he is currently in three pieces, all of th...

Review: Friends To the Rescue

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Friends to the Rescue by Ellen Schwartz, illustrated by Alison Mutton Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Lisa Trank Buy at Bookshop.org In  Friends to the Rescue , a poignant illustrated novel, the story unfolds in the aftermath of the devastating 2009 earthquake that ravaged the Italian town of Fossa. Young Luca, orphaned by a car accident, lives with his grandfather, Roberto, when the disaster strikes. Their trauma is compounded by the town's collective grief. The early chapters introduce Antonio, Luca's braver best friend, and portray the community's unwavering resilience as they come together to aid the injured and rescue the trapped. A turning point arrives with the discovery of a beloved townswoman's body. This prompts a flashback to 1943, when Nazi Germany occupied Italy. Roberto, then a young man, witnesses the persecution of Italian Jews. His family risks their lives to harbor the Rosettis, including Sara,...

Review: Rachel Friedman Breaks the Rules

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Rachel Friedman Breaks the Rules by Sarah Kapit, illustrated by Genevieve Kote Henry Holt & Co., 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Sara Lesley Arnold Buy at Bookshop.org Rachel Friedman does not follow rules, especially when she’s expected to sit through the lengthy services at her synagogue without a cartwheel break. As much as she tries, she just can’t. But when faced with a challenge from her father that would let her meet her gymnast idol, she must decide if this is motivation enough to betray her every instinct and follow every single rule for an entire week. Author Sarah Kapit thoroughly integrates Rachel’s relationship with Judaism into this first novel of the middle grade Rachel Friedman series, centering many turning points around the setting of the synagogue and interactions with Rachel’s rabbi. Paired with frequent, adorable illustrations by Genevieve Kote, the story is accessible to elementary and young middle school readers who are drawn to visual elements, but the...

Review: Lucky Penny

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Lucky Penny by Aimee Lucido, illustrated by Jon Davis Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House Publishing), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Leah Cypess Buy at Bookshop.org When Penny (the girl) picks up a face-down penny (the coin), her best friend warns her that she’s in for a run of bad luck. Penny doesn’t believe it. She’s done a lot to ensure that she has a lucky day—a day that will hopefully end with her being chosen to blow the shofar at her school’s Rosh Hashanah picnic. But a cascade of disasters seems to prove that Penny’s luck really has gone bad. Can she turn it around? Penny’s earnest efforts and inevitable mishaps are authentic and fun to read about. The charming illustrations complement the story perfectly, making this a delighful—and definitely Jewish—chapter book. This fun, fast-moving story incorporates a number of Rosh Hashanah traditions, from shofar to honey cake to Tashlich, with a light but meaningful touch.  Ed. note: This early chapter book w...

Review: Remember My Story: A Girl, A Holocaust Survivor, and a Friendship That Made History

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Remember My Story: A Girl, A Holocaust Survivor, and a Friendship That Made History by Claire Sarnowski with Sarah Durand Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Sandy Wasserman Buy at Bookshop.org This book is a treasure! It’s the story of the unlikeliest of friendships. The author, Claire Sarnowski, a Christian girl, started a friendship with Alter Wiener when she was only 9 years old, invited by her aunt to hear a Holocaust survivor who was then 89 years old, speak in their very non-Jewish community in Oregon. Soon after they meet, a bond forms between Claire and Alter, a survivor of five work camps and concentration camps. He shares his life story with Claire through their meetings during her middle and high school years, and during those visits she shares her own daily issues with him, speaking frankly as best friends would. She learns from him that just as her education is beginning, it coincides with the time when Alter’s formal education ...

Review: Just Shy of Ordinary

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Just Shy of Ordinary by A.J. Sass Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Kathryn Hall Buy at Bookshop.org Shai is the only child of a single mother, living in a warm communal household in Wisconsin. In addition to the usual problems of adolescence, Shai has an anxiety disorder, and change is difficult for them. Shai enters public school for the first time after being home-schooled, is skipped a grade due to academic achievement, starts high school, misses their best friend, gets a new haircut, makes new friends, starts to understand their gender identity and sexuality, develops disfiguring eczema, and worries. So much worry. Their mother doesn't seem to want to answer Shai's questions about their past, and mom’s new career will likely mean that they will have to move. An antisemitic incident occurs, but Shai has supportive family, friends, and teachers as well as personal strengths. Shai enjoys writing and poetry and is able to understand w...

Review: Not Nothing

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Not Nothing by Gayle Forman Aladdin (imprint of Simon & Schuster), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Mindy Civan Buy at Bookshop.org Not Nothing tells the story of a non-Jewish twelve year old boy named Alex, from the point of view of Joseph Kravitz, a Jewish 107 year old Holocaust survivor. This unlikely friendship was set into motion by a judge, who ordered Alex to volunteer at Shady Glen Retirement Home, after “the incident”. Alex was recently removed from his mother’s care and placed with his aunt and uncle, where he sleeps on a lumpy couch and is fed bland, rubbery chicken each night. Shady Glen is the last place that Alex wants to be for the summer, with its elderly residents, especially since the only other kid around is the bossy Maya-Jade. Things start to change for Alex when a case of the stomach flu spreads, and Alex has to help by delivering meals to residents in their rooms. On his delivery rounds, Alex slowly begins to converse with the residents, and get to know...

Review: The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival

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The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival by Estelle Nadel, illustrated by Sammy Savos Roaring Brook Press, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Lisa Trank Buy at Bookshop.org “I’m not going to be here forever. Someday there will no longer be any Holocaust survivors still living. We will be gone. I want you, the young people, the next generation, to carry our stories on and someday tell your own children that, yes, you know a Holocaust survivor. She was real. It really happened.” - Estelle Nadel   The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival is a poignant graphic novel recounting the story of Estelle Nadel, born Enia Feld in 1934 Poland. The youngest of five, Enia is depicted as a joyful child who loves singing. However, her life drastically changes when the Holocaust disrupts her peaceful existence in Borek. The graphic novel, with concise language and compelling illustrations, follows Enia as she survives with the aid of non-Jewish neighbors who r...

Review: Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf

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Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf by Deke Moulton Tundra Books, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Stacy Mozer Buy at Bookshop.org Benji Zeb is stressed about his upcoming Bar Mitzvah and worried about the local bully, Caleb, who he secretly likes. He discovers that Caleb's stepfather, Mr. Rutherford, is plotting to shut down his family's kibbutz and wolf sanctuary by releasing the wolves, unaware that the wolves are actually Benji's family, descendants of the first werewolf from the Torah. As it says, "Benjamin is a wolf, he will prey; in the morning he will devour plunder, and in the evening he will divide the spoil." (Genesis 49:27). When Caleb turns into a wolf and arrives at the sanctuary, Benji's new priority becomes saving Caleb from his stepfather. The more they work together and learn about the motivation behind Mr. Rutherford's attack on their community, the more Benji learns to overcome his anxiety and find his own voice. While the book is a ...