The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

RBG's Brave and Brilliant Women by Nadine Epstein, illustrated by Bee Johnson Delacorte Press (Penguin Random House) Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Stacy Nockowitz Buy at Bookshop.org Nadine Epstein’s RBG’s Brave and Brilliant Women takes full advantage of its association with the iconic Supreme Court justice named in its title. Ruth Bader Ginsburg not only wrote the introduction for this book– in the year of her death, no less– but she also played a large role in selecting the women whose biographies Epstein highlights. Justice Ginsburg’s introduction is short but excellent. She discusses two of her personal heroines, Emma Lazarus and Henrietta Szold, and she inspires readers to seek out role models of their own. The Jewish women profiled in RBG’s Brave and Brilliant Women run the gamut from familiar (Anne Frank, Judy Resnik) to more obscure (Glükel of Hameln). Young readers, though, may only recognize the names of a few of the thirty-three women. The short biograph

Lessons in Fusion by Primrose Madayag Knazan Yellow Dog (imprint of Great Plains Publishing)   Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Heidi Rabinowitz   Buy at Bookshop.org Canadian teen food blogger Sarah (pronounced SAH-rah, the Hebrew way) becomes a contestant on the TV show Cyber Chef, where she is strongly encouraged to explore the cuisine of her mother's Filipinx culture despite having been raised mostly in the Jewish traditions of her father's side. While she likes the opportunity to learn more about her heritage, she also feels somewhat unseen by the show's producers. She achieves true fusion when she finally embraces both her cultures, as a person and in her cooking.   The story takes place during the COVID-19 pandemic, and leans into the quarantine scenario by depicting a cooking show that is filmed in the homes of the contestants and judges. As a reviewer, this is the first YA novel I've seen to use the pandemic as a setting, and I'm pleased that this worldwide

Pinky Bloom and the Case of the Magical Menorah by Judy Press, illustrated by Erica-Jane Waters Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group) Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Stacy Mozer Buy at Bookshop.org Pinky Bloom and the Case of the Magical Menorah is part of an early middle grade series about a Jewish Brooklynite girl named Pinky (short for Penina) who solves crimes with the help of her annoying little brother Avi. This series is a good example of this genre. The story is fun and easy to follow. It would definitely be enjoyed by 6 - 8 year olds who enjoy mystery series such as A to Z Mysteries, Cam Jensen mysteries, or Ballpark Mysteries.    This book definitely has positive and authentic Jewish religious or cultural content and is appropriate for the intended grade level in style, vocabulary, format, and illustration. It’s great to see a mystery series for this audience with Jewish content.  Are you interested in reviewing books for The Sydney Taylor Shmooze?   Cl

The Golden Dreidel by Ellen Kushner, illustrated by Kevin Keele Charlesbridge Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Dena Bach Buy at Bookshop.org The Golden Dreidel , by fantasy author Ellen Kushner, is a re-issue of the 2007 book The Golden Dreydl , itself a novelization of the 2002 recording, stage show, and concert, of the same name by Kushner and the Shirim Klezmer Orchestra. Billed as “A Klezmer Nutcracker for Chanukah,” the recording, like the book, is a charming mash-up of the famous Tchaikovsky ballet with klezmer music and Jewish folklore.    The Golden Dreidel follows the plot of "The Nutcracker," with a dreidel that comes to life. The narrative begins when Sara, envious of her non-Jewish friends during the winter holiday season, reluctantly goes to her extended family’s annual Chanukah party. While Sara is playing a game of dreidel with her cousins, the mysterious Tante Miriam arrives at the party bringing gifts for all the children. At midnight, Sara’s gift

Hello, Hanukkah! written and illustrated by Susan S. Novich Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group) Category: Picture Book Reviewer: Eva L. Weiss Buy at Kar-Ben.com The eye-pleasing colors and collage illustrations of this holiday board book will appeal to toddlers and parents alike. In a note, author and illustrator Susan S. Novich explains her penchant for creating art with felt and scraps that other people would throw away. Hello, Hanukkah! features an appealing family of badgers, with a father and son who wear kippot. The young cub celebrates the holiday through rituals, perching himself on the number drawn on each page, counting the nights, and reciting the color of the candles.   The book light-heartedly covers many educational bases—blessings, songs, latkes, and stories, as well as calling out numbers and colors. Alongside the candle-lighting badger (a mammal common in Israel), each page also features the distinctive crowned Hoopoe bird, Israel’s na

A Snake, a Flood, a Hidden Baby: Bible Stories for Children by Meir Shalev, translated by Ilana Kershan, illustrated by Emanuele Luzzati Kalaniot Books (imprint of Endless Mountains Publishing) Category: Picture Book Reviewer: Eva L. Weiss   Buy at Bookshop.org   This book offers an engaging telling of six biblical stories (five from Genesis and one from Exodus) as interpreted by the iconic Israeli author Meir Shalev. The English translation by Ilana Kershan, a writer steeped in Jewish heritage, is both natural and nuanced. The luminous illustrations by the Italian artist Emanuele Luzzati will ignite the imagination of readers of all ages.    The narratives in this sophisticated picture book are well-suited to middle-grade readers, with exchanges between the biblical heroes made relatable for young readers: in the chapter about Adam and Eve, “The two of them looked at each other, blushed, and then burst out laughing.” There are also imaginative flourishes, such as the descri

How to Find What You're Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani Kokila (imprint of Penguin Random House) Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Beth L. Gallego Buy at Bookshop.org You are nearly twelve years old, living in suburban Connecticut with your parents and 18-year-old sister, Leah. You like reading Wonder Woman comics, listening to Beatles records with Leah, and helping in your parents’ bakery. School has always been difficult; writing is especially hard, no matter how much you practice. You don’t think too much about being one of very few Jewish families in the area, and you really don’t think about your parents’ expectation that both you and Leah will one day marry nice Jewish men. Then Leah falls in love with Raj, and you’re not sure which part has your parents more upset, that he isn’t Jewish or that he is Indian. After Leah and Raj elope, your parents won’t even talk about it with you. You’re left trying to figure out who you are and what you believe.   In this midd