The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Strange Creatures by Phoebe North Balzar + Bray (imprint of HarperCollins) Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Valerie Estelle Frankel Buy at Bookshop.org Is Phoebe North’s Strange Creatures a fantasy novel? Well, is Bridge to Terabithia ? Both feature  children’s imaginary worlds, used as a coping mechanism for everyday struggles. North’s other offerings were spaceship fiction (in fact, on a specifically Jewish generational ship, a delight for readers seeking representation). It’s easier to group an author’s books in the same category, mentally or otherwise. But the fantasy here is deniable in a “maybe the magic was coincidence or a dream” sort of way.   Big brother Jamie and younger sister Annie are devoted to each other. They spend years exuberantly building a magical fantasy world called Gumlea in the woods near their house. After Jamie breaks some of its laws, he vanishes, and Annie struggles being the sister of a public tragedy and a personal devastation. While ot...

 The Candy Man Mystery by Rabbi Kerry Olitzky, illustrated by Christina Mattison Ebert Kalaniot (imprint of Endless Mountain Publishing) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Dena Bach Buy at Bookshop.org For many children who regularly attend services at a synagogue, the person that makes them feel most welcome is not the rabbi or cantor but is instead the time-honored “Candy Man” or “Lollipop Lady,” the regular attendee who hands out free candy to any child who approaches. Though the idea of giving candy to entice children could be problematic, in The Candy Man Mystery , Rabbi Kerry Olitsky, author of Where's the Potty on this Ark? does a good job of showing that the reward is actually in the relationships and in the community, and not in the sweets.    With the "mystery" of where the missing Candy Man went, the young reader is guided through the narrative in an age-appropriate manner, and is introduced to the people, places, and prayers that can be found and hear...

 A Queen to the Rescue: The Story of Henrietta Szold, Founder of Hadassah by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg Creston Books (imprint of Lerner Publishing) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Beth Gallego Buy at Bookshop.org Growing up the daughter of a Rabbi in Baltimore just after the Civil War, Henrietta Szold saw many people in need and wanted to help. She took particular inspiration from the Purim story she heard every year. Queen Esther - Hadassah in Hebrew - was her model of a brave woman standing up for her people and making a difference.   Opportunities for women to help others, though, were limited. Szold was not interested in the expected path of marriage and children. She became a teacher, opened a night school for new immigrants to learn English after work, and started the Jewish Publication Society.   After the turn of the century, she visited Jerusalem and saw children in need of food and medicine. This was a job far too big for one ...

Gitty and Kvetch by Caroline Kusin Pritchard, illustrated by Ariel Landy Atheneum (imprint of Simon & Schuster) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Ruth Horowitz Buy at Bookshop.org Gitty, an ebullient little girl with unruly curls and overalls, gets her name from Gittel, Yiddish for “good.” Kvetch, which means to complain, isn’t usually a name. But it perfectly suits Gitty’s bird pal, who wears an old man’s hat and has a band-aid on his beak, and finds the cloud behind Gitty’s every silver lining. The contrast between the two provides the backbone of Gitty and Kvetch, a picture book about friendship and framing experience. What makes this book Jewish is Kvetch’s use of Yiddish words, defined in an appended glossary. (Other than one “oy vey,” Gitty speaks entirely in English).   The story opens with Gitty producing a swooping, splattering painting. Declaring the picture perfect for her “perfect, purple tree house,” she races off to find Kvetch, who warns that it might ...

 Journey on the C&O Canal by Tovah S. Yavin Menucha Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Judith S. Greenblatt   Buy at Menucha Publishers Journey on the C & O Canal is a warm and loving story. In 1909, twelve year old Orthodox Gabe is preparing for his Bar Mitzvah and eager for adventure. Two weeks on the C & O canal, helping Mr. Brent with his boat and mules, especially lame mule Rosy, sounds like a perfect escape from the drudgery of school, homework, working in the Mr. Lichtenstein’s pharmacy and chores.  Once on the canal, Gabe has his moments of boredom plodding alongside the mules, but he also learns how to speak mule, how to rescue a doll, and how to help a 7 year old learn to read.  Most importantly, he learns a lot about himself.    The essence of the story is its positive and authentic Jewish content. Before Gabe's adventure is allowed to start, several questions must be answered. To honor Gabe's parents, must their permission first be s...

 The Rabbi and the Reverend: Joachim Prinz, Martin Luther King Jr., and Their Fight against Silence by Audrey Ades, illustrated by Chiara Fedele Kar-Ben (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group) Category: Picture Book Reviewer: Rachel Simon   Buy at Bookshop.org The Rabbi and The Reverend: Joachim Prinz, Martin Luther King Jr. and Their Fight Against Silence   tells the story of two men in their fight for civil rights in the 1960’s. Readers have the pleasure of getting to know a little backstory of King and Prinz’s lives before they met, as well as their interactions together. Prinz left Germany when things began to become difficult for Jews with the Nazis’ rise, and even talked about leaving before things got worse. The picture book is filled with strong illustrations that help enhance the text. The mood varies between hopeful and somber, portraying the struggles Prinz and King encountered as they fought against silence. Overall, The Rabbi and the Reverend is a great...

 The (Un)Popular Vote by Jasper Sanchez Katherine Tegan Books (imprint of HarperCollins) Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Valerie Estelle Frankel Buy at Bookshop.org Mark Adams is a born politician. The son of a California congressman near San Francisco, he runs for student body president when a gay kid is bullied, and he wants to change the system. That’s the big story arc—his campaign, supported by his friends. The complication is that Mark is in hiding. His father’s constituents think he’s still Madison, and his father has threatened to disown him if he tells his story to anyone. Thus the tension with his father, his religion, and his self-doubt are personal, adding to the struggle of keeping this secret from all his friends and his new Jewish love interest.    It’s a charming book—Mark is endearing and very honest. He’s committed to his politics—even over-committed as he refuses to compromise on perfection. This of course can become a fatal flaw as he pushes ...

Starlight Soup: A Sukkot Story by Elana Rubinstein, illustrated by Jennifer Naalchigar Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House) Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Bridget Hodder Buy at Bookshop.org A girl with a super-sniffer nose, her loving Jewish family who own a restaurant, and her friend whose family own a rival restaurant -- this magical Sukkot tale is pure delight!   Saralee's family has built a wonderful sukkah entwined with leaves and vines and flowers, and they are ready to celebrate the holiday by welcoming diners to their restaurant for joyful feasting. But young Saralee is a bit tired of the usual traditional foods. Standing in the sukkah one evening, under the stars, she decides to use her incredible gift, her super-powerful sense of smell, to capture the scent and taste of starlight and infuse it into a magical soup. When anyone tastes this Starlight Soup, that person instantly experiences their favorite flavor. It's wonderful! It's miracul...

Something New for Rosh Hashanah by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Christine Battuz Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Bridget Hodder Buy at Bookshop.org Author Jane Yolen delivers again, this time in a charming picture book that sets up a sing-song rhythm as it encourages kids to start the new year right on Rosh Hashanah. Big, vibrant images of the red-haired main character Rebecca and her feline sidekick will capture the attention of little ones.   Rebecca, like many pre-schoolers, has a problem with trying anything new. In fact, her taste is so limited that she refuses to eat anything green or anything that seems like meat. Kids will identify with Rebecca's choosiness, which brings to mind Russell Hoban's classic "Bread and Jam for Frances." (In fact, this book may be a great choice for reading with kids on the autism spectrum who have limited food choices due to sensory issues.)   By example, Rebecca'...

Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler Wednesday Books (imprint of St. Martins/Macmillian) Category: Young Adult Reviewer: A.R.Vishny Buy at Bookshop.org Cool for the Summer follows Larissa “Lara” Bogdan, a high-school senior poised to at last date the boy she’s always had a crush on, only to find that she can’t stop thinking about the summer she spent with Jasmine Killary…who is now enrolled in her high school. Alternating between the present and flashbacks, we follow Lara as she reconsiders everything she had once thought so certain about who she is, and who she wants.  Adler builds a compelling, developed voice for Lara, and a world peppered with enough details to drop the reader straight into a summer in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. From cafes to parties to diners and long summer nights, the book offers a rich, immersive read that balances the lightness of a summer romance with the difficulties of questioning one’s sexuality, on top of all the other anxieties that hig...

Not So Fast, Max: A Rosh Hashanah Visit with Grandma by Annette Schottenfeld, illustrated by Jennifer Kirkham Kalaniot Books (imprint of Endless Mountain) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Gigi Perlman Pagliarulo Buy at Bookshop.org Family, Jewish traditions, and joyfully celebrating the holiday of Rosh Hashanah center this familiar-seeming tale. Max and his sister Emily are spending the day with Savta, their grandmother visiting from Israel. With the promise of making caramel apples to welcome in a sweet new year, hasty Max is impatient to get started, but Savta has a day of apple picking and orchard frolicking planned as well. Grumpy Max needs to be coaxed into enjoyment, but as the trio picks apples, plays, and tells stories together, he finally comes around to having fun, and even helps create a new Rosh Hashanah family tradition—caramel apples on the first day of the holiday, and apple cake on the second.    The writing and illustration styles are straightforw...

Rosh Hashanah with Uncle Max written & illustrated by Varda Livney Kar-Ben (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Lila Spitz Buy at Bookshop.org Rosh Hashanah with Uncle Max written and illustrated by Varda Livney is perfect for children in PreK. The board book includes relevant Hebrew vocabulary and dollops of humor to tell the story of a mixed-race family gathering on the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. Illustrations depict the family of color reciting blessings over candles and wine, eating traditional foods (dates, pomegranates, honey, apples), listening to the sound of the shofar at temple, and celebrating the birthday of the world with songs and sweets.     To draw attention to Uncle Max throughout the story, the illustrator dresses him in an eye-catching flowered shirt which contrasts well with the plain pastel shirts of his family members. The juxtaposition of color and the use of pattern in the illustrations is developmental...