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 2022. Read their reviews so you'll be ready to VOTE for the Mock Sydney Taylor Book Awards, starting January 9, 2023! If you're interested in joining our reviewing team, CLICK HERE . Todah Rabah to: Laurie Adler Sarah Aronson Dena Bach Freidele Bianshvili Sarah Blattner Belinda Brock Jeanette Brod Merle Carrus Leah Cypess Meira Drazin Ronda Einbinder Karin Fisher-Golton Rachel Fremmer Beth Gallego Aleah Gornbein Jeff Gottesfeld Judy Greenblatt Suzanne Grossman Rinat Hadad Kathryn Hall Dina Herbert Bridget Hodder Ruth Horowitz Jacqueline Jules Mirele Kessous Rebecca Klempner Ann Koffsky Cynthia Levinson Ronna Mandel Linda Elovitz Marshall Evonne Marzouk Heather Matthews Naomi Morse Stacy Mozer Stacy Nockowitz Chava Pinchuck Heidi Rabinowitz Stacey Rattner Emily Roth Arlene Schenker ...

My Sister's Girlfriend by Gail Marlene Schwartz, co-written and illustrated by Lucie Gagnon Rebel Mountain Press, 2022 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Kathryn Hall Buy at Bookshop.org Fifth grade student Talia Cohen-Sullivan lives with her father and sixteen year old sister Jade in contemporary eastern Canada. Talia likes math, art, and her best friend Carmen, but she does not care much for boys yet. Talia’s mom died from cancer three years ago and Talia is used to being the most important person to her sister. When Talia sees her sister kiss another girl she is first jealous and then anxious that Jade will be hurt when people find out that she is gay. Talia’s reluctance to communicate with her family and friends leads to misunderstandings and hurt feelings. As everyone is well-intentioned, and as they are willing to get therapy, learn more, and reach out to each other, it ends happily. This book captures the nuances of tween thoughts, feelings and actions in a realistic way and m...

My Left Skate: The Extraordinary Story of Eliezer Sherbatov by Anna Rosner Yellow Dog Press (imprint of Great Plains Publications), 2022 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Eva Weiss Buy at Bookshop.org The life story of Eliezer Sherbatov, the courageous and tenacious hockey player is told in the first person, although it is written by educator and author Anna Rosner. Rosner conducted extensive interviews with the protagonist and the narrative is straightforward, authentic, and compelling. It is not an overstatement to brand Eliezer's story (he is now 31 years old) as "extraordinary." He overcame a freak accident that left him with a permanent disability, yet he pursued a career as a hockey player, encouraged by his mother, a professional skating coach, and supported by his family. He was born in Israel, the son of a family with Russian roots. On the first page, Eliezer shares, “My mother’s grandfather, a proud man, had been imprisoned for ten years for his 'Semitic ...

Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken by Nita Tyndall HarperTeen (imprint of HarperCollins), 2022 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Dena Bach Buy at Bookshop.org   In the summer before World War II begins, Charlotte “Charlie” Kraus, chafing under Hitler’s regulations, follows her best friend Angelika, “Geli,” the daughter of a Nazi officer, to a forbidden, hidden dance club. Despite their complicated feelings for each other, Charlie and Geli feel the thrill and freedom of dancing to the “degenerate” jazz music played there. As their lives in Berlin become more restricted, Charlie and Geli, along with friends Renate and Minna, find a kind of resistance to the Nazi regime by joining the “Swingjugend” movement. Historically, these groups of mostly middle- or upper-class teens, in opposition to Nazi policies, would dance in private homes or clubs to banned American music while dressed like the British and Americans. These clubs were a response to the “Hitlerjugend,” Hitler Youth groups, that t...

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Couldn't Drive? (Wait! What? series) by Dan Gutman, illustrated by Allison Steinfeld Norton Young Readers, 2022 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Eva L. Weiss   Buy at Bookshop.org This engaging biography of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is told by by fictional siblings Paige and Turner, names which foreshadows the sly and playful tone of the book. The dialogue between the brother and sister is intended to make the young storytellers relatable, and include high-minded quotations ("You can disagree without being disagreeable") to bring to life the sturdy values which characterized the life of RBG. There is a timeline for context. The light-hearted exchanges between the siblings reveal period detail and the inequities of an American era remote from the experiences of twenty-first century middle grade readers. (In 1956, there were only nine women in the Harvard Law School class of 552, and the absence of ladies' bathrooms meant a ...

Ethel's Song: Ethel Rosenberg's Life in Poems by Barbara Krasner Calkins Creek (imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers), 2022 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Sarah Blattner Buy at Bookshop.org Ethel's Song is a collection of poems telling the story of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, the notorious Jewish couple who were electrocuted in 1953 after being charged and later convicted for conspiracy to commit espionage by leaking atom bomb secrets to the Soviets. Ethel Greenglass’ story begins as a young girl in tenement housing on the Lower East Side of New York City, where her mother parented harshly and her father toiled over his sewing machine repairs. As a girl, Ethel dreamed of being an actress, and as a youth, she fell in love with singing. Ethel quickly put aside her girlish dreams to help support her family, working as a typist and later as a stenographer. Ethel turned to the fight for workers’ rights and found a like minded companion in Julius Rosenberg. Ethel and Julius...

Einstein by Jim Ottaviani, illustrated by Jerel Dye First Second (imprint of Macmillan), 2022 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Lisa Trank Buy at Bookshop.org Einstein , a new graphic novel by Jim Ottaviani, illustrated by Jerel Dye, (with coloring by Alison Acton), opens in Hollywood. Albert Einstein, along with his second wife, Elsa, is seen entering the premiere of “City Lights, A Comedy in Pantomime” alongside Charlie Chaplin. The crowd recognizes Einstein and breaks out in applause. Einstein says to Chaplin, “We are just walking. Why are they applauding?” Chaplin responds, “They cheer you because none of them understands you. They cheer me because they understand me. It doesn’t mean anything, but in time you get used to it.” Einstein begins with his celebrity, then quickly fades, like a film, to the full span of his life and career as one of the most important scientists and political figures of our time. As his wife tells Chaplin and the reader, all of his life, Einstein straddled ...

Yossel's Journey by Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by Johnson Yazzie Charlesbridge, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Heidi Rabinowitz Buy at Bookshop.org Yossel's family leaves Tsarist Russia because of anti-Jewish violence, traveling to the fictional Two Red Hills Navajo reservation in New Mexico where Uncle Izzy has left them a trading post. Shy and feeling displaced, it takes a while for Yossel to warm up to his new home. When he meets Thomas, a Navajo boy his age, he comes out of his shell and the two become friends. Yossel finally feels at home when he tells a chicken joke that had been a hit with his friend Moishe back in Russia, and Thomas's family gets it. He's especially pleased that his joke caused Thomas's baby brother's first laugh, a significant event in Navajo culture. Johnson Yazzie's stylized acrylic paintings, with their earth tones and wide open skies, make every setting (from Russia to New York to New Mexico) evoke a southwestern flavor....

Mordechai Anielewicz: No to Despair by Rachel Hausfater, translated from French by Alison L. Strayer Triangle Square Books for Young Readers (imprint of Seven Stories Press), 2022 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Rachel J. Fremmer Buy at Bookshop.org Narrated by 13-year-old Feigele, a messenger in the Warsaw Ghetto, No to Despair tells the story of the three week insurrection in the ghetto by the Jews in April-May 1943. The book’s focus is on the 24-year-old leader of the insurrection, Mordechai Anielewicz, and emphasizes his belief in dying - and living - with dignity and not succumbing to hopelessness without a fight. Feigele idealizes Anielewicz, as probably most or all under his command did, referring to him repeatedly as an angel. While this depiction conveys the adoration and loyalty the fighters in the ghetto felt for him, it does mean that we miss out on a fuller portrait of Anielewicz as a human being with his own flaws and foibles. Although the narrator does give us some con...

Destination Unknown by Bill Konigsberg Scholastic Press (imprint of Scholastic), 2022 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Emily Roth   Buy at Bookshop.org   In 1987, when two gay teens living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan meet by chance, both of their lives are forever changed. Micah is introverted and worried about upsetting his liberal Jewish parents when he inevitably comes out of the closet, while CJ is openly and unapologetically out. Micah finds himself instantly drawn to CJ, even though CJ compulsively lies to keep his past a secret. As Micah and CJ grow closer, and as Micah struggles to figure out if their connection is platonic or romantic, the AIDS crisis looms as a constant invisible threat over everything. Micah and CJ both go on incredibly compelling emotional journeys over the course of the novel, and secondary characters, such as Micah’s parents and his boss, are equally complex and well-drawn. Teen readers will enjoy the pop culture references and cameos from...

The Porridge-Pot Goblin by Jacqueline Jules, illustrated by Hector Borlasca Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Leah Cypess Buy at Bookshop.org The Porridge-Pot Goblin is a charming picture book in which an invisible goblin disrupts the Shabbat preparations of two village children. After several mishaps and some chaos, the children outsmart the goblin and save the Shabbat meal (and their mother’s nap). The story focuses on Shabbat preparations, and the chaos of the goblin’s mischief is contrasted to the peace and happiness of the Friday night meal, in a way that makes the atmosphere of Shabbat feel almost tangible. The well-written text and delightful illustrations work together to bring this fun, humorous story to life. It should be a strong contender for the Sydney Taylor Book Award. Illustration Editor  Dena Bach  adds: The illustrator sets the story in a shtetl-like village with lively, off-kilter images reminisc...

The Lost Spy and the Green Dress by Alex Paz-Goldman, translated by Linda Yechiel Green Bean Books, 2022 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Beth L. Gallego Buy at Bookshop.org The world around Motti Friedman is full of intrigue. It is 1964, he is 12 years old, and he is absolutely certain there are spies living in his neighborhood outside of Ramat Gan. With his best friend Reuven, he will follow in the footsteps of the heroes of his favorite books - The Secret Seven, The Young Detectives , and Eight on the Track of One - and reveal at least one hidden spy. Trailing a suspect through the streets is much more exciting than doing his homework in the tiny, run-down apartment where his mother is forever at her sewing machine, and his father, unable to work since his recent stay in a convalescent home, sits reading the newspaper. Embarrassed by what he sees as the weaknesses of his parents, Holocaust survivors who rarely speak of the past, Motti wants to prove himself brave, strong, and cleve...

Brand-New Bubbe by Sarah Aronson, illustrated by Ariel Landy Charlesbridge, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rebecca Klempner Buy at Bookshop.org In Brand-New Bubbe , a non-Jewish youngster's mother remarries. Jillian appreciates her Jewish stepfather, but is skeptical--at first--of her new step-grandmother, called by the traditional Eastern Yiddish moniker, "Bubbe." With an orange Jewfro and offers of matzah ball soup and exuberant affection, Bubbe is just too intense for Jillian's taste. Plus, she already has two grandmothers! Jillian stages a protest, refusing the generous gifts and attentions of Bubbe. Mom reminds her child that "Family is more than blood," and tells Jillian to be more welcoming of Bubbe. On Bubbe's next visit, she asks for Jillian's help to make matzah ball soup. As she explains the correct technique for fluffy matzah balls, Bubbe tells Jillian that her own bubbes taught her to make matzah ball soup. After Jillian tastes t...

Best Wishes by Sarah Mlynowski Scholastic Press, 2022 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Stacey Rattner Buy at Bookshop.org Becca lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her mom and brother, Brahm. Her parents have been divorced for a while but her Dad moved recently to California and this will be Becca’s first birthday without him. She also seems to be losing her best friend Harper, who is becoming more interested in chess,n ew friend Georgette, and Friendstagram than hanging out with Becca. But when Becca receives a mysterious box containing a magical bracelet, her life changes instantly. “Speak one wish to make it true,” the note attached to the bracelet says. “I wish I had friends. Not just one friend. But lots and lots of friends. So many friends,” Becca wishes. Suddenly, everyone, including her principal and teacher, wants to be her friend. At first, of course, it’s great. The wish worked! Best present ever! “Better than a gift certificate…better than a phone,” thinks ...

Ava's Homemade Hanukkah by Geraldine Woberg, illustrated by Julia Seal Albert Whitman & Company, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shanna Silva Buy at Bookshop.org   Ava’s family has a Hanukkah tradition: each person brings their own menorah, which tells a piece of their unique story. This year, Ava is old enough to have a menorah of her own. For inspiration, she looks at the other menorahs and tells the story behind each of them to her adorable pet bunny, Maccabee. Ava learns that menorahs can have a connection to people and places you miss, can commemorate a special event, can serve as a bond to one’s history, or can reflect something one cares about. Ava carefully selects important items from her life to make her own menorah. This is a sweet book and presents a family tradition that can be emulated. The story doesn’t have conflict or stakes for the main character, but the value of each person’s story is enough to advance the plot. Thoughtful diversity is portrayed in th...

I Love You a Latke! by Joan Holub, illustrated by Allison Black Scholastic, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Dena Bach Buy at Bookshop.org The rhymes and lively anthropomorphic illustrations of I Love You a Latke invite the child reader to bounce, spin and sing along with the dancing latkes, dreidels, musical instruments, and Hanukkah gifts that are the characters of this activity book. The playful narrative centers less on the traditions of Hanukkah, concentrating instead on the more universal, sensory aspects of the holiday. Even the sense of touch is included through the touch-and feel features. Part of a series of holiday books that includes secular and non-Jewish holidays, most of the specific Hanukkah content in the book (aside from the pun of the title) is contained in Allison's Black’s bold, gold, blue and white illustrations. In Black’s depictions of smiling candles on a Hanukkah menorah, silly-faced dreidels, and Hanukkah gelt, it is notable that the dreidels ...

  Puppy for Hanukkah by Nancy Parent, illustrated by the Disney Storybook Art Team Little Golden Books (imprint of Random House Disney), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Ann D. Koffsky Buy at Bookshop.org Building on Daveed Digg’s video that went viral last year, Puppy for Hanukkah by Nancy Parent follows a young boy through the eight days of Hanukkah as he enjoys lighting candles, playing dreidel, eating latkes, and tearing open presents. But what he REALLY wants for Hanukkah is a puppy. Will he get one? (Spoiler alert: he does!) The book’s text feels like it has two authors. Excerpts from Digg’s original rap are set in italics, while Parent’s words are set alongside them in roman type. Digg’s words are rhythmic and rappy, while Parent’s words do the heavy lifting of explaining the holiday to the uninitiated: that it’s eight days long, there’s a miracle, and you can eat your latkes with sour cream. What’s most remarkable -even revolutionary- about this deceptively simple D...

Latkes and Applesauce: A Hanukkah Story by Fran Manushkin, illustrated by Kris Easler Charlesbridge Publishing, 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Linda Elovitz Marshall Buy at Bookshop.org In this charmingly old-fashioned Hanukkah story, the Menashe family is accustomed to celebrating the holiday with potatoes for making latkes and apples for making applesauce. But this year, that’s impossible. An early winter snowstorm has buried the still-in-the-ground potatoes under mounds of snow. That same storm also prevents the family from gathering still-on-the-tree apples. Everyone is hungry! Worse, two strays - a hungry cat and a hungry dog come in search of food and shelter. There’s no food for anyone. Nevertheless, the Menashe family – sharing Talmudic-sounding wisdom – helps the animals. After all, the dog and cat are God’s creatures. Yet, still, it snows.  Finally, on the last night of Hanukkah, the sky clears, the snow stops, and everyone goes outside. The dog digs in the snow…a...

Hanukkah, Here I Come! by D.J. Steinberg, illustrated by Sara Palacios Grosset & Dunlap (imprint of Penguin Random House), 2022 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Jeff Gottesfeld Buy at Bookshop.org The Grosset & Dunlap series gets a peppy, diverse, and fun addition to its collection with this book about Hanukah. Or Chanukah. Or Hanukkah, as this book is entitled. One of the challenges of the holiday for authors is how to spell it in transliteration, so it can be searched for correctly. But I digress. This title has a lot going for it, for both Jewish and secular families. Hanukkah (I'll use the author's spelling) is unpacked in funny and engaging four-line rhyming poems, accompanied by energetic artwork. Everything from an ultra-shortened and ultra-sanitized-for-children history of the rebellions of the Maccabees (not exactly the story of Maccabees 1 and 2), to anticipation of good presents, to the intricacies of playing dreidel, to Team Applesauce or Team Sour Cream...