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 2023. Read their reviews so you'll be ready to VOTE for the Mock Sydney Taylor Book Awards, starting January 7, 2024! If you're interested in joining our reviewing team, CLICK HERE . Todah Rabah to: Laurie Adler Sarah Aronson Dena Bach Freidele Biniashvili Belinda Brock Jeannette Brod  Merle Carrus Leah Cypess Meira Drazin Judy Ehrenstein Ronda Einbinder Karin Fisher-Golton Claire Freeland Rachel Fremmer Beth Gallego Jeff Gottesfeld Judy Greenblatt  Rebecca Greer Suzanne Grossman Kathryn Hall Bridget Hodder Jacqueline Jules Rebecca Klempner Ann Koffsky Melissa Lasher Cindy Marshall Linda Marshall Heather Matthews Naomi Morse Stacy Mozer Stacy Nockowitz Chava Pinchuck Heidi Rabinowitz Stacie Ramey Stacey Rattner Doreen Robinson Marcia Rosenthal Emily Roth Sarah Sassoon Arlene Schenker...

Listen, Sh'ma by Rabbi Alyson Solomon, illustrated by Bryony Clarkson Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Belinda Brock Buy at Bookshop.org Author Alyson Solomon and illustrator Bryony Clarkson, the same team who created Thank You: Modeh Ani , are back with the equally lovely picture book Listen: Sh'ma . The cover with its sweet sleepyheads tucked into beds against a starry sky (continued on the end papers) lets us know that this is a bedtime story. A note in the front tells us that sh'ma means "listen" in Hebrew and the book is inspired by the Jewish prayer about oneness and love, traditionally said before going to sleep (as well as in the morning and on other occasions). The book breaks down the word sh'ma into its individual soothing sounds and relates them to a young child's comforting bedtime routine: a warm bath, fresh jammies, cuddles, and many more moments of calm and contentment. The various ...

Like the Sea and the Sky: A Mysterious Mollusk and Its Magical Blue Ink by Jordan Namerow, illustrated by Michelle Simpson Brandylane Publishers, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Doreen Klein Robinson Buy at Bookshop.org We first meet Zinni while under the warmth and comfort of her mom’s tallit, with its dangling fringes that remind her of the arms of jellyfish. While her mom, a rabbi, offers a morning prayer of thanks, Zinni daydreams about the her favorite sea creatures – the mollusks that hide inside beautiful shells. When Zinni misses the school bus, we learn that she mixes up letters and numbers and is afraid to ask for help. Zinni’s mom shares that sometimes being a rabbi feels scary, too. This makes Zinni feel better, until she gets teased at recess for drawing sea creatures in her notebook. On the bus ride home, Zinni wishes she could be one of the sea creatures that squirts colorful clouds of ink to scare away its predators. At home, Zinni’s mom tells her about an ancien...

Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust by Neal Shusterman, illustrated by Andrés Vera Martínez Graphix (imprint of Scholastic), 2023 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Stacie Ramey Buy at Bookshop.org In the author’s note, Shusterman discusses why he wrote this graphic novel despite his concerns about his ability to bring something new to this important subject. While it’s true that there are many other works dedicated to the Holocaust, Courage to Dream is a standout in a crowded field. It is an important read: entertaining, thought provoking, and evocatively drawn by an illustrator who lists his Tejano family’s violent struggles with white supremacy in Texas as a relatable factor in his background. Courage to Dream looks at hope through the lens of storytelling, but is also supported by carefully researched historical facts and drawings. It is told in parts, each delineated by a Hebrew letter, with an explanation at the back of the book as to the specific meanings of each of ...

Rebecca Reznik Reboots the Universe by Samara Shanker Atheneum Books for Young Readers (imprint of Simon & Schuster), 2023 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Rebecca Klempner Buy at Bookshop.org Rebecca Reznik Reboots the Universe is a sequel to Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World . It follows Becca Reznick, a supporting character in Book One. While the plot focuses again on fantasy elements from Jewish legend and folklore, the focus of this book is the significance of becoming “a spiritual adult” after one reaches bar or bat mitzvah. Early on in the book, Rabbi Levinson visits the kids' post-b’nai mitzvah class at Hebrew school. He suggests that having reached their teenage years, the members of their class are developing the ability to see morality with greater nuance and subtlety. Becca struggles with this as a young person on the autism spectrum. Despite her age, she tends to see issues as black and white. Does this mean that she’s doomed to remain immature? Since the events of ...

Facing the Enemy: How a Nazi Youth Camp in America Tested a Friendship by Barbara Krasner Calkins Creek (imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers), 2023 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Merle Eisman Carrus Buy at Bookshop.org Facing the Enemy is a book written in verse about a time in American history that should not be forgotten. Written in an easily readable poetic style, Krasner tells the story of two friends who are growing up near Newark, NJ during the rise in power of Adolf Hitler in Germany. It is the summer of 1937. Benjy is turning 14 this summer and looking forward to spending it with his best friend Thomas before they enter high school in the fall. Benjy is from a loving Jewish family, living with his mother and father. His father is a member of the Newark Minutemen, a group of former prize fighters who are working to dismantle the Nazi Bund growing around New Jersey. Thomas lives with his timid mother and his frustrated father, who misses Germany and the life he left behind...

Yosef Medelevich: Leader of Soviet Jewry by Leah Sokol Menucha Publishers, 2023 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Merle Eisman Carrus Buy from Menucha This is a fabulous book written for middle school readers, but also terrific for adults who are looking to learn about the life of Yosef Mendelevich and more about Soviet Jewry. It's the story of the first Refusenik who helped educate the world about the plight of the Jewish people in Russia. He lived his life as a religious Jew and survived many Russian prisons to finally realize his dream to live in Israel. This book is written in a simple style that explains the life of Yosef Mendelevich, from his childhood growing up in a Jewish home in the Soviet Union. In 1968 Yosef read Leon Uris’, Exodus and found a deep tie to Judaism and the Jewish state. His goal became to leave the Soviet Union and fly to Israel. He was part of the “Operation Wedding,” a wild scheme that he and ten other Jewish activists created to commandeer a small Russi...

I Am a Tree: A Playful Action Rhyme by Hindy Feldman, illustrated by Patti Argoff Hachai Publishing, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Heidi Rabinowitz Buy at Hachai This simple board book shows an Orthodox Jewish girl and her two younger brothers, enjoying the great outdoors and enacting a fun rhyming game that represents the life cycle of a tree. On each spread, we see the natural growth from seed to tree alongside the children's movements. For instance, "I am a seed, so tiny and small" shows a variety of seeds on the left side, and the children crouched down pretending to be tiny seeds on the right. The illustrations are bright, cheerful, and outdoorsy. The children are depicted in casual Orthodox dress (with the youngest in footie pajamas), and credit is given to Hashem for helping the trees grow. This action rhyme will work well with young children and be welcome at Tu B'shvat or any time of year. Are you interested in reviewing books for The Sydney Taylor ...

Shabbos Guess Who? A Lift-the-Flap Book by Ariella Stern, illustrated by Patti Argoff Hachai Publishing, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Freidele Galya Soban Biniashvili   Buy from Hachai Shabbos Guess Who? is the latest installment in Hachai Publishing's lift-the flap series. Through twelve rhyming riddles, the story centers around a presumably Ashkenazi Orthodox family, beginning with preparations before the onset of Shabbat, including cleaning the house and getting dressed up. It then proceeds throughout Friday night and Saturday, ending with a melaveh malkah after Havdalah at the conclusion of Shabbat. Where there are two pronunciations for a given answer, both are included, i.e. zmiros / zmirot, seudas(t) shlishis(t). The detailed cartoon illustrations are bright and colorful in keeping with the lively and joyous atmosphere of the book. Even though this is a book geared towards the youngest of readers, it contains an impressive amount of information. Little hands wil...

Run and Hide: How Jewish Youth Escaped the Holocaust written and illustrated by Don Brown Clarion Books (imprint of HarperCollins), 2023 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Judy Ehrenstein Buy at Bookshop.org Employing his signature angular, thin-line style and a subdued palette of grays and browns with effective pops of red, orange, and yellow, Don Brown presents the rise of the Nazis and the devastation they brought to the world, succinctly and powerfully. Beginning with the end of WWI and the economic woes of post-war Germany, he traces Hitler’s rise to power with a rhetoric of blame that is eagerly accepted by Germans. Moving through restrictions on Jewish life and employment, Kristallnacht, and roundups of adults, Brown keeps his focus on the lives of children: those sent on Kindertransports; those who were hidden; and those who survived by their own wits. While concentration camps are mentioned, this is not a book about those children sent to the camps. The work of resistance groups...

The Pebble: An Allegory of the Holocaust by Marius Marcinkevičius, illustrated by Inga Dagilė Thames & Hudson, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rebecca Greer   Buy at Bookshop.org Eitan is a young boy living in a ghetto in Lithuania. Although they cannot leave the ghetto, everyone tries to make the best of what they have. People still gather to laugh, bake food, and hold events at a theater, including a violin performance by Eitan. While they try to go on with their lives, the threat of the Nazi soldiers in their town looms over them. Eitan’s father was taken “to work” and never returned. Illustrations chiefly use blacks, browns, and military green over white and gray backgrounds, producing a dreary and somber mood. The main exception is yellow, reflecting the yellow stars Jews were forced to wear, and which all the Jewish characters have on their chests. Light blues surround Eitan's best friend Rivka, with whom he can still be a kid, before they are ripped apart when he...

What Rosa Brought by Jacob Sager Weinstein, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler Katherine Tegen Books (imprint of HarperCollins Publishers), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Jeanette Brod Buy at Bookshop.org What Rosa Brought shares a message of universal relevance: you carry love with you wherever you go. This Holocaust story speaks across generations about choices and responses to persecution, fear and an uncertain future. It is a gentle picture book told from a child’s point of view about the misfortunes of one Jewish family as they face the hatred that accompanies the Nazi rise to power and the frustrations of the search for visas and escape. The setting is Vienna, Austria, at the time of the Anschluss. Young Rosa asks the naive questions that juxtapose the fate of her cat with the fate of her family. The wisdom of her grandmother exists in loving counterpoint. Rosa’s parents struggle with diminishing options during Nazi boycotts of Jewish stores, food shortages, long lines at the ...

Last Canto of the Dead (An Outlaw Saints Novel) by Daniel José Older  Rick Riordan Presents/Hyperion (imprint of Buena Vista Books, Inc), 2023 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Kathryn Hall Buy at Bookshop.org Last Canto of the Dead is the second volume of the Outlaw Saints fantasy series by Daniel José Older. It can be appreciated without reading the first volume, but I highly recommend reading the excellent Ballad & Dagger first for the background and to preserve the chronology. Mateo Matisse and Chela Hidalgo are teenage human embodiments of immortal spirits, fighting to save the people and culture of their island San Madrigal, recently resurrected fifteen years after sinking beneath the Caribbean Sea. The three cultures of San Madrigal derive from the pirates, the Sefaradim and the Santeros (an Afro-Cuban mix of Yoruba religion/folklore and Roman Catholicism). When the island sank, most of the population emigrated to Little Madrigal in Brooklyn, where political differences ...

Doña Gracia Saved Worlds by Bonni Goldberg, illustrated by Alida Massari Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Sydney Taylor Shmooze Editors   Buy at Bookshop.org Doña Gracia Nasi, born Beatriz de Luna, was a 16th century crypto Jew from Portugal, famous for working valiantly to save many of her co-religionists. Her history is complicated and many facts are in dispute. To simplify the story for a picture book audience, the author sometimes chooses one historical opinion over another or glosses over details. It is difficult to compress Dona Gracia's adventurous life into this format and difficult to determine the accuracy of this brief portrayal. However, the book succeeds in conveying the general outlines of Dona Gracia's life and the impressiveness of her accomplishments. The illustrations are sumptuous, with their rich colors and intricate patterns. Dona Gracia is an important historical figure and an inspiring woman,...

As we wrap up our fourth year of reviewing Jewish books for children and teens on The Sydney Taylor Shmooze, we are excitedly looking forward to choosing our Mock award winners! Here's what you can expect, and how you can be a part of it. Sunday-Tuesday January 7-9, 2024 Voting Round 1. Anyone may vote (except for current members of AJL's Sydney Taylor Book Award committee). Voters may select one favorite title in each of three categories (Picture Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult). Wednesday-Friday January 10-12, 2024 Voting Round 2. The top books that scored highest in Round 1 will be on the second ballot, again in three categories. Tuesday January 16, 2024 Mock Winners and Mock Honor Books will be announced! Monday January 22, 2024 The Real Sydney Taylor Book Award winners, honors, and notable books will be announced at ALA's LibLearnX Youth Media Awards! February 2024 A Real Award blog tour will showcase the Real Winners.

The Inside Name by Randi Sonenshine, illustrated by Gina Capaldi Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Stacy Nockowitz Buy at Bookshop.org The target audience for Randi Sonenshine’s lovely new book The Inside Name is young middle graders, but this 44-page hardcover reads more like a sophisticated picture book. The first-person narrative tells the story of a young boy in 15th century Lisbon named Felipe Alonso. At least, that is his outside name. He and his family are conversos, Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism during the Inquisition. The family practices Judaism in secret, so their Jewish names, their inside names, are never spoken outside of their home. On his way to and from an errand for his mother, Felipe is called horrible names by the city’s knife grinder and is chased by boys intent on terrorizing him. Sonenshine shows what can become of Jews in Portugal at this time as Felipe recalls his friendship with Solomo...

Bring Back the Babka! by Marilyn Wolpin, illustrated by Madison Safer Barefoot Books, 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Rebecca Greer Buy at Bookshop.org Sammy and Sol go on a mission to help their mother find her missing “just-baked babka” for Shabbat. As they search the neighborhood with their dog Mazel, they meet kindly neighbors who offer samples of their own homemade food. The boys get offered leftovers to take home and they invite everyone to their house for dinner. Told with repetition that makes it easy for kids to follow along and know what's coming next, the boys explain what they’re looking for and how it’s their favorite kind of babka, “cinnamon” with “golden-brown crust and sugar-sweet filling.” Simple artwork brings a rustic, homey feeling to the book, inviting readers in with scenes of cooking and walking around a neighborhood. At the end is a recipe for “Mama’s Missing Babka” with detailed step-by-step directions. Additionally, there is a pronunciation guide an...

The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman by Mari Lowe Levine Querido, 2023 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Rachel J. Fremmer Buy at Bookshop.org Shaindy Goodman isn’t special. She’s not at the top of her class academically, she’s not a gifted athlete, she’s not the most popular. She’s not an outcast either. She’s just… forgettable. So when Gayil, the most popular girl in Shaindy’s class suddenly pays attention to her, Shaindy is predictably flattered. What she doesn’t realize - at first - is that Gayil’s attention is not because she suddenly likes Shaindy. Rather, it’s because she needs an accomplice… and maybe someone to blame. As Shaindy helps Gayil play pranks on their fellow Bais Yaacov classmates, Shaindy begins to awaken to the fact that these “harmless” pranks are not so harmless after all… and that she deserves true friendship. With Yom Kippur approaching, she also reckons with her own complicity.   Author Mari Lowe takes readers into the fairly sequestered world of the stric...

The Stars by Jacques Goldstyn Aldana Libros (imprint of Greystone Kids), 2023 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Eva L. Weiss   Buy at Bookshop.org The story of young Yakov's fascination with astronomy is told in the first-person, in a straightforward and authentic voice, smoothly translated from the original French. Yakov, who seems to be about age 10-11, has three younger sisters and they are children of a Hassidic family whose father owns a grocery store. Yakov stumbles upon a Muslim girl in the playground, and their instant friendship and shared passion for astronomy is conveyed simply and naturally. The illustrations of this graphic novel are charming and lighthearted, with feathery strokes and eye-pleasing colors. Expressive faces and clever close-ups add to the fun. The plot thickens when Yakov and Aicha discover that they are soulmates as well as neighbors. Their stern-hearted fathers go as far as building a wall between their homes to separate them. The story is plotted lik...

Artifice by Sharon Cameron Scholastic Press, 2023 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Merle Eisman Carrus Buy at Bookshop.org Artiface is a thrilling novel that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat with their heart in their throat until the last page of the book. From the first page until the last we are concerned about Isa de Smit’s welfare. Isa is a young woman in Amsterdam, who lived a colorful, exciting life with her parents above their small art gallery until the Nazis invaded. Now, her mother has died, her father seems depressed and uncommunicative and her best friend Truus has joined the secretive resistance. The Nazis have started buying and confiscating all the artwork of the Dutch painters. To get money for herself and her father to stay in their gallery, Isa takes a huge risk, bringing a forged copy of a Rembrandt painting her talented father has painted and selling it to the Nazis. Isa finds out that Truus is working to smuggle Jewish children out of Amsterdam and needs m...