Review: Upside-Down Summer
Upside-Down Summer (A Fun-to-Read Book)
by Libby Herz, illustrated by Sarah Chyrek
Hachai Publishing, 2024
Category: Middle Grade
Reviewer: Rochelle Newman-Carrasco
Buy at Hachai.com
Upside-Down Summer is the poignant story of ten-year-old Sara and the summer that turned her family’s world upside down. In fact, it wasn’t just her family that experienced the shock of The Great Depression. Her best friend Etty would need to move away and Sara’s room would be converted to a sewing room for a woman who becomes their boarder, before becoming a true friend and a critical part of Sara’s story. The historical context gives the young reader a simple but truthful sense of what The Great Depression meant to individuals and communities, and it is very effective in building tension, grappling with loss, and zooming in on the importance of family and faith during times of crises. The simple, charming black and white illustrations and art design feels vintage and focuses on faces, relationships and key plot points, like a brooch and telephone. Sara has concerns, but she also has courage, as do all of the main characters in the story. They are resourceful and resilient even as they are aware that not everyone will be spared the life-changing disruptions of the Depression. Furniture piled in the streets is just one reminder that while we all want a storybook ending, they don’t always happen. Still, Upside-Down Summer does end on a joyous, hopeful note, striking just the right tone for the middle-grade reader. Our ten-year-old protagonist, Sara, takes us on an emotional journey and on a quest to contribute whatever she can to a positive outcome in the face of dire economic challenges.
Both Yiddish and Hebrew are leveraged in Upside-Down Summer to positive effect, reminding the reader of the cultural and faith-based influences that are a part of this family's strength and world view. While the words appear without translation, there is a certain sense of understanding of what they might mean even without really knowing. That said, the author has provided a helpful Glossary to ensure clarity, but also to add to the reader's own linguistic experience. The Great Depression had an impact on everyone, Jewish or not, and one gets that sense of scope and scale. But Upside-Down Summer does an effective job of leaning into Jewish touchstones and values, blending the importance of agency and action with the overarching understanding that there are things that are out of ones control but "Hashem," for example, will point the way even when things seem dark. Non-Jews can appreciate this history-based story of economic instability and the power of family, faith, and friendship. Jews will likely have an ancestral connection to the story if their families were in the US during the Depression and, as a result of this story, have a renewed or new understanding of what their hardships may have been like - and how their sense of resolve and the role of religion may have fueled them toward a better life for the next generations.
Reviewer Rochelle Newman-Carrasco credits her love of literature to her Lower East Side NYC roots. She is the co-author of ZigZag, a bilingual English-Spanish children's book. She has written for Lilith, The Forward, The Ethel, Off Assignment, The Independent and more. She holds a BFA in Theater from UC Irvine and an MFA from Antioch University, Los Angeles. Rochelle is also a recognized expert in the field of culturally specific marketing and advertising, with an emphasis on diverse cultural segments. She is working on a memoir based on her solo theater show Hip Bones and Cool Whip. Upside-Down Summer is the poignant story of ten-year-old Sara and the summer that turned her family’s world upside down. In fact, it wasn’t just her family that experienced the shock of The Great Depression. Her best friend Etty would need to move away and Sara’s room would be converted to a sewing room for a woman who becomes their boarder, before becoming a true friend and a critical part of Sara’s story. The historical context gives the young reader a simple but truthful sense of what The Great Depression meant to individuals and communities, and it is very effective in building tension, grappling with loss, and zooming in on the importance of family and faith during times of crises. The simple, charming black and white illustrations and art design feels vintage and focuses on faces, relationships and key plot points, like a brooch and telephone. Sara has concerns, but she also has courage, as do all of the main characters in the story. They are resourceful and resilient even as they are aware that not everyone will be spared the life-changing disruptions of the Depression. Furniture piled in the streets is just one reminder that while we all want a storybook ending, they don’t always happen. Still, Upside-Down Summer does end on a joyous, hopeful note, striking just the right tone for the middle-grade reader. Our ten-year-old protagonist, Sara, takes us on an emotional journey and on a quest to contribute whatever she can to a positive outcome in the face of dire economic challenges.
Both Yiddish and Hebrew are leveraged in Upside-Down Summer to positive effect, reminding the reader of the cultural and faith-based influences that are a part of this family's strength and world view. While the words appear without translation, there is a certain sense of understanding of what they might mean even without really knowing. That said, the author has provided a helpful Glossary to ensure clarity, but also to add to the reader's own linguistic experience. The Great Depression had an impact on everyone, Jewish or not, and one gets that sense of scope and scale. But Upside-Down Summer does an effective job of leaning into Jewish touchstones and values, blending the importance of agency and action with the overarching understanding that there are things that are out of ones control but "Hashem," for example, will point the way even when things seem dark. Non-Jews can appreciate this history-based story of economic instability and the power of family, faith, and friendship. Jews will likely have an ancestral connection to the story if their families were in the US during the Depression and, as a result of this story, have a renewed or new understanding of what their hardships may have been like - and how their sense of resolve and the role of religion may have fueled them toward a better life for the next generations.
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