The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

The Forbidden Book by Sacha Lamb Levine Querido, 2024 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Beth Gallego Buy at Bookshop.org Lamb’s sophomore novel (after 2023 Sydney Taylor Award-winner When the Angels Left the Old Country) is a fascinating dive into Jewish mythology and life in the Pale of Settlement. Sorel Kalmans, daughter of a well-to-do lumber merchant, is seventeen and engaged to the eldest son of the Esroger Rebbe. The marriage is meant to unite the local Jews, both Hasidic and Maskilic. The night before the wedding, Sorel makes an impulsive decision to run away instead. She disguises herself as a young man and gives her name as Isser Jacobs. But there is a real Isser Jacobs, and he is in serious trouble with some very dangerous people. In addition to escaping her own life, Sorel also must solve the mystery of what has happened to Isser and why. Sorel has led a sheltered life, protected by her father’s wealth and power. Her education has not prepared her for the reality of life in Es...

Absolutely, Positively Natty by Lisa Greenwald Katherine Tegen Books (imprint of HarperCollins Publishers), 2023 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Beth L. Gallego Buy at Bookshop.org "Good vibes only!" Natty Blanken lives by the words on the patch on her backpack. What's the point of focusing on the negative? So, last year she was part of the popular group at her Long Island middle school, and her parents were together, and now she lives with her dad at his parents’ house in a small Pennsylvania town where she doesn’t know any of the other junior high students? That’s all fine. It’s an opportunity to make new friends and try new things. Her parents won’t really get divorced; her mom will join them in Miller Creek eventually. Everything will be just fine. Better than fine. Natty just has to put that good energy out into the universe, and ignore that weird twisted-up feeling she keeps getting in her gut, right? When it seems like everyone around her can only talk about how b...

The Unexpected Adventures of C.A.T. by Johanna Hurwitz, illustrated by Sam Loman Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Beth Gallego Buy at Bookshop.org Chaya is in the fourth grade, lives with her family in an apartment in New York City, and loves cats. She loves everything about them. She loves that her initials - from Chaya Ann Tober - make her a cat, or at least a C.A.T. Her initials aside, Chaya describes herself as thoroughly average. She is in the middle of her class academically, and also when they line up by size. She lives with her parents and older brother in a New York City apartment. She dotes on the family’s pet cat, Ollie. After accidentally taking a bite of Ollie’s food, Chaya has an exceptionally vivid dream of becoming a cat with fur the same bright ginger as her hair. The next night, she finds herself once again a cat, and realizes it was no dream. She quickly discovers that cat life brings its own challenges. Chaya...

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...

When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb Levine Querido, 2022 Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Beth L. Gallego Buy at Bookshop.org With its bookish, slightly absent-minded angel and clever, mischief-loving demon, the best of friends since time immemorial, this debut fantasy has immediate appeal for fans of Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, but with a thoroughly Jewish perspective. Lamb’s immersive world is infused with Yiddish folklore and Jewish culture. Little Ash, the wingless demon with limited magical ability, is more properly a sheyd, closer to a mischievous fairy. He serves as interpreter for the angel, who only understands Hebrew and Aramaic. Both beings appear to humans as young Jewish men, partners in Talmudic study, their supernatural features unnoticed by all but some children and the most perceptive of adults. After centuries in the tiny community of Shtetl, the pair set out for the “Golden Land” of America. Their mission is to find the baker’s dau...

The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor by Amanda Panitch Roaring Brook Press (imprint of Macmillan), 2022 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Beth L. Gallego Buy at Bookshop.org Ruby Taylor’s father is Jewish, and her mother is Catholic. To her paternal grandmother, Ruby is not really a Jew. Grandma Yvette blatantly favors Ruby’s four-months-older cousin Sarah who, in addition to being the sort of tidy, polite, and helpful girl adults adore, has a Jewish mother. Afternoons at their grandmother’s house see Sarah cozy in the kitchen, learning to cook, while Ruby is banished to the living room with her homework. There is a growing distance between the once-close cousins, and Ruby might not be all that interested in closing it. Maybe it is just time for the two of them to make new friends and pursue different activities. Then Sarah starts behaving strangely, acting out in ways that are downright dangerous. Ruby thinks she knows why, and it might be a little bit her fault. Possibly, she accidenta...

Coming of Age: 13 B'nai Mitzvah Stories edited by Jonathan Rosen and Henry Herz Albert Whitman & Company, 2022 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Beth L. Gallego Buy at Bookshop.org “Sure, even though one by one we were being called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah, none of us had miraculously become a grown-up. But we were getting there,” reflects the narrator of Nancy Krulik’s “The Contest” in this anthology. Krulik is one of thirteen authors presenting tales of young people preparing for B’nai Mitzvah celebrations large and small, ceremonies and parties they look forward to or dread. The characters struggle with self-confidence and religious identity as well as the challenges of school bullies, a global pandemic, and various manifestations of antisemitism. The thread that runs through the anthology is what it means to become an adult. Some characters struggle with shyness, particularly when it comes to approaching a romantic interest, whether they happen to be in suburban Connect...

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...

I'll Keep You Close by Jeska Verstegen Levine Querido Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Beth L. Gallego Buy at Bookshop.org How does one honor the memory of those who died during a time one wants to forget? Debut novelist Jeska Verstegen examines the toll secret grief took on her own family in this poignant volume, originally published in the Netherlands as Ik zal je bewaren and translated from the Dutch by Bill Nagelkerke.   In snapshot vignettes, eleven-year-old Jesje presents, at first, unremarkable days in the ordinary life of a girl in 1980s Amsterdam. Perhaps her mother is unusually anxious, but that’s just how Mama is. Bomma, Jesje’s maternal grandmother, is in a nearby nursing home, suffering from dementia that has taken a turn for the worse. During a visit, she calls Jesje by someone else’s name, Hesje, and Mama refuses to say more than that it is the name of someone from far in the past.   Curious, Jesje investigates, gathering information from other famil...

The Boy Who Failed Show and Tell by Jordan Sonnenblick, illustrated by Marta Kissi Scholastic Press Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Beth L. Gallego Buy at Bookshop.org Jordan Sonnenblick takes us back to his childhood with this lightly-fictionalized account of his own fourth-grade year. It gets off to a rough start. He doesn’t get past the first day before breaking one of Mrs. Fisher’s Rules for Successful and Mature Fourth Graders. He has always had trouble sitting still and paying attention, and his new asthma medication has made it worse. His pet garter snake, Hector, unexpectedly gives birth to a whole bunch of baby snakes that need new homes. And his parents sign him up for drum lessons, but he doesn’t have a drum at home - he has to practice on a large dictionary.   Jordan faces indignities and setbacks with determination and wry humor. He is a good-natured, likable tween boy trying to figure out the sometimes baffling world around him. Marta Kissi’s black-and-whit...

Hannah G. Solomon Dared to Make a Difference by Bonnie Lindauer, illustrated by Sofia Moore Kar-Ben Publishing (imprint of Lerner Publishing Group) Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Beth L. Gallego Buy at Bookshop.org The 1893 Columbian Exposition - better known today as the Chicago World’s Fair - introduced many inventions and innovations, including electric lamps and the Ferris wheel. It was also the birthplace of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), thanks to the efforts of Hannah Greenebaum Solomon.   Born to German immigrant parents in 1858, young Hannah grew up encouraged to treat all people with respect and to help those less fortunate than herself. Her parents set the example, working to aid new immigrants, impoverished families, and people fleeing slavery. In the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, Hannah’s parents opened their home to those who had lost theirs.   As an adult, Hannah was among the first Jewish women admitted to the Chic...

 Chunky written & illustrated by Yehudi Mercado Katherine Tegan Books (imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Beth L. Gallego   Buy at Bookshop.org Meet Chunky: a hot pink, big-eyed, blue-tongued drawing come to life, courtesy of Yehudi Mercado’s vibrant imagination.    In this fictionalized version of his childhood, after a doctor recommends Hudi lose weight, his parents decide he should find a sport. Hudi would much rather develop his comedy or art skills, and it doesn’t help that he is remarkably accident-prone. He gets hit with the ball twice when he tries baseball, sprains his ankle off the field during a soccer game, and has to quit swimming when a hand injury must be kept dry.   At home, Hudi’s family is struggling financially and trying to prepare for his sister’s Bat Mitzvah. Hudi is supposed to memorize a reading for the service, but he is much more concerned with how he can make people laugh.   As Hudi’...

 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 ...

Hold On to Your Music: The Inspiring True Story of the Children of Willesden Lane by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen, adapted by Emil Sher, illustrated by Sonia Possentini Little Brown & Company Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Beth Gallego Buy at Bookshop.org On a cold winter day in Vienna, Lisa takes the trolley to her piano lesson, daydreaming about performing Mozart and Beethoven at the symphony hall. When she arrives, her teacher meets her at the door and tells her that the laws have changed, and he can no longer teach Jewish children. At home, Lisa’s parents comfort her, and her mother tells her to “hold on to your music. It will be your best friend.” She repeats this advice one last time as Lisa boards a train with many other children leaving for Great Britain, where their parents hope they will be safe. After arriving in London, Lisa is placed at a group foster home in Willesden Lane. She makes friends with the other children, and is pleased to find a piano that she is allowed...

  The Way Back by Gavriel Savit Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Beth Gallego   Buy at Bookshop.org Yehuda Leib and Bluma have lived all their lives in the tiny shtetl of Tupik, somewhere in the woods of eastern Europe. Bluma’s father is a baker, and their home is warm and bright. Yehuda Leib scarcely remembers his father, though all the neighbors shake their heads and sigh when they speak of him. Right now, all anyone can talk about is the Rebbe of Zubinsk, who is about to preside over the wedding of his fifth granddaughter. It is to be a grand celebration, and the invitation is open to anyone who wishes to come. This interests not only the people of the surrounding villages, but also the creatures who make their home in the Far Country, where time and space are different from the human world. The Far Country is the home of angels and demons, beings like Lilith, Lord Mammon, and the Dark Messenger, who take this rare opportunity of an open invitation to cross into the land o...

Sarah Bernhardt: The Divine and Dazzling Life of the World's First Superstar by Catherine Reef Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Beth Gallego Actress, artist, author, mother, world traveller, French patriot: the “Divine Sarah” played many roles, both on and off the stage. Her life was filled with dramatic episodes, which Reef presents in rich detail while also acknowledging that both the loss of historical records and Bernhardt’s tendency to embellish her own stories make some of those details difficult to verify. For example, “Sarah Bernhardt said that she was born on October 22, 1844, and maybe she was. A fire destroyed her birth certificate, so she can only be taken at her word.” The nineteenth-century world in which Bernhardt rose to fame contains many aspects that may be unfamiliar to twenty-first-century teens. From the demimonde and courtesans to the Franco-Prussian War, Reef’s narrative provides historical context for Bernhardt’s experiences. Photographs and illustr...

The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Beth Gallego On an April morning in 1986, Valentina Kaplan and Oksana Savchenko wake up in Pripyat, Ukraine, to a red sky full of blue smoke. Neither of their fathers have come home from the overnight shift at the nearby V. I. Lenin Nuclear Power Plant, better known as Chernobyl. Within a few days, the twelve-year-old girls are evacuated to Leningrad. Oksana is angry and afraid, not least because her father has always told her that Jews are liars and thieves, and Valentina’s family is Jewish. Valentina is resentful that her mother is sending her away to a grandmother she has never met, with a girl who has bullied her for years as company. On an August morning in 1941, Rifka Friedman flees her Kiev home with only an older cousin and the few things they can carry, racing to escape the invading German forces. Her mother and three little brothers remain behind, and she can only hope that she will see them agai...

Lilah Tov / Good Night by Ben Bundersheimer (Mister G), illustrated by Noar Lee Naggan Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Beth Gallego In this lyrical bedtime book, a deceptively simple text is set beside an immigration story told through the illustrations. Ben Gundersheimer (Mister G) adapts a Hebrew lullaby into rhyming English text that flows with natural rhythm when read aloud. Noar Lee Naggan’s digitally colored pencil sketches suffuse each double-page spread with intense color and animated style. The family - a little girl with dark braids and red kerchief, her bearded father in his flat cap, and her mother, who wears a scarf over her hair and carries a baby in her arms or on her back - eat a simple meal in a small house. The sun sets outside the window, where a golden menorah gleams on the sill. On the next page, “The moon is rising, / big and bright / Time to wish everyone / good night” while Father fastens the menorah to a large pack and Mother ties the red kerchief over...

Flowers in the Gutter: The True Story of the Edelweiss Pirates, Teenagers Who Resisted the Nazis by K.R. Gaddy Category: Young Adult Reviewer: Beth L. Gallego Drawing on memoirs, oral histories, and Gestapo archives, this rigorously-researched volume focuses on Fritz, Gertrud, and Jean, children growing up in and around Cologne during the 1930s and early 1940s. All of them were working class, and none of them were Jewish: Gertrud’s father was arrested and imprisoned in a concentration camp for Communist activities, and Jean’s father, aunt, and grandmother were also arrested for Communist affiliations. Through a tight focus on these three individuals, Gaddy brings to life a larger story of resistance with which many readers will be unfamiliar. Fritz, Gertrud, and Jean were among hundreds of teenagers who found refuge in local groups called Edelweiss Pirates. They enjoyed singing, hiking, and camping in the nearby mountains, following the model of earlier Bündische Jugend (“fre...