The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Rose Spoke Out: The Story of Rose Schneiderman by Emma Carlson Berne, illustrated by Giovanni Abeille Apples & Honey (imprint of Behrman House), 2023 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shirley Reva Vernick Buy at Bookshop.org This is the story of Rose Schneiderman, a Jewish immigrant from Poland who became a leading labor activist in early 20th-century NYC. When 13-year-old Rose's father died, she had to leave school and go to work in a sweatshop, where she and other women sewed hats under harsh and unsafe conditions. Learning that females earned less than males was the final straw in Rose's mounting anger. She ultimately led a walkout by thousands of women in hundreds of factories, demanding better working conditions and fairer wages. Things improved a little, but not enough to prevent the notorious Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire in 1911. In the wake of that tragedy, Rose's impassioned speech before a packed audience at the Metropolitan Opera House became a turning po...

Shabbat Sabotage by Emma Carlson Berne Yellow Jacket (imprint of Little Bee  Books), 2022 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Sandy Wasserman Buy at Bookshop.org This is one of the most uplifting Jewish camp books I've ever read! Camp Shalom, where it takes place, is a girls' camp but the object lessons in the plot are universal. The 11 year olds arriving on Day One do not know each other, some do not want to be there, and there's a bit of edgy unfriendliness as they size each other up upon arrival at their cabin. But what they don't know is that some of the girls have secrets, and so a mystery develops. Someone can't swim, and someone steals a kiddush cup and candlesticks for a very unusual reason, and someone is way more homesick than anyone else. There is just enough of a hint along the way to surmise the identity of the thief, but the story keeps the reader guessing. In the end, the girls solve the mystery and help each other overcome their personal problems and fe...