The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Golemcrafters by Emi Watanabe Cohen Levine Querido, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Heather Matthews Buy at Bookshop.org Faye and her older brother, Shiloh, are straddling two cultures at once. Patrilineal European Jews with a Japanese American mother, the siblings struggle to feel that they belong anywhere. Faye doesn’t feel that she belongs in the Asian Student Association or the Jewish Student Association, and both she and her brother face regular antisemitic bullying. However, through the gift of clay sent by their Zeyde, Faye and Shiloh end up spending their spring break in New York City, learning the skill of crafting golems. Over the week with Zeyde, Faye discovers her own powers and abilities, as well as the indominable spirit of her ancestors. Ultimately, Golemcrafters is a story about generational trauma, but more importantly, a story about generational strength.    Faye and Shiloh interact with multiple instances of historic and contemporary antisemitism. These interac

Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy Feiwel & Friends, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Jacqueline Jules Buy at Bookshop.org The device of long-lost identical twins reunited is delightfully employed by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy in this fun middle grade holiday novel. Holly and Aviva are two well-adjusted twelve-year-olds, comfortable with their status as adoptive daughters in their respective loving families. They both have a close relationship with a grandparent. This brings them both to Rowena Village, a senior center holding a December holiday pageant. Aviva, a born performer, enthusiastically volunteers, (at her Bubbe’s suggestion), to do a Hanukkah song. Holly reluctantly agrees to help backstage. They meet by accident at rehearsals and immediately bond as sisters. Aviva suggests that they switch places and surprise their families with a big reveal during the holiday pageant. Holly goes along, thinking that they will be discovered right away. However, both gir

What Jewish Looks Like by Liz Kleinrock and Caroline Kusin Pritchard, illustrated by Iris Gottlieb HarperCollins, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Rochelle Newman-Carrasco   Buy at Bookshop.org Both The Table of Contents and Introduction of the collective biography What Jewish Looks Like provide a road map for the way this much-needed book brings together a wide spectrum of individuals and organizations, identities and philosophies, beliefs, values, and causes. There are “Big Question” pages that add to the rich learning experience one can have with this book, no matter your own depth of involvement in all things Jewish. The authors do a good job of taking on the complexity of their topic. We are introduced to individuals and organizations in a thematic way. Tikkun Olam, for example, brings us those who are known for Repairing a Broken World. In this section alone we meet Jews from Ethopia, to Austria to Los Angeles, California. A chapter named Adam Yachid, Unique Value of Every

Tale of the Flying Forest by R.M. Romero, illustrated by E.K. Belsher Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Rebecca Klempner Buy at Bookshop.org Anne Applebaum lives in Silverthorne with her parents. One night, Mrs. Applebaum tells Anne that while pregnant, she dreamed that she would have not one child—Anne—but two—Anne and a son, Rainer. Anne believes that this missing twin is the reason she's always felt slightly empty. When 11-year-old Anne’s mother dies, her inattentive father leaves Anne to mourn on her own. Her greatest consolation is the book her mother gave her, The World to Come . The book follows the adventures of the seven Jewish prophetesses as well as seven witches who live in the magical realm of Bei Ilai, where they fight the evil Lilith the Nightshade Queen. After baking challah one lonely day, Anne shares some with a crow. In thanks, the crow tells her that her brother lives, but that he is currently in three pieces, all of th

Friends to the Rescue by Ellen Schwartz, illustrated by Alison Mutton Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Lisa Trank Buy at Bookshop.org In  Friends to the Rescue , a poignant illustrated novel, the story unfolds in the aftermath of the devastating 2009 earthquake that ravaged the Italian town of Fossa. Young Luca, orphaned by a car accident, lives with his grandfather, Roberto, when the disaster strikes. Their trauma is compounded by the town's collective grief. The early chapters introduce Antonio, Luca's braver best friend, and portray the community's unwavering resilience as they come together to aid the injured and rescue the trapped. A turning point arrives with the discovery of a beloved townswoman's body. This prompts a flashback to 1943, when Nazi Germany occupied Italy. Roberto, then a young man, witnesses the persecution of Italian Jews. His family risks their lives to harbor the Rosettis, including Sara,

Rachel Friedman Breaks the Rules by Sarah Kapit, illustrated by Genevieve Kote Henry Holt & Co., 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Sara Lesley Arnold Buy at Bookshop.org Rachel Friedman does not follow rules, especially when she’s expected to sit through the lengthy services at her synagogue without a cartwheel break. As much as she tries, she just can’t. But when faced with a challenge from her father that would let her meet her gymnast idol, she must decide if this is motivation enough to betray her every instinct and follow every single rule for an entire week. Author Sarah Kapit thoroughly integrates Rachel’s relationship with Judaism into this first novel of the middle grade Rachel Friedman series, centering many turning points around the setting of the synagogue and interactions with Rachel’s rabbi. Paired with frequent, adorable illustrations by Genevieve Kote, the story is accessible to elementary and young middle school readers who are drawn to visual elements, but the

Lucky Penny by Aimee Lucido, illustrated by Jon Davis Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House Publishing), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Leah Cypess Buy at Bookshop.org When Penny (the girl) picks up a face-down penny (the coin), her best friend warns her that she’s in for a run of bad luck. Penny doesn’t believe it. She’s done a lot to ensure that she has a lucky day—a day that will hopefully end with her being chosen to blow the shofar at her school’s Rosh Hashanah picnic. But a cascade of disasters seems to prove that Penny’s luck really has gone bad. Can she turn it around? Penny’s earnest efforts and inevitable mishaps are authentic and fun to read about. The charming illustrations complement the story perfectly, making this a delighful—and definitely Jewish—chapter book. This fun, fast-moving story incorporates a number of Rosh Hashanah traditions, from shofar to honey cake to Tashlich, with a light but meaningful touch.  Ed. note: This early chapter book was i

Remember My Story: A Girl, A Holocaust Survivor, and a Friendship That Made History by Claire Sarnowski with Sarah Durand Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Sandy Wasserman Buy at Bookshop.org This book is a treasure! It’s the story of the unlikeliest of friendships. The author, Claire Sarnowski, a Christian girl, started a friendship with Alter Wiener when she was only 9 years old, invited by her aunt to hear a Holocaust survivor who was then 89 years old, speak in their very non-Jewish community in Oregon. Soon after they meet, a bond forms between Claire and Alter, a survivor of five work camps and concentration camps. He shares his life story with Claire through their meetings during her middle and high school years, and during those visits she shares her own daily issues with him, speaking frankly as best friends would. She learns from him that just as her education is beginning, it coincides with the time when Alter’s formal education

Just Shy of Ordinary by A.J. Sass Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Kathryn Hall Buy at Bookshop.org Shai is the only child of a single mother, living in a warm communal household in Wisconsin. In addition to the usual problems of adolescence, Shai has an anxiety disorder, and change is difficult for them. Shai enters public school for the first time after being home-schooled, is skipped a grade due to academic achievement, starts high school, misses their best friend, gets a new haircut, makes new friends, starts to understand their gender identity and sexuality, develops disfiguring eczema, and worries. So much worry. Their mother doesn't seem to want to answer Shai's questions about their past, and mom’s new career will likely mean that they will have to move. An antisemitic incident occurs, but Shai has supportive family, friends, and teachers as well as personal strengths. Shai enjoys writing and poetry and is able to understand w

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman Aladdin (imprint of Simon & Schuster), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Mindy Civan Buy at Bookshop.org Not Nothing tells the story of a non-Jewish twelve year old boy named Alex, from the point of view of Joseph Kravitz, a Jewish 107 year old Holocaust survivor. This unlikely friendship was set into motion by a judge, who ordered Alex to volunteer at Shady Glen Retirement Home, after “the incident”. Alex was recently removed from his mother’s care and placed with his aunt and uncle, where he sleeps on a lumpy couch and is fed bland, rubbery chicken each night. Shady Glen is the last place that Alex wants to be for the summer, with its elderly residents, especially since the only other kid around is the bossy Maya-Jade. Things start to change for Alex when a case of the stomach flu spreads, and Alex has to help by delivering meals to residents in their rooms. On his delivery rounds, Alex slowly begins to converse with the residents, and get to know

The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival by Estelle Nadel, illustrated by Sammy Savos Roaring Brook Press, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Lisa Trank Buy at Bookshop.org “I’m not going to be here forever. Someday there will no longer be any Holocaust survivors still living. We will be gone. I want you, the young people, the next generation, to carry our stories on and someday tell your own children that, yes, you know a Holocaust survivor. She was real. It really happened.” - Estelle Nadel   The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival is a poignant graphic novel recounting the story of Estelle Nadel, born Enia Feld in 1934 Poland. The youngest of five, Enia is depicted as a joyful child who loves singing. However, her life drastically changes when the Holocaust disrupts her peaceful existence in Borek. The graphic novel, with concise language and compelling illustrations, follows Enia as she survives with the aid of non-Jewish neighbors who risk

Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf by Deke Moulton Tundra Books, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Stacy Mozer Buy at Bookshop.org Benji Zeb is stressed about his upcoming Bar Mitzvah and worried about the local bully, Caleb, who he secretly likes. He discovers that Caleb's stepfather, Mr. Rutherford, is plotting to shut down his family's kibbutz and wolf sanctuary by releasing the wolves, unaware that the wolves are actually Benji's family, descendants of the first werewolf from the Torah. As it says, "Benjamin is a wolf, he will prey; in the morning he will devour plunder, and in the evening he will divide the spoil." (Genesis 49:27). When Caleb turns into a wolf and arrives at the sanctuary, Benji's new priority becomes saving Caleb from his stepfather. The more they work together and learn about the motivation behind Mr. Rutherford's attack on their community, the more Benji learns to overcome his anxiety and find his own voice. While the book is a

Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler Aladdin (imprint of Simon & Schuster), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Rachel Aronowitz Buy at Bookshop.org Mila and Hannie are 12 and 15 year old Jewish sisters living in Holland during World War II. Their parents have no choice but to send them to Amsterdam to live with a non-Jewish family, to protect them from the Nazis. Hannie is a headstrong and strong-willed teenager and secretly joins the Dutch Resistance as an undercover agent while Mila tries to live a normal life by making friends and trying to manage her sister's sudden aloofness, and worrying about the fate of her parents. The chapters shift between this narrative and present day London where 8th grader Liv, who is Mila's future granddaughter, is navigating friendships and school and her aging grandmother. The narrative structure of this book feels a bit uneven and the narrative shifts strike me as overwhelming for the intended audience. We have present day London, in wh

Uprising by Jennifer A. Nielsen Scholastic Press (imprint of Scholastic, Inc), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Judy Ehrenstein Buy at Bookshop.org Based on the life of Lidia Durr Zakrzewski, this is a fictionalized account of Poland under the Nazi occupation, as experienced by Lidia and her well-to-do family in Warsaw. They are not Jewish but seem to have good relationships with the Jews around them, including employing Doda as a housekeeper. Lidia is a headstrong, confident pre-teen as the book begins, talented at the piano, but the object of her mother's constant criticism, unlike her older brother, Ryszard and the memory of a long dead sister, Krystina. With Germany's invasion, life changes suddenly. Papa joins the army and is not seen again. With the months and years of war and its deprivations, Lidia grows to be an independent and resourceful young woman, determined to get an education, help others, and join the Resistance. When Doda and her mother, Bubbe are forced

The Treasure of Tel Maresh by Tammar Stein, illustrated by Barbara Bongini Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Merle Eisman Carrus   Buy at Bookshop.org What a delightful story about a family trip to Israel. The Treasure of Tel Maresha shares two stories of young girls in Israel at different times in history. Becca Goldstein is on vacation with her family, visiting an archaeological dig site in Tel Maresha, Israel. She has come reluctantly on this trip with her brother, Ben and their parents. She feels like she is missing something more fun with her friends back home in Massachusetts. Becca perks up as she begins to learn about the ancient civilization that existed in this area centuries ago. The tour guide explains how families built homes of limestone dug from the ground and the resulting caveswere cool places for storage of food and other goods. In an alternate storyline, Rebeka and her brother Benjamin are living in Maresha t

The Girl Who Fought Back: Vladka Meed and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising by Joshua M. Greene Scholastic Focus, 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Jeanette Brod Buy at Bookshop.org The Girl Who Fought Back is an insider's account of the historic Warsaw Ghetto uprising that ironically finds our heroine stranded outside the ghetto walls on the day the revolt begins. But Vladka Meed’s story does not start there. It begins, as do many Holocaust stories, with the shocking downward spiral that afflicts Jewish families who were citizens of European cities. What sets this story apart is the portrait of despair in the life of a young woman who loses first family members, then friends, and finally fellow Resistance fighters. Survivor guilt permeates Vladka’s choices and actions with the recurring refrain, “Why am I still alive?” This telling is not for the faint-hearted. The internal dialogue is as honest as it is brutal. What balances the storytelling is the humanity and courage of a young w

Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry Clarion Books (imprint of HarperCollins), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Heather J. Matthews Buy at Bookshop.org Tree. Table. Book. examines the friendship between two neighbors – Sophia Henry Winslow, 11 years old, and Sophie Gershowitz, 88 years old. Sophia, after learning that Sophie’s son suspects his mother is in the early stages of dementia, takes it upon herself to prove her friend is mentally fit, and therefore, will not need to move out of her home. Armed with a friend’s father’s copy of the Merck manual, Sophia “tests” her friend’s ability to complete tasks; for example, Sophie’s abstract reasoning is tested when she is asked to determine what the words cat, dog, hamster and gerbil have in common. After passing some “tests” and failing others, Sophia revisits one test over and over – a short-term memory test, in which Sophie is told three words and then is asked to recall the words after three minutes have passed. Trying to stack the d

Always Anthony written and illustrated by Terri Libenson Balzer + Bray (imprint of HarperCollins), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Stacy Nockowitz Buy at Bookshop.org Always Anthony is the newest addition to author/illustrator Terri Libenson’s "Emmie & Friends" series. As with the other books in the series, Libenson zeroes in on a particular aspect of adolescence that many children deal with and offers ways to handle these difficulties through the storyline. In Always Anthony , popular, athletic Anthony Randall is a whiz at science, but he struggles in language arts class. His teacher asks his classmate Leah Ruben to tutor him until he brings his grade up. Leah is reluctant to work with Anthony, as he is “TPFW” (Too Popular for Words), and she has been bullied by the popular kids in the past. As Anthony and Leah get to know one another, he shows her that you shouldn’t judge someone too hastily based on their friends, while she shows him the damage that being a bull

Max and the Not-So-Perfect Apology by Carl Harris Shuman, illustrated by Rory Walker and Michael Garton Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2024 Category: Middle Grade Reviewer: Judy Greenblatt Max has a time machine – one that works! Author Carl Harris Shulman use this device, in this third title in the Torah Time Travel Series, to draw his audience in. Max takes off in it to seek solace after a fight with his best friend. He’s especially sad and angry because she has made a new friend, and won’t come with him. This trip lands him in the middle of the biblical Jacob story, which just happens to be the story his class is working on. It was this class project that started his disagreement with his special friend. The argument led each of them to say things they didn’t mean, but neither could find a way to apologize. Enter Jacob, here called Jake, a man who is estranged from his brother, but who wants to mend the relationship. As Max talks to Jacob about his struggle to