Association of Jewish Libraries of Southern California


Copied with permission by Linda L. Silver
from the AJL Greater Cleveland Chapter publication
Association of Jewish Libraries - Greater Cleveland Chapter
Review of New and Notable Books
for Children and Teens
October 2006 - May 2007


YOUNG CHILDREN

Abraham, Michelle Shapiro.  My Cousin Tamar Lives in Israel.  Illus. by Ann D. Koffsky.  URJ Press, 2007. A young boy compares and contrasts how he celebrates the Jewish holidays in America with how his cousin Tamar celebrates them in Israel Attractively illustrated, this positive introduction to Israel for preschoolers emphasizes the normalcy of cousin Tamar’s life in Israel.  Ages 4 – 6.  


Daleski, Gil.  Is God Sad?  Illus. by Debbie Weinstein.  Translated by Shirley Kaufman.  Gefen, 2007. Translated from the Hebrew, a joyful conversation between father and child takes place affirming God’s goodness, empathy, loving kindness and generosity, while also confronting questions about death in a comforting way for a young child. Ages: 4-6

Fagan, Cary.  Ten Old Men and a Mouse.  Illus. by Gary Clements.  Tundra Books, 2007. Gentle humor, a heavy dose of nostalgia, and winsome illustrations tell a charming story of ten old men who make up the minyan at an old synagogue, and their friendship with the mouse they discover among the holy books. Ages: 3-6.

Herron, Carolivia.  Always an Olivia.  Illus. by Jeremy Tugeau.  Kar-Ben/Lerner, 2007.  A warm look at many generations of a Jewish family who were expelled from Spain and became, centuries later, members of the Geechee community of former slaves who live on the Georgia Sea Islands.  The author is part of that family and the story she tells, part fact, part fiction, is of an odyssey.  For ages 6 – 8.
 
Hoffman, Amalia.  Purim Goodies.  Gefen, 2007. Beautifully illustrated and with a message that transcends Purim, about the importance of helping the poor, this is based on a Sholom Aleichem tale. A hamentaschen recipe with two fillings is included. Ages: 4-7

Horowitz, Dave.  Five Little Gefiltes.  G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2007. Colorful, animated illustrations enhance this fun-to-read rhymed counting book, which also includes
a lesson in Yiddish, a brief tour of New York City, a survey of Jewish culinary habits and a moral: always try to be a mensch. Ages: 4-6.

Jules, Jacqueline.  Abraham’s Search for God.  Illus. by Natascia Ugliano.  Kar-Ben/Lerner, 2007.  Softly colored but dramatic illustrations wash over all the pages of this midrashic tale of how Abraham found God.  The little boy’s search is portrayed within a natural world of moon and sun, wind and thunder, rain and rainbows and his realization that a single unseen divine presence rules over the world develops in a way that young children will understand.  Ages 3 – 6.

Leshem-Pelly, Miri.  Lon-Lon’s Big Night/Halaila Hagadol Shel Lon-Lon.  Milk and Honey Press, 2007.  In beautifully descriptive Hebrew and corresponding English, the author tells of the first nocturnal adventures of a sand fox cub in the Negev. The animals in their desert habitat are illustrated in soft pastels, and the pictures as well as the story have great child appeal. Part of a bilingual, Hebrew-English series by Milk and Honey Press for ages: 4- 7.

Schram, Peninnah.  The Magic Pomegranate: A Jewish Folktale.  Illus. by Melanie Hall.  Millbrook Press/Lerner, 2008. A cumulative tale from the Talmud in easy reader format about three brothers who return home after ten years with magical gifts that save the life of a princess. The symbolism of the pomegranate in Judaism and the concept of performing mitzvot are explained. With a skimpy format but graceful illustrations, it is excellent for reading aloud or telling.  Ages: 5-8.
 
Sheri, Shira.  Jonathan and the Waves/Yonatan V’Hagalim.  Milk and Honey Press, 2007.  Jonathan is a little Israeli boy who is afraid to go into the ocean. To conquer his fears, he talks to God after he learns from his mother that God is present in nature and that God gives us strength when we are afraid. Attractively illustrated, this is part of a bilingual, Hebrew-English series from Milk and Honey Press for ages 4-7.

Tal, Eve.  The New Boy/Yeled Hadash.  Illus. by Ora Schwartz.  Milk and Honey Press, 2007.  A new Russian immigrant child in an Israeli nursery school is made to feel welcome by a caring teacher and his fellow students. The illustrations and format are handsome, with English on the left side and Hebrew on the right side of every double page spread. Jewish - and universal – values of understanding, sympathy, kindness, and inclusion are imparted through a very appealing story whose theme is not limited to Israel. Ages: 4-7.

Topek, Susan Remick.  Ten Good Rules, Revised Ed.  Photographs by Tod Cohen.  Kar-Ben/Lerner, 2007.  Outstanding color photographs of children in this new edition have replaced the illustrations of the first edition. It continues to be an excellent introduction to the Ten Commandments for preschoolers. Ages: 4-7.


  MIDDLE GRADES 

Codell, Esme Raji.  Viva la Paris!  Hyperion, 2006.  Given a yellow star by her Holocaust survivor piano teacher, Paris takes it to school and is assigned to learn about the Holocaust, temporarily losing her faith in humanity. Her struggle with the burden of knowledge and her steps toward re-embracing life are portrayed with sensitivity and even joy. Paris is black, but despite the lack of a Jewish protagonist, this is a book that will give Jewish readers, indeed, readers of all faiths, something to think about. Ages: 8-11.

Forest, Jim.  Silent As a Stone: Mother Maria of Paris and the Trash Can Rescue.  Illus. by Dasha Pancheshnaya.  St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2007.  Mother Maria  Skobtsova was recognized by her Orthodox Christian church as a saint for her efforts to rescue Parisian Jews during the Holocaust.  Softly colored, emotional illustrations emphasize her kindness and religious faith and her place in history among the righteous Gentiles. Ages: 9-11.  

Greenberger, Tehilla.  Gifts to Treasure.  Illus. by Eli Toron.  Hachai, 2007.  The family of Jewish immigrants portrayed here as homesteaders in North Dakota all actively perform acts of charity, mutual aid, self-sacrifice, and other mitzvot as a natural part of being Jewish. This will appeal to many as a Jewish “Little House on the Prairie.” Ages: 8-11.

Heiligman, Deborah.  Celebrate Passover with Matzah, Maror, and Memories.  National Geographic, 2007.  Another excellent book in the Holidays Around the World series, this is by the same author as Celebrate Hanukkah with Lights, Latkes, and Dreidels , and follows the same format. Engaging color photos of Jews observing Passover in different parts of the world accompany a concise text that conveys the meaning and history of the holiday, its customs, and the observance of the Seder. Ages: 8-12.

Ionnides, Mara W. Cohen.  A Shout in the Sunshine.  Jewish Publication Society, 2007.   Set in the vibrant, diverse Greek Jewish community of Thessaloniki in the fifteenth century, a special friendship develops between Miguel, a poor refugee from Inquisition Spain, and David, the son of a wealthy Greek fabric merchant, despite the concerns of both Greek and Spanish Jews that the other group is not truly Jewish. Ages: 10- 13.

Leeds, Constance.  The Silver Cup.  Viking, 2007.  In Germany in 1096, a Catholic girl overcomes the era’s rampant anti-Semitism to rescue and befriend a Jewish girl whose family has been murdered in a pogrom. The author’s knowledge of everyday medieval life matched with an elegant writing style make this noteworthy.  Ages: 10-14.
 
Lehman-Wilzig, Tami. Lotty’s Lace Tablecloth.  Illus. by Ksenia Topaz.  Gefen, 2007.  Old-fashioned illustrations bring to life a by-gone era, as Nina tells the story of her family’s Sabbath lace tablecloth, which has been handed down from generation to generation. The author gently emphasizes the importance of honoring the Sabbath, and of working with one’s family to appreciate and retain family history. Ages: 6-10.

Levine, Karen and Emil Sher.  Hana’s Suitcase on Stage.  Second Story, 2007.
Emil Sher has written a stage adaptation of Levine’s Sydney Taylor award-winning true story, Hana’s Suitcase. Able to be performed with a minimum amount of staging, lighting and props, this 9-character play can used for teaching about the Holocaust, performed on the Day of Remembrance, and will further the message of tolerance to all classroom students who read or perform it. Ages: 10- 14.

O’Connell, Rebecca.  Penina Levine is a Hard-boiled Egg.  Illus. by Majella Lue Sue.  Roaring Brook Press, 2007. As the only fully Jewish student in her sixth-grade class, Penina does not want to fulfill her insensitive teacher’s assignment to write a letter from the Easter bunny to a kindergartner. When she receives a zero, Penina’s grandmother helps her to retain her self-esteem, and a class on religious diversity is implemented in her school.  Girls will enjoy the character of the feisty Penina and the message of standing up for what you believe is important.  Ages: 10-12.

Peacock, Louise.  At Ellis Island: A History in Many Voices.  Illlus. by Walter Lyon Krudop.  Atheneum, 2007.  Combining voices of immigrants, documentary photos, and evocative illustrations, this well-designed book brings to life the experiences of those who entered the United States through Ellis Island.  Ages: 9 – 12.

Toksvig, Sandi.  Hitler’s Canary.  Roaring Brook, 2007. Multi-dimensional characters and a humorous writing style bring eleven -year old Bamse, his theatrical family and friends to life, placing them in the position of unlikely heroes, in this exciting and off-beat story about the Danish rescue of Jews during World War II.  Ages:10-14.


TEENS

Brown, Don.  The Notorious Izzy Fink.  Roaring Brook Press, 2006.  A colorful story set on New York's mean streets in the early 1900's, this is about ethnic teenage gangs and grown up gangsters, some based on real people. A Jewish-Irish boy is the narrator who recounts a tale of struggling for nickels and dimes, facing down rivals, and working for a fearsome crook named Monk Eastman in tandem with his arch-enemy, Izzy Fink. Fast-paced and adventurous, it neither exalts street life nor condemns it, letting the characters, their motivation, and actions speak for themselves. Ages: 12 – 15.

DeSaix, Deborah Durland and Karen Gray Ruelle.  Hidden on the Mountain: Stories of Children Sheltered from the Nazis in Le Chambon.  Holiday House, 2007. The authors use this inspiring photo-essay to tell an amazing rescue story about a Nazi-occupied Protestant community in south-central France who worked together to save several thousand Jewish children from the Holocaust, “because it was the right thing to do.” Ages:12-15.

Levitin, Sonia.  Strange Relations.  Random House, 2007.  A teenage girl spends the summer in Hawaii with her religiously observant aunt and the aunt’s large family. Not since The Singing Mountain has Levitin explored the varieties of Jewish practice in such depth. An absorbing story of good people striving for religious authenticity and learning to understand one another for ages: 12-16.

Nicola, Christos and Peter Lane Taylor.  The Secret of Priest’s Grotto.  Kar-Ben/Lerner, 2007.  A remarkable non-fiction Holocaust survival story which tells the true story of a group of thirty- two Ukrainian Jews who hid from the Nazis in a cave and managed to survive against incredible odds for almost one year. Stunning color photographs are spread throughout the book, which is written on a fairly adult level in the style of a National Geographic article. A note states that an article about Priest's Grotto appeared in National Geographic Adventure in 2004 and that the story is now being developed into a movie and TV documentary. Ages:12 and up.
 
Peet, Mal.  Tamar.  Candlewick Press, 2007.  Filled with suspense, danger and secrets from beginning to end, this dark novel for older teens and adults combines two stories, both about people named Tamar. One is set in wartime Holland and it involves espionage, resistance, and a passionate love affair. The modern day story is about a teenage English girl who has been named Tamar after the heroic Tamar of the resistance. Knowing nothing about her grandfather’s wartime activities, she is left to unravel his secrets after he dies, a probable suicide. The Jewish content is very slight, almost nil, but the place and action are of Jewish interest. Tamar won England’s Carnegie Award and it is hard to put down. Ages: 14 and up including adults.

Rabb, Margo.  Cures for Heartbreak.  Delacorte, 2007.   Intense, poignant, but also at times very funny, 15-year-old Mia ‘s story of the year following the sudden death of her mother explores the nature of grief as she experienced it as a Jewish teenager.  While containing some swearing, obscenities, and sex, this is based on the author’s true experiences and is a highly moving, beautifully written look at death, illness, close family relationships, school, friendship and romance. Ages: 14 and up including adults.

Welsh, T. K.  The Unresolved.  Dutton, 2006.  The worst disaster in New York City’s history before 9/11 was the fire aboard the General Slocum steamship in 1904, in which over one thousand people died. The narrator of this lyrically written novel is one of the dead: the ghost of a teenage girl who lingers in the world until she can bring those responsible for the fire to justice and clear the boy she loves from charges that he started it..  Ages 14 – 17.

Wolfman, Marv, Mario Ruiz, and Willian J. Rubin.  Homeland: The Illustrated History of the State of Israel.  Nachshon Press, 2007.  Using an innovative method of illustration that combines photographs and full-color digital art, Homeland is graphic nonfiction of the very highest quality.  Written from an Israeli point of view, the text is balanced and well-documented with end notes and a bibliography.  The pages are chock full of notable figures in Israel’s history, from Abraham and Sarah to Ariel Sharon and Ilan Ramon.  Worldwide events that have affected Israel, such as the Holocaust, the Gulf Wars, and the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 are covered, as are the contributions of Israelis to the arts, sciences, and technology.  For ages 12 and up including adults.

Wulf, Linda Press.  The Night of the Burning.  Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006.  A 12- year- old Jewish orphan tells the poignant story of how she and her younger sister survived the death of their parents and a pogrom that destroyed their town to become part of a group of Jewish children taken to South Africa to be cared for by the Jewish community there. Based on actual events and with some real people, such as the philanthropist Isaac Ochsberg, as characters, the narrative swings between Devorah's feelings of sadness and her relief at finally feeling safe. Ages 12 – 16.

Yavin, T. S.  All-Star Season.  Kar-Ben/Lerner, 2007.  A baseball story about two brothers who are both outstanding and passionate players. Competitive on the field, they are also competitive in their relations with one another and quite different in their approach to school. The story is told from the point of view of Reuven, the older and more serious of the two boys, and it combines enough baseball lore for the most avid fan, with a thoughtful exploration of individuality and being part of a team.  Ages 12 – 14.

 Final
May 2007
Compiled by Andrea Davidson, The Temple-Tifereth Israel and
Linda R. Silver, The Jewish Valuesfinder.

The titles on this list were selected from those published between October 2006 and May 2007.  The most notable of them will be included on AJL-GCC’s annual Jewish Book Month list for children and teens that will be compiled in the Fall of 2007.  
The compilers gratefully acknowledge AJL Newsletter reviewers, some of whose reviews are excerpted or adapted here.
~~~~~~~~
NOTE RE THE FOLLOWING:  ADDED LATER AS POSSIBILITIES FOR JEWISH BOOK MONTH LIST

Peacock, Louise.  At Ellis Island: A History in Many Voices.  Illus. by Walter Lyon Krudop.  New York: Atheneum, 2007.  44pp.  $18.99.  ISBN: 978-0-689-83026-6; 0-689-83026-2.
    The Ellis Island travails of immigrants, some fictional and some real, are presented anecdotally, connected by a continuous narrative rendered in the voice of Sera, an Armenian child, who is traveling alone to join her father in America.  The design and format of the book are excellent, with varied type fonts, eye-catching use of color, well-placed text and design elements, documentary photographs, and somber gouache illustrations.  Quoting Ellis Island interpreters and inspectors as well as young immigrants, the text gives an account of many of the regulatory hurdles that newcomers had to face during the inspection process and imparts a sense of the hardship, fear, and often heartbreak that they experienced.  For Sera, the Armenian child, the ending is a happy one because she is united with her father and shown, in a full-page illustration, embracing him with joy.  Although there is no specific Jewish content to the story, it conveys a realistic picture of the experiences of many immigrants, lauds their determination, and suggests some of the desperate circumstances that propelled them to leave their homes (Sera’s mother and other family members have been murdered – presumably by Turks during the Armenian genocide.)  It is a worthwhile addition to literature about Ellis Island for children and recommended for grades 3 – 6. –

Goetz, Bracha.  What Do You See on Pesach?  New York: Judaica Press, 2007.  16pp.  $.  ISBN: 978-1-932443-64-6 Board Book.
    Kar-Ben seems to have started a trend when it began publishing Latifa Berry Kropf’s series of early childhood holiday books with Tod Cohen’s enchanting photographs of preschoolers.  Feldheim’s What Do You See? by Ruchy Schon, published in 2006, features photos of toddlers dressed to represent various occupations.  And now, Judaica Press’s entry into the mix also features photos of toddlers, each matched with a concept related to Passover and some additional photos of the objects associated with the concept.  For example, the first double page spread says: “Pesach is here.  What do you see?  A house so clean!  How can that be?”  The child is dressed in denim and objects used to clean the house are shown opposite her: a vacuum cleaner, sponge, broom, paper towels, pail, and mop.  The book’s other concepts are food, the Seder table, drinks, clothes, the Haggadah, and the hidden afikomen and the children adorning each one are too adorable for words alone to do justice.  Virtually all of the very simple text is in English except for the words kosos (cups), kos shel Eliyahu (Elijah’s cup), Seder, Hagaddah, and afikomen and there is no glossary to explain them, which unfortunately will limit use.  The photographs, in color, are bright, clear, and labeled.  Recommended for ages 1 – 3.

Ungar, Richard. Even Higher.  Plattsburgh, NY: Tundra Books, 2007.  32 pp. $18.95.  ISBN:  978-0-88776-758-6
Reuven is put up to spying on the rabbi by his friends in a friendly picture book retelling of “If Not Higher” by I. L. Peretz.  They want to know if the rabbi really goes to heaven to plead for the village of Nemirov on the day before Rosh Hashanah as people say.  Reuven hides under the rabbi’s bed and, in the morning, follows the rabbi, who is now dressed as a woodcutter, into the forest.  There the rabbi chops wood that he brings to the widow Shayna, who lies in bed.  Kindly the rabbi stokes her stove and gently reassures her that she will pay him when the Holy One provides.  Did the rabbi ascend to heaven?  Reuven’s friends ask when he returns.  And having witnessed a higher kind of giving, Reuven answers.   Changing the doubting adult Litvak to a curious boy, imparting some of the information through Reuven’s direct thoughts, and giving the rabbi a human sneeze that causes him to step backwards are all adaptations that warm the classic short story for children.  Full color illustrations fill the pages with an autumn palette of blazing reds and blues.  Folkloric in style, they appear to be crayon on textured paper.  There are charming details, such as a cat curled into curves on top of the sleeping rabbi.  The physical text, however, a tiny white font superimposed on the pictures is sometimes difficult to read.  With Barbara Cohen’s book out of print, this is now the only picture book version of Peretz’s story in town.  It is only a little awkward that the 8 ½ x 11 book opens vertically, but then is to be read horizontally like a calendar.  It is still a timeless story, worthy to share.    For ages 5-8.

Arato, Rona.  Ice Cream Town.   Brighton, Massachusetts:  Fitzhenry & Whiteside.  204 pp.  $11.95.  ISBN: 978-1-55041-591-9 Pbk.
    In 1920, Sammy and his older sister Malka are finally able to travel from their shtetl to New York to be reunited with their father, though their mother died before she was able to make the trip.  Hardly anything about his new country is familiar to Sammy – the language, the games, city living, even the ways of assimilated Jews are all strange to him.  He is horrified at how hard his father and sister work for so little pay, but he goes to school, and even occasionally gets money for his new favorite treat - ice cream.  The neighborhood boys have formed two gangs, and at first, he is tempted to join his new stick-ball pals in fighting the boys in the other gang, but he gradually comes to see that he can stand up to them when the try to rob the store where his friend works.  At the same time, Sammy desperate wants to help his best friend Max, who is suffering under the weight of too much work and a cruel stepfather.  Sammy’s beautiful singing voice helps him get out of many scrapes, and eventually his new maturity helps him out of others.
    Rona Arato sets a lofty goal for Ice Cream Town, seemingly aiming to cover nearly all the major issues facing poor Jewish immigrants in 1920’s New York, including sweatshops and labor unions, the scorn of assimilated relatives, mean children in the tenements, and difficulties in learning English, among others.  She certainly succeeds in setting the scene of a polyglot New York filled with pushcarts, stickball games, garment factory workers, and the embarrassment of being put in a class with much younger children to learn a new language.  Unfortunately, none of these issues get the depth they deserve.  One subplot involving Sammy borrowing books from a teacher just peters out, another has Sammy’s father trying to get workers organized into unions, without enough explanation of why or if he is successful.  Malka’s beau Mr. Goldman is no longer observant of the Sabbath, believing that this is an unfortunate necessity in America.  Sammy’s father is vehemently opposed to their relationship because of this, but agrees when Mr. Goldman indicates that when he opens his own store, he will not work on the Sabbath any longer.  Young readers will find much to enjoy in Ice Cream Town, especially its realistic, charming protagonist as he learns to make his way in his new homeland.

DaCosta, Deborah.  Hanukkah Moon.  Illus. by Gosia Mosz.  Minneapolis, MN: Kar-Ben/Lerner, 2007.  32pp.  $17.95.  ISBN: 978-1-58013-244-2.  Reviewed from an advance review copy.
    The author of Snow in Jerusalem (Albert Whitman, 2001) has written a charming and off-beat Hanukkah story with a slight Sephardic flavor.  Isobel’s Aunt Luisa is from Mexico and so, when the little girl goes to stay with her for several days during Hanukkah, she is introduced to some Latin phrases and customs, such as a banner with “Feliz Januca” (Happy Hanukkah) displayed over the fireplace and a huge piñata shaped like a dreidel.  Because Aunt Luisa is an artist and photographer, she has made many of her Hanukkah decorations herself, decorating them with figures of the animals and birds that visit her backyard.  Isobel is fascinated by Hanukkah at Aunt Luisa’s and her first person narrative captures a child’s curiosity about an aunt who celebrates Hanukkah in some distinctive ways.  Isobel’s magical visit ends with a party to celebrate Rosh Hodesh, the New Moon that occurs during Hanukkah.  Aunt Luisa and her guests – all women – explain to Luisa the significance of Rosh Hodesh to women while outside in the dark, two deer and a raccoon feast on the food that Aunt Luisa has left for them.  The full-page, full-bleed illustrations that accompany the story are also charming, with fluid lines, piquant stylized faces and figures, and glowing colors.  They are full partners with a text that combines three subjects – Hanukkah, Rosh Hodesh, and kindness to animals – in a childlike and natural way.  Recommended for Kdg. – Grade 2.


Gershman, Sarah.  The Bedtime Sh’ma: A Good Night Book.  Illus. by Kristina Swarner.  Oakland, CA: EKS, 2007.  Includes an audio CD.