Reviews
Jeremy's Dreidel
“Jeremy longingly eyed the poster on the wall of the Jewish community center. There was going to be a dreidel workshop on Monday and the only thing that kids were asked to do was to ‘bring your own ideas!’ Just maybe he had an idea to bring. Abby and David, who were… View →
“Sukkot is a time of joyous celebration, and a time to be grateful for the abundant crops that nourish us. Just as we must feed our bodies, these delightful new childrens’ stories will nurture our children’s minds and imaginations as they learn the wonders of this important Jewish… View →
“Escaping evil Lady Gall, Jasper’s family flees by ship, mistakenly leaving him behind. Boarding an odd vessel called the Traveling Restaurant, Jasper learns more about his family’s role in the Great Accident that removed magic from Fontania and his own potential role in restoring… View →
Can You Tell a Cricket from a Grasshopper?
“Varied close-up and annotated photographs point out the differences and similarities between these two often-confused insect species. Readers learn how to distinguish between grasshoppers and crickets as well as how they sing, chirp, and grow. Though busy, the colorful layouts… View →
Sparrow, Eagle, Penguin, and Seagull: What Is a Bird?
“The energetic rhyming text and zany cartoon illustrations will captivate students and make it fun to learn about what makes each group distinctive. Goneau’s cartoon creatures nicely complement the facts that Cleary imparts in his rhythmic narrative… Solid additions to… View →
Tortoise, Tree Snake, Gator, and Sea Snake: What Is a Reptile?
“Learning about common organisms is important in developing an interest in science among youngsters, and this book does that exceedingly well.” —Science Books & Films View →
Alien Investigation: Searching for the Truth about UFOs and Aliens
“A fun read with its mix of colorful pictures, news articles, and firsthand accounts, this book will keep readers entertained while learning.” —Library Media Connection View →
Friend Me!: 600 Years of Social Networking in America
“This is a thought-provoking book on how human beings have connected over the centuries… If students read this book, they will learn significant facts about the history of society in America.” —Library Media Connection View →
Tales from the Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest with Pete Athans
“A great book for a wide variety of readers…The perfect example of why certain nonfiction titles should also be recommended to adults: Everyone can learn a lot reading this book.” —VOYA View →
Jeremy's Dreidel
“Endearing illustrations highlight this sweet Hanukkah story about a boy who creates a special dreidel for his father. As the children gather at the Jewish Community Center for dreidel making, Jeremy meets some friends who have come with innovative plans to craft the traditional… View →
Jeremy's Dreidel
“A special Hanukkah workshop at the Jewish Community Center gives Jeremy a chance to make a unique dreidel as a surprise gift for his father, who is blind. When the workshop leader welcomes everyone, materials are out and waiting. Abby is eager to make her dreidel from… View →
Maccabee Meals: Food and Fun for Hanukkah
“This child-friendly cookbook features traditional latkes and easy-to-make jelly doughnuts as well as less-traditional, kid-inspired treats. Beyond the classic potato latke, young chefs will learn how to make seven other varieties from cheese, vegetables, apples and… View →
Speak Up, Tommy!
“What to expect: Mean behavior in a school setting; immigration; foreign languages; lessons about compassion and utility. Speak Up, Tommy! tells the story of a little boy who’s in a new school in a new country and feels out of place. Tommy has to learn a new language,… View →
Sadie and the Big Mountain
“Sadie loves everything about school. But when Morah Sarah tells the class that they will mark Shavuot with a hike, like Moses did when he climbed Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, Sadie is very worried that she won’t be able to complete the trek. Each day that week the teacher… View →
Sammy Spider's New Friend
“In this addition to the Sammy Spider series, bright colors and an easy-to-follow plot work together to teach children the importance of the Jewish custom of hospitality. When a new family moves to town, Josh Shapiro and his parents immediately set to work preparing… View →
Hannah's Way
" It is the Depression and Hannah’s father has lost his job. They are forced to move from Minneapolis to northern Minnesota where she is the only Jew in her class at school. Her parents are rigorous believers in following the rules and regulations governing the Sabbath. Hannah View →
It's Tot Shabbat!
“It’s Tot Shabbat is part of a Kar-Ben series showing children celebrating Jewish holidays around the year. Here we follow a group of appealing preschoolers attending a synagogue youth program on Shabbat morning while their parents pray in the adjacent sanctuary. The… View →
Documents of Freedom: A Look at the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the U.S. Constitution
“This new government series is a real winner. It is easy enough for a second grader to understand the concepts, but complete enough for a fourth grader to learn a lot from the text.” —Library Media Connection View →
Sadie and the Big Mountain
“Sadie loves going to preschool at Temple Beth El where she sings songs, climbs on the tall gym outdoors, dresses up in costumes, and plays with her classmates. But on Monday, when her teacher tells the children about the upcoming holiday of Shavuot, Sadie gets nervous. She learns… View →
The Shabbat Princess
“The Shabbat Princess is a fun, colorful book perfect for the three-to-five year old crowd, girls, in particular. For many in this age group, there is nothing more special than dressing up for an occasion. In The Shabbat Princess, Rosie starts asking questions… View →
Hannah's Way
“Hannah’s Way is an American Jewish story that has not been told in picture books before. The time is the 1920s and the place is Northeastern Minnesota, a rural iron mining area called the Iron Range. After her father loses his job in Minneapolis, Hannah’s family moves to… View →
Sadie and the Big Mountain
“Sadie’s synagogue preschool is spending the week preparing for Shavuot, the culmination of which will be a mountain hike, similar to Moshe ascending Mount Sinai. Sadie does not like hiking, and as the class makes walking sticks, learns the Ten Commandments, and makes blintzes,… View →
Last Chance
“McClintock keeps her writing at a level simple and clear enough to attract both middle-school and reluctant high-school readers. She portrays both Robyn and Nick as flawed people, but both learn and grow, finally making both interesting and attractive characters…. Great for… View →
“Jodie’s father was an archaeologist of note and she dreamed of working the digs like he did when she grew up. When she found the afikomen she got a flashlight as a reward and was hoping that ‘her cousin Zach would help her uncover treasures hidden deep inside the… View →