Reviews
Troublemakers
“Troublemakers is a novel about what it means to be family—from inside jokes and warm conversations over cups of tea, to unspoken anxieties born out of deep love and terrible loss. Catherine Barter’s impressive debut will make you laugh, cry, and be thankful for the View →
A Different Kind of Passover
“A young girl practices the Four Questions in Hebrew and travels, as usual, to her grandparents’ house for the seder with her extended family. She loves the repetition of the yearly rituals, but this year her “heart hurts” because Grandpa was in the hospital recently and cannot… View →
Passover Scavenger Hunt
“Great Uncle Harry is terrible at hiding the afikomen. All the kids anticipate his usual hiding places, and so the search isn’t very fun. But young Rachel hatches a clever plan and offers him the option to let her hide the matzo this year. She then creates a family scavenger hunt… View →
A Concert in the Sand
“This warm, delicious, slim volume is bona fide historical fiction about the first concert by the orchestra that will become the Israel Philharmonic. Humor laced mobile illustrations support the story of a mysterious walk that Uri, a young boy, takes with his grandmother in Tel… View →
“The twins, Sophie and Seth, along with their parents, enjoy a picnic lunch on Shabbat, their favorite day of the week. After saying the motzi over challah, drinking cider, and eating fruit and cheese, they run off to the barn where they discover twin newborn calves. Rhyming… View →
Joseph the Dreamer
“This colorfully illustrated retelling of the Biblical story is presented as an engaging, graphic novel featuring Joseph and his family. The classic story is brought to life with vivid colors and clearly written text. Readers will be captivated by this version of a story with which View →
Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup
“Sophie has two grandmas, one Jewish and one Chinese. Both make chicken soup, one with carrots and kreplach, one with green onions and wontons. Whose soup is better? This touchy subject is nicely resolved when Sophie invites both grandmas to bring over soup for lunch. As the… View →
A Different Kind of Passover
“Jessica can’t imagine Passover without her beloved grandfather, but this year he is in bed, recovering from a hospital stay and therefore unable to lead the family seder. This night is supposed to be different from all other nights, but this is the wrong kind of different, Jessica View →
Sammy Spider's First Bar Mitzvah
“Everyone’s favorite little spider is back with a new adventure and a new topic with which to educate young readers and listeners about Jewish life and culture. This latest escapade lands him at Josh’s cousin’s bar mitzvah where he watches the proceedings with… View →
Hanukkah Delight!
“Award-winning children’s book author and past poet laureate of Northhampton, Massachusetts, Newman needs only a single line of text on each page to convey the rituals—and fun—of Hanukkah to the very littlest ones in this happy board book. The joy of the holiday is further enhanced View →
A Hanukkah with Mazel
“Misha, a poor but talented artist, lives by himself on the edge of a small village. So begins a tender and hopeful story of kindness, compassion and generosity. On a bitterly cold night before Hanukkah, Misha finds a shivering cat in his barn. ‘I’ll call you Mazel,’ he View →
Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story
“Sachiko,” a nonfiction book by Minneapolis writer Caren Stelson, turned up on several 2016 lists, drawing nominations for the National Book Award and the Minnesota Book Award. It’s a slim book with a powerful wallop. Sachiko Yasui was just 6 when the atomic bomb was dropped on… View →
If You Were the Moon
“Appealing for classroom and story hours.”—Booklist View →
Noah Webster's Fighting Words
“[A] Monty Pythonesque tale. . . . The digitally processed mixed-media illustrations use collage and speech bubbles for an appealing, contemporary feel.”—Booklist View →
Andrew the Seeker
“[A] gentle, adorable adventure. . . . [T]he bright color palette is sure to please its young audience.”—Booklist View →
Niko Draws a Feeling
“[An] insightful and supportive celebration of creativity and imagination.”—Booklist View →
Garbage in Space: A Space Discovery Guide
“[T]hese titles in the Space Discovery Guides series stand out from the crowd . . . . Space-obsessed kids will find plenty to wonder over in these slim but meaty volumes.”—starred, Booklist View →
Noah Webster's Fighting Words
“[A] boisterous account of a singular contributor to America’s linguistic legacy.”—starred, Publishers Weekly View →
Troll Stinks
“[A] fable for our times. . . . [T]he episode should spark some discussion of empathy and unintended consequences.”—Booklist View →
“A fun and vocabulary-rich picture book similar in style to Richard Scarry’s work. . . . [S]hould appeal to a wide range of readers—especially those who love dogs.”—starred, School Library Journal View →
The Witching Hour
“[W]ill be intriguing to middle and high school readers interested in suspense and the paranormal.”—School Library Journal View →
Racial Profiling: Everyday Inequality
“Complex concepts . . . are unpacked with a balance of sensitivity and boldness. This unflinching exploration . . . [is] a mandatory addition to teen collections for discussions on inequality and social justice.”—starred, School Library Journal View →
Andrew the Seeker
“This charming addition to early graphic novel shelves will appeal to children making their first forays into comics.”—School Library Journal View →