Reviews
Emanuel and the Hanukkah Rescue
“Right from the opening pages, young readers will know they’re in for something out of the ordinary. Set in the 18th century whaling port of New Bedford, Mass., the fictionalized historical tale by Heidi Smith Hyde tells the story of a spirited 9-year-old Jewish boy named Emanuel… View →
Maccabee Meals: Food and Fun for Hanukkah
“’Maccabee Meals’ features large, easy-to-read print, lots of lively illustrations and a selection of enticing, unique recipes such as Waffle Latkes with yogurt, or Chocolate Star Dreidels. Inter-spersed with the recipes and drawings are short stories and other Chanukah… View →
Maccabee Meals: Food and Fun for Hanukkah
“Maccabee Meals: Food and Fun for Hanukkah (Kar-Ben) by Judye Groner and Madeline Wikler and illustrated by Ursula Roma has also been reissued, and it is full of fun facts and simple recipes children will enjoy. Here’s one for starters: ‘The first day of Hanukkah and… View →
Jeremy's Dreidel
“The good news is that Jeremy’s Dreidel (Kar-Ben Publishing) by Ellie Gellman, has been updated and re-released after 20 years. Parents and teachers never tired of sharing this classic 1992 Chanukah story on account of the emotional wallop it delivers and the discussions… View →
Sex & Violence
“Slicing through a haze of pot smoke and mixed-up horny confusion emerges Evan’s razor-sharp voice chronicling his journey from a dirtbag dick to a cleansed soul in this important contribution to YA lit on par with coming of age classics like Rats Saw God.”… View →
A Game for Swallows: To Die, To Leave, To Return
“The book’s strengths are myriad. Abirached is a lovely artist, and her characters’ faces are remarkably expressive. There is much humor, a welcome relief from the chaos and heartache of the human stories within.For young readers, ‘A… View →
Infinity and Me
“Swiatkowska’s imaginative artwork combines the free-wheeling, slightly eerie absurdity of Monty Python animations, the formality of nineteenth-century decorative patterning, and the playful nerdiness of Leonardo da Vinci-styled inventions. For math and language arts teachers View →
Little White Duck: A Childhood in China
“‘Little White Duck’ isn’t Communist propaganda. It is at once more innocent and more sophisticated. What Liu and Martínez do is convey a child’s-eye view of a country in transition. Politics, culture and history play into their stories, but the… View →
The Day Louis Got Eaten
“The art is cartoony, in pen and ink with bright watercolors, and the book’s layout borrows from comic strips as well; the narrative is cleverly visualized in a succession of softly edged panels teeming with delightful action words, like ‘raar,’… View →
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 →
The Mitzvah Magician
“In this sweetly energetic story with brightly colored pictures to match, Marshall simplifies the Jewish concept of mitzvah (‘giving back’ as a moral and religious obligation), making the idea more accessible to preschoolers by linking it to a child’s everyday world.… View →
Street Art
“Edgy topics with ‘pros and cons’ will provoke discussion. The daring art represents whimsical self-expression in a variety of wacky forms. The chaotic page design may challenge some readers. The many flavors of hip ‘street style’ include branding (like Coke 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 →
Fly, Chick, Fly!
“The soft artwork is the strength of this sweet picture book about a baby owl reluctant to leave the nest… this book can be enjoyed simply for the antics of an endearing bird or appreciated for its larger theme of growing up.” —School Library Journal View →
Forensic Identification: Putting a Name and Face on Death
“The explanations are clear and to the point: this is how the unknown dead are identified, and these are the tools the scientists use in the identification process. Written by a board-certified forensic anthropologist, the book contains color photos (some quite graphic), diagrams,… 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 →
“These titles present basic concepts, thinking skills, and reading skills all wrapped up in engaging stories starring mouse siblings Wanda and Albert… Libraries in need of math concept books with eye-catching artwork should consider these books first purchases.”… View →
Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves
“A winning collection for both teens and former teens, alike.”—School Library Journal View →
Four Secrets
“‘There is a secret story and it is inside of another secret story and that one is inside of another secret story,’ writes Katie, and the four secrets, one about each of the teens, are satisfyingly juicy yet given depth by Willey’s understanding of the… View →
Jeremy's Dreidel
“Jeremy and his friends are enjoying the dreidel-making workshop at their local Jewish Community Center, especially since the children are being encouraged to be creative and put their own, er, spins on their designs. Jeremy decides to make a Braille dreidel for his blind father,… View →
Graffiti Culture
“Edgy topics with ‘pros and cons’ will provoke discussion. The daring art represents whimsical self-expression in a variety of wacky forms. The chaotic page design may challenge some readers. The many flavors of hip ‘street style’ include branding (like Coke View →
Steve Jobs: Technology Innovator and Apple Genius
“A valuable introduction to [Jobs’] life and legacy.” —The Horn Book Guide View →