Spring 2024

Everybody's Book

The Story of the Sarajevo Haggadah

  • Interest Level: Preschool - Grade 2
  • Reading Level: Grade 2

This true story begins long ago in Spain, where a bride and groom are gifted a hand-painted haggadah. It is used at many Passover seders until the Spanish Inquisition when the family escapes. The haggadah survived for centuries in different countries. Scholars declared it a treasure. To protect it from the Nazis, a curator smuggled it out of a Sarajevo museum and hid it in a village mosque. On Passover of 1995, with bombs exploding overhead, the Bosnian president brought out the book from an underground vault to show the world that it was safe. The Sarajevo Haggadah has become a symbol of people of many faiths and cultures working together.

Format Your Price Add
978-1-7284-8646-8
$14.24
979-8-7656-1362-7
$23.99
979-8-7656-2120-2
$34.99
979-8-7656-2119-6
$6.99
Available at all major wholesalers and distributors. Save 25% off list price on hardcovers and ebooks when you buy direct! Digital purchases will be accessed on Lerner Digital Bookshelf. An account will be created for you after purchase.
Interest Level Preschool - Grade 2
Reading Level Grade 2
Genre Picture Books, Social Studies
Category 5 Kinds of Nonfiction, 5KN: Narrative Nonfiction, Diverse Books: Celebrating Differences , Diversity
Copyright 2024
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Kar-Ben Publishing ®
Language English
Number of Pages 32
Publication Date 2024-01-02
Text Type Narrative Nonfiction
BISACS JNF049110, JNF025070, JNF069000
Dewey 296.4/5371
Dimensions 9.25 x 11
Features Reviewed, Starred Reviews, Teaching Guides, and eSource

Author: Linda Leopold Strauss

Linda Leopold Strauss is a graduate of Vassar College and Columbia University. She has been writing for young people for over 40 years and has published twelve books and many stories for children. Her work has been translated into French, Italian, German, and Swedish. She lives with her husband in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Illustrator: Tim Smart

Tim Smart’s illustrations draw inspiration from his experiences growing up by the ocean and climbing trees in forests. He likes making faces in the mirror, sitting by fires, rolling down hills, and chasing dogs. He hates surprising noises, sticky fingers, boring grown-ups, and birthdays. He lives in the United Kingdom.

Lerner eSource™ offers free digital teaching and learning resources, including Common Core State Standards (CCSS) teaching guides. These guides, created by classroom teachers, offer short lessons and writing exercises that give students specific instruction and practice using Common Core skills and strategies. Lerner eSource also provides additional resources including online activities, downloadable/printable graphic organizers, and additional educational materials that would also support Common Core instruction. Download, share, pin, print, and save as many of these free resources as you like!

Everybody's Book

This true story begins long ago in Spain, where a bride and groom are gifted a hand-painted haggadah. It is used at many Passover seders until the Spanish Inquisition when the family escapes. The haggadah survived for centuries in different countries. Scholars declared it a treasure. To… View available downloads →

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Reviews

CCBlogC

“Protected and cherished by people from many religious backgrounds, the Haggadah’s storied life, told here in a picture book that reads like a thrilling adventure, reflects history and represents unity.”—Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Kirkus Reviews

“An absorbing story that will engage readers in the study of history.”―Kirkus Reviews

School Library Journal

“An important story that illuminates how people of different faiths recognized the value and significance of this manuscript and worked together to keep it safe.”―School Library Journal

Foreword Reviews

“Bright watercolor illustrations follow the true story of a book’s remarkable journey through generations and across multiple wars…People of all cultures and faiths come together to protect the book from Nazi invasions, Serbian bombs, and the passage of time.”—starred, Foreword Reviews

The Horn Book Magazine

“An engaging introduction to a volume with a remarkable history.”—The Horn Book

JTA (Global News Service of the Jewish People)

“This gloriously illustrated, inspiring book traces the story of the historic medieval Spanish haggadah through its remarkable journey of survival.”—Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Jewish Book Council

“By cel­e­brat­ing the Sara­je­vo Haggadah’s val­ue as both a guide to fam­i­ly seders and a price­less work of art, Lin­da Leopold Strauss and Tim Smart demon­strate how this sacred book became impor­tant even to those out­side its traditions.”—Jewish Book Council

Sydney Taylor Shmooze

“A true story that combines history, perseverance, comradeship, bravery, and, most importantly, humanity and hope.”—The Sydney Taylor Shmooze

Good Reads with Ronna

“A richly recounted nonfiction story as colorful as the history of the titular Sarajevo Haggadah, Everybody’s Book is an enlightening read.”—Good Reads with Ronna

Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

“Highly recommend as a way of sharing Jewish history and the importance of Passover from generation to generation.”—Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

Association of Jewish Libraries

“The focus of this book emphasizes not the Jewish but the universal significance of this artwork… This title is recommended for Jewish libraries and public libraries in communities with Jewish populations.” – Assocation of Jewish Libraries