Sydney Taylor Book Award
The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Learn more.
Picture Book Gold Award
Two New Years by
For this multicultural family, inspired by the author's own, two New Years mean twice as much to celebrate! In the fall, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, offers an opportunity to bake challah, dip apples in honey, and lift voices in song. In the spring, Lunar New Year brings a chance to eat dumplings, watch dragon dances, and release glowing lanterns that light up the sky. With bright, joyful prose and luminous illustrations, Richard Ho and Lynn Scurfield invite readers of all backgrounds to experience the beauty of two New Year traditions, paying homage to the practices that make each unique while illuminating the values of abundance, family, and hope that they share. Full of opportunities to reflect on the rich blends of cultures and traditions in our lives, this moving picture book is a beautiful reminder that, at heart, our celebrations might not be so different after all.
Call Number: 800 H649tw
Picture Book Silver Award
Afikomen by
In this wordless time-travel adventure, three children at a Passover seder visit ancient Egypt to help baby Moses find his way safely to Pharaoh's daughter. When a family settles at the table for Passover, their dog nabs the afikomen bag (containing matzah used for the seder) and dives under the tablecloth. The children follow him and find themselves transported to ancient Egypt. There, they see baby Moses' mother and sister Miriam placing him in a reed basket. The baby's journey down the Nile is hazardous -- he encounters several obstacles along the way, including a wily crocodile. Thanks to the three children, he reaches his destination unharmed, with a piece of afikomen tucked into his basket. The children return to the seder table and, exhausted, fall asleep. But what are their parents to make of the grains of sand in the afikomen bag? Includes an author's note about the meaning of the Passover holiday and about different afikomen traditions.
Call Number: 800 C6609af
Hanukkah Upside Down by
In this delightfully upside-down picture book holiday story, cousins from opposite sides of the globe debate who can celebrate the best Hanukkah. Eight chances to prove it--may the best cousin win! "You'll have Hanukkah in summer? Talk about backwards." "Your Hanukkah's in winter? You're missing out." From their homes in New York and New Zealand, cousins Noah and Nora decide to have a competition. Winter versus summer: Who can have the world's best Hanukkah? But as the eight nights of Hanukkah go on, the contest proves tougher than they imagined. Even as each cousin celebrates the holiday with their own unique traditions, they realize they have more in common than they thought. A warm, witty holiday story from acclaimed award-winning creators Elissa Brent Weissman and Omer Hoffmann, Hanukkah Upside Down shows that while there are countless ways to celebrate Hanukkah, family is what matters most.
Hidden Hope by
During World War II, families all across Europe huddled together in basements, attics, and closets as Nazi soldiers rounded up anyone Jewish. The Star of David, a symbol of faith and pride, became a tool of hate when the Nazis forced Jewish people to carry papers stamped with that star, so that it was clear who to capture. But many brave souls dared to help them.
Call Number: 940.548 F869ine
Middle Grade Gold Award
The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman by
SHAINDY is a twelve-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl who struggles in school and has no good friends. She watches with envy as her next-door neighbor, GAYIL, excels socially and academically. They have little to do with each other, and it comes as a surprise when Shaindy looks out her window one September evening and sees Gayil staring out at her from her own window with a sign reading want to know a secret? The secret (at first) is that Gayil has a key fob that will allow them to break into their school after hours. Together, they set up a harmless prank in their classroom. But under Gayil's instigation the mischief becomes malice, and Shaindy sees that the pranks and humiliations are targeted only at certain girls. But what could they have in common? With the fear of Gayil's fury and her own reluctance growing, Shaindy comes to the terrifying conclusion that if she can't figure out how to stop it, the next target could be her.
Call Number: 813 L9515du
Middle Grade Silver Awards
Don't Want to Be Your Monster by
Adam and Victor are brothers who have the usual fights over the remote, which movie to watch and whether or not it's morally acceptable to eat people. Well, not so much eat . . . just drink a little blood. They're vampires, hiding in plain sight with their eclectic yet loving family. Ten-year-old Adam knows he has a better purpose in his life (well, immortal life) than just drinking blood, but fourteen-year-old Victor wants to accept his own self-image of vampirism. Everything changes when bodies start to appear all over town, and it becomes clear that a vampire hunter may be on the lookout for the family. Can Adam and Victor reconcile their differences and work together to stop the killer before it's too late?
Call Number: 813 M862do
The Jake Show by
For TV-obsessed Jake Lightman, his parents' divorce is like his favorite show getting canceled: The worst. Now he's stuck between playing the role of "Yaakov" for his mother and "Jacob" for his father. On Jake's first day at a new school, Caleb and Tehilla barrel into his life. Suddenly, he has two friends who seem to like the real Jake. And when they invite him to Camp Gershoni for the summer, Jake knows he has to go--even if his parents won't let him. With help from Caleb and Tehilla, Jake concocts a web of lies to get to camp. But he struggles to keep up the ruse--and be a good friend at the same time. As the cost of lying grows, he must decide what's truly important or risk losing the people he cares about the most.
Call Number: 813 L5797ja
Not So Shy by
Twelve-year-old Shai hates everything about moving to America from Israel. She's determined to come up with a plan that will get her back home. Maybe she can go back with her grandparents when they come to visit. Or maybe she can win a drawing competition that offers a plane ticket to any destination in the world as the grand prize. Meanwhile she's stuck navigating seventh grade in a language that used to be just a subject in school. As Shai faces antisemitism but also gains support from unexpected sources, she starts to see her new life with different eyes. Maybe home is a place in the heart.
A Sky Full of Song by
North Dakota, 1905 After fleeing persecution in the Russian Empire, eleven-year-old Shoshana and her family, Jewish immigrants, start a new life on the prairie. Shoshana takes fierce joy in the wild beauty of the plains and the thrill of forging a new, American identity. But it's not as simple for her older sister, Libke, who misses their Ukrainian village and doesn't pick up English as quickly or make new friends as easily. Desperate to fit in, Shoshana finds herself hiding her Jewish identity in the face of prejudice, just as Libke insists they preserve it. For the first time, Shoshana is at odds with her beloved sister, and has to look deep inside herself to realize that her family's difference is their greatest strength. By listening to the music that's lived in her heart all along, Shoshana finds new meaning in the Jewish expression all beginnings are difficult, as well as in the resilience and traditions her people have brought all the way to the North Dakota prairie.
Call Number: 813 M5758sk
Young Adult Gold Award
The Blood Years by
Frederieke Teitler and her older sister, Astra, live in a house, in a city, in a world divided. Their father ran out on them when Rieke was only six, leaving their mother a wreck and their grandfather as their only stable family. He's done his best to provide for them and shield them from antisemitism, but now, seven years later, being a Jew has become increasingly dangerous, even in their beloved home of Czernowitz, long considered a safe haven for Jewish people. And when Astra falls in love and starts pulling away from her, Rieke wonders if there's anything in her life she can count on--and, if so, if she has the power to hold on to it. Then--war breaks out in Europe. First the Russians, then the Germans, invade Czernowitz. Almost overnight, Rieke and Astra's world changes, and every day becomes a struggle: to keep their grandfather's business, to keep their home, to keep their lives. Rieke has long known that she exists in a world defined by those who have power and those who do not, and as those powers close in around her, she must decide whether holding on to her life might mean letting go of everything that has ever mattered to her--and if that's a choice she will even have the chance to make. Based on the true experiences of her grandmother's childhood in Holocaust-era Romania, award-winning author Elana K. Arnold weaves an unforgettable tale of love and loss in the darkest days of the twentieth century--and one young woman's will to survive them.
Call Number: 813 Ar644bl
Young Adult Silver Award
Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust by
Courage to Dream plunges readers into the Holocaust - one of the greatest atrocities in human history - delving into the core of what it means to face the extinction of everything and everyone you hold dear. This gripping, multifaceted tapestry is woven from Jewish folklore and cultural history. Five interlocking narratives explore one common story - the tradition of resistance and uplift. Neal Shusterman and Andrés Vera Martínez are internationally renowned creators who have collaborated on a masterwork that encourages the compassionate, bold reaching for a dream.
Call Number: 741.5 Sh93co
Going Bicoastal by
In Dahlia Adler's Going Bicoastal, there's more than one path to happily ever after. Natalya Fox has twenty-four hours to make the biggest choice of her life: stay home in NYC for the summer with her dad (and finally screw up the courage to talk to the girl she's been crushing on) or spend it with her basically estranged mom in LA (knowing this is the best chance she has to fix their relationship, if she even wants to.) (Does she want to?) How's a girl supposed to choose? She can't, and so both summers play out in alternating timelines - one in which Natalya explores the city, tries to repair things with her mom, works on figuring out her future, and goes for the girl she's always wanted. And one in which Natalya explores the city, tries to repair things with her mom, works on figuring out her future, and goes for the guy she never saw coming.
Call Number: 813 Ad5929go
Impossible Escape by
It is 1944. A teenager named Rudolf (Rudi) Vrba has made up his mind. After barely surviving nearly two years in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, he knows he must escape. Even if death is more likely. Rudi has learned the terrible secret hidden behind the heavily guarded fences of concentration camps across Nazi-occupied Europe: the methodical mass killing of Jewish prisoners. As trains full of people arrive daily, Rudi knows that the murders won't stop until he reveals the truth to the world--and that each day that passes means more lives are lost. Lives like Rudi's schoolmate Gerta Sidonová. Gerta's family fled from Slovakia to Hungary, where they live under assumed names to hide their Jewish identity. But Hungary is beginning to cave under pressure from German Nazis. Her chances of survival become slimmer by the day. The clock is ticking. As Gerta inches closer to capture, Rudi and his friend Alfred Wetzler begin their crucial steps towards an impossible escape. This is the true story of one of the most famous whistleblowers in the world, and how his death-defying escape helped save over 100,000 lives.
Call Number: 940.53 V953sh
Wrath Becomes Her by
Lithuania, 1943. A father drowns in the all-consuming grief of a daughter killed by the Nazis. He can't bring Chaya back from the dead, but he can use kishuf -- an ancient and profane magic -- to create a golem in her image. A Nazi killer, to avenge her death. When Vera awakens, she can feel her violent purpose thrumming within her. But she can also feel glimpses of a human life lived, of stolen kisses amidst the tragedy, and of a grisly death. And when she meets Akiva, she recognizes the boy with soft lips that gave warm kisses. But these memories aren't hers, and Vera doesn't know if she gets--or deserves--to have a life beyond what she was made for. Vera's strength feels limitless--until she learns that there are others who would channel kishuf for means far less noble than avenging a daughter's death. As she confronts the very basest of humanity, Vera will need more than what her creator gave her: Not just a reason to fight, but a reason to live.
Call Number: 813 P7691wr
Sydney Taylor Book Award
The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Learn more.
Picture Book Award
The Tower of Life by
A moving biography of the woman who created The Tower of Faces, a powerful exhibit at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. Sydney Taylor Book Award (Gold Medal) A Robert F. Sibert Honor Book ★ "...There are many picture books about the Holocaust, but this one stands out with Gal's beautiful watercolor pictures and the true account of one woman's goal that her community never be forgotten. A beautiful tribute....Highly recommended." -- School Library Journal, starred review ★ "A stunning tale . . . . bursting with detail and life. . . . A magnificent and moving tribute to a loving community and an extraordinary woman." -- Booklist, starred review ★ "A powerful tribute....Moving." -- Publisher's Weekly, starred review ★ "An affirming tribute to a Jewish past that was lost in the Holocaust as well as to one survivor's work." -- The Horn Book, starred review " ...A loving testament to light and hope and the vision of a remarkable woman." -- Kirkus Reviews "...the book's message is consistently optimistic... Stiefel paints a truthful portrait appropriate for those just beginning to learn about the Holocaust....Gal's artwork...is dramatic and accessible...a book that ensures [Eliach and her town] will not be forgotten." -- Jewish Book Council There once was a girl named Yaffa. She loved her family, her home, and her beautiful Polish town that brimmed with light and laughter. She also loved helping her Grandma Alte in her photography studio. There, shopkeepers, brides, babies, and bar mitzvah boys posed while Grandma Alte captured their most joyous moments on film. And before the Jewish New Year, they sent their precious photographs to relatives overseas with wishes for good health and happiness. But one dark day, Nazi soldiers invaded the town. Nearly 3,500 Jewish souls -- including family, friends, and neighbors of Yaffa -- were erased. This is the stunning true story of how Yaffa made it her life's mission to recover thousands of her town's photographs from around the world. Using these photos, she built her amazing TOWER OF FACES, a permanent exhibit in the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, to restore the soaring spirit of Eishyshok.
Call Number: 940.53 EL41st
Picture Book Honors
Big Dreams, Small Fish by
Sydney Taylor Honor Book In the new country, Shirley and her family all have big dreams. Take the family store: Shirley has great ideas about how to make it more modern! Prettier! More profitable! She even thinks she can sell the one specialty no one seems to want to try: Mama's homemade gefilte fish. But her parents think she's too young to help. And anyway they didn't come to America for their little girl to work. "Go play with the cat!" they urge. This doesn't stop Shirley's ideas, of course. And one day, when the rest of the family has to rush out leaving her in the store with sleepy Mrs. Gottlieb...Shirley seizes her chance! P R A I S E "Charming. Paula Cohen tells an all-American tale of the Yiddish diaspora." --Wall Street Journal "Timeless: an indomitable protagonist and the loving family who dotes on her." --Publishers Weekly "Beautifully illustrated....Shirley is one smart child, a real asset to her striving family. She is full of innovative ideas, which are depicted by Cohen with both humor and respect" --Jewish Book Network" "An affectionate ode to family, fish, and creative problem solving." --BookPage
Call Number: 800 C6607bi
The Very Best Sukkah by
Sukkot is Shoshi's favorite Jewish holiday. She and her brothers love to decorate their sukkah, the hut where her family will celebrate. But who will win the Ugandan Abayudaya community's annual sukkah contest? While only one sukkah can be the best, everybody wins when neighbors work together.
Call Number: 394.2 N15ve
Sitting Shiva by
A little girl grieves the loss of her mother, but she can't grieve alone. When her friends and family arrive at her house to sit shiva, laden with cakes and stories, she refuses to come downstairs. But the laughter and memories gradually bring her into the fold, where she is comforted by her community. By the end of the book, she feels stronger and more nourished, and she understands the beautiful tradition. Then, when sees her father sitting alone, she is able to comfort him in his time of need. Sitting Shivais a beautiful, heartfelt story about grief and loss, but also about comfort and community. It shows that no matter what religion you practice, we are all more similar than we are different. A note from the author explains the ritual of sitting shiva, a seven-day period of mourning for the death of a family member observed in Jewish homes.
Call Number: 800 Si389si
Middle Grade Award
Aviva vs the Dybbuk by
Sydney Taylor Award Winner BEST OF THE YEAR NPR · Kirkus · New York Public Library · Evanston Public Library A compelling, tender story about friendship and community, grief and healing, and one indomitable girl who somehow manages to connect them all. A long ago "accident." An isolated girl named Aviva. A community that wants to help, but doesn''t know how. And a ghostly dybbuk, that no one but Aviva can see, causing mayhem and mischief that everyone blames on her. That is the setting for this suspenseful novel of a girl who seems to have lost everything, including her best friend Kayla, and a mother who was once vibrant and popular, but who now can''t always get out of bed in the morning. As tensions escalate in the Jewish community of Beacon with incidents of vandalism and a swastika carved into new concrete poured near the synagogue...so does the tension grow between Aviva and Kayla and the girls at their school, and so do the actions of the dybbuk grow worse. Could real harm be coming Aviva''s way? And is it somehow related to the "accident" that took her father years ago? P R A I S E "A rare, sensitive portrayal of a contemporary Orthodox Jewish community." --The New York Times "A mystery. An unreliable narrator. A supernatural creature. Such elements are woven skillfully together in this story of a Jewish girl growing up in a home above a mikvah (a religious pool) that is haunted by a dybbuk, or mischievous spirit. As we learn more about Aviva''s story, and why she and her mother feel ostracized from their community, it becomes clear that though this tale is regularly punctuated with action and fun, at its core is a serious consideration of the ways that familial grief can gnaw on a person''s psyche. Daring in its creativity." --Betsy Bird, NPR Best Books of the Year so Far ★ "This emotionally complex novel set within a contemporary Orthodox Jewish community is full of immersive Jewish detail... Unreliable narrator though Aviva ends up being, she''s a heart-rendingly sympathetic one." --Horn Book (starred) ★ "A deliberate and engrossing story about loss, grief and the healing power of belief. A complex and compelling middle-grade ghost story." --Shelf-Awareness (starred) ★ "A rare find. A heart-rending story of loss, community, friendship, and what it takes to heal and survive." --Kirkus (starred) "Debut author Lowe offers an insider''s view of a close-knit Orthodox Jewish community where much of daily life is prescribed in gender-segregated activities. A compassionate look at grief and healing." --Booklist "Though the story is centered on a Jewish family, the themes of loss, depression, and the social pain of growing up are universal. Author Mari Lowe provides young readers with both a window into Orthodox Judaism for those who are unfamiliar with the culture and a mirror for those who can see their religion or culture reflected in literature." --School Library Connection "Aviva is a strong lead, both relatable and flawed. It is refreshing to see a story focused on an Orthodox child that renders that world realistically while also dealing with universal struggles. Both Aviva and her story are worth spending time with." --Foreword "Described with grace and thoughtfulness." --BCCB "​​​​An intimate look at a contemporary Orthodox Jewish community in this nuanced story of a girl regaining her footing after her father''s death...Aviva is an engaging heroine... Lowe portrays Aviva and Ema''s mourning with a gentle touch, gradually building to an ending that points toward spiritual and emotional healing, thanks to the steadfast support of their Jewish community, especially its women." --Publishers Weekly "Aviva vs. the Dybbuk opens the door to a part of the Jewish world often invisible in mainstream children''s fiction. Like the dybbuk himself, Lowe''s novel may disrupt some assumptions and turn readers'' ideas in a new direction." --Emily Schneider, Imaginary Elevators "Engaging and timely. The threads come together in a crescendo of activity and emotion that keeps the reader glued to the page to see what will happen next, where it will lead, and how it will be resolved." --Association of Jewish Libraries "Deeply rooted in the specifics of Aviva''s Orthodox Jewish community, but its representation of loss, grief and healing will resonate with any reader who, like Aviva, has lost someone close to them and feels tangled up in grief." --BookPage "The book ends on a positive note, showing how a whole community, both Jews and non-Jews, can work together to make things better. In the process, Aviva gains friends and peace." --Jewish Book Council "A gem of a book. The fully fleshed-out characters are drawn lovingly and sensitively... In addition to being a well-crafted and beautiful book, this story provides a rare and much-needed form of Jewish representation: an authentic story about an Orthodox Jewish girl that is steeped in her lifestyle without being about that lifestyle. It should be a very strong contender for the Sydney Taylor Award." --Sydney Taylor Shmooze "Readers will find Aviva charming and relatable as she navigates the roller coaster that is growing up. VERDICT A strong purchase for every school and public library. In this tale that''s at times funny, sad, and scary, Lowe seamlessly crafts a coming-of-age story that readers will enjoy." --School Library Journal "It packed a powerful punch. The ending surprised me and left my eyes filled with tears of joy and sorrow. Lowe is an author to watch and I look forward to reading her future work." --The Reporter
Call Number: 813 L9515av
Middle Grade Honors
Honey and Me by
Fans of Judy Blume, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, and The Penderwicks will love this funny, charismatic story of a Jewish girl striving to forge her own identity in the shadow of her fearless best friend. **A 2023 Sydney Taylor Award Honor Book!** **A Kirkus Best Book of 2022** * "Authentic, joyful, achingly real." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review * "An effortless story that is both widely relatable and culturally specific...highly recommended." -- School Library Journal, starred review "Refreshing." -- School Library Connection, recommended Milla and Honey have been best friends since forever. Milla envies Honey's confidence, her charisma, and her big, chaotic family--especially when they provide a welcome escape from Milla's own small family and quiet house. In their close-knit Jewish community, the two girls do everything together, from delivering meals to an ill-tempered elderly neighbor, to shopping at a local thrift store, celebrating the holidays, and going to their first bat mitzvahs while studying for their own. So when Honey joins Milla's school for sixth grade, why is it not as great as Milla expected? Can their friendship survive all the ups and downs the year has in store for them? And will Milla ever find the courage to step out of Honey's shadow and into her own spotlight? Charming, authentic, and wise, Honey and Me is a classic coming-of-age story filled with relatable middle school struggles, keen insight, and sparkling humor.
Call Number: 813 D799ho
Black Bird, Blue Road by
In this historical fantasy novel, praised as a "rich, omen-filled journey that powerfully shows love and its limits*" and "propulsive, wise, and heartbreaking,"** Ziva will do anything to save her twin brother Pesah from his illness--even facing the Angel of Death himself. From Sydney Taylor Honor winner and National Jewish Book Award finalist Sofiya Pasternack. Pesah has lived with leprosy for years, and the twins have spent most of that time working on a cure. Then Pesah has a vision: The Angel of Death will come for him on Rosh Hashanah, just one month away. So Ziva takes her brother and runs away to find doctors who can cure him. But when they meet and accidentally free a half-demon boy, he suggests paying his debt by leading them to the fabled city of Luz, where no one ever dies--the one place Pesah will be safe. They just need to run faster than The Angel of Death can fly... (*Publishers Weekly, starred review; **Kirkus Reviews, starred review)
Call Number: 813 P2685bl
Ellen Outside the Lines by
Winner of a Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor! A heartfelt novel about a neurodivergent thirteen-year-old navigating changing friendships, a school trip, and expanding horizons for fans of Rain Reign and Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World. Thirteen-year-old Ellen Katz feels most comfortable when her life is well planned out and people fit neatly into her predefined categories. She attends temple with Abba and Mom every Friday and Saturday. Ellen only gets crushes on girls, never boys, and she knows she can always rely on her best-and-only friend, Laurel, to help navigate social situations at their private Georgia middle school. Laurel has always made Ellen feel like being autistic is no big deal. But lately, Laurel has started making more friends, and cancelling more weekend plans with Ellen than she keeps. A school trip to Barcelona seems like the perfect place for Ellen to get their friendship back on track. Except it doesn't. Toss in a new nonbinary classmate whose identity has Ellen questioning her very binary way of seeing the world, homesickness, a scavenger hunt-style team project that takes the students through Barcelona to learn about Spanish culture and this trip is anything but what Ellen planned. Making new friends and letting go of old ones is never easy, but Ellen might just find a comfortable new place for herself if she can learn to embrace the fact that life doesn't always stick to a planned itinerary.
Call Number: 813 Sa791el
Young Adult Award
When the Angels Left the Old Country by
Stonewall Book Award Winner Sydney Taylor Award Winner Michael L. Printz Honor Book National Jewish Book Award Finalist AudioFile Earphones Award Winner BEST OF THE YEAR NPR · New York Public Library · Kirkus For fans of "Good Omens"--a queer immigrant fairytale about individual purpose, the fluid nature of identity, and the power of love to change and endure. Uriel the angel and Little Ash (short for Ashmedai) are the only two supernatural creatures in their shtetl (which is so tiny, it doesn''t have a name other than Shtetl). The angel and the demon have been studying together for centuries, but pogroms and the search for a new life have drawn all the young people from their village to America. When one of those young emigrants goes missing, Uriel and Little Ash set off to find her. Along the way the angel and demon encounter humans in need of their help, including Rose Cohen, whose best friend (and the love of her life) has abandoned her to marry a man, and Malke Shulman, whose father died mysteriously on his way to America. But there are obstacles ahead of them as difficult as what they''ve left behind. Medical exams (and demons) at Ellis Island. Corrupt officials, cruel mob bosses, murderers, poverty. The streets are far from paved with gold. P R A I S E ★ "Powerfully moving. Broad in scope, the strong queer relationships at its core provide an unfaltering anchor." --Publishers Weekly (starred) ★ "Immersive...Propulsive. A mashup of historical fiction and magical realism, this will find a satisfied audience in fans of both." --BCCB (starred) ★ "Extraordinary....Absorbing. A sublime novel about the fantastical, freeing nature of love." --Foreword Reviews (starred) ★ "Gorgeous, fascinating, and fun. Deftly tackles questions of identity, good and evil, obligation, and the many forms love can take." --Kirkus (starred) ★ "Terrific. Richly imagined and plotted, this inspired book has the timeless feeling of Jewish folklore." --Booklist (starred) ★ "Expansive queer tale that marries historical fiction with inventive world-building. Witty, cerebral storytelling." --Horn Book (starred) ★ "A must-buy for any collection, Lamb''s historical fiction novel brings soft queer joy to a compelling tale of immigrants and unions and Jewish folklore." --School Library Journal (starred) "Liars, lovers, grifters, a good angel and a wicked one--all held together with the bright red thread of unexpected romance, enduring friendship and America''s history. You don''t have to be Jewish to love Sacha Lamb--you only have to read." --New York Times Bestseller Amy Bloom "I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!!! I read it in two days and then I spent the next two weeks thinking about it. Literally forgot to take my lunch break at work because I was busy thinking about it. This book is SO fun and funny and beautiful. Inherently, inextricably deeply queer-and-Jewish in a way that makes my brain buzz. I am obsessed." --Piera Varela, Porter Square Books "I love this book more than I can say (but I''ll try!) I was delighted by the wry narrative voice of this book from the first paragraph. The author perfectly captures the voice of a Jewish folk tale within an impeccably researched early 20th century setting that includes Yiddish, striking factory workers, and revolutionary coffee houses. It gave me so many feelings about identity, love, and their obligations to the world, themselves, and each other. This story will forever have a place in my heart and in my canon of favorite books. I can''t wait to have it on my shelves!" --Marianne Wald, East City Bookshop "A beautiful story of an angel and demon set on helping an emigrant from their shtetl, and the fierce girl that joins them on the way... A must read for all ages--one filled to the brim with heart." --Mo Huffman, Changing Hands Bookstore
Call Number: 813 L168wh
Young Adult Honors
My Fine Fellow by
Culinary delights abound, romance lingers in the air, and plans go terribly, wonderfully astray in this gender-bent take on My Fair Lady from Jennieke Cohen, author of Dangerous Alliance--perfect for fans of Bridgerton or A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue. It's 1830s England, and Culinarians--doyens who consult with society's elite to create gorgeous food and confections--are the crème de la crème of high society. Helena Higgins, top of her class at the Royal Academy, has a sharp demeanor and an even sharper palate--and knows stardom awaits her if she can produce greatness in her final year. Penelope Pickering is going to prove the value of non-European cuisine to all of England. Her contemporaries may scorn her Filipina heritage and her dishes, but with her flawless social graces and culinary talents, Penelope is set to prove them wrong. Elijah Little has nothing to his name but a truly excellent instinct for flavors. London merchants won't allow a Jewish boy to own a shop, so he hawks his pasties for a shilling a piece to passersby--but he knows with training he can break into the highest echelon of society. When Penelope and Helena meet Elijah, a golden opportunity arises: to pull off a project never seen before, and turn Elijah from a street vendor to a gentleman chef. But Elijah's transformation will have a greater impact on this trio than they originally realize--and mayhem, unseemly faux pas, and a little romance will all be a part of the delicious recipe.
Call Number: 813 C6605my
Some Kind of Hate by
A Sydney Taylor Honor Book "A critical, heart-wrenching, and hopeful book that not only shows how and why the seeds of hatred grow into a destructive force, but also the importance of owning one's actions..." --Liza Wiemer, author of the Sydney Taylor Notable Book The Assignment Declan Taylor is furious at the world. After winning state as a freshman starting pitcher, he accidentally messes up his throwing arm. Despite painful surgery and brutal physical therapy, he might never pitch again. And instead of spending the summer with his friends, Declan is forced to get a job to help his family out. On top of that, it seems like his best friend, Jake Lehrer, is flirting with Declan's crush and always ditching him to hang out with the team or his friends from synagogue. So Declan ends up playing a lot of Imperialist Empires online and making new friends. It's there he realizes he's been playing with Finn, a kid from his class. Finn is the first person who might be just as angry as Declan. As the two spend more time together, Finn also introduces Declan to others who understand what it's like when the world is working against you, no matter how much you try. How white kids like them are being denied opportunities because others are manipulating the system. And the more time Declan spends with Finn, the more he sees what they're saying as true. So when his new friends decide it's time to fight back, Declan is right there with them. Even if it means going after Jake and his family. And each new battle for the cause makes Declan feel in control of his rage, channeling it into saving his future. But when things turn deadly, Declan is going to have to decide just how far he'll go and what he's willing to sacrifice. In a stunning story set against the rise of white nationalism comes an unflinching exploration of the destruction of hate, the power of fear, and the hope of redemption.
Call Number: 813 L736so
Eight Nights of Flirting by
A Sydney Taylor Honor Book A sixteen-year-old girl is on a mission to find the perfect boyfriend this Hanukkah, but love might not go according to plan, in this charming winter romcom from the author of The Summer of Lost Letters. Shira Barbanel has a plan- this Hanukkah, she's going to get a boyfriend. And she has the perfect candidate in mind-her great-uncle's assistant, Isaac. He's reliable, brilliant, and of course, super hot. The only problem? Shira's an absolute disaster when it comes to flirting. Enter Tyler Nelson, Shira's nemesis-slash-former-crush. As much as she hates to admit it, Tyler is the most charming and popular guy she knows. Which means he's the perfect person to teach her how to win Isaac over. When Shira and Tyler get snowed in together at Golden Doors, they strike a deal-flirting lessons for Shira in exchange for career connections for Tyler. But as Shira starts to see the sweet, funny boy beneath Tyler's playboy exterior, she realizes she actually likes hanging out with him. And that wasn't part of the plan. Amidst a whirl of snowy adventures, hot chocolate, and candlelight, Shira must learn to trust her heart to discover if the romance she planned is really the one that will make her happiest.
Call Number: 813 R3345ei
Sydney Taylor Book Award
The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Learn more.
Picture Book Award
The Passover Guest by
Muriel assumes her family is too poor to hold a Passover Seder this year, but an act of kindness and a mysterious magician change everything. Sydney Taylor Award Winner Muriel assumes her family is too poor to hold a Passover Seder this year-- but an act of kindness and a mysterious magician change everything. It's the Spring of 1933 in Washington D.C., and the Great Depression is hitting young Muriel's family hard. Her father has lost his job, and her family barely has enough food most days, let alone for a Passover Seder. They don't even have any wine to leave out for the prophet Elijah's ceremonial cup. With no feast to rush home to, Muriel wanders by the Lincoln Memorial, where she encounters a mysterious magician in whose hands juggled eggs become lit candles. After she makes a kind gesture, he encourages her to run home for her Seder, and when she does, she encounters a holiday miracle, a bountiful feast of brisket, soup, and matzah. But who was this mysterious benefactor? When Muriel sees Elijah's ceremonial cup is empty, she has a good idea. This fresh retelling of the classic I.L. Peretz story, best known through Uri Shulevitz's 1973 adaptation The Magician, has been sumptuously illustrated by noted graphic novelist Sean Rubin, who based his art on photographs of D.C. in the 1930s. An author note with information about the holiday is included. An Association of Jewish Libraries Spring Holiday Highlight A Booklist Editors' Choice A CSMCL Best Multicultural Children's Book of the Year
Call Number: 800 K9682pa
Picture Book Honors
Nicky and Vera: : A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued by
A Finalist for the 2022 Jane Addams Children's Book Award An NPR Best Book of 2021 A New York Times Best Children's Book of 2021 A Washington Post Best Book of 2021 A Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2021 A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of 2021 In December 1938, a young Englishman canceled a ski vacation and went instead to Prague to help the hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Nazis who were crowded into the city. Setting up a makeshift headquarters in his hotel room, Nicholas Winton took names and photographs from parents desperate to get their children out of danger. He raised money, found foster families in England, arranged travel and visas, and, when necessary, bribed officials and forged documents. In the frantic spring and summer of 1939, as the Nazi shadow fell over Europe, he organized the transportation of almost 700 children to safety. Then, when the war began and no more children could be rescued, he put away his records and told no one. It was only fifty years later that a chance discovery and a famous television appearance brought Winton's actions to light. Peter Sís weaves Winton's experiences and the story of one of the children he saved, Vera Gissing. Nicky & Vera is a tale of decency, action, and courage told in luminous, poetic images by an internationally renowned artist.
Call Number: 940.53 W738si
Dear Mr. Dickens by
2021 National Jewish Book Award Winner - Children's Picture Book 2022 Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor for Picture Books Chicago Public Library Best Informational Books for Younger Readers 2021 The Best Jewish Children's Books of 2021, Tablet Magazine In Eliza Davis's day, Charles Dickens was the most celebrated living writer in England. But some of his books reflected a prejudice that was all too common at the time: prejudice against Jewish people. Eliza was Jewish, and her heart hurt to see a Jewish character in Oliver Twist portrayed as ugly and selfish. She wanted to speak out about how unfair that was, even if it meant speaking out against the great man himself. So she wrote a letter to Charles Dickens. What happened next is history.
Call Number: 823.8 D2901ch
The Christmas Mitzvah by
Al Rosen, a Jewish man, takes on the jobs of his Christian neighbors on Christmas Eve and day so they can spend the holiday with their families, starting a tradition that lasts for decades. A mitzvah, as Al explains, is a good deed, especially apt on holidays. A strong cross-over read, this warm story is about kindness and differences bringing people together. This book was selected as a Best Jewish Children's Book of 2021 by Tablet Magazine!
Call Number: 800 G713ch
Middle Grade Award
How to Find What You're Not Looking For by
New historical fiction from a Newbery Honor-winning author about how middle schooler Ariel Goldberg's life changes when her big sister elopes following the 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision, and she's forced to grapple with both her family's prejudice and the antisemitism she experiences, as she defines her own beliefs. Cover may vary. Twelve-year-old Ariel Goldberg's life feels like the moment after the final guest leaves the party. Her family's Jewish bakery runs into financial trouble, and her older sister has eloped with a young man from India following the Supreme Court decision that strikes down laws banning interracial marriage. As change becomes Ariel's only constant, she's left to hone something that will be with her always--her own voice.
Call Number: 813 H613ho
Middle Grade Honors
The Genius under the Table by
An Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Honor Winner With a masterful mix of comic timing and disarming poignancy, Newbery Honoree Eugene Yelchin offers a memoir of growing up in Cold War Russia. Drama, family secrets, and a KGB spy in his own kitchen! How will Yevgeny ever fulfill his parents' dream that he become a national hero when he doesn't even have his own room? He's not a star athlete or a legendary ballet dancer. In the tiny apartment he shares with his Baryshnikov-obsessed mother, poetry-loving father, continually outraged grandmother, and safely talented brother, all Yevgeny has is his little pencil, the underside of a massive table, and the doodles that could change everything. With equal amounts charm and solemnity, award-winning author and artist Eugene Yelchin recounts in hilarious detail his childhood in Cold War Russia as a young boy desperate to understand his place in his family.
Call Number: 947.085 Y36ge
Linked by
An unforgettable novel from the New York Times bestselling Gordon Korman. Link, Michael, and Dana live in a quiet town. But it's woken up very quickly when someone sneaks into school and vandalizes it with a swastika. Nobody can believe it. How could such a symbol of hate end up in the middle of their school? Who would do such a thing? Because Michael was the first person to see it, he's the first suspect. Because Link is one of the most popular guys in school, everyone's looking to him to figure it out. And because Dana's the only Jewish girl in the whole town, everyone's treating her more like an outsider than ever. The mystery deepens as more swastikas begin to appear. Some students decide to fight back and start a project to bring people together instead of dividing them further. The closer Link, Michael, and Dana get to the truth, the more there is to face-not just the crimes of the present, but the crimes of the past. With Linked, Gordon Korman, the author of the acclaimed novel Restart, poses a mystery for all readers where the who did it? isn't nearly as important as the why?
Call Number: 813 K8423Li
Young Adult Award
The City Beautiful by
"An achingly rendered exploration of queer desire, grief, and the inexorable scars of the past." --Katy Rose Pool, author of There Will Come A Darkness Death lurks around every corner in this unforgettable Jewish historical fantasy about a city, a boy, and the shadows of the past that bind them both together. Chicago, 1893. For Alter Rosen, this is the land of opportunity, and he dreams of the day he'll have enough money to bring his mother and sisters to America, freeing them from the oppression they face in his native Romania. But when Alter's best friend, Yakov, becomes the latest victim in a long line of murdered Jewish boys, his dream begins to slip away. While the rest of the city is busy celebrating the World's Fair, Alter is now living a nightmare: possessed by Yakov's dybbuk, he is plunged into a world of corruption and deceit, and thrown back into the arms of a dangerous boy from his past. A boy who means more to Alter than anyone knows. Now, with only days to spare until the dybbuk takes over Alter's body completely, the two boys must race to track down the killer--before the killer claims them next. "Chillingly sinister, warmly familiar, and breathtakingly transportive, The City Beautiful is the haunting, queer Jewish historical thriller of my darkest dreams."--Dahlia Adler, creator of LGBTQreads and editor of That Way Madness Lies A New York Public Library Best Book for Teens 2021
Call Number: 813 P7691ci
Young Adult Honors
The Last Words We Said by
A Sydney Taylor Young Adult Honor Book All the Bright Places meets If I Stay in this heart-wrenching, romantic novel about a tight-knit group of teen girls coping with a devastating loss and what happens when your best friend is also your first love...and your first heartbreak. Nine months ago, Danny disappeared. His closest friends, Ellie, Rae, and Deenie, are all dealing with the loss differently. Rae's pouring herself into rage-baking. Deenie's deepening her commitment to Orthodox Judaism. And Ellie--who was Danny's girlfriend and closest friend--is the only one who doesn't believe he's dead. Because she still sees him. In chapters that alternate between past and present, the story of Ellie and Danny unspools--from their serendipitous meeting to Danny's effortless absorption into the girls' friend group to Danny and Ellie falling for each other. In the past, they were the perfect couple...until it all went wrong. In the present, Ellie's looking for answers. She, Rae, and Deenie all have secrets, and they each hold a clue about the night Danny disappeared. Can the friends come together to uncover the truth about Danny? Or will tragedy drive them apart for good?
Call Number: 813 Sch255La
Whistle: a New Gotham City Hero by
From New York Times bestselling author E. Lockhart (Genuine Fraud, We Were Liars) and artist Manuel Preitano (The Oracle Code) comes a new Gotham City superhero in this exciting YA graphic novel. Sixteen-year-old Willow Zimmerman has something to say. When she's not on the streets protesting City Hall's neglect of her run-down Gotham neighborhood, she's working nights at the local dog shelter. But despite how much she does for the world around her, she's struggling to take care of her sick mother at home. She's got no time for boys (though there's one she really likes), and no means to adopt the amazingly loyal stray Great Dane, Lebowitz, that follows her around. Without health insurance and with money running out, a desperate Willow reconnects with an estranged family friend E. Nigma--party promoter, and real estate tycoon. Nigma opens the door to an easier life, offering Willow a new job hosting his glamorous private poker nights with Gotham City's elites. Now Willow is able to afford critical medical treatments for her mother and get a taste of the high life she's never had. Then everything changes- Willow and Lebowitz are attacked by one of Gotham's most horrific villains, the monstrous Killer Croc. When they wake after the fight, they can understand each other. And Willow has powers she never dreamed of. When Willow discovers that Nigma and his poker buddies are actually some of Gotham's most corrupt criminals, she must make a choice- remain loyal to the man who saved her mother's life, or use her new powers to save her community.
Call Number: 741.5 L811wh
The Summer of Lost Letters by
Perfect for fans of Morgan Matson and Ruta Sepetys, this sweet, summery romance set in Nantucket follows seventeen-year-old Abby Schoenberg as she uncovers a secret about her grandmother's life during WWII. Seventeen-year-old Abby Schoenberg isn't exactly looking forward to the summer before her senior year. She's just broken up with her first boyfriend and her friends are all off in different, exciting directions for the next three months. Abby needs a plan--an adventure of her own. Enter- the letters. They show up one rainy day along with the rest of Abby's recently deceased grandmother's possessions. And these aren't any old letters; they're love letters. Love letters from a mystery man named Edward. Love letters from a mansion on Nantucket. Abby doesn't know much about her grandmother's past. She knows she was born in Germany and moved to the US when she was five, fleeing the Holocaust. But the details are either hazy or nonexistent; and these letters depict a life that is a bit different than the quiet one Abby knows about. And so, Abby heads to Nantucket for the summer to learn more about her grandmother and the secrets she kept. But when she meets Edward's handsome grandson, who wants to stop her from investigating, things get complicated. As Abby and Noah grow closer, the mysteries in their families deepen, and they discover that they both have to accept the burdens of their pasts if they want the kinds of futures they've always imagined.
Call Number: 813 R3345su
Sydney Taylor Book Award
The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Learn more.
Picture Book Award
Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail by
Inside a boy and his family gather around the dinner table for a Passover Seder. Outside, a cat wanders, hungry and alone. Soon it is time for the symbolic Passover custom of opening the door for the Jewish prophet, Elijah, who will one day bring a hopeful message of peace. When the boy opens the door, both he and the cat are in for a remarkable surprise.
Call Number: 800 N465we
Picture Book Honors
I am the Tree of Life: My Jewish Yoga BookISBN: 1681155524
Miriam at the River by
The biblical story of baby Moses as told by his big sister. Giving her baby brother a kiss, brave little Miriam places Moses's basket into the river. With one quick push, she sends him into the water, hoping her wish will come true and her brother will be saved from Pharaoh's orders. But will Pharaoh's daughter arrive in time to rescue him?
Call Number: 800 Y78mir
Middle Grade Award
Turtle Boy by
A boy who has spent his life living inside a shell discovers the importance of taking chance in this "winner" (Booklist, starred review) of a friendship story that's perfect for fans of Wonder. Seventh grade is not going well for Will Levine. Kids at school bully him because of his funny-looking chin. And for his bar mitzvah community service project, he's forced to go to the hospital to visit RJ, an older boy struggling with an incurable disease. At first, the boys don't get along, but then RJ shares his bucket list with Will. Among the things he wants to do: ride a roller coaster; go to a school dance; swim in the ocean. To Will, happiness is hanging out in his room, alone, preferably with the turtles he collects. But as RJ's disease worsens, Will realizes he needs to tackle the bucket list on his new friend's behalf before it's too late. It seems like an impossible mission, way outside Will's comfort zone. But as he completes each task with RJ's guidance, Will learns that life is too short to live in a shell. "Everyone deserves a friend like Will Levine." --Lynne Kelly, author of Song for a Whale
Call Number: 813 W8342tu
Middle Grade Honor
No Vacancy by
Buying and moving into the run-down Jewel Motor Inn in upstate New York wasn't eleven-year-old Miriam Brockman's dream, but at least it's an adventure. Miriam befriends Kate, whose grandmother owns the diner next door, and finds comfort in the company of Maria, the motel's housekeeper, and her Uncle Mordy, who comes to help out for the summer. She spends her free time helping Kate's grandmother make her famous grape pies and begins to face her fears by taking swimming lessons in the motel's pool. But when it becomes clear that only a miracle is going to save the Jewel from bankruptcy, Jewish Miriam and Catholic Kate decide to create their own. Otherwise, the No Vacancy sign will come down for good, and Miriam will lose the life she's worked so hard to build.
Call Number: 813 C6609no
Anya and the Nightingale by
The adventure continues in this exciting sequel to Anya and the Dragon; a dangerous monster lurks beneath the city and only Anya can keep him from taking her friends' magic--and their lives. Perfect for fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon. It's been a year since a violent Viking terrorized the small village of Zmeyreka and Anya and her foolish friend Ivan saved a friendly dragon from being sacrificed for his magic. But things still aren't safe in the kingdom of Kievan Rus'. After embarking on a journey to bring her papa home from war, Anya discovers a powerful forest creature terrorizing travelers. But she soon learns that he's not the monster the kingdom should fear. There's an even greater evil that lurks under the city. Can Anya stop the monster, save her papa, and find her way home? Or will the secrets of Kiev leave Anya and her friends trapped beneath the city forever?
Call Number: 813 P2685ann
The Blackbird Girls by
Like Ruta Sepetys for middle grade, Anne Blankman pens a poignant and timeless story of friendship that twines together moments in underexplored history. On a spring morning, neighbors Valentina Kaplan and Oksana Savchenko wake up to an angry red sky. A reactor at the nuclear power plant where their fathers work--Chernobyl--has exploded. Before they know it, the two girls, who've always been enemies, find themselves on a train bound for Leningrad to stay with Valentina's estranged grandmother, Rita Grigorievna. In their new lives in Leningrad, they begin to learn what it means to trust another person. Oksana must face the lies her parents told her all her life. Valentina must keep her grandmother's secret, one that could put all their lives in danger. And both of them discover something they've wished for: a best friend. But how far would you go to save your best friend's life? Would you risk your own? Told in alternating perspectives among three girls--Valentina and Oksana in 1986 and Rifka in 1941--this story shows that hatred, intolerance, and oppression are no match for the power of true friendship.
Call Number: 813 B6116bl
Young Adult Award
They Went Left by
The acclaimed New York Times bestselling tour de force historical mystery from Monica Hesse, the award-winning author of Girl in the Blue Coat. Germany, 1945. The soldiers who liberated the Gross-Rosen concentration camp said the war was over, but nothing feels over to eighteen-year-old Zofia Lederman. Her body has barely begun to heal, her mind feels broken. And her life is completely shattered: Three years ago, she and her younger brother, Abek, were the only members of their family to be sent to the right, away from the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Everyone else--her parents, her grandmother, radiant Aunt Maja--they went left. Zofia's last words to her brother were a promise: Abek to Zofia, A to Z. When I find you again, we will fill our alphabet. Now her journey to fulfill that vow takes her through Poland and Germany, and into a displaced persons camp where everyone she meets is trying to piece together a future from a painful past: Miriam, desperately searching for the twin she was separated from after they survived medical experimentation. Breine, a former heiress, who now longs only for a simple wedding with her new fiancé. And Josef, who guards his past behind a wall of secrets, and is beautiful and strange and magnetic all at once. But the deeper Zofia digs, the more impossible her search seems. How can she find one boy in a sea of the missing? In the rubble of a broken continent, Zofia must delve into a mystery whose answers could break her--or help her rebuild her world.
Call Number: Best Sellers - Atrium 813 H4639thISBN: 9780316490573
Sydney Taylor Book Award
The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Learn more.
Picture Book Award
The Book Rescuer by
Recipient of a Sydney Taylor Book Award for Younger Readers An ALA Notable Book A Bank Street Best Book of the Year "Text and illustration meld beautifully." --The New York Times "Stunning."​ --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Inspired...[a] journalistic, propulsive narrative." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "The story comes alive through the bold acrylic and gouache art." --Booklist (starred review) From New York Times Best Illustrated Book artist Stacy Innerst and author Sue Macy comes a story of one man's heroic effort to save the world's Yiddish books in their Sydney Taylor Book Award-winning masterpiece. Over the last forty years, Aaron Lansky has jumped into dumpsters, rummaged around musty basements, and crawled through cramped attics. He did all of this in pursuit of a particular kind of treasure, and he's found plenty. Lansky's treasure was any book written Yiddish, the language of generations of European Jews. When he started looking for Yiddish books, experts estimated there might be about 70,000 still in existence. Since then, the MacArthur Genius Grant recipient has collected close to 1.5 million books, and he's finding more every day. Told in a folkloric voice reminiscent of Patricia Polacco, this story celebrates the power of an individual to preserve history and culture, while exploring timely themes of identity and immigration.
Call Number: 020.75 L292ma
Picture Book Honors
Gittel's Journey by
Gittel and her mother were supposed to immigrate to America together, but when her mother is stopped by the health inspector, Gittel must make the journey alone. Her mother writes her cousin's address in New York on a piece of paper. However, when Gittel arrives at Ellis Island, she discovers the ink has run and the address is illegible! How will she find her family? Both a heart-wrenching and heartwarming story, Gittel's Journeyoffers a fresh perspective on the immigration journey to Ellis Island. The book includes an author's note explaining how Gittel's story is based on the journey to America taken by Lesléa Newman's grandmother and family friend.
Call Number: 800 N465gi
The Key from Spain by
When Flory's ancestors are forced to leave Spain during the time of the Spanish Inquisition, they take with them their two most precious possessions--the key to their old house and the Ladino language. When Flory flees Europe during World War II to begin a new life in the United States, she carries Ladino with her, along with her other precious possessions--her harmoniku and her music. But what of the key? Discover the story of Ladino singer Flory Jagoda.
Call Number: 800 L57952ke
Middle Grade Award
White Bird: a Wonder Story by
Inspired by her blockbuster phenomenon Wonder, R. J. Palacio makes her graphic novel debut with an unforgettable, Sydney Taylor Book Award-winning story of the power of kindness and unrelenting courage in a time of war. "I was captivated by White Bird. It tells the hardest truths with honesty and calm (so that young readers can hear them). R.J. Palacio brings to life the nature of heroism and the real risks we face today." --Meg Medina, Newbery award-winning author of Mercy Suarez Changes Gears In R. J. Palacio's bestselling collection of stories Auggie & Me, which expands on characters in Wonder, readers were introduced to Julian's grandmother, Grandmère. Here, Palacio makes her graphic novel debut with Grandmère's heartrending story: how she, a young Jewish girl, was hidden by a family in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II; how the boy she and her classmates once shunned became her savior and best friend. Sara's harrowing experience movingly demonstrates the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives. As Grandmère tells Julian, "It always takes courage to be kind, but in those days, such kindness could cost you everything." With poignant symbolism and gorgeous artwork that brings Sara's story out of the past and cements it firmly in this moment in history, White Bird is sure to captivate anyone who was moved by the book Wonder or the blockbuster movie adaptation and its message. Praise for Wonder: #1 New York Times bestseller USA Today bestseller Time Magazine's 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time "In a wonder of a debut, Palacio has written a crackling page-turner filled with characters you can't help but root for." --Entertainment Weekly "Rich and memorable." --The New York Times "A beautiful, funny and sometimes sob-making story of quiet transformation." --The Wall Street Journal
Call Number: 741.5973 P171wh
Middle Grade Honors
Anya and the Dragon by
A 2020 Sydney Taylor Award Honor Book This lush tale of magic and dragons is a gem for any adventure-seeking middle grader and perfect for fans of Aru Shah and the End of Time. Anya and the Dragon is the story of fantasy and mayhem in tenth century Eastern Europe, where headstrong eleven-year-old Anya is a daughter of the only Jewish family in her village. When her family's livelihood is threatened by a bigoted magistrate, Anya is lured in by a friendly family of fools, who promise her money in exchange for helping them capture the last dragon in Kievan Rus. This seems easy enough, until she finds out that the scary old dragon isn't as old--or as scary--as everyone thought. Now Anya is faced with a choice: save the dragon, or save her family.
Call Number: 813 P2685an
Games of Deception by
On a scorching hot day in July 1936, thousands of people cheered as the U.S. Olympic teams boarded the S.S. Manhattan, bound for Berlin. Among the athletes were the 14 players representing the first-ever U.S. Olympic basketball team. As thousands of supporters waved American flags on the docks, it was easy to miss the one courageous man holding a boycott Nazi Germany sign. But it was too late for a boycott now; the ship had already left the harbor. 1936 was a turbulent time in world history. Adolf Hitler had gained power in Germany three years earlier. Jewish people and political opponents of the Nazis were the targets of vicious mistreatment, yet were unaware of the horrors that awaited them in the coming years. But the Olympians on board the S.S. Manhattanand other international visitors wouldn't see any signs of trouble in Berlin. Streets were swept, storefronts were painted, and every German citizen greeted them with a smile. Like a movie set, it was all just a facade, meant to distract from the terrible things happening behind the scenes. This is the incredible true story of basketball, from its invention by James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891, to the sport's Olympic debut in Berlin and the eclectic mix of people, events and propaganda on both sides of the Atlantic that made it all possible. Includes photos throughout, a Who's-Who of the 1936 Olympics, bibliography, and index.
Call Number: 796.48 M325ga
Young Adult Award
Someday We Will Fly by
From the author of Blind, a heart-wrenching coming-of-age story set during World War II in Shanghai, one of the only places Jews without visas could find refuge. Warsaw, Poland. The year is 1940 and Lillia is fifteen when her mother, Alenka, disappears and her father flees with Lillia and her younger sister, Naomi, to Shanghai, one of the few places that will accept Jews without visas. There they struggle to make a life; they have no money, there is little work, no decent place to live, a culture that doesn't understand them. And always the worry about Alenka. How will she find them? Is she still alive? Meanwhile Lillia is growing up, trying to care for Naomi, whose development is frighteningly slow, in part from malnourishment. Lillia finds an outlet for her artistic talent by making puppets, remembering the happy days in Warsaw when her family was circus performers. She attends school sporadically, makes friends with Wei, a Chinese boy, and finds work as a performer at a "gentlemen's club" without her father's knowledge. But meanwhile the conflict grows more intense as the Americans declare war and the Japanese force the Americans in Shanghai into camps. More bombing, more death. Can they survive, caught in the crossfire?
Call Number: 813 D518so
Young Adult Honors
Dissenter on the Bench by
A 2020 Sydney Taylor Honor Book The life and career of the fiercely principled Supreme Court Justice, now a popular icon, with dramatic accounts of her landmark cases that moved the needle on legal protection of human rights, illustrated with b/w archival photographs. Dramatically narrated case histories from Justice Ginsburg's stellar career are interwoven with an account of RBG's life--childhood, family, beliefs, education, marriage, legal and judicial career, children, and achievements--and her many-faceted personality is captured. The cases described, many involving young people, demonstrate her passionate concern for gender equality, fairness, and our constitutional rights. Notes, bibliography, index.
Call Number: 347.73 G4355or
Sick Kids in Love by
Isabel has one rule: no dating.All the women in her family are heartbreakers, and she's destined to become one, too, if she's not careful. But when she goes to the hospital for her RA infusion, she meets a gorgeous, foul-mouthed boy who has her rethinking the no-dating rule and ready to risk everything.Aleksander is chronically ill, too, and there's a softer side underneath all his jokes. Isabel finds herself unraveling the secrets of a real person, rather than crowd-sourcing her decisions through her online column Sick Girl Wants to Know.They fall for each other hard and fast, but Isabel has known all along they were headed for disaster. When a devastating family secret threatens their love, can she find the strength to claim a brave new life with Aleksander, or will she retreat to the safety she's always depended on and break his heart?
Call Number: 813 M8538si
