Staff Picks
Religious Diversity: Youth Titles That Highlight Judaism
- Ashley S.
- Friday, April 07, 2023
Collection
Check out these youth titles that highlight Judaism.
It's a Whole Spiel
Love, Latkes, and Other Jewish Stories
Published in 2019
"From stories of confronting their relationships with Judaism to rom-coms with a side of bagels and lox, It's a Whole Spiel features one story after another that says yes, we are Jewish, but we are also queer, and disabled, and creative, and political, and adventurous, and anything we want to be"-- Provided by publisher.
Kate in Waiting
Published in 2021
Best friends Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker share a love of theater and crushes on the same guys, but when one of their long-distance crushes shows up at their school, real feelings might end their friendship.
Letters from Cuba
Published in 2020
In 1938, eleven-year-old Esther joins her father in tropical, multicultural Cuba, where they toil together to rescue the rest of their Jewish family from persecution in Poland. Includes notes about the author's grandmother, on whom the story is based.
Tía Fortuna's New Home
Published in 2022
Estrella learns about her Cuban and Jewish heritage as she helps her aunt move from her Miami apartment to an assisted living community.
The Blackbird Girls
Published in 2021
"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?" -- Amazon.com
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen
Published in 2022
"Hoodie Rosen's life isn't that bad. Sure, his entire Orthodox Jewish community has just picked up and moved to the quiet, mostly non-Jewish town of Tregaron, but Hoodie's world hasn't changed that much. He's got basketball to play, studies to avoid, and a supermarket full of delicious kosher snacks to eat. The people of Tregaron aren't happy that so many Orthodox Jews are moving in at once, but that's not Hoodie's problem. That is, until he meets and falls for Anna-Marie Diaz-O'Leary - who happens to be the daughter of the obstinate mayor trying to keep Hoodie's community out of the town. And things only get more complicated when Tregaron is struck by a series of antisemitic crimes that quickly escalate to deadly violence. As his community turns on him for siding with the enemy, Hoodie finds himself caught between his first love and the only world he's ever known".-- Publisher's description.
A Rainy Day Story
Published in 2021
Rabbi Hanina feels sorry for himself when he becomes wet, cold and muddy from the rain. But when he goes inside his house--where he is warm, dry and happy--he feels selfish, knowing the parched earth needs the rain, and he learns a lesson about his place in the world.
The Light in Hidden Places
A Novel Based on the True Story of Stefania Podgórska
Published in 2020
Sixteen-year-old Catholic Stefania Podgórska has worked in the Diamant family's grocery store for four years, even falling in love with one of their sons, Izio; but when the Nazis came to Przemsyl, Poland, the Jewish Diamants are forced into the ghetto (and worse) and only Izio's brother Max manages to escape, and Stefania embarks on a dangerous course--protecting thirteen Jews in her attic, caring for her younger sister, Helena, and keeping everything secret from the two Nazi officers who are living in her house.
And a Cat from Carmel Market
Published in 2021
After shopping for challah, chicken, and fresh fruit at the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, Bubbe returns home to cook her Shabbat dinner, only to discover that her house is filled with unexpected furry guests.
My Fine Fellow
Published in 2022
In 1830s England, where the Culinarians, who create gorgeous food and confections, are the crème de la crème of high society, three individuals combine forces to pull off a delectable caper that will bring them fame, fortune, and a little romance, in a gender-reversed reimagining of "My Fair Lady."
Big Dreams, Small Fish
Published in 2022
When the opportunity arises, Shirley, the daughter of immigrants who live above their corner grocery store, turns some overlooked gefilte fish into a marketing strategy that changes the flavor of the neighborhood.
Color Me in
A Novel
Published in 2019
Fifteen-year-old Nevaeh Levitz is torn between two worlds, passing for white while living in Harlem, being called Jewish while attending her mother's Baptist church, and experiencing first love while watching her parents' marriage crumble.
Honey and Me
Published in 2022
When eleven-year-old Milla's best friend Honey joins her school for sixth grade Milla finds herself in her friend's shadow, but as the year progresses through the Jewish holidays Milla trys to cope with the tensions and the dramas of school--including the death of a beloved teacher.
The Story of Bodri
Published in 2021
Hédi, a young Jewish girl, spends her days playing with her best friend and their dogs until Adolf Hitler's soldiers take Hédi's family away, while her dog, Bodri, awaits their return.
Mr. Mintz's Blintzes
Published in 2022
Mr. Mintz is the best of neighbors, and everybody loves the blintzes he makes for his friends for Shavuot, so when he is injured in an accident his neighbors step in to take care of him, and cook the blintzes for him.
The Passover Guest
Published in 2021
In Washington, D.C., during the Great Depression, Muriel and her family have no money to prepare the seder meal until a mysterious stranger performs a Passover miracle. Includes notes on the Passover holiday, the Great Depression, and the history of the D.C. Jewish community.
When the Angels Left the Old Country
Published in 2022
"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 Shetl). 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 people, Essie, 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. With cinematic sweep and tender observation, Sacha Lamb presents a totally original drama about individual purpose, the fluid nature of identity, and the power of love to change and endure."-- Provided by publisher.
Yossel's Journey
Published in 2022
"Yossel, along with his family, flees anti-Jewish Russian pogroms in the late nineteenth century and settles in the American Southwest where he forges a friendship with Thomas, a Native American Navajo boy"-- Provided by publisher.
Some Kind of Hate
Published in 2022
When freshman Declan Taylor hurts his pitching arm he becomes mad at the world, soon getting caught up with a group of white supremacists and turning against his Jewish former friend, Jake--but when things turn violent Declan must figure out what he actually stands for.
This Rebel Heart
Published in 2022
Csilla has felt protected by the Duna river her entire life, and especially during the Holocaust of World War II, but that magic seems to have broken when Communists took control of Hungary. When her parents are killed by the secret police, Csilla's deep feelings of betrayal and disconnection cause her to plan her escape from her unrecognizable homeland. They are posthumously exonerated, however, sparking a series of protests that make her reconsider whether she can leave it all behind.
Aviva Vs. the Dybbuk
Published in 2022
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? Aviva vs. the Dybbuk is a compelling, tender story about friendship and community, grief and healing, and one indomitable girl who somehow manages to connect them all.
Latkes and Applesauce
A Hanukkah Story
Published in 2022
When a blizzard leaves a family housebound one Hanukkah, they share what little food they have with some starving animals who later return the favor.
The Very Best Sukkah
A Story from Uganda
Published in 2022
"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."-- Dust jacket.
Once More with Chutzpah
Published in 2022
Anxious eighteen-year-old Tally and her twin Max set off on a whirlwind high school exchange trip to Israel where she grapples with her Jewish identity, mental health, and sexuality.
A Sweet Meeting on Mimouna Night
Published in 2020
"A story about a young girl celebrating the Moroccan Jewish holiday of Mimouna with a new Muslim friend"-- Provided by publisher.
Black Bird, Blue Road
Published in 2022
"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."-- Adapted from front jacket flap.
The City Beautiful
Published in 2021
"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." -- Amazon.com.
Eight Nights of Flirting
Published in 2022
Sixteen-year-old Shira is on a mission to find the perfect boyfriend over Hanukkah, but after getting snowed in on Nantucket with her nemesis-slash-former-crush her plans begin to go off the rails.
The Ghosts of Rose Hill
Published in 2022
"Sent to stay with her aunt in Prague and witness the humble life of an artist, Ilana Lopez-a biracial Jewish girl-finds herself torn between her dream of becoming a violinist and her immigrant parents' desire for her to pursue a more stable career. When she discovers a forgotten Jewish cemetery behind her aunt's cottage, she meets the ghost of a kindhearted boy named Benjamin, who died over a century ago. As Ilana restores Benjamin's grave, he introduces her to the enchanted side of Prague, where ghosts walk the streets and their kisses have warmth. But Benjamin isn't the only one interested in Ilana. Rudolph Wassermann, a man with no shadow, has become fascinated with her and the music she plays. He offers to share his magic, so Ilana can be with Benjamin and pursue her passion for violin. But after Ilana discovers the truth about Wassermann and how Benjamin became bound to the city, she resolves to save the boy she loves, even if it means losing him-forever."--Front jacket flap.
Osnat and Her Dove
The True Story of the World's First Female Rabbi
Published in 2021
Osnet, the world's first female rabbi, was born almost five hundred years ago, during a time when few girls were allowed to read. Her father was a great scholar whose house was filled with books, and she convinced him to teach her. She grew up to teach others, becoming a wise and famous scholar in her own right. -- adapted from inside front jacket flap and Amazon.com.
Ellen Outside the Lines
Published in 2022
"Ellen, an autistic thirteen-year-old, navigates a new city, shifting friendships, a growing crush, and her queer and Jewish identities while on a class trip to Barcelona, Spain"-- Provided by publisher.
The Tower of Life
How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs
Published in 2022
"The story begins with Yaffa Eliach, a spirited young girl who grows up in a vibrant, happy 800-year-old town in Poland, filled with family life and rich traditions. Yaffa's grandmother, who receives a gift of a camera from America, becomes the village photographer, and takes photos of all the family events: weddings, bar mitzvahs, and family gatherings. And on the Jewish New Year, the villagers send photos to their relatives overseas to wish them a "Gut Yontif"! But one dark day, the town is invaded. And quickly the once happy home to 5,000 Jewish people is uprooted. Yaffa survives the war and becomes a Professor of History and America's foremost Holocaust expert. And when President Jimmy Carter invites her to create an exhibit for the new National Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, she travels around the world hunting down her grandmother's photos taken of people who fled from her beloved town, Eishyshok, along with their stories and memories. This breathtaking revival of the town's collective spirit, which is a permanent exhibit at The National Holocaust Museum in Washington DC, will inspire all who read it"-- Provided by publisher.
Klezmer!
Published in 2021
"A child makes a music-filled visit to her grandparents' apartment on the Lower East Side. Along the way, she dances to klezmer music, connecting its Old Country beginnings to its new rockin' vibe"-- Provided by publisher.
Shoshi's Shabbat
Published in 2022
"The virtues of taking a break--and of being thankful--are extolled in the gentle story of a stubborn ox, an impatient farmer, and a day of rest. Long ago, in the hills near Jerusalem, lived a young ox. For six days each week, she and her owner would toil in the fields, and on the seventh day both would rest. Then it came to be that this young ox was sold. For six days, she toiled in her new owner's fields, and on the seventh day the farmer brought out the yoke and plow, expecting to spend another day hard at work. But Shoshi the ox had a different idea. In a warm, friendly narrative and vivid, humorous art, author Caryn Yacowitz and illustrator Kevin Hawkes bring to life a tale drawn from the ancient Jewish stories known as the Midrash, a story as relevant today as it was long ago. It's a tale of encountering other cultures and learning from them, of paying attention to the world around you--sun, breeze, animals, people--and above all, of learning to slow down and take a break."-- Provided by publisher.