Ripped Away transports readers to another time, when Jack the Ripper roamed the streets of London leaving community members frightened and suspicious of each other. And with those suspicions, antisemitic actions and accusations grew. We experience the story through the eyes of Abe and Mitzy, reluctant friends who find themselves transported from their middle schoolContinue reading “Ripped Away by Shirley Reva Vernick”
Tag Archives: middle grade
No Vacancy by Tziporah Cohen
NO VACANCY (Groundwood Books, 2020), a middle grade novel by Tziporah Cohen, takes us through a budding friendship, a seemingly innocent ruse that fools a community, and an emotional journey that leads to a young girl’s realization of people’s differences and her first real connection to her Jewish identity. Miriam’s family moves from Manhattan toContinue reading “No Vacancy by Tziporah Cohen”
Anya and the Nightingale, by Sofiya Pasternack
Wondering how Jewish a middle grade fantasy book could possibly be, I turned to page one of Anya and the Nightingale. The first line read, “Anya’s sukkah was suspiciously lopsided,” referring to the temporary hut many Jews build for the fall holiday of Sukkot. Okay then! Jewish it is. (Turns out that Anya’s goat isContinue reading “Anya and the Nightingale, by Sofiya Pasternack”
Sara Lesley Arnold 