The Association of Jewish Libraries announces the winners of its annual
Sydney Taylor Book Awards for outstanding books of Jewish content for
children. The award is named in honor of the late Sydney Taylor, author of
the classic All-of-a-Kind Family books about a Jewish immigrant family at
the turn of the twentieth century.
THE SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD WINNER FOR YOUNGER READERS:
Michelson, Richard. As Good As Anybody: Martin Luther King, Jr. and
Abraham Joshua Heschel's Amazing March Toward Freedom. Illustrations
by Raul Colon. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House
Children's Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-375-83335-9
This fictionalized parallel biography of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, presents a beautiful and inspiring tribute
to a little known alliance in American history. Colon's stunning
illustrations with subtle coloring bring the text, and the message of
persistence, justice, and brotherhood, to life.
(Grades 2-5)
THE
SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD WINNER FOR OLDER READERS:
Hesse, Karen. Brooklyn Bridge. New York: Feiwel & Friends, an imprint
of Macmillan, 2008. ISBN 978-0-312-37886-8.
While his family left the anti-Semitism of Russia to build the American
dream, Joey Michtom's dream is to visit the glittering Coney Island.
Crafting a story from the spark of a true event, the invention of the Teddy
Bear in 1903, Hesse masterfully weaves multiple themes of hard-work,
survival, homelessness, and familial dedication.
(Grades 5-8)
THE SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD WINNER FOR TEEN READERS:
Zenatti, Valerie. A Bottle in the Gaza Sea. New York: Bloomsbury,
2008.
ISBN 978-1-59990-200-5.
This honest yet hopeful story about the relationship between an Israeli girl
and a Palestinian boy via e-mail and instant messaging conveys the
confusion, anger, exhaustion, and depression felt by many young people
during the 2003 Intifada.
(Grades 9-12)
SYDNEY
TAYLOR HONOR AWARD WINNERS FOR YOUNGER READERS:
Cohen, Deborah
Bodin. Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride. Illustrations
by Shahar Kober.
Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, an imprint of Lerner, 2008.
ISBN
978-0-8225-8648-7.
Ari is selected
to engineer the first train between Jaffa and Jerusalem. Filled with pride,
he boasts to his friends and neglects to say good-bye before he sets off. As
the train stops to collect the necessary items to celebrate the Jewish New
Year, Ari is reminded of the true meaning of the holiday. Charming, colorful
illustrations give the reader a sense of what Israel's countryside might
have looked like in 1892.
(Pre-School-Grade 2)
Jules,
Jacqueline. Sarah Laughs. Illustrations by Natascia Ugliano.
Minneapolis:
KarBen, an
imprint of Lerner, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8225-9934-0.
The story of
Sarah, the biblical matriarch, is told beginning with her childhood in Ur
and continuing through her marriage to Abraham, their journey to Canaan, and
the eventual birth of Isaac. Vibrant illustrations show her sweet, generous
and loving personality, as well as the starry nights and windswept deserts
on the way to Canaan.
(Kindergarten-Grade 3)
Michelson,
Richard. A is for Abraham: A Jewish Family Alphabet. Illustrations by
Ron Mazellan. Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, an imprint of Gale, 2008.
ISBN
978-1-58536-322-3.
From A for
Abraham to Z for Zayde, this alphabet book, illustrated by fluid, realistic
paintings, provides a wealth of information about Jewish culture, history,
personalities, holidays, customs, and ceremonies.
(Grades 1-4)
Yolen, Jane.
Naming Liberty. Paintings by Jim Burke. New York: Philomel Books, an
imprint of Penguin, 2008. ISBN 978-0-399-24250-2.
Parallel stories
tell the arrival of two young ladies to the United States - Gitl, the
daughter of a Russian family, who decide to emigrate to avoid the pogroms
and persecution of Czarist Russia and the Statue of Liberty, conceived and
developed by the young French artist Frederic Auguste Bartholdi as a
commemoration for America's centennial birthday. Illustrations in
counterpart oil paint panels reflect the 19th century Eastern European
village against the more modern cities of Paris and New York.
(Grades 1-4)
SYDNEY TAYLOR HONOR AWARD WINNER
FOR OLDER READERS:
Siegal, Aranka.
Memories of Babi. New York: Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2008.
ISBN
978-0-374-39978-8.
Eight short
episodic stories reflect the author's childhood in a small village in
Hungary and incorporate Jewish values of kindness, generosity, honesty, help
for the less fortunate, and special moments filled with a little adventure,
amusing escapades, and lots of love.
(Grades 3-6)
SYDNEY
TAYLOR HONOR AWARD WINNER FOR TEEN READERS:
Levine, Anna.
Freefall. New York: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins
Publishers, 2008. ISBN 978-0-06-157654-6.
Aggie Jacobs, a
typical eighteen-year-old Israeli girl, decides to try out for an elite
female combat unit in the Israeli army. Realistic dialogue and a first
person narrative provide a genuine look at the realities of Israeli military
life through the eyes of a young woman.
(Grades 8-12)
NOTABLE
BOOKS FOR YOUNGER READERS:
Kimmel, Eric.
Mysterious Guests: A Sukkot Story. Illustrations by Katya Krenina.
New
York: Holiday House, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8234-1893-0.
During the
festival of Sukkot, Eben builds a fancy Sukkah, but he makes the poor stand
in the corner and eat leftovers. His brother Ezra's Sukkah is plain, but he
welcomes all who come with a full heart. When the ushpizin visit they bestow
an identical blessing - may this Sukkah's outside be like it's inside - with
very different results.
(Kindergarten-Grade 3)
Levine,
Anna. Jodie's Hanukkah Dig. Illustrations by Knesia Topaz.
Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, an imprint of Lerner, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8225-7391-3.
Jodie wants to
be an archeologist in Israel like her father. When they visit a dig in
Modi'in, she finds a way to help out and makes an important discovery
related to the history of Hanukkah. (Kindergarten-Grade 3)
Ofanansky,
Allison. Harvest of Light. Photographs by Eliyahu Alpern.
Minneapolis:
Kar-Ben, an imprint of Lerner,
2008. ISBN 978-0-8225-7389-0.
From the first
spring blossoms to the harvesting of green olives before Sukkot, an Israeli
family works together throughout the year, culminating in the celebration of
Hanukkah with flickering wicks floating in the precious oil they have
produced together.
(Grades 1-4)
Rouss, Sylvia.
Sammy Spider's First Shavuot. Illustrations by Katherine Janus Kahn.
Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, an imprint
of Lerner, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8225-7224-4.
Continuing the
popular series, Sammy Spider learns about Shavuot, first with the
traditional blintz and fruit recipes, then with the holiday's significance,
and finally with a little experimentation of his own.
(Preschool-Grade
2)
Schreiber,
Elisheva. My Tzitzis Book. Illustrations by Batsheva Ravad;
translated by
Sherie Gross. New York: Feldheim
Publishers, 2008. ISBN 978-1-59826-155-4.
This informative
explanation of the meaning of wearing a four-corner garment with tzitzis is
augmented with creative clay figures of scenes of boys and men wearing their
tallis katan beneath their everyday clothing.
(Kindergarten-Grade 3)
Ziefert,
Harriet. Hanukkah Haiku. Illustrations by Karla Gudeon. Maplewood,
NJ:
Blue Apple Books, 2008. ISBN
978-1-934706-33-6.
Eight haikus
reflect on specific aspects of Hanukkah such as candle lighting, dreidel
spinning, and latke frying. The simple poetry is embellished with rich and
deeply colored paintings and graduated paper size is used to uncover each
new candle.
(Preschool-Grade
2)
NOTABLE BOOKS
FOR OLDER READERS:
Bartoletti,
Susan Campbell. The Boy Who Dared: A Novel Based on the True Story of
a Hitler Youth. New York:
Scholastic Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-439-68013-4.
A powerful work
of historical fiction portraying key moments in the life of a real German
teenager during World War II. As he waits in prison, Helmuth Hubener
reflects on events that led to the day of his execution for the crimes of
listening to foreign newscasts, creating and distributing pamphlets, and for
his resistance to the Nazi Party.
(Grades 6-9)
Durango, Julie.
The Walls of Cartegena. Iillustrations by Tom Pohrt. New York:
Simon & Schuster Books for Young
Readers, 2008. ISBN 978-1-416-94102-6.
Because of his
intelligence and facility with languages, 13-year-old Calepino escapes the
usual fate of slaves delivered by ship from Africa to Cartagena (Colombia),
and grows up to become a protégé of a kind Jesuit priest, an interpreter,
and a helper in the leper colony where he befriends a Jewish doctor, a
convert to Christianity.
(Grades 4-6)
Feinstein,
Edward M. Capturing the Moon. Springfield, NJ: Behrman House, 2008.
ISBN 978-0-87441-840-8.
Each story in
this collection includes a short description of the value presented and
follow-up discussion questions. Stories are grouped into six categories:
"What Really Matters in Life?" "Doing What's Right," "It's Up to You,"
"Teachers and Friends," "Hidden Truths," and "The Miracle of Jewish Life."
(Grades 5-8)
Fitzgerald,
Stephanie. Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass: Igniting the Nazi
War Against Jews. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books, 2008. ISBN
978-0-7565-3489-9.
Created for
school research, this well-designed book includes clear, accurate
information, historic photographs with informative captions, a glossary,
bibliography, source notes, and timeline. Personal reflections and memories
by eyewitnesses add to the impact of the account, which directly confronts
Nazi lies about the Jews.
(Grades 5-8)
Herman,
Charlotte. My Chocolate Year. Illustrations by LeUyen Pham. New York:
Simon & Schuster Books for Young
Readers, 2008. ISBN 978-1-4169-3341-0.
Fifth grader
Dorrie Meyers embarks on an exciting school year with a favorite teacher and
the Sweet Semester dessert and essay contest. World War II has just ended
and when her cousin Victor, the sole Holocaust survivor of the family, comes
to live with her family, he shares a recipe from his family's bakery to help
her with the contest.
(Grades 3-5)
Morpurgo,
Michael. The Mozart Question. Illustrations by Michael Forman.
Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press,
2008. ISBN 978-1-4063-0648-4.
Paolo Levi, a
fictional Italian violin prodigy, tells the secret tale of his parents'
experience as musicians in a concentration camp orchestra.
(Grades 4-7)
Nobleman, Marc
Tyler. Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman. Illustrations by Ross
McDonald. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's
Books, 2008. ISBN
978-0-3758-3802-6.
A picture book
biography of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two shy, nerdy, bespectacled
Jewish teens from Cleveland who succeed in creating an American icon of
bravery, super strength, and altruistic invincibility.
(Grades 2-5)
Shahak,
Bat-Chen. The Bat-Chen Diaries: Selected Writings. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben,
an imprint of Lerner, 2008. ISBN
978-0-8225-8807-8.
This is the
published diary, including poems, letters, and eulogies, of an Israeli girl
who was murdered by a suicide bomber in Tel Aviv's Disengoff Center at Purim
on her 15th birthday.
Sofer,
Barbara. Keeping Israel Safe: Serving in the Israel Defense Forces.
Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, an imprint
of Lerner, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8225-7221-3.
Four different
experiences told through the voices of individual Israeli teenagers, two
girls and two boys, preparing to enter Israeli military service recount the
history and many levels and opportunities available for youth reaching the
required draft age.
(Grades 4-6)
Stuchner, Joan
Betty. Honey Cake. Illustrations by Cynthia Nugent. New York:
Random House, a Stepping Stone
Book, 2008. ISBN 978-0-375-85189-6.
This easy
chapter book gently introduces readers to World War II and the Danish
resistance through the story of 10-year-old David who lives in Copenhagen
during the German occupation.
(Grades 3-5)
NOTABLE BOOKS
FOR TEENS:
Friedman, Robin. Nothing. Woodbury, MN: Flux, 2008. ISBN
978-0-7387-1304-5.
In alternating
chapters, Parker Rabinowitz and his younger sister Danielle gradually reveal
the terrible secret - a serious eating disorder - that hides behind Parker's
good looks, great grades, ambitious college resume, pre-med plans, and
success with girls.
(Grades 8-12)
Laskier, Rutka.
Rutka's Notebook: A Voice from the Holocaust. Time, Inc. Home
Entertainment, 2008. ISBN 978-1-6032-0019-6.
A Jewish girl's
diary, describing her life in the days before her family was sent to
Auschwitz, was hidden under Polish floorboards in 1943, retrieved in 1945,
and miraculously rediscovered only in 2006, allowing Zahava Laskier Scherz
to explore the brief life of the half-sister she never knew.
(Grades 7-10)
Lieberman,
Leanne. Gravity. Toronto: Orca Book Publishers, 2008.
ISBN
978-1-55469-049-7.
When Elisheva, a
nature-loving sophomore in an all-girls Jewish high school, feels a sexual
attraction for Lindsay, a girl she meets during a summer by the lake, all of
her Orthodox upbringing and observances come into question.
(Grades 9-12)
Matas,
Carol. The Freak. Toronto: Key Porter Books, 2008.
ISBN 978-1-55263-930-4.
When 15-year-old
Jade awakens from a life-threatening illness and finds she can see the
future, her life takes some very strange turns. This is the first book in a
series, which continues with Visions and Far.
NOTABLE BOOKS
FOR ALL AGES:
Takac,
Esther. Genesis-the Book with Seventy Faces: A Guide for the Family.
Illustrations by Anna Pignataro. New York: Pitspopany Press, 2008. ISBN
978-1-932687-92-7.
This beautifully
designed guide, filled with watercolors, pen and ink, and crayon drawings,
illuminates the twelve parashiot of the book of Genesis and provides a
wonderful resource to learn, study, and interpret from the perspective of
the sages, modern scholars, midrash, legends, and kabbalah.
Ruzansky,
Rebecca Edid. Celebrating with Jewish Crafts. Photographs by Roberto
Zeballos-Peralta. Rebecca Edid Ruzansky, 2008. ISBN 978-0-615-17114-2.
Crafts for Rosh
Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, Hanukkah,
Purim, Passover, and Shavuot are presented with explicit instructions, clear
color photographs and tips on techniques and supplies. A Jewish crafter's
dream!
Norwalk Public Library System
© 2010