Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Book Review | Penina Levine is a Hard-Boiled Egg
by Rebecca O’Connell
Score: 3.5
There are certain aspects of this story that did not ring true to me. I found it hard to believe that a sixth grade public school teacher would have her class writing Easter bunny letters for a group of kindergarteners at a Catholic school where a friend teaches. I also found it difficult to believe [...]
Book Review | The Boy Who Dared
by Susan Campell Bartoletti
Score: 4.5
“I don’t want to remember a time I could have done something but didn’t.”
During Word War II, there were people who tried to help. There were people who tried to speak out and tell the truth. They were few and most often they did not succeed. Most often, they lost their lives along with the [...]
Book Review | T4
by Ann Clare LeZotte
Score: 4
My extraordinary and learned colleagues on the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee have said to me this book “is not Jewish enough.” There is not enough Jewish content to make it eligible for the Sydney Taylor Book Award. My response, as always, is, “Does it matter?”
The unspeakable crimes of the Nazis extended beyond the Jews. [...]
Book Review | The Sun’s Special Blessing
by Sandy Wasserman
Score: 2
In my humble opinion, this book should have been published 2 or 3 years ago. That way teachers could have been preparing their students for the very special event that was going to take place in April, 2009. As it is, this book will not be useful again until April 2037 and who knows what [...]
Book Review | Peace Week in Miss Fox’s Class
by Eileen Spinelli, Illustrated by Anne Kennedy
Score: 3
No, this is not a Jewish book, at least, not in the sense that there are clearly identifiable Jewish characters and a clearly identifiable Jewish theme. However, this is a book that any Jewish school could use to convey the Jewish value of Shalom Bayit, Peace in the House, or in this case, Peace in [...]
