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Nov. 22, 2013 For younger readersCYNTHIA RAMSAYOy, Feh, So? The illustrations by Gary Clement draw you into Cary Fagan’s Oy Feh So?, and keep you until the end, even though the story isn’t one of Fagan’s best. Perhaps being an aunt myself – and not an old, stodgy one (yet) – Aunt Essy, Aunt Chanah and Uncle Sam seem more like grandparent-type figures of a bygone era, when the thought of engaging and interacting with young children wasn’t as common as it is now. So, while I could laugh at the kids’ Herculean, and ultimately successful, efforts to get their aunts and uncle to respond with something other than on “Oy” (Essy), “Fey” (Chanah) or “So?” (Sam) on their weekly Sunday visits, I couldn’t really relate. But others might! Homecourt: The True Story of the Best Basketball Team You’ve Never Heard Of I certainly had never heard of Louis “Red” Klotz before reading Larry Needle’s Homecourt, nor of the SPHAS, the basketball team that represented the South Philadelphia Hebrew Association, which Red loved to watch as a kid and eventually became good enough to join. I still don’t know how to pronounce the team name, but I do know that the franchise existed from 1917-1948, and won many league titles. I also now know that Klotz’s career included coaching the Washington Generals, a team that, it seems, was created out of the SPHAS to play (and lose – literally thousands of) games against the Harlem Globetrotters. In addition to the sports history lessons, Homecourt is a possible entryway into discussions about antisemitism, immigration, identity, the Holocaust, sportsmanship, tenacity and other such topics with your children. The illustrations could have used some tweaking, but they still offer a sense of time and place to the story. One of the highlights is the afterword by Klotz himself. The Path of Names Thirteen-year-old Dahlia Sherman has made a deal with her parents: she will go to Camp Arava, where her brother Tom is a counselor, for the summer’s first three-week session, in exchange for her being able to attend magic camp in August. Little does the aspiring magician know of the mystical experience she is about to have, though the two young girls she sees walk through a wall when her parents are dropping her off is a rather large clue. The Path of Names is a ghost story of the kabbalistic kind – involving gematria, not to mention possession! It’s a grand plot, and fun, with the mystery (that goes back 72 years) mixing with more traditional camp fare, such as making friends, avoiding your older brother (who calls you “Squirt” in front of other campers), having your first boyfriend and engaging in various activities, skits and the like. (Note: You can meet Goelman Nov. 28 at the Jewish Book Festival.) Rachel’s Promise The second book of the Rachel Trilogy, Rachel’s Promise continues the story of Rachel and Sergei, two young people living in Russia, at least at the beginning of the novel. The final book of the series is scheduled for fall 2014. Shelly Sanders’ protagonists are two teens forced to grow up early, as the anti-Jewish violence in Russia escalates. Book 2 begins in summer 1903, with a quote from the Bessarabetz newspaper, dated June 18th of that year: “Become Christians and our brothers. If not, you have one year to go where you please. After that there must not remain a single Jew in Russia....” The story opens with Rachel, who is Jewish, and her family as they start their journey across the country so that they can board a ship to Shanghai. Sergei, meanwhile, is making a dangerous journey of his own, even though he is not Jewish. He leaves home in order to help support his family, becoming a worker in a factory, which has many hazards in itself, but he also becomes involved with the workers rebelling against their conditions, which puts him in even more danger. By the end of the novel, it is winter 1905. Life in Shanghai has given Rachel a chance to do work as a writer, something she has dreamed about doing, but the time there does not come without loss and hardship. Her journey from Shanghai to San Francisco begins as the book ends, while Sergei considers emigrating to the United States as well, but decides to hold off, until “his work in Russia was done.” Branded by the Pink Triangle From the Publisher: Before the rise of the Nazi party, Germany, especially Berlin, was one of the most tolerant places for homosexuals in the world. Activists, including Thomas Mann and Albert Einstein, campaigned openly for the rights of gay men and women, and tried to repeal the old existing law against homosexuality. But all that would change when the Nazis came to power, and existence for gay people turned into one of fear. Raids, arrests, prison sentences and expulsions became the daily reality. When the concentration camps were built, homosexuals were imprisoned along with Jews and any other groups the Nazis wanted to suppress. The pink triangle, sewn onto prison uniforms, became the symbol of the persecution of homosexuals, a persecution that would continue for many years after the war. A mix of historical research, first-person accounts and individual stories bring this time to life for readers. Stories of bravery in the face of inhuman cruelty, friendship found in the depths of despair in the camps, and the perseverance of the human spirit will both educate and inspire. Shanghai Escape From the publisher: Shanghai, China, is a strange place for a young Jewish girl from Vienna…. But that is where Lily Toufar finds herself in 1938. She and her family have left their home to find safety far away from Europe, where Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party are making life unbearable for Jews. They’ve had to travel fast – Lily even had to leave behind most of her toys and books – but here she feels free from danger. Despite their hopes, it quickly turns out that all is not safe in Shanghai. Now that the area is controlled by Japan, whose leaders support Hitler, the local government orders Jewish refugees, including Lily and her family, to move into a ghetto in an area of the city called Hongkew. Once again, Lily wonders what will happen next. Life changes for Lily and her family when they are forced to the over-crowded ghetto. There is little food to eat, and many people become sick. Lily remains hopeful, but when rumors begin to circulate that Jews may be in as much danger here as they were in Europe, she wonders if she will ever feel truly safe and at home again. Based on a true story. We Are Their Voice: Young People Respond to the Holocaust From the publisher: Do young people today find meaning in the Holocaust? This question prompted a writing project that brought heartfelt responses from students from across North America and abroad. Their voices – in the form of letters, essays, poems and art – provide amazing answers and a hope for a more peaceful and tolerant future.
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