arts&life
books
I
n response to the tragedy at the
synagogue in Pittsburgh and to rising
anti-Semitism in the United States,
the Association of Jewish Libraries offers
this series of book lists for young readers.
Books read in youth impact future
outlooks, and it is our hope that meeting
Jews on the page will inspire friendship
when readers meet Jews in real life.
This is the first in a series of book lists
intended to provide children and their
families with a greater understanding of
the Jewish religion and its people.
Heidi Rabinowitz, a children’s librarian
in Florida and past-president of AJL,
spearheaded the project.
“I’ve always believed that kidlit is a
powerful tool for building empathy
and understanding,” Rabinowitz said.
“If non-Jewish kids befriend Jewish
characters on the page, it may help to
open their hearts and inoculate them
against prejudice. Exposing children
to these ‘window’ books during their
formative years is a great way to combat
anti-Semitism.”
This first list features stories of Jews
and non-Jews standing up for each other,
working out differences and confronting
prejudice. Future lists (at jewishlibraries.
org) explore Jewish diversity, synagogues
and clergy and cross-cultural friendship.
Look for these titles in libraries,
bookstores and online.
PICTURE BOOKS
The Golden Rule by Ilene Cooper, art by
Gabi Swiatkowska, Abrams, ages 4-8
This book is a gentle reminder of a
timeless rule for parent and child: Do
unto others as you would have them do
unto you. A boy and his grandfather
discuss the rule’s universality and how
28
December 27 • 2018
jn
Love
Your
Neighbor
The AJL recommends children’s books
to help them — and others — get
through turbulent times.
to put it into practice.
Hannah’s Way by Linda Glaser, art by
Adam Gustavson, Kar-Ben, ages 4-8
After Papa loses his job during the
Depression, Hannah’s family moves to
rural Minnesota, where she is the only
Jewish child in her class. When her
teacher tries to arrange carpools for a
Saturday class picnic, Hannah is upset.
Her Jewish family is observant, and she
knows she cannot ride on the Sabbath.
What will she do? A lovely story of
friendship and community.
Emma’s Poem: The Voice of the Statue of
Liberty by Linda Glaser, art by Claire A.
Nivola, Houghton Mifflin, ages 4-8
In 1883, Jewish Emma Lazarus, deeply
moved by an influx of immigrants from
Eastern Europe, wrote a sonnet that
gave a voice to the Statue of Liberty. The
statue, thanks to Emma’s poem, came
to define us as a nation that welcomes
immigrants. A true story.
Never Say a Mean Word Again: A Tale
from Medieval Spain by Jacqueline Jules,
art by Durga Yael Bernhard, Wisdom
Tales Press, ages 4-8
Inspired by a powerful legend of
conflict resolution, Never Say a Mean
Word Again is the compelling story of a
boy who is given permission to punish
an enemy. A surprising twist shows how
an enemy can become a friend.
As Good As Anybody: Martin Luther
King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel’s
Amazing March Toward Freedom by
Richard Michelson, art by Raul Colon,
Knopf, ages 6-9
Here is the story of two icons for
social justice, Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel, how
they formed a remarkable friendship
and turned their personal experiences
of discrimination into a message of love
and equality for all.
The Whispering Town by Jennifer
Elvgren, art by Fabio Santomauro, Kar-
Ben, ages 7-11
The dramatic story of neighbors in a
small Danish fishing village who, during
the Holocaust, shelter a Jewish family
waiting to be ferried to safety in Sweden.
Worried about their safety, friends devise
a clever plan for their safe passage to the
harbor. Based on a true story.
CHAPTER BOOKS
Vive La Paris by Esme Raji Codell,
Hyperion, ages 9-12
Paris has come for piano lessons, not
chopped-liver sandwiches or French
lessons or free advice. But when old Mrs.
Rosen, who is Jewish, gives her a little
bit more than she can handle, it might
be just what Paris needs to understand
the bully in her brother’s life … and the
bullies of the world.
Refugee by Alan Gratz, Scholastic, ages
9-13
A Jewish boy in 1930s Nazi Germany,