(2) 4-6 Early in this verse novel, sixth grader Anna's grandmother Bubbe Esther gives her a journal: "It's still waiting / for a shayna neshama, / a beautiful soul, / to write / her own poems inside." The poems Anna puts on paper are the words of ghosts writing through her, and in fact, she constantly sees and interacts with ghosts despite the resulting ostracism from classmates and her father's strong objections. Ruthie, Dad's late sister, also saw ghosts, and "everyone thought [she] was crazy." But Ruthie is now appearing to Anna and eventually possesses her in hopes of taking revenge on an antisemitic childhood bully who had played a role in Ruthie's death. Creepy premise notwithstanding, much of the focus here is on emotions, both of the living and the dead, and on family and peer dynamics. The accessible verse is rich with imagery, with feelings evocatively described ("There is something wild inside me / expanding like a bellows, / a breath of sweet autumn air"), and warm scenes at Bubbe's house mixing with Anna's awareness of ghosts ("Ruthie is curled with us / wishing fiercely / she could be the one / to sing the prayers / drink sweet wine / and breathe / the heavenly scent / of golden broth / and candles burning low"). An atmospheric ghost story for character-driven readers.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) YA After Shiloh receives a box of clay as a bar mitzvah present, he and his younger sister, Faye, meet their estranged grandfather, who sent it, for the first time. The siblings learn that, on their father's side, they are part of a lineage that can create golems: "human figure[s] formed from clay and brought to life with the Hebrew alphabet." While visiting their grandfather's apartment to practice harnessing this power, they encounter in dreams their ancestors' traumatic stories of antisemitism and oppression at various points in history. (These dreams include strong descriptions of cruelty and death that make this book best suited for readers who can handle realistic violence.) What they learn about their past sheds light on the present day as they grapple with contemporary antisemitism. In addition to the historical Jewish golemcrafters they meet, Shiloh and Faye also face questions of identity that arise from their Japanese ancestors on their mother's side. This memorable story takes a strong stance against victim-blaming in favor of defending oneself and one's beliefs. Caring familial relationships are centered, and while sibling rivalry is a factor in their dynamic (Faye has more golemcrafting power than Shiloh), the two love and support each other above all.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) Illustrated by Vesper Stamper. This picture-book biography tells the story of Cahan (1860–1951), cofounder and later editor of the Forverts, the Yiddish newspaper known in English as The Jewish Daily Forward. Finkelstein's clear text traces Cahan's journey from the Pale of Settlement -- he fled after being questioned by czarist police over his support of workers -- to New York, as well as his experiences as a new immigrant before the paper's founding. The book's depiction of Cahan's work on the paper emphasizes his understanding of and advocacy for the needs of other Jews, immigrants, and workers. Stamper's bustling street scenes, classrooms, and newspaper offices include plenty of instances of print to pore over in multiple languages (Cahan "loved words" in English, Russian, Hebrew, and Yiddish). Back matter includes more information on Cahan and on Yiddish, an author's note, a timeline, a bibliography, and suggested further reading.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Felishia Henditirto. "The first problem Rochel-Leah had was that she was a girl." This picture book relates a "true(ish) story" set in a shtetl in Russia in the 1830s and inspired by a cousin of Yolen's. Rochel-Leah wants to learn to read, but the cheder, or Jewish school, is only for boys. (Her mother and aunts can't help her; her father and brothers won't help her.) But perhaps rules can be bent...with determination, an open cheder window, and a rabbi who can be persuaded. A storyteller's cadence ("It was very tiring standing on tiptoe, but she managed. Just") brings life to Rochel-Leah's frustration and her tenacity. Similarly lively illustrations, "made digitally from combining paper texture and digital brushes," propel the story forward with frequent instances of words or letters swirling across the page. An epilogue-like coda and an author's note establish family connections, and a brief glossary defines Yiddish and Hebrew terms.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ellen Kahan Zager. The Jewish creation story is retold in simple rhyming verses (for example, Day Six concludes: "Creatures that slither and crawl and alight, / Beasts that run wild and howl in the night"). The inventive illustrations use the Hebrew letters that name each object, animal, or person in the text as design elements. An excellent glossary shows the images, the English words, the transliterations, and the original Hebrew words.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 In 1986, eleven-year-old Molly travels with her parents and brother to Israel for a month over the summer. She's nervous about meeting her extended family, including her maternal grandparents who don't speak English, but she comes away with a better appreciation of her Jewish heritage. Detailed descriptions highlight the beauty and diversity of the country, along with occasional discussions of its challenges and conflicts.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) YA Estranged twins (and alternating narrators) Tovah and Adina Siegel, whose mother has Huntington's disease, are tested for the gene at eighteen: Tovah didn't inherit it; Adina tests positive. Solomon's debut novel examines how an awful inevitability splinters everyone's vision of the future. The family's Conservative Jewish faith provides refuge for Tovah, but Adina struggles against God. Sprinkled Hebrew dialogue adds intimacy to happy moments and sharpness to disagreements.

Reviewer: Sarah Berman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Karla Gudeon. The story of Hebrew's rebirth as a modern language is told through the experience of lonely child Ben-Zion and his parents Eliezer and Devorah. Starting in the late 1800s, Eliezer revised Hebrew to reflect the modern world, developing a new dictionary and championing schools to teach Hebrew. A critical story of Jewish history illustrated with folk-style pen and watercolor art. Includes biographical and historical afterwords. Reading list.

Reviewer: Jessica Bushore

(4) K-3 Each spread of this picture book presents a color, its Hebrew spelling and transliteration, and captioned photos of sights around Israel--landmarks, signs, plants, food, animals, even a trash can--featuring that color. While the images look like the author's vacation snapshots rather than professional photos, the concept shows off Israel's diversity in an unusual way.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) PS Illustrated by Constanza Basaluzzo. Each page of this two-in-one book features a word starting with the Hebrew letter alef written in Hebrew, English, and transliteration. From one direction, the words and pictures depict the boy's interactions with his mother (Ima); from the other direction, with his father (Abba). Cheery cartoonlike illustrations let preschoolers fill in details of the purposeful story about a family preparing for Shabbat.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Anna Shuttlewood. This charming story of a girl helping migrating storks takes place on a kibbutz in Israel, and Hebrew words are used strategically throughout. Maya's compassion and creativity are the focus, but the narrative unfortunately feels passive, missing out on an opportunity for a truly engaging story. Loose, lightly washed watercolors give life to Maya and the graceful storks.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Patti Argoff. These two lift-the-flap books are basic, acceptable introductions to Chanukah and Purim for more observant families. Readers are asked in rhyming couplets to identify figures and holiday trappings; answers, many in Hebrew terms, are under the flap. Purim mitvos and Chanukah activity ideas conclude the books. The cartoon-style illustrations are amiable (perhaps overly) but uninteresting. Glos. Review covers these titles: Chanukah Guess Who? and Purim Guess Who?.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Having just moved to the U.S. from Israel, Tommy is teased by classmates because he has difficulty speaking English. When a police officer visits their class with his bomb-sniffing dog, who (conveniently) only understands Hebrew commands, Tommy has a chance to shine. Friendly illustrations, featuring giant-headed children and a playful yellow Lab, add liveliness to a gentle but purposive plot.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Patti Argoff. These two lift-the-flap books are basic, acceptable introductions to Chanukah and Purim for more observant families. Readers are asked in rhyming couplets to identify figures and holiday trappings; answers, many in Hebrew terms, are under the flap. Purim mitvos and Chanukah activity ideas conclude the books. The cartoon-style illustrations are amiable (perhaps overly) but uninteresting. Glos. Review covers these titles: Chanukah Guess Who? and Purim Guess Who?.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) PS Photographs by Bill Goldeen. This book is best for children already familiar with Hebrew and yoga. Each page features a photograph of a yoga-practicing kid demonstrating a pose that loosely resembles the shape of a Hebrew letter (screened in the background). Though the often tenuous connections between letter and pose can be confusing, the active approach and the pages' cheery solid colors are inviting. Glos.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross