TOP PICK
Set in early twentieth century New York, the "all of a kind" family are five girls, aged from twelve down to four. My daughters loved this book, and the second in the series More All-Of-A-Kind Family. The book follows the girls' various joys and disasters, ranging from Saah's lost library book to the day Henny gets lost at the seaside. It also has lovely descriptions of the way the family celebrates the different Jewish festivals. (Age 8+)
Jewish History
Red Towers of Granada by Geoffrey Trease
Set at the end of the thirteenth century, this story mixes adventure, Jewish history and a glimpse of medieval Spain. A young man who has been exiled from his village rescues a Jew from robbers and is taken under his wing. When the Jews are expelled from England by King Edward I, the young man - whose name now completely escapes me - travels with them to Spain, where they search for a rare potion needed to cure Edward's Queen of a severe illness. Lots of insight into Jewish life in this period, which I have never come across in any other children's book. A unique piece of historical fiction by one of my favourite writers. Like most of his other books it is out of print. Why, oh why, does nobody reprint them?
(NB. From a Catholic perspective, the book at times has a slightly anti-clerical tone, and one character is a wicked monk, though it is clear he is not wicked because he is a monk.) (Age 10+)
The House on Walenska Street by Charlotte Herman
Three young girls live with their widowed mother in a turn-of-the-century Russian shtetl. Mostly gentle slice-of-life vignettes, but there is also a description of a raid by Russian soldiers. A short chapter book for younger children. (Age 6 to 10)
A Street of Tall People by Alan Gibbons
Set in London in 1936. A Jewish boy and a Gentile boy become friends. Can their friendship survive when Gentile Jimmy's widowed mother becomes friendly with a fascist blackshirt? (Age 10+)
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
A semi-autobiographical account of a German-Jewish family's adventures as they escape from Hitler's Germany and travel round Europe in the 1930s. (Age 10+)
Waiting for Anya by Michael Morpurgo
A boy living in a French Pyrennean mountain village becomes involved in helping to smuggle Jewish refugees from Nazi occupied France to safety in Spain. Moving. (Age 10+)
One More River by Lynne Reid Banks (This library bound edition is the only one Amazon currently stock)
A Canadian teenager is horrified when her parents decide to leave their affluent lifestyle and move to an Israeli kibbutz. Lesley struggles to adjust to kibbutz life and to understand the uneasy relationship between Jews and Arabs. When the Six Days War breaks out she learns to identify with the other kibbutzniks and begins to consider herself an Israeli. (Age 12+)
Broken Bridge is a sequel set twenty years after One More River, with Lesley's fourteen year old children as the leading characters. More insight into modern Israel. (Also a library bound edition; Age 12+)
Books for Festivals
Esther's Story by Diane Wolkstein, illustrated by Juan Wijngaard
Beautiful retelling of the story of Queen Esther, ideal for reading aloud at Purim. (Age 6 to 10)
Rebecca's Passover by Adele Geras
Picture book combining the story of the first Passover with the story of a young girl preparing for the festival. I haven't seen this book, but it is published by my favourite picture book publisher, Frances Lincoln. (Age 4+)
Jewish Stories
A Treasury of Jewish Stories selected by Adele Geras
A varied selection of short stories and extracts from longer books, ranging from folk tales to autobiography (Age 10+)
Jewish Fairy Tales by Gerald Friedlander (Dover Thrift Series)
One of a series of short collections of fairy tales published at a ludicrously cheap price. (Age 8+)
The Prince Who Thought He Was a Rooster and Other Jewish Stories by Ann Jungman
Not great literature, but suitable for younger readers.