New and Notable Books
From the Temple Emanu El Library
The Temple Emanu El Library has a lot of recreational reading – Books that you may not have time to read during the school year. Some of these books are very short, but they tell a powerful story.
Blooms of Darkness by Aharon Appelfeld (FIC APP) – When members of the ghetto are being rounded up, Jews are searching desperately for peasants willing to hide the children. Every time 11-year-old Hugo’s mother makes arrangements, something goes wrong. Finally, she asks Marianna, an old school friend, who is now working as a prostitute in a brothel. Marianna hides Hugo in a closet in her room. She often lets Hugo out of the closet during the day, but at night, Hugo, who is too young to understand what is happening, hides in the closet while Marianna serves her customers. Over time, Hugo and Marianna develop a romantic relationship which grows in intensity until the book reaches its tragic ending.
The German Bride by Joanna Hershon (FIC HER) – In 1861, young Eva Frank is anxious to leave her unhappy home life in Berlin. She achieves this by marrying Abraham Shein, a merchant who is trying to set up a business across the world in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Eva and Abraham make the arduous journey across the ocean and over the American continent to Santa Fe. However, Abraham’s arrogance and overconfidence eventually ruin their married life and Abraham’s business and reputation. A good read for people who enjoy historical fiction.
Jewcentricity: Why the Jews are Praised, Blamed, and Used to Explain Just about Everything by Adam Garfinkle (305.892 GAR). Why do so many people have such exaggerated beliefs and fantasies about Jews? Harry Potter books are a Zionist conspiracy. Jews created the financial crisis. Jews have superior intelligence. Jews are secretive. They think they are God’s chosen people. Garfinkle draws on insights from history, religion, philosophy and social science to explain some of these myths. He traces the sources of these beliefs into four categories: anti-Semites, philo-Semites, Jewish chauvinists, and self-hating Jews.
The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein (922.96 BER) – An engaging memoir by Harry Bernstein about his childhood in the early 20th century. Bernstein grew up in a small factory town in England. The invisible wall was a line that ran down the center of the street and divided the Jewish and Christian homes. His father, who worked as a tailor, neglected his family and spent most of his wages on drink and gambling. Bernstein’s devoted mother struggled to raise her six children always hoping that she would eventually be able to bring the family to America. Her life was shattered when one of her daughters married a Christian boy who lived across the street. Throughout other joys and tragedies, Bernstein recounts the family’s daily life, shedding light on a chapter of Jewish history that is rarely documented.
The King’s Persons by Joanne Greenberg (FIC GRE) – An unusual novel by the author of I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, this book takes place in 12th century England. Since the Jews were forbidden to own property, they were under the protection of the king. Many of them supported themselves by money lending which, surprisingly, was used to finance the Crusades. Relations between Jews and Christians were good until economic conditions deteriorated. Then the Christian nobles used the Jews as a scapegoat and incited mass attacks on the Jews. Greenberg brings to life the daily trials and tribulations of Jews in medieval times in this intriguing and unusual novel.
Martyrs’ Crossing by Amy Wilentz (FIC WIL) – On a rainy night at a Jerusalem checkpoint, an Israeli soldier is ordered to refuse passing by a Palestinian woman and her sick son. The incident leads to riots. It is used for propaganda purposes by the Palestinians and is manipulated by the Israelis as it is picked up by the media and as each side attempts to win world sympathy. The novel shows clearly how events are polarized and twisted to score points on differing sides of the conflict. It also shows how people wrestle with their feelings as they are caught in the middle of these issues.
The Man Who Flies with Birds by Carole Garbuny Vogel and Yossi Leshem (j598 VOG). Yossi Leshem, a man who loved birds, studied their migration patterns. He gave the results of his studies to the Israeli Air Force in the hope that the information would prevent planes from colliding with birds and crashing. Planes could avoid flying in certain areas at times when they would conflict with the paths of migrating birds. The book includes a lot of information about how birds fly, how they find their way, and how their flights can be tracked.
Meet Rebecca by Jacqueline Dembar Greene (jFIC GRE). An American Girl story about a Jewish girl who lives in New York in 1914. Rebecca works to earn money to help other members of her family escape from Russia.
Star of Fear, Star of Hope by Jo Hoestlandt (jFIC HOE). A short, haunting Holocaust story. When Helen’s Jewish friend Lydia has to leave Helen’s birthday party because of an impending round-up, Helen shouts, “You’re not my friend anymore.” Helen never sees Lydia again and always regrets these words. Based on a true story.
The Babe & I by David Adler (j FIC ADL). During the Great Depression, a boy sells newspapers near Yankee Stadium in an effort to help his family and in the hope of someday seeing Babe Ruth.
You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax? By Jonah Winter and Andre Carrilho (796 WIN). A short biography of Baseball Pitcher Sandy Koufax interspersed with facts and statistics about baseball.
A Shout in the Sunshine by Mara W. Cohen Ioannides (jFIC IOA). A story about two boys who lived in 15th-century Greece. Miguel is a poor Jewish refugee from Spain. David is the son of a wealthy Greek Jewish merchant. The two boys get along until an argument rooted in their different heritages threatens their friendship.
Fire at the Triangle Factory by Holly Littlefield (jFIC LIT). A short book about two 14-year-old girls who work at the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York and get caught in the fire of 1911.
The Golem and the Dragon Girl by Sonia Levitin (jFIC LEV). When the Wang family moves to a new house, the daughter Laurel worries about the spirit of her great-grandmother which has always protected her. When Jonathan’s family moves into the Wang house, they discover evidence of ghostly activity. After a series of frightening episodes involving ghosts, exorcism, and a serious accident, Laurel and Jonathan find the solution to these spiritual events within their own cultures.
Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli (jFIC SPI). An award winning story about a naïve gypsy boy in Warsaw who wants to be a Nazi (because he likes their shiny, black boots). After making some Jewish friends and seeing what the Nazis were doing, he changed his mind and became a smuggler.
Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Greene (jFIC GRE). During World War II, Patty Bergen’s town in Arkansas became the site of a camp for German prisoners. During summer vacation, Patty begins to meet with Anton, one of the prisoners, who escaped from the prison. The more they know each other, Patty realizes that Anton is a young person with feelings and interests similar to teens in America. Despite their political differences, the two are able to connect on a personal level and realize that people on the other side are not demons.
Speed of Light by Sybil Rosen (jFIC ROS). Set in the 1950’s, this is a story about Audrey, an 11-year-old girl, who lives in a small Southern town. After her father decides to help a black man join the local police force, someone throws a rock through the window of her father’s factory. This incident is followed by a wave of anti-Semitism in the town, leading Audrey’s aunt, a Holocaust survivor, to relive memories of the Nazis. Audrey becomes determined to help her father combat the hatred and fight for what they believe to be right. This book was a Sydney Taylor Award winner.
Albert Einstein by Peter Lafferty (biography section of juvenile collection). Einstein’s life and achievements are presented in this book. The book is well illustrated and has explanations and examples of some of Einstein’s theories.
Steven Spielberg: From Reels to Riches (biography section of juvenile collection). A book about Spielberg’s personal and professional life, focusing on some of his famous films.
Ilan Ramon: Israel’s First Astronaut by Tanya Lee Stone (biography section of juvenile collection). A biography of Israel’s first astronaut who died in the explosion of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003.
The Importance of Harry Houdini by Adam Woog (biography section of juvenile collection). The life and career of the world’s most famous magician are explored in this entertaining book.
Levi Strauss: The Blue Jeans Man by Elizabeth van Steenwyk (biography section of juvenile collection). Levi Strauss was a peddler who went to San Francisco during the California Gold Rush. Realizing that the miners needed strong pants, he invented trousers made out of canvas, turned his shop into a factory, and found his place in history.
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