Ultimately, what makes Abby, Tried and True such a solidly good book - Jewish or otherwise - is its emotional honesty. Abby is a fully realized awkward, thoughtful, sometimes self-absorbed, and deeply loving character. The writing balances humor and gravity, allowing readers to breathe even in heavy moments. The themes of courage, loyalty, and growth resonate across contexts and they are delivered with warmth, humor, and authenticity.
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I am always here for a good story.
There are stories that invite us to dream, and there are stories that invite us to belong.
Anya and the Dragon, an enchanting middle-grade fantasy by Sofiya Pasternack, is a very good story that expertly does both.
In BeJEWcy, my middle grade Jewish book club, when we talked about Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang’s book Not Your All-American Girl we began by asking:
What does it mean to be “all-American”?
For the book’s main character Lauren Horowitz, a sixth grader who’s both Jewish and Chinese, the answer turns out to be a lot more complicated — and personal — than she expected.
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