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- historical fiction about a Russian Jewish family and their way of life
- some persecution by soldiers, but age-appropriate
- boosts idea of community/family and helping one another
- clean language (some foreign words*)
Type: beginner chapter book
Ages: 5-10
Author: Charlotte Herman
Illustrator: Susan Avishai
*There was a fun sprinkling of non-English words. Here are their meanings:
Oy, gevald = a Yiddish phrase of exasperation
shmatte = rag or shabby garment
shreib = write
faygeleh = little birdie
pogrom = an inhuman, disorderly use of brutal force against other people
babushka = shawl, in this case
kichel = slightly sweet cookie or cracker
yerissen = squares of soft chocolate-caramel candy
The children occasionally do something naughty, but it’s taken care of properly. This is much more “real-life” than a book with children who never sinned. 😉
They write back and forth with relatives in Minnesota, so that might interest any readers who live there.
Overall, I think this charming little book is a great way to introduce the ideas of living more simply, what persecution can look like and how to work together as a family. Great read!
