Posts Tagged “writing for children”

Interview with Author/Illustrator Caroline Palmer

By on June 10, 2024   /   Author Interviews  

Today, I’d like to extend a warm, Mixed-Up welcome to Caroline Palmer, author and illustrator of Camp Prodigy, a debut graphic novel about two nonbinary kids who navigate friendship and identity at summer orchestra camp. Touted by Kirkus as “an immersive and affirming story that hits the right notes,” the novel is perfect for fans of Victoria Jamieson and Raina Telgemeier. It’s out tomorrow, June 11, from Atheneum Books for Young Readers/S&S.

But first…

Camp Prodigy: a Summary

After attending an incredible concert, Tate Seong is inspired to become a professional violist. There’s just one problem: they’re the worst musician at their school.

Tate doesn’t even have enough confidence to assert themself with their friends or come out as nonbinary to their family, let alone attempt a solo anytime soon. Things start to look up when Tate attends a summer orchestra camp—Camp Prodigy—and runs into Eli, the remarkable violist who inspired Tate to play in the first place.

But Eli has been hiding their skills ever since their time in the spotlight gave them a nervous breakdown. Together, can they figure out how to turn Tate into a star and have Eli overcome their performance anxieties? Or will the pressure take them both down?

Interview with Caroline Palmer

Melissa: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Caroline! It’s great to have you here.

Caroline: I’m very glad to be here!

Melissa: First and foremost, congrats on Camp Prodigy! Can you share the inspiration behind your MG debut?

Caroline: I pretty much took lots of ideas from my own life and threw them together. The main characters being nonbinary violists, orchestra camp, the awkwardness of making connections as a kid… All of those bits, at least, were drawn from personal experience!

Similarities and Differences

Melissa: Camp Prodigy, which focuses on two nonbinary tween violists, Tate and Eli, is loosely autobiographical. (In addition to being nonbinary, you studied the viola.) What are the main similarities between you and the main characters? The main differences?

Caroline: I’d say that Tate and I are similar in how we struggle to open up to others–but for different reasons. For Tate, it’s because they don’t have a lot of confidence. In contract, I’m pretty at ease with myself, but that doesn’t come naturally to me. Eli struggles when they have to play music solo, but by the end of the book they find enjoyment in playing as a part of the orchestra. This is something I relate to. I guess the main difference between us is that I’m not competitive, haha!

Hard Work Pays Off

Melissa: At the beginning of the novel, Tate and Eli seem to have little in common. Eli is a high-achieving viola prodigy; Tate loves to play but isn’t particularly talented. What were you trying to say about achievement—and perseverance—in general?

Caroline: I really liked the idea of this dynamic. A prodigy and a beginner who are worlds away in skill but very similar in motivation. And while Tate’s journey from worst violist in camp to best violist (according to the seating arrangements) is a bit unrealistic, I don’t doubt it can happen in real life. When you’re starting out, even little adjustments can make a big difference in how you play music. Mindful practice and guidance from someone who can see opportunities for you to improve, and then communicate them to you on your level, goes a long way.

This isn’t exclusive to playing music, either! Anyone learning a new skill can go far with it. Hard work really does matter more than natural talent. I’m a lucky person–my personal talents and interests are in alignment–but there are people who have more technical skill than I do, in areas they had to work for.

The Stress of Secret Keeping

Melissa: The theme of secret keeping looms large in this story. Tate is afraid to come out to their family as nonbinary, while Eli hides the trauma they suffered as a result of their quest to be an accomplished violist. What is it about secrets that provokes so much anxiety, particularly for tweens? And what advice would you give to young readers who are struggling with a secret themselves—coming out or otherwise?

Caroline: I think there’s some correlation with hitting puberty, in a way. This could be influenced by my experience with gender, but suddenly, you have to deal with uncomfortable changes to your body. I could always speak freely with my parents, and I knew what was coming, but I still felt the urge to lie by omission. By saying nothing, it’s as though your problems and worries won’t be real. Unfortunately, they still are.

My advice? It’s always a relief to share a secret with someone you trust. It may be scary, but the people who care about you should always be able to help, even if they can’t do anything but listen. It’s up to you whether or not you share a secret, but it’s always easier to carry something with help, rather than alone.

Nonbinary rep

Melissa: As above, your novel features two main characters who are nonbinary. How is this novel specific to the nonbinary experience? What is universal?

Caroline: There are several scenes that center on the feeling of being misgendered. In my experience, for those first few months and years after you’ve realized that you’re not cisgender, you tend to be the most sensitive about incorrect pronouns or gendered terms. It’s like a fresh wound that needs to heal. Tate, a kid who’s recently begun to explore their nonbinary identity, is deeply uncomfortable not just with being misgendered, but also with hearing other people misgendered. And sometimes, cis people who are well intentioned still don’t give the concept a second thought.

This experience feels pretty specific to me, but I think everyone can understand the feeling of having something important to you completely dismissed, even by kind people who just don’t understand. The feeling of being queer is not so  alien if people give it some thought!

Challenges and Rewards of MG

Melissa: Since this is your first foray into middle-grade fiction, what was the biggest challenge you faced when writing and illustrating this novel? The greatest reward?

Caroline: It was tricky trying to create satisfying stakes. When you write fantasy or sci-fi, for instance, it’s easy to create tension. Maybe the world will be destroyed if the bad guys aren’t stopped! But Camp Prodigy was an entirely different genre, so the stakes had to be personal. It was also pretty tough to draw realistic backgrounds consistently!

For the reward, I’d say getting to hold the book in my hands. Getting to read it from front to back as a professional, physical story. It was so satisfying to see everything come together just the way I knew it would!

Caroline: The Versatile Creator

Melissa: In addition to writing middle grade fiction, you create comics, storyboards (including those inspired by The Simpsons, Star Wars, and Hamilton), and have done a TV-show pilot based on the BETA version of Regular Haunts, where you produced all the art, editing, sound design, and voice acting. What is the secret to being such a versatile creator?

Caroline: It all stems from the same source for me. I want to tell stories with words and art. The many facets of animation and comics aren’t too different in that regard; I’ve always seen them as points on the same scale of visual mediums. You have prose novels–all words, animation–all art, and comics in the middle of both.

For me, there’s very little that compares to the feeling of telling stories with words and art. I’d try out any medium to bring what’s in my mind to reality in the most fulfilling way! So I guess the secret would be…if you want to try something new, do it! There’s nothing more exciting than creating art without holding yourself back.

Creative Process

Melissa: What does your creative process look like? Do you have any particular rituals or routines?

Caroline: I try to stick to a vague schedule in terms of work projects, but I’m always thinking up stories in my mind. It’s so embedded in my life that there’s no removing it. Because of that, it’s hard to think of my actions as routines, but I suppose I draw almost every day. It’s not even something I try to do, it’s something I’m compelled to do. If I don’t draw for too long, I’ll get an itch under my skin.

Some people do warm-up drawings before starting important art pieces, but I usually don’t do that either, hah! If you draw often, it gets easier to jump right in. And if you draw comics, you’ll be compelled to practice depicting complicated backgrounds, props, and poses that you might normally avoid.

Melissa: What are you working on now, Caroline? Can you give Mixed-Up Files readers a sneak peek?

Caroline: I have another pitch in the works, but I can’t share much about it now. Maybe soon! Aside from that, I’m still updating my long-running webcomic “Talent de Lune” on tumblr and webtoon. If you like action, consider checking it out!

Lightning Round!

Melissa: And finally, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? You can never go wrong with apples! I’ve also been snacking on these things called Yoggies from Costco.

Coffee or tea? Neither! But here’s my favorite soda–root beer!

Favorite piece for the viola? I’ve been chipping away at Suite Hébraïque by Ernest Bloch for ages. It’s very eerie and beautiful.

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? I would be bitten, sadly. I would definitely be bitten.

Superpower? Bringing my drawings to life, of course!

Favorite place on earth? If I’m having a good time with friends or family, everywhere is fun! But I did get to visit Korea last year, and the food is delicious, no matter where you go.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be? A fully stocked and manned ship to sail away on. Gotcha! (Or, if perhaps that’s unavailable…some sort of satellite radio, a fire-starting kit, and a pot?)

Melissa: Thank you for chatting with us, Caroline. It’s been a pleasure, and I’m sure MUF readers will agree!

Caroline: Your questions were great! I had a lot of fun, thanks for inviting me!

About Caroline Palmer

Caroline Palmer (they/them) is a nonbinary comic creator who tells action-packed stories with heart. Visit them at CarolinePalmerComics.Weebly.com.

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeenmagazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach from NYU. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on  Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Dive Into Summer!

By on May 23, 2024   /   Articles, Book Lists, For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, For Writers  

Summer is a magical time. As the weather warms up and the days grow longer, there’s nothing quite like diving into a great book that captures the good vibes of summer. Whether it’s the thrill of swimming, the magic of summer friendships, or the adventure of summer camp, middle grade novels have a special way of bringing these stories to life. Here are five recently published middle grade books that will make you want to grab your swimsuit and dive right in!

 

Flip Turns by Catherine Arguelles (2022)

Thirteen-year-old Maddie just wants her classmate Lucas to leave her alone. He keeps asking her out—as if she hasn’t already said no a thousand times! Focusing on her competitive swim team, the Electric Eels, Maddie tries to ignore him, hoping he’ll stop harassing her.

But then, when someone starts sabotaging Maddie’s family-owned pool—glass on the deck, ketchup in the pool, followed by a “code brown”—Maddie worries it’s her “admirer” trying to get even. After Maddie’s parents rule the problems at the pool just harmless pranks, Maddie and her best friend, Ez, decide to investigate on their own. Could it be Lucas? And how can Maddie get him to leave her alone once and for all? The future of the Electric Eels and Maddie’s family legacy are on the line.

 

Barely Floating by Lilliam Rivera (2023)

Natalia De La Cruz Rivera y Santiago, also known as Nat, was swimming neighborhood kids out of their money at the local Inglewood pool when her life changed. The LA Mermaids performed, emerging out of the water with matching sequined swimsuits, and it was then that synchronized swimming stole her heart.

The problem? Her activist mom and professor dad think it’s a sport with too much emphasis on looks–on being thin and white. Nat grew up the youngest in a house full of boys, so she knows how to fight for what she wants, often using her anger to fuel her. People often underestimate her swimming skills when they see her stomach rolls, but she knows better than to worry about what people think. Still, she feels more like a submarine than a mermaid, but she wonders if she might be both.

Barely Floating explores what it means to sparkle in your skin, build community with those who lift you up, and keep floating when waters get rough.

 

Camp QUILTBAG by Nicole Melleby & A. J. Sass (2023)

Twelve-year-old Abigail (she/her/hers) is so excited to spend her summer at Camp QUILTBAG, an inclusive retreat for queer and trans kids. She can’t wait to find a community where she can be herself—and, she hopes, admit her crush on that one hot older actress to kids who will understand.

Thirteen-year-old Kai (e/em/eir) is not as excited. E just wants to hang out with eir best friend and eir parkour team. And E definitely does not want to think about the incident that left eir arm in a sling—the incident that also made Kai’s parents determined to send em somewhere e can feel like emself.

After a bit of a rocky start at camp, Abigail and Kai make a pact: If Kai helps Abigail make new friends, Abigail will help Kai’s cabin with the all-camp competition. But as they navigate a summer full of crushes, queer identity exploration, and more, they learn what’s really important. Camp QUILTBAG is a heartfelt story full of the joy that comes from being and loving yourself.

 

The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson (2024)

For as long as Ryanna Stuart can remember, her summers have been spent with her father and his new wife. Just the three of them, structured, planned, and quiet. But this summer is different. This summer, she’s received a letter from her grandparents—grandparents neither she nor her dad have spoken to since her mom’s death—inviting her to stay with them at an old summer camp in the Poconos.

Ryanna accepts. She wants to learn about her mom. She wants to uncover the mystery of why her father hasn’t spoken to her grandparents all these years. She’s even looking forward to a quiet summer by the lake. But what she finds are relatives…so many relatives! Aunts and uncles and cousins upon cousins—a motley, rambunctious crew of kids and eccentric, unconventional adults. People who have memories of her mom from when she was Ryanna’s age, clues to her past like a treasure map. Ryanna even finds an actual, real-life treasure map!

 

Camp Famous by Jennifer Blecher (2023)

Eleven-year-old Abby Herman is beyond excited that her parents are letting her go to summer camp for the first time ever. Maybe camp will be the place she’ll finally find what she’s always wanted: a best friend. But—surprise!—she’s not going to just any summer camp, she’s going to Camp Famous, the one exclusively for famous kids escaping the spotlight.

Desperate to fit in with the pop stars, princesses, and geniuses, Abby creates a fake identity as a famous author. Everything goes as planned: the other girls welcome her, she participates in camp activities, and she even inspires a pop star! But as camp comes to a close, Abby finds herself torn between who she has pretended to be and who she truly is.

These five middle grade novels beautifully capture the spirit of summer, the joy of swimming, and the importance of friendship. Whether you’re looking for adventure, inspiration, or just a good story to get lost in, these books are sure to make a splash! Happy reading!

 

Half Moon Summer by Elaine Vickers (2024)

Drew was never much of a runner. Until his dad’s unexpected diagnosis. Mia has nothing better to do. Until she realizes entering Half Moon Bay’s half-marathon could solve her family’s housing problems.

And just like that they decide to spend their entire summer training to run 13.1 miles. Drew and Mia have very different reasons for running, but these two twelve year olds have one crucial thing in common (besides sharing a birthday): Hope. For the future. For their families. And for each other.

 

 

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WNDMG Wednesday: A Celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month

By on May 22, 2024   /   Book Lists  

In commemoration of Jewish American Heritage Month–and recognizing the importance of diversity in middle-grade literature–please enjoy this carefully curated collection of 26 middle-grade books that feature Jewish themes and characters, including contemporary and historical fiction, fantasy and magic realism, graphic novels, and anthologies.

Plus…

A GIVEAWAY!

Don’t miss a chance to win not one but TWO books on this oh-so fabulous list: Coming of Age: 13 B’nai Mitzvah Stories, edited by Henry Herz and Jonathan Rosen, and Kat Greene Comes Clean by Melissa Roske. Scroll down for details!

MG BOOKS WITH JEWISH THEMES & CHARACTERS

Contemporary Fiction

Not So Shy

Noa Nimrodi

Shai, 12, hates everything about moving to America from Israel. Determined to get back home, she starts weighing her options, including living with her grandparents or winning a drawing competition that offers a plane ticket to anywhere in the world as the grand prize. Meanwhile, Shai is forced to navigate seventh grade in an unfamiliar language. She also faces antisemitism but gains support from unexpected sources.

The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman

Mari Lowe

Twelve-year-old Shaindy, an Orthodox Jewish girl who struggles academically and has few friends at school, is jealous of Gayil, a popular classmate who lives next door. Shaindy and Gayil have little to do with each other, until one evening when Shaindy looks out her window and sees Gayil holding up a sign that reads: “Want to know a secret?” It turns out that Gayil has a key fob that allows after-hours access to their school. Before long, the girls are scheming harmless pranks. But under Gayil’s leadership, the mischief turns malicious, with the pranks targeted at specific girls. Shaindy is desperate to stop Gayil from terrorizing their classmates, but if she does, could she be the next target?

Honey and Me

Meira Drazin

Honey and Milla, who live in close-knit Jewish community, have been best friends for as long as Milla can remember. The girls do everything together, including delivering meals to their elderly neighbor, shopping at a local thrift store, celebrating the holidays, and going to their first Bat Mitzvahs while studying for their own. But when Honey enrolls in Milla’s school for sixth grade, it’s not as great as Milla expected. Not only does Milla feel overshadowed by her charismatic friend, she’s also worried that their friendship won’t be able to survive the ups and downs the year has in store for them. Will Milla find the courage to step out of Honey’s shadow and into her own spotlight—or will jealousy and fear get the better of her?

Repairing the World

Linda Epstein

Twelve-year-old Daisy’s life is shattered when her best friend, Ruby, is killed in a tragic accident. Now Daisy finds herself having to face the major challenges in her life, like starting middle school and becoming a big sister, without Ruby by her side. Despite her sadness—and thanks to new friends, new insights, and supportive family members—Daisy is able to see what life after Ruby can look like, and that friendship is eternal.

Ellen Outside the Lines

A.J. Sass

Thirteen-year-old Ellen Katz is neurodivergent and feels most comfortable when her life is well planned out. She attends temple with her parents every Friday and Saturday, and relies on her best friend, Laurel, to help her navigate social situations at school. Laurel has always made Ellen feel like being autistic, and liking girls, is no big deal, but lately Laurel has started making new friends and cancelling weekend plans with Ellen. A school trip to Barcelona seems like the perfect opportunity for Ellen to reconnect with Laurel, but it doesn’t—especially when a nonbinary classmate makes Ellen question her own, very binary way of seeing the world.

The Magical Imperfect

Chris Baron

Etan stopped speaking when his mother went away, and his father and grandfather don’t know how to help him. Neither do his friends, who have given up on him. And then Etan meets Malia Agbayani, known as “The Creature,” due to her acute eczema. Malia stopped going to school when the bullying became too much. As the pair become friends, Etan believes he might have a cure for Malia’s condition—if only he can convince his family, and hers, to believe it, too.

Sorry for Your Loss

Joanne Levy

Twelve-year-old Evie Walman’s family runs a Jewish funeral home, and she knows she’ll be a funeral director when she grows up. She loves dusting caskets, polishing pews, and offering her condolences to mourners. Evie doesn’t deal with the grieving families directly, until one day when her parents ask her to help with Oren, a boy who was in a car accident that killed both his parents. Although Oren refuses to speak and Evie, who is dealing her own private grief, Evie is determined to find a way to help her new friend deal with his loss.

Going Rogue (at Hebrew School)

Casey Breton

Ten-year-old Avery Green loves science, football, and Star Wars, which he’s seen 400 times. What he’s not so crazy about? Hebrew school. He’s asked his parents a million times why he has to go, but they haven’t managed to convince him. (“It’s tradition” just doesn’t cut it.) And then one day, Rabbi Bob shows up. Piecing together some unusual clues, Avery begins to suspect that this new rabbi might be a Jedi master.

Kat Greene Comes Clean

Melissa Roske

Eleven-year-old Kat Greene attends fifth grade at the Village Humanity school, a hippie-dippy progressive school in New York’s Greenwich Village. At the moment, Kat has three major problems: dealing with her boy-crazy best friend, Halle; partnering with the overzealous Sam in the class production of Harriet the Spy; and coping with her mother’s preoccupation with cleanliness, a symptom of her worsening OCD. With nowhere to turn–and hesitant to tell her dad, who’s busy with his new family uptown–Kat reaches out to Olympia Rabinowitz, the free-spirited psychologist at her school. Later, after many  soul-searching sessions with Olympia, Kat realizes that asking for help is the best way to clean up life’s messes.

Fantasy and Magic Realsm

Finn and Ezra’s Bar Mitzvah Time Loop

Joshua S. Levy

Finn and Ezra are trapped in a bar mitzvah time loop, reliving their celebrations in the same New Jersey hotel, over and over (and over) again. Ezra comes from a big family, with four siblings who seem to get all the attention, and Finn is an only child who’s tired of his parents’ constant focus, particularly on his bar mitzvah weekend. Teaming up, the boys try to break the loop, but nothing works. As their frustrations mount, real-life problems start to seep through the cracks. With all the time in the world, can Finn and Ezra figure out how to finally move forward?

The Color of Sound

Emily Barth Isler

Rosie Solomon, 12, is a musical prodigy whose synesthesia allows her to see music in colors. Her mom has always pushed her to become a concert violinist, but this summer Rosie wants a “normal” life and is sent to stay with her grandparents. While there, Rosie meets another girl her age–a girl who seems awfully familiar. Rosie quickly pieces it together and realizes that somehow, this girl is her mother, when she was twelve. Thanks to this glitch in time–plus her grandparents’ love, an improv group, and a new instrument–Rosie comes to understand her mother, herself, and her love of music.

Rebecca Reznik Reboots The Universe

Samara Shanker

Rebecca Reznik, 13, is knee deep in family drama. Her dad lost his job, her parents are fighting all the time, and her annoying brother, Jake, is acting out more than usual. Then, when a goblin turns her bedroom upside down—literally—Becca realizes that the bad juju in her house is more sinister, and more complicated, than she had first imagined. With her best friends, Naomi and Eitan, by her side—and armed with the lessons she learned from her last tussle with mythological creatures from Jewish lore in the 2022 sequel, Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World—Becca will do whatever it takes to defend her family and save the Hanukkah.

Shira and Esther’s Double Dream Debut

Anna E. Jordan

Shira and Esther are shocked when they first meet: It’s like looking in a mirror! Despite the girls’ identical appearance, they couldn’t be more different. Shira dreams of singing and dancing onstage, but her father, a stern and pious rabbi, wants Shira to focus on her religious studies. Esther, on the other hand, dreams of studying Torah, but her glamorous, stage-performer mom, frowns on Esther’s studious ways. Then, thanks to Benny, a 14-year-old bellhop at Scheinfeld’s Resort and Cottages, the girls plan a Parent Trap-style switcheroo, to help the Shira and Esther make their dreams come true. Or sort of true…

Don’t Want to Be Your Monster

Deke Moulton

Adam and Victor are your average tweens… who happen to be vampires. Although Adam, 10, knows he has a higher purpose in life than drinking blood, his 14-year-old brother, Victor, enthusiastically accepts his vampirism. This is all well and good until bodies start appearing all over town, and the brothers realize that a vampire hunter may be on the lookout for their family. Can Adam and Victor work together to stop the killer before it’s too late—or will their differences get in the way?

The Witch of Woodland

Laurel Snyder

Life used to be simple for Zipporah “Zippy” Chava McConnell, a 13-year-old witch—that is, before her best friend, Bea, started acting funny and everyone at school thought she was weird. And to make matters worse, Zippy’s mom is making her prepare for a bat mitzvah, even though Zippy’s family barely goes to synagogue. But then one day Zippy finds a strange red book at the library and conjures a girl—a beautiful girl named Miriam, with no memory, and wings like an angel. Now it’s up to Zippy to help Miriam figure out what she is, and where she came from. And if can do that, maybe everything else in her life will make sense, too.

Black Bird, Blue Road

Sofiya Pasternack

Pesah has lived with leprosy for years, and he and his twin sister, Ziva, have spent most of that time working on a cure. Then Pesah has a vision: The Angel of Death will come for him on Rosh Hashanah, just one month away. So Ziva takes her brother and runs away to find doctors who can cure him. But when the twins meet and accidentally free a half-demon boy, he suggests paying his debt by leading them to the fabled city of Luz, where no one ever dies. It’s the one place Pesah will be safe. But can the twins run faster than The Angel of Death can fly?

The Button Box

Bridget Hodder and Fawzia Gilani-Williams; Harshad Marathe (illustrator)

In the aftermath of a bullying incident at school, where Jewish fifth-grader Ava and her cousin Nadeem, are called hateful names, the cousins’ Granny Buena shares with them a glittering crystal button box, packed with buttons that generations of Ava’s Sephardic ancestors have cherished. With the help of Granny’s mysterious cat, Sheba, the cousins discover that a button from the button box will take them back in time. Suddenly, they are in ancient Morocco, where Nadeem’s ancestor, Prince Abdur Rahman, is running for his life. Can the cousins help the prince escape to Spain and fulfill his destiny, creating a Golden Age for Muslims, Jews and Christians?

Historical Fiction

Code Name Kingfisher

Liz Kessler

When Liv finds a box hidden in her grandmother’s attic, saved from her childhood in Nazi-occupied Holland, circa 1943, she unearths a trove of family secrets—including the extraordinary story of her great-aunt Hannie, a Jewish undercover agent in the Dutch resistance. It’s a tale of bravery, betrayal, and daring defiance, and Liv wants to know more—starting with why her grandmother has kept Hannie a secret for so many years. (For more on Code Name KingFisher, check out Melissa Roske’s interview with Liz Kessler here.)

A Sky Full of Song

Susan Lynn Meyer

Eleven-year-old Shoshana and her family, Jewish immigrants who have fled persecution in the Russian Empire, start a new life on the North Dakota prairie. Shoshana is thrilled to forge a new American identity and hides her Jewish identity in the face of prejudice—unlike her older sister, Libke, who misses their Ukrainian village and insists they preserve their heritage. For the first time, Shoshana is at odds with her sister. But by listening to the music that lives in her heart, she finds new meaning in the Jewish expression, All beginnings are difficult.

The Summer We Found the Baby 

Amy Hest

In Belle Beach, Long Island, during World War Two, eleven-year-old Julie Sweet and her six-year-old sister, Martha, find a baby in a basket on the library steps. Meanwhile, Julie’s friend Bruno Ben-Eli, 12, is heading to the train station to catch a train to New York City, to carry out an important errand for his brother who is a soldier stationed overseas. When Bruno spies Julie leaving the library with a baby in her arms, he assumes she’s a kidnapper. But the truth is more complicated than what Bruno, Julie, or Martha know.

Anthologies

On All Other Nights: A Passover Celebration in 14 Stories

Edited by Chris Baron, Joshua S. Levy, and Naomi Milliner, with stories by Chris Baron, Ruth Behar, Adam Gidwitz, Veera Hiranandani, Amy Ignatow, Sarah Kapit, Joshua S. Levy, Mari Lowe, Naomi Milliner, Soifya Pasternack, R. M. Romero, A. J. Sass Laura Shovan, and Laurel Snyder

Passover, a Jewish holiday that has been celebrated for thousands of years, features the seder; a meal filled with rituals, special foods, and songs, where celebrants gather together to retell the story of the Exodus, when the Jewish people achieved freedom from Egypt. Yet the seder is about more than the ancient past. Its themes of freedom, joy, and tradition are timeless and universal. In this collection of short stories, 14 award-winning authors each reimagine a different step of the seder through historical and contemporary fiction, verse and prose, fiction and nonfiction.

Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories

Edited by Jonathan Rosen & Henry Herz, with stories by Sarah Aronsohn, Nora Raleigh Baskin, Barbara Bottner, Stacia Deutsch, Debbie Reed Fischer, Debra Green, Henry Herz, Alan Katz, Nancy Krulik, Stacie Ramey, Jonathan Rosen, Melissa Roske, Laura Shovan, and a poem by Jane Yolen

Join thirteen diverse characters as they experience anxiety, doubt, and self-discovery while preparing for their B’nai Mitzvah, the ceremony in which they become adults in their faith. whether celebrating with a lavish party or in a rabbi’s study, the Jewish rite of passage remains the same. Filled with humor, hope, and history, there’s something in this anthology for every reader.

Graphic Novels and Adaptations

Two Tribes

Emily Bowen Cohen

Mia is still adjusting to life with her mom and stepfather, whose Jewish identity plays a strong role in their home. She’s also struggling to adjust at her Jewish day school, where she feels like she doesn’t fit in. Meanwhile, Mia yearns for a deeper connection with her Muscogee father, who lives with his new family in Oklahoma. Her mom doesn’t want to talk about him, but Mia can’t help but feel like she’s missing a part of herself without him. Because of this, Mia uses her Bat Mitzvah money to take a bus to Oklahoma—without telling her mom—to visit her dad and find the connection to her Muscogee side, which she knows is just as important as her Jewish side.

The Unfinished Corner

Dani Colman (author); Whitney Cogar (colorist); Rachel Tuna Petrovicz (illustrator); Jim Campbell (letterer)

In Jewish mythology, God created the universe and left one corner unfinished. It’s unclear why, but the Unfinished Corner is dangerous, and filled with monsters. Twelve-year-old Miriam doesn’t know about the Unfinished Corner—she’s too busy preparing for her Bat Mitzvah and wrestling with whether she even wants to be Jewish–until an angel appears, whisking Miriam, her two best friends, and her worst frenemy off to this monstrous land, with one mission: finish the Unfinished Corner.

Lauren Tarshis; Alvaro Sarraseca (illustrator)

When the Nazis invaded Max Rosen’s home country of Poland, all the Jewish people–including Max, his sister, Zena, and their papa–were forced to live in a ghetto. But two months ago, the Nazis took Pap away and now Max and Zena are on their own, with barely enough food to survive. Out of desperation, the siblings escape from Nazi soldiers into the nearby forest, where they are taken to a safe camp by Jewish resistance fighters. Soon, grenades are falling all around them. Can Max and Zena survive the fallout of the Nazi invasion?

Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation

Anne Frank; adapted by Ari Folman; illustrated by David Polonsky

Authorized by the Anne Frank Foundation in Basel, Anne Frank’s Diary captures the remarkable spirit of Anne Frank, who for a time survived the worst horror the modern world has seen yet remained heartbreakingly human, and remarkably optimistic, throughout her ordeal. Includes extensive quotations directly from the definitive edition.

GIVEAWAY!

 

For a chance to win Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories, edited by Jonathan Rosen & Henry Herz, PLUS a copy of Melissa Roske’s Kat Greene Comes Clean, comment on the blog–and, if you’re on X, on the Mixed-Up Files X account for an extra chance to win! (Giveaway ends May 28, 2024, at midnight. U.S. only, please.)

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on  Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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