Why am I passionate about this?
I am the author of over fifty books for young readers including the Zapato Power series, the Sofia Martinez series, Duck for Turkey Day, Unite or Die: How Thirteen States Became a Nation, Never Say a Mean Word Again, Tag Your Dreams: Poems of Play and Persistence, and The Porridge-Pot Goblin. Many of my books were inspired by my students during my days as a school librarian. Other books were inspired by my work as a Jewish educator in synagogue settings. I read voraciously and review for the Sydney Taylor Shmooze, an online blog about Jewish books.
Jacqueline's book list on middle school reads with Jewish American characters
Why did Jacqueline love this book?
Imani is thirteen and approaching her Bat Mitzvah. She is also an African-American adopted by a white Jewish family.
She has many questions about her birthparents and her own place in the world. When she has the opportunity to read the diary of her adopted motherās grandmother who fled Europe as a Jewish refugee during World War II, Imani learns why sometimes mothers make impossible choices to save their childrenās lives.
This novel is a riveting mix of history and coming of age.
1 author picked The Length of a String as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.
Imani is adopted, and she's ready to search for her birth parents. Anna has left behind her family to escape from Holocaust-era Europe to meet a new family--two journeys, one shared family history, and the bonds that make us who we are. Perfect for fans of The Night Diary.
Imani knows exactly what she wants as her big bat mitzvah gift: to find her birth parents. She loves her family and her Jewish community in Baltimore, but she has always wondered where she came from, especially since she's black and almost everyone she knows is white. Then her mom's grandmother--Imani'sā¦