During Jewish American Heritage Month in May, we take a moment to recognize and celebrate the rich history spanning over 350 years of Jewish influence on American society. This month offers a special opportunity to honor the Jewish Americans who have been integral in shaping the nation’s history, culture, and values. It is a time to reflect on their contributions and the continued importance of diversity and inclusion in our society.
At HarperStacks, we believe that Jewish American heritage should be acknowledged and celebrated year-long. We encourage everyone to discover and share stories that highlight the wide-ranging experiences found within Jewish communities. The narratives of Jewish people are diverse, spanning genres, settings, forms, and eras.
We’ve curated a selection of beloved titles for all readers.
All Who Are Hungry, Come and Eat!
A heartwarming Passover picture book about the beloved Jewish holiday from award-winning author Leslie Kimmelman. A young boy and his family gather together to host a seder and celebrate the Festival of Freedom, filled with delicious dishes and an endless parade of guests.
For Ethan and his family, Passover, the Festival of Freedom, is a holiday full of longstanding traditions, food, family, and great company. And at Ethan’s family seder, one message of the Haggadah is never forgotten: let all who are hungry, come and eat. This year, however, Ethan is anticipating a very small seder. Until . . . Knock, Knock, Knock.
Each unexpected guest brings something surprising and special, reminding us all that the seder’s most essential ingredient is community.
Friedel and Gina
The bestselling author of National Jewish Book Award Finalist The Boy Who Followed His Father Into Auschwitz is back with another powerful nonfiction book for young readers, this time spotlighting twin sisters whose worlds were turned upside down when Adolf Hitler assumed power.
Through trials and tribulations, hardships and disasters, the bond between twin sisters Friedel and Gina Rosenthal was unshakable. They were only nine years old when the Nazis came into power in Germany. When the girls were fourteen, they, along with their family, were deported to a refugee camp in Poland. After the Nazis invaded Poland, the family suffered even more heartache…and Friedel and Gina soon found themselves alone.
Through the atrocities that followed – the ghetto and the concentration camps – they helped each other stay alive. They grieved their losses and learned to survive…together.
On the Road to Happy
From New York Times bestselling author comes a must-read middle-grade novel for fans of The Vanderbeekers on the Road, The Firefly Summer, and To Night Owl From Dogfish. This big-hearted story follows a girl who might just be in for a life-changing summer. . . if she doesn’t run away first.
Gigi and her older sister, Yasmin, are spending the summer at a Jewish bungalow colony in upstate New York, thanks to their dad, who will be the handyman there. Sure, there will be day camp to go to, and the forest to explore, and maybe new friends to make. But Gigi doesn’t feel she fits in. Despite the fact that she’s Jewish too, she can’t help but feel that her Judaism is totally different from the other kids’. It doesn’t help that Mom isn’t around to talk to—she’s back in Brooklyn working. Yasmin has her own friends, and even though her dad speaks five languages, he and Gigi never seem to be speaking the same one.
There’s only one thing Gigi can do—escape. So, she hatches a plan to run away. But unexpected surprises keep drawing her back. Like, why do the boys at the camp keep doing flips? What kind of lake has fish with mustaches? Can Gigi sneakily use her dad’s tools to build a secret treehouse?
Try as she might, Gigi can’t figure out why everyone else loves this place so much. Will she eventually find her way back home, or will she—just maybe—discover something special hidden within the colony?
The City of Slaughter
By Aden Polydoros
The World’s Fair has packed up, the tents and food stalls disappeared. And the dybbuk, a restless spirit that possessed Alter, is gone. Life returns to normal for Frankie and Alter, as both boys inspire each other to start a detective agency—using skills from Frankie’s dark past and Alter’s desire to do good in their community. But when children start to go missing, Frankie is certain the supernatural is once again to blame, as they race to track down a sheyd, a demon-like entity. But in order to save his future with Alter, Frankie will have to confront his past.
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