We want to thank all the talented young writers who submitted book reviews this year. There were so many good and thoughtful submissions that it was incredibly hard for us to pick the winners—which is why we have so many finalists. Read their wonderful reviews at momentmag.com. We encourage all budding writers to enter in 2007.
The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey is a fabulous, awesome, and most of all hilarious book! This graphic novel is based on the life of Rabbi Harvey. He is a very wise man and he solves problems for neighbors in his town and even people far away.
Rabbi Harvey is about the cleverest character in any book I have ever seen. One story that I thought was particularly clever was about a husband and his wife. The husband is trying to get money to his wife from far away and he sends it with the following note: Dear Wife, This kind merchant has agreed to take my money to you. As payment for his effort, he will give you as much as he wants.
Now, read this carefully. The merchant decides he wants $99 out of the $100, so he gives the wife one coin. Well, the upset wife goes to Rabbi Harvey with the note. Rabbi Harvey reads the note and says to the merchant, “You agreed to GIVE as much as you WANT, right? You WANT $99, so that is the amount you must GIVE. Simple.”
This is one of the only books that I rate at 10.0 out of 10.0! I give it this rating for the words, the true meaning and how the author, Steve Sheinkin, introduces a rabbi who can follow the mitzvot and still be funny and clever. I enjoyed this book so much that I wish it was the first of a series. Bradley Klein, age 10
Grade 5, Morasha School
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Milkweed is about a gypsy boy with no identity. His parents die when he is little but he never goes to an orphanage. Instead, he wanders the streets of Warsaw during the Holocaust, stealing food to survive. One day he meets some Jewish boys who are homeless, like him. One of the boys gives him a name: Misha Paludski. Misha and his Jewish friends spend their days stealing things. They also avoid the Nazis, who they called Jackboots. One day, Misha sees a girl in a backyard of a house and they become friends. Her name is Janina, and she is Jewish. Later, when all the Jews are sent to the ghetto, Misha follows Janina. Her mother dies and Janina blows the petals off a milkweed flower because she thinks the petals are her mother’s angel. When the trains take people away to concentration camps. Janina gets stuck on one of the trains, and Misha can’t find her. He never sees her again and wanders the countryside until he’s enslaved by a farmer. After the war ends, Misha grows up and gets married, but his wife divorces him while she is pregnant. Years later in the United States, Misha’s daughter finds him. She introduces him to his granddaughter and asks him to give her a middle name. He says, “Janina.” Misha moves to a house with his daughter and granddaughter and plants milkweed in the backyard. At the end of the story, the granddaughter gives Misha a new name: “Poppynoodle.”
I liked the main character, Misha, and I loved this book. I didn’t think I would because it was about the Holocaust. Usually, I don’t like sad books. But it ended up being very funny and sad at the same time. Also, this is a good book for a person of any age because it’s not too hard for children, but not too easy for adults. I learned a lot about what happened in the Holocaust from this book. For example, I didn’t know the Jews were sent to a ghetto. Danielle Tibbetts, age 9
5th grade
Braintree, MA
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is a book is about a girl named Margaret who just moved from New York City to Farbrook, New Jersey. Margaret is starting sixth grade and is having all the problems of an average sixth grader. She worries about developing, boys and friends. One thing she really worries about is her religion. She doesn’t have one. Her mom is Christian and her dad is Jewish. Her parents say that when she grows up she can decide which religion she wants to be. Margaret is trying to figure it out.
She goes to temple and church. However, what she is most confused about is God. She thinks when she goes to temple or church she will feel connected to God. But that doesn’t happen.
Being Jewish myself, I go to temple. I feel connected to God when I am reading about God, I am listening to the rabbi talk about God, and I am singing about God. Margaret’s grandmother takes her to temple and wants to her to become Jewish. When her other grandparents, whom she has never met, come over for the first time, they pressure her about becoming Christian. Margaret doesn’t know what to do.
What really caught my attention is how Margaret, even though she doesn’t know which religion to choose, knows that she believes in God. At different times. when she is feeling nervous, sad, angry or happy, she talks to God. She isn’t even really talking to God; she is praying. However, she doesn’t pray in the way her grandma does at temple or the way her friends do at church. She prays in her own way.
I would suggest this book to kids my age because it is very realistic. I am in sixth grade just as Margaret is. Most sixth graders worry about developing and people liking them. A few may think that they’re the only ones but that’s not true. I would recommend this book to parents, too, because this book will help them become closer to their kids. They’ll know what we think about and not have to go through the awkward conversation of finding out. Sydney Rubinstein, age 11
Grade 6
Newton, MA
Dave at Night is a book about Dave, an 11-year-old who lives in New York in the 1920’s. Dave’s father dies and his stepmother does not want Dave or his brother. Dave’s brother is taken by his uncle but Dave winds up at the HHB, Hebrew Home for Boys. Some people call it “Hell Hole for Brats.” Dave soon finds this is a better name for it. This cold, big place is owned by “Mr. Doom,” the superintendent, who steals Dave’s most important possession, a carving from his dad. This makes Dave so angry that he is determined to run away, which he does one night. He is lucky that night to meet an old man, Solly, who comes to really care about him. As time goes on, they become like grandson and grandfather. On one of their adventures they go to a “rent party,” and Dave meets Irma Lee, who becomes a great, caring friend. Dave and I both learned that a rent party is when people give a party and guests contribute to help pay the rent.
In time he becomes friends with the 11-year-olds at HHB. They help Dave escape each night and in return, he brings back food for them. Dave and his new buddies join together to deal with the bullies at HHB who steal their food. Dave learns that these friendships are the most important thing in his life.
I know how Dave feels because I was an orphan, too. I was five years old when I got put into the orphanage. It was cold and big, but I had enough to eat. I did not like the orphanage at all. I was adopted and I am now living with a great family. Ilan Grossman, age 12
Grade 5, B’nai Shalom Day School
Greensboro, NC
Habibi is about 14-year-old Liyana Aboud, who lives in Missouri. A few days after her first kiss, her father announces that her family is moving to Jerusalem, his homeland. When she, her brother and parents arrive at the airport, they are stopped by guards because her father is Palestinian. They then meet her father’s extended family of over 50 relatives.
In her new home, Liyana must learn to speak another language, adjust to rules that restrict her behavior (like drying her hair on the porch!), and make new friends. She soon befriends a Jewish boy named Omer and, although forbidden by her family, a romance develops between them. Meanwhile, as she is coming to terms with her heritage, Israeli soldiers destroy her grandmother’s house, wound one of her friends and imprison her father. Despite these terrible events, she finally brings Omer to her family’s home for dinner. Even though nearly all of her family objects, her grandmother makes the bold gesture of welcoming him.
This book opened my eyes to many things I did not know about the troubles between Israelis and Palestinians. I had thought Israeli soldiers only trained for and fought in wars. I did not know that they could enter people’s homes and demolish parts of them. This book showed me that even Israeli soldiers can mistakenly cause terrible destruction by falsely accusing innocent people of doing bad things.
I didn’t know much about Palestinians because I have not found many children’s books written from their perspective. One of the most interesting aspects of the story was how the different groups of people got along despite the tensions. For example, Liyana’s father describes how he used to trade desserts with Jews or Greeks because each wanted what the other made.
Seeing Jerusalem through Liyana’s eyes was also fascinating. As she walks through the city, she describes the mix of cultures and time periods. On one hand, the city seems so modern with its libraries and families with their televisions. On the other hand, the street vendors who sell bread and the people riding donkeys suggest Jerusalem’s past. Shoshana Lovett-Graff, age 11
Grade 6, Edgewood School
New Haven, CT
Publish-A-Kid 2006 online CONTENT 2006 Finalists
Are you one of those people who love comics? When you pick up the newspaper, do you turn straight to the comic section? If these descriptions fit you then wave goodbye to Archie and Charlie Brown, and say hello to Rabbi Harvey.
The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey, by Steve Sheinkin, is a fun, hilarious book that combines Jewish wisdom and humor and the result is a book that all ages can enjoy. In this book, there are many stories in which Rabbi Harvey, an intelligent man (with a sense of humor), solves problems that seem impossible. From making a boy who thinks he is a chicken find that he’s a boy again, to outwitting the town’s most infamous outlaws, Rabbi Harvey can do it all.
This book is interesting because it combines two concepts that complete the book the way latkes and applesauce complete each other. First there is the Jewish wisdom that Rabbi Harvey uses to make righteousness reign. Then there is the fact that the whole book takes place in the Wild West, home of cowboys, merchants, and bandits. This combination makes this comic book one of those rare books that is funny and wise.
Rebecca Kitces Fishman, Age 13
8th grade
Yardley, PA
Milkweed is about an eight-year-old Jewish boy who believes in mothers, oranges, angels and bread. He lives in the biggest ghetto in Europe, the Warsaw ghetto. He thinks heaven is in Russia or Washington America. He lives with a big group of Jewish kids and smuggles with them in houses, the BlueCamelHotel, bakeries, and any other places with food.
When he was stealing tomatoes, he met a young girl named Janina, goes to her birthday party, and steals the cake. As their friendship grows, they leave presents for each other on the doorstep of her house. When he goes out after curfew to bring Janina a present, he gets his ear shot off by a Nazi soldier. He is not very experienced in life. When they were lighting the candles in the birthday cake, he thought that they were burning down the cake.
I think that Jerry Spinelli describes death better than any other author I have ever read. He describes the ghetto in great detail so that it made me feel as if I were there. During this book I felt very frustrated because I knew what was happening and Misha didn’t. I think that people should read this Holocaust novel because it is very hard to put down and filled with lots of action. You should not read this book if you find it hard to read about killing. Dash Sperling, Age 10
Grade 5
Greensboro, N.C.
Have you ever felt forced to make a big decision? Margaret has. In Judy Blume’s book, Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, Margaret is going in to sixth grade and has just moved to New Jersey. Margaret is pretty much your average sixth-grader; except for the fact the she has no religion. Her religion has never really bothered her before, but when she joins a secret club, her lack of religion comes up in conversation. The fact that she has no religion then begins to drive her crazy. Compelled to make this decision, Margaret spends a lot of her time worrying about if she should join the Y or the Jewish Community Center. Along with this, Margaret also has to worry about school, boys, friends, and getting her period.
I think that Margaret is an unforgettable character. She has enough courage to talk to G-d, but not enough to go shopping for a bra. When you get towards the middle of the book, you see a side of Margaret that you have never seen. A scared side, that you would never have predicted her to have in the beginning of the book. Eventually, when you can truly see who Margaret is, you are able to picture what kind of person she wants to be.
This book has taught me that making choices is not always the easiest thing to do and you have to be very careful when you make them. It also taught me that religion is a very valuable thing and you shouldn’t take it for granted. I think this book is a great way for both kids and adults to learn about making decisions, the importance of religion, and to always be true to your heart. With the courage to talk to G-d and the choice of a lifetime, anything can happen. Elana Golub, Age 10
Grade 5
Newton, MA
I read Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret, by Judy Blume. I would recommend this book to girls ages ten and up because it is funny, nice, love related, important and weird.
In the story Margaret’s parents are raising her without religion. Her mother was born a Christian and her father was born Jewish. Her mother’s parents would not talk to Margaret’s mother after she married her father, since they were not the same religion. So her parent’s decided that Margaret should pick a religion when she got old enough to decide. I think her parent’s should of given her a religion because a child needs to grow up with a religion so that they know what to believe in. If they were to change their religion when they grow up, that is up to them.
Margaret gets to meet her mother’s parents for the first time. When she meets them, they ask her about Sunday school and when she says she does not go to Sunday school, her grandmother tells her she must, because she is Christian. When Margaret says, she is nothing; her grandmother tells her she is Christian because her mother was born a Christian. Margaret gets really upset. Then her father’s mother, who Margaret sees all the time and loves to spend time with, tells Margaret that she is Jewish, because her father is Jewish. This upsets Margaret even more. I think that both of her grandmothers are wrong. They should not try to tell Margaret what or who she is, she has to figure that out for herself.
Margaret moved to New Jersey from New York and made new friend fast. Margaret and her new friends created a club, the 4 PTSs (Pre-teen Sensations). The girls spent their time talking about boys and the changes in their bodies.
Margaret Simon is not like me because she makes a big deal out of things that are not always important. There are some things about Margaret that are a lot like me. I think this is a story that gets a girl to think about her self and what is important to her. Hanna Traktman, Age 9
Grade 4
Irvine, CA
In Dave At Night by Gail Carson Levine, Dave is eleven years old and has an amazing relationship with his father who he loves so much. One afternoon after playing a game of stickball, Dave comes home, and his life abruptly changes forever. Dave’s dad is dead. Dave’s dad has accidentally fallen off the roof of their apartment building. Soon after his dad’s death, Dave’s stepmother sends him to the Hebrew Home for Boys, known as the H.H.B., where the superintendent—the boys call him Mr. Doom—steals from the only thing he has of his Dad’s— a special wood carving.
Dave is sneaky, and he thinks he can run away form the H.H.B., but he finds out it’s not so easy. Eventually, he does, and he finds himself at the most unique jazz rent party ever. At the party, he meets an old man named Solly and a girl named Irma Lee, and they become friends. The next day, Dave is badly beaten up by Mr. Doom. When Dave returns to the 11s room, he becomes a hero to the other boys because he has survived the wrath of Mr. Doom. At the end of the book, Mr. Doom is fired and is replaced with a new superintendent.
My favorite part of Dave at Night is when Dave breaks into Mr. Doom’s office and steals back his dad’s carving. Dave takes the carving and sprints out of the H.H.B. to Solly’s house. Dave finally gets back what he wanted throughout the story. I could feel Dave’s emotions when he had his father’s carving of Noah’s Ark in his hands.
Dave at Night has a great plot and I enjoyed learning about the 1920s in New York City. I would recommend Dave at Night because it’s humorous and very sad. It’s a story that is so well written that the reader can’t stop reading. Russell Gross, Age 11
Grade 5, B’nai Shalom Day School
West Greensboro, NC
The book Dave at Night by Gail Carson Levine is a phenomenal book. It’s about an eleven year old boy named Dave Caros who lives with his brother Gideon and his father around the time of the Great Depression. Dave’s mother dies while giving birth to Dave. One day, Mr. Caros dies after falling off of a roof he is fixing, and Dave becomes an orphan. Gideon gives his most prized possession, a carving of Noah’s Ark with Dave’s family, to Dave. It was made by Mr. Caros while Gideon was sick. With the carving, Dave is sent to the HHB, or Hebrew Home for Boys. There Dave becomes friends with other orphans, and plots to take back his carving from the mean superintendent, Mr. Bloom, who beats children. On some nights, Dave sneaks out onto the streets of Harlem, and finds jazz musicians everywhere. He meets Solly, a man who tells “fortunes” with tarot cards, and becomes a gonif (thief) with him. He also meets Irma Lee, a ten-year-old girl, and her famous mother. They have a giant party, but Dave gets caught and is brought to Mr. Bloom, where he is beaten. That’s when Dave promises to himself to get his carving back and run away. With all of his buddies help, Dave finally steals his carving back, and leaves. Dave then finds Solly. With Solly, Irma Lee and her famous mother, Dave goes down to the HHB, and they give Mr. Bloom a stern talking to. A month later, Mr. Bloom is fired, and replaced with a nice superintendent, Mr. Bletcher. Everything works out for Dave
Dave at Night is a terrific book that both children and adults will like. It will remind adults of what it was like to be a child. Younger readers will like it because the main characters are children who solve their own problems. This book shows that sadness and death never quite go away, but you can still live happily. Dave loses his family, but manages to find happiness by spending time with his friends and the people of Harlem who have parties at night. Everyone can learn something from this book. I learned that everything changes eventually.
Dave goes through many quick changes, like losing his father, becoming an orphan, and making many new friends. I also learned that with determination and patience, much can be accomplished. Dave developed a plan to get his carving back. He and his buddies watched the superintendent’s office, and found an opening in which Dave could get the carving. One major moral problem in the story is racism. The black people don’t trust the white people and the whites discriminate against the African-Americans. The one character I will never forget is Alfie. Alfie, an orphan from the HHB, was sick with consumption, but always did his share of work, even though he was terribly sick. Dave at Night is truly amazing. Jeremy Joshua Tibbetts, Age 12
7th grade
Braintree, MA
