eme20's review
5.0
Sweet, funny, heartfelt!!! Loved each story. I really felt like the authors did well in writing to their age- the characters were very realistic, and made me think of my students :)
ezwolf's review
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.75
Rounded up from 3.75
It’s always nice to see shared but different experiences of Judaism in books. The nerves of going through the process to become a b’nai mitzvah is something fairly universal for Jewish kids and this could be a very encouraging read for twelve and thirteen year olds. And as an adult it was fun to read and look back on my own experience of becoming a b’nai mitzvah.
I think as a whole the book was very nice but some of the stories were definitely stronger than others. And I personally found some of the kids to be annoying as narrators. But I think the one I liked the most was of Ruthie’s bat mitzvah and the way kids have their celebrations happen during COVID, one of my cousins had theirs about a year ago and we celebrated via Zoom.
This is overall a good Jewish read and a great POV we don’t usually see in fiction.
It’s always nice to see shared but different experiences of Judaism in books. The nerves of going through the process to become a b’nai mitzvah is something fairly universal for Jewish kids and this could be a very encouraging read for twelve and thirteen year olds. And as an adult it was fun to read and look back on my own experience of becoming a b’nai mitzvah.
I think as a whole the book was very nice but some of the stories were definitely stronger than others. And I personally found some of the kids to be annoying as narrators. But I think the one I liked the most was of Ruthie’s bat mitzvah and the way kids have their celebrations happen during COVID, one of my cousins had theirs about a year ago and we celebrated via Zoom.
This is overall a good Jewish read and a great POV we don’t usually see in fiction.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism
Minor: Blood
rockets2writing's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
4.0
I'm extremely excited to see a book aimed at kids during the time of their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. It's an exciting and sometimes confusing time in a young Jewish individual's life and I would have loved to have had a book like this to see myself in while navigating my Bat Mitzvah.
This book is filled with stories about B'nai Mitzvahs and no two are alike. It covers everything from international experiences, pandemic B'nai Mitzvahs, exploring crushes, time travel, and even the Jewish customs on planet Latke with a race full of octopus-like aliens. And each story captures the range of emotions surrounding the important event in many Jewish children's lives as they are called to the Torah and transition into adulthood.
Whether you're Jewish or not, this is a great resource to help kids understand B'nai Mitzvahs in a variety of fun and interesting ways.
**ARC generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review, check http://middlegrademinded.blogspot.com/ in late February for an interview with one of the authors**
This book is filled with stories about B'nai Mitzvahs and no two are alike. It covers everything from international experiences, pandemic B'nai Mitzvahs, exploring crushes, time travel, and even the Jewish customs on planet Latke with a race full of octopus-like aliens. And each story captures the range of emotions surrounding the important event in many Jewish children's lives as they are called to the Torah and transition into adulthood.
Whether you're Jewish or not, this is a great resource to help kids understand B'nai Mitzvahs in a variety of fun and interesting ways.
**ARC generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review, check http://middlegrademinded.blogspot.com/ in late February for an interview with one of the authors**
More...