Miss Debby's Best-Loved Children's Books

The Charlotte Jewish News, April 2023

By Debby Block

It is time to celebrate Israel’s 75th birthday! And how better to prepare for this auspicious Yom Ha’atzmaut than to read books that celebrate Israel and all the experiences one can have while living in Israel or visiting our Jewish homeland?

“My Israel and Me” by Alice Blumenthal McGinty is a new book that takes the reader on a journey to meet the people of Israel. This beautifully illustrated book includes simple rhyming text as well as a more in-depth explanation for older children and adults on each page. I simply love this book because it shows the rich diversity of cultures and religions that make up the won- derful country of Israel, including Bedouins, Arab Israelis, refugees from all over the world, and, of course, the Jewish people. To quote from the book, “This is our Israel. We all play a part. From people to people our home and our heart.” I highly recommend this book for children 3-8 years old.

Grab your favorite stuffed animal and read “Ella’s Trip to Israel” by Vivian Newman. Ella travels by plane to Israel with her stuffed monkey, “Koofi.” They visit the Kotel, the Dead Sea, Tel Aviv, and even a kibbutz. Along the way, the stuffed monkey gets pretty dirty, but as Ella learns it is “eyn ba’aya”; it is no problem. This is a great book about Israel to share with preschoolers, particularly 2-4-year-olds.

Fuzzy blue Grover is the perfect tour guide as he takes young readers to Mahane Yehuda in Jerusalem, the Kotel, a kibbutz, an archaeological dig, Eilat, and the Dead Sea. “Shalom Everybodeee! Grover’s Adventures in Israel” is written by North Carolina authors Tilda Balsley and Eileen Fischer. This Shalom Sesame book provides lots of valuable information as it takes us on an armchair visit to Israel.

I particularly love the way this book provides interactive opportunities for children to find various objects in the illustrations. “Shalom Everybodeee!” is recommended for preschoolers to first grade.

The experience of a young Israeli girl of Ethiopian descent is realistically and sensitively portrayed in the chapter book, “Too Far From Home” by Naomi Shmuel. Meskerem’s family moves to a suburb of Tel Aviv from Northern Israel. Elevenyear-old Meskerem is extremely upset to leave her best friends and her grandmother, but things get even worse when she discovers that she is the only person of color in her new school. Our protagonist struggles to fit in as she confronts prejudice and ignorance. “Too Far From Home” is a short, fictional novel that allows young readers to put themselves in someone else’s shoes and build empathy. This book is great for family discussion and I recommend it for 8-12-year-olds.

Tammar Stein has written two terrific historical fiction novels about Israel that are perfect for children ages 9-13. The first book is called “The Six-Day Hero.” This thrilling, beautifully

written coming-of-age novel vividly captures the spirit of Israel during the Six-Day War through the eyes of twelve-year-old Motti, who lives in Jerusalem. Motti dreams of becoming a hero and feels frustrated that he is too young. When the war reaches his family’s doorstep, the reality of war teaches him that courage and daring are not the same.

Charlotte author Rochel Vorst comments, “The story doesn’t just tell the history of the SixDay War, but conveys the complicated situation that is Israel, as well as the deep connection we have to our beloved homeland.

I believe this book needs to be required reading for all Jewish middle school students. Thank you Tammar Stein for such a beautiful book!”

“Beni’s War” is the sequel to “The Six-Day Hero” and it continues the story of Motti’s family through the eyes of his younger brother Beni. When the Yom Kippur War breaks out, Beni, who is 12 years old, struggles to find a way to help the war effort but along the way learns the importance of love, courage, and acceptance. Both of Stein’s novels are compelling reads and provide valuable information about Israel as told through the eyes of a tween. I highly recommend both books for middle-school students or older.

Celebrate Israel’s 75th birthday by picking up one or all of the above books at the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library on Shalom Park. You may visit us at the library or reserve a copy by calling (704) 944-6763 or emailing library@ jewishcharlotte.org.