Jewish American / Canadian Heritage Month 2024 Reading Recommendations

In a normal year, Jewish American/Canadian Heritage Month in May is about celebrating Jewish life in North America: Jewish history, achievements, and experiences. In 2024, with the precipitous rise in antisemitism, it seemed more appropriate to focus on the relationship between North American Jews and our gentile neighbors.

Throughout May 2024, I recommended picture books, middle grade, and young adult books that offer models for allyship between Jews and non-Jews. These are books about beautiful friendships, moving solidarity, and growth in understanding. I hope that these books will inspire readers to make life imitate art. I posted a book each day on social media, and now I am compiling all my reading recommendations here for your convenience. Titles are linked to Bookshop.org or other booksellers, and links are provided to any podcast coverage the books may have received on The Book of Life.

PICTURE BOOKS

May 1, 2024

JOYFUL SONG: A NAMING STORY by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Susan Gal (Levine Querido, 2024). Two Jewish mommies and their son take their new daughter to shul for her baby naming, accompanied by diverse friends and neighbors in their loving community. Podcast June 2024

May 2, 2024

A MOON FOR MOE AND MO by Jane Breskin Zalben, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini (Charlesbridge, 2018). A tale of growing fun and friendship between Jewish Moses Feldman and Muslim Mohammed Hassan in Brooklyn, NY.
Podcast November 2018

May 3, 2024

AS GOOD AS ANYBODY by Richard Michelson, illustrated by Raul Colón (Knopf, 2008). Nonfiction that shows the parallels prejudices faced by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, and how the two joined forces against hate during the 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
Podcast February 2009

May 4, 2024

WE BELONG HERE by Frieda Wishinsky, illustrated by Ruth Ohi (North Winds Press, 2023). A Japanese boy and a Jewish girl in post-WWII Canada stand up for each other against prejudice, finding creative solutions and building their community. Written by a Canadian Jewish author and illustrated by a Canadian Japanese artist.
Podcast October 2008

May 5, 2024

A HAT FOR MRS GOLDMAN: A STORY ABOUT KNITTING AND LOVE by Michelle Edwards, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Anne Schwartz Books, 2016). Jewish Mrs. Goldman knits for everyone in the neighborhood, but her young Latinx friend Sophia worries that Mrs. Goldman's keppie (head) will be cold. Despite struggles with lumps and dropped stitches, love wins as the little girl creates a cozy hat made of pom-poms for her friend.

May 6, 2024

YOSSEL'S JOURNEY by Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by Johnson Yazzie (Charlesbridge, 2022). A Jewish family flees Russian pogroms, moving to New Mexico, in this historical picture book. Lonely Yossel makes friends with a Navajo (Diné) boy by finding ways to laugh together despite language barriers.

May 7, 2024

RED AND GREEN AND BLUE AND WHITE by Lee Wind, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinksy (Levine Querido, 2021). Based on a true story of how the people of Billings, MT stepped up to show solidarity with their Jewish neighbors after a rock was thrown through the only window without Christmas decorations.
Podcast December 2021

May 8, 2024

MRS. KATZ AND TUSH written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco (Dragonfly Books, 1994). Young Larnel (Black, Christian) and old Mrs. Katz (white, Jewish) become as close as family through caring for the tailless cat Tush together.

MIDDLE GRADE

May 9, 2024

LINKED by Gordon Korman (Scholastic Inc, 2021). Multiple narrators try to solve the engrossing mystery of who vandalized the school with swastikas, while students create a grassroots Holocaust memorial program.

May 10, 2024

A PLACE AT THE TABLE by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan (Clarion, 2022). Jewish Elizabeth and Muslim Sara slowly bond through a South Asian cooking class and their common experiences as children of immigrants. Co-written by a Muslim author and a Jewish author.
Podcast September 2020

May 11, 2024

THE BOOK OF ELSIE by Joanne Levy (Orca, 2022). This Canadian hi/lo novel is inspired by the Purim story. Elsie works to save her temple from financial hardship and hateful vandalism by bringing together the whole community, Jewish and non-Jewish.

May 12, 2024

DON'T WANT TO BE YOUR MONSTER by Deke Moulton (Tundra, 2023). Young vampire brothers and some new human friends team up to defeat a prejudiced vampire hunter. This mystery/adventure has fascinating layers about the persecution of minorities and includes Jewish, Muslim, Latinx, Asian, and LGBT+ characters.

May 13, 2024

NOT SO SHY by Noa Nimrodi (Kar-Ben, 2023). Shai is unhappy about her family's move from Israel to San Diego, but friendship makes it feel homelike. Shai bands together with Korean-American, Iraqi-American Muslim, and white Christian friends to fight antisemitic and Islamophobic bullying at school, and to cope with a terrorist bombing that injures her Safta back home. Sensitive and hopeful.
Blog February 2024

May 14, 2024

DETOUR AHEAD by Pamela Ehrenberg and Tracy López (PJ Publishing, 2022). Neurodivergent Jewish breakdancer Gila and Salvadoran-American poet Guillermo meet on a bus and develop a friendship despite, or perhaps because of, their differences. Co-authored by authors with Jewish and Salvadoran backgrounds.
Podcast August 2022

May 15, 2024

NOT YOUR ALL-AMERICAN GIRL by Madelyn Rosenberg & Wendy Wan-Long Shang (Scholastic Press, 2020). A school story set in the 1980s. Lauren, half Chinese and half Jewish, faces prejudice from teachers and kids but finds true friends who help her find her way.
Podcast May 2021

May 16, 2024

ARMSTRONG & CHARLIE by Steven B. Frank (Clarion, 2018). A historical novel about school integration in the 1970s, told in two voices. Armstrong (Black, Christian) and Charlie (white, Jewish) meet when Armstrong starts getting bussed to Charlie's school. This is the heartwarming story of their growing friendship and coming of age against the backdrop of racial tensions.

YOUNG ADULT

May 17, 2024

YES NO MAYBE SO by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed (Balzer + Bray, 2020). A cross-cultural romcom with political leanings. Shy Jewish Jamie and sassy Muslim Maya and thrown together to do door-knocking for a local candidate, moving from reluctant to invested to passionate about the campaign and about each other. Includes their activism against antisemitic and Islamophobic haters. Co-written in two voices by a Jewish author and a Muslim author.

May 18, 2024

SOME KIND OF HATE by Sarah Darer Littman (Scholastic Press, 2022). Despite his friendship with Jewish Jake, Christian Declan falls prey to white nationalist groomers in this fascinating exploration of the process of radicalization. Will friendship save Declan from himself? You should definitely read the book to find out!
Podcast September 2022

May 19, 2024

WHISTLE: A NEW GOTHAM CITY HERO by E. Lockhart (DC Comics, 2021). Jewish Willow Zimmerman uses her new canine superpowers to help her neighborhood and fight for justice for all in this rip-roaring graphic novel.
Podcast November 2021

May 20, 2024

JUST A HAT by S. Khubiar (Blackstone, 2023). A historical novel set in 1979 Texas, where Iranian-American Sephardic Jewish Joseph struggles to fit into small-town life without getting beaten up. His Latinx friends and his grandmotherly white neighbor provide allyship and relief.

May 21, 2024

BOYS OF THE BEAST by Monica Zepeda (Lee & Low, 2022). This powerful road-trip story in three voices shows the growing care between estranged cousins with wildly divergent worldviews. Evangelical Christian Matt, gay Jewish Ethan, and grieving stoner Oscar are there for each other in this sensitive, honest, and funny novel.

May 22, 2024

THE HIRED GIRL by Laura Amy Schlitz (Candlewick, 2015). A historical novel in diary format set in 1911 Baltimore. Joan Skraggs runs away from farm drudgery and becomes a hired girl for a well-to-do Jewish family, learning a lot about Jews (and antisemitism) along with other life lessons. A satisfying coming of age novel.
Podcast August 2016

May 23, 2024

THE ASSIGNMENT by Liza Wiemer (Delacorte, 2020). Based on a real incident. Two non-Jewish high schoolers push back when a misguided teacher assigns the class to debate the pros and cons of the Nazi's "Final Solution." This is an important story about antisemitism, activism, and allyship, with a dash of romance to keep it from getting too dark.

INTERNATIONAL, ALL AGES

May 24, 2024

THE INQUISITOR'S TALE by Adam Gidwitz, illuminated by Hatem Aly (Dutton, 2016). A historical middle grade fantasy set in medieval France. Christian peasant Jeanne, biracial Muslim-born monk in training William, and Jewish healer Jacob overcome ingrained prejudices to bond during their quest to save Talmuds from being burnt by the king. A unique exploration of religion and morality in a rip-roaring adventure.
Podcast January 2017

May 25, 2024

THE WHISPERING TOWN by Jennifer Elvgren, illustrated by Fabio Santomauro (Kar-Ben, 2014). A gentle historical picture book about the Danish resistance during WWII, based on a true story. In the dark, Danish neighbors whisper "This way" to guide escaping Jews to the harbor where they can board boats for neutral Sweden. Denmark had the highest Jewish survival rate of any Nazi-occupied country in Europe, thanks to the kind of allyship portrayed here.

May 26, 2024

THE BUTTON BOX by Fawzia Gilani-Williams and Bridget Hodder, illustrated by Harshad Marathe (Kar-Ben, 2022). A short middle grade time travel fantasy set partly in North Africa 1000 years ago. Jewish and Muslim cousins Ava and Nadeem are sent on a magical adventure by their Granny Buena to the time when Jews helped a Muslim prince escape to Spain, where he ultimately ruled fairly over all peoples. Multiple models of allyship are presented in this fun adventure.
Podcast December 2022

May 27, 2024

DEAR MR. DICKENS by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Bethany Stancliffe (Whitman, 2021). A historical picture book set in Victorian England. Jewish Eliza Davis is a fan of author Charles Dickens but is disturbed by his antisemitic portrayal of Jewish characters. She writes him a letter about it, ultimately changing his mind and his writing. Based on a true story, this is a heartening example of activism for the greater good.

May 28, 2024

THE LOST RYŪ by Emi Watanabe Cohen (Levine Querido, 2022). A middle grade alternate history fantasy set in post-WWII Japan. Kohei, his new Japanese-American Jewish friend Isolde, and their ryū (small dragon companions), embark on a quest to find out why the large ryū disappeared after the war. They hope this will relieve grandfather Ojisan's grief. While minimal, the Jewish representation is key and the model of allyship is very moving.

May 29, 2024

NEVER SAY A MEAN WORD AGAIN by Jacqueline Jules, illustrated by Durga Yael Bernhard (Wisdom Tales, 2014). A picture book set in medieval Spain, inspired by a legend about the Jewish vizier of the Muslim ruler. Jewish Samuel and Muslim Hamza are at odds until Samuel's father advises him to "make sure Hamza never says a mean word to you again." By sharing interests and playtime, the boys become friends, and mean words melt away. A great example of the power of getting to know the "other."
Podcast September 2014

May 30, 2024

LETTERS FROM CUBA by Ruth Behar (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021). A historical novel about Jewish immigrants fleeing pre-WWII Poland for more welcoming Cuba. Young Esther befriends Black, Chinese, and white non-Jewish Cubans, who eat together, celebrate holidays together, and band together in solidarity against local Nazi sympathizers.
Podcast May 2024 | Blog April 2021

May 31, 2024

YAFFA AND FATIMA, SHALOM, SALAAM by Fawzia Gilani-Williams, illustrated by Chiara Fedele (Kar-Ben, 2017). A picture book set in Israel, based on a folktale with both Jewish and Arab roots. Yaffa and Fatima own neighboring date groves and share food and friendship. The story shows the differences and parallels between their lives, while highlighting the solidity of their relationship.
Podcast June 2017