Antisemitism in Kidlit

The children's and YA titles listed here include examples of antisemitism, whether just in passing or as a major theme of the story. Many of the titles were suggested by members of the Jewish Kidlit Mavens group on Facebook, for Bibliography Thursday on July 1, 2021. The theme of that bibliography was "contemporary antisemitism." Examples of antisemitism in historical fiction (pogroms, Inquisition, etc) have been added to the list below.

Because Holocaust-related books are so numerous, they are not included here. Instead, please refer to this list of Holocaust Literature for Youth that has received recognition from the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee.

This bibliography may be amended as new titles are published. FYI, I have not read all of these books and can't vouch for them. Where possible, titles include IndieBound or Bookshop affiliate links that benefit The Book of Life Podcast. Books are listed alphabetically by author's last name.

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Albertalli, Becky and Aisha Saeed, Yes, No, Maybe So. Balzer and Bray, 2020. 

Alphin, Elaine, An Unspeakable Crime: The Prosecution and Persecution of Leo Frank:. Carolrhoda Books, 2010.

Arrick, Fran, Chernowitz. Signet, 1983.

Avrech, Robert J., The Hebrew Kid and the Apache Maiden. Seraphic Press, 2005.

Becker, Helaine, Gottika. Green Bean Books, 2021. 

Behar, Ruth, Letters from Cuba. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020.

Blankman, Anne, The Blackbird Girls. Viking, 2020. 

Blum, Isaac, The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen. Philomel, 2022.

Brown, K. Hill, The Summer Girl. Katherine Hill Brown, 2018. 

Churnin, Nancy, Dear Mr. Dickens. Albert Whitman & Company, 2021.

Cohen, Tziporah, No Vacancy. Groundwood Books, 2020.

Cohn, Janice, The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate. Albert Whitman & Company, 1995.

David, Keren, What We're Scared Of. Scholastic UK, 2021.

Dominy, Amy Fellner, OyMG. Walker Children's Books, 2011.

Ducharme, Dede Fox, The Treasure in the Tiny Blue Tin. Texas Christian University Press, 1998.

Finklestein, Norman, Remember Not to Forget. Franklin Watts, 1985.

Fisher, Leonard Everett, A Russian Farewell. Four Winds Press, 1980.

Fleischman, Sid, Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini. Greenwillow Books, 2006.

Gidwitz, Adam, The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog. Dutton Children's Books, 2016.

Glaser, Linda. Bridge to America. Clarion, 2005.

Gordon, Cambria, The Poetry of Secrets. Scholastic, 2020.

Greene, Jacqueline Dembar, The Secret Shofar of Barcelona. Kar-Ben, 2009.

Hausman, Gerald, Night Flight. Philomel, 1996.

Hesse, Karen, Brooklyn Bridge. Feiwel & Friends, 2008.

Hesse, Karen, Letters from Rifka. Henry Holt, 1992.

Hoffman, Alice, Incantation. Little Brown & Company, 2006.

Hyde, Heidi Smith, Emanuel and the Hanukkah Rescue. Kar-Ben, 2012.

Irwin, Hadley, Sarah with an H. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1996.

Jules, Jacqueline, My Name Is Hamburger. Kar-Ben, 2022.

Korman, Gordon, Linked. Scholastic, 2021.

Kramaroff, Dana, The Do-More Club, Rocky Pond, 2023.

Kurtz, Jane, The Storyteller's Beads. Harcourt Brace, 1998. 

Lamb, Sacha, When the Angels Left the Old Country. Levine Querido, 2022.

Lasky, Katherine, Yossel's Journey. Charlesbridge, 2022. 

Lehman-Wilzig, Tami, Luis de Torres Sails to Freedom. Kar-Ben Publishing, 2023.

Levine, Gail Carson, A Ceiling Made of Eggshells. HarperCollins, 2020.

Levitin, Sonia, The Return. Atheneum Books, 1987.

Levy, Debbie, The Key from Spain: Flory Jagoda and Her Music. Kar-Ben, 2019.

Levy, Joanne, The Book of Elsie. Orca Book Publishers, 2022

Lieberman, Leanne, Lauren Yanofsky Hates the Holocaust. Orca Book Publishers, 2013. 

Littman, Sarah Darer, Some Kind of Hate. Scholastic, 2022.

Lowe, Mari, Aviva vs. the Dybbuk. Levine Querido, 2022.

Matas, Carol, Sworn Enemies. Bantam, 1993.

Matas, Carol, The War Within: A Novel of the Civil War. Simon & Schuster, 2001.

McDonough, Yona Zeldis, Hammerin' Hank: The Life of Hank Greenberg. Walker & Company, 2006.

Melkinoff, Pamela, Plots and Players. Jewish Publication Society, 1988. 

Meyer, Susan Lynn, A Sky Full of Song. Union Square Kids, 2023.

Meyerhoff, Jenny, Queen of Secrets. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010.

Michelson, Richard, As Good As Anybody: Martin Luther King, Jr., and Abraham Joshua Heschel's Amazing March toward Freedom. Alfred A. Knopf, 2008.

Moss, Marissa, Mira's Diary: Home Sweet Rome. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2013.

Nimrodi, Noa, Not So Shy. Kar-Ben, 2023. 

Oron, Judie, Cry of the Giraffe. Annick Press, 2010.

Panitch, Amanda, The Trouble with Good Ideas. Roaring Brook Press, 2021. 

Panitch, Amanda, The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor. Roaring Brook, 2022.

Perl, Erica S., When Life Gives You O.J.. Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2011.

Pinkney, Andrea Davis, A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of The Snowy Day. Viking, 2016.

Pitt, Nancy, Beyond the High White Wall. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1986.

Pokras, Karen, The Backyard Secrets of Danny Wexler. Kar-Ben Publishing, 2021.

Rosen, Sybil, Speed of Light. Atheneum Books, 1999. 

Rosenthal, Betsy. When Lightnin' Struck. Kar-Ben Publishing, 2022.

Sanders, Shelly, Rachel's Secret. Second Story Press, 2012.

Sasso, Sandy Eisenberg, Abuelita's Secret Matzahs. Emmis Books, 2005.

Schrier, Jeffrey, On the Wings of Eagles: An Ethiopian Boy's Story. Millbrook Press, 1998.

Schur, Maxine Rose, When I Left My Village. Dial Books, 1996.

Sherman, Eileen Bluestone, The Violin Players. The Jewish Publication Society, 2020. 

Shorr, Arnon Z., Jose and the Pirate Captain Toledano. Kar-Ben Publishing, 2022.

Simpson, Lesley, Yuvi’s Candy Tree. Kar-Ben Publishing, 2011.

Solomon, Rachel Lynn, Today Tonight Tomorrow. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2020. 

Solomon, Simon, The Clever Little Tailor. Kinder-Loshn Productions, 2021.

Sommer, Shelley. Hammerin’ Hank Greenberg: Baseball Pioneer. Boyds Mills Press, 2011.

Sonnenblick, Jordan, The Boy Who Failed Dodgeball. Scholastic, 2022. 

Stein, Joel Edward, Raquela's Seder. Kar-Ben Publishing, 2022.

Strasser, Todd, The Good War. Delacorte Press, 2021.

Strasser, Todd, The Wave. Ember, 2013.

Vernick, Shirley Reva, The Blood Lie. Cinco Puntos Press, 2011.

Vernick, Shirley Reva, Ripped Away. Regal House Publishing, 2022.

Walters, Eric & Kathy Kacer, Broken Strings. Penguin Random House, 2020.

Watts, Irene, Touched by Fire. Tundra Books, 2013.

Werlin, Nancy, Zoe Rosenthal Is Not Lawful Good. Candlewick, 2021.

Wiemer, Liza M., The Assignment. Delacorte Press, 2020.

Wind, Lee, Red and Green and Blue and White. Levine Querido, 2021.

Wiseman, Eva, Puppet. Tundra Books, 2009.

Wiseman, Eva, The Last Song. Tundra Books, 2012.

Wulf, Linda Press, The Night of the Burning: Devorah's Story. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2006.

Yasner, Deanie, Essie Rose’s Revelation Summer. Golden Alley Press, 2019.

Yelchin, Eugene, The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. Candlewick, 2021.

Yolen, Jane, Naming Liberty. Philomel Books, 2008.

Young, Brigit, The Prettiest. Roaring Brook Press, 2020.

 

If you are aware of additional kidlit titles (non-Holocaust) that include examples of antisemitism,
please post a comment or send me an email. 
 

(Created August 2021)