Casual Jewish Representation
We tend to use the word "diverse" to describe characters who are not at the top of our caste system, in other words, characters who diverge from the default of white male Christian cisgender heterosexual neurotypical able-bodied people. Books that include "casual diversity" or "casual representation" are those in which diverse characters appear in a story that is not about diversity.
Here is a list of kidlit titles which include Jewish characters but do not focus on Jewish culture or religion, in other words, casual Jewish representation. Representation may range from the mere inclusion of a Jewish name or a single illustration of someone wearing a kippah to portrayal of Jewish life cycle events or holidays, but in each case, the story does not rely on the Jewish identity of the characters.
Casual Jewish representation in youth literature is important as a mirror and as a window (as defined by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop in 1990). Jewish readers feel validated when they see Jewish characters like themselves participating in the life of the larger community. Non-Jewish readers are reminded that Jews are an integral part of the fabric of our society. All readers benefit from the enrichment of stories that reflect the reality of our multicultural world.
The bibliography may be amended as new titles are published. FYI,
I have not read all of these books and can't vouch for them. Thank you to the members of the Jewish Kidlit Mavens group on Facebook who suggested many of these titles. Where
possible, I've included IndieBound or Bookshop affiliate links that
benefit
The Book of Life Podcast. If you are aware of additional titles please post a
comment or send me an email.
The list is alphabetical by author.
Kidlit Titles that Include Casual Jewish Representation
Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler Young Adult
Cam Jansen series by David A. Adler Middle Grade
Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli Young Adult
Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli Young Adult
The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli Young Adult
Here's to Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera Young Adult
What if it’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera Young Adult
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews Young Adult
Almost Flying by Jake Maia Arlow Middle Grade
How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow Young Adult
Just Harriet by Elana K. Arnold Middle Grade
Just Like Rube Goldberg by Sarah Aronson Picture Book
Wish List series by Sarah Aronson Middle Grade
Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher Young Adult
Upstaged by Diana Harmon Asher Young Adult
I Only Like What I Like by Julie Baer Picture Book
That’s What Friends Do by Cathleen Barnhart Middle Grade
Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin Middle Grade
Ruby on The Outside by Nora Raleigh Baskin Middle Grade
Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow Middle Grade
Luke on the Loose by Harry Bliss Picture Book
Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume Middle Grade
I Am Here Now by Barbara Bottner Young Adult
Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Breslaw Young Adult
Lola Levine series by Monica Brown Middle Grade
Hope and Other Punchlines by Julie Buxbaum Young Adult
Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros Middle Grade
Wasted Pretty by Jamie Beth Cohen Young Adult
Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert Young Adult
A Perfect Mistake by Melanie Conklin Middle Grade
New Kid by Jerry Craft Middle Grade
The Lemonade War series by Jacqueline Davies Middle Grade
A Hundred Thousand Welcomes by Mary Lee Donovan Picture Book
Knight's Castle by Edward Eager Middle Grade
Ethan, Suspended by Pamela Ehrenberg Middle Grade
Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff Young Adult
Bitter and Sweet by Sandra Feder Picture Book
Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire by Brenda Ferber Middle Grade
Starfish by Lisa Fipps Middle Grade
Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald Middle Grade
I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman Young Adult
Just One series by Gayle Forman Young Adult
We Are Inevitable by Gayle Forman Young Adult
Noah McNichol and the Backstage Ghost by Martha Freeman Middle Grade
Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart Middle Grade
Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs Middle Grade
A Million Quiet Revolutions by Robin Glow, Young Adult
My Year Zero by Rachel Gold Young Adult
Finding the Worm by Mark Goldblatt Middle Grade
Twerp by Mark Goldblatt Middle Grade
Screen Queens by Lori Goldstein Young Adult
Things That Grow by Meredith Goldstein Young Adult
They'll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman Young Adult
They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman Young Adult
Change Sings by Amanda Gorman Picture Book
No Entry by Gila Green Young Adult
If You're a Kid Like Gavin by Gavin Grimm Picture Book
The Einsteins of Vista Point by Ben Guterson Middle Grade
Been Here All Along by Sandy Hall Young Adult
Girl on the Ferris Wheel by Julie Halpern and Len Vlahos Young Adult
Letters to Leo by Amy Hest Middle Grade
Remembering Mrs. Rossi by Amy Hest Middle Grade
We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins Picture Book
We Will Rock Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins Picture Book
Phoebe G. Green series by Veera Hiranandani Middle Grade
Sunny Rolls the Dice by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm Middle Grade
Aftermath by Emily Barth Isler Middle Grade
The Doughnut Fix by Jessie Janowitz Middle Grade
The Doughnut King by Jessie Janowitz Middle Grade
Why We Fly by Kimberly Jones Young Adult
Sydney A. Frankel's Summer Mix-Up by Danielle Joseph Middle Grade
Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson Middle Grade
What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter Young Adult
Sylvie by Sylvie Kanterovitz Middle Grade
Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen by Sarah Kapit Middle Grade
Goodnight Racism by Ibram X. Kendi Picture Book
The Night Before Eid by Aya Khalil Picture Book
Openly Straight by Bill Konigsburg Young Adult
Are We There Yet? by David Levithan
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn Young Adult
Double Trouble by Joanne Levy Middle Grade
Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero by E. Lockhart Young Adult
Wayward Creatures by Dayna Lorentz
Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry Middle Grade
The Lost Locket by Carol Matas Middle Grade
Who's Looking? How Animals See the World by Carol Matas Picture Book
Rules for 50/50 Chances by Kate McGovern Young Adult
Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen by Kate McGovern Middle Grade
Camp Quiltbag by Nicole Melleby and A.J. Sass Middle Grade
Just a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe by Sarah Mlynowski Young Adult
Mommy, Can You Stop the Rain? by Rona Novick Middle Grade
Fancy Nancy: Bonjour Butterfly by Jane O'Connor Picture Book
Wonder by R.J. Palacio Middle Grade
Max Einstein series by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein Middle Grade
Underneath Everything by Marcy Beller Paul Young Adult
All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold Picture Book
Big Feelings by Alexandra Penfold Picture Book
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins Young Adult
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins Young Adult
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins Young Adult
Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner Young Adult
My Dad by Susan Quinn Picture Book
Kissing in America by Margo Rabb Young Adult
Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize by Margo Rabb Young Adult
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs Young Adult
Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig Young Adult
Camp by L.C. Rosen Young Adult
Lion's Legacy by L.C. Rosen Young Adult
Our Class Is a Country by Andria W. Rosenbaum, Picture Book
Not Your All-American Girl by Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang Middle Grade
Marvin Redpost series by Louis Sachar Middle Grade
If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say by Leila Sales Young Adult
Ana on the Edge by Andrew Sass Middle Grade
Invisible Ghosts by Robyn Schneider Young Adult
Takedown by Laura Shovan Middle Grade
To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer Middle Grade
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket Middle Grade
Any Which Wall by Laurel Snyder Middle Grade
My Jasper June by Laurel Snyder Middle Grade
Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon Young Adult
Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon Young Adult
Dumpling Day by Meera Sriram Picture Book
Dear Martin by Nic Stone Young Adult
Drawn That Way by Elissa Sussman Young Adult
Black Mirror by Nancy Werlin Young Adult
Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin Young Adult
The Killer's Cousin by Nancy Werlin Young Adult
Zoe Rosenthal Is Not Lawful Good by Nancy Werlin Young Adult
The Rookie Bookie by L. Jon Wertheim and Tobias Moscowitz Middle Grade
Where It All Lands by Jennie Wexler Young Adult
The Language of Spells by Garret Weyr Middle Grade
Comments
There's nothing "casual" about that. Would you call it casual representation to see a girl wearing a hijab, or a boy wearing a dastar/turban? Seeing Jews in literature, ALL kinds of Jews isn't "casual". It's a choice. One that makes Jewish kids feel seen and validated. And it fills them with a little joy too. Calling a kippah “casual representation” feels dismissive to me. I try to respect the choices of others. I hope others will do the same for me and those I love.
I felt the need to write this because my book --Our Class Is A Country is included on this list of books. Getting the publisher to included a child who looks like every other child--except with a kippah, wasn't easy.
But it will always be important.