(2) YA After Shiloh receives a box of clay as a bar mitzvah present, he and his younger sister, Faye, meet their estranged grandfather, who sent it, for the first time. The siblings learn that, on their father's side, they are part of a lineage that can create golems: "human figure[s] formed from clay and brought to life with the Hebrew alphabet." While visiting their grandfather's apartment to practice harnessing this power, they encounter in dreams their ancestors' traumatic stories of antisemitism and oppression at various points in history. (These dreams include strong descriptions of cruelty and death that make this book best suited for readers who can handle realistic violence.) What they learn about their past sheds light on the present day as they grapple with contemporary antisemitism. In addition to the historical Jewish golemcrafters they meet, Shiloh and Faye also face questions of identity that arise from their Japanese ancestors on their mother's side. This memorable story takes a strong stance against victim-blaming in favor of defending oneself and one's beliefs. Caring familial relationships are centered, and while sibling rivalry is a factor in their dynamic (Faye has more golemcrafting power than Shiloh), the two love and support each other above all.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) YA Finn and Ezra, both thirteen, are destined to relive their bar mitzvah weekends, from Friday through Sunday afternoon, countless times. While their overlapping plights initially seem coincidental, as they progress through more and more inescapable loops, their stories become increasingly intertwined. On the surface, the boys are very different from each other, but through their trials trying to get to Monday, they discover commonalities and universal truths. Ezra's life within an insular Orthodox community is presented in contrast to Finn's more worldly outlook, and both boys grapple with judgment and occasionally with jealousy of each other. Many aspects of traditional Jewish life and culture are explained through the lens of Finn's encountering them for the first time, with a lightly informative rather than preachy approach. Themes of trust, friendship, family, and growing up are thoughtfully interspersed with madcap adventures involving physicists, bank heists, and elaborate lies. Ethical dilemmas within a fantastical premise nonetheless raise real questions about how adolescents can decide what kind of people they want to be. An unexpectedly poignant resolution offers the main characters a chance to prove that they made the most of their time, while not-so-subtly encouraging readers to do the same.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) YA Calvin Conroy dreams of becoming a Broadway star, but when he falls off the stage during the middle school musical, it confirms what he's always known: he's meant to play supporting cast to his best friend, Kennedy, the true star in his life. Then Kennedy reveals she will be attending performing arts school in New York City next year, leaving him to face eighth grade without her. Calvin decides to create a film spectacular enough to convince her to stay. He enlists his neighbor Blake, an aspiring filmmaker and the only person who knows how to soothe Calvin's growing anxiety. Soon, Calvin has yet another thing to worry about--what his Catholic parents will think about his crushing on another boy. He'll have all summer in church youth choir to think about it, under the watchful eyes of the priest. Calvin's panicky narration is easy to empathize with, giving the reader a front-row seat to his anxiety. Heavier themes are balanced with lightheartedness and references that will delight any theater kid. The topic of religion, in particular--Catholicism and Judaism, as experienced via a friend's bar mitzvah--is approached with both humor and thoughtfulness. Calvin's first attempts at romance and sometimes toxic friendships result in a lot of drama, but his showstopping antics are a joy throughout.

Reviewer: Bodie Shanis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(3) 4-6 Sonnenblick’s previous memoir (The Boy Who Failed Show and Tell, rev. 3/21) delved into fourth grade; this covers sixth grade, his first year in middle school. I.S. 61 in Staten Island is a music magnet school where band students are practically treated like royalty, but Jordan must work hard to earn his band teacher’s approval. His wisecracking instincts often get the best of him, earning him frequent visits to the assistant principal’s office. Jordan effortlessly scores high marks on quizzes and assignments, and he has a small group of close friends who get into constant mischief with him, but he still deals with typical adolescent issues such as dating and friendship, social anxiety and cliques, and fighting as a means of conflict resolution. Jordan also begins to experience a burgeoning sense of identity and a broadening awareness of society and culture. John Lennon’s untimely death hits him hard, as does an anti-Semitic encounter at an amusement park, spurring him to recommit to his bar mitzvah preparation. Sonnenblick delivers another solid middle-grade memoir—in prose—that, with its mix of warmth, humor, and relationships, should appeal to fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Smile and other popular memoirs in comic form.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt

(2) 4-6 After comedy buff Noah Cohen's best friend's dad commits suicide, Noah's responses are decidedly immature, damaging the friendship and calling into question rather-dense narrator Noah's readiness to be a bar mitzvah. Perl ably explains both details of classic comedy bits and modern Jewish ritual. A welcome portrayal of a very difficult situation's impact--with funny moments to make it all easier to handle. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(3) 4-6 David Da-Wei Horowitz (who is Jewish and Chinese) is preparing for his January 1984 bar mitzvah. But reading Torah "in front of about a zillion people" is the least of his problems considering the arguing between his culturally different grandmothers, drama in his middle-school friend group, and the real possibility of nuclear war. A realistic coming-of-age novel filled with witty yet sensitive cultural observations.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn. Curious Sammy the spider accidentally attends Josh's cousin Ben's bar mitzvah, where Sammy ends up on a piece of candy that is thrown at Ben after the service. Unsurprisingly, Sammy makes it back home safely. Accompanied by flat but colorful collage illustrations, the slight story does impart a few facts about this Jewish rite of passage.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by J. P. Coovert. After attending his friend's bar mitzvah, Charlie Joe realizes that having a coming-of-age party is a super way to make money without actually having to work. Since he's not Jewish, a bar mitzvah is out, but what about an Ethiopian cow-jumping ceremony? Although the characters are not deeply developed, the enjoyable story races forward with lots of slapstick humor.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) YA Much to his dismay, Isaac's parents decide to leave his older brother, Josh, in charge while they're out of town. Determined to turn Isaac into a man before his upcoming bar mitzvah, Josh pushes the introverted and nerdy Isaac to complete a series of increasingly perilous and misguided "masculine" tasks. Isaac's witty voice crafts a humorous and surprisingly poignant tale of imperfect brotherhood.

Reviewer: Randy Ribay

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Farida Zaman. One of the kippot (yarmulkes) made especially for Joshua Jacobs's bar mitzvah takes a whirlwind voyage around the world, tucked absentmindedly into the pockets of various travelers. As many journeys do, this one ends right where it began--back at Josh's synagogue. Though the variety of design elements create busy pages, the bright, cheery illustrations--along with the story line--have appeal. Glos.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) 4-6 After his parents' divorce, Evan is forced to move from Manhattan to the small town of Appleton, Indiana. As he tries to fit in with his mostly-Christian classmates--right before his bar mitzvah--he discovers who his true friends are. Though the themes (friendship, self-awareness, manhood) are run-of-the-mill, the appealing cast of quirky characters will keep readers interested.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Joan Reilly. This updated book provides an introduction to the history and practices of the Jewish coming-of-age ceremony. The author's conversational voice and inclusion of celebrities' anecdotes (some with more kid appeal than others) may attract readers. Metter also highlights groundbreaking figures, such as the first young woman to be a bat mitzvah in 1922. New undistinguished black-and-white pencil illustrations accompany the text. Websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) YA Stacy Friedman and her best friend, Lydia, manage to crash the biggest bar mitzvah of the year. Matters are complicated by a to-die-for boy named Oliver and the girls' battle to win back their pal Kelly's affections. This over-the-top 'tween chick-lit romp will be enjoyed by the Limited Too set, but others won't relate to the irritating main characters.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Craig Orback. When a Dutch rabbi is sent to a concentration camp, he helps a boy have a Bar Mitzvah and entrusts a tiny Torah scroll to him. The boy survives to tell the story--and to send the Torah into space with the first Israeli astronaut, who perished in the 2003 Columbia explosion. Muted color illustrations combine well with the somber text for a moving story of survival.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) YA The trials and adventures of being thirteen years old--making choices, having a crush, preparing for a bar mitzvah--are explored in a collection of short fiction. Some stories, such as Rachel Vail's dark comedy about a parakeet's funeral, are spot on; others (including a glib fantasy by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin) are slight or, in some cases, more earnest than inspired.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta