Best Teen & Young Adult Jewish Fiction

Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year's only female racer, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele's twin brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael's every move. "― Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. "Ryan Graudin opens one of the darkest chapters in history and spins a what if into an incredible tale of survival, identity, and purpose. "The rush of an action movie combined with a flawlessly executed history, this is the book I've been waiting for. Filled to the brim with tension and intrigue, nonstop action, and a vivid cast of characters, you'll feel every bump in the road they ride. * "Graudin ( The Walled City ) crafts another fast-paced, enthralling tale of sacrifice and dogged determination as she fuses alternate history and spy-thriller suspense. A provocative rumination on self-preservation, the greater good, and the boundaries that keep heroes from becoming as cruel as those they fight.

— Kirkus Reviews , starred review Hannah dreads going to her family's Passover Seder—she's tired of hearing her relatives talk about the past. But when she opens the front door to symbolically welcome the prophet Elijah, she's transported to a Polish village in the year 1942. When 12-year-old Hannah is transported back to a 1940's Polish village, she experiences the very horrors that had embarrassed and annoyed her when her elders related their Holocaust experiences. She is captured by the Nazis and taken to a death camp, where she is befriended by a young girl named Rivka, who teaches her how to fight the dehumanizing processes of the camp and hold onto her identity.

Winner of the 2016 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. A 2016 Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Award Winner. Winner of the 2016 National Jewish Book Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature. Newbery Medalist Laura Amy Schlitz brings her delicious wit and keen eye to early twentieth-century America in a moving yet comedic tour de force. The beauty of this novel is that it dares to go beyond the school-is-cruel and paranormal-dystopian-romance conventions and lets its adolescent heroine think on the page about what makes a human being whole: art, love, faith, education, family, friendship. The diary format allows Joan's romantic tendencies full rein, as well as narrative latitude for a few highly improbable scenarios and wildly silly passion. The book is framed as Joan’s diary, and her weaknesses, foibles, and naiveté come through as clearly—and as frequently—as her hopes, dreams, and aspirations...by the end readers feel as if they’ve witnessed the real, authentic growth of a memorable young woman. Janet's impassioned diary, inspired by Schlitz's own grandmother's journals, explores themes of faith and feminism, love and literature, culture and class in early 20th-century America, all the while charming readers with a vivid cast of characters. An unsophisticated girl who thirsts for education, an impulsive idealist who, when she errs, passionately seeks to put things right: Janet Lovelace is an utterly endearing young woman on whom not a second of youth, it seems, will be wasted. Brava to Laura Amy Schlitz, whose enchanting writing has brought such a spectacular character to young people’s literature. Written in diary form with the Voctorian eloquence reflecting Joan's love of Jane Eyre , this novel is sure to inspire girls of any background and lead to greater understanding of Jews and Judaism.

“Much like The Boy In the Striped Pajamas or The Book Thief ,” this remarkable memoir from Leon Leyson, one of the youngest children to survive the Holocaust on Oskar Schindler’s list, “brings to readers a story of bravery and the fight for a chance to live” ( VOYA ). Amazon Best Books of the Month, August 2013: For readers ages 11 and up, Leon Leyson’s remarkable memoir, The Boy on the Wooden Box , is the moving account of a happy childhood shattered by the Holocaust. As the youngest member of Schindler’s list, Leyson offers a unique perspective on the man who became his lifelong hero and his first-hand account of day-to-day existence in the factory--which did not alleviate the fear or deprivation--and his personal interaction with Schindler is powerful and special.

Once, in a cottage above the cliffs on the Dark Sea of Darkness, there lived three children and their trusty dog Nugget. “A wildly imaginative, wonderfully irreverent epic that shines with wit and wisdom–and features excellent instructions on how to cope with Thwaps, Fangs, and the occasional Toothy Cow.”. – Allan Heinberg , writer/co-executive producer of ABC’s Grey's Anatomy, and co-creator of Marvel Comics Young Avengers. Andrew is such a gifted storyteller; this book will be a treasure to both children and adults.”. – James Bryan Smith , author of Room of Marvels ; Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven , and Embracing the Love of God ; co-author of Devotional Classics with Richard J. Andrew Peterson, a natural storyteller in the oral tradition, has nailed the voice needed to translate a rip-roaring fantasy tale to the written page.”. – Donita K. Paul , author of DragonSpell, DragonKnight, DragonQuest, and DragonFire.

Following the Buddha through his various transformations, these clarified, often humorous narrative journeys open the ancient masters profound and gentle teachings to persons of all ages, religions, races, and ideological persuasions. Ms. Conover received a BA in Religious Studies from the University of Colorado and an MFA in Creative Writing from Eastern Washington University.