No comments about Julius Stone An Intellectual Life.

5 comments about Sholom's Treasure: How Sholom Aleichem Became a Writer.

1. 
   In an opening author's note Erica Silverman tells of being taken to a Broadway production of "Fiddler On The Roof" by her grandmother. She writes that as she watched the musical she felt she was looking into the world of her grandmother's childhood. When she questioned her grandmother after the playing, saying she wanted to learn more, the reply was "Read Sholom Aleichem." That's on the spot advice for all.
   
   Born in Russia in 1859 as Sholom Rabinowitz, he became known as Sholom Aleichem, "a Yiddish greeting that means `Peace be with you.'" There was very little peace to be found in his turbulent childhood, but as the author notes, although he was quite cognizant of the difficulties and deprivation around him he was somehow able to see humor in almost any situation. And, he believed that "laughter was healthy, even necessary, to survival." Anyone who has seen "Fiddler On The Roof," which is based on his stories knows the truth of that statement.
   
   One of 12 children, Aleichem loved to hear his father read stories, and he thoroughly enjoyed watching the pleasure this gave to others. Evidently, he, too, decided he wanted to make others happy so he became a bit of a clown, an accomplished mimic. However, it wasn't too long before greater hardships visited his small village, Voronko. His father lost his share of a business, and the family moved to Pereyaslav, a veritable city with wooden sidewalks. Once there, his parents bought a rather dilapidated inn.
   
   Two months after Aleichem's bar mitzvah a cholera epidemic enveloped Pereyslav, and his mother died. What would become of his family now?
   
   Erica Silverman has crafted a trenchant, thoughtful biography, and it is illustrated by the incomparable Mordicai Gerstein. Last year's Caldecott Medal winner, his pictures are often humorous, always touching.
   
   We learn that in Aleichem's will he asked that his name "be recalled with laughter." It is - with laughter and gratitude.
   
   - Gail Cooke



2. Illustrator Mordicai Gerstein never ceases to amuse me. Sometimes his pictures are too loosey-goosey to hold my attention (as with any of the books he's illustrated for Elizabeth Levy) while other times he bowls me over with his originality and spice (as with the adorable "Seal Mother"). I did not, on the outset, have high hopes for "Sholom's Treasure", I admit. Sure I knew the name Sholom Aleichem. That's the fella who wrote the stories that "Fiddler On the Roof" was based on, yes? But how interesting could a children's biography of him be? I'm not a huge biography fan to begin with. Seems to me that most picture book bios are deathly dull David A. Adler-like affairs. The are usually the perfect way to put the kiddies to sleep. Fortunately there are smash-hit artists like Erica Silverman and the aforementioned Mr. Gerstein to put me in my place whenever I think this way. "Sholom's Treasure" is definitely one of Gerstein's best books, helped in no small way by Silverman's skill at winnowing out a slice of the great man's life that makes for a fabulous story. Evil stepmothers, a treasure, hardship, glory, putting a bully in his place, it's all here! Best of all, it's the kind of thing kids will actually want to hear about.
   
   He was born Sholom Rabinowitz and was one of twelve children. He lived in Russia in 1859 and attended kheyder like the other boys. Though a fabulous student, Sholom was also a class clown. Mimicry was his talent though nobody appreciated it as much as he would have liked. In his spare time he and his friend Shmulik would discuss how to locate a treasure that they were sure was buried under a nearby hill. Unfortunately the family had to move soon thereafter and then Sholom's mother died. When his father remarried, the new stepmother was not exactly a kindly sort. Still, Sholom was able to have a fair amount of small adventures and triumphs in his own way. In the end, he realized exactly what kind of treasure it was that he would someday present to his father. He was going to be a writer. An Afterword describes how Sholom spent the rest of his life, the number of works he created (more than six thousand stories, essays, plays and novels) and where and when he died. There is also a particularly well written list of Sources and Archival material used by Silverman to tell this truly interesting tale.
   
   Usually I do not trust award winners. This particular story won the 2006 Sydney Taylor Book Award and so I picked it up with the faintest moue of apprehension gracing my lips. I mean, award winners tend to have one thing in common - they're dull dull deathly deadly dull. And winners of awards for a specific ethnic or religious minority have such a small pool to pull from to begin with that often I find myself deeply disappointed with what I find. "Sholom's Treasure" breaks that rule squarely in two and does so with a kind of manic glee. The glee can be attributed directly to two participants - Silverman and Gerstein. Let's take Silverman for a start. It's really remarkably difficult to take a famous figure, condense their life (or, in this case, a portion of their life) into picture book size with simple words AND give the tale a beginning, a middle, and an end. This she has done beautifully. We read about Sholom wanting to dig up a mysterious treasure so that he could present it to his family. Later, he realizes what the true treasure he could present could be. Along the way we get to read funny little anecdotes, such as the time Sholom copied down his step-mother's insults and curses into a compiled (and alphabetized) dictionary entitled, "The Sharp Tongue of the Stepmother". Little humorous touches like this one give the book a depth that few children's book biographies achieve.
   
   Then there is Mr. Gerstein's work. As I mentioned before, I'm never sure if I'm going to like what he does from book to book. I enjoyed, "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers", but I had a hard time figuring out whether or not the art was good enough for the story. No such wavering exists with "Sholom". Gerstein has given his hero particularly bright blue eyes and some yellow curls that make him easy to find even in group settings. When Sholom is described as mimicking someone, we see split panels where the "victim" does something and then Sholom does the same thing, only goofier. There's a truly enjoyable sequence where Sholom stands fascinated by his stepmother's curses. In brightly colored squares we see each curse turned to its literal visible equivalent. There's a picture of Sholom covered in worms for "May worms eat you!" and Sholom in various pieces for "May you ache and break!". To my chagrin, publishers like Farrar, Straus & Giroux don't seem to care to mention the artistic process their illustrators use to make their pictures on their publication pages anymore. A Publisher's Weekly review once said that the book used pen & ink and watercolor washes to create the pictures. I don't have anything to back this information up with, so I guess we'll just have to trust PW on this one.
   
   The Author's Note at the beginning of the book clears up quite a few misconceptions of its own. I was delighted to find that Sholom's pen name (Sholom Aleichem) was a kind of play on words. He changed his last name to the humorous "Aleichem" so that every time you said his title in full you were basically saying "peace be with you" in Yiddish. I also appreciated that there was a note at the beginning mentioning that, "The dialogue in this book is based on Sholom Aleichem's own words as they appear in his autobiography, `From the Fair'". That's just in case you were worried that Silverman made some of this stuff up.
   
   The book has received two awards as of this review (the aforementioned Sidney Taylor and the New York Public Library's 100 Titles For Reading and Sharing) and has been given glowing reviews by at least nine legitimate review resources. It may sound greedy, but I wish more people knew about it. It's a pity it didn't garner itself a Caldecott Honor, but that's the way it goes sometimes. In any case, it's a lovely little book and an even cleverer pairing of selective story and finely honed artwork. A treasure for people of every culture and persuasion.



3. Sholom's Treasure is the 2006 winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Younger Readers Category, presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries for the best in Jewish children's literature. An interview with the author and illustrator may be heard on the Jewish literature podcast The Book of Life at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com (the January 2006 episode), and information about all Sydney Taylor Book Award winners is available at www.SydneyTaylorBookAward.org.
   
   The subtitle of this book, "How Sholom Aleichem Became a Writer" accurately describes this childhood portrait of the famous author. From toddlerhood to the teen-age, we learn of the influences on the writer's work, from his shtetl upbringing to his collecting of interesting curses uttered by his stepmother. The story ends with the boy's realization that he will become a writer; his adult life is not depicted. This is not a shortcoming; anyone who has seen Fiddler on the Roof knows who Sholom grew up to be, but this book satisfies our
   curiosity as to how he became that person.
   
   This picture book biography is a perfect blend of text and
   illustration. The writing is simple and clear, engaging and full of interesting detail and well-placed dialogue. The illustrations are busy, at first glance perhaps too much so; yet further examination reveals that they are incredibly alive and that they perfectly complement and flesh out the text. The use of cartoon-style series of small illustrations interspersed with full-page scenes moves the story along and supports the pacing of the text. Faces and body language are expressive and vivid. Sholom comes to life as a lovable rascal despite the potentially distancing old-fashioned clothing and long side-curls.
   
   Sholom's Jewish identity is unapologetically front and center in this biography. Explanations of Jewish life are not necessary, as the story itself smoothly defines all terms and customs. The Jewish aspects of the story are not coyly told for insiders nor stiffly recited to educate non-Jews, but are described matter-of-factly; Sholom's culture is an integral part of his individuality and of his life story.
   
   This is a vital, engaging, living-and-breathing portrait of one of modern Judaism's most famous and beloved champions. The book stands along beautifully but would also make a perfect introduction to Sholom Aleichem's own works.
   
   Grades 2-5



4. This winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Young Readers is just charming and works on many levels. Mordecai Gerstein's illustrations complement the text perfectly. It is a biography for younger readers; a story reminiscent of a fairy tale with a mean step-mother and a dreams that comes true; and a lesson that you will succeed if you pursue your passion.



5. Sholom's Treasure is a sweet story about the writer Sholom Aleichem and how he decided to become a writer. The illustrations are great and the story is simple and a pleasure to read and share.

No comments about LA America: The Sephardic Experience in the United States.

5 comments about My Child Is Back! (Library of Holocaust Testimonies).

1. I finished the book "My Child Is Back" in two sittings. As the daughter of a Jewish father and a Christian mother, Ursula Pawel survived the Holocaust whereas her father and only brother died at Auschwitz. While reading the book, I journeyed with Ms. Pawel as she describes her idyllic childhood, her imprisonment in the concentration camps, her liberation and her eventual arrival in the United States with her mother to become an x-ray technician. She vividly recalls the smells, the senseless terror and the tragedy inside the labor camps. After her liberation, she provides a gripping description of a grueling five-hundred-mile bicycle trip to the pre-arranged town of Lippborg to rendezvous with her mother. As I followed the author through the book, I felt as though I were right there with her. Her courage in the face of despair and hopelessness is to be admired. It must have been painful for her to recall and relive all she endured. I felt elated at the conclusion of the story. The photographs, the family tree and the map of her travels were very helpful. This book is very good reading. I recommend it highly.



2. Survive-definition-to continue to function or manage in spite of some adverse circumstance or hardship; to endure; to remain alive. This story is a heart-wrenching journey of survival in the truest sense of the word. The physical and mental toll of Ursula Pawel's experiences while "living" under Hitler's power is unimaginable, yet the spirit that she exhibits to stay alive remains undaunted. But what is even more amazing is that Ursula was only 16 years old, a young adult, when thrust into life altering circumstances that were beyond her control. I feel every teenager should read this biography and see if they would have the fortitude to take the actions, and make the decisions that this brave young woman did. I am so glad she survived to tell her story! A compelling and moving book.



3. This book offers a fascinating glimpse of the Holocaust seen through the eyes of a young girl. It's not a dreary catalogue of horrifying events and torment. Instead, it gives a fresh, detailed account of how a family tried to stay together and how one very brave girl managed to survive in a terrible time.
   The author's description of her narrow escapes and 500 mile journey after being liberated from the camps will keep you reading to the amazing and uplifting conclusion.



4. I read Ursula Pawel's powerful book "My Child Is Back" with great interest. Her vivid description of her experiences in various concentration camps and her miraculous reunion with her mother had me spellbound. This gripping tale of human endurance was written by a woman who survived all the horrors of the Holocaust while keeping her strength and dignity intact.



5. They say a cat has nine lives, but Ursula Pawel, author of "My Child is Back", has had many more. As she takes you from her happy childhood in Germany to the labor camps, eventually the dreaded Auschwitz death camp and finally to the USA, you'll relive every human emotion with her. This inspiring book reflects the courage and character of a half-Jewish teenage girl, mature beyond her years, who in spite of the most horrific physical and emotional abuse, clings to her will to survive. With great resourcefulness and determination, she makes a 500 mile bike trip home after liberation and finds her mother. They, as the only two members of their family to survive, eventually come to the USA to start a new life.

   This is a concise, "can't-put-down book" with maps and pictures. You finish the book with so much admiration for the author who in spite of her losses, kept her dignity, purpose and ability to love.

1 comments about Doors to Madame Marie.

1. This book had a profound effect on me. I don't totally agree with the first review on this page. Possibly the reviewer should read the book again since he/she seemed to miss the pivotal message woven throughout this book like a fine golden thread in a tapestry.

   The solid footing the author stood on was to keep your heart swept out of insiduous practices like racial and ethnic intolerances that lead to atrocities such as the Holocaust. "Dust doesn't announce itself." she says as she likens our hearts to the apartment house of the next century. Be courteous to one another, follow the Golden Rule, and put this book on your list of books to read. You won't be sorry you did.

No comments about Jewish Maxwell Street Stories (IL) (Voices of America).

1 comments about An Uncertain Hour: The French, the Germans, the Jews, the Klaus Barbie Trial, and the City of Lyon, 1940-1945.

1. I have read a lot about France during W.W. II, but much of it (the politics in particular) had baffled me until I read this book. Morgan takes very dense information and makes it understandable! A very readable and very educational book.

No comments about Anne Frank: Internet Referenced (Famous Lives Gift Books).

5 comments about A Tzaddik in Our Time: The Life of Rabbi Aryeh Levin.

1. A Tzaddik in Our Times is a biography of of a man that few people outside the Jewish world would know about. This is an absolute travesty, because this man's life should be an inspiration to everyone, regardless of religious affiliation. These days, heroes are hard to come by, and role models seem to have died off with the last generation. Reb Aryeh is that hero, that role model, and his life is not just an interesting story. It is a guide to anyone who would lead a meaningful life, a roadmap to the soul.



2. Cover-to-cover anecdotes of events in the Rabbi's provide any reader with a long list of ways to make a difference in life.



3. This is a remarkable story of a remarkable person. Aryeh Levin was a very humble, and righteous person, one who dedicated his life to helping others. He was a legend in the Jerusalem of his time, a faithful student of the great first Chief Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Abraham Yitzhak Ha- Kohen Kook. He was also a legend for his help to the Jewish prisoners who the British held at the time of the Mandate. Above all he was known for his remarkable kindness to every person he met. He was truly a person who fulfilled the Biblical injunction of the prophet Micah, who ' loved justice, did mercy and walked humbly with his G-d"
   This book is filled with wonderful stories about him, and is recommended to anyone who wishes to be inspired and learn from this tsaddik ( righteous man) in our time.



4. One can't imagine that such a kind and loving person really existed. I try to read a little bit each day as a role model to help ensure that I am kind to others.
   This book would make an excellent gift for anyone. I can assure you that they will cherish it.



5. Incredible human being who lived during historic times in the land of Israel. Read it and you will marvel at the man, at his deeds, at his soul, at his quiet heroism. A Tzaddik in Our Time is a must read for anyone who values human kindness.

2 comments about Fritz Haber: Chemist, Nobel Laureate, German, Jew: A Biography.

1. This biography illuminates the life of one of the most gifted yet controversial figures of the 20th century. Haber was a pioneer in electrochemistry and thermodynamics and won the Nobel Prize for his synthesis of ammonia, a process essential for both fertilizer and explosives. Haber's work has helped feed billions of people, but he is often remembered for his role in the poison gas attacks of World War I. Despite his ardent patriotism, Haber, a jew by birth, was exiled from his homeland in 1933 by the Nazi party.



2. Fritz Haber was one of the great chemists. This biography, written by the son of one of his co-workers is magnificent in that it is thorough, informative, extremely well-researched, replete with references to additional literature.
   
   Well worth reading by anyone interested by the First World War - the allies went into the war thinking that if worst came to worst, Germany would run out of nitrates, which were then the only known source for the nitrogen needed to make gunpowder, and ergo gunpowder, and be forced to surrender. Little did they reckon with Fritz Haber's genius - he devised a method to extract nitrogen out of the air - and the war tragically continued. Stoltzenberg devotes some thought to what sense this accomplishment made, but other authors may have devoted more pages to this subject. This book will appeal to any reader fascinated by German history, or by the history of chemistry.