Mrs. Kaputnik’s Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium
Author: Rona Arato
Publisher: Tundra Books
Genre: Kids
ISBN: 978-0-88776-967-2
Pages: 192
Price: $9.95
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Moshe Kapustin has no idea he’s just traded his family’s firewood for a pet dragon, when he receives the mysterious egg from the peddler. But when the dragon, Snigger, saves them from the Cossacks and allows them to leave Russia for a new life in America, the family decides he will have to come with them. So they depart for New York on a quest to find their father, who has already arrived in America five years earlier.
A mistake at Ellis Island changes the family name to Kaputnik, and life becomes challenging as they adjust to life in New York. In 1898, immigrants faced hardship and struggle in their new country, but when you also have a dragon, things get even more complicated. Somehow, just as in Russia, Snigger seems to have a knack for making things better.
Mrs. Kaputnik’s Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium is a light-hearted story of a Russian Jewish immigrant family to New York. Shoshi and Moshe want to help their mother be successful in their new country, but they also struggle with what they left behind. Living in America is so different from Russia and at times they miss their old country.
Many kids today have no idea what their immigrant ancestors faced when they came to the United States. Although this novel doesn’t paint the dire situations many had to deal with, it doesn’t show life as all rosy either. In a fun and humorous way, Rona Arato has shown us life at the turn of the last century, and given us a glimpse into our own history books. I highly recommend this delightful story.
Reviewer: Alice Berger
From That Flame
Author: MaryAnn T. Beverly
Publisher: Kallisti Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction / Biography
ISBN: 978-0-9761111-8-4
Pages: 348
Price: $19.95
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In September, 2001, just two days before terrorists struck the United States, Ahmed Shah Massoud was assassinated. This great Afghan military leader, known as the Lion of Panjshir, had been fighting the Taliban and Osama bin Laden before most of us in the US even knew of that terrorist’s existence.
When MaryAnn T. Beverly read about Massoud, she was instantly captivated by the heroic actions he had been taking in valiantly and steadfastly fighting for his country’s freedom. From That Flame attempts to capture the essence of his personality through a fictional account of an interview with a female journalist, Michelle Garrett.
Michelle initially approaches Massoud because of his strong stand in favor of women’s fair and equal treatment. But she switches the slant of her article after being caught up in several battles with the Taliban, as his forces try to fend off their sneaky foe.
As Michelle interviews Massoud, we learn more about him as a person. History will show him as a brilliant military man, but there was a softer and gentler side to him that the author also wants people to see. A devout Muslim, he would pray with his men and alone, and he condemned the radical beliefs of the Taliban. He grieved each man’s death, even after many years of fighting. And Massoud was a loyal friend to those worthy of his friendship.
Although at times I felt the relationship between Michelle Garrett and Massoud didn’t ring quite true, I did agree with the author that a fictional account was the most appropriate means of showing us more about this extraordinary man. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, since I’ve never had much of an interest in what went on in the Middle East, but From That Flame is a surprisingly interesting story. Reading about the struggles in Afghanistan and how the people are affected puts US involvement there in a whole new perspective.
Reviewer: Alice Berger
World War II
Author: Stuart A.P. Murray
Publisher: Hammond Undercover
Genre: History
ISBN: 978-0841-610934
Pages: 72
Price: $13.99
In 1938, Germany invaded Poland, and Britain and France declared war. But in the 7 years that followed, World War II became a truly global affair, as Japan, South Africa, and the Middle East, as well as the United States, became involved in Europe and the Far East.
Taking us through the chronological events of these years with photographs, Hammond Undercover’s World War II is surprisingly easy to read for a war history book. Side trips explain Hitler’s rise to power, the help of the Red Cross and advanced medical care, and how women became more liberated in the workforce as a result of their wartime efforts.
The horrors of concentration camps and the dropping of the atomic bombs are also described, though not in graphic detail, but no one who reads this book can come away unchanged by how deadly a war of this magnitude was. World War II is a great illustrated summary of the events of this war, suitable for any history buff or library collection.
Reviewer: Alice Berger
The Fruit of Her Hands
Author: Michelle Cameron
Publisher: Pocket Books
Genre: Historical Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-4391-1822-1
Pages: 448
Price: $25.00
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Sometimes, when we start researching our family tree, we discover an ancestor who makes us proud. When author, Michelle Cameron, found she descended from Rabbi Meir ben Baruch, she decided to learn as much as she could about him, and memorialize him in a novel.
Through the eyes of his fictional wife, Shira, we revisit 13th century Europe, at the rise of anti-Semitism. During this time period, the Talmud was burned, and growing mistrust of the Jewish people caused their cruel persecution and imprisonment. But Shira and her family are strong in their faith and community, and refuse to allow their fears to control them. In the midst of this unrest, we learn what a great and important man Rabbi Meir ben Baruch is in his lifetime.
Blending the history of her ancestor and his fictional family with Jewish faith and custom, The Fruit of Her Hands is a moving story that spans several generations. When we first meet Shira, she’s a young girl. She marries, has children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren by the time the story concludes.
Fear of a group of people causes humanity to act in ways that are unfathomable to rational minds. Yet we see behavior like this time and time again. But exeriencing how the Jews were persecuted, first-hand through Shira’s thoughts and memories, reminds us not to judge based on appearances. There’s a lesson for all of us in this remarkable story.
Reviewer: Alice Berger
In Search of Molly Pitcher
Author: Linda Grant De Pauw
Publisher: Peacock Press of Pasadena
Genre: Children’s Fiction / History
ISBN: 978-1-4357-0607-1
Pages: 155
Price: $12.00
As soon as Peggy McAllister hears about the Rattletop award for excellence in social studies, she’s determined to win it. When her teacher assigns the class a research paper on a famous American, she decides to write about a heroic woman and picks Molly Pitcher from the list.
But who was the real Molly Pitcher? Peggy quickly finds out there was no woman with that name who performed the feats attributed to her in legend. Now the search begins to track down who this woman really was. With the help of her greatgramps, his friend and author Mrs. Skinner, and her local librarian, Peggy searches for clues.
Peggy learns how to conduct research in the process, distinguishing between primary and secondary sources, tracking them in chronological order, and properly documenting them. She also discovers that teachers sometimes have their own agendas, and can’t always be relied on to help.
Written in the style of a detective story, In Search of Molly Pitcher pulls the reader into Peggy’s quest for information, always wondering what new piece of evidence she will uncover. Linda Grant De Pauw has turned a potentially dull and boring historical essay on a legendary American woman into an exciting mystery. Kids and adults will both find it an enjoyable read.
Reviewer: Alice Berger
The Intellectual Devotional: American History
Author: David S. Kidder & Noah D. Oppenheim
Publisher: Modern Times / Rodale
Genre: Reference / Pop culture
ISBN: 1-59486-744-5
Pages: 378
Price: $24.00
Author’s website
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If you’re looking for a daily bite-sized portion of intellectual stimulation, look no further than The Intellectual Devotional.Written in the style of the daily spiritual guides, this volume is designed to educate the reader in American history, one day at a time.
Each day of the week is devoted to a particular theme:Mondays are Politics and Leadership, Tuesday deals with War and Peace, Wednesday looks at Rights and Reform, Thursday is Business, Friday covers Building America, Saturday is Literature, and Sunday showcases the Arts.
One would expect to see references to our founding fathers in an American history book, but how about the Simpsons, Michael Jackson, and Gone With the Wind?The eclectic mix of topics keeps The Intellectual Devotional from becoming yet another boring reference book that never leaves the shelf.
Many Americans keep books by their bed to read when beginning or ending the day, and The Intellectual Devotional now sits on my own nightstand. If you enjoy learning something new every day, I’d suggest you add it to your own collection. You’ll find it a fascinating read.
Reviewer: Alice Berger
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- Embracing the Gray by Mark A. Hollingsworth
- Healing Touch by Dorothea Hover-Kramer
- Junior Dragster Dreams by Carol Carter
- Mallory the Forgetful Duck by Elaine Allen
- Music for a Shift in Consciousness by Bruce Lipton & Russel Walder
- Off to Class by Susan Hughes
- The Skinny on Success by Jim Randel
- Tibetan Dream Journey
- Tiptoe Through Tasmania by Janice Anderson
- Your Daily Walk With the Great Minds by Richard A. Singer, Jr.
“Who’s Taking a Bath?” by Alice Berger
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