"The Truth about My Bat Mitzvah"

This book was particularly interesting to me because it seems to mirror some of my own life. My father is extremely Christian, while my mother has faith in god but does not attend church with the rest of my family. Just last year I learned that my grandfather was Jewish. Just as Caroline felt, I felt as though I was missing out on a large part of my heritage.
As the reader looks from the outside into Caroline’s search to find if she should appease her father or take to her new found religion. Near the end of the story Caroline commits to her Jewish heritage by getting her school photo taken with her star of david necklace, that was her grandmother’s. This was her way of claiming her mother and her religion as her own. When she said she was Jewish out loud she found herself having something in common with her crush Ryan. The very end of the story is Caroline at her best friend Rachel’s Bat Mitzvah, where the girls realize Caroline doesn’t need the party to make her Jewish, she just has to turn 12 and be her mother’s daughter, which she ALREADY IS!

This positive discovery story is a great cultural example of anyone’s introduction to or travel through Judaism. The book discusses Judaism with much compassion and accuracy. I would say that this book would be of better literary quality than our “discovery of Judaism” book, “The Confessions of a Closet Catholic.” I feel that this book is a stronger story to introduce adolescents and adults to Judaism.
Citation:Baskin, Nora R. The Truth About My Bat Mitzvah. New York: Simon and Schuster Books, 2008.

~Written by Howlett A

The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco

Polacco, Patricia. The Keeping Quilt. New York: Aladdin, 2001.

Patricia Polacco is a very known for her stories of her family. Through her words, she writes about different aspects of her life. In The Keeping Quilt, Polacco writes about her family tree.

From her Great Gramma to her first daughter, Polacco creates a story that not only explains some aspects of the Jewish religion, but of her family heritage as well. The story begins with a younger version of Great Gramma and how she came to America. The story continues through Polacco’s Grandma and then her mother. With each story Polacco explains the wedding traditions and little bits about daily life for a young Jewish woman growing up in America. Once it finally is Polacco’s turn, she explains how in her wedding they had all of the same traditions but this time everyone celebrated together.

The Keeping Quilt has won the Sydney Taylor award. Not only does this book show a family in positive light, but is also is a very good book that shows the Jewish religion in a positive light, as well. It also a good choice of a piece of diverse literature. The book is also illustrated by Patricia Polacco which makes the entire book created by an insider author. Overall, a good book that can be used for all ages.