List
2024 Sydney Taylor Book Awards for Grades 6-12
The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries since 1968, the award encourages the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature.
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The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman
2023 by Lowe, MariGet this itemShaindy, an Orthodox Jewish girl, is struggling in school and has no good friends. On the other hand, her neighbor, Gayil, excels socially and academically. They have little to do with each other, until Shaindy looks out of her window and sees Gayil holding up a mysterious sign: "Want to know a secret?"
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The Blood Years
2023 by Arnold, Elana K.Get this itemInspired by the author's grandmother and her experience as a teen during the Holocaust in Romania (a much lesser-explored region of this tragedy), this historical fiction novel follows two sisters who struggle to keep loving and balance the nuance that comes with survival.
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Don't Want to Be Your Monster
2023 by Moulton, DekeGet this itemThis middle grade novel introduces two vampire brothers coming of age in a small town who must set aside their differences to solve a series of killings in their town.
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The Jake Show
2023 by Levy, JoshuaGet this itemWhen his parents divorce, Jake finds himself torn between two parents with two very different religious expectations. It's only when he goes to Camp Gershoni that he is able to be with friends who accept him for who he is, the real Jake, and negotiate peace at home.
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Not So Shy
2023 by Nimrodi, NoaGet this itemTwelve-year-old Shai just moved from Israel to America, and she hates everything about it! As she concocts plan after plan to get back home--while navigating a different culture in her middle grade classes--she begins to realize that home really is wherever her heart is.
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A Sky Full of Song
2023 by Meyer, SusanGet this itemEleven-year-old Shoshana fled persecution in the Russian Empire to find a new home on the American frontier. With so much trauma from her homeland, her first instinct is to hide her Jewish identity until her older sister makes her see that their family's difference is their greatest strength.
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Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust
2023 by Shusterman, NealGet this itemOne of the most persevering themes in the dark time of the Holocaust is hope, and this graphic novel explores Jewish tradition and folklore to reimagine certain parts of the war and real-lie heroics of Jews who saved others.
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Going Bicoastal
2023 by Adler, DahliaGet this itemIn this romantic comedy that is told in alternating timelines, Jewish teen Natalya spends one summer in New York with her girl crush, and the other in Los Angeles going for a guy she never saw coming.
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Impossible Escape: A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe
2023 by Sheinkin, SteveGet this itemInspired by a true story, this narrative nonfiction book follow two teens as they survive incredibly challenging situations during the Holocaust. One becomes the first survivor to expose Nazi concentration camps to the world, while the other has to fight back against the German Nazis in Hungary.
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Wrath Becomes Her
2023 by Polydoros, AdenGet this itemVera was created as an avenging golem, a monster made of earth, as a way to kill Nazis. But although she is made for vengeance, she begins to wonder if there is more to her life and purpose than the anger her creator wove within her.
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The Witch of Woodland
2023 by Snyder, LaurelGet this itemWhile preparing for her bat mitzvah, the coming-of-age celebration for Jewish girls, Zippy discovers she has magical abilities. When she conjures up a beautiful girl with no memory and wings like an angel, their new friendship allows Zippy to examine her faith, her strength, and the magic of adolescence.
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