Middle Grade Books That Celebrate Israel
In honor of Israel’s 75th birthday (on April 26, 2023), we’re delighted to offer Pickled Watermelon by Esty Schachter. This is a delightful story about a young girl (Molly) who’s not looking forward to leaving her friends and beloved Bubbe to spend a month in Israel with her mom’s family. Molly doesn’t like change, so she tries to avoid adapting to Israeli life. Slowly the country and its people win her over. By the end of the trip, Molly has bonded with her Israeli family and is sad to leave. This is a sweet book, full of warm family relationships and appealing details about life in Israel in 1986.
In addition to Pickled Watermelon, PJ Our Way has offered a variety of books that explore and celebrate the history, culture, and people of Israel, including:
Beni's War
by Tammar Stein
Ages 11+
274 pages
Beni’s brother Motti is in the army when the Syrians attack Israel on Yom Kippur. Their other brother was a hero in the Six-Day War, but Beni can’t even stand up to the bullies at school. Can he find a way to be a different kind of hero?
Gal Gadot: Soldier, Model, Wonder Woman
by Jill Sherman
Ages 9+
48 pages
Meet Gal Gadot: Israeli soldier, model, mom, actress, and Wonder Woman!
Ilan Ramon: Israel's Space Hero
by Barbara Sofer
Ages 9+
56 pages
Jewish people from all over the world cheered for Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon as he soared into space on the Space Shuttle Columbia. This is his story.
Jordan and the Dreadful Golem
by Karen Goldman
Ages 9+
216 pages
The children of the Israeli town of Keshet are born with the ability to bend nature to their will. Armed with ancient Jewish spells and magical powers, can Jordan and his friends defend their home against a deadly monster before it’s too late?
The Lamp of Darkness
by Dave Mason & Mike Feuer
Ages 10+
184 pages
Twelve-year-old Lev lives a simple life in ancient Israel, playing his harp as the sheep graze. But when a mysterious stranger appears, the shepherd boy is thrust into a world of biblical prophets, kings, intrigue and adventure. Life will never be the same again!
The Lost Spy and the Green Dress
by Alex Paz-Goldman
Ages 10+
176 pages
Motti, the child of Holocaust survivors, lives in Israel in 1964. When Motti and his best friend Reuven see a suspicious man at the bus stop, they’re determined to figure out if he’s a spy or not.
Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment
by Chris Grabenstein and James Patterson
Ages 10+
368 pages
Twelve-year-old Max Einstein may know more about math and science than her college professors, but she doesn’t know who her parents were or how she got her famous last name. When But Max will face her toughest challenge yet when she’s recruited by a mysterious organization and taken to Jerusalem. Can Max and her supergenius friends outsmart the evil Corp and bring electricity to the farthest reaches of the planet?
Shield of the Maccabees
by Eric Kimmel and Dov Smiley
Ages 9+
126 pages
So what if Jonathan is Jewish and Jason is Greek — who says they can’t be best friends? In this unique retelling of the Hanukkah story, two friends from very different backgrounds join forces to save the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem!
The Six-Day Hero
by Tammar Stein
Ages 11+
256 pages
War has broken out and Israel is surrounded by enemy armies. Motti’s best friend has fled the country, and his class is huddling in a Jerusalem bomb shelter. Motti wants to be a hero like his soldier brother, Gideon, but what can a 12-year-old do?
The Sound of Freedom
by Kathy Kacer
Ages 10+
278 pages
It’s 1936 Poland, and Anna’s family needs to find a new home fast. Joining the new orchestra in the Land of Israel is the opportunity of a lifetime. Anna and Baba will do whatever it takes to get Papa to audition! The Sound of Freedom is based in part on the true story of the origins of the Israel Philharmonic.
The Time Tunnel: Jerusalem Under Siege
by Galila Ron-Feder-Amit
Ages 9+
96 pages
When Dan asks Sharon to explore a mysterious tunnel with him, he has no idea that it will lead them back in time, into the middle of a war in Jerusalem’s Old City! Can they escape before it's too late?
Too Far From Home
by Naomi Shmuel
Ages 9+
48 pages
When her mom gets a big promotion, Meskerem must leave her beloved home in Katzin and start school in a Hertzliya, a large city in central Israel. As if that’s not bad enough, now she’s the only kid of color in the entire fifth grade! Will she ever fit in and make friends?