The Power of Story in Painful Times: Middle Grade Books About Israel
Here at PJ Our Way, we believe in the power of stories to connect us to our communities, culture, and history, and to help make sense of difficult or confusing situations. In this painful time, books represent a powerful and safe way to feel connected to Israel.
PJ Library and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation have a deep and unshakeable connection to the people, land, and state of Israel. We have put together a list of resources and information about Israel and how to talk to your children about the current conflict at our Israel Hub.
In addition, if your children are struggling with antisemitism, check out this list of five middle grade books that can help spark important conversations about this difficult topic.
Finally, here are a number of PJ Our Way titles based in Israel that we are proud to recommend:
Beni’s War
by Tammar Stein
Ages 11+
Twelve-year-old Beni’s family has moved from Jerusalem to a moshav in the north of Israel to make a fresh start after the death of Beni’s soldier brother, Gideon. Sensitive Beni finds it hard to stand up to the bullies at his new school, and his brother, Motti, is now a soldier, so he isn’t there to help. When the Syrians attack, the moshav is evacuated as war breaks out. Beni must find a way to forge new relationships with his classmates while he tries to make his own contribution to the war effort. Alongside Beni’s moving coming-of-age story, this gripping novel gives an insight into life in Israel during the Yom Kippur War. It is the sequel to the Sydney Taylor Honor Book The Six-Day Hero but can be read as a standalone novel.
Parents should know that this book has content warnings; we recommend you review them in the Parent Guide.
Gal Gadot: Soldier, Model, Wonder Woman
by Jill Sherman
Ages 9+
Gal Gadot is the Israeli actress who starred in Wonder Woman, the first ever female-directed superhero movie from a major studio. This is the story of her childhood and career. Kids will be inspired by her success as an international actress who juggles family and career with grace and aplomb.
Parents should know that his book mentions and includes pictures from films that Gal Gadot has starred and acted in. Although the pictures are appropriate for young readers, some of the actual films are for older viewers. This book also contains a picture of female IDF combat soldiers, who wear rifles as part of their gear.
Ilan Ramon: Israel’s Space Hero
by Barbara Sofer
Ages 9+
Famous Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon represented Jews all over the world when he joined the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia. This is the story of how he grew up to become Israel’s foremost astronaut, from his childhood in Beersheva, through his bar mitzvah following the Six-Day War, to his army service as a pilot and his training as an astronaut. This is an inspiring biography about an Israeli hero.
Parents should know that Ilan Ramon’s story is very inspirational, but also sad. The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven people on board. This tragic accident is sensitively described for young readers.
Pickled Watermelon
by Esty Schachter
Ages 10+
Molly is nervous about leaving her friends and her beloved Bubbe to spend a month in Israel with her mom’s family. She doesn’t like change, so at first she tries to avoid adapting to Israeli life, but slowly the country and its people win her over. By the end of the trip she has bonded with her Israeli family and is sad to leave. This is a sweet book, full of warm family relationships and appealing detail about life in Israel in 1986.
Scout’s Honor and the Cave of Courage
by Anna Levine
Ages 9+
In this sweet, gentle adventure set in Israel, twins Josh and Nate visit their cousins and join a group of Israeli Scouts on a camping trip. Josh is insecure because his brother Nate is braver and funnier than he is, so he hopes that the trip will bring out a different side of him. The opportunity comes when the Scouts are exploring some caves and two people get lost. Can Josh work up the courage to save his friends?
Parents should know that the children are accompanied on their trip by a guide who carries a gun. There is a scene in which Josh is afraid when he sees the gun, and his cousin explains that it’s the law and is in place to keep the children safe.
The Lost Spy and the Green Dress
by Alex Paz-Goldman
Ages 10+
Motti, the child of Holocaust survivors, lives in Israel in 1964. Fueled by news reports of double agents arrested in Egypt, he and his best friend let their imaginations run wild as they conjure up images of countless spies sneaking around their town. The story’s somber descriptions of survivors’ many struggles are deftly balanced by the lightness of the boys’ fast-paced and very funny spy-hunting adventures.
Parents should know that there are references to the Holocaust, but they are not graphic. Holocaust survivors in the story struggle with mental health, poverty, and hunger.
The Six-Day Hero
by Tammar Stein
Ages 11+
This thrilling, beautifully written coming-of-age novel vividly captures the spirit of Israel during the Six-Day War through the eyes of twelve-year-old Motti, who lives in Jerusalem, just a few meters from the Jordanian border. The entire country is suspended in a state of tense anticipation, Motti’s brother and father have been drafted, and his best friend has fled the country. Motti dreams of playing the hero and is frustrated that he’s too young to help until the reality of war teaches him that courage and daring are not exactly synonymous. The Six-Day Hero has been chosen as a Junior Library Guild selection and is a Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner.
Parents should know that this book has content warnings; we recommend you review them in the Parent Guide.
The Sound of Freedom
by Kathy Kacer
Ages 10+
Life is good for Anna Hirsch: her loving father is a respected clarinetist in Krakow, her Baba is a wonderful cook, and Anna and her best friend Renata make a perfect team. But with Hitler in power, Mr. Hirsch’s music students abandon him, and Renata’s family leaves for Denmark. Then superstar violinist Bronislaw Huberman comes to Poland to audition musicians for a new orchestra he is setting up in Palestine. Anna’s father auditions successfully, and the family emigrates, embarking on a future full of new possibilities but also new challenges. The Sound of Freedom is based in part on the true story of the origins of the Israel Philharmonic.
Parents should know that this book does have content warnings; we recommend you review them on the Parent Guide.
Too Far from Home
by Naomi Shmuel
Ages 9+
Meskerem’s family has just relocated from Katzin, her small hometown, to Hertzliya, a large city in central Israel. Although Meskerem is a native Israeli, her mother is from Ethiopia and her father is from America. The kids at her new school immediately assume that Meskerem is one of the new immigrants who just arrived on Operation Solomon, the much-publicized airlift evacuation of Ethiopian Jews from the Sudan. Their insensitive and racist comments make Meskerem feel ashamed and confused about her heritage; thus, she impulsively declares that she’s American. Eventually, she learns to appreciate and take pride in her rich and diverse Jewish, Ethiopian, and American identity while earning her classmates’ respect and friendship. This sweet book is translated from the Hebrew and won the Anderson Award as well as a commendation by the Zeev prize committee in Israel.
Parents should know that this story describes some of the difficulties Ethiopian Jews encountered as they traveled across Sudan while en route to Israel. Meskerem’s grandmother was separated from her daughter for years, and her grandfather was shot by robbers. No graphic details are offered, and, although tragic, these stories are related in an age appropriate manner.