Mode

kid

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Mendel the Mess-Up

by: Terry LaBan  

Ages

9+
Since Matja put the evil eye on Mendel, he can’t do anything right! No one wants him around, not even the goats. Luckily, the Cossacks don’t know about the curse.  Yet. 
Ages 9+
Pages 208
Publisher Penguin Random House
Coming Dec 2024

Average Rating

4 Reviews
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What the Book Is About

Mendel is so accident-prone that when he tries to chop wood, he breaks the axe, and when he stands up in class to read, he ends up wrecking the room. When the Cossacks invade Mendel’s shtetl, all the villagers run away to hide. Certain his presence will only bring disaster, Mendel leaves his community in order to keep them safe. But to his own surprise, he is able to draw on his history of mess-ups and find a way to save the day.
 

Jewish Content and Values

  • The story takes place in a shtetl. There are references to shabbat, synagogue, and studying Talmud (Jewish law).
  • A book of Jewish teachings saves Mendel’s life by blocking an attack.
  • Learning helps Mendel to develop as a person and to find courage (ometz lev).
  • The book ends with a bar mitzvah scene.

Content Advisory

None.
What the Book Is About

What the Book Is About

Mendel is so accident-prone that when he tries to chop wood, he breaks the axe, and when he stands up in class to read, he ends up wrecking the room. When the Cossacks invade Mendel’s shtetl, all the villagers run away to hide. Certain his presence will only bring disaster, Mendel leaves his community in order to keep them safe. But to his own surprise, he is able to draw on his history of mess-ups and find a way to save the day.
 

Jewish Content and Values

  • The story takes place in a shtetl. There are references to shabbat, synagogue, and studying Talmud (Jewish law).
  • A book of Jewish teachings saves Mendel’s life by blocking an attack.
  • Learning helps Mendel to develop as a person and to find courage (ometz lev).
  • The book ends with a bar mitzvah scene.

Content Advisory

None.