In an engaging novel set in 1973, seventh grader Melanie Adler desperately wants to be one of the popular girls known as the Shimmers. Best friend Vicky is finding it easier to be accepted by them, so when Israeli-American Dorit Shoshani moves into town, Melanie is happy to have a new friend. The two bond over family troubles: both Melanie’s mom and Dorit’s dad live in constant fear, she from a traumatic car accident and he from his experience fighting in the Six-Day War. The girls’ close bond is tested when Melanie finds herself torn between popularity and her friend. Historical events such as Watergate and the Yom Kippur War are well-integrated into the story and its themes of trust, loyalty, fear, and forgiveness.
Melanie and her family are Jewish. Her brother had a bar mitzvah and the family spends every Yom Kippur in synagogue fasting and praying.
Marla, one of the Shimmers, has a bat mitzvah; she explains her Torah portion, Lech L’cha, as going out to start something new and also going inside yourself to find the strength to make a change.
Dorit’s family is from Israel. Her father fought in the Six-Day War when she was six years old.
The book is set in 1973, and the Yom Kippur War is part of the story.
Both Melanie’s mom and Dorit’s dad experience what the author’s note explains is post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental health condition not well understood in the 1970s. The portrayal of PTSD in the book is developmentally appropriate.
What the Book Is About
In an engaging novel set in 1973, seventh grader Melanie Adler desperately wants to be one of the popular girls known as the Shimmers. Best friend Vicky is finding it easier to be accepted by them, so when Israeli-American Dorit Shoshani moves into town, Melanie is happy to have a new friend. The two bond over family troubles: both Melanie’s mom and Dorit’s dad live in constant fear, she from a traumatic car accident and he from his experience fighting in the Six-Day War. The girls’ close bond is tested when Melanie finds herself torn between popularity and her friend. Historical events such as Watergate and the Yom Kippur War are well-integrated into the story and its themes of trust, loyalty, fear, and forgiveness.
Jewish Content & Values
Melanie and her family are Jewish. Her brother had a bar mitzvah and the family spends every Yom Kippur in synagogue fasting and praying.
Marla, one of the Shimmers, has a bat mitzvah; she explains her Torah portion, Lech L’cha, as going out to start something new and also going inside yourself to find the strength to make a change.
Dorit’s family is from Israel. Her father fought in the Six-Day War when she was six years old.
The book is set in 1973, and the Yom Kippur War is part of the story.
Content Advisory
Both Melanie’s mom and Dorit’s dad experience what the author’s note explains is post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental health condition not well understood in the 1970s. The portrayal of PTSD in the book is developmentally appropriate.
