The Woodcarver's Daughter
Video review by Emily
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Parent Guide
It’s 1915, and 12-year-old Batya lives with her family in a small village in Russia. Batya wants nothing more than to be a woodworker like her beloved father, but girls aren’t allowed to join the Woodworker’s Guild. After the woodshop is burned down in a pogrom, Papa decides it’s time to move to America. The move isn’t easy; little Sarah fell ill on the journey and lost her hearing, Batya doesn't like school, and Papa and Mama are struggling to make ends meet. One day Batya discovers the carousel on Coney Island, as well as the shop where the wooden horses are made. Can Batya convince the workers and her father to let her follow her dream?
Parent Guide
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Amazing book with great messages!
The Woodcarver’s Daughter is about a girl named Batya living in 1915 Russia who wants to be a woodcarver. When she and her family move to America, she hopes the rules will be different, but it’s the same! Only boys can be woodcarvers; girls have to learn to iron and sew! But one day she ditches school and finds a carousel, some new friends, and a chance at following her dream. This was a great book, and I liked seeing a bit of what life was like back then. I loved this book, and I think you will too if you like books about history, feminism, and altogether amazing stories.