Jewish Children's Literature: Report From America

Authors

  • Rita Berman Frischer

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14263/7/1993/613

Keywords:

Jewish children's literature

Abstract

What a year 1990 was for Jewish content in children's books in America! Eric Kim­ mel's Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, a tale of things that go bump in the night, wonderfully illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, was named a Caldecott Honor Book. And Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry, received the Newbery Award [as well as the AJL Sydney Taylor Award-see Judaica Librarianship vol. 6, pp. 111–112—Ed.]. Of course, there were those who complained that Hershel is not really a Jewish book because goblins and ghosties are not suitable Jewish themes. Tell that to I. B. Singer! And Lowry's book, an excel­ lent work of great appeal, does return us to an earlier convention in children's books about the Holocaust, that of helpless Jews rescued by the courage of others. Still, what a year for Jewish content! Who could complain?

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Author Biography

Rita Berman Frischer

Rita Berman Frischer is Director of Library Services at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. She is a reviewer and columnist for the Los Angeles Jewish Journal, Reform Judaism, Melton Journal, and other publications; a lecturer on librarianship and children's lit­erature; and a juvenile book award judge for JWB-Jewish Book Council and other groups.

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Published

1993-12-31

How to Cite

Berman Frischer, Rita. 1993. “Jewish Children’s Literature: Report From America”. Judaica Librarianship 7 (1–2):32–34. https://doi.org/10.14263/7/1993/613.

Issue

Section

First International Symposium on Jewish Children's Literature