Customer Reviews

Confessions of a Closet Catholic

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

On page 44 we find Mrs. McAllister (the mom of Justine's catholic friend called Mac) saying: "Be proud of where you come from, Justine.. . .if you aren't happy with who you are, then the grass will always look greener somewhere else. But when you get there, you won't be any happier, because you've taken your insecurities with you".

And Justine's beloved Bubbe says later (though I won't give anything away by stating exactly where, when and how!): "if you aren't proud of who and what you are, then changing the name of the person you pray to won't make you feel any better."

These two statements sum up the quest in this book. What an insightful look into the heart of the pre-teen Jussy as she wrestles with all kinds of issues, not just limited to her search for spirituality.

You know a book is good when it makes you cry several times and when the last line gets you. Funny, too!

"Confessions" would make a great gift for a bat-mitzvah, or for a confirmation, and any pre-teen happening to stumble on it is likely to feel a bit better about herself when she finds out she is not the only one going through these pre-teen insecurities.

A heartwarming peek into the pre-teen mind...........

Justine Silver is a middle child in a modern Jewish family. Her parents have rejected some of the more orthodox traditions, but her grandmother still keeps kosher and rests on the Sabbath. Confused by her own religion, Justine becomes a (literal) closet Catholic, holding confessional and keeps a checklist of sins in her bedroom closet. Her "dialogue" with the "priest" in the closet (a teddy bear has to stand in) is absolutely priceless and comic.

When her dabblings in Catholicism are exposed, the family is shocked. Justine often wonders if her grandmother's stroke was caused by her own rejection of religion and tradition. In a funny and heartwarming tale, Justine explores two different faiths and finally comes to peace with her own faith, all while dealing with the usual traumas of being a middle child with a perfect older sister. Highly recommended.

Confessions of a Closet Catholic is a great book! It's filled with many laughs and tears which I'll never forget. Justine is a well written character with many thoughts, which made me want to keep reading until the very last word. For Sarah Littman's first book, this absolutely deserves 5 stars.

This is a truly touching book about a jewish girl who decides to give up being Jewish for lent. The problem is that soon after her Grandma (who is an Auschwitz survivor ) finds out that she has given up being Jewish, she has a stroke.
The girl goes on a quest to find her true identity while the one person who understands her is ill. It is a great book for kids of all religions.

Well, our school had a book fair and I went in thinking I wouldn't get anything, but this book caught my eye. I read it less than 24 hours in getting it. It has a mixture of giggles, crying, and love that makes it one of the greatest books ever. I cried 5 times and giggled more times than I could count. It truley captures what it is like to be a pre-teen.

When I first grabbed this title from the book store, I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was. This book offered everything from laughs to tears to moments we all know we've been through. As well from just being a great read it taught me a lot about the Jewish religion. I'd recommend this book to anyone, and question those who saw it but didn't pick it up.

Confessions of a Closet Catholic is the 2006 winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Older Readers Category, presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries for the best in Jewish children's literature. An interview with the author may be heard on the Jewish literature podcast The Book of Life at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com (the January 2006 episode), and information about all Sydney Taylor Book Award winners is available at www.SydneyTaylorBookAward.org.

Justine Silver, like many American Jewish kids, struggles to balance her family's expectations that she should be Jewish "but not too Jewish." When they scoff at her suggestion that they keep kosher like Bubbe, she decides to observe Lent like her best friend Mary Catherine and to give up being Jewish. Thus begins Justine's exploration of Catholicism, Judaism, and the meaning of religion. When Bubbe has a stroke Justine worries that God is punishing her for breaking the rules, but frank discussions with a priest and a rabbi, as well as with Bubbe, finally set her on the road to finding her Jewish spiritual self.

Justine's voice is vivid and believable, as is her very modern, very American struggle. The author bravely raises issues rarely addressed in children's literature. Justine's family, friends, and clergy are so remarkably supportive as to stretch credulity, yet this atmosphere of safety makes possible the very exploration that Justine, and many of her readers, crave. By turns funny and heart-wrenching, this very satisfying story could be a catalyst for readers of all religions to look deeper into their own practices.

Highly recommended.
Grades 4-7

When Justine Silver's best friend Mary Catherine McAllister (who likes to be called Mac) gives up chocolate for Lent, Justine (aka Jussy) decides that such a temptation isn't worth sacrificing. So instead she resolves to give up being Jewish!

Eleven-year-old Jussy wishes she had a family like Mac's that was warm and more involved in one another's lives. Unfortunately Jussy's somewhat strict mom only seems to care about having expensive things in the house and no messes. Jussy is the middle child, and she feels that whenever she brings up questions about her heritage, her family doesn't take her seriously. Her maternal grandparents, Grandma Lila and Grandpa Leo, think that the kosher traditions are outdated, while mom and dad take Jussy and her older sister Helena and little brother Jake to the synagogue just a few times a year. The only person who Jussy believes truly understands her is her parental grandmother, Bubbe, who she doesn't get to see too often since her family moved from New Rochelle, New York to Greenwich, Connecticut the previous summer.

So Jussy's bedroom closet becomes her confessional, where she asks for repentance for her sins from "Father Ted," a favorite teddy bear. She reveals all to Father Ted --- from her feelings of isolation for being the middle child in her family to dealing with her newly discovered feelings towards a cute boy.

But then Jussy is given some devastating news that affects her deeply --- Bubbe has suffered a stroke. Jussy is fearful that her religious exploration is to blame for her grandmother's stroke. Her mother, after accidentally discovering the confessional, thinks that Jussy is being selfish with her exploration especially since Bubbe is a concentration camp survivor (along with her late husband). However, when Bubbe comes to live with Jussy's family, Jussy discovers that she isn't responsible for what happened, and that she must continue to find her own spiritual identity.

Jussy's confessions are thought-provoking and at times quite humorous. Sarah Darer Littman's first novel is a great book for people of all faiths to read, enjoy, and learn from.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle (SdarksideG@aol.com)

This book makes anyone feel great about being a Catholic. It really helps you to appreciate your faith and see it through the eyes of someone who is not Catholic but loves the faith. I love the fact that the girl is Jewish, as Jesus, Mary, and the apostles were Jews too. The Catholic faith came out of the Jewish faith and is a flowering of it. The chosen people are no longer only the Jewish people but the kingdom of heaven has been opened to Christians - the fullness of the faith being the Catholic Church which Jesus Christ implemented 2000 years ago. As an institution of Almighty God it can not and will not ever fail. This book also would be excellent to include in the Accelerated Reader program at school!!

Eleven year old Justine is questioning her Jewish faith and decides to try out being Catholic like her new best friend, Mac. During her exploration her beloved bubbe (grandmother) suffers a stroke. Justine worries she caused her bubbe's stroke by giving up being Jewish for lent. After her bubbe's passing Justine visits with a priest and rabbi in an attempt to have some of her questions of faith answered. She returns to her Jewish faith, not because she knows it would have made her bubbe happy, but because she has come to believe also. Throughout her exploration her seldom practing Jewish family decides to support her. Her father attends Synagogue with her and her mother agrees to cook Kosher for her. Very well written and insightful for anyone questioning their faith, no matter what it may be.