Jewish Humor Stories for Kids [Hardcover]

Irmela Wendt (Author), Harold I. Mathis (Author), Antoni Boratynski (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

The Judaica Librarians' Choice Award Winner! Stories with uniquely Jewish settings that feature funny situations and hilarious dialogue -- all by first time authors. The winning story was chosen by the American Jewish Librarians' Choice Award Committee and features a side-splitting surprise ending in the James Thurber/Neil Simon tradition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-Although there is certainly a need for more books with Jewish protagonists set in modern times, these short stories fall short of the mark. The first selection is about a family that moves to a town in which there are no other Jews and hides their identity until a surprising revelation allows them to come clean. "The Three Wishes of Nathan the Wise" is about a boy who dreams of a genie who shows him that being Jewish can be good. The third selection tells of one girl's quest to build the best sukkah ever and the last is about a boy's bar mitzvah. All of the tales are so message-laden that the story lines and characters get lost in the shuffle. The authors seem to feel the need to prove the value of Judaism, instead of allowing readers to find it on their own through reading an enjoyable narrative. At times, the different narrators' voices are forced or unrealistic to the ages of the protagonists. This is a book with an agenda and, unfortunately, it overwhelms the humor.-Amy Lilien, Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT

Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

We recognized the need for Jewish short stories in English for the 10-14 age group. There have been very few collections of original short stories published over the last forty years. The object of this first collection is to present the Jewish student with entertaining works that is both believable and modern, featuring Jewish families living in the world, today.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Simcha Media Group (NJ); 3rd edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0943706777
• ISBN-13: 978-0943706771
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,399,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)