Customer Reviews

Penina Levine Is a Hard-boiled Egg

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Tenacious sixth-grader Penina struggles to retain her beliefs, trust in adults, and humor while going through what seems like unfair obstacles in the course of growing up. Will an impossible assignment, troublesome younger sister, unsympathetic parents, tricky friend, and attending a school where her heritage is in the minority, weaken her or give her strength? Is telling the TRUTH and self-control always better than just DARING to pay for the consequences of one's actions?

Rebecca O'Connell manages to have all readers experience with Penina the joys and struggles of one's heritage in this flowing story. It is not until the reader of any background has finished enjoying the book that they realize the wealth of information they've gleaned not only about the Jewish culture, but the unique beauty of their own as well.

As a school librarian I recommend this must-have library book to students who want to laugh at the important daily issues of grouping up, as well as to students and teachers interested in diversity. This is one of the few young adult books that lovingly DARES to be sensitive to such major topics.

You don't have to be Jewish to appreciate the wit and wisdom of Penina. Rebecca O'Connell's book taps in to the frustration we all have felt when an authority figure (in this case, a teacher with a fixation on the Easter bunny) disregards our most diligent efforts to be understood. Start with a Passover feast, add an annoying younger sister, an empathetic friend, and a rich seasoning of humor...and you have the recipe for a rewarding reading experience.

Penina Levine is one of only two Jewish sixth graders in Mrs. Anderson's class in public school. The class has been given an assignment to write letters "from the Easter Bunny" to kindergarten kids in the nearby Holy Family School. Penina strongly believes she should not write the letter because she is Jewish and Easter is a Christian holiday. She doesn't tell her parents about the assignment because she feels they don't listen to her and favor her younger sister, Mimsy. She does tell her grandmother however, when they are preparing the meal for the Passover Seder. Her grandmother says she is like a hard-boiled egg because when you boil it, it gets hard, just like the Jews: "When the heat is on, we don't turn to mush-- we get tougher." Her grandmother is proud of her for sticking up for her religion and not writing the letter. Eventually Penina tells her parents about the assignment and they tell the principal, who then talks to the class about diversity. Mrs. Anderson, Penina's teacher, apologizes and Penina and her family invite her to a Shabbat dinner. The story moves along briskly and Penina is an appealing and feisty Jewish character with much humor. The various black and while line drawings complement the text. For ages 9 -12.

My 9 year old granddaughter cried when she finished the book. Not because it was sad but because her " favorite book EVER " ended. Can there be a better review ?

I am a little sad too, because we have to wait till September for the next Penina book. But, Ahh, the anticipation.

The girl is spunky, truthful, hardheaded, true to her beliefs and most importantly, very believable. Although written for maybe 8-11 year olds, Penina is very much beloved by my 6 year old, a self described "agnostic" and myself a tripped off the religion wagon ex-Catholic with a Jewish father. It is a great book for helping my daughter explore her Jewish heritage and a great starting point to discuss religion, faith, beliefs, traditions, and how much she dislikes dealing with her little sister. It has a wonderful "conversation starter" in my house. Penina Levine is a real find.

Thank you Rebecca O'Connell for creating a strong principled character and tackling an issue that no one really talks about. This is the first book, in my experience, that actually deals with an insensitive teacher and a child's real fear of getting the teacher angry if she stands up for her beliefs. This book has helped my child immensely in our own "insensitive school situation".

Penina Levine is adorable, and I like her relationships with family and neighbors. However, her teacher's reaction is farfetched. Her sudden turnaround ditto. Penina's attendance at her best friend's non-Jewish ceremonies makes no logical sense whatsoever in the context of her resolution regarding school and description as a hard-boiled egg. It would have made more sense if she kept her religious life separate from her friends but they were friends nonetheless, and the story would have made more sense if the child were about 2 or 3 years younger.

I was asked by another librarian

to read this book and what was my honest opinion of it,

as she was deeply incensed by the book,

feeling it was anti-Christian.

Page 72 is a continuation on a "harping":

"And, its like when Ms. Anderson tried to make me write a letter as the Easter Bunny... 'Oh my little hard-boiled egg,' she said,'You make your grandmother so proud.'"

page 152 "Good for you, Penina. You stayed true to your beliefs when Ms. Anderson asked you to write that Easter Bunny letter, and now you are reaching out to make peace with her. You are a principled person. We are proud of you, and we love you."

...and now I am going to be principled to my own beliefs

-- the big deal of "the letter" enraged me

and brought up regressed inner frustrations from past experiences having once lived in the Borscht Belt and had witnessed and been subject to pointed "reverse discrimination" where it was as if

THE EASTER BUNNY and SANTA CLAUS was the main thrust of OUR HOLIDAY.

As I am typing this I am having a rush of all the negativism (and all I could think of is THIS IS HOW WARS START!) that was displayed back then when this was verbalized. I am sick and tired of the idea that Christmas is all SANTA CLAUS and Easter is THE BUNNY... how would they like it if I were to say The Passover BEAR? I think not. Passover is not about some creature like that, it is revered and held with respect, and so should our HOLY DAYS as well.

How many times do people do things against their "upbringing" (though I am not condoning such action) -- would it be too much to humor the small child to whom the note was to be written?

Why not use THE TOOTH FAIRY -- not everyone BELIEVES in it and Penina could have taken a stance on it instead of (pg. 127 pretended to be Catholic) treading on and upsetting personal religious TRADITIONS?

I am sorry, I too did not find the humor in this book, nor did I find it "cute", and I read it over a year ago and every time I went to type this review I held back. I still am having a problem composing this review. I need to stand up for my principles as well. "HERE I STAND!"

Shalom.