Lieberman,
Leanne. Lauren
Yanofsky Hates the Holocaust.
Orca
2013
256p ISBN 978-1-4598-0109-7 ms/hs Paperback E-BN Realistic fiction
Lauren Yanofsky is sixteen and in Grade
11 in a Vancouver, British Columbia, high school. After her bat
mitzvah at thirteen, Lauren decides that she is becoming “non-Jewish by choice.”
She feels “Holocausted-out.” She
coerces
her parents into letting her leave her Jewish day school and attend public
school even though it creates enormous friction in the family.
Her father is a prominent Holocaust scholar, and the family is closely tied to
their synagogue. Not all of Lauren’s
life is focused on her religion. She experiences the normal
joys and sorrows that every teenager does.
However, this year Lauren’s life in public school isn’t going to be a
picnic either. Her closest friends are
changing: two of them are involved in Christian groups, one has joined the “smokers,” and she sees
the cute boy she likes getting involved in playing Nazi war games in the
park. She is faced with a huge ethical
dilemma about whether she should report his group to the school authorities or feel as
though she is betraying her heritage. And, to
top it off, her younger brother, who has special needs, is refusing to go through with his
bar mitzvah, to the agony of his mother. The
writing is thoughtful, yet not overladen with sentimentality and leavened with
humor throughout. The plot is
straightforward, which allows the beauty of the characters to shine
through. Lauren is a girl well worth
knowing. This book is highly
recommended for all middle- and high-school libraries.
Summary: Lauren Yanofsky is sixteen and in Grade 11 in a Vancouver high
school. After her bat mitzvah, Lauren
decides
that she is becoming “non-Jewish by choice” and attends a public high school. When she discovers that the boy she likes is involved in playing
Nazi war games, she is faced with a huge ethical dilemma: say nothing or
renounce her heritage.
Judaism-Fiction,
School stories --Susan Ogintz
No comments:
Post a Comment