Jewish ONLINE Middle Grade Book Clubs 2024-2025
A bookshelf drawing filled with books.
Reading Jewish books together is THE BEST! I'm VERY excited about our lists for the 2024-2025 school year.
We meet on Sundays once a month.
Be JEWcy 5-6pm Central Time
Spill the JEWce 6-7pm Central Time
NEW THIS YEAR Drop-in Option!
My preference, for planning and community and relationships, is for readers to sign up for the whole year of book club. However, I know that can't work for every family for a variety of reasons. If your child would like to join book club as a drop-in reader on specific months, please let me know.
Seeing ourselves in books with diverse Jewish main characters by Jewish authors is a powerful way to affirm and explore our Jewish identities. We will be engaging with the themes and ideas raised in these books through a Jewish lens and with our Jewish peers guided by me!!
Our diversity of opinion and experience will enrich our conversations.
There are so many great reasons for Jewish kids to be in a Jewish book club:
Reading helps us build a vocabulary for our experiences. Reading books that center diverse Jewish characters and experience provides Jewish kids a landscape within which to see themselves and others within our Jewish community.
Engaging with Jewish-centered literature can support creating a sense of belonging and strengthen positive self-esteem and healthy relationships. It can help Jewish readers understand different Jewish perspectives and experiences and build empathy.
Jewish-centered books make space for Jewish joy and culture in ways that have value on their own and also can help build the resilience we need when faced with bias and antisemitism.
Inside a Jewish-centered book, young Jewish readers can learn about antisemitism and anti-Jewish violence while also surrounded by loving Jewish characters and culture and community.
These are also great books to recommend or gift to non-Jewish friends and all libraries. For non-Jewish readers, reading Jewish-centered books can help build an understanding of values, beliefs, and social practices of Jewish life and cultures which also supports the development of resilience against and awareness of engaging in bias and antisemitism.
Why these particular books, though? Because these books are really great!
I devote A LOT of time to reading Jewish Middle Grade books so I can choose the ones I think are really and truly great for us to talk about.
My 2024-2025 ONLINE Jewish Middle Grade Book Clubs Be JEWcy and Spill the JEWce are open for registration! $45 each semester or $80 for the year
Important to know: JEWce Pops (the youngest group) is merging with BeJEWcy
How do you sign kids up?
Right here by completing this form!
All of the books in both groups are middle grade books by Jewish authors with Jewish characters and Jewish themes. Both lists include Jewish characters of color, queer characters, autistic characters, and characters with disabilities. I have read and have specifically chosen these books.
The titles in Spill the JEWce have slightly more mature middle grade themes than the titles in BeJEWcy and while the Holocaust is referenced in some of the BeJEWcy books, none of the books are about the Holocaust.
It is up to you to consider books on each list, the meeting time, and the social and emotional needs of your child and choose which group is the best fit.
I am intentionally not defining these groups by specific age or grade.
I do encourage students in 3rd grade to join Be JEWcy and students in 7th grade to join Spill the JEWce.
Those in 4-6th could quite comfortably choose either group.
Be JEWcy Books
9/22/24 The $150,000 Rugelach, by Allyson and Wayne Marks
11/17/24 Two Tribes, Emily Bowen Cohen 1
2/15/24 The Ring of Solomon, by Aden Polydoros
1/12/25 Hooplah Under the Chuppah, Dori Weinstein
3/23/25 Death by Toilet Paper, by Donna Gephart
5/4/25 Pickled Watermelon, by Esty Schachter
Spill the JEWce Books
9/22/24 The Way Back, Gavriel Savit
11/17/24 The Story of the Jews, Stan Mack
12/15/24 Dreidels on the Brain, Joel ben Izzy
1/12/25 The Path of Names, Ari B. Goelman
3/23/25 Aviva vs. The Dybbuk, Mari Lowe
5/4/25 How to Find What You’re Not Looking For, Veera Hiranandani
*NOTE This year our book clubs will not meet in October, February, or April.
Not sure what's right for your child?? Let's talk!
If there is something I can do to help your child fully participate, please let me know and I'll do whatever I can to make it happen.
Please DO invite your Jewish friends and cousins and whoever Jewish-else who loves books to join us!
(And even if it's not for you or your family, you are encouraged to share with others!)