Summer Reading

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E_Phillips_Fox_-_A_Love_Story,_1903Notes from the Lampert Library

Summer always reminds me of those lazy days as a kid. My family had a little no-frills house by a lake. One of my favorite memories is lying in the hammock which was strung between two trees right on the lake’s edge. I don’t remember how many books I read slowly rocking back and forth in that hammock. But that was some of the sweetest reading ever.

You may not have a house by a lake; you might not have a hammock. But books are readily available. So choose your favorite spot and try one of the books below for summer reading.

By the way, did you ever wonder why teachers almost always start the new academic year with a review? It’s to help compensate fort “summer slide.” Disadvantaged students can slide back weeks, ultimately loosely three or four years of academic progress over the course of their K-12 education. Even good readers and excellent students suffer from lack of academics during the long summer break and may slide back a week or two. So help prevent “summer slide” by encouraging your kids to read over the summer. Check out the Children’s and Young Adult sections for some perfect anti-slide books.

By the way, many young adult books make great adult reading.

Heiligman, Intentions. Rachel’s faith in the grown-up world is shaken when she overhears something that shocks her.
Jewish Stories from Heaven and Earth. Stories drawn from the Jewish tradition illuminate universal truths.

Carvajal, The Forgetting River. An American journalist struggles to find the secret of her Jewish past in Spain.

Golinkin,  A Backpack, a Bear and Eight Crates of Vodka. Using humor to lighten the dark memories, Golinkin tells the story of the last years of the Soviet Union and immigrating to America. Read it for the title alone.

Bonert, The Lion Seeker. A different kind of immigrant story, set in South Africa but fraught with universal pain and guilt.

Cameron, The Fruit of her Hands. Portrays the richness of 14th century Jewish life through the fictional Shira, wife of Rabbi Meir Rothenberg. .

Corona, The Mapmaker’s Daughter. In Spain in 1492, should Amalia convert and stay safe or remain a Jew and risk her life?

Hannah, The Nightingale. This beautifully written novel depicts characters who find their own ways to courage as resisters during WWII.

Horn, A Guide for the Perplexed. Combining a historical narrative featuring Solomon Schechter, the Cairo Genizah, and Maimonides with a modern take on sibling rivalry makes for a spellbinding read.

Rich, The Harem Midwife. Continues the story of Hannah and Isaac Levi who have fled Venice and settled in Constantinople, a city filled with both intrigue and opportunity.

Rojstaczer, The Mathematician’s Shiva. A weirdly humorous novel the focuses on the achievements and death of a famous mathematician.

Zackheim, The Last Train to Paris. On the day before WWII, who will join journalist Rose on the journey to freedom from Berlin?

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