Synopsis
Frustrated and angry over his new stepfather's strictness about Jewish traditions, such as being kosher at home and observing the Shabbat, twelve-year-old Jason fights for the ...
Children's Literature
Very often in children's books about religious conflict within a family, a girl wants to be more observant than her parents. Here is a rather refreshing shift—the lead character is a boy. Jason Siegel is faced with a new stepfather who is taking his dead father's place. That wouldn't be so bad¾after all, his mother needs someone to love, too¾but this man has all kinds of rules that Jason does not understand. Why do they suddenly have to have a kosher home? That means no cheeseburgers¾Jason's favorite food. And why does Jason have to wear a kippah (skullcap) EVERYWHERE? How embarrassing! Worst of all, Jason's baseball team plays Saturday games and Jason isn't allowed to play in them. Saturday is Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, when no activity is permitted that does not respect this holy day. Jason is a true-to-life, twelve-year-old trying to deal with what he does not understand. David, the stepfather, is arbitrary in his decisions and refuses to give reasons for his edicts. Jason is old enough to understand religious feeling but he is young enough to be unreasonable in his reactions. Jason gets involved in a lie and gets hurt playing baseball on Shabbat. His family is not at the game and he sits on the bench cradling his broken wrist. Suddenly David appears. He and Jason resolve their differences in a moving scene that shows how "following the rules in the Torah is not a substitute for doing the right thing. It's a guide to help people know what the right thing to do is." This book is very readable and all of the situations seem to be drawn directly from life. Recommended. 1999, Alef Design Group, $6.95. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Judy Silverman